Wednesday, March 27, 2013   Published Weekday Mornings   To see the full version of today's cartoon, click on the preview graphic of the cartoon (below the Commentary) to be taken to the full version in your favorite web browser. **SERVICE NOTICE** Due to technical difficulties, we did not publish an expanded edition on Tuesday, March 26, 2013, though we did publish cartoons here and here, and a commentary here. We apologize for any inconvenience this service interruption may have caused. SCOTUS Brief: Prop 8 Recap SCOTUSblog: The Proposition 8 oral arguments READ: The Supreme Court oral arguments on same-sex marriage HIGHLIGHTS: The exchanges you need to read from Tuesday's Supreme Court arguments SCOTUSblog: Brief Prop 8 argument recap - On same sex marriage, Justice Kennedy is in control of the outcome Ed Kilgore: Supreme Evasions, Serious Consequences Supreme Court weighs options in Prop 8 case The Justices Are Not Ready To Bring Marriage Equality To Alabama, And They Want Prop 8 To Go Away Steve Benen: Alito's provocative question At Supreme Court, Marriage Equality Foes' Best Argument Is That They're Losing Hillary Rosen: Same-sex marriage - it's personal SCOTUS Brief: DOMA Bill Clinton's Decision, and Regret, on Defense of Marriage Act Dylan Matthews: Everything you need to know about the Supreme Court's same-sex marriage cases Shifting Opinions Poll: 53% of Americans support same-sex marriage CNN Poll: 56% say federal govt. should recognize same-sex marriages Among Republicans, a generational divide on gay marriage Chartapalooza: Whatever the Supreme Court decides, these nine charts show gay marriage is winning Rick Ungar: Why Do Polls Show Support For Gay Marriage When State Election Results Reveal Otherwise? FiveThirtyEight.com: How Opinion on Same-Sex Marriage Is Changing, and What It Means Dana Milbank: Same-sex marriage can't be stopped by courts John Avlon: How gay rights went mainstream The War On Women Returns North Dakota Governor Signs Strict - And Unconstitutional - Abortion Limits Despite Abortion Bans, TRAP Law Is the Real Threat to Abortion Access in North Dakota Sarah Kliff: States are cracking down on abortion, while legalizing gay marriage. What gives? Planned Parenthood's president thinks abortion is headed back to the Supreme Court Immigration: Reform Coming Obama On Immigration Reform: 'We've Got To Finish The Job' White House mum on plan to link citizenship path to border security Energy, Climate & Environment New Study Of Oceans Confirms: Global Warming Has Accelerated In Past 15 Years Heating Homes With Switchgrass Pellets Could Save Billions And Cut Carbon Emissions Nations In Turmoil Syria's president Assad appeals to BRICS nations for help Syrian rebel coalition calls for use of Patriot missiles against Assad UN President Ban Ki Moon proposes Mali peacekeeping force The War Over There Afghanistan says it's ready to work for peace without Pakistan's help U.S. 'shock and audit' over Iraq expenses International News North Korea warns of 'simmering nuclear war' Strong Quake Sways Buildings in Taiwan Midwest Roundup Pipeline petition effort unites Nebraska, Michigan critics Homestead National Monument in Nebraska copes with sequester cuts OPPD: Target date for restarting Fort Calhoun Nuclear Station is end of May Education reform debate underway in Iowa Senate Iowa Senate Democrats tout "flexibility" in education reform plan Strapping In For The Fight Yesterday, we covered the Prop 8 arguments in front of the Supreme Court, and today the Court is tackling the other major same- sex marriage issue in front of it this term - the Defense of Marriage Act, also known as DOMA. It was clear from the way the Justices of the Supreme Court handled the arguments in the Prop 8 case on Tuesday that they do not really want to judge the Prop 8 case on its merits. Rather, it appears the Court may want to simply dodge the Prop 8 case, by insisting those who brought the case to the Court don't have standing. If SCOTUS - shorthand for the Supreme Court Of The United States - refuses to decide the case based on lack of standing, the ruling of the Ninth Circuit Court will stand, making Prop 8 unconstitutional and making same sex marriage 100% legal, but just in California. If, as most SCOTUS watchers agree, the court evades a real decision on making same sex marriage legal in all states, there is virtually no chance of SCOTUS dodging the question of constitutionality on DOMA, which faces them today. In short, those on the political right who have pushed the DOMA case before the Supreme Court have strapped themselves to this issue, in the same way terrorists strap themselves to bombs. Neither idea is likely to be productive, in our estimation. The difference between the DOMA case and the Prop 8 case is clear in the recap from Wonkblog's Dylan Matthews, and aligns itself clearly with... To continue reading... click here. And now, for your Daily Felltoon preview for March 27, 2013 (Click the preview cartoon above to see the full version of the cartoon) Jobs & The Economy Housing values continue to rebound Mortgage applications rebounded last week as rates fell Businesses Increase Capital Investments Despite Uncertainty Over Federal Budget, Global Economy The end of emergency unemployment benefits, in one chart Brad Plumer: Why didn't the payroll-tax hike hurt the economy more? Maybe because few people noticed it. AFL-CIO wants foreign workers paid more than native-born ones. Why? Guns & Politics Five red state Dems flirt with instant political self destruction on guns Senate Support for Gun Rights Shown in Budget Vote Suggests Trouble Ahead For Gun Safety Bills Sad Delays: Dad of Newtown victim - 'I'm not real proud of what I see in Congress' Jamelle Bouie: Have the Politics of Gun Control Really Changed? Rights groups slam new U.N. arms trade treaty draft What's really at stake in U.N. arms trade treaty negotiations? Wall Street Watch Analysis of Dow 30 firms shows massive decline in tax burden as a share of profits over past 30 years JPMorgan Chase Faces Full-Court Press of Federal Investigations | Senate committee banking gavel could fall to Wall Street critic in 2014 Who wants to break up big banks? The Senate, apparently The Euro Zone Paul Krugman: Cyprus, Seriously Cyprus readies for reopening of banks Health Care Checkup 21 graphs that show America's health-care prices are ludicrous Sarah Kliff: How word choice effects Obamacare enrollment. Here It Is! Your HuskerNutz Preview for March 27, 2013 (Click the preview cartoon above to see the full version of the cartoon) White House Update Pres. Obama officially signs measure to fund government through Sept. 30 | White House warns GOP against filibuster on gun control bill News From Capitol Hill The Senate is on its annual two week 'Spring Break' recess | The House is on its annual two week 'Spring Break' recess On The Left Dem. Senate Control Harder With 7 Romney-State Bids Looming in 2014 Jon Tester, Montana Senator, Switches Positions, Now Endorses Gay Marriage On The Right Sen. Cruz dodges question on whether he admires McCarthy Ed Kilgore: The Foreign Policy Cold War Within Conservatism States Of Confusion Poll: Colbert's sister leads Mark Sanford in likely South Carolina House matchup Rare, strong Oklahoma earthquake 'linked to fracking' | Tennessee Lawmakers Outraged That Mop Sink Could Be for Muslim Foot Washing North Dakota abortion laws designed to test Roe v. Wade We hope you enjoy "The Daily Felltoon" every business day. Thanks for continuing to be a member! Paul Fell Shawn "Smith" Peirce Paul Fell Cartoons, Inc.