Tuesday, July 09, 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. The Coming Wave Student loan fight heats up as Congress returns from break Dylan Matthews: Everything you need to know about the student loan rate hike Meredith Shiner: With Vote Scheduled, Senate No Closer to Answer on Student Loans House GOP Hides While Senate Dems Prep Vote on Student Loans Senate Leader Reid: House student loan bill "worse than doing nothing" How the House GOP Bill will actually raise student debt levels - not relieve them House Republicans Destroy the GOP's Future by Voting to Raise Student Loan Interest Rates Class of 2013 grads average $35,200 in loans, credit card debt For-profit colleges now have higher rates of student loan default than they do graduates Do We Need to Change Bankruptcy Rules for Student Loans? Sen. Bernie Sanders: Congress must address 'crushing' student loan debt Joseph Stiglitz: Student Debt and the Crushing of the American Dream Oregon Looks at Way to Attend College Now and Repay State Later New student debt repayment options offer hope War On Women Texas Abortion Bill Vote Scheduled By Republicans Texas GOP Brings Baby Sneakers to Anti-Abortion Bill Fight Judge temporarily blocks enforcement of new Wisconsin anti-abortion law North Carolina protest against abortion bill ends with 64 arrests Health Care Checkup Obamacare just got easier to implement, not harder Ed Kilgore: So Much For the "Obamacare Implementation Fiasco" Wonkblog: Americans for Prosperity has questions about Obamacare. We have answers! Sarah Kliff: Most hospitals still don't use digital records. But more do than last year! Sequestration Nation Sequestration Pushes Head Start Families To The Precipice Sequestration Furloughs Set In For 650,000 Defense Workers Matthew Yglesias: Contemplating The Weird Politics of Sequestration as DOD Furloughs Begin Peter Weber: How liberals unwittingly won the sequester Justice & Injustice Judge allows Zimmerman defense to introduce evidence of Martin's marijuana use; Zimmerman not drug tested, was on at least two prescription drugs Debunk of studies linking marijuana to violence Communications Breakdown Jay Rosen: Criticizing CNN for not being real news? Goodbye to that. Nations In Turmoil Bloody Day of Unrest Widens Rupture Among Ordinary Egyptians Egypt's Interim Leaders Lay Out Plan for Fast Transition Most Egyptians Don't Want a Secular Government Confused about Egypt? An expert walks you through it. U.S. has spotty record on law requiring it to cut aid after coups Car bomb rocks south Beirut, Lebanon suburbs The War Over There U.S. mulls early total troop withdrawal in Afghanistan Judge: Obama should 'address' Guantanamo force-feeding International News Leaked Bin Laden report reveals Pakistani intelligence failures Seoul slams Tokyo claims over disputed islands White House Update Obama administration: We're not taking sides in Egypt White House: Continuing aid to Egypt is in US interest Midwest Roundup Early pace of wheat harvest is sluggish in Nebraska this year Heat advisory issued for Tuesday in eastern Nebraska Iowa GOP Gov. Branstad gearing up for 2014 campaign, Democratic candidate Olson likely to enter race Health insurance coop teams up with University of Iowa Health Alliance The Coming Wave It should be no surprise to anyone that even though Congress is back in session, absolutely nothing is likely to get done on Capitol Hill. That doesn't mean there aren't a pile of things that need tending to, from passing the Farm Bill to raising the debt ceiling to passing comprehensive immigration reform to dealing with student loans. However, as we noted on Monday, Congress - and specifically House Republicans - have no intention of doing anything to help anyone but themselves. Greg Sargent stated it bluntly in his headline on Monday: "The problem isn't generic 'Washington gridlock.' It's the House GOP." We strongly agree with Greg on that, though we'd be willing to go one step further and say it's the extremists in the Republican Party that dominate the House GOP leadership right now. Indeed, our hypothesis that mind-numbingly selfish, extremist House Republicans are the real problem is clearly reflected in the fight going on in the Senate this week over the student loan interest rates that Congress allowed to double over the holiday break. Make no mistake - the doubling of student loan interest rates is no small small drop in a bucket. It's more like a tidal wave of financial destruction, caused by the financial cannonball of the 'college as a business' model, that's already gotten the idea of college as a wise investment all wet... To continue reading... click here. And now, for your Daily Felltoon preview for July 09, 2013 (Click the preview cartoon above to see the full version of the cartoon) Jobs & The Economy Small business confidence slips in June Katrina vanden Heuvel: A jobs crisis stuck on the back burner | Pace of Consumer Borrowing Rose in May Neil Irwin: Consumer debt is soaring. That's good news (for now). Wall Street Watch S&P Admits in Court Its Ratings Are Ridiculous and No One Should Ever Take Them Seriously Allowing Corporations to Restrict Lawsuits to Delaware Slants Legal Landscape Again World Economics Spaniards Now Fighting to Get Savings Back From Banks That Failed During Europe's Great Recession China's inflation rate ticks up, policy easing unlikely Taxes & Budgets OMB shrinks its budget deficit forecast | GOP threatens debt limit showdown even as deficit continues to fall Stealing The Vote North Carolina three-judge panel lets highly biased GOP-drawn voting maps stand Adam Serwer: The secret weapon that could save the Voting Rights Act Sahil Kapur Little-known provision of the VRA could subject Texas (and maybe others) to preclearance again Immigration: Reform Coming? Boehner completes his 180-degree turn on immigration Greg Sargent: Can comprehensive  immigration reform still pass the House? Maybe. GOP wrestles with immigration reform consequences with 2014 looming Guns & America Schools Seeking to Arm Employees Hit Hurdle on Insurance Kansas law thrusts Iowa insurer into schools & guns debate The Spying Game Snowden case not the first leak for Booz Allen or private contractors Edward Snowden Is Accepting Asylum In Venezuela Energy, Climate & Environment Canadian train disaster sharpens debate on oil transportation Alec Macgillis: The Quebec Train Crash Undermines Key Pro-Keystone Claim China's coal pollution is much deadlier than anyone realized | Record-breaking Toronto storm drops 126mm of rain, causing blackouts, flooding and transit chaos Study: Hurricanes Likely to Get Stronger & More Frequent Josh Barro: Why Republicans Should Not Ignore Climate Change And now, for your Weekly OK Gazette Toon preview for July 09, 2013  (Click the preview cartoon above to see the full version of the cartoon) News From Capitol Hill A Nuclear Summer? Filibuster Wars Return As Senate Considers Key Nominations Senate Democrats Plan Challenge to G.O.P.'s Filibuster Abuse | Farm bill decision looms large for Speaker Boehner in House Report: Eric Cantor raps GOP committee chairmen over votes against farm bill On The Left Greg Sargent: Democratic leaders must step it up on NSA surveillance Timothy Lee: Could the Supreme Court stop the NSA's Spying? On The Right Rick Perry Decides He Won't Run for Re-election in Texas in 2014 Tomasky: The Opening Salvo From The Right, Of The 2014 Elections States Of Confusion Florida Accidentally Bans All Computers, Smart Phones In The State Through Internet Cafe Ban California prison officials say 30,000 inmates refuse meals | Lobbyists Lavish North Carolina's Far-Right Politicians With Beer, Expensive Parties Women in Ohio kidnap case thank public for support 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.