Thursday, September 26, 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. Obamacare Rolls On New Report: For 95% Of Americans, Obamacare Will Cost Much Less Than Expected HHS Officials Detail Premium Costs of Health Plan The Final Word On Obamacare Coverage: Cheaper Than Expected Jonathan Cohn: Obamacare Insurance Premiums Beat Expectations HHS Says Ezra Klein: How much will Obamacare premiums cost? Depends on where you live. Obamacare's average monthly cost across U.S.: $328 $11 a month? Obamacare super-cheap for some, feds find Fact Check: No, Congress isn't trying to exempt itself from Obamacare In 2014, Congress gets Obamacare. Here's how they'll pay for it. Federal worker health program to remain largely stable Rick Ungar: Wal-Mart Returning To Full-Time Workers - Obamacare Not Such A Job Killer After All Rick Newman: Part-Timers Losing Health Insurance May Want To Thank Their Companies Obamacare is getting really good local media coverage, as Americans find out they like inexpensive health insurance Bloomberg poll: By margin of 50% to 43%, Americans say GOP should accept that Obamacare is law CBS/ NYTimes Poll: Solid Majorities In Favor Of Compromise, Want Obamacare Implemented Jonathan Chait: Someone Tell Ted Cruz the Obamacare War Is Over - And His Side Lost Shutdown Showdown Senate Speeds Up Bill To Avert Government Shutdown House Repubs explore strategy to avoid federal government shutdown Jonathan Strong: The House GOP's Next Ransom Demand, On The Debt-Ceiling House Repubs Issue Ransom Note: Implement Our Extreme Right-Wing Plan Or The Economy Gets It! Sargent: If Obama endorses his own impeachment, GOP will agree not to destroy the U.S. economy What would be the real impact of a government shutdown on federal agencies? Check the details here. Debt Ceiling Debacle Congress turns attention to debt limit battle Neil Irwin: Wall Street and Washington are in a game of chicken. Will it end with a splat? Thompson: You Really Ought to Be More Terrified of the Debt Ceiling Rep. Pelosi: Pres. Obama should not have ruled out 14th Amend. option in debt ceiling fight LGBT Equality George H.W. Bush acts as an official witness at gay marriage Josh Eidelson: Sorry, homophobes: The "gay panic" defense may soon be outlawed Nations In Turmoil Key Syrian Rebel Groups Abandon Exile Leaders Multiple bombs hit Baghdad markets; At least 20 killed The War Over There Finances of terrorist group Al Shabaab face squeeze after Kenya attack Somali President: Al-Shabab Could Attack the United States U.S. Sees Direct Threat From Al Qaeda Affiliate in Attack at Kenya Mall International News Political uncertainty in Italy deepens over Berlusconi threats German Post-Election Analysis: Merkel Wins! Sort of... No presidential handshake, but U.S. and Iran still slated to meet at UN Money in Politics Federal grand jury charges Ohio businessman with funneling illegal campaign cash to candidates Alec MacGillis: A Rare Criminal Campaign Finance Indictment States Of Confusion D.C.'s defying the shutdown. Here are 5 other ways they could make life better by ignoring the feds. California to raise minimum wage to $10 an hour by 2016 Midwest Roundup Neb. Gov. Heineman says he'll consider changes in good behavior policies for inmate releases Iowa housing rebounds, but so do housing costs Richard Gilmore announces Dem campaign for Iowa Senate Obamacare Rolls On When this week's bit of theatre by Senator Ted Cruz was over on Wednesday, some of our colleagues in the media were almost disappointed that Cruz' absurdist performance piece was at an end. Personally, we thought both our popcorn and Cruz' shtick went stale long before he was ushered off the Senate floor. We were actually glad to see Sen. Cruz come back for an encore, when the Tea Party Senator from Texas joined his 99 other Senate colleagues in a hypocritical vote in favor of cloture - one of the things Cruz had just spent nearly a full day railing against. Sure, folks like Ted Cruz get a lot of attention from the cable "news" channels, but the real news that caught our attention yesterday - along with that of many of our colleagues in the media - was published at midnight on Wednesday, when the Department of Health and Human Services released the latest details on what insurance premiums will look like under Obamacare - and the rates were far cheaper than anyone expected. How much cheaper? As Igor Volsky of Think Progress noted, rates for health insurance look to be 16 percent lower, on average, than had been predicted across the nation. That average was already lower than current rate average rates for health insurance. To say we were bowled over by that good news would be a bit much - though we had to think the extremist Republicans standing in the path of the rollout of Obamacare had to be terrified by that same information. Jonathan Cohn at The New Republic went in-depth, outlining the details of several plans and family sizes thoroughly. What Cohn found... To continue reading... click here. And now, for your Daily Felltoon preview for September 26, 2013 (Click the preview cartoon above to see the full version of the cartoon) Jobs & The Economy Weekly Jobless Claims in U.S. Unexpectedly Decline to 305,000 U.S. weekly jobless claims hold near 6-year low Wall Street Watch JPMorgan in talks to settle criminal government probes for $11 billion Tim Fernholz: A list of all the reasons why JP Morgan may be facing the biggest bank fine ever The Euro Zone Greece says it does not need third bailout, seeks debt 'reprofiling' | British broker ICAP to pay $87 million fine to resolve Libor rate-fixing Workers Fight Back UAW sees VW's German union model as best hope in South Income Inequality Paul Krugman: The Rage of the Privileged Education In America Test scores flat, raising concerns about students' readiness Seven states slashing education spending Guns & America Most Gun Dealers Support Expanded Background Checks, Survey Says Fact Check: The Navy Yard Shooter Did Not Target a "Gun-Free Zone" The Spying Game Adam Serwer: New calls for surveillance reform, thanks to Snowden Immigration: Reform Coming? The GOP's problem with Latinos isn't just about immigration. It's also about health care. Energy, Climate & Environment Researcher: Extent of BP oil spill's damage to sea-floor life "astounding" Remember The Tar Sands Leaks That No One Knew How To Stop In July? They're Still Leaking. | Thousands of Gallons of Oil Released into Colorado Floodwaters 'Monsanto Protection Act' To Expire, Won't Be Part Of Continuing Resolution It's Your Cap News Toon for September 26, 2013 (Click the preview cartoon above to see the full version of the cartoon) White House Update How the Obama administration could hit its climate target, in 1 chart News From Capitol Hill As Ted Cruz ends protest, Senate votes 100-0 to take up budget bill Ted Cruz, GOP Clown Gary Younge: Ted Cruz, Obamacare circus performer Weigel: Ted Cruz, Wendy Davis, and Politico's Bogus Claim of Media Bias The Most Ridiculous Moments In Ted Cruz's Phony Filibuster | Jennifer Rubin: Why do Cruz and Heritage Action do what they do? Beutler: Repubs hate Cruz as much as you do - but for a different reason Alex Pareene: Ted Cruz's long-term strategy: Brilliant, but stupid On The Left Ed Kilgore: Of Clintonism and Obamaism | Revealed by Stripper: NJ Democrat Cory Booker's Twitter Messages On The Right Molly Ball: The Fall of the Heritage Foundation and the Death of Republican Ideas Brian Beutler: GOP's incompetence is a godsend for America | Top Nevada GOPer Brags 2014 Will Be 'A Great Year For Republicans' Because Minorities Won't Vote Gallup: Tea Party Support Dwindles to Near-Record Low 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.