Wednesday, December 04, 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*** Technical difficulties prevented yesterday's edition from being delivered. We apologize for the error. Motor City Madness Federal judge rules Detroit eligible for nation's largest municipal bankruptcy filing In largest-ever U.S. city bankruptcy, cuts almost certain for Detroit creditors, retirees Detroit Ruling on Bankruptcy Lifts Pension Protections, Threatens Millions of Retirees Detroit emergency manager calls for new pension talks with city unions Report Shows Real Factors Behind Detroit Crisis: Revenue Decline, Wall Street Deals Play Largest Role In Decline David Sirota: How Wall Street - not pensioners - wrecked Detroit Only Wall Street Wins in Detroit Bankruptcy, Reaping $474 Million Fee Detroit Creditors Push for a Price on City's Art Related: Illinois Legislature Approves Retiree Benefit Cuts in Troubled Pension System Ill. Legislature OKs "fix" for $100B pension crisis, making deep cuts to state employees' retirement benefits John Nichols: Detroit Bankruptcy Bankrupts Democracy Health Care Checkup Health care reemerges as a somewhat normal issue President Obama embarks on new health-care push after Web-site fixes, urges Americans to sign up Republicans reviving previously failed attack on Obamacare Kevin Drum: Republicans Nearing a Dead End on Obamacare Greg Sargent: Unused Medicaid expansion now becomimg weapon against extremist GOP governors Heavy traffic on HealthCare.gov after fixes; users report mixed results on insurance site Insurers Worry About Big Back-End Gaps in Federal Obamacare Site Sarah Kliff: These two paragraphs say everything about HealthCare.gov's current problems The Spying Game Guardian editor defends publication of Snowden files before UK's Home Affairs Select Committee British news staff may face terrorism charges over Snowden leaks Immigration: Reform Coming? Bruce Barlett: The Minimum-Wage Cure for Illegal Immigration Speaker Boehner's big hire could signal immigration deal Energy, Climate & Environment Parts Of The U.S. Are About To Experience Ridiculously Cold Temperatures That They Haven't Felt In Years Studies warn of abrupt environmental effects of warming Nations In Turmoil Rocket fire kills 17 in Syrian city of Aleppo Attack on intelligence HQ in northern Iraq kills six International News Iran accord in Geneva followed by new violence, new diplomacy for Mideast Ukraine mass protests resume after vote of no-confidence on current gov't fails by sizable margin Truck carrying 'extremely dangerous' radioactive material stolen in Mexico Money in Politics ALEC facing funding crisis from donor exodus in wake of Trayvon Martin row States Of Confusion D.C. City Council unanimously endorses $11.50 minimum wage Texas principal bans Hispanic students from speaking Spanish to 'prevent disruptions' Midwest Roundup Nebraska legislative tax committee wants more study as deadline approaches Groundwater concerns lead to halt in irrigation wells in southeast Neb. Triple-A says all of Iowa could see gas below $3 yet this year Dying Iowa inmate, sentenced to life at 15, granted parole Sadly, No Surprises Throughout history, only the most craven and ethically bankrupt individuals have been known to regularly rob the bodies of the dead for any remaining valuables, even while the body is still warm. In our modern culture, most Americans would consider that kind of theft disgusting, and a sad relic of the past. With the smack of a gavel, and an hour-long ruling, a Judge in Detroit ruled on Tuesday that the days of modern-day body snatchers are, in fact, alive and well - so long as the one doing the stealing is a massive Wall Street bank. The macabre act we're talking about is the ruling, by a Federal judge, that the now-battered city of Detroit is, in fact, eligible to enter bankruptcy proceedings. The judge also ruled that the Constitution of the state of Michigan, which expressly protects the pension funds of retired public sector workers, was effectively nullified by the desire of banks to steal the hard-earned retirement funds of Detroit's former police officers, firefighters, teachers, and other former public-sector workers. For any American who's ever put their retirement money in a private pension fund, this action should send chills down their spine, in the same way that robbing the dead body of a still-warm human would. Of course, if you understand this is just the latest chapter in a long history of Wall Street pillaging Detroit, you're likely as unsurprised as we are. As a study by the think tank Demos proved just last month, for all the hate and scorn the political right would like to heap on Detroit and it's unions, the reason that town has become such a bombed out shell of its former glory is simple... To continue reading... click here. And now, for your Daily Felltoon preview for December 04, 2013 (Click the preview cartoon above to see the full version of the cartoon) Jobs & The Economy ADP: Private employers step up hiring, trade deficit narrows U.S. private sector activity bounces back in November David Cay Johnston: Want to create more jobs? Reject 'free trade' agreements Sturdy jobs report from November expected, may put December Fed taper on table Wall Street Watch Number Of U.S. Banks Falls To All-Time Low; Fewer Than At Any Point Since The Great Depression Bank of America, Citigroup faulted on foreclosure pact U.S. Dept. of Justice plans new bank fraud cases in early 2014 Related: European regulators fine eight financial firms in $2.3 billion in rate-rigging probe Economic Inequality Why Fast-Food Workers Are Going on Strike In Large Numbers Related: Pope Francis Sneaking Out Of Vatican At Night To Serve The Homeless Budget Battles Congressional GOP may be willing to let emergency unemployment benefits lapse CBO: Extending Unemployment Benefits Would Help Economy Communications Breakdown CNN's Jeff Zucker Reveals Plans to Change from News Network into Place with 'Attitude' TV networks admit: Business news networks losing audience Media Matters Newsweek Plans Return to Print in 2014 Communications satellite effectively launched aboard private SpaceX rocket Did You Miss It On Monday? Here It Is Again! Your HuskerNutz Preview for December 04, 2013 (Click the preview cartoon above to see the full version of the cartoon) White House Update President Obama pushes for minimum wage hike in economy remarks Obama Administration Took Platinum Coin Debt Ceiling Option More Seriously Than It Let On News From Capitol Hill Obamacare anger fading among Democrats in Congress House Votes to Extend Federal Law Banning Plastic Guns, Without Adding New Provisions for 3-D Printed Firearms On The Left Lee Fang: GOP Donors and K Street Fuel Third Way's Advice for the Democratic Party Thomas Edsall: The American Political Center Cannot Hold On The Right Dana Milbank: Extremist Republicans see only one remedy for Obama - impeachment Kathleen Parker: The GOP's toxic messaging 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.