Thursday, February 13, 2014 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. Wasted Water: Tar Heel Hell Spill spews 82,000 tons of coal ash into North Carolina's Dan River After Coal Ash Spill, N. Carolina Warns Residents To 'Avoid Prolonged Direct Contact' W/ River N.C. authorities say river now has elevated arsenic from coal ash spill After Coal Ash Spill, North Carolina Rethinks Prior Paltry Duke Energy Water Pollution Fine Brad Plumer: Coal ash is spilling into North Carolina's river. Here's why it's so hard to regulate. Second spill in North Carolina: Ethanol spill flows into sewage treatment plant Wasted Water: WV Wasteland The Complete Guide To Everything That's Happened Since The Massive Chemical Spill In W. Virginia In Jan Double disaster: Another chemical spill in West Virginia W. Virginia: Ice buildup caused latest coal slurry spill into creek West Virginia officials avoid calling state's water safe West Virginia Water Nightmare: Private Testing Finds Coal Chemical Still In 40 Percent Of Homes One Month After Toxic Spill, West Virginians Face 'Crisis of Confidence' That Anything Will Be Done Jeff Biggers: How dirty coal foretold West Virginia's disaster Mary Anne Hitt: Enough Is Enough - Coal Pollution Spills Reveal a National Water Safety Crisis Winter Continues U.S. South, East Coast lashed again by deadly snow and ice storm Major winter storm forces closures, cancellations in much of D.C. region Massive Ice Storm Cuts Power to One Third of a Million in South Winter storm blamed for nine deaths as snow system moves up east coast Winter storm blankets East Coast day after socking South Airlines have canceled 9,500 flights since Monday due to weather Winter? Olympics 2014 2014 Olympics: Warm Weather Turns Sochi Into 'Slushy' Upstart American Ends Gold Medal Run by the Big 3 in Women's Halfpipe U.S. men sweep podium in slopestyle skiing at Sochi U.S. men's hockey team blows out Slovakia in opener Hitting The Ceiling Congress approves increase in debt limit after dramatic vote GOP leaders get their just deserts: How the debt limit fight blew up in their faces J.Bernstein: Hastert Rule Violated, Republicans Still Happy As Clams Eric Posner: Now That Boehner Has Backed Down, Let's Fix The Debt Ceiling For Good Energy, Climate & Environment From Snowy Atlanta to Sunny Sochi, It's All About Global Weirding Conflict in the U.S. Oil Industry, Now Awash in Crude Nations In Turmoil Syrian troops bombard rebel stronghold of Yabroud Fighting spikes in Syria as peace talks stall Venezuela student protest ends in deadly violence The War Over There Afghanistan frees suspected Taliban prisoners Lebanon arrests top al-Qaeda linked fighter Two American soldiers killed in Afghan 'insider' attack International News Two Koreas will meet a second time, for further talks U.S. Ambassador Caroline Kennedy on Okinawa to discuss base Russia Signs New Gay Adoption Law; Couples From Countries Where Same-Sex Marriage Legal Not Allowed to Adopt More Than 100 House Members Sign Letter Supporting Diplomacy With Iran Money in Politics Raju and Palmer: Koch brothers bombard vulnerable Senate Democrat Kay Hagan Koch Brothers Ad Attacking Democrat Landrieu Uses Paid Actors, Tries To Position Them As Real Voters Midwest Roundup Neb. Republican Senate candidates admit their party is divided Neb. Dems have acandidate for Congress: Ex-Repub Brad Ashford Bill to automatically restore voting rights of ex-felons approved by Iowa Senate panel Water, Water Everywhere... As the horrible weather has millions of Americans once again either huddling in their homes, or trying to recover from the latest unusually large winter storm, our staff members are doing a bit of both, while trying to remain positive. All the recent disasters around the U.S. haven't exactly made that easy. We are glad that this week none of us has been stuck in an airport due to the weather, and no one we know has died from weather-related problems. We're also glad we've all had the basics: Safe, comfortable homes to stay in, nice clothes on our back, and plenty of healthy food and water, in both our homes and offices. After recent man-made disasters in both West Virginia and North Carolina, we consider ourselves extremely lucky to be able to go any of the many faucets in our offices or homes, open the tap, and simply drink the water. Over the last month, major chemical and waste spills have happened in both West Virginia and North Carolina, not once, but twice. These man-made natural disasters have made drinking water for nearly half a million people effectively unusable - even untouchable. It's certainly not been safe to drink. These disasters are the kinds of monstrous problems that Americans don't usually think happen here at home - unless you live in West Virginia. Or North Carolina. Or in war-torn, barely regulated, third-world nation, filled with greedy industrialists and clueless citizens... To continue reading... click here. And now, for your Daily Felltoon preview for February 13, 2014 (Click the preview cartoon above to see the full version of the cartoon) Jobs & The Economy Ahead of storm,Congress goes home, leaves unemployed still frozen out Gallup: North Dakota Leads in Job Creation for Fifth Straight Year - Almost Exclusively From Oil Jobs | Laura Tyson: We Should Be Putting America's Recovery to Work. We're Not. Ryan Cooper: Time to mobilize against right-wing inflation paranoia Wall Street Watch Federal budget continues narrowing, further evidence of the country's improving financial outlook On Changing Rates, The Fed Tells The Bank of England: You Go First Workers Stand Up Volkswagen Union Drive Doesn't Bother Management, But G.O.P. Fumes UAW and VW Seek Economic High Road in Tennessee, Anti-Union Politicos Want to Block It Health Care Checkup Health insurance enrollment on target in January Gallup: U.S. Uninsured Rate Drops Significantly in First Part of First Quarter of 2014 J. Cohn: Gallup Numbers One More Small Hint of Obamacare Progress | Sarah Kliff: The uninsured rate is at a five-year low. Is Obamacare the reason? Democrats cheer new Obamacare enrollment figures Paul Krugman: Right Wing Hysteria & Unskewing Obamacare The Fight To Vote Study confirms: New North Carolina restrictive voting law hurts black voters more Interactive Map: The Current War on Voting Rights The Spying Game NSA employee stripped of clearance, resigns after admitting he shared log-in credentials with Snowden Obama Administration Releases Cybersecurity Rules for Infrastructure Acceptance in America Gay-marriage backers score court win in Kentucky, file suits in other conservative states | Texas Sportscaster Destroys Silly Opposition To Michael Sam In The NFL Communications Breakdown U.S. media freedom plunges to 46th, placing it behind former Soviet states Media Matters Comcast Set to Acquire Time Warner Cable for $45 Billion, pending review It's Your Cap News Toon for February 13, 2014 (Click the preview cartoon above to see the full version of the cartoon) White House Update President Obama launches fresh effort to raise minimum wage Greg Sargent: Obama's free trade push runs into more trouble, as Pelosi says no to fast track News From Capitol Hill Congress OKs bill restoring full cost of living benefits for military retirees; Obama to sign Congress To Restore Military Pension Cuts, But Ignore Federal Workers Judicial Brief Former New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin found guilty of corruption charges | Rand Paul files lawsuit against Obama, NSA Wednesday On The Left Brent Budowsky: Success of progressive Bill de Blasio lifts the left Wendy Davis supports 20-week abortion ban: A surprise, a betrayal, a smart political move. Norm Ornstein: How Giving $1,000 to Every Baby in America Could Reduce Income Inequality On The Right Jonathan Chait: How House Republicans Screwed Their Next Presidential Nominee N.J. Republicans use Christie bridge scandal to raise money Tea party groups are making and spending millions - but not on candidates States Of Confusion Massive Turnout at North Carolina "Moral March" Puts Right-Wing Lawmakers on Notice | Virginia Senate votes to repeal forced ultrasound law 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.