Tuesday, March 04, 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. The Unfriendly Skies Delta announces big change to its frequent flyer program Delta's New Math Screws Frequent Flyers United's Frequent Flyer Award Prices are Also Going Up, Up, Up. Pointless Budget Battles With 2015 budget request, Obama will call for an end to era of austerity Obama to propose expanding EITC and child tax credit in budget J. Furman: Poverty & the Tax Code Why We Need to Expand the EITC President Obama & Rep. Paul Ryan both tout economic opportunity, but their ideas? Diametrically opposed. Ryan calls for cuts to anti-poverty programs in GOP budget House Budget Committee's New Report Undermines Ryan's Budget Ryan's Audit Of Federal Anti-Poverty Programs Finds Many Are Actually Very Effective Bloomberg: Ryan paints the past five decades of fighting poverty as a lost cause. He's mostly wrong. Joan Walsh: It's time to stop taking Paul Ryan seriously Lori Montgomery: Five reasons Obama's budget matters even less than usual this year The Crimean Conflict Citing 'Coup' in Ukraine, Putin Reserves Right to Use Force Putin orders Russian troops on Ukraine border exercises back to bases Sec. of State John Kerry, Arriving in Kiev, Offers $1 Billion in Loan Guarantees to Ukraine Sanctions on Russia 'highly likely,' State Dept. says; Poland calls for NATO meeting EU Halts Talks With Russia, Threatens Sanctions West may ultimately have to accept Crimea as part of Russia Julia Ioffe: Putin's Latest Press Conference Proved Merkel Right - Putin's Lost His Mind Simon Shuster: Four Reasons Putin Is Already Losing in Ukraine Joe Weisenthal: Aide To Putin Makes The Stupidest Threat Imaginable Matt Klein: Russia & Ukraine Have Bigger Problems Than Each Other Obama's 'Toughness' Benjamin Wallace-Wells: The Ridiculous Question of Obama's 'Toughness' Daniel Larison: The Cliches of "Leadership" and "Resolve" Phillip Bump: Why 'Toughness' Wouldn't Have Prevented and Won't Fix Putin's Aggression Michael Cohen: Don't listen to Obama's Ukraine critics: he's not 'losing' - and it's not his fight Energy, Climate & Environment U.S. court rejects BP appeal over Gulf spill losses Stop hating the polar vortex: It's killing some of the nastiest invasive insects around Nations In Turmoil Clashes in Syria's Yarmouk region halt aid delivery OPCW: Syria has relinquished about a third of its chemical weapons Egyptian court bans Palestinian Hamas group Gunmen seize city council in Iraq's Samarra region The War Over There NATO supply trucks under fire in Pakistan International News Scottish independence debate amps up Midwest Roundup Creighton survey: Winter weather slows sales for 1/3 of Midwest businesses Creighton survey shows Iowa with best economic outlook for 2014 of 9 midwest states Iowa Senate bill cracks down on adults who allow underage keggers on their property Bird-Brained Expectations After the latest - and hopefully last - blast of winter from Mother Nature that had the nation's capitol on lockdown Monday, Congress and most of Washington, DC will technically get back to work today. We're not expecting much in the way of actual accomplishments though, in large part because the outcome of today's big announcement by President Obama has already been written - literally. Like the whining we've heard from billionaires lately, the cliched way many on the right are questioning Obama's "toughness" in handing the Ukraine/Russian conflict, or the way some airlines are changing their passenger benefit plans, neither the outcome or the events themselves should be particularly surprising to anyone who has paid any real attention to current events. In case you're someone who doesn't travel much, recently Delta airlines announced some big changes to their frequent flyer program. In short, their program will no longer reward those who fly the most miles. Instead their new program will benefit those flyers who spend the most money, regardless of how many miles they fly. United made a similar change that just went into effect last month. Frankly, the way the corporate structure of the airlines has become, this frequent flyer change shouldn't be surprising to anyone. The airlines want more money from fewer people - and the market incentives have been adjusted to reward those airline corporations for acting that way. Like being surprised that birds who fly through the air occasionally poop on the people below, no one should be surprised that airlines are focused almost entirely on profit these days... To continue reading... click here. And now, for your Daily Felltoon preview for March 04, 2014 (Click the preview cartoon above to see the full version of the cartoon) Jobs & The Economy Manufacturing in U.S. Expands More Than Projected U.S. factory, spending data hint at improving economy Economic Inequality Warren Buffett: I'd love to see the national minimum wage at $15/hr Report Finds Taking A Paid Day Off When Sick Is A Privilege Of The Wealthy In America Today Health Care Checkup Beneficial Effects of ACA Account for Most of Income, Spending Increases in Middle, Lower Classes | Viva Obamacare? President Obama makes Spanish media push for ACA signups Equality in America Gay marriage opponents in U.S. don't know they're on the wrong side of public opinion Intolerance in America Missouri Republican's 'religious freedom' bill creates concern about discrimination Media Matters Disney, Dish ink landmark Internet TV deal | FCC Cracks Down on Misuse of EAS Signal in movie trailer; Slaps networks with $2 Million fine And now, for your Weekly OK Gazette Toon preview for March 04, 2014   (Click the preview cartoon above to see the full version of the cartoon) White House Update In Meeting, Obama Warns Netanyahu Of Difficulties Ahead Without Peace Deal White House Pulls Presidential Delegation to Paralympic Games in Sochi, Russia National Politics Greg Sargent: Republicans have a structural advantage for 2014 races; Democrats have the issue advantage. Atty. Gen. Holder and Republicans Uniting to Soften Overly Harsh Sentencing Laws On The Left Mich. Democratic Senate candidate attacks his GOP opponent for not supporting successful auto bailout John Nichols: Could Approving The Keystone Pipeline Really Harm Democratic Prospects in 2014? Yes. Bill Press: On Clinton Papers, there's no 'there' there E.J. Dionne: Time to close the reality gap between Capitol Hill & America On The Right Former half-term AK Gov. Sarah Palin attacks Obama on Ukraine: He's got weak leadership & wears mom jeans Sen. John McCain slams President Obama over Ukraine Wis. Gov. Walker's lesser scandal: Treating welfare recipients like dogs CPAC 2014 Outlook: Extremist Conservatives frustrated by GOP's compromises, lack of leadership 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.