Cartoons Sunday!

More anger at D.C. press, billionaires thrive, Bruce picks up another award.

Still free to subscribe to this nearly daily newsletter! Greg Mitchell is the author of fourteen books and director of five films for PBS since 2022. In a previous life, he was a longtime editor at the legendary Crawdaddy. His latest film “Woody Guthrie and The Ghost of Tom Joad Today” is now streaming everywhere via PBS.

Good to see more loud and angry reactions to the White House Corerespondents dinner in past 24 hours—aimed not at soft target Trump but the hardened silos of the D.C. press.

Lucian K. Truscott IV

Why didn’t you stand up, one by one, and walk out during Trump’s obscene tsunami of lies that he called a speech? White House correspondents, or D.C. media honchos, or whatever you think you are – you’re not politicians who need his endorsement to get elected. You don’t hang out at the Republican clubs around town frequented by Scott Bessent and Stephen Miller and Don Jr. You don’t owe Donald Trump your loyalty.

Why did you just sit there in a spangly ballroom he claimed to have built, decorated with chandeliers he bragged had “Czech crystal,” and watch him fall asleep when awards were being given out to reporters who had stood up to him? You’re not reporting from the Oval Office, watching him sleep in the presence of idiots like EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin as he kissed Trump’s ass. It was your dinner.

He stood up there, when he finally woke up, and he insulted your colleagues and friends like Kaitlin Collins and others. They’re the ones you should be loyal to, and you just sat there and according to reports, looked uncomfortable and studied your phones. This was your chance to stand up to him. Not even the Wall Street Journal reporters he sued for $20 billion for the story they wrote on Trump’s connections Jeffrey Epstein – who you gave an award to – refused to shake hands with him when they left the stage from receiving their awards! Don’t you remember that he threw the Journal out of the White House press pool? His lawsuit exposed the address of one of the Journal reporters, Khadeeja Safdar, causing her to leave her home and relocate somewhere else because of threats from Trump’s supporters, and even she shook his hand.

Jeff Tiedrich, who writes a very funny Substack called “everyone is entitled to my own opinion,” which you should be reading daily not only for its humor, but for its attitude, has had a recurring theme in his column, that the first reporter who stands up and asks Trump “what the fuck is wrong with you,” should receive what Tiedrich calls a “lifetime Pulitzer.” Last night could have been your opportunity to symbolically ask that question. All you had to do was stand up and walk out while he was giving his boring speech, insulting your friends and compatriots, and telling one “joke” after another that at everyone’s expense but his own.

Paul Krugman:

Forbes has been publishing its “rich list” of the 400 wealthiest Americans since 1982. In that first year, Forbes estimated the combined net worth of its 400 at $92 billion — not a small sum, but only 0.8 percent of total U.S. wealth and 3.2 percent of national income.

In 2025 the Forbes 400 were worth $6.6 trillion. That was 3.7 percent of national wealth and 26 percent of national income.

With great wealth comes great power. The New York Times estimated that 300 billionaires and their families made 19 percent of all political contributions in the 2024 election.

Music Picks

For her 85th birthday, Darlene Love announced a new doc focused on her life and career.

Bruce Springsteen on Friday was honored by the ACLU with the Ralph Ellison Award for Defenders of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties in the Arts, Business, Science, and Sports. “I never really considered myself much of an activist,” Springsteen said in his acceptance speech. “At best, I’m a concerned citizen who plays guitar and says what’s on his mind….

“If I can, I will accept this award tonight for the folks who really deserve it. It’s the citizens from all walks of life in Minnesota, Portland, Los Angeles, Newark, and our other under siege cities who this year put their beliefs and their lives on the line in defense of the rights of their neighbors and in service of our American ideals.” Then he sang “Streets of Minneapolis.”

.From Tunes to Toons

Zyglis:

Wuerker:

Brodner:

Sack:

Ramirez:

Matson:

Photo Finish

Continuing our week of my hummingbird photos. Commentary by Barbara Bedway:

We have no idea what led these two fierce, territorial competitors to share a branch for a few moments, but a truce of any kind is especially welcome in our 21st-century lives.