A federal judge in Florida voided the requirement that travelers wear masks on planes, trains and in travel hubs to curb the spread of Covid-19. The Department of Justice will appeal at the request of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which instituted the mask mandate.
Chicago Tribune editorial cartoonist Scott Stantis, author of this week’s lead cartoon, commented that it didn’t really matter, given that so few people wore masks properly. Bill Bramhall of the New York Daily News noted the inconsistency experienced by travelers on New York City subways (mask required), airlines (no mask required) and taxis (masks required). Walt Handelsman of the New Orleans Times-Picayune/The Advocate drew airline passengers at the gate — half with masks, half without and all looking unhappy.
Editorial cartoonists also commented on: the continuing war in Ukraine, where Russian bombs are wiping out cities and towns and the civilians who lived there; commemorations of the 52nd Earth Day amid deepening worries about climate change; President Joe Biden’s domestic political troubles as inflation and gas prices hit Americans; the GOP’s Jan. 6 problem; Disney on the outs with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis over the state’s new “Don’t Say Gay” law; and the end of CNN’s new streaming service, CNN+, barely three weeks after launch.
Cartoons were drawn by Nick Anderson, Bill Bramhall, Dana Summers, Drew Sheneman, Scott Stantis, Walt Handelsman, David Horsey, Phil Hands, Joel Pett and Joey Weatherford of Tribune Content Agency; and A.F. Branco, Mike Luckovich and Michael Ramirez of Creators Syndicate.
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