This cartoon by Chris Weyant from The Hill combines two news stories: the search for missing NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden and the escape of a red panda called Rusty from Washington's National Zoo. The panda has since been found, but Snowden is still on the run.
The scene is the Oval Office in the White House. President Obama is reading a newspaper which contains the two stories. An aide tells him, "Bad news, sir. We still can't find Snowden and Rusty the red panda is seeking asylum in Ecuador."
EXPLANATION
It has been reported that Snowden has asked Ecuador for asylum, so the joke is that the panda is doing likewise.
VOCABULARY
If a government gives a person from another country asylum, they allow them to stay, usually because they are unable to return home safely for political reasons.
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