We seldom attempt to anticipate the news when we solicit ideas for the covers, but I made an exception recently, in the week leading up to the Supreme Court ruling on Obama’s health-care law. I told the artists that the decision, to be announced on Thursday morning, right before we’d go to press, would herald a real defeat for Obama and the end of health-care coverage for many—hence this sketch by Christoph Niemann.

See below for a slide show of images that become even funnier when you know that none of this ever happened.