I have noticed a growing trend for all types of sites that have been free and easy to access to now require users to register and log in.
Today I went to pull up Pookies Tunes with the bookmark link I have used for years (https://www.gopbriefingroom.com)
and got a new screen asking me to register and log in.
The direct link from today's thread seems to still work the old way and gave me direct access to the daily Toons.

I e-mailed The Briefing Room months ago when non-members (not me) were unable to get on the site. They told me that they’d been overrun by bots occasionally forcing them to shut down the site. From that point on, that’s been their strategy. That’s also when I changed the site I link to here from The Briefing Room to The Right Reasons.