North Korea fires ‘unidentified projectile’ in new launch – reports

Launch of what is speculated to be a ballistic missile is the second missile test by Pyongyang in less than a week

Japanese and South Korean governments have reported that a possible ballistic missile was launched by North Korea into the Sea of Japan, warning vessels in the area to stay clear and report any impact.

South Korea’s military said an “unidentified projectile” was launched from the north on Tuesday morning local time. The Japanese coast guard spoke of a “possible” ballistic missile.

If confirmed, this would be the second North Korean launch in the span of six days. Pyongyang said last Wednesday it had test-fired a hypersonic missile that successfully impacted its intended target.

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The two launches come after DPRK leader Kim Jong-un made a New Year’s resolution to bolster the country’s military capability. In his own New Year’s message, South Korean President Moon Jae-in promised to push for a peace settlement with the northern neighbor before his term ends in May.

North Korea is technically still at war with the South and the US, as the 1953 armistice merely froze the war that divided the Korean Peninsula. Talks on denuclearizing the DPRK started under US President Donald Trump, but stalled after Washington rejected Pyongyang’s request for sanctions relief. Although US President Joe Biden administration repeatedly stated that it was ready for US-North Korea talks “anywhere, anytime” and “without preconditions” the effort has not been revived.

Man arrested for plot to kill Trump

A 71-year-old New Yorker is accused of threatening to kidnap and kill Donald Trump over the 2020 election

A New York City resident has been arrested for saying he plotted to abduct and murder US President Donald Trump if he refused to hand over power after losing the 2020 election.

Thomas Welnicki was arrested on Monday after he allegedly told the Secret Service on multiple occasions of his plot to kill Trump and another 12 unidentified pro-Trump members of Congress, who he believed backed the Republican president’s claims of election fraud.

While Trump is not mentioned by name in the complaint, which was filed with the US District Court in Brooklyn, a footnote identifies “Individual-1” as the “person who served as president from January 2017 to January 2021.”

Welnicki revealed his plan in calls and voice messages to the Secret Service, spanning several months. The messages that started well before the November 2020 presidential election included a “voluntary interview” in July to the US Capitol Police, in which Welnicki reportedly said that “if [Individual-1] loses the 2020 election and refused to step down,’ he would ‘acquire weapons’ and ‘take him down.’”

“I really hope that God takes [Individual-1] out,” Welnicki said.

He also supposedly “bragged about how easy it was for him to acquire a firearm” in New York City, stating that while he didn’t “want to hurt anyone,” he would “stand up to fascism,” according to court documents.

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In a subsequent phone call to the Secret Service’s Long Island office in January, Welnicki doubled down on his threat, saying that he would do “anything” he could to “take out [Trump] and his 12 monkeys.” He even indicated that he might strike during a particular Trump rally, saying: “If I had the opportunity to do it in Manhattan that would be awesome … Tomorrow [Trump] will be in Georgia, maybe I will.”

Numerous Trump critics had warned in 2020 that he would attempt to hold on to power post-election. Trump ultimately bowed out and moved to Florida to live at his Mar-a-Lago resort, after courts refused to hear his attempts to contest the vote totals in several states. Congress certified Democrat Joe Biden as the winner following the January 6 Capitol riot.

Welnicki was ultimately released on a $50,000 bond, with his attorney insisting that he posed no threat to Trump at any point. “The bulk of his calls seem to be him calling [the] Secret Service to discuss with them his concerns,” the attorney claimed.

Welnicki’s name, age, and arrest record overlaps with a “Thomas Welnicki” who lived in Florida during the 1990s, racking up a string of drug arrests and eventually serving an eight-year prison term on heroin charges, according to public arrest records cited by the media. That same man was also questioned regarding the disappearance of a 7-year-old girl in the area in 1982, according to the Tampa Bay Times.

At the time, Welnicki claimed he was a physic while describing in detail the two men who had supposedly kidnapped and murdered the girl. He was not charged in the girl’s disappearance, and the case was never solved.

Poll reveals Americans’ biggest concern – and it’s not Covid

New survey suggests economic woes are continuing to overtake fears of the coronavirus pandemic in the US

A shrinking number of Americans name Covid-19 among their top concerns, according to recent polling, which indicates greater worry over a lagging economy and four decade-high price inflation than the ongoing health crisis.

Published on Monday, a new poll conducted by the Associated Press and the NORC Center for Public Affairs Research showed that just 37% of those surveyed list the virus as one of their top five priorities for government policy this year, down from 53% in 2021. 

Though concerns about the economy didn’t change much from last year, a sizable 68% still named the issue as one of their top five for 2022, while those who specifically cited inflation rose much more sharply over the same period, from about 1% to 14%.

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As of last November, consumer prices were up 6.8% compared to the year prior, a 39-year high, according to the AP. The steep price hikes corresponded with a jump in the number of Americans who list their cost of living and household finances as a major priority for government, or 24% in Monday’s poll compared to just 12% last year. 

Immigration also saw an uptick over the last 12 months, with 32% listing it as a top concern in a 14-point jump from 2021, while “gun issues” similarly rose by 19 points over the same time period. “Other health care” matters beyond Covid-19, as well as “racism” and “racial inequality,” fell by 11 and nine points, respectively.

The survey included 1,089 respondents and was conducted between December 2 and 7 – after the rise of the Omicron strain, suggesting that concerns over the virus are falling even as the latest ‘variant of concern’ designated by the World Health Organization quickly makes the rounds in the US and elsewhere. 

In follow-up interviews, moreover, many of those surveyed said more recent news about Omicron did not change their opinions regarding the pandemic, the AP reported, noting that the group includes “self-identified Democrats.”

Americans should avoid travel to Canada, government advises

US citizens are warned that even fully vaccinated travelers risk catching Covid-19

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now advises Americans against going to neighboring Canada due to the rising number of Covid cases in the country.

The agency updated its guidance on Monday, and now says that “because of the current situation in Canada, even fully vaccinated travelers may be at risk for getting and spreading COVID-19 variants.”

The number of new Covid cases in Canada in the last 24 hours has exceeded 25,000, with 45 deaths reported. The cases have been constantly rising since late autumn, prompting the authorities to reintroduce restrictions.


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Besides Canada, Curaçao has joined the US Level 4 list of destinations with a “very high level of Covid-19,” which includes a number of European countries, the UK, and parts of Africa, as well as cruise ships.

First US state to offer universal healthcare

Illegal immigrants would also be covered under a measure proposed by California Democrats

California would become the first US state to offer health insurance for all – including migrants inside the country illegally – under a new budget proposal revealed by Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat.

“Here’s the big one: California is poised to be, if this proposal is supported, the first state in the country to achieve universal access to health coverage,” Newsom said at a press conference on Monday, unveiling his ‘California Blueprint’ proposal for the 2022-23 budget.

This would mean “full-scope Medi-Cal, including long-term care, IHSS [In-Home Supportive Services], and behavioral health to all low-income Californians, regardless of immigration status,” he explained.

California already provides health insurance to some immigrants who are in the state illegally. Those 26 and under have been covered since 2019, and those 55 and older since last year. Newsom’s proposal would extend coverage to everyone by January 2024.

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It is likely to pass in the state legislature, which has a Democrat supermajority. Last week, a group of progressive Democrats proposed not just universal health insurance but a single-payer state system, funded by steep tax increases.

“I have long believed it is inevitable in this nation,” Newsom said when asked about a single-payer system.

California expected a budget shortfall due to the impact of Covid-19 lockdowns, but ended up with a surplus ranging from $31 billion to $45.7 billion, depending on the accounting method. Newsom’s $286.4 billion budget seeks to spend the extra cash within the year.

Newsom’s proposal comes just a day after a law giving an estimated 800,000 noncitizens the right to vote in New York City’s local elections went into effect. The newly sworn in Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat, declined to veto the proposal on Sunday.

Under the law, anyone who has lived in the city for at least a month will be able to vote for the mayor, borough president and city council members, but not in state or federal elections. It was unclear how New York City would enforce the distinction, however.