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Enrollment in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in Virginia has reportedly decreased following the recent expiration of the “expanded premium tax credit.” With approximately 370,000 subscribers recorded on the Virginia ACA Health Insurance Marketplace, about 33,000 of them have discontinued their insurance. A simple calculation suggests a decrease of about 9% in total subscribers.

Keven Patchett, Director of the State Health Exchange, stated at a recent State Corporation Commission forum, “About 33,000 people have discontinued their ACA insurance since the subsidy expired.” This represents the largest decline recorded in the first quarter of this year, and it is analyzed that some have withdrawn because they could no longer afford the premiums or have switched to plans with lower coverage levels.

The expiration of the “Expanded Premium Tax Credit,” which was temporarily expanded during the pandemic, is cited as a major factor behind the recent decline in subscribers. This program broadened the scope of existing ACA subsidies to lower insurance premium burdens for income earners exceeding 400% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL). However, with the termination of the expanded subsidy, those with incomes above 400% of the FPL no longer receive any subsidies. Consequently, some subscribers are showing a tendency to either be unable to maintain their insurance or to choose lower-cost alternatives.

Sim Yeon-sik, an Obamacare insurance agent, explained, “In the case of Virginia, the number of Obamacare subscribers decreased compared to the previous year.” He added, “The biggest reason is that due to the expiration of the Expanded Premium Tax Credit, premiums for those above 400% of the FPL—based on a two-person household—more than doubled; those who previously paid around $600 in premiums now pay over $1,200.” In contrast, neighboring Maryland saw a slight increase, rising from approximately 247,240 subscribers in 2025 to approximately 255,610 in 2026.

It is assessed that the increase in enrollment and retention was achieved due to factors such as the introduction of state-level subsidy programs. Agent Sim stated, “In the case of Maryland, the state government provided separate subsidies even after the extended subsidy ended, so the fluctuation in ACA enrollment actually increased slightly.”

Nationwide, ACA enrollment also showed a downward trend following the discontinuation of extended subsidies and premium increases. The number of ACA subscribers is projected to reach 24.2 million by 2025, while the number of subscribers this year stands at 23 million, representing a decrease of approximately 1.2 million (5%).

Controversy over the effectiveness of the “blue law,” which restricts Sunday retail sales in Bergen County, New Jersey, persists, leading to speculation that it could be abolished depending on the outcome of ongoing lawsuits. According to a report by The Record on the 9th, the Paramus town government filed a lawsuit alleging that the massive shopping mall “American Dream” in East Rutherford violated the blue law. Meanwhile, it has been reported that three major shopping malls in Paramus have stated that they would also disregard the blue law if American Dream continued to operate on Sundays.

The blue law is a regulation that prohibits businesses from operating on Sundays, excluding essential retail sectors such as food, restaurants, bakeries, gas stations, and pharmacies, in accordance with Christian Sabbath traditions. While

blue laws have largely been abolished across the United States, they remain in effect in Bergen County, New Jersey. Consequently, retail stores in Bergen County are not permitted to sell items such as furniture, clothing, and home appliances on Sundays. However, all approximately 120 stores located at the American Dream Mall, which opened in 2019, operate without restrictions even on Sundays. This is because the site is owned by the New Jersey State Authority for Sports and Expo, meaning it is not subject to the Blue Law.

In response, the Paramus Township government has filed a lawsuit against the American Dream Mall in state court. The plaintiffs argue that while Paramus is home to numerous large malls like the Garden State Plaza and various retail stores, most close on Sundays in accordance with the Blue Law, whereas the American Dream Mall is disregarding it. The issue of who is effectively responsible for enforcing the Blue Law is also coming to the fore.

The Paramus Township government has raised concerns, stating, “Relevant authorities, such as the Bergen County government, are aware that the American Dream Mall continues to violate the Blue Law but are failing to enforce the law.” Neither the East Rutherford Township government, where the American Dream Mall is located, nor the State Authority for Sports and Expo, which owns the site, have issued a clear stance regarding the enforcement of the Blue Law.

In this regard, legal experts pointed out, “This lawsuit raises fundamental questions about whether Bergen County residents want the Blue Law,” adding that “depending on the outcome of the lawsuit, there could be a movement within Bergen County political circles to abolish the Blue Law.”

The process for electing the next UN Secretary-General is set to begin in earnest. According to the UN on the 6th, an “interactive dialogue” with candidates to succeed current Secretary-General António Guterres will be held on the 21st and 22nd.

In a letter sent to member states on the 2nd, Annalena Baerbock, President of the UN General Assembly, announced that an interactive dialogue session with the four candidates for the next Secretary-General would be held at the UN headquarters in New York for two days starting on the 21st. The debates are conducted with two candidates per day, divided into morning and afternoon sessions, with each candidate speaking for three hours.

Currently, there are four registered candidates: former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, Argentine International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi, former Costa Rican Vice President Rebecca Greenspan, and former Senegalese President Macky Sall. As the next head of the United Nations, they are scheduled to deliver a “Vision Statement” outlining their policy directions.

Member states may request three minutes to speak, and civil society organizations can also submit questions in advance. The event is broadcast online, allowing the public to watch. This type of debate was first introduced during the 2016 election of current Secretary-General António Guterres, implemented to enhance transparency and move away from past closed-door elections.

At the time, Secretary-General Guterres, who had been overlooked, distinguished himself during the debates, rapidly emerging as a leading candidate and ultimately leading to his election. This debate is also expected to go beyond mere formalities and serve as a substantive arena for candidates to demonstrate their actual operational capabilities for the United Nations over the course of three hours.

Participating member states are expected to evaluate the candidates with consideration for UN reform and friendly relations with their own countries. The debates may not be a one-off event but could continue. Diplomatic circles anticipate that the pool of candidates will also change through additional registrations or withdrawals. A specific schedule for the future has not yet been set.

To be appointed Secretary-General, a candidate must secure the approval of at least nine of the 15 Security Council member states; in particular, none of the five permanent members—the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, China, and France—must exercise their veto power.

On the 6th, U.S. military leaders, including President Donald Trump, held a briefing at the White House to share the “survival story” of the two crew members of the U.S. F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet shot down by Iranian forces. The full details of this operation, considered the most difficult mission in U.S. military history, were revealed directly by high-ranking officials rather than the U.S. media.

President Trump, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Kaine, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe conducted the briefing. The U.S. Air Force F-15E fighter jet was struck and crashed in the southwestern inland region of Iran. During the crash, the pilot in the front seat (call sign Dude-44-Alpha) and the weapons systems officer in the rear seat (call sign Dude-44-Bravo) ejected with a time difference.

President Trump explained that because the aircraft was flying at high speed, this difference resulted in a “distance of several miles in a matter of seconds” between the two. The fact that they were isolated behind enemy lines was recognized around 10:10 PM on the 2nd (4:40 AM Iran time). The first to be rescued was the pilot. Twenty-one aircraft were deployed to rescue him.

Local Iranians even filmed the HH-60 Jolly Green II helicopters and HC-130 Combat King II refueling tankers flying at low altitudes and speeds during the rescue operation and posted the footage on social media. The pilot was rescued on the afternoon of the 3rd after a seven-hour aerial operation during daylight hours when the risk of attack was high. During this process, Iranian military fire was opened, resulting in minor injuries to the rescue team members. Heavily armored A-10 Thunderbolt II Warthog attack aircraft, capable of low-speed flight, were escorting the rescue team, but one of them was hit by Iranian anti-aircraft fire during close-range combat.

The A-10 attack aircraft, having moved near the Strait of Hormuz, crashed into the sea when it was determined that a normal landing was impossible, and the pilot was rescued. The distress signal from the missing weapons systems officer was intercepted by the CIA on the 4th, the following day. Defense Secretary Hegseth reported that the message in his first signal was “God is good.”

Media reports followed stating “one rescued, one missing.” Consequently, the Iranian military blockaded the area around the F-15E crash site in Kogiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad provinces and offered a reward for the missing person. He had sustained an ankle injury and was bleeding during the escape. Relying on a single pistol and a radio beacon, he hid in a crevice in the mountains and climbed a ridge over 2,000 meters high to evade the Iranian military’s search network.

Chairman Cain explained that the officer, who held out alone for nearly 48 hours, “made many of our efforts possible with his absolute will to survive.”

Because the Iranian military deployed a massive force to capture him alive, more aircraft and special forces were mobilized this time. President Trump announced that a total of 155 aircraft were deployed for the second rescue operation, including four bombers, 64 fighter jets, 48 aerial refueling tankers, and 13 rescue planes. President Trump explained that the Department of Defense and the CIA conducted a diversion operation against the Iranian military by “dispersing” troops to multiple locations so that the Iranian military could not determine the exact location of the missing officer, stating, “They (the Iranian military) thought we were in seven different locations. And they were very confused.”

There was also a crisis situation just before the rescue was successful. This involved the explosion of two MC-130J transport aircraft, which was also reported in the U.S. media. While there were reports that the incident was caused by the aircraft’s nose wheels getting stuck in the runway sand or by mechanical failures occurring during the operation, President Trump’s explanation is closer to the former.

President Trump stated that it was determined there were weight and other issues preventing the transport plane from taking off with all troops on board from the “wet sand” at the site, which was “more like farmland than a runway,” and that “we blew them up because we didn’t want anyone to inspect our anti-aircraft equipment and other gear.”

He explained that instead, three small helicopters capable of “landing on sand” were deployed. President Trump reported that “those helicopters were lowered from the plane in mid-air and reassembled their rotors and other components within 10 minutes,” after which personnel at the site were evacuated in three separate groups at 15-minute intervals.

The officer was moved to “friendly territory” between midnight on the 4th and the transition into the 5th. Chairman Cain emphasized the rescue principle that “the U.S. military leaves no one behind.” Secretary Hegseth likened the rescue to the Christian holiday of Easter, stating, “He hid in a cave on Good Friday, stayed in a crevice all Saturday, and was rescued on Sunday. He flew, leaving Iran at sunrise on Easter Sunday. It is like a pilot being reborn.”

It is reported that hundreds of special forces personnel, including members of Navy SEAL Team 6—the U.S.’s elite special forces unit—were deployed for this rescue operation. Team 6 is the most elite team within the Navy SEALs and is the unit that successfully carried out the operation to kill Osama bin Laden in 2011. During the briefing, when President Trump asked, “Approximately how many troops were deployed in this operation?”, Chairman Cain replied, “I want to keep it a secret.”

Ahead of the upcoming U.S. midterm elections in November, a new political fundraising group has emerged to support the Donald Trump administration’s artificial intelligence (AI) policies.

Online media outlet Axios reported on the 29th that a non-profit organization called “Innovation Council Action” plans to invest over $100 million (approximately 150 billion won) in this year’s elections to support the Trump administration’s agenda of AI deregulation and the early establishment of infrastructure.

On its website, the group explains that it is using the “AI Action Plan” announced by President Trump last July and the White House’s national policy framework as its guidelines. This organization, which opened an office in Washington, D.C., and began quietly raising funds last year, has compiled scorecards for lawmakers evaluating their level of support for Trump’s AI policies, and uses this to decide which targets to support or oppose. The group is led by Taylor Budowitch, former White House Deputy Chief of Staff, who previously led MAGA, a Super PAC that raised funds for President Trump’s presidential campaign, and the non-profit organization Defense of America (SAG). It also receives the support of David Sachs, Co-Chair of the White House Council of Science and Technology Advisors, who served as the “AI Tsar” of the Trump administration.

Chairman Sachs stated, “Innovation Council Action will play a pivotal role in driving the innovation agenda led by President Trump and the current administration,” adding, “I welcome the committee’s support at this critical juncture.” Unlike other Super PACs, this organization is classified as a non-profit and is not obligated to disclose its donor list. In U.S. elections, political funds flowing through such non-profit organizations are referred to as “dark money.”

In addition to this, there is a super PAC called “Leading the Future” in the U.S. tech industry that supports President Trump’s deregulation of AI. However, NBC reported that this super PAC, which raised $125 million (approximately 190 billion won) with support from OpenAI CEO Greg Brockman and Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), has drawn concern from the White House for pursuing bipartisan support that includes not only Republican but also Democratic candidates. The fact that Josh Blasto, one of the executives leading Leading the Future, is a former aide to Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (New York) also appears to have influenced this distancing.

Meta also invested $65 million to launch two Super PACs—”Forge the Future,” which supports the Republican Party, and “Making Our Tomorrow,” which supports the Democratic Party—to block sporadic AI regulations.

Additionally, Antropic, which is currently engaged in litigation with the government after being recently designated as a “supply chain risk” company by the Department of Defense, donated $20 million (approximately 30 billion won) last month to “Public First Action,” which calls for stricter AI regulations.

On the 29th, marking the one-month mark of the war with Iran, President Donald Trump posted a letter from a pastor on his social media. The letter is said to have been sent to President Trump on October 15 of last year by Franklin Graham, a prominent evangelical pastor from North Carolina.

In the letter, Pastor Graham stated, “The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and the return of the hostage’s home are remarkable achievements,” adding, “Your leadership is historic.” He then quoted a passage from the New Testament Gospel of Matthew stating, “Peacemakers are blessed,” and wrote, “Mr. President, that is exactly you.” Pastor Graham said, “You told the press that you might not go to heaven,” adding, “You may have answered as a joke, but it is a very important matter to know with certainty that your soul is safe in God’s presence and will spend eternity there.”

On October 13 of last year, when asked by reporters on his private plane whether he thought his chances of going to heaven had increased due to mediating the Gaza ceasefire agreement, President Trump replied, “I don’t think I’m going to heaven. I probably am not going to heaven.”

In a Fox News interview on August 19 of last year, President Trump also said, “I want to try to go to heaven, if possible,” while expressing his desire to end the war between Russia and Ukraine and save people. Emphasizing to President Trump the importance of repentance for sins and faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ on the cross, Pastor Graham said, “If you accept it by faith… you will certainly go to heaven. I promise.”

Reverend Graham is the son of the late Reverend Billy Graham, who led large-scale evangelical rallies in Korea. Immediately after President Trump’s defeat in the 2020 presidential election, he stated that the results were not official and that one should be cautious in accepting them; however, he later revealed that “President Trump definitely lost.”

He also served as a bridge for Trump’s visit to Korea during his first term. Attention is focused on the background of President Trump’s decision to disclose a letter on the theme of “peace” that he received about five months ago while mediating a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, amidst the ongoing war with Iran that has caused heavy casualties and a global economic crisis. The day President Trump disclosed Reverend Graham’s letter also falls within the Christian season of Lent, which commemorates the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus mentioned in the letter.

The Associated Press reported on the 21st that U.S. forces attacked a vessel believed to be a drug cartel off the Pacific coast near Costa Rica, killing at least two people and seriously injuring one. T

he U.S. Southern Command announced via social media platform X (formerly Twitter) that it had “launched a lethal physical attack” on a vessel, stating that it had “confirmed the vessel was involved in drug transport operations while passing through known drug trafficking routes in the Pacific.”

The command also released video footage showing the ship engulfed in flames and exploding. The Costa Rican National Coast Guard dispatched a rescue vessel to an area 126 nautical miles off the Pacific coast of Golfito after receiving information about the sinking of the ship.

While two bodies were recovered and one seriously injured person was found at the scene, the number of people on board at the time of the attack has not yet been confirmed. The Trump administration, having launched a war on drugs, has been intensively attacking vessels suspected of transporting drugs since last September.

The U.S. military has reportedly attacked drug carriers more than 40 times so far, resulting in the deaths of 159 people believed to be couriers. In contrast, it is reported that no casualties have been reported so far on the part of the U.S. military, which employs long-range precision strike methods.

A study has found that reducing sedentary time by just 30 minutes a day during adolescence and increasing exercise or sleep can lower the risk of type 2 diabetes.

According to a team led by Dr. Søren Arnois-Leblanc at Harvard Medical School on the 23rd, a five-year follow-up study tracking the daily activity patterns and health indicators of approximately 800 early-teenagers showed that reducing sedentary time by 30 minutes a day and engaging in moderate-to-high intensity physical activity (MVPA) resulted in a 15% reduction in insulin resistance.

Dr. Arnois-Leblanc stated, “Simply replacing sedentary behavior with physical activity or sleep for even a few minutes a day can have health benefits,” adding that public health strategies need to focus on reducing sedentary time and increasing exercise and sleep among adolescents. The results of this study were presented at the American Heart Association (AHA) Lifestyle Scientific Sessions 2026 (EPI) recently held in Boston.

The research team pointed out that while physical activity, sedentary time, and sleep are determinants of adolescent cardiometabolic health, there are few studies analyzing how these behaviors are interconnected within the 24-hour daily routine. They analyzed the relationship between daily lifestyle patterns during adolescence and subsequent health indicators using data from Project Viva, a long-term cohort study tracking adolescents and their mothers born in eastern Massachusetts between 1999 and 2002. 802 early adolescent participants (median age 12.9) wore wrist accelerometers and kept sleep diaries for 7 to 10 days.

Based on this data, the team calculated sleep, sedentary time, low-intensity physical activity, and the ratio of moderate to high-intensity physical activity and subsequently evaluated insulin resistance using fasting blood tests during late adolescence (median age 17.5). As a result, adolescents spent an average of 48% (11.5 hours) of their 24-hour day sitting for classes, homework, and rest; sleep accounted for 33%, low-intensity physical activity for 17%, and moderate-to-high-intensity physical activity for only 2%.

Furthermore, an analysis of health indicators from 394 individuals whose lifestyle pattern changes were confirmed revealed that those who engaged in moderate-to-high-intensity physical activity instead of sitting for 30 minutes a day showed a 14.8% decrease in insulin resistance, while those who replaced 30 minutes of sitting with sleep showed a 5% decrease. However, when the 30 minutes of sitting were replaced with low-intensity physical activity, there was no significant change in insulin resistance, and this change in activity was not associated with fasting blood glucose levels.

Dr. Harnois-Leblanc stated, “The fact that reducing sedentary time by 30 minutes and replacing it with moderate-to-high-intensity physical activity lowers insulin resistance by 15% is a significant change,” adding, “This means that changing sedentary behavior to physical activity or sleep, starting with just a few minutes a day, offers health benefits.”

As a movement led by labor unions pushes for a drastic increase in the minimum wage to $25 per hour in Washington, D.C., local small business owners are pushing back, warning that it will lead to business closures and layoffs.

According to local media outlet ARLNOW on the 11th, the labor group “One Fair Wage” is campaigning to put a proposal to raise the D.C. minimum wage to $25 by July 2029 to a public referendum. While labor unions welcome this move, arguing it will reduce the cost of living for workers, analysts suggest it could be the “final blow” to the restaurant industry, which has already been hit hard by cuts in federal and contract workers, immigration restrictions, and a decline in tourism.

An economist at George Mason University stated, “While some workers may benefit from the wage increase, many restaurants will eventually cut costs by reducing staff and switching to kiosk ordering or reducing serving staff to use robots.”

Meanwhile, several administrative procedures remain before the proposed $25 hike can be placed on the ballot this coming November, including the need to collect signatures from more than 5% of all D.C. voters within the next 180 days.

As the military conflict between the U.S. and Iran escalates into the Middle East, voices of concern regarding the aftermath of the war are emerging within the Korean community in the Washington area. Anxiety is growing across various sectors, including rising oil prices, inflation, a contraction in the travel industry, and worries about children serving in the military.

Concerns about economic burdens are appearing first. “I am worried because gas prices keep rising,” said Mr. A (a resident of Burke), an office worker in Annandale, Virginia. “When I left for work this morning, I saw it was $3.50 per gallon for regular gas, but I worry that it might go up to $4 if the war continues.” Mr. A added, “Prices have already been rising lately, and I am concerned that the cost of living will increase even further due to the aftermath of the Middle East war.”

Korean restaurant owners are also feeling the economic downturn. Bae Chan-hee, owner of Han River Restaurant in Annandale, said, “Customer numbers have dropped noticeably since Fairfax County imposed a 6% food tax earlier this year, compounded by the war.”

Bae noted, “There is an atmosphere these days where people are reluctant to open their wallets,” adding, “Sales have definitely declined since the war between the U.S. and Iran began.” She further stated, “Many people supported President Donald Trump with the expectation that the economy would improve, but with the war on top of that, the situation has turned out this way, causing great concern.”

The war also increased anxiety among parents with children serving in the military. Bae shared, “One acquaintance of mine has a son serving as an officer in a unit in North Carolina, and there are rumors circulating that his unit could be deployed if ground forces are sent out.

Parents are constantly on edge these days, praying for their children’s safety.” Mr. B, a resident of Centreville, Virginia, said, “My daughter is currently serving as an officer in Germany, and I am extremely worried that if the war escalates and ground troops are deployed, she might also be stationed in Iran.” The travel industry is also closely monitoring the situation.

Joanne Han, president of Hans Travel, a Korean American travel agency in the Washington area, said, “We operate travel packages to the Middle East, including Egypt, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia, and above all, we hope the war in the Middle East ends as soon as possible.”

Ms. Han added, “Fortunately, all Middle East travel itineraries scheduled before the war began have been completed. We are currently planning to resume Middle East travel at the end of this year, and we are receiving continuous inquiries from customers asking if there will be any issues with the trips at that time.”

The retail industry is also concerned about rising costs due to the prolonged war. Mr. C, a Korean-American who operates a large grocery store, said, “Although there hasn’t been a significant impact yet, if the war continues for more than two weeks, there is a high possibility that logistics and transportation costs will rise due to increasing fuel prices.

Ultimately, this increase in costs will inevitably lead to product price hikes.” He specifically added, “For products imported from Korea, the burden of shipping costs could increase, so the price hike is expected to be even greater.” While the Korean community in the Washington area has not yet experienced any direct damage, there is an atmosphere of close monitoring, with concerns about the impact on the economy and daily life should the war become prolonged.