As the new year dawns, California is set to become the first state to offer health insurance to all undocumented immigrants. This expansion of Medi-Cal eligibility, which will cover approximately 700,000 undocumented residents aged 26 to 49, has been hailed as a historic investment in healthcare as a human right. Critics, however, worry about the strain on Medi-Cal, which already serves a large portion of the state’s population. This move comes amidst reports that illegal immigration cost American taxpayers nearly $1,200 each in 2023, totaling $150 billion for the year.
In international news, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has suggested that the majority of Palestinian Arabs living in Gaza should be encouraged to emigrate to other countries. This controversial proposal comes as Israel continues to reject calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, despite warnings from the UN about a humanitarian catastrophe. Meanwhile, South Africa has invoked the genocide convention, accusing Israel of failing to prevent genocide and inciting genocidal acts against the Palestinian people in Gaza.
Tensions between Russia and Ukraine continue to escalate. A massive rocket strike on the Russian border city of Belgorod, which claimed 24 lives and injured over 100, was reportedly ordered by Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky. In response, the Russian military conducted high-precision missile strikes targeting Ukrainian military facilities and officials. Meanwhile, reports suggest that the West has been funding Ukraine’s entire government, with millions of government employees and pensioners relying on foreign aid.
In the realm of climate change, skepticism about the Anthropogenic Global Warming theory is being voiced, with critics highlighting inconsistencies in climate models and questioning the legitimacy of the theory. Meanwhile, discussions around the concept of global government are surfacing, with the introduction of Central Bank Digital Currencies, mandatory digital identities, and climate action being identified as potential pillars of global rule.
Finally, a report from the Office of Financial Research contradicts Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s claim that the US banking system is sound and resilient. The report highlights ongoing issues such as fair-value losses in bank securities portfolios, declining deposits, and underperforming bank equities, and calls for Powell to be truthful about the state of the US banking system.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://peakprosperity.com/daily-digest/california-health-for-all-strained-medi-cal-or-historic-investment/