In response to North Korea’s latest ballistic missile test, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command affirmed its dedication on Thursday to safeguarding both its homeland and regional allies, emphasizing ongoing defense commitments.

This missile launch precedes the impending large-scale military exercises that the U.S. and South Korean forces are set to carry out later this month. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed that the missile was launched from North Korea’s eastern city of Wonsan at approximately 5 p.m. local time.

“We are closely monitoring this missile activity and maintaining regular communication with our allies and partners. According to our current evaluations, this launch does not pose an immediate danger to U.S. personnel or territories, nor to our allies,” stated the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.

The statement reiterated, “The United States remains steadfast in its commitment to the defense of the U.S. homeland and regional allies.”

South Korea’s military bolstered its surveillance posture and is closely coordinating with the U.S. and Japan in the wake of the event, according to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said the missile landed in the waters off North Korea’s east coast and that there were no reports that the weapon reached Japanese territory.

Koizumi added that North Korea’s repeated missile launches pose a threat to Japan and the region and that Tokyo lodged a protest to Pyongyang through their embassies in Beijing. South Korea’s presidential national security council called the North Korean launch “a provocation” that violates U.N. Security Council resolutions and urged the North to stop it.

It was North Korea’s first ballistic missile launch since late June, when it tested a tactical ballistic missile with a “special mission” warhead and other weapons. After watching the testing activities, leader Kim Jong Un said at the time that the military needed to bolster its “deadly and destructive offensive posture.”

South Korean and U.S. officials haven’t yet released details about this year’s Ulchi Freedom Shield joint exercise, but the drills are typically held in the latter half of August.

“This annual exercise aims to build understanding between Combined Forces Command, United States Forces Korea, the United Nations Command, and ROK Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), ROK government agency, ensuring their ability to fortify the combined defense posture and enhance Alliance response capabilities against a spectrum of security threats,” United States Forces Korea said about the exercises on its website.

“It will feature live, virtual, constructive and field-based training, engaging personnel from the various military services,” it added.

U.S. and South Korean officials say the training is defensive in nature, but North Korea says the maneuvers are a practice invasion and often responds with missile tests, according to The Associated Press.

What is the ideal price for a burrito?

This seemingly innocent question has ignited a fiery debate across social media circles, particularly resonating with right-leaning influencers, media personalities, and even engaging Vice President JD Vance in a heated discussion about affordability. With the election season in full swing, this issue has become a controversial talking point.

The conversation began when Matt Walsh, a well-known podcaster, raised concerns about “insane” grocery prices. He urged Republicans to prioritize domestic issues over “stupid foreign wars,” suggesting that rising costs are a primary reason socialists are gaining traction.

Echoing Walsh’s sentiment, Andrew Kolvet, a representative of Turning Point USA, chimed in. He referenced a college student associated with his organization who remarked that “a burrito shouldn’t cost $20,” reflecting the widespread frustration over skyrocketing food prices.

Joel Berry, a podcast producer, presented a contrasting perspective by sharing a personal anecdote. He noted that his wife managed to make burritos for their family of eight at a total cost of under $20, highlighting the potential for economical homemade alternatives.

“I’m beginning to think the affordability crisis is really an ‘I don’t know how to cook’ crisis,” he added — setting off a nasty old-school flame war.

More contentious than the war with Iran — and very possibly just a proxy fight for it — burritogate is dividing Republicans at a time when leftists are veering into full-bore communism as the solution for rising costs.

And no one seems to be interested in the fact that, as David Harsanyi laid out in these pages, food prices have actually gone down as part of the average American family’s take-home income, from around 42% in 1901 to 9.7% today.

Or in reflecting on the core economic truth that “foreign wars” have nothing to do with the inflation that spiked during Joe Biden’s presidency and continues to plague us — or with leftist policies, like an ever-increasing minimum wage, that’s made fast food so much more expensive.

Bad ideas have consequences, and a costlier burrito is one of them. 

It doesn’t even seem to matter that no one can pinpoint the existence of this rage-inducing $20 burrito.

Many noted that a fully loaded steak burrito at Chipotle with, yes, guacamole, comes in at under $17, even in Manhattan — and that you can get three Cheesy Double Beef Burritos at Taco Bell for around $15.

Or, as others pointed out, that cash-strapped young people can buy an eight-pack of burritos at any supermarket for just a few bucks.

Nobody wanted to hear it.

Following all the back-and-forth reminded me of the old canard that wives only want their husbands to listen when they complain, not to actually suggest solutions. 

Berry, of course, was correct to say that cooking at home is far more economical than eating out — and that the sooner young people accept this reality and learn to cook for themselves, the better.

But it’s also true that many Americans, young ones in particular, really are in bad financial straits, and they’re right to feel that an occasional restaurant burrito shouldn’t be an extravagance.

I vividly remember, when I was a financially struggling 20-something, my bitter response at being encouraged to cook at home by older and wiser friends.

It felt unfair: Everybody else could go out to eat, why couldn’t I?

My perception of being left out, the feeling that I deserved to have what my peers had, was acute — and that sense is only heightened today, when everyone on social media seems to be out there swigging champagne on yachts while I’m stuck browning ground beef for my homemade Tex-Mex meal.

When everything feels tight, when you have no savings and little splurges like a burrito make a real dent in your disposable income, it doesn’t help to be told that Americans are in fact richer than ever, or that frequent dining out has never been the norm, let alone that needlessly pricey DoorDash delivery.

Yet it’s possible to care very much about how rising costs are hitting the younger generation — while still pointing out that frugality has long been the norm for those just starting out in life, and is worth encouraging.

And as Berry wrote in a later tweet, every solution that would truly impact affordability — from cutting entitlements to decrease the federal debt, to ditching the minimum wage — is portrayed as “cruel.”

Even his advice to cook at home was called “out of touch.”

Our bickering has us falling into the left’s trap.

Republicans must get serious about countering the leftists’ siren-song promises of free stuff to a generation that’s genuinely hurting.

And they must take the time to explain how the previous round of free stuff is what got us into this expensive mess in the first place.

Tone-policing those trying to offer solutions isn’t the way.

There are policy solutions that can address the high cost of food, but none of them come from an economic system that has failed every previous time it’s been tried.

Socialism won’t actually give us free burritos.

Karol Markowicz is the host of the “Karol Markowicz Show” and “Normally” podcasts.

Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner found themselves unable to resist a romantic display, sharing affectionate moments as they relished a getaway in Iceland.

In a collection of photographs posted on Thursday by the former First Daughter, 44, the couple was seen indulging in numerous public displays of affection throughout their Icelandic adventure.

Captured in the images, Ivanka and her husband, 45, exuded the same warmth and love they always have, radiating romance in the idyllic surroundings.

Among the heartwarming photos, one captured Jared holding Ivanka in his arms beside a river in an expansive field, sealing the moment with a tender kiss.

In this intimate picture, Ivanka gently cupped Jared’s face as they kissed, while he affectionately supported her with one arm around her back and the other beneath her legs.

Ivanka dressed in brown leggings, knee-high boots and a green raincoat, while Jared donned a navy blue sweater and dark pants. 

In a second shot, the two smiled from ear to ear as Ivanka kicked her leg up in the air.

A third picture featured them standing together in front of a waterfall as Ivanka nuzzled her head in Jared’s neck.

Other shots showed them cuddling in front of a white doorway and posing with their three kids Arabella, 15, Joseph, 12, and Theodore, ten, on a bench.

Ivanka also included a solo shot of herself standing against a wall looking down and smiling.

‘Iceland,’ she simply captioned the carousel of images. 

The post was met with a warm reaction from her new sister-in-law Bettina Trump, who commented: ‘Stunning!’ 

Bettina married Ivanka’s brother Donald Trump Jr back in May, and was quickly embraced into the family. 

On her Instagram Stories, Ivanka gave fans a further peek into the luxurious vacation, posting a video that showcased the stunning view from the cabin they stayed in.

She showed off endless green fields and mountains in the distance from the small porch of the house.

It comes days after Ivanka shared a photo dump to commemorate summer.

One of the images showed her and Jared posing on a boat together, as she donned a silky figure-hugging white floral maxi gown.

Jared, for his part, opted for khaki pants and a black T-shirt. They both had no shoes on in the image.

Another featured Ivanka sitting on a yoga mat in the gym wearing a yellow workout set, while a third shot showed the mom-of-three standing in a tiny bikini rocking some face paint.

The blonde beauty has certainly been enjoying a glamorous summer. 

In addition to her trip to Iceland, she also attended the World Cup in New York with many of her siblings weeks prior, spent time vacationing in the Hamptons and jetted off to the Bahamas in June.