Most lawmakers are horrified that the automatic spending cuts now scheduled for March would cut military spending by 9.4 percent and domestic spending by about 8 percent. (And note this so-called sequester would exempt Social Security and Medicaid as well as Medicare benefits from any cuts).
And even though Medicaid and Social Security are exempt from the spending reductions, dozens of other important senior services programs are on the block.
The "base" calculation includes one-half your Social Security, plus almost all your other income, including tax-exempt bond interest but not Roth withdrawals.
The Journal noted that the South Koreans responded to the unanimous UN Security Council resolution imposing additional sanctions on North Korea by immediately announcing that the two sites would be exempt from their strictures.