- Protesters Confront ICE Agents During New York Chinatown Operation
By Kimberly Hayek
An immigration enforcement operation targeting street vendors on Manhattan’s iconic Canal Street turned into chaos Tuesday when protestors surrounded federal agents in ...
- Noem Defends DHS Purchase of 2 Coast Guard Planes After Criticism From Lawmakers
By Aldgra Fredly
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Oct. 20 defended a $172 million purchase of two Gulfstream jets, saying they were necessary to ...
- No One Hurt as United Airlines Plane Clips Tail of Another Aircraft in Chicago
By The Associated Press
CHICAGO—A United Airlines plane heading for its gate clipped the tail of another United aircraft at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport, authorities said.
No ...
- UN Body Votes to Postpone Decision on Global Carbon Tax Amid US Opposition
By Aldgra Fredly
The United Nations body specializing in regulating global shipping voted on Oct. 17 to delay a vote on the adoption of a ...
- Jack Smith Referred to DOJ for Misconduct Investigation and Possible Disbarment
By Jack Phillips
Former special counsel Jack Smith was criminally referred to the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Oct. 16 by multiple Republican lawmakers for ...
- Foreign Espionage Arrests Up 50 Percent: FBI
By Catherine Yang
FBI Director Kash Patel said on Oct. 15 that the agency is cracking down on espionage by foreign adversaries, with an increase ...
- Mexican Cartels Placing Bounties on Federal Agents, DHS Says
By Melanie Sun
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said on Oct. 14 that it has obtained “credible intelligence” that cartels in Mexico have placed ...
- Homeland Security Issues Warning Against Doxxing of ICE Agents
By Naveen Athrappully
People who “dox, threaten or lay hands on our officers” will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, the Department ...
- FBI Asks Public for Help to Identify Suspects in Shooting That Left 6 Dead in Mississippi
By Jack Phillips
An FBI office in Mississippi said it is seeking the public’s help in identifying several potential suspects and persons of interest who ...
- 4 Killed, at Least 20 Injured in Shooting at South Carolina Bar, Sheriff Says
By The Associated Press
BEAUFORT, S.C.—A shooting at a crowded bar on an idyllic South Carolina island has left four people dead and at least ...
- Noem Announces ICE Will Expand Efforts in Portland and Chicago
By Jack Phillips
The Trump administration will expand Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) efforts in Portland and Chicago soon, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced at ...
- Trump Signs Proclamation Reinstating Columbus Day
By Aldgra Fredly
President Donald Trump signed a proclamation on Oct. 9 recognizing Oct. 13 as Columbus Day in honor of Italian explorer Christopher Columbus.
“Columbus ...
![Strong labor data and positive expectations about the incoming Trump administration pushed the U.S. dollar to a two-year high on Thursday. The U.S. dollar iIndex hit a high of 109.53 on Jan. 2, the first trading day of the year, and the highest since November 2022. The jump came as data released on Thursday by the U.S. Department of Labor showed that initial jobless claims hit an eight-month low, suggesting a robust labor market, which is a positive sign for the overall economy. The dollar index was trading slightly lower on Friday at 108.96 as of 08:30 a.m. EST. The dollar index increase is also supported by investor confidence in the upcoming Trump administration, which assumes power this month. According to a recent survey by consulting company Teneo, “global CEOs and investors are optimistic about the economic impact of a second Trump administration, outweighing concerns about tariffs, geopolitical tensions, and trade barriers.” Story continues below advertisement In fact, “50 percent of global CEOs are accelerating activities in areas such as domestic and international investment and hiring based on the outcome of the 2024 U.S. election,” it said. While the dollar strengthened, the euro and sterling declined on Thursday. The euro fell to its lowest level in more than two years while the sterling declined to its lowest in eight months. A Dec. 17 report from JP Morgan predicts the U.S. dollar to reach even new highs over the coming months. Related Stories How Major US Stock Indexes Fared Jan. 2 1/2/2025 How Major US Stock Indexes Fared Jan. 2 Americans Have Hopes Trump Will Deliver on Immigration, Economy, Safety: Gallup 1/2/2025 Americans Have Hopes Trump Will Deliver on Immigration, Economy, Safety: Gallup “November’s election outcome has given way to lower global growth expectations, wider growth gaps between the U.S. and the rest of the world, and higher terminal federal funds rate forecasts for 2025—the perfect trifecta of bullish U.S. dollar cyclical impulse,” said Meera Chandan, co-head of Global FX Strategy at the company. “These are early first-order reactions that may give way to deeper rethinks once the full set of Trump administration policies are known next year [2025], but for now, they constitute a solid economic rationale for carrying a long U.S. dollar stance into the first quarter of 2025.” JP Morgan sees the euro’s outlook as bearish, noting the eurozone is especially vulnerable to trade conflicts. And while sterling was the best-performing currency against the dollar last year, such an outperformance is not expected this year, it said. US Economy Performance in 2025 With President-elect Donald Trump set to take power in less than three weeks, there are mixed views about how things could shape up for the American economy. According to a Dec. 9 post by Morgan Stanley, markets are “bullish on Trump’s second term, hoping for tax cuts and better growth.” “We expect no net stimulus and a decent size hit from tariffs and immigration. This should be bullish for bonds as the Fed continues cutting, but could be a disappointment for frothy stocks,” it said. Regarding tariffs, the most likely outcome is a 20 percent hike on Chinese imports and on vehicles from Mexico and the European Union, Morgan Stanley said. Story continues below advertisement It predicts the U.S. Federal Reserve to continue cutting interest rates to a range of 3 percent 3.5 percent by the end of 2025. S&P Global is forecasting the U.S. economy to grow by 2 percent in 2025 and 2026, following an estimated growth of 2.7 percent last year. The company sees inflation to likely remain above the 2 percent level for “longer than we previously thought.” Goldman Sachs predicts the U.S. economy to “beat expectations” this year. “The U.S. economy is in a good place,” said David Mericle, an economist with the company. “Recession fears have diminished, inflation is trending back toward 2 percent, and the labor market has rebalanced but remains strong.” While Trump’s policy changes are likely to be “significant,” Mericle does not see these actions changing the trajectory of the economy substantially. Goldman foresees the Fed reducing interest rates to a range of 3.25–3.50 percent, with the U.S. GDP predicted to grow by 2.5 percent. There have been three consecutive quarters of economic growth in the first nine months of 2024—1.6 percent in the first quarter, 3 percent in the second, and 3.1 percent in the third.](https://www.usnn.news/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/US-Dollar-Index-Hits-Highest-Level-in-2-Years-Euro-Falls-jpg.webp "US Dollar Index Hits Highest Level in 2 Years, Euro Falls | USNN World News")
