- ‘We Have Guns’: Sen. Rand Paul’s Wife Responds to Threats, White Powder Scare
By Jack Phillips
Sen. Rand Paul’s (R-Ky.) wife, Kelley Paul, said that neither she nor her husband will be backing down in the face of death ...
- Rand Paul Says He Won’t Get COVID-19 Vaccine: ‘Show Me Evidence’
By Jack Phillips
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) says that he won’t get vaccinated against COVID-19, explaining that he already contracted the virus last year and has “natural ...
- Maricopa County Lawyer Demands 2020 Auditors Preserve All Documents, May File Lawsuit
By Jack Phillips
An attorney representing Maricopa County, Arizona, has sent Republican state Senate President Karen Fann a letter demanding the preservation of all documents relating to the ...
- Arizona’s Top Elections Official Tells Maricopa County to Get New Election Machines
By Zachary Stieber
Machines being audited may have been compromised, Arizona’s secretary of state alleges.
Arizona’s secretary of state on Thursday warned the state’s largest county ...
- Trump to Hold Rallies in Four States Soon
By Zachary Stieber
Former President Donald Trump plans to hold rallies in a handful of states, he said in a newly released interview.
Trump, who has ...
- Georgia Judge Decides to Unseal Absentee Ballots in Fulton County for Review
By Zachary Stieber
A judge in Georgia on Friday ruled to unseal absentee ballots submitted in the 2020 presidential election.
Petitioners in an ongoing case will be able ...
- Mass. Governor to End Pandemic Restrictions Early
By Matthew Vadum
Facing mounting legal pressure, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker announced the Bay State will soon stop enforcing pandemic-related restrictions on civic life and businesses, including those that ...
- Mostly Republican Ballots Fail to Scan in Pennsylvania County Election, Stoking Concerns
By Zachary Stieber
A number of ballots couldn’t be scanned during local elections this week in a southwestern county in Pennsylvania, triggering fresh concerns about election integrity.
The ballots, ...
- House GOP Leader Says He Won’t Support Pelosi-Backed Deal for Jan. 6 Commission
By Jack Phillips
House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) on Tuesday said he opposes a bipartisan agreement that was announced last week to create an ...
- Maricopa County Calls for End of 2020 Election Audit
By Zachary Stieber
County’s board disputes allegations that it deleted data from an election machine.
Officials in Arizona’s largest county on Monday urged the state Senate to ...
- Over 15,000 Gas Stations Out of Fuel Nationwide
By Zachary Stieber
Gas shortages ease in some states, but worsen in others.
Gas shortages eased slightly overnight in some states but worsened in others as Colonial Pipeline works ...
- South Carolina Governor Allows Mask Opt-Out in Schools, Bans Vaccine Passports
By Isabel Van Brugen
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster on Tuesday issued an executive order to prevent local governments and school districts from mandating the wearing ...
![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 9")
