- ANALYSIS: Colleges Likely to Seek Workarounds in Aftermath of Ban on Affirmative Action
By Lawrence Wilson
The admissions process at many American colleges and universities may be dramatically altered after the June 29 Supreme Court ruling that overturns ...
- The Democratic Party ‘Has Lost Its Way,’ RFK Jr. Says at Chicago Town Hall
By Jeff Louderback
In the early stages of his 2024 presidential campaign, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. gained support from a broad spectrum of voters, leading ...
- Haley Joins 2024 GOP Candidates Who’ve Said They Would Fire FBI Director
By Jackson Richman
GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley has said that she would fire FBI Director Christopher Wray were she to be elected.
During a June ...
- Republicans Demand Interviews With Hunter Biden Prosecutor, FBI Officials
By Zachary Stieber
Top Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives are seeking interviews with a slew of federal officials involved with an investigation into ...
- New York City Now Sheltering More Illegal Immigrants Than Homeless Citizens: Deputy Mayor
By Ryan Morgan
New York City is now providing more shelter to non-citizens than to its own homeless resident population, according to the latest assessment ...
- Hunter Biden Demanded $10 Million From CCP-Linked Firm for ‘Partnership’ With ‘The Bidens’: Whistleblower
By Samantha Flom
Hunter Biden demanded $10 million from a Chinese energy firm linked to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), promising services from “the Bidens” ...
- Disturbing Details Emerge in the Arrest of Transgender Legislator Charged With Child Porn, Exploitation
By Alice Giordano
Disturbing details in the arrest of the nation’s first elected transgender legislator and a Massachusetts preschool worker on child exploitation and pornography ...
- ANALYSIS: RFK Jr.’s Widespread Appeal Is a Presidential Election Anomaly
By Jeff Louderback
Some Democrats say that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is a fringe candidate who spreads conspiracy theories. Others believe that a surge of ...
- Arizona County Elections Director Quits, Accusing Officials of Politicization
By Caden Pearson
An Arizona county elections director resigned from her position on Tuesday after accusing officials of politicizing elections and creating a harmful work ...
- Trump Sues E. Jean Carroll for Defamation, False Statements After Jury Orders Him to Pay $5 Million
By Katabella Roberts
Former President Donald Trump has filed a counterclaim against author E. Jean Carroll, accusing her of defamation and making “false statements” after she alleged ...
- Is national security a joke? Bumbling Biden claims he ‘sold a lot of state secrets’
By Bob Unruh
Joe Biden’s perspective of America’s national security took on a whole new dimension this week when he said, “I sold a lot ...
- US ‘Asleep at the Wheel’ as China Moves to Topple America: Hikki Haley
By Eva Fu
The United States is “asleep at the wheel” while communist China has grown into the “most dangerous foreign threat” that is now ...
![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")
