Entre assurance aux marchés et pressions de Trump, le président de la Fed sur un fil à Jackson Hole

Donner des perspectives aux marchés tout en se montrant insensible à la pression grandissante venant de Donald Trump, telle est la ligne de crête sur laquelle doit marcher vendredi le président de la Fed, Jerome Powell, lors d’un discours très attendu.Si le président de la Réserve fédérale (Fed), qui doit s’exprimer aux rencontres de Jackson Hole, dans le Wyoming, ne s’engage jamais fermement sur une tendance, une de ses missions consiste à gérer les attentes des marchés, en indiquant dans quelle direction les prochaines décisions de la banque centrale pourraient aller.Et en l’espèce, la possibilité d’une baisse des taux lors de la réunion prévue mi-septembre, après avoir maintenu les taux inchangés depuis celle de décembre, est largement attendue par les analystes, si l’on en croit l’outil de veille de CME, FedWatch.Pourtant, jusqu’ici, ni la conférence de presse de M. Powell à l’issue de la réunion de fin juillet ni les “minutes” de la Fed publiées mercredi n’ont offert la moindre indication en ce sens.”Je trouve très surprenant que les marchés aient une telle confiance” dans une baisse des taux à venir, a remarqué Tim Urbanowicz, analyste pour Innovator Capital Management, interrogé par l’AFP.”Je pense que cela tient avant tout au fait que (Donald) Trump a répété vouloir que la Fed baisse ses taux. Il met une telle pression sur Powell!”Avant même son retour à la Maison Blanche, le président américain a en effet considéré que les taux de la Fed, actuellement dans une fourchette comprise entre 4,25% et 4,50%, étaient trop élevés.Une conviction qui s’est renforcée ces derniers mois, durant lesquels Donald Trump a demandé que la Fed baisse ses taux de trois points de pourcentage, estimant que M. Powell, qu’il surnomme “Trop lent”, ne faisait pas ce qu’il fallait.A ses yeux, une baisse des taux permettrait de venir en soutien de sa politique économique, droits de douane et baisse d’impôts pour les plus riches notamment, en augmentant l’accès à l’emprunt.”Quelqu’un pourrait dire à +Trop lent+ Powell qu’il abîme le secteur de la construction? Les gens n’ont plus accès aux prêts immobiliers, tout pointe vers la nécessité d’une importante baisse des taux. +Trop lent+ catastrophe”, a de nouveau écrit mardi soir Donald Trump, sur son compte Truth Social.- Dernier discours pour Powell -Sans succès cependant jusqu’ici: malgré les attaques de plus en plus virulentes, Jerome Powell s’est montré imperturbable, répétant à chaque fois que les décisions de l’institution devaient être avant tout basées sur les données économiques.Mais des divisions sont apparues fin juillet entre les membres du Comité de politique monétaire de la Fed (FOMC), alors que deux voix se sont prononcées en faveur d’une baisse des taux.Pour Michelle Bowman et Christopher Waller, tous deux nommés, comme Jerome Powell, par Donald Trump durant son premier mandat, l’impact des droits de douane sur les prix est transitoire alors que l’économie ralentit et le risque de dégradation du marché de l’emploi s’est renforcé.Or la Fed a une double mission, d’égale importance: maintenir l’inflation sur le long terme au plus proche de son objectif de 2% et une économie en plein emploi.Dans ce contexte, le discours d’ouverture des réunions de Jackson Hole par M. Powell, le dernier avant qu’il ne quitte la présidence de la Fed en mai prochain, sera particulièrement suivi.Les analystes vont en particulier chercher toute indication montrant que la balance des risques, entre inflation et chômage, évolue pour l’institution, ce qui serait un signe d’une redirection possible de la politique monétaire.Les derniers mois à la tête de l’institution promettent de s’avérer compliqués pour M. Powell, alors que Donald Trump renforce son contrôle sur l’institution.Il a déjà nommé au Comité de politique monétaire de la Fed l’un de ses plus proches conseillers économiques, Stephen Miran, qui doit encore être confirmé par le Sénat, après la démission d’une autre responsable de la Fed, Adriana Kugler.Et il s’en est pris mercredi à une autre responsable, Lisa Cook, la première femme afro-américaine à être nommée au prestigieux poste de gouverneure (en 2022 par Joe Biden), appelant à sa démission après qu’un proche du président a accusé cette dernière de falsification de documents en vue d’un prêt immobilier.En ligne de mire, le choix du successeur de Jerome Powell, pour lequel d’autres proches de Donald Trump, notamment son principal conseiller économique Kevin Hassett, sont régulièrement cités.

Entre assurance aux marchés et pressions de Trump, le président de la Fed sur un fil à Jackson Hole

Donner des perspectives aux marchés tout en se montrant insensible à la pression grandissante venant de Donald Trump, telle est la ligne de crête sur laquelle doit marcher vendredi le président de la Fed, Jerome Powell, lors d’un discours très attendu.Si le président de la Réserve fédérale (Fed), qui doit s’exprimer aux rencontres de Jackson Hole, dans le Wyoming, ne s’engage jamais fermement sur une tendance, une de ses missions consiste à gérer les attentes des marchés, en indiquant dans quelle direction les prochaines décisions de la banque centrale pourraient aller.Et en l’espèce, la possibilité d’une baisse des taux lors de la réunion prévue mi-septembre, après avoir maintenu les taux inchangés depuis celle de décembre, est largement attendue par les analystes, si l’on en croit l’outil de veille de CME, FedWatch.Pourtant, jusqu’ici, ni la conférence de presse de M. Powell à l’issue de la réunion de fin juillet ni les “minutes” de la Fed publiées mercredi n’ont offert la moindre indication en ce sens.”Je trouve très surprenant que les marchés aient une telle confiance” dans une baisse des taux à venir, a remarqué Tim Urbanowicz, analyste pour Innovator Capital Management, interrogé par l’AFP.”Je pense que cela tient avant tout au fait que (Donald) Trump a répété vouloir que la Fed baisse ses taux. Il met une telle pression sur Powell!”Avant même son retour à la Maison Blanche, le président américain a en effet considéré que les taux de la Fed, actuellement dans une fourchette comprise entre 4,25% et 4,50%, étaient trop élevés.Une conviction qui s’est renforcée ces derniers mois, durant lesquels Donald Trump a demandé que la Fed baisse ses taux de trois points de pourcentage, estimant que M. Powell, qu’il surnomme “Trop lent”, ne faisait pas ce qu’il fallait.A ses yeux, une baisse des taux permettrait de venir en soutien de sa politique économique, droits de douane et baisse d’impôts pour les plus riches notamment, en augmentant l’accès à l’emprunt.”Quelqu’un pourrait dire à +Trop lent+ Powell qu’il abîme le secteur de la construction? Les gens n’ont plus accès aux prêts immobiliers, tout pointe vers la nécessité d’une importante baisse des taux. +Trop lent+ catastrophe”, a de nouveau écrit mardi soir Donald Trump, sur son compte Truth Social.- Dernier discours pour Powell -Sans succès cependant jusqu’ici: malgré les attaques de plus en plus virulentes, Jerome Powell s’est montré imperturbable, répétant à chaque fois que les décisions de l’institution devaient être avant tout basées sur les données économiques.Mais des divisions sont apparues fin juillet entre les membres du Comité de politique monétaire de la Fed (FOMC), alors que deux voix se sont prononcées en faveur d’une baisse des taux.Pour Michelle Bowman et Christopher Waller, tous deux nommés, comme Jerome Powell, par Donald Trump durant son premier mandat, l’impact des droits de douane sur les prix est transitoire alors que l’économie ralentit et le risque de dégradation du marché de l’emploi s’est renforcé.Or la Fed a une double mission, d’égale importance: maintenir l’inflation sur le long terme au plus proche de son objectif de 2% et une économie en plein emploi.Dans ce contexte, le discours d’ouverture des réunions de Jackson Hole par M. Powell, le dernier avant qu’il ne quitte la présidence de la Fed en mai prochain, sera particulièrement suivi.Les analystes vont en particulier chercher toute indication montrant que la balance des risques, entre inflation et chômage, évolue pour l’institution, ce qui serait un signe d’une redirection possible de la politique monétaire.Les derniers mois à la tête de l’institution promettent de s’avérer compliqués pour M. Powell, alors que Donald Trump renforce son contrôle sur l’institution.Il a déjà nommé au Comité de politique monétaire de la Fed l’un de ses plus proches conseillers économiques, Stephen Miran, qui doit encore être confirmé par le Sénat, après la démission d’une autre responsable de la Fed, Adriana Kugler.Et il s’en est pris mercredi à une autre responsable, Lisa Cook, la première femme afro-américaine à être nommée au prestigieux poste de gouverneure (en 2022 par Joe Biden), appelant à sa démission après qu’un proche du président a accusé cette dernière de falsification de documents en vue d’un prêt immobilier.En ligne de mire, le choix du successeur de Jerome Powell, pour lequel d’autres proches de Donald Trump, notamment son principal conseiller économique Kevin Hassett, sont régulièrement cités.

Got the scoop: Bear takes over California ice cream shop

A curious bear on the hunt for something sweet found itself behind the counter of a California ice cream shop over the weekend.The big animal appeared to be making itself right at home when sheriff’s deputies turned up to investigate in the resort city of South Lake Tahoe early Sunday.Officers shooed the ursine server out of the shop, but not before snapping a few pictures of their encounter.”With some encouragement, the bear ultimately left, but only after showing interest in the strawberry ice cream,” said a post on the Facebook page of El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office.”Thankfully, Fuzzy the bear caused barely any property damage and there was barely any cleanup.”Bears are common in California and frequently go looking for food in human settlements, including entering homes or vehicles.Attacks on people are rare, but the animals can sometimes cause damage, especially when they cannot find a way out.

La Colombie endeuillée par deux attaques qui ont fait au moins 14 morts

Un camion piégé, des drones explosifs, des coups de feu: deux attaques menées par des groupes armés ont fait au moins 14 morts et des dizaines de blessés jeudi dans une intensification spectaculaire des violences en Colombie.Cette flambée intervient à an de la présidentielle, et a été marquée notamment par la mort le 11 août du favori de la droite, Miguel Uribe, des suites d’un attentat.Jeudi après-midi, un camion piégé a explosé près d’une base aérienne à Cali (sud-ouest), troisième ville du pays, faisant au moins six morts et 60 blessés, selon les autorités. Le maire Alejandro Eder a dénoncé une “attaque narcoterroriste” et demandé une “militarisation” de la ville.Des images sur les réseaux sociaux ont montré plusieurs personnes au sol, prises en charge par les secours après l’explosion, ainsi qu’un camion en flammes, plusieurs véhicules endommagés et de nombreuses vitres soufflées.Le ministre de la Défense Pedro Sanchez a désigné le groupe armé EMC, un groupe dissident des Farc, comme responsable de l’attentat, dénonçant un “attentat terroriste (…) injustifiable contre la population civile de Cali”.”Cette attaque lâche contre les civils est une réaction désespérée face à la perte de contrôle du narcotrafic” dans la région, a-t-il estimé. Hector Fabio Bolanos, 65 ans, un témoin, a indiqué à l’AFP avoir entendu “un énorme bruit d’explosion près de la base aérienne”, et vu de nombreuses personnes blessées au sol.”Il y a eu des morts parmi les personnes passant sur l’avenue”, selon un autre témoin, Alexis Atizabal, 40 ans, qui a vu les vitres de son atelier de fabrication d’enseignes voler en éclats au moment de l’explosion.Plusieurs bâtiments et une école à proximité ont été évacués.Le maire a annoncé l’interdiction de circulation des camions dans la ville et offert 10.000 dollars de récompense pour toute information.  “Le terrorisme ne nous vaincra pas”, a de son côté affirmé la gouverneure régionale, Dilian Francisca Toro.- Attaque contre un hélicoptère -Dans la matinée, dans le département d’Antioquia (nord-ouest) qui comprend la ville de Medellin, huit policiers ont été tués et huit autres blessées dans des affrontements armés et une attaque de drone explosif qui a provoqué la chute d’un hélicoptère. Un responsable de la police a expliqué à l’AFP que les assaillants avaient “harcelé” des policiers supervisant un groupe chargé d’éradiquer les plantations de coca.Des images partagées sur les réseaux sociaux ont montré l’hélicoptère survolant la région, suivies d’une détonation et de sa chute.Il n’a pas été précisé dans quelles circonstances exactes sont morts les huit policiers.L’attaque avait initialement était attribuée par les autorités au cartel du Clan del Golfo, mais le ministre de la Défense, Pedro Sanchez a ensuite indiqué sur X que “des informations récentes” de la police pointent la responsabilité d’un groupe de guérilleros, Calarca.Cette guérilla, qui porte le nom de guerre de son chef, est issu d’une scission de l’EMC.Au pouvoir depuis 2022 et lui-même ancien guérillero, le président de gauche Gustavo Petro a tenté de relancer pourparlers de paix avec la plupart des groupes armés qui opèrent en Colombie, six ans après l’accord historique conclu avec les Farc. Mais la plupart ont échoué ou sont au point mort.En 2023, l’EMC avait soutenu de tels pourparlers, mais son dirigeant, Ivan Mordisco, avait quitté la table des négociations un an plus tard.En juin, une série d’attaques avait tué cinq civils et deux policiers dans le sud-ouest du pays. Elle avait été revendiqué par l’EMC.

Less tax, more luxury: millionaires flock to Dubai

Rich people are flocking to Dubai in record numbers, drawn to the desert city by its zero income tax policy and easy luxury lifestyle that has become harder to maintain elsewhere.The United Arab Emirates and particularly Dubai have long welcomed wealthy people from nearby countries, and people helping millionaires to move there told AFP it is seeing more Westerners joining the fray.Advisory firm Henley & Partners estimates that the UAE will attract an unprecedented 9,800 millionaires this year — more than anywhere else in the world.The tightly-policed UAE has moulded itself into a magnet for the wealthy, offering economic and political stability with extremely low crime rates, an easygoing business environment and even easier access to luxury. The Gulf state’s golden visa scheme, meant to attract wealthy or skilled foreigners, allows individuals to obtain a 10-year residence permit. Mike Coady, who heads Skybound Wealth Management, an advisory firm for high-net-worth individuals, said some of his clients “feel like success has become a liability in their home countries”.”They’re being taxed more, scrutinised more, and offered less,” he said, but in Dubai, “wealth isn’t hidden, it’s normalised”.”In London, my clients whisper about their net worth. In Dubai, they can live freely.”A top destination for flashy influencers, Dubai has become synonymous with over-the-top displays of wealth.It is home to an enormous mall with an indoor ski area, the world’s tallest building, and the Palm — an artificial island dotted with five-star hotels.The rapid development into a world-leading playground for the rich has been met with criticism over gross inequalities as armies of low-paid migrant workers form the backbone of the economy.- ‘Very little red tape’ -Coady said his relocating clients were mostly professionals in their 30s and 40s, including tech founders, second-generation business owners, consultants and fund managers.One of them is the 42-year-old founder of a cloud software company who, fearing capital gains tax on its sale, had moved to the UAE from Britain — now a leading exporter of millionaires.Some are pushed out by a stricter taxation policy for people with “non-dom” status — those who live in Britain but whose permanent domicile is abroad and had benefitted from no tax on income earned outside the country.Put together with other looming changes to taxation and inheritance rules, and what Coady called “increasing anti-wealth rhetoric”, Britain is expected to lose a record 16,500 millionaires this year, according to Henley & Partners.The most high-profile departee this year, billionaire John Fredriksen, told Norwegian media he was moving to the UAE because “Britain has gone to hell”.Speaking on the “Building Wealth With No Borders” podcast about his move to Dubai, Max Maxwell, CEO of Paddco Real Estate, said: “We’re all chasing a lifestyle, whatever that means to everybody.”The self-described “serial entrepreneur” explained that after leaving the United States for the UAE, he found his family could enjoy “a better lifestyle than where we were” for the same amount of money.Philippe Amarante, of Henley & Partners in Dubai, said the wealthy seek to maintain their fortunes and lifestyle, and the ability to do business with “very little red tape”.And the UAE has positioned itself “with a very clear and simple message: we are open for business”, said Amarante.To Coady’s clients, “the UAE fits like a glove,” he said.- ‘Buy a whole building’ -The inflow of rich foreigners has not been without controversy, however.Emirati authorities have cracked down on money laundering after the UAE was put on a global “grey list” in 2022 over concerns about murky financial transactions and a flood of Russian money, as wealthy Russians flocked to the Gulf after the Ukraine invasion to escape crippling sanctions at home.The UAE has also extradited some wanted individuals, including drug barons, reversing the grey listing.The wealthy from all over the world are now taking their families, businesses and private offices with them to Dubai, “which is something new”, said Faisal Durrani, head of Middle East research at Knight Frank real estate consultancy firm.Dubai is already one of the world’s top 20 cities with the most millionaires, home to 81,200 of them as well as 20 billionaires, according to Henley & Partners.Overtaking New York and London combined, 435 homes worth $10 million or more were sold in Dubai last year — making it the busiest market for high-end properties, relatively affordable in the UAE compared to the West, Durrani said.He said buyers from places such as Monaco and Switzerland would come to the company seeking a Dubai apartment for $100 million, for example.”But in Dubai, for that price, you could buy a whole building.”

Palestinian camps in Lebanon begin disarming

Some armed Palestinian groups in Lebanese refugee camps began handing over their weapons to the authorities on Thursday after reaching a deal earlier this year, with Washington hailing the move as a “historic step”.The efforts at disarmament came after the Lebanese government, under US pressure, tasked the army with formulating a plan to also disarm the militant group Hezbollah by the end of the year.The Lebanese army took into its custody a number of weapons in the Burj al-Barajneh refugee camp in Beirut’s southern suburbs.An AFP photographer saw a truck filled with weapons and ammunition transported from the camp to a nearby parking lot, where Lebanese army vehicles and personnel were deployed to inspect the cargo.”Today marks the beginning of the first phase of the process of handing over weapons from inside the Palestinian camps,” Lebanese-Palestinian Dialogue Committee chairman Ramez Dimashkieh had said in an earlier statement.US envoy Tom Barrack offered his congratulations on the development, saying it marked “a historic step toward unity and stability, showing true commitment to peace and cooperation”.Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam also welcomed the move, saying that the “process will be completed with the handover of additional batches in the coming weeks from Burj al-Barajneh and other camps”, according to a statement from his office.A Palestinian security official had told AFP on condition of anonymity that “Fatah will begin handing over its weapons in Burj al-Barajneh camp within the framework of the coordination with the Lebanese army”.Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, who heads the Fatah movement, visited Beirut in May and reached an agreement with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun that all arms in Palestinian camps would be surrendered to the state.A Palestinian security source at Burj al-Barajneh camp said “Fatah’s initiative in beginning to hand over weapons is symbolic, and came as a result of an agreement between Aoun and the Palestinian president’s son, Yasser Abbas, who is currently visiting Beirut”.It aims to “encourage the remaining (Palestinian armed) factions to take the same step”, the source said, noting that the other influential factions in the camp “have not yet decided to hand over their weapons”.The Palestinian Authority does not exercise power over the other factions in the camps, most notably Hamas.- ‘Illegitimate weapons’ -Lebanon has come under heavy US pressure to disarm Hamas’s ally Hezbollah after the Iran-backed Lebanese movement was dealt a massive blow during its war with Israel last year.That conflict was the culmination of a year of hostilities launched by Hezbollah in support of Hamas after the Palestinian group’s October 2023 attack on Israel that sparked the Gaza war.Lebanon hosts about 222,000 Palestinian refugees, according to the United Nations agency UNRWA, with many living in overcrowded camps outside of the state’s control.The Ain al-Hilweh camp near the southern city of Sidon, for instance, is the largest in the country and houses individuals wanted by the Lebanese authorities.The handover of weapons had been expected to begin in mid-June, but in an interview with Saudi-owned broadcaster Al Arabiya last week, Aoun attributed the delay to the Iran-Israel war that broke out that month, as well as to “internal considerations within the Palestinian Authority”.Badie al-Habet, a member of the Fatah leadership in Beirut, told AFP that Thursday would see the “turning over of illegitimate weapons in the hands of illegitimate individuals”.The weapons held by Palestinian security personnel in the refugee camps, however, were not included in the handover, he added.Palestinian armed factions including Hamas have repeatedly fired at Israel from Lebanon since the start of the Gaza war and the ensuing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, which a November ceasefire sought to end.The ceasefire stipulated that only the Lebanese military would bear arms and that all forces would withdraw from the country’s south, with the exception of the army and UN peacekeepers.Israel has nonetheless continued to strike Lebanon regularly, and its troops still hold five positions in the south that it deems strategic.Hezbollah, meanwhile, has said it will resist efforts to disarm it.

US slams door on foreign truck drivers after deadly crash

President Donald Trump’s administration on Thursday abruptly stopped issuing US visas for truck drivers after a fatal crash drew national attention, its latest sweeping step against foreign visitors.”Effective immediately we are pausing all issuance of worker visas for commercial truck drivers,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote on X.”The increasing number of foreign drivers operating large tractor-trailer trucks on US roads is endangering American lives and undercutting the livelihoods of American truckers,” he wrote.Rubio’s action came after a truck driver was charged with killing three people on a highway in Florida while making an illegal U-turn.Harjinder Singh, who is from India, allegedly entered the United States illegally from Mexico and failed an English examination after the crash, according to federal officials.The case has gathered wide media attention and has been highlighted by officials in Florida, controlled by Trump’s Republican Party, with the lieutenant governor flying to California to extradite Singh personally alongside immigration agents on Thursday.The crash has taken on a political dimension in part as Singh received his commercial license in California and also lived in the West Coast state, which is run by the rival Democratic Party and opposes Trump’s crackdown on immigration.”This crash was a preventable tragedy directly caused by reckless decisions and compounded by despicable failures,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said.California Governor Gavin Newsom’s office responded that the federal government under Trump had issued a work permit to Singh, who sought asylum, and that California had cooperated in extraditing him.Even before the crash, Republican lawmakers have been taking aim at foreign truckers, pointing to a rising number of accidents without providing evidence of a direct link to immigrants.In June, Duffy issued a directive that truck drivers must speak English.Truck drivers have long been required to pass tests that include basic English proficiency but in 2016 under former president Barack Obama, authorities were told not to take truckers off the road solely on account of language deficiencies.- Changing face of truckers -The number of foreign-born truck drivers in the United States more than doubled between 2000 and 2021 to 720,000, according to federal statistics.Foreign-born drivers now make up 18 percent of the industry — in line with the US labor market as a whole, but a departure for a profession long identified with white, working-class men.More than half of the foreign-born drivers come from Latin America with sizable numbers in recent years from India and Eastern European nations, especially Ukraine, according to industry groups.The influx of foreign drivers has come in response to demand. A study earlier this year by the financial company altLine said the United States faced a shortage of 24,000 truck drivers, costing the freight industry $95.5 million per week as goods go undelivered.- Widening visa curbs -Trump has long made opposition to immigration a signature issue, rising to political prominence in 2016 with vows to build a wall on the Mexican border. Rubio has taken a starring role in Trump’s efforts by cracking down on visas. The State Department said this week that it has rescinded more than 6,000 student visas since Trump took office — four times more than during the same period last year — and an official said all 55 million foreigners with US visas are liable to “continuous vetting.”Rubio has ordered scrutiny of applicants’ social media accounts and proudly removed students who campaigned against Israel’s offensive in Gaza, using a law that allows him to rescind visas for people deemed to counter US foreign policy interests. The State Department over the weekend also paused visitor visas meant for severely wounded children from Gaza to receive treatment.The decision came after Laura Loomer — a far-right activist close to Trump who has described the September 11, 2001 terror attack as an inside job — said she spoke to Rubio and warned of “Islamic invaders” from Gaza.

US slams door on foreign truck drivers after deadly crash

President Donald Trump’s administration on Thursday abruptly stopped issuing US visas for truck drivers after a fatal crash drew national attention, its latest sweeping step against foreign visitors.”Effective immediately we are pausing all issuance of worker visas for commercial truck drivers,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote on X.”The increasing number of foreign drivers operating large tractor-trailer trucks on US roads is endangering American lives and undercutting the livelihoods of American truckers,” he wrote.Rubio’s action came after a truck driver was charged with killing three people on a highway in Florida while making an illegal U-turn.Harjinder Singh, who is from India, allegedly entered the United States illegally from Mexico and failed an English examination after the crash, according to federal officials.The case has gathered wide media attention and has been highlighted by officials in Florida, controlled by Trump’s Republican Party, with the lieutenant governor flying to California to extradite Singh personally alongside immigration agents on Thursday.The crash has taken on a political dimension in part as Singh received his commercial license in California and also lived in the West Coast state, which is run by the rival Democratic Party and opposes Trump’s crackdown on immigration.”This crash was a preventable tragedy directly caused by reckless decisions and compounded by despicable failures,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said.California Governor Gavin Newsom’s office responded that the federal government under Trump had issued a work permit to Singh, who sought asylum, and that California had cooperated in extraditing him.Even before the crash, Republican lawmakers have been taking aim at foreign truckers, pointing to a rising number of accidents without providing evidence of a direct link to immigrants.In June, Duffy issued a directive that truck drivers must speak English.Truck drivers have long been required to pass tests that include basic English proficiency but in 2016 under former president Barack Obama, authorities were told not to take truckers off the road solely on account of language deficiencies.- Changing face of truckers -The number of foreign-born truck drivers in the United States more than doubled between 2000 and 2021 to 720,000, according to federal statistics.Foreign-born drivers now make up 18 percent of the industry — in line with the US labor market as a whole, but a departure for a profession long identified with white, working-class men.More than half of the foreign-born drivers come from Latin America with sizable numbers in recent years from India and Eastern European nations, especially Ukraine, according to industry groups.The influx of foreign drivers has come in response to demand. A study earlier this year by the financial company altLine said the United States faced a shortage of 24,000 truck drivers, costing the freight industry $95.5 million per week as goods go undelivered.- Widening visa curbs -Trump has long made opposition to immigration a signature issue, rising to political prominence in 2016 with vows to build a wall on the Mexican border. Rubio has taken a starring role in Trump’s efforts by cracking down on visas. The State Department said this week that it has rescinded more than 6,000 student visas since Trump took office — four times more than during the same period last year — and an official said all 55 million foreigners with US visas are liable to “continuous vetting.”Rubio has ordered scrutiny of applicants’ social media accounts and proudly removed students who campaigned against Israel’s offensive in Gaza, using a law that allows him to rescind visas for people deemed to counter US foreign policy interests. The State Department over the weekend also paused visitor visas meant for severely wounded children from Gaza to receive treatment.The decision came after Laura Loomer — a far-right activist close to Trump who has described the September 11, 2001 terror attack as an inside job — said she spoke to Rubio and warned of “Islamic invaders” from Gaza.

Trump visits police, troops deployed in US capital

President Donald Trump visited police and troops Thursday that he has deployed in the US capital in what he calls a crackdown on crime, saying they were going to “stay here for a while.”Trump ordered hundreds of members of the Guard, a reserve force, to deploy in Washington last week vowing to “take our capital back,” despite protests by some residents and statistics showing violent offenses falling.”We’re going to make it safe, and we’re going to then go on to other places, but we’re going to stay here for a while. We want to make this absolutely perfect,” the Republican said outside a US Park Police facility in the Anacostia neighborhood of Washington.He was surrounded by law enforcement from various local and federal agencies as well as National Guard troops.Earlier Thursday the 79-year-old had suggested he would go on patrol with police and the military, but instead he made a short speech and gave out pizzas and hamburgers. “Everybody feels safe,” he said, adding that he plans to get the capital “fixed up physically.” “One of the things we’re going to be redoing is your parks. I’m very good at grass, because I have a lot of golf courses all over the place. I know more about grass than any human being,” the billionaire added.He spoke one day after his vice president, JD Vance, was greeted by boos and shouts of “Free DC” — referring to Washington’s formal name, the District of Columbia — on his own meet-and-greet with troops. Vance dismissed the hecklers as “a bunch of crazy protesters.”The DC National Guard has mobilized 800 troops, while Republican states Ohio, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia are sending a total of around 1,200.They have been spotted in tourist areas such as the National Mall and its monuments, the Nationals Park baseball stadium and others.The overwhelmingly Democratic US capital faces allegations from Republican politicians that it is overrun by crime, plagued by homelessness and financially mismanaged.But data from Washington police showed significant drops in violent crime between 2023 and 2024, though that was coming off the back of a post-pandemic surge.Some residents have welcomed the crackdown, pointing to crime in their areas — but others have complained the show of force is unnecessary, or has not been seen in parts of Washington where violence is concentrated.- Sandwich guy -Several incidents involving the surge of law enforcement have gone viral as residents voice their discontent, including the arrest of one man who was caught on camera throwing a sandwich at an agent.Banksy-style posters honoring the so-called “sandwich guy” have popped up around the city. The National Guard troops have provided “critical support such as crowd management, presence patrols and perimeter control in support of law enforcement,” according to statements on their official X account.In addition to sending troops into the streets, Trump has also sought to take full control of the Washington police department, attempting at one point to sideline its leadership.The deployment of troops in Washington comes after Trump dispatched the National Guard and Marines to quell unrest in Los Angeles, California, that was sparked by immigration enforcement raids.