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The US Federal Reserve opened the second day of its key policy gathering Wednesday, with the central bank widely expected to keep interest rates unchanged — defying President Donald Trump’s calls for more cuts.The rate-setting Federal Open Market Committee meeting began at 9am Eastern Time (1400 GMT) as scheduled, a Fed spokesperson said.The central bank has lowered rates in each of its last three policy meetings — bringing them to a range between 3.50 percent and 3.75 percent — as officials fretted about the cooling jobs market.But solid GDP growth, relatively low unemployment and stubborn inflation have given them reason to shift into wait-and-see mode.The lack of urgency, however, could put the central bank again at odds with Trump, who has repeatedly called for large rate reductions.Trump has sharply escalated pressure on the Fed since returning to the White House a year ago, in moves that officials warn could threaten its independence from politics.The president has been seeking to oust Fed Governor Lisa Cook over mortgage fraud allegations, while his administration launched an investigation into chairman Jerome Powell as well over the bank’s headquarters renovation.In a rare rebuke this month, Powell criticized the threat of criminal charges against him, saying this was about whether monetary policy would be “directed by political pressure or intimidation.”- ‘Less dissent’ -“While the Fed has been politically pressured to cut rates, it is not pressed by the data,” said EY-Parthenon chief economist Gregory Daco.Officials appear to have converged on a near-term halt in rate reductions, with their debate now centering around what conditions justify further cuts — and how quickly these should take place.”The hurdle for additional near-term cuts has risen,” Daco said.Officials will be looking for “clearer, more durable evidence of disinflation” or renewed deterioration in the labor market before lowering rates again, he added.The Fed has seen deepening divides over interest rates, but Dan North of Allianz Trade North America told AFP that he expects “less dissent” in Wednesday’s decision.Fed Governor Stephen Miran, appointed by Trump last year to fill a term lasting until late January, is likely to again push for lower levels, North said.But it is unclear if others on the board of governors like Michelle Bowman and Christopher Waller would join him.Financial markets generally expect the Fed to continue keeping rates unchanged until its June meeting, according to CME FedWatch.Looking ahead, all eyes are on how Trump’s nominee to succeed Powell — whose chairmanship of the bank ends in May — shapes Fed policy.”We think inflation peaks and starts to turn lower (this year) but also importantly, we think a new Fed chair would be more open to helping to navigate lower interest rates,” said Nationwide chief economist Kathy Bostjancic.- Credibility issues -One issue is whether the new chairman can corral the rest of the rate-setting committee into more cuts, ING analysts said in a note.Outside the Fed, it could be harder for the next chairman to convince investors that the bank will continue pursuing its mandate of low and stable inflation and maximum employment, independent of political influence, said Michael Strain of the conservative American Enterprise Institute.Given the way the Trump administration has targeted Powell, Strain added that “establishing credibility will be much more challenging” for Powell’s successor than it has been for previous Fed chiefs over the last few decades.Strain, who is AEI’s director of economic policy studies, also cautioned that the Fed may have gone too far in lowering rates last year.He warned that the labor market might be stronger than officials think, while there remains a risk that inflation accelerates again.”Certainly, the Fed should not continue to cut,” he said. “I’m worried the Fed’s going to have to hike in 2026.”

Minneapolis residents waited for Washington to fulfill its promise to “de-escalate” immigration operations in the city on Wednesday, as Donald Trump’s top aide says federal agents may have breached “protocol” before the fatal shooting of a US citizen.Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse, was killed during a confrontation with federal agents in Minneapolis on Saturday — the second fatal shooting by immigration officers in the city this month.His death has become a political flashpoint in Trump’s immigration crackdown, triggering an unusually broad backlash that threatens to shut down large parts of the federal government.British Prime Minister Keir Starmer described Pretti’s death as “concerning” on Wednesday, and French basketball star Victor Wembanyama said he was “horrified” by the news.The US president told Fox News on Tuesday that he was “going to de-escalate a little bit” in Minneapolis following the shooting, but stressed that the plan was not a “pullback.”The Republican also acknowledged to the conservative broadcaster that Gregory Bovino, a hardline Border Patrol commander who is now expected to leave the city, was also “a pretty out-there kind of a guy.”Trump added that Bovino’s presence may not have helped the situation.White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller told AFP that the administration is evaluating whether the Customs and Border Protection (CBP), who gunned down Pretti, failed to follow “clear guidance” to “create a physical barrier between the arrest teams and the disruptors.””We are evaluating why the CBP team may not have been following that protocol,” Miller said in a statement.The White House later clarified that Miller was referring to “general guidance” to immigration agents in Minnesota.Trump, scrambling to damage control the situation, told reporters at a White House news briefing on Tuesday that he rejected the “assassin” label previously used by Miller to describe Pretti, adding that he wants “a very honorable and honest investigation.”However, the situation in Minneapolis has far from de-escalated, with Democratic congresswoman Ilhan Omar attacked by a man at a constituent town hall with a syringe of unknown liquid on Tuesday.Omar had just spoken about the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and demanded that Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem “resign or face impeachment.” Trump said Noem would not step down and was doing a “very good job.”A 34-year-old man suspected of human trafficking also suffered serious injuries after exchanging gunfire with Border Patrol agents in Arizona on Tuesday, local authorities said.- ‘Serious negative impacts’ -After meeting with Trump border czar Tom Homan on Tuesday, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said in a statement that they discussed the “serious negative impacts this operation has had on Minneapolis.”He said the city “will not enforce federal immigration laws.”Pretti was killed just weeks after the fatal shooting of protester Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on January 7.The killings capped months of escalating violence in which masked, unidentified, and heavily armed ICE and border patrol agents have grabbed people they accuse of violations off the streets.Despite multiple videos showing that Pretti posed no threat, Bovino and Noem had initially claimed Pretti intended to kill federal agents, calling him a “domestic terrorist.”- Government shutdown -Republican Senator Rand Paul said on Tuesday that agents involved in the Pretti shooting should be put on administrative leave, later adding that the immigration enforcement leaders would testify before Congress next month. The unrest in the city could result in a fresh US government shutdown, with Democrats calling for broad reforms to federal immigration operations at DHS and threatening to block approval of its funding, as part of the spending bills that go up for votes in the Senate later this week.The judicial branch also pushed back on Trump’s actions in Minneapolis on Tuesday, when a US judge blocked the deportation of a five-year-old boy and his father, who were detained last week in another incident that went viral.Veteran Brian Furgen, 55, told AFP at a protest at the Minnesota State Capitol on Tuesday that Americans need immigration and customs enforcement agents who “know how to do the job without harming the community.”burs-dk/lga/ane

Two federal officers fired their weapons during the fatal weekend shooting of nurse Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, according to a Department of Homeland Security report to Congress published Tuesday by US media.The shooting sparked bipartisan condemnation and fresh protests in Minneapolis, and President Donald Trump on Tuesday called for an “honorable and honest investigation” into the matter.He also suggested he would “de-escalate a little bit” the administration’s immigration crackdown in the city.The initial report says a US Border Patrol officer yelled, “He’s got a gun” multiple times as agents struggled with Pretti on an icy Minneapolis street, moments before two agents opened fire.”Approximately five seconds later, a (Border Patrol agent) discharged his CBP-issued Glock 19 and a (Customs and Border Protection officer) also discharged his CBP-issued Glock 47 at Pretti,” the report says.The report does not say whether bullets from both officers hit Pretti, and does not specify how many shots were fired.It makes no mention of whether Pretti brandished his gun, as Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem suggested in the aftermath of the shooting. Video footage from witnesses showed Pretti holding his phone and filming agents before he was sprayed by a chemical irritant and taken to the ground by federal agents.The footage showed one agent pull a gun from Pretti’s waist before the officers opened fire. The report says a Border Patrol agent after the shooting said he had Pretti’s gun and “subsequently cleared and secured Pretti’s firearm in his vehicle.”DHS’s Homeland Security Investigations, the report says, is investigating the shooting. Both Democrats and Republicans in Congress have called for a thorough investigation into the incident, and Republican Senator Rand Paul said Tuesday that agents involved in the shooting should be put on administrative leave.Trump Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller — a powerful figure who leads Trump’s hardline immigration policy — told AFP that the agents may have breached “protocol” before the shooting. The White House later said Miller was referring to “general guidance” to immigration agents operating in Minnesota, not the specific incident involving Pretti.

US immigration agents may have breached “protocol” in Minneapolis before shooting dead a nurse during protests, a senior White House aide said on Tuesday, as President Donald Trump suggested he would “de-escalate a little bit” in the city.The comments came the same day a man sprayed Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar with a syringe of unknown liquid at a Minneapolis town hall meeting, where she called for curbing the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller told AFP the administration is evaluating whether the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents who gunned down 37-year-old Alex Pretti on Saturday failed to follow “clear guidance” to “create a physical barrier between the arrest teams and the disruptors.””We are evaluating why the CBP team may not have been following that protocol,” Miller said in a statement, though the White House later said Miller was referring to “general guidance” to immigration agents in Minnesota.Trump, meanwhile, told Fox News that the administration was “going to de-escalate a little bit” its operations in Minneapolis, adding that the plan was not a “pullback.”He admitted that Gregory Bovino, a hardline Border Patrol commander who is now expected to leave the city, was “a pretty out-there kind of a guy” whose presence may not have helped the situation. He sent top US border security official Tom Homan to meet with officials there.Trump also told reporters that he rejected the “assassin” label previously used by Miller to describe Pretti, adding that he wants “a very honorable and honest investigation.” Still, tensions remained high in Minneapolis after Omar, a Democratic congresswoman, was attacked by a man at a constituent town hall Tuesday night.Omar had just spoken about the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and demanded that Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem “resign or face impeachment,” when the man sprang from the front row, made a remark and sprayed the lawmaker with liquid from a syringe as security leapt to grab him. Omar raised a fist and stepped toward the attacker before returning to the podium to say: “Here’s the reality that people like this ugly man don’t understand: We are Minnesota strong. And we will stay resilient in the face of whatever they might throw on us.”Omar is a frequent target of Trump, who continues to defend Noem despite her oversight of federal immigration agents who shot and killed two US citizens this month. Trump said Noem would not step down and was doing a “very good job.”- ‘Serious negative impacts’ -After meeting with Trump border czar Homan Tuesday, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said in a statement that they discussed the “serious negative impacts this operation has had on Minneapolis.” He said the city “will not enforce federal immigration laws.”Just weeks after federal immigration agents shot and killed US citizen Renee Good in Minneapolis, Pretti’s death sparked national outrage and added to a litany of complaints of abusive tactics.The killings capped months of escalating violence in which masked, unidentified and heavily armed ICE and border patrol agents have grabbed people they accuse of violations off the streets.Despite multiple videos showing that Pretti posed no threat, Bovino and Noem initially claimed Pretti had intent to kill federal agents, calling him a “domestic terrorist.”- ‘Incompetent’ -Republican Senator Rand Paul said Tuesday that agents involved in the shooting should be put on administrative leave, later adding that the immigration enforcement leaders would testify before the Congress next month. Centrist Democratic Senator John Fetterman said “grossly incompetent” Noem should be fired.The turmoil could result in a fresh US government shutdown, with Democrats calling for broad reforms to federal immigration operations at DHS and threatening to block approval of its funding, as part of the spending bills that go up for votes in the Senate later this week.The judicial branch also pushed back on Trump’s actions in Minneapolis Tuesday, when a US judge blocked the deportation of a five-year-old boy and his father who were detained last week in another incident that went viral. Liam Conejo Ramos — wearing a fluffy blue hat and his school backpack — was photographed being detained by a federal agent, who school officials said was using the preschool student as “bait” to draw out his family, asylum seekers from Ecuador.At a protest at the Minnesota State Capitol Tuesday, veteran Brian Furgen, 55, told AFP that Americans need immigration and customs enforcement agents who “know how to do the job without harming the community, without killing people, without hurting people, without imprisoning people that are law abiding.””That’s what they are doing here, that’s ridiculous.”burs-dk/sms/sla/jgc/lga/fox

Seconds after an attacker sprayed US Congresswoman Ilhan Omar with unidentified liquid at a Minnesota meeting, she confronted the man and then defiantly went on to finish her comments, AFP journalists saw. The Somali-born US lawmaker, a constant target of Donald Trump’s attacks, had just called for the president’s homeland security chief to resign in the wake of immigration agents killing two US citizens in a matter of weeks. The attacker, identified by police as 55-year-old Anthony Kazmierczak, managed to spray Omar before he was tackled and removed from the Tuesday meeting in Minneapolis. She was unharmed, police said.Yet before he was even grabbed, Omar stepped rapidly toward the attacker with her fist raised. The lawmaker then went on to urge the crowd to settle down and listen to her  remarks.”Here is the reality that people like this ugly man don’t understand — we are Minnesota strong and we will stay resilient in the face of whatever they might throw at us,” Omar said to the meeting of constituents.Authorities have not reported what may have motivated the attacker, but the incident comes as Minneapolis is in a running confrontation with Trump’s aggressive deportation campaign.Ahead of the incident, Omar’s constituents raised issues with her as eclectic as trash collections and the plight of North Minneapolis, alongside fears over the sweeping immigration operations that have sparked large protests.Just as she called for the resignation of Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, the attacker jumped to his feet from the front row of seats in the meeting room.He then appeared to spray the contents of his syringe, prompting complaints about a foul smell, AFP correspondents witnessed. Two men quickly tackled the assailant, sparking calls of “Nazis out” as he was led from the room.Stunned onlookers gasped and recoiled as the drama unfolded against an already tense backdrop in Minnesota as its targeted by Trump’s immigration operation.Omar has accused Trump of turning Minneapolis into a “war zone” while he has accused her of corruption without evidence. – ‘Not about him’ -“It’s not about him, Ilhan,” said one bystander, seeking to encourage Omar, an outspoken Trump critic, to continue.Undeterred, Omar proclaimed “please don’t let them have the show.”The suspect was arrested on suspicion of third-degree assault, according to police. An investigation was underway.One witness said they asked themselves “is this really happening?” “He could have done something else,” he told AFP.Questions will be asked about security arrangements at the event with members of the public checked by staff, but members of the press allowed in without scrutiny.After the event, Omar, the first Somali-American representative, posted on X “I’m OK.””I’m a survivor so this small agitator isn’t going to intimidate me from doing my work,” she wrote.

US immigration agents may have breached “protocol” in Minneapolis before the fatal shooting of a nurse during protests, President Donald Trump’s senior aide Stephen Miller said Tuesday — days after falsely branding the victim an assassin.The admission comes as Trump says he wants to de-escalate the situation in Minneapolis following the killing of 37-year-old nurse Alex Pretti during a protest against an immigration crackdown on Saturday. Deputy Chief of Staff Miller, a powerful figure who leads Trump’s hardline immigration policy, said in a statement to AFP that the White House was now looking into the possible breach.He said the White House had provided “clear guidance” that extra personnel were sent to Minnesota to protect deportation agents and “create a physical barrier between the arrest teams and the disruptors.””We are evaluating why the CBP (Customs and Border Protection) team may not have been following that protocol,” Miller said.The White House later said that Miller was referring to “general guidance” to immigration agents operating in the state, rather than the specific incident in which Pretti was killed.It added that officials would be “examining why additional force protection assets may not have been present to support the operation” to remove undocumented migrants from Minnesota.Miller also appeared to blame both the border agency and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for his comments on Saturday, which have since attracted criticism. Shortly after the killing, Miller called Pretti a “would-be assassin” and accused him of wanting to murder federal agents.But Miller said his comments were based on an initial statement by DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, who falsely said Pretti was brandishing a weapon when he approached federal agents.Video evidence later showed that the victim was not holding a gun at the time. Pretti had a sidearm on him, but agents had already removed it before he was shot multiple times at point-blank range.”The initial statement from DHS was based on reports from CBP on the ground,” Miller said in his statement.

As the White House worked to “de-escalate” tensions in Minneapolis Tuesday, a man sprayed Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar with a syringe of unknown liquid at a town hall meeting, where she called for curbing the Trump administration’s anti-immigration crackdown.The White House is also evaluating whether the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents who gunned down a nurse failed to follow “clear guidance” to “create a physical barrier between the arrest teams and the disruptors,” deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller told AFP. “We are evaluating why the CBP team may not have been following that protocol,” Miller said in a statement.At the town hall Tuesday night, Omar had just spoken about the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and demanded that Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem “resign or face impeachment,” when a man sprang up from the front row, made a remark and sprayed the lawmaker, as security leapt to grab him. Omar raised a fist and stepped toward the attacker before returning to the podium to say: “Here’s the reality that people like this ugly man don’t understand: We are Minnesota strong. And we will stay resilient in the face of whatever they might throw on us.”Omar is a frequent target of President Donald Trump — who continues to defend Noem despite her oversight of federal immigration agents who shot and killed two US citizens this month, saying Noem would not step down and was doing a “very good job.”But after days of protests following 37-year-old Alex Pretti’s death, Trump told Fox News “we’re going to de-escalate a little bit,” while adding that it was not a “pullback.”Trump also admitted that Gregory Bovino, a hardline Border Patrol commander who is now expected to leave Minneapolis, was “a pretty out-there kind of a guy” whose presence may not have helped the situation, and sent top US border security official Tom Homan to meet with officials in the city.Trump told reporters that he rejected the “assassin” label used by a top aide to describe the 37-year-old nurse, adding that he wants “a very honorable and honest investigation.” But he criticized Pretti for carrying the licensed firearm that was taken off him before he was shot.”I don’t like that he had a gun, I don’t like that he had two fully loaded magazines,” the president said.- ‘Pretty out there’ -After meeting with Homan Tuesday, Mayor Jacob Frey said in a statement they discussed the “serious negative impacts this operation has had on Minneapolis,” and the city “will not enforce federal immigration laws.”Just weeks after federal immigration agents shot and killed US citizen Renee Good in Minneapolis, Pretti’s death sparked national outrage and added to a litany of complaints of abusive tactics.Good, a mother of three, was shot by an agent at point blank range in her car on January 7.The killings capped months of escalating violence in which masked, unidentified, and heavily armed ICE and border patrol agents have grabbed people they accuse of violations off the streets.Despite multiple videos showing that Pretti posed no threat, Bovino and Noem initially claimed Pretti had intent to kill federal agents, calling him a “domestic terrorist.”- ‘Incompetent’ -Republican Senator Rand Paul said Tuesday that agents involved in the shooting should be put on administrative leave, later adding that the immigration enforcement leaders would testify before the Congress next month. Centrist Democratic Senator John Fetterman said “grossly incompetent” Noem should be fired.The turmoil could even result in a fresh US government shutdown, with Democrats calling for broad reforms to federal immigration operations at DHS and threatening to block approval of it funding, as part of the spending bills that go up for votes in the Senate later this week.The judicial branch also pushed back on Trump’s actions in Minneapolis Tuesday, when a US judge blocked the deportation of a five-year-old boy and his father who were detained last week in another incident that went viral. Liam Conejo Ramos — wearing a fluffy blue hat and his school backpack — was photographed being detained by a federal agent, who school officials said was using the preschool student as “bait” to draw out his family, who are asylum seekers from Ecuador.At a protest at the Minnesota State Capitol Tuesday, veteran Brian Furgen, 55, told AFP that Americans need immigration and customs enforcement agents who “know how to do the job without harming the community, without killing people, without hurting people, without imprisoning people that are law abiding.””That’s what they are doing here, that’s ridiculous.”burs-dk/sms/sla/jgc

When Alex Pretti was gunned down by federal agents on an icy Minneapolis street, Fabiola listened in horror as the gunshots rang out on her block.It wasn’t long before the 30-something was poring over videos of the scene, trying to piece together events.”When I saw the images, I was disgusted,” she told AFP, declining to share her full name for fear of reprisal.”How can the government make a domestic terrorist out of him?” she said, outraged. “There is clear evidence of what happened. They are lying.”On Saturday, 37-year-old Pretti became the second Minneapolis resident to be killed by immigration enforcement officers in less than three weeks — enraging locals who are still grieving the slaying of Renee Good at the hands of federal agents.Earlier this month, the agent who shot and killed 37-year-old Good was at the driver’s side door as she was driving away when he opened fire, according to several videos.Similarly, footage of Pretti shows him approaching federal officers with his phone, not a weapon, as Trump administration officials quickly suggested after he was killed.Even after being beaten on the ground and surrounded by agents, Pretti did not appear to be trying to grab his handgun — for which he had a permit, police have confirmed.At the sidewalk memorial near where the shooting occurred two signs amid the flowers and candles capture the feelings of many visitors who braved the polar cold to pay their respects: “Believe your eyes, not the lies,” reads one. “Trump is a murderer,” declares the other.”They will never admit that they are just hunting people and killing people,” Fabiola said. “They are the criminals.” – ‘Terrorizing citizens’ -“The whole community is just sickened by all this,” said Stephen McLaughlin, who came to pay his respects.The 68-year-old retired prosecutor said US President Donald Trump “clearly thinks he’s above the law” and has militarized immigration enforcement.”Trump clearly said in 2016 that he could commit murder on Fifth Avenue (in New York) and get away with it. What we’re seeing today is just the logical conclusion of that reasoning,” McLaughlin said.”The aim of the government is to terrorize citizens, it’s really frightening,” he added. Even fellow Republicans are voicing outrage in the wake of the Trump administration’s hasty and harsh characterization of Pretti’s death, as the 79-year-old Republican appears to be shifting messaging.The president made phone calls to local Democratic leaders, and pledged to reduce the 3,000 federal agents deployed to Minneapolis in recent weeks. An unspecified number of the federal agents are expected to leave the city soon.And Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino, who was seen hurling tear gas cannisters at protesters and dressed in a long coat that many compared to Nazi garb, has been reassigned away from the northern city.But local residents worry that’s not enough to keep Minneapolis safe.For starters, Trump has not disavowed the methods that federal immigration agents have relied on, and the Department of Homeland Security remains the lead agency on the investigation into Pretti’s death. “I have zero confidence in them,” McLaughlin told AFP. “To obtain an independent investigation, the people have to demand it by taking to the streets.” He’s not alone. Jay Taylor touches a whistle he wears around his neck to signal the presence of federal agents as he makes a pledge.”We’re going to kick them out of the city. We’re going to win, because we’re standing for the truth,” the 44-year-old told AFP.The recent tragedies and public outpouring of emotion reminded him of the reaction to George Floyd’s spring 2020 murder by a police officer in Minneapolis.”This time, it happened during winter, so there’s not as many people in the streets,” Taylor said. “Trump got lucky with that one.”

US Democratic congresswoman Ilhan Omar was targeted during a speech late Tuesday by a man who sprayed an unidentified liquid at her from a syringe before being tackled by security guards, according to an AFP journalist at the scene.The man was led out of the premises as Omar — a frequent target of attacks by President Donald Trump — continued her speech, saying “we will stay resilient in the face of whatever they might throw on us.” The man was taken into custody by Minneapolis police, her office said.The incident took place during a town hall in the US city of Minneapolis, where two American citizens have been killed this month in a violent anti-immigration crackdown with thousands of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, provoking growing unrest.Omar had just finished calling for the Trump administration to reverse its current course when the attack occurred.”ICE cannot be reformed, it cannot be rehabilitated. We must abolish ICE for good,” Omar said, to applause. “And (Department of Homeland Security) Secretary Kristi Noem must resign or face impeachment.”After Omar uttered those words, a man sprang up from the front row, made a remark and sprayed the congresswoman, as security leapt to grab him. Omar raised a fist and stepped toward the attacker before returning to the podium. After uttering a few expletives, and against her team’s vocal concerns that she should not continue, the congresswoman took the microphone.”Here’s the reality that people like this ugly man don’t understand: We are Minnesota strong. And we will stay resilient in the face of whatever they might throw on us,” Omar said.Earlier Tuesday, Trump blasted Omar and Somalia during a speech in Iowa, saying the Mogadishu-born congresswoman “comes from a country that’s a disaster.”Trump has ordered 143 strikes against Somalia in his second term, according to US think tank New America, and has pulled back diplomatic relations, including recently stopping humanitarian aid.

A life-threatening freeze is gripping large swaths of the United States after a monster storm caused at least 38 deaths from the Deep South to the Northeast, knocked out power to hundreds of thousands and sent air travel into chaos.Another Arctic blast expected this weekend could deliver fresh misery for more than 100 million Americans, with record low temperatures and another major storm threatening — even as municipalities are digging out from deep piles of snow and ice.Here’s what to know.- Dozens dead -The storm was linked to more than three dozen deaths, according to a compilation of state government and local media reports, with causes including hypothermia as well as accidents related to traffic, sledding, all-terrain vehicles and snowplows.Three Texas siblings age six to nine died Monday after falling through ice on a pond north of Dallas, authorities said.The storm toll is expected to climb after New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani said Tuesday at least 10 New Yorkers who died had been found outdoors in extreme cold, though whether all the deaths were from hypothermia has yet to be determined.In Bangor, Maine, seven people were killed when a small plane crashed while attempting to take off during a snowstorm, the Federal Aviation Administration said.Tennessee, Texas, Mississippi and Louisiana were badly impacted by power outages, with nearly half a million homes and businesses still without electricity as of Tuesday night, according to tracking site Poweroutage.com.Air travel was also severely disrupted. More than 24,500 US flights, a staggering number, were canceled between Saturday and Tuesday as the storm paralyzed transportation across the country, according to website FlightAware.- Heavy snowfall – The heaviest snowfall of 31 inches (79 centimeters) occurred in Bonito Falls, New Mexico on the western edge of the colossal storm — followed by East Napanoch in upstate New York, where 30 inches fell, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). In Boston, residents were digging out Tuesday after the Massachusetts metropolis got walloped by more than 23 inches of snow.Many of the hardest-hit areas were in the South, where authorities are less accustomed — and often less equipped — to deal with severe winter weather.In the Gulf Coast state of Mississippi, for example, several towns were covered in thick and treacherous ice which downed power lines and trees, and made roads impassable.- More to come -The NWS warns that much of the northern half of the country will remain continuously below freezing through February 1, with another blast of Arctic air expected to bring “the coldest temperature seen in several years for some places and the longest duration of cold in decades.”It said regions as far south as Florida should prepare for “hard freezes.”At the same time, a potentially significant winter storm could spill out of Canada along the East Coast, spreading widespread precipitation as a low-pressure system collides with frigid air. Forecasters say it is still too early to determine the storm’s exact track, or whether it will fall as rain or snow.- Climate change -It may sound counterintuitive, but a growing body of research suggests climate change could be playing a role in disruptions to the polar vortex — a vast region of cold, low-pressure air that normally circulates high above the Arctic.Scientists advancing this theory argue that uneven Arctic warming across Europe and Asia can amplify large atmospheric waves, making it more likely for the polar vortex to wobble and spill south over North America.The science, however, remains contested, and researchers caution that natural climate variability also plays a role.