Hard Numbers: New York blizzard, foreign aid groups ditch the Taliban, stranded Rohingya, US consumers’ spending spree

A restaurant is covered in ice during a winter storm in Buffalo, New York.
A restaurant is covered in ice during a winter storm in Buffalo, New York.
Reuters

28: At least 28 people in western New York died over the holiday weekend after a deadly blizzard left thousands of homes without heat and many residents stranded on roads in apocalyptic conditions. A deadly arctic freeze continues to pummel parts of the US and Canada.

5: Days after the Taliban banned women from attending university and from working for non-government organizations, five international NGOs suspended operations in Afghanistan. What’s more, a UN official said that the organization could stop humanitarian aid deliveries to the country if the ban is not reversed.

58: Around 58 Rohingya refugees – stranded at sea for a month in a rickety boat – have drifted onto a beach in Aceh province, Indonesia, with several requiring medical care. This comes after the UN last week pleaded with states to rescue another vessel carrying 150 Rohingya migrants stranded off an Indian island in the Bay of Bengal.

8: This year’s holiday retail sales in the US could rise by as much as 8% from 2021 – when Americans set another spending record – according to the National Retail Federation. Despite efforts by the Fed to rein in inflation, higher borrowing costs have so far not had a big impact on consumer spending habits as wages remain high.

More from GZERO Media

Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., speaks during Day 3 of the 2024 Republican National Convention at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, WI, on July 17, 2024.

Anthony Behar/Sipa USA via Reuters

President Donald Trump’s credulity-straining Cabinet picks (Matt Gaetz and Tulsi Gabbard, for example) are getting all the attention, but anyone interested in the relationship between Canada and the United States will want to know that two of his lower-profile nominees are no fans of the Canadian prime minister.

Paige Fusco

Donald Trump has pledged to raise tariffs against China to 60% and to impose a blanket tariff of at least 10% on imports from every other country, friend or foe. So what does that mean for America's northern neighbor? Here’s a look at just how dependent Canada’s economy is on the US, and the key export categories.

Jess Frampton

When Donald Trump shocked the world by getting elected in 2016, Gerald Butts was the most important advisor to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and played a key role in the tumultuous but ultimately successful negotiation of the USMCA. Stephen Maher sat down with Butts to discuss the prospects for Canada under Trump 2.0

Elon Musk has been busy – speaking at Trump rallies, launching rockets into space, transforming Twitter/X into something unrecognizable, and being named to help lead a new government department under President-elect Donald Trump.

Sculptures seen on the street before the 31st Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Economic Leaders' Meeting on Nov. 12, 2024 in Lima, Peru.
Sheng Jiapeng/China News Service/VCG via Reuters

With outgoing President Joe Biden meeting up with Chinese President Xi Jinping at APEC, GZERO reached out to Eurasia Group's Gabriela Vasquez Madueno for her take on what to watch at the event.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich at a news conference in Jerusalem, in January 2023.
REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun/Pool

Donald Trump’s election victory is already emboldening Israeli far-right ministers who want to annex settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Sen. John Thune (R-SD) speaks to the media after being chosen to serve as Senate majority leader at the United States Capitol.

Jack Gruber-USA TODAY via Reuters

Republicans won the House of Representatives late Wednesday, clinching a trifecta with both branches of Congress and the White House, and ensuring Donald Trump has a strong mandate to pursue his agenda. In the Senate, meanwhile, Republicans elected John Thune of South Dakota to serve as majority leader in the next Congress.

Susie Wiles has been named Trump’s White House chief of staff. A longtime Republican strategist and Florida political operative, Wiles will be the first woman to hold the position.

Luisa Vieira

Susie Wiles has been named Trump’s White House chief of staff. A longtime Republican strategist and Florida political operative, Wiles will be the first woman to hold the position.