2024 News Preview: What We Are Watching
From wars to politics to technology, the news stories we'll be tracking next year
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On Yalda night, the Iranian winter solstice tradition, observers gather and read classic poetry aloud to greet the returning sun. Via: NPR
Good morning,
For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere (about 90% of humans), Thursday was the shortest day (& longest night) of the year!
🤓 The December 21 winter solstice marks the day when the sun is directly over the Tropic of Capricorn, its most southerly position of the year.
Notably, below the equator, residents of the Southern Hemisphere had their longest day of the year.
🎶 As we get set to welcome a new year, here comes the sun!
Mosheh, Jill, & Lauren
Programming Note: This is our last edition of 2023. We will be back with daily coverage on January 2. Have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
🗞 2024 LOOK AHEAD: WHAT WE’RE WATCHING IN THE NEWS NEXT YEAR
As 2023 draws to a close— with all its highs and lows— we wanted to look ahead at what will likely be making headlines next year. (At least, the things we can try to predict.)
Here are some of (what we think) will be the biggest stories to watch in 2024. Minus all those curve balls likely heading our way as well.
🇺🇸 POLITICS
The GOP Presidential Primary: Will Republicans make Donald Trump their nominee for the third straight presidential election? Iowa and New Hampshire voters will give us an early indication on January 15 and 23. But Super Tuesday, on March 5, is the day we are really watching. That is when 1/3 of all GOP delegates will be awarded in more than a dozen states. If Trump dominates, he will likely coast to the nomination. America will then face the repeat it is dreading: Biden v. Trump II.
We also have our eye on third party candidates like RFK Jr. in 2024 and the impact they might have in November.
Trump Trials: He faces a total of 91 charges across four criminal cases. Trump’s first federal trial is scheduled to start March 4 — the day before Super Tuesday — over 2020 election interference, but it could be pushed back.
His trial over alleged hush money payments to Stormy Daniels is scheduled for March 25.
We are also awaiting dates for his Georgia election interference and his Mar-A-Lago classified records trials.
So far, his legal troubles and criminal charges have only helped him with Republican primary voters. The jury’s out (pun intended) on independent voters.
The Democrats & Joe Biden: As of now, President Biden has no serious competitor for the Democratic nomination. But as Reuters points out: The Democratic Party has no Plan B if President Biden decided for any reason to halt his 2024 re-election campaign, and a sudden need to replace him as its standard-bearer would spark a messy intra-party battle.
Immigration: The border crisis is quickly becoming a top issue among voters. 2023 was a record-breaking year for border crossings. US cities expect to continue to struggle to accommodate the surge.
Supreme Court: We can expect to hear some of the highest court’s biggest decisions in June. What are we watching? Several cases related to Trump, Abortion pill access, domestic abusers gun restrictions, Purdue Pharma bankruptcy settlement.
Via: The Guardian
AROUND THE WORLD
Israel-Hamas War: It’s been two and half months since Hamas attacked Israel, triggering an all-out war. More than 1,200 Israelis were killed in the initial Oct 7 massacre. Gaza’s Health Ministry, controlled by Hamas, says about 20,000 people have been killed and over 90% of the population displaced in the subsequent war.
Israel says it could take them several more months to achieve their objective of destroying Hamas. Talks for a temporary truce in order to get more of the remaining 130 hostages out of Gaza continue, even as fighting intensifies.
Who governs post-war Gaza and manages the rebuilding operation is still being debated. Then there is a question of how to restart a longer-term Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
Russia-Ukraine War: February 24th will mark two years since Russia invaded Ukraine. After Ukraine’s somewhat disappointing 2023 counteroffensive and waning support from the US/West, Putin feels empowered. He is also set to be reconfirmed as Russia’s leader in an “election” this spring. Over in Ukraine, Zelensky is facing some internal pressure about alleged corruption after canceling the country’s presidential election.
What will force both sides to the negotiating table to figure out an end to this war, and is Ukraine willing to concede any territory to Russia given Putin shows no signs of letting up?
Threat to Taiwan: China is eyeing the island. Chinese President Xi Jinping told Biden that Beijing will “reunify” Taiwan with mainland China and that China’s preference is to take Taiwan peacefully, not by force. That said, Democratically-ruled Taiwan, which has its own election this year, has little interest in becoming a part of communist China.
Climate: 2023 was the hottest year ever; 2024 isn’t looking better. Britain’s Meteorological Office warned that next year’s average global temperature could breach a key planetary warming benchmark: 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels.
In the second half of 2024, the International Court of Justice in the Hague could give an opinion on nations’ legal obligations to combat climate change, but the ruling will not be legally binding.
And negotiations for the UN plastics treaty, which seeks to establish a binding international agreement to eliminate plastic pollution, will wrap up next year.
TECH
X (Twitter): Will Elon Musk sell X in 2024? Big advertisers left over concerns over antisemitism on the site and Musk’s own comments, putting X in a bad financial position. The banks that partially helped fund Musk’s $44 billion acquisition may want their money back.
AI: 2023 was a big year for AI, and it doesn’t look like the momentum is going to slow down. Bill Gates says, “AI is about to supercharge the innovation pipeline” in 2024. But, there are also a growing number of lawsuits that AI companies will need to deal with this coming year.
Tech and Kids: 2023 saw major backlash against big tech and social media when it comes to the impact it is having on kids. Major tech CEOs are set to testify before Congress in late January. That all comes as schools across the country are starting to increasingly ban smartphones in the classroom.
There is also all the TikTok ban talk, and questions about the Chinese government’s ability to control the platform to influence younger Americans. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said he thinks TikTok should be “ended one way or another.” Mo News recently asked him why he thinks TikTok is such a threat.
The total solar eclipse path across North America. Via: NASA
SCIENCE
Get those glasses out: April 8 will be the last solar eclipse in the US for more than 20 years.
NASA: Four astronauts will journey around the moon during a 10-day mission in late 2024. It will be the first crewed mission there in 52 years.
Malaria Breakthrough: A second malaria vaccine is expected to be rolled out next year. And the World Mosquito Program will start producing disease-fighting mosquitoes at a factory in Brazil.
ENTERTAINMENT
Movies: 2023 saw two billion-dollar box-office films: "Barbie" earned $1.4 billion, and "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" earned $1.36 billion. Following 2023’s actors and writers strikes, 2024 isn’t expected to be as big.
But some fun films are on the docket: Inside Out 2, Mean Girls (remake), and Dune Part Two.
Paris Olympics – Kicking off July 26….hopefully, sans bedbugs: It will be the first games back in full force since the pandemic hampered the Tokyo 2021 games and Beijing 2022 games. We’re watching these U.S. athletes: Simone Biles, the most decorated gymnast in US history, is vying for Paris. Katie Grimes was the youngest member of Team USA at the 2021 Tokyo Games at age 15. Still just 17, she is expected to swim again for Team USA.
⏳ SPEED READ
🚨NATION
📌 Rudy Giuliani files for bankruptcy after jury orders him to pay $148 million in defamation case (USA TODAY)
📌 Texas governor charters first migrant flight to Chicago (AXIOS)
📌 Federal judge blocks California law that would have banned carrying firearms in most public places (AP)
📌 Ohio teen accused of plotting mass shooting at Ohio synagogue assigned a book report by judge (NBC NEWS)
📌 FBI sees surge of 1,800-plus threats related to Israel-Hamas war, top DOJ official says (ABC NEWS)
🌎 AROUND THE WORLD
📌 Gunman kills 14 in unprecedented attack at Prague university (REUTERS)
📌 UN says more than 1 in 4 people in Gaza are starving because of war (AP)
📌 Ikea warns of product delays due to Houthi rebel attacks on ships in Red Sea (FOX BUSINESS)
📌 Stranded traveler rescued from site near Iceland's erupting volcano after using flashlight to signal SOS (CBS NEWS)
📱BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH
📌 Scientists find new way to desalinate seawater using solar power, study says (ABC NEWS)
📌 Colon cancer is rising in young Americans. It’s not clear why. (WASHINGTON POST)
📌 Honda recalling about 4.5 million vehicles worldwide over fuel pump issue (REUTERS)
📌 Rite Aid wrongfully used facial recognition to accuse customers of shoplifting, FTC says (NBC NEWS)
🎬 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT
📌 Jo Koy named host of the 81st Golden Globes (ABC NEWS)
📌 Vin Diesel accused of sexual battery in lawsuit brought by former assistant (CNN)
📌 Merry Christmas, Barbie! Ryan Gosling drops holiday version of ‘I’m Just Ken’ & music video (BILLBOARD)
📌 Big Ten Signing Day: Ohio State class ranked best in conference. Penn State, Michigan next in line (AP)
🎉 CHEERS TO THE FREAKIN WKND
WHAT WE’RE WATCHING: Mosheh: College football playoffs; NFL final weekends; Oppenheimer; May December; Jill: Almost Famous
WHAT WE’RE READING: Mosheh: Dating in Your 70s Has Never Been This Much Fun~ WSJ; Jill: (Is Listening to a podcast) You and Me Both with Hillary Clinton, interviewing her husband Bill Clinton
WHAT WE’RE EATING: Mosheh: Joe’s Stone Crab in Miami; Jill: Challah French toast