All this past year we've seen increased violence, and political polarization in the U. S. as well as rising authoritarianism throughout the civilized world. Not to mention ever more climate and geological catastrophes. So what does 2023 portend? My forecasts under five main headers below:
Political:
The buzz on Jake Tapper's CNN morning show today was whether the new GOP House could "keep it together" and get any policy work completed. This as opposed to going off the rails with grievance-driven investigations, attempted impeachments, e.g. of Biden and the DHS deputy secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. So the answer is no, they won't back off from a planned grievance circus, and "providing material for FOX News".
New House Judiciary leader (and perpetual bomb-thrower) Jim Jordan will drive much of the GOP 'anger-tainment'- but will find his subpoena and oversight efforts blocked. This will be after being informed by the Biden Admin. he must commence oversight documentation requests anew and cannot use what the J6 committee has compiled.
Fortunately, a newly elected more moderate set of GOP House members will have something to say about the "revenge" antics. Thus, the GOP House will fracture into factions by March - with Kevin McCarthy losing his tenuous hold on the Speaker's seat. This after having caved to Marjorie Taylor-Greene, Jim Jordan and Matt Gaetz, and following months of unsuccessful hearings, investigations of Mayorkas, Joe Biden, Anthony Fauci and Hunter Biden.
Donald Trump will finally be indicted by Garland's DOJ but will still run for president on the GOP ticket - and will be endorsed, embraced by the GOP base.
Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will run again on the D-ticket to once again seek to take down the Trump threat.
George Santos will be forced to resign from the House in April after facing prosecuted for violating campaign financial laws by the Feds.
Economics:
The Federal Reserve under Jay Powell will reduce interest rate hikes by 25 basis points ( e.g. 0.25% ) by March. This will follow reports that inflation has gone down to 5.5.%
Housing prices will still continue to fall, despite lower interest rates because the mortgage rate annual avg. remains near 6%.
The GOP House will attempt to hold the debt ceiling hostage, but after warnings from economists that any default will precipitate a global market meltdown, they back off.
The stock market will rebound - with the DOW over 34,000 after Fed announces lower rate hikes.
Climate-Environment:
By late May the atmospheric concentration of CO2 will reach 429 ppm, the highest ever - recorded from Mauna Loa - and the strongest signal yet we are headed for a climate tipping point.
Speaking of which, by late April a new "atmospheric river" will manifest dumping records amount of rain on the South and midwest- in some case up to 7 inches per hour. (Similar to what struck the Pacific Northwest and northern California last month)
The Union of Concerned Scientists will again issue another climate alert on the approach of a tipping point, while repeating again that the climate statistics - especially in temperature rise globally - have been under-reported.
New, more serious melting of permafrost will be reported in Alaska and Siberia, releasing megatons more methane into the atmosphere.
Science & Technology:
A new, more serious COVID 19 mutation will emerge out of China by early February. This new variant will, alas, be found to be nearly impervious to Covid vaccines.
By October, an 'all-in -one' flu vaccine will be introduced, but FDA approval will have to wait another year.
A brand new dentifrice will be available by August, which kills the fungi that enable bacteria to spread on teeth - causing cavities. (As per a Scientific American report (January, p. 20) on the discovery of oral fungi that work in concert with bacteria to destroy tooth enamel.
A newly developed cell phone will be introduced next fall which ceases operation if use is attempted while driving.
A specially convened NASA conference this summer will announce that the UAP videoed by Nimitz pilots are not "trash, foreign craft or illusions" but actual unknown objects with "unusual dynamical properties."
Religion- Faith:
Pope Francis will embark on a new, bold path after Benedict's death, to loosen current restrictions of the misconceived and irrational policy on artificial contraception. For the first time, Francis will acknowledge its serious shortcomings and how it has been responsible for much of the world's destitution with too many people for far too few available resources.
Predictably, Francis will receive blowback from the conservative Ratzinger wing of the Church, but - like Pope Paul I before him - will know that what he's doing is right.
See Also:
by Heather Digby Parton | January 2, 2023 - 8:05am | permalink
And:
by Joan McCarter | January 2, 2023 - 7:41am | permalink
Now that The New York Times has decided to pay attention to the many bizarre stories of fabulist Rep.-elect George Santos, they’re really digging in. It would have been helpful if they’d been paying attention before the election, while local New York papers like the North Shore Leader were raising the alarm about Santos’ finances. That paper concluded he was too “bizarre, unprincipled and sketchy” to hold office.
And:
Prof. Albert Bartlett Skewers The Trope That "The Total Global Population Is A Meaningless Number"
And:
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