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Advance US News Diary

January 16-22: Biden hopes for drama-free week, Davos, and Germany meeting on Ukraine

World Economic Forum sign
January 13, 2023
  • Slice 1

A look ahead at the key events leading the news agenda next week, from the team at Foresight News. Delivered to your inbox on Fridays.

Leading the week 

President Joe Biden will be hoping for a low-drama week when he gets back to DC from a Sunday (January 15) visit to Georgia to speak at a MLK service in Atlanta, following the discovery of classified documents in unauthorized locations from Biden’s time as Vice President and the subsequent appointment of Robert Hur as a special counsel to oversee an investigation into the matter. On Tuesday (January 17), Biden holds what should be controversy-free talks at the White House with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and hosts members of the Golden State Warriors, including Steph Curry, to celebrate their 2022 championship. On Friday (January 20), he’s due to host a group of US mayors in town for their annual winter meeting, and will be hoping to keep talks focused on his administration’s agenda even as Republicans work to keep the story running. 

Avril Haines
Photo: Office of the Director of National Intelligence

The World Economic Forum, better known as Davos, gets underway on Tuesday (January 17) in Switzerland with a number of Biden Administration officials and US politicians due to take part. A discussion with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg featuring Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines on Wednesday (January 18) is likely to generate headlines, as will FBI Director Chris Wray when he speaks on Thursday (January 19). Also looking interesting is a session on the ‘reshaped legislative landscape in the United States’ on Tuesday with a panel that includes Senators Kyrsten Sinema and Joe Manchin as well as Governors Brian Kemp and JB Pritzker. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer is also in town, with the rising Democratic star speaking at one event on Tuesday and then two others on Thursday. 

Although a couple of ‘Special Address’ slots remain to be filled, there are plenty of heavyweight international leaders already confirmed to speak this year: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is up on Tuesday, as is Belarusian opposition figure Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who may attract some extra attention as her treason trial gets underway in Minsk on the same day. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres speak on Wednesday (January 18), and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol delivers remarks on Thursday (January 19). Other speakers include Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin, Filippino President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, and UK opposition leader Keir Starmer. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, back from DC, will also be at Davos and speaks at a couple of events on Thursday.


Looking abroad 

Following a flurry of announcements regarding new assistance to Ukraine and a controversy over the re-export of German-made weapons, members of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group will gather at Ramstein Air Base in Germany on Friday (January 20) for their latest round of discussions on aiding Kyiv following Russia’s invasion last February. The meeting is once again chaired by US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Mark Milley, and discussions are likely to include preparations for the spring, when both sides in the conflict are said to be planning major offensives.

German Leopard tanks driving along a dirt road

NATO chiefs, meanwhile, are set to meet in Brussels on Wednesday and Thursday (January 18-19). In Russia, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov holds his annual press conference on Wednesday, a day before Russians celebrate Orthodox Epiphany, which has historically seen President Vladimir Putin participate in the tradition of swimming in freezing waters; failure to do so this year may fuel further speculation regarding his health. 

Also look out for...

January 16

MLK Day 

Emmanuel Macron hosts talks with Ursula von der Leyen 

Australian Open begins 

January 17

SCOTUS hearing in Halkbank case over Iran sanctions evasion charges 

Elon Musk securities fraud trial due to begin 

Josh Shapiro sworn in as Pennsylvania Governor 

Sergey Lavrov hosts Iranian counterpart for talks 

January 18

Wes Moore sworn in as Maryland Governor 

UN Security Council holds open debate on the Middle East 

January 19

Latest deadline for Northern Irish leaders to form Executive 

January 20

Roe v Wade March For Life and rally 

Messi and Ronaldo play in PSG v Saudi ‘all-star’ fixture 

January 21

NFL Playoffs: Divisional Round 

Constitutional referendum in Slovakia 

January 22

50th anniversary of Roe v Wade ruling

Statistics, reports and results

January 17

Results from: Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs 

January 18

Retail sales figures 

Producer inflation data 

Industrial production data 

EU and UK inflation data  

Japan interest rate decision 

Results from: United Airlines 

January 19

New Residential Construction  

Turkey interest rate decision 

Results from: Netflix 

January 20

Existing Home Sales 

UK retail sales figures 

Anniversaries and Awareness Days

January 17

Winnie the Pooh Day 

January 19

Two years ago: Joe Biden sworn in as President 

Six years ago: Donald Trump sworn in as President 

15 years ago: Breaking Bad aired for first time  

January 20

Day of the Republic of Crimea

January 21

Three years ago: first US coronavirus case announced

January 22

Chinese New Year: Year of the Rabbit 

Franco-German Day 


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