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
Democrats descend on Chicago next week for a very different Democratic National Convention than planned – instead of crowning Joe Biden as their candidate after months of primary voting, delegates will instead watch Kamala Harris accept the party’s nomination alongside her vice presidential nominee Tim Walz.
The convention kicks off at the United Center on Monday (August 19), and though the official speaker list has been kept under wraps so far, Biden is expected to speak on the opening day alongside Hillary Clinton and New York Governor Kathy Hochul. Monday will also see the first of two major protests planned during the convention, as thousands of pro-Palestine activists march through the city calling on the Democrats to end US aid to Israel.
The march has been the subject of a court battle in the lead-up to the DNC, with organizers arguing it should be allowed to move closer to the United Center and a judge ruling in favor of the City of Chicago’s route, which will include rally points at Union Park and Park 578 but no permit to set up stages or a speaker system. A second march is planned for Thursday (August 22) as the convention wraps up.
On Tuesday (August 20), when the likes of Barack Obama, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and Senator Tammy Duckworth are expected to take the stage, Harris will travel up the I-94 to Milwaukee for a rally in the swing state, reportedly at the Fiserv Forum, where the Republicans held their own convention last month. Walz will then address the penultimate day of the convention on Wednesday (August 21), with former President Bill Clinton also expected to speak, before Harris formally accepts the nomination on Thursday (August 22). Politicians won’t be the only big names in town, with a slew of celebrities lined up for parties and side events – look out for the likes of John Legend, Octavia Spencer, Lil’ Jon, Jon Stewart, and stars from RuPaul’s Drag Race adding some star power to the convention.
Back on the campaign trail, Alaska, Florida and Wyoming hold primaries on Tuesday (August 20) for Senate and House seats up for grabs in November.
In Wyoming, popular incumbent Republican Senator John Barrasso, who is running for his fourth term, is expected to easily fend off his three GOP challengers to then face the sole Democratic candidate Scott Morrow in the fall, another contest Barrasso is likely to win.
Alaskans will vote in an open primary for their at-large district, with the top four candidates from across all parties advancing to a ranked-choice in the general election. Current polling indicates a close November race between Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola, who enjoys a fundraising advantage over all other candidates, and Republican businessman Nick Begich. Republican Lieutenant Governor Nancy Dahlstrom is also likely to qualify for the main poll.
The Senate primaries in the Sunshine State are all but certain to result in a November contest between Republican incumbent Rick Scott and former Democratic Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, who President Joe Biden endorsed as ‘our next US Senator’. But current polling indicates Scott holds a marginal lead over Mucarsel-Powell, who is already utilizing her name recognition and considerable funding to prime her general election campaign.
Republicans are feeling confident they can flip the 9th Congressional District, currently held by sole Democrat candidate Darren Soto. The GOP candidates to face Soto are Jose Castillo, who has unsuccessfully run for this seat twice before, US Army veteran Thomas Chalifoux, and former state representative John Quinones. In the 23rd Congressional District, another seat Republicans consider winnable, incumbent Democrat Jared Moskowitz runs unopposed, while a crowded field of six Republicans vie for their party’s nomination. Conversely, in the 13th Congressional District, Democrats see a golden opportunity to oust incumbent Republican Anna Paulina Luna, who has progressed to the general election. The well-funded and popular Whitney Fox is leading the pack of five Democratic candidates.
Looking Abroad
Following a flurry of diplomatic activity this week aimed at negotiating a ceasefire and hostage-return agreement as well as halting any Iranian retaliation for the assassination of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, next week will look to see whether any of those efforts have borne fruit. There are suggestions Iran will hold off on attacking Israel until it sees the results of negotiations that are ongoing in Doha, so the outcome of today’s talks will help set the news agenda for next week. Just as this newsletter was going to pixel, negotiators announced a new US ‘bridging proposal’ was on the table to cover gaps in previous agreements, with senior officials due to reconvene in Cairo ‘before the end of next week’ to try to finalize a deal.
While the world waits on those developments, there are a few concrete dates to look ahead to. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who postponed a planned trip this week amid ‘uncertainty about the situation’, will reportedly arrive in Israel on Sunday and meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday (August 19) as the US looks to help get a deal over the line. Blinken may also make stops in Doha and Cairo as part of the trip. The UN Security Council is due to discuss Lebanon on Monday and the Middle East on Thursday (August 22), while Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah traditionally uses the Shia commemoration of Arba’in on Sunday (August 25) to deliver a speech on the importance of resistance.
In Ukraine, all eyes are on the fallout from Kyiv’s surprise incursion into Russia, which continued yesterday with the reported capture of the town of Sudzha. Friday (August 23) happens to be the 81st anniversary of the end of the Battle of Kursk, which Russian President Vladimir Putin marked last year in the village of Ponyri – a stark contrast he won’t welcome.
As both sides look to gain momentum on the ground, the week is full of symbolic opportunities: Russia celebrates Flag Day on Thursday (August 22), which in recent years has included ceremonies in the annexed Crimean cities of Sevastopol and Simferopol, while Ukraine marks its Flag Day on Friday, followed by Independence Day celebrations on Saturday (August 24) featuring an address from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. And while nothing has been confirmed officially, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is widely expected to pay his first visit to Ukraine on Friday, following a visit to Moscow last month which Zelenskyy called a ‘huge disappointment and devastating blow to peace efforts.’