January 13-19: Biden delivers final foreign policy speech and confirmation hearings for Trump cabinet nominees

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

Monday (January 13): Joe Biden delivers final foreign policy speech; Vikings take on Rams in final NFL Playoffs Wild Card fixture; SpaceX could attempt seventh Starship test flight.

Tuesday (January 14): Confirmation hearing for Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth; New York Governor Kathy Hochul delivers State of the State; Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment trial due to begin in South Korea.

Wednesday (January 15): Confirmation hearings for Secretary of State nominee Marco Rubio and Attorney General nominee Pam Bondi; Supreme Court hears arguments in Texas website user age verification law case.

Thursday (January 16): Confirmation hearing for Treasury Secretary nominee Scott Bessent; Trial begins over Rudy Giuliani damages owed to Georgia election workers; Paris memorial service for French far-right politician Jean-Marie Le Pen.

Friday (January 17): Russian President Vladimir Putin hosts Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian for talks in Moscow.

Saturday (January 18): NFL Playoffs Divisional Round (continues Sunday)

Sunday (January 19): Donald Trump holds inauguration eve rally; ByteDance deadline to divest TikTok or face US ban (barring Supreme Court intervention); Delayed Oscars nominations announcement.

Vladimir Putin — miss.cabul / Shutterstock

Also look out for

January 13

Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs delivers State of the State address

UN Security Council discusses the Middle East

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte appears at European Parliament committee session

Iran and E3 (France, Germany and UK) hold Geneva talks round

Four years ago: Trump impeached for the second time

January 14

Confirmation hearings for Interior Secretary nominee Doug Burgum and VA Secretary nominee Douglas Collins

Outgoing and incoming National Security Advisors Jake Sullivan and Mike Waltz take part in USIP discussion

Finland hosts Baltic Seas NATO Allies Summit

François Bayrou delivers policy address to the French National Assembly

Sergey Lavrov holds annual press conference

January 15

Confirmation hearings for Trump nominees for CIA Director John Ratcliffe, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, Energy Secretary Chris Wright, OMB Director Russell Vought, and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy

Janet Yellen appears on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

RNC Winter Meeting begins

NATO Chiefs of Defence and Partners meeting begins

January 16

Senate hearing on Remain in Mexico policy

Candidates to be next DNC Chair attend in-person forum in Detroit

UN Security Council discusses Ukraine

Vanuatu holds snap parliamentary elections

January 17

US Conference of Mayors Winter Meeting begins

EU High Representative Kaja Kallas hosts Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa

Layoffs take effect for over 2,000 Boeing workers in Washington

January 18

DC protest ahead of Trump inauguration

January 19

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz takes part in Frankfurt event ahead of Auschwitz liberation anniversary

Orthodox Epiphany in Russia

Key Statistics, reports and results

January 14

Producer Price Index

EIA Short-term energy outlook report

January 15

Consumer Price Index

UK inflation

Germany 2024 GDP

World Economic Forum (WEF) Global Risk Report 2025

Results from: Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo

January 16

Advance monthly retail sales

Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Report

Human Rights Watch World Report released

ILO World Employment and Social Outlook 2025

Results from: Bank of America, Morgan Stanley, UnitedHealth Group

January 17

CBO Budget and Economic Outlook

China GDP and economic data press conference