5 Stories to Watch Next Week | January 16, 2021

5 Stories to Watch Next Week Biden to Be Inaugurated as President Joe Biden will be inaugurated as the 46th president of the United States on Wednesday as the nation tries to recover from violent unrest in the nation’s capital. Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will take charge of the executive branch with Democrats controlling both chambers of Congress. President Trump has said that he will not attend the inauguration next week. Watch next week to see if protests erupt during the inauguration. Also look to find out if Biden begins his term with a series of executive orders to set the tone for the rest of his administration. Senate Likely to Set Aside Trump Snap Impeachment Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) rejected calls to bring the Senate back into session in order to vote on convicting President Trump on the article of impeachment passed by the House. This decision likely means that President Trump will serve out the remaining days of his term. Earlier this week, the House impeached President Trump for a second time on the grounds that he incited violence against the US government on Jan. 6. Watch next week to find out if tensions between President Trump and congressional Republicans increase. Also look to see if President Trump seeks to allay those tensions in his final days in office. Major Energy Regulation Case to Be Argued Before Supreme Court The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in BP PLC v. Mayor and City Council of Baltimore on Tuesday in a case that may set a major precedent for climate litigation going forward. In July 2018, the mayor and city of Baltimore filed suit in Maryland state court against 26 oil and gas companies that Maryland says are partly responsible for climate change. The case sought monetary damages and civil penalties to be enforced against those companies. Watch next week to see if the court goes further than addressing procedural questions to ruling on the merits of the case. Also look to find out if the justices give an indication as to how they will eventually rule. Confirmation Hearings for Biden Nominees to Begin in the Senate Next week, the US Senate will begin hearings in various committees to consider Joe Biden’s Cabinet nominees. The Finance Committee will consider Janet Yellen for the post of secretary of the treasury. The Homeland Security Committee will consider Alejandro Mayorkas for secretary of Homeland Security. The Foreign Relations Committee will consider Antony Blinken for secretary of state. And the Armed Services Committee will consider Lloyd Austin for secretary of defense. Watch next week to see which senators express reservations about the nominees. Also look to find out if any of these nominees are able to garner bipartisan support for confirmation. China Mulls Barring UK Passport Holders from Office in Hong Kong Chinese government officials are considering banning Hong Kong residents who hold special UK passports from holding public office. Last year, the UK started a pathway to citizenship for more than 1 million Hong Kong residents who hold British National (Overseas) passports. Some Chinese officials are also considering barring these passport holders from voting in Hong Kong. Watch next week to find out if China enforces these restrictions to retaliate against the United Kingdom. Also look for political reaction from leaders across the world if Chinese officials proceed with this course of action. Newt's Latest Podcasts: On Sale Now: