Every year, we ask our staff and our advisers to give us New Year’s predictions. Here are the ones from the people who give us both news and advice at Talk Media News:
Diane Gooch, our partner and friend who ran for Congress as a Republican:
- The will be a terrorist attack on U.S. soil, and Donald Trump will go after ISIS with a vengeance.
- There will be a new mayor for New York City. Bill de Blasio will be out.
- New York City real estate will continue to decline.
Timothy Maier, CEO of Talk Media News:
- President Donald Trump will flip-flop on global warming, upsetting the leadership in the Republican Party and confounding Democrats. It will be latest sign that Trump is leaning more toward the left than the right.
- President Donald Trump will send more troops into Syria to battle ISIS as the war continues with no end in sight.
- President Donald Trump will turn over his Twitter feed to his staff after being pressured by his family to stop the tweets.
- Bernie Sanders will start to signal he will be running for president in 2020.
One political-issues research agency that we trust is advising clients that the following will happen:
- Rampant “local” advocacy – as activist groups lose direct access to the federal government with a Republican lock in the House, Senate and White House, they will turn their campaign foci to state, county and other local initiatives, lobbying, ballot measures, etc.
- Litigation – anticipate a significant rise in lawsuits aimed to slow anticipated deregulation efforts targeting both federal agencies and large corporations.
- Anti-U.S. (and essentially anti-capitalism) undertakings and resolutions by international organizations as NGOs and foreign governments collaborate in reaction to issues ranging from climate to intellectual property rights via U.N. and related treaty organizations.
- An increase in junk and citizen science claims akin to “fake news” will proliferate via publishing in predatory and pay-to-play “journals” and via citizen testing for contaminants in their bodies, local waterways and other local exposure points.
- As an extension of the growth in junk science, anticipate growing attacks on and mistrust in “science” – scientists and academics will suffer as a results of attacks from both ends of the political spectrum.
- Expect rise in “direct action” physical attacks by political and issues advocacy groups on symbolic targets (i.e., destruction of GMO field trials and corporate-funded research facilities from groups like Greenpeace).
- Diminished or more costly business relationships with foreign governments that may extend reactions to Trump administration perceived trade, military and other relationship challenges to retaliation against U.S. commercial interests including IP protections, technology product local use approvals, other regulatory challenges, etc.
Loree Lewis, our Pentagon correspondent:
- Political decisiveness will continue to grow globally, with the potential for further civil wars to sprout up in the Middle East and Eastern Europe – possibly in Turkey, Iran and the Balkans.
- As the Islamic State group’s self-styled caliphate continues to shrink, it will continue to direct and inspire high-profile attacks. This will further boost Islamophobia.
Justin Duckham, our deputy bureau chief:
- The trend of unexpected deaths from beloved cultural icons will continue, prompting some lawmakers to take advantage of the public’s mourning and push additional issues related to seniors’ issues and research into disease. This will surprisingly be taken seriously for the first time in years as the American public scrambles to slow the previous’ generation’s decay.
- President Barack Obama’s attempt to have a hands-on role in crafting policy after his presidency will split public opinion. Those on the left will say he’s redefining the presidency and public service while those on the right will accuse him of squandering his legacy by continuing to play politics. It will lead to a year-long public discussion over what precedent he is setting.
- Trump’s attempts to institute a Muslim ban will land before the Supreme Court, where it will ultimately be struck down. Trump will make a lot of noise, but Republican lawmakers will privately breathe a sigh of relief that they got to give red meat to their base without any real consequences.
Victoria Jones, our White House correspondent:
- Well-known tweetster Donald Trump will take up his thumbs, type something, hit: “Tweet,” and stuff of an unspecified nature will hit fans – somewhere. Maybe a thin-skinned leader of a foreign country will feel slighted (mirror, anyone?) and there will be an “incident.” Maybe the stock market will shoot up – or slide down. Maybe people, or an individual, will take something he says at face value and act on it – with unforeseen results. Who knows what? But something will happen in 2017 as a result of Donald Trump’s tweeting.
Media wishing to interview Ellen Ratner, please contact [email protected].
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