MONDAY
The Senate returns from its holiday recess to face a mountain of problems, including the crisis at the US-Mexico border, providing aid to Israel and Ukraine, and heading off a partial government shutdown.
A lawsuit filed by New York Attorney General Letitia James in 2020 to dissolve the National Rifle Association of America, claiming the organization violated laws for nonprofit groups, took millions for personal use and committed tax fraud, is set to go to trial. On Friday, Wayne LaPierre, executive vice president of the NRA, said he is stepping down from his position effective January 31. LaPierre cited health reasons. In the civil lawsuit, James alleges the current and former NRA leadership “instituted a culture of self-dealing mismanagement” benefiting themselves, family, friends and favored vendors.
Pittsburgh-based space company Astrobotic is hoping for a successful launch of its Peregrine lunar lander, which aims to be the first commercial spacecraft to land on the surface of the moon in late February. Various scientific payloads will be on board Peregrine, including a radiation monitor that will inspect how dangerous the lunar surface can be for astronaut health.
TUESDAY
CES, the consumer electronics industry’s largest annual gathering in the US, returns to Las Vegas. The four-day event will be heavily focused on integrating artificial intelligence into just about any product you can imagine.
WEDNESDAY
House Republicans will begin taking steps to impeach Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas over his handling of the crisis at the southern border. The announcement of the impeachment proceedings comes as immigration is shaping up to be a top issue in the 2024 presidential election, with Republicans slamming President Joe Biden’s border policies.
Later in the day, CNN will host a Republican presidential primary debate in Iowa. Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis have said they will participate in the debate, which will take place at 9 p.m. ET at Drake University in Des Moines. Former President Donald Trump, who holds a commanding lead over the rest of the field and has skipped the first four 2024 GOP primary debates, will not be there.
THURSDAY
Hunter Biden will make his initial court appearance on federal tax charges in Los Angeles. He is facing nine counts, including failure to file and pay taxes; evasion of assessment; and false or fraudulent tax return. This is the second criminal case that special counsel David Weiss has brought against President Biden’s son.
SATURDAY
Voters in Taiwan head to the polls in a crucial presidential and legislative election as China continues to ratchet up pressure on the island under the leadership of Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, who is widely seen as cultivating an unofficial relationship with the US. Tsai’s successor candidate for the Democratic Progressive Party, Vice President Lai Ching-te, is leading in the polls and is openly loathed by Chinese officials. Lai is ahead of two other candidates who are seen as favoring closer relations with Beijing. China’s Communist Party claims Taiwan as its own territory, despite never having controlled it, and Chinese officials say they aim for peaceful “reunification” but have not ruled out using force to take control of the island.
