Your Guide to 2026: The Stories We’re Watching In The New Year
Plus: Iran protests escalates, deadly ski chalet fire in Switzerland, and FBI foils New Year's terror plot
We’re one day into 2026 and looking ahead to the stories we expect to shape this year — plus, the curveballs we know are coming.
Want to take a walk down memory lane? Here’s what we thought 2025 would look like!
🇺🇸 POLITICS PREDICTIONS
One of the biggest political questions of 2026 in the U.S. is whether Democrats can flip the House and/or Senate during the November midterm elections.
Congress: In 2025, Congress saw a dramatic redistricting showdown, including Texas Democrats fleeing the state to delay a vote that ultimately added five GOP seats ahead of the midterms.
Even so, with Trump not on the ballot and margins already tight, Democrats have a fighting chance to retake the House—especially with California redrawing their map to add five Democratic seats. The Senate will be much easier for Republicans to hold. If Democrats can win back the House, look for many investigations and possible impeachment plans in 2027.
Presidential politics: After the November midterms, we could see some Democratic presidential hopefuls tossing their name into the race… buckle up.
The White House: Trump’s first 100 days back in office embodied the mantra “move fast and break things.” This year, the Supreme Court will weigh in on several of those policies — including his tariff authority, immigration enforcement agenda, plan to end birthright citizenship, and whether he can fire the heads of independent agencies.
Central to Trump’s agenda has been his cabinet, which remained strikingly stable throughout 2025. (Elon Musk was not in the cabinet, but did break ranks in June after leaving DOGE and publicly criticizing the cost of Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill.”) There were no major cabinet departures, despite controversies ranging from Signalgate, Epstein file fallout, and the firing of the CDC director.
One question now, does that loyalty hold in 2026? Our prediction: if Trump poll numbers continue to drop, we could see some heads roll.
Another big question for Trump: Can he boost Americans’ confidence in the economy?
Mamdani moves: Zohran Mamdani is now the mayor of New York City after his meteoric rise and historic win. Just a year ago, he was polling at 1%. He has doubled down on his democratic socialist identity and already begun revoking executive orders issued by his predecessor, Eric Adams. We’ll be watching whether he can actually implement his affordability agenda — and if he can get Gov. Kathy Hochul and state Democrats on board with higher taxes to fund costly social programs.
We’re skeptical the White House “bromance” between him and Trump will last very long.
America’s 250th birthday! There will be plenty of celebrations this year to commemorate the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.
A “Great American State Fair” will run on the National Mall from June 25 to July 10. July 4 will include a military flyover, a Trump address, and fireworks in D.C. Also, look out for a Times Square ball drop (yes, another one) on the night of July 3.
The athletics: There will also be the inaugural “Patriot Games,” a multi-day competition for top high school athletes from every state, and a UFC event on the White House lawn on Flag Day (also Trump’s birthday).
🌎 AROUND THE WORLD
Russia & Ukraine: February will mark four years since Russia’s invasion. Trump is pushing hard for a deal, but progress appears limited despite multiple conversations with both country’s leaders in recent weeks. The question: will that pressure produce an agreement in 2026, or do the parties remain too far apart on territorial cessations, security guarantees, and more?
Middle East: The October ceasefire in Gaza has effectively held, but the region remains volatile and violence continues on both sides. We will be watching to see if the ceasefire enters its more challenging second phase, and what rebuilding Gaza could look like.
With elections in Israel slated for this year, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s political future could be in jeopardy. Will he choose to strike a weakened Iran again as there is evidence the regime is rebuilding its missile program?
Speaking of Iran, will the growing protests this week across the country succeed in leading to reforms or even regime change?
Venezuela: The Trump administration’s strikes on alleged narco-terrorists in 2025 led to the largest U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean in decades. We’ll be watching whether 2026 brings a negotiated exit for President Nicolás Maduro — or something more destabilizing.
📺 BUSINESS & MEDIA
The biggest media chess match is for ownership of Warner Bros Discovery. Will the company end up acquired by Netflix, or does Paramount Skydance (under David Ellison) pull off the underdog hostile takeover? What role does the Trump White House play in the final decision?
Global stock markets hit record highs in 2025. In the U.S., the S&P 500 finished the year up 16%, the tech-heavy Nasdaq climbed 19%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 13%. The rally was fueled in part by Nvidia becoming the first company to reach a $5 trillion market valuation amid a focus on AI.
The big question for 2026: Does the AI boom last, or is it more of a bubble?
We’re also watching whether 2026 produces the world’s first trillionaire. Elon Musk, already worth about $726 billion, is closer than anyone has ever been.
Prediction betting platform Kalshi puts the odds of that happening at 65%. We also expect prediction markets to grow in 2026 — letting people bet on politics, sports, and more.
📲 TECH-TONIC SHIFTS
If 2024 and 2025 were peak “AI is amazing,” 2026 may be the year we see backlash go mainstream. We did a deep-dive newsletter on the state of AI last month.
What to watch: State vs. federal regulation, job displacement accelerating, more AI-driven cyber attacks, and energy/power grid strain. The public conversation could shift from “wow” to “wait.”
Tech and Kids: Australia became the first nation to ban social media for children under 16 in 2025. Will more countries follow? France is planning to follow suit in September.
🔬 SCIENCE FORECASTS
NASA’s Artemis II mission will send astronauts around the Moon on a 10-day mission. It is viewed as the first step to returning humans to the lunar surface in the coming years. The trip will mark the first human orbit of the Moon since Apollo 8 in December 1968, and the mission could launch as soon as February. China is also moving aggressively in space exploration. Is a new space race upon us?
📺 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Winter Olympics: Italy will host the games from Feb. 6 to 22. Mariah Carey will perform at the opening ceremony.
To watch: Team USA stars like cross-country skier Jessie Diggins, paralympic snowboarder Noah Elliot, freestyle skier Alex Hall, and snowboarder Chloe Kim — all gold medalists — will be returning. We will also be watching 41-year-old skier Lindsey Vonn’s return.
World Cup: The most-watched global sports event will be co-hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico this summer. The expanded 48-team tournament will culminate with the final at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, set for July 19.
The opening game kicks off June 11 at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.
Movies: A major nostalgia wave is coming, with The Devil Wears Prada 2, Toy Story 5, Scream 7, Minions 3, and Moana (live action). Also on the slate: The Social Reckoning, Aaron Sorkin’s follow-up to The Social Network, with Jeremy Strong playing Mark Zuckerberg.
Romance watch: We called the Swift–Kelce engagement last year — now all eyes are on the wedding.
Want to support Mo News in 2026? We have a special offer now! You can find all of our coverage over the holidays and weekend – plus context and analysis – over on Mo News Premium. Join now and get 15% off our annual memberships with code “2026.”
⏳ THE SPEED READ
🚨NATION
FBI thwarts ‘potential terrorist attack’ planned for New Year’s Eve in North Carolina (NBC)
Trump says if Iran “kills peaceful protesters,” the U.S. will “come to their rescue” (MO NEWS)
US cuts proposed tariffs on Italian pasta exporters (THE HILL)
A search is underway for whoever killed a dentist and his wife while they were home with 2 children (CNN)
🌎 AROUND THE WORLD
Champagne sparklers likely caused tragic New Year’s fire at Swiss resort bar (MO NEWS)
Maduro “ready” to talk with U.S. on drug trafficking, won’t comment on dock strike (AXIOS)
Earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.5 rattles southern and central Mexico (AP)
Kim Jong Un appears with daughter at mausoleum, fueling speculation over succession (FOX)
📱BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH
Tesla loses its EV crown to Chinese BYD as sales keep dropping (WIRED)
Saks Global announces new CEO as it reportedly prepares for bankruptcy (CNBC)
Grok chatbot allowed users to create digitally altered photos of minors in “minimal clothing” (CBS)
More than 2,000 measles cases reported in the US in 2025 as ongoing outbreaks threaten elimination status (CNN)
🎬 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Netflix’s ‘Stranger Things’ series finale earns more than $25 million in movie theaters (VARIETY)
George Clooney pushes back after Trump attacks him over French citizenship (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER)
South Park writer buys ‘Trump Kennedy Center’ domain name (GUARDIAN)
Venus Williams, 45, set to make Australian Open history after receiving wild-card entry (CNN)