UNGA, intergalactic freak show, and El Chapo

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A few events caught my attention between now and the end of the year and yes, the bunny picture is pure click bait. Sorry, not sorry.

September 18: United Nations — 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly, better known as UNGA. Midtown Manhattan will be gridlocked with black sedans bearing diplomatic license plates and tinted windows as world leaders from 193 countries descend upon NYC. The high-level meetings kick off between September 25th – 30th and unlike past years, Russian President Putin is expected to attend.

September 20: Washington, DC — The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to vote to advance the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court despite new allegations of sexual misconduct against the judge. Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) called the contentious hearings an “intergalactic freak show” while Sen. John Flake (R-AZ) wants to delay the confirmation process until the woman who made the allegations, Christine Blasey Ford, is heard.

September 21: Dallas, Texas — First of three debates between U.S. Senate candidates ex Texas: @TedCruz and @BetoORourke

September 24,: Norristown, Pennsylvania — The sentencing of Bill Cosby following his conviction three counts of aggravated indecent assault for drugging and sexually assaulting a Temple University employee at his home in January 2004. Cosby’s legal team has requested the judge recuse himself due to a political conflict of interest.

September 25: Washington, DC — The House of Representatives is back in session leaving only four (4) days to fund the U.S. government before possible shutdown. No pressure.

October 02: Stormy Daniels to release tell-all book “Full Disclosure” which is described as a memoir about her life and past relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump.

October 07: Brazil presidential elections.To date, 13 candidates, including the currently jailed former President ‘Lula’ and ‘Brazil’s Trump’ Bolsonaro are up for election. A second runoff between the top two candidates is scheduled for October 28.

October 17: Canada legalizes weed – second only to Uruguay

October 18: Brussels, Belgium — EU Summit. The UK and EU are expected to put the finishing touches on the terms of the Brexit “divorce” and like any celebrity couple, they’re expected to announce a “conscious uncoupling” in the form of a political declaration on their future relationship.

November 4: Brooklyn — Trial date for Mexican kingpin Joaquín Guzmán Loera a/k/a ‘El Chapo’ in U.S. Federal District Court. Given his propensity for escaping, the U.S. Marshalls and NYPD aren’t providing details as to how they’re going to transport the defendant between Manhattan and Brooklyn on a daily basis. And yes, it sounds like the plot for an action thriller starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

November 6: Midterm elections across hundreds of local, state and federal primaries in the U.S. Historically, midterm elections don’t get a lot of attention but between election security issues meddling and a possible shift in power within Congress, Get Out The Vote is the rallying cry for both Democrats and Republicans. For a macro/micro look at the elections, check out NYT’s guide.

November 17: Mercury in retrograde until December 6th. Yeah, this is a thing.

November 30: North America — Official end of the hurricane season.

November 30: Buenos Aires, Argentina — G20 Summit consisting of 19 countries and the EU. Trade and investment ministers are “stepping up the dialogue” as new Trump tariffs loom.

Background: November

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Between now and the end of the year, there’s a flurry of activity on Capitol Hill, the FIFA corruption trial kicks off in Brooklyn, Trump visits Asia, retailers brace for the holidays, and the award season is up-and-running. Updated October 21.

November 1: Twenty three (23) working days left in 2017 according to the House Majority Leader’s calendar and on the to-do list: healthcare, budgets, trade, and taxes. On the radar: whether or not the U.S. House of Representatives reauthorizes Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, a controversial provision that allows overseas electronic surveillance but ends at the end of the year.

Speaking of controversy, executives from Twitter, Facebook, and Google are scheduled to testify before the Senate and House Intelligence Committees and face questions as to how these platforms were used to spread fake news and influence last year’s election. Hashtag #awkward.

November 2: United Nations International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists. This year alone, 30 journalists have been murdered as per CPJ. The latest victim was Malta journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, 53, killed by a car bomb on October 16th. A critic of the current government, she published allegations linking the Prime Minister Joseph Muscat to the Panama Paper scandal.

November 3: U.S. President Trump heads off to Asia. On the list: Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, China, and the Philippines. On the agenda: North Korea, trade, and meeting with Philippine President Rodrigo Dutuerte, accused of crimes against humanity as well as battling Islamic State group-affiliated militants. Unclear if there will be live Tweeting from the DMZ.

November 4: Occupy Trump. As per Politico, nearly a year after U.S. President Trump’s election, members of the Resistance are planning to descend upon America’s major cities with the intention of occupying city centers and parks until Trump and Pence have left the building. Hope they’re bringing a set of spare clothes because it’s gonna be awhile.

November 6: FIFA corruption trial re: United States vs. Napout. Background: Former FIFA vice president Juan Angel Napout of Paraguay is accused of taking bribes from companies while president of CONMEBOL, the FIFA-affiliated confederation that governs soccer in South America. There are 26 co-defendants with the majority having entered guilty pleas and awaiting sentencing. Location: U.S. Eastern District Court in Brooklyn, New York.

November 7: Election Day in the U.S. and it’s all about state and local elections with an eye on Utah, New Jersey, Virginia, New York, Maine, Ohio, and Georgia.

November 8: 51st annual CMAs a/k/a Country Music Association award ceremony hosted by Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley in Nashville, Tennessee. Although singer Jason Aldean was shut out in all categories, expect memorials and tributes dedicated to the victims, families, and first responders at his concert in Las Vegas, Nevada on October 1st when a gunman killed 58 people.

November 12: 24th annual MTV Europe Music Awards return to London and hosted by Rita Ora. Yes, it’s still a thing.

November 18: Look up to catch a glimpse of a dazzling light show from space otherwise known as the Leonids. Every few decades, this comet generates a storm where more than 1,000 meteors can been seen an hour. The last time the Leonids were that strong was in 2002.

November 19: 45th annual American Music Awards. Diana Ross receives a Lifetime Achievement Award but it’s still a man’s world as Bruno Mars leads with eight nominations, including Artist of the Year against Drake and Kendrick Lamar. Ed Sheeran and The Chainsmokers – each with five noms.

November 23: Thanksgiving Day. America gives thanks, turns on the 93rd annual Macy’s Day Parade, eats turkey, and watches a lot of football. T-minus 33 days until Christmas. For the first time in NFL history, three (3) games will be played.

November 24: Black Friday. Because not everyone watches football, retailers open their doors and slash their prices on Thanksgiving night to woo customers out of the house and open their wallets. Although declining in numbers compared to online sales, last year’s Black Friday sales rose 21.6% to $3.4 billion USD with a big chunk attributable to mobile purchases.

November 26: Canadian as maple syrup and Justin Trudeau, the NHL celebrates its 100th anniversary and where it all began: the Windsor Hotel in Montreal, eh.

November 27: Cyber Monday. Coined in 2006, today’s the day to get deals not found in brick-and-mortar stores. Truth be told, that’s pretty much the case every day of the year but I digress. In 2016, $3.45 billion was spent online, more than 12% from the previous year and the largest online sales day in U.S. history.

November 28: Grammy nominations announced in Los Angeles but the big news is that the upcoming 60th annual award ceremony is returning to New York for the first time since 2003. Madison Square Garden will be the venue and James Corden is the host.

November 30: Today marks the official end of the Atlantic hurricane season, one of the most lethal and costly on record. This year was the first time since 1893 that ten hurricanes formed in a row.