By Darren Johnson
Campus News
Any publication can recap last year, but we at Campus News have gotten good at predicting what will happen in the year ahead.
After all, last year we got a lot right: that the Democrats would win the midterm elections, that Sears would fall, inquiries into Facebook and Russian hacking, the North Korean olive branch, the growth of the #MeToo movement and more. The year before that we, apologetically, predicted Donald Trump might pull off an election upset.
So, in other words, read this article to see what’s coming up in 2019. Let’s begin…
Congressional Chaos
As the Democratic majority is sworn in, look for their animosity toward Trump to rachet up to historic levels of vitriol. The two sides hate each other, and congress can spearhead even more investigations of the president. While Trump has had support from Republicans – thus far – look for several GOPers to defect and turn against the Donald.
The Wall
Trump ended 2018 reviving his 2016 campaign promise to build a wall between the US and Mexico. This idea should fail, as the new congress surely won’t support it and the majority of the American public doesn’t feel it’s necessary.
Sears and the Death of Malls
Sears declared bankruptcy at the end of 2018. This also includes their sister company K-Mart. Before that, Toys R Us also called it quits. These are obvious signs that a major shift is happening, as people now shop online instead. Look for more retail giants to bail, more malls to collect tumbleweeds and a revolution in shopping, where the stores that do survive become mere showrooms, where people can test products but order them online to be delivered.
1969 Nostalgia
This year will mark the 50th anniversary of man walking on the moon for the first time, the original Woodstock and the Mets/Jets winning championships (hard to imagine, huh?). Look for lots of retrospectives on these things. In fact, there is serious talk of a Woodstock anniversary concert at the same site in upstate Bethel, New York. Bands that have been allegedly recruited include Daft Punk, Bruce Springsteen, Eminem, Ariana Grande, Coldplay, Phish, Elton John, Bon Jovi, Pearl Jam, Foo Fighters, Pink, The Who, Santana, Zac Brown Band, Mumford & Sons and The Chainsmokers. It’s hardly a young Jimi Hendrix, but, as you know, rock is dead. As for the Jets, expect to see a lot of Joe Namath, but no Super Bowl ring.
Legalization
Look for pot legalization to ramp up. Massachusetts recently opened dispensaries. One of them is near where Campus News prints and there are lines around the block. Look for New York pols to get jealous about all of the tax revenue their neighbor state is making and to quickly legalize as well. Also, sports gambling may become a thing in the Empire State, as it now is in New Jersey, though, again, don’t bet on the Jets.
Old and Social Media
In the past year The Village Voice called it quits, taking its news boxes off of the streets, while The Daily News announced major layoffs. Look for more media shrinkage as newspapers can’t figure out a way to convert their past print profits to digital. Like Sears, most newspapers still have management who began in the last century and haven’t adapted. At the same time, look for social media sites like Facebook to get further scrutiny for allowing fake news and general mayhem on their monopolistic service. Look for the US to enact regulations to protect users’ privacy similar to the model enacted in Europe last year.
The Stock Market
Last year ended with a roller-coaster ride for the stock market. This is going to continue into the new year and some people may find their retirement accounts affected. The fall of traditional brick-and-mortar national chains as well as the digital advertising bubble bursting won’t help shareholders feel good about things. The tumult between the president and the new congress also will cause market instability.
So Will He Run Again?
The slate of candidates for 2020 will take shape over the course of 2019. The Democrats have a lot of contenders. Perhaps New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand will throw her hat in and become a favorite. The larger question is whether Trump will run again, or will he declare his first term an overwhelming success that doesn’t need to be repeated? If the latter, the GOP itself has been so shaken up by the Trump presidency they really don’t have a contender with a high chance of winning.
Just for Fun
OK, let’s end with some wild predictions. The Patriots win the Super Bowl, the Best Picture Oscar goes to “A Star Is Born” and the Mets win the World Series (for their the 50th anniversary of their first World Series title)! Have a prediction? Post it in the comment field below!
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