 | It's Carnival time! The festive season begins today with Epiphany, marking for Christians the wise men's visit to Jesus Christ, and runs until Mardi Gras, when Lent starts. Carnival's US epicenter is New Orleans (I'll nod to Mobile, Alabama, too), where more than 70 parades roll across the region through Fat Tuesday. Wherever you are, celebrate with a king cake.
To Orthodox believers the world over, we wish you on Monday a merry Christmas. Because of a centuries-old calendar shift, most Christians marked the birth of Jesus Christ last month. But for those who didn't – mostly in the former USSR, the Middle East and Africa – the 13-day delay means an extended holiday season and, some brag, really solid shopping deals.
US and Chinese officials are due to meet starting Monday for two days of talks in Beijing aimed at ending the monthslong trade war that's rocking global financial markets.
| | | Actor Kevin Spacey is due in court Monday to be arraigned on charges of indecent assault and battery stemming from a 2016 incident. Spacey is expected to plead not guilty.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo heads Tuesday to the Middle East. The trip follows President Donald Trump's abrupt announcement that US troops will leave Syria, even as the fight against ISIS continues in earnest. Pompeo will visit Saudi Arabia amid the trial of 11 suspects accused of killing Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The top US diplomat also is due for stops in Jordan, Egypt, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman and Kuwait.
American Catholic bishops on Tuesday wrap up a weeklong retreat near Chicago led by Pope Francis' own preacher. Billed as a spiritual – not a policy-making – meeting, it aims to give leaders a chance "to pray on the intense matters before us," namely the clergy abuse scandal that made 2018 the church's year from hell. The meeting, an expert said, could help prepare bishops to overhaul church culture, though some abuse survivors say they doubt it. | | | The International Consumer Electronics Show kicks off Tuesday in Las Vegas. The annual event is a can't-miss for techies. Last year's show featured the latest in voice-activated assistants, self-driving vehicles, virtual reality and futuristic TVs, plus a very ironic power outage. Stick with CNN Business all week for all the latest gadgets.
New year, same old Brexit. The UK Parliament is due to begin debate Wednesday on everyone's favorite (attempted) divorce deal. British lawmakers go to the mat over Prime Minister Theresa May's proposal, which she pulled last month facing certain defeat. A vote is still expected next week, with Britain due to leave the European Union on March 29. A continued stalemate could create a so-called no-deal Brexit scenario.
After a landslide victory decried as a sham by nations the world over, Venezuela's socialist President, Nicolas Maduro, is set to be sworn in Thursday for a second six-year term. Maduro said he's "better prepared" now to oversee a nation in crisis, where 13,000% inflation has spawned food shortages and a migrant exodus. | | | A trial is due to begin Saturday for an Egyptian actress accused of public obscenity for wearing a revealing dress at a film festival. Rania Youssef admits she may have misjudged reaction to her gown. The case typifies tensions between religious and secular authority in the Muslim world. | |  Content By: CNN Underscored | | |  | "My gift is going to be bigger than their annual budget. It's going to blow them away." The prediction of Alan Naiman, according to his friend Shashi Karan, about the $11 million Naiman left in his will to children's charities. Boy, was he right. | |  | Out of the 'Bird Box'
More than 45 million accounts watched Netflix's breakout hit film in its first week. If you're haven't joined the flock, the thriller is still streaming. The next big reality hit?
"The Masked Singer" offers a low-tech test of voice recognition, while Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's "The Titan Games" banks on a kitschy Mount Olympus theme. The new shows air Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET on Fox and Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET on NBC, respectively. Making their voices heard
It's been a year since more than 1,000 women in entertainment joined forces to combat workplace sexual misconduct. Now, you can hear Eva Longoria, Shonda Rhimes, Emma Watson and others reflect on the movement.
| |  | Wild card weekend NFL playoff action continues today, with the Los Angeles Chargers at the Baltimore Ravens at 1:05 p.m. ET and the Chicago Bears hosting the Philadelphia Eagles at 4:40 p.m. ET. The games are on CBS and NBC, respectively. Playoff prize This is it, folks: college football's biggest night. Alabama and Clemson face off Monday for the national championship crown. Coverage begins at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN. Continental bragging rights Competition is in full swing as two dozen of Asia's best soccer lineups take to the pitch. The AFC Asian Cup, hosted by the United Arab Emirates, runs through February 1. (Not) bouncing off the wall The International Handball Federation, which governs a team sport that looks a lot like basketball, kicks off its world championships Thursday in Germany and Denmark. The final is set for January 27. | |  | Throw me something, mister!
In New Orleans, you're either a Mardi Gras person or a Jazz Fest person. I gotta be with Al Johnson on this one. (Click here to get your Carnival on!) | | | | |
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