With the rest of the world, we’re watching the unrest in Ukraine, Thailand, and Venezuela and will be reporting on any new developments. Carnivale also kicks off this week in both Venice and Rio, where hundreds of thousands will flood the cities’ streets for the elaborately costumed parades and parties. Here’s what else is on The Daily Beast’s radar.
Monday 2/24
President Obama meets with the National Governors Association. We expect Republican governors to gripe about Obamacare as the president makes a plea for Medicaid expansion and a boost to the minimum wage.
The Senate returns from last week’s recess.
The U.S. and South Korea hold joint military drills, an annual exercise sure to elicit a negative reaction from North Korea. During last year’s drills, North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong Un, threatened war for the provocation.
Tech giants including Mark Zuckerberg meet at the Mobile World Congress kickoff in Barcelona. We’re watching for what’s new in wearable tech and the release of several new phones including the highly anticipated Samsung S5.
We’re watching: Breaking Bad season five released on Netflix for instant streaming, which means the complete series is now available for bingeing.
Tuesday 2/25
The House returns from last week’s recess.
In fashion, the top models and designers leave Milan and heading to Paris for the next leg of this season’s global fashion tour. Fashion houses will show their Fall/Winter 2014 collections.
Hollywood procrastinators, listen up! Today’s the last day for members of the Academy to vote for the Oscars.
Wednesday 2/26
President Obama travels to the Minneapolis/St. Paul area for an event on the economy, the subject likely to dominate midterm election debates.
Potential 2016 Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton delivers remarks at the University of Miami, but no word on what she plans to discuss. Clinton has spoken at UM before, during her 2008 bid for the White House.
We’re watching: The Americans, starring Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys, returns for its second season on FX.
Thursday 2/27
President Obama launches the “My Brother’s Keeper” initiative, a project tasked with providing opportunities for young men of color, a group disproportionately affected by unemployment, poverty, and incarceration.
The Democratic National Committee kicks off its winter meeting.
Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen goes before the Senate Banking Committee to give a semi-annual monetary policy testimony. We’re listening for any clues concerning the tapering of stimulus efforts, especially now that the unemployment rate is in spitting distance of the 6.5 percent target set in 2012.
We’re watching: The new season of Portlandia, starring Fred Armisen and Carrie Browstein, premieres on IFC and Scandal returns for the second half of its season on ABC.
Friday 2/28
President Obama will speak at the winter meeting of the Democratic National Committee.
Britain’s National Archives releases new files on the MI5 program. The last release of secret docs revealed the Security Service spied on Charlie Chaplin at the request of J Edgar Hoover's FBI.
We’re watching: Non-Stop, starring Liam Neeson, Downton Abbey’s Michelle Dockery, and Oscar nominee Lupita Nyong-o hits, hits theaters.
Saturday 3/1
The travel team is watching the opening of The Waldorf Astoria chain’s new outpost in Beijing. The hotel sits in the Wangfujing district of China’s capital and will be the first to be completely adorned in copper.
Sunday 3/2
We’re watching: We’ll be glued to the 86th Academy Awards. Need a nominee refresher? Here’s a ++look back through this year’s contenders.
