January 1, 2014 --

President Obama, in June, will announce the resumption of diplomatic relations between the United States and Cuba.

He will name New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio ambassador to Cuba. In New York City, the City Council will ban all automobiles from city streets -- and, citing the crackdown by Los Angeles on illegal walking, will impose heavy fines on a long list of pedestrian offenses (including cell-phone walk-talking) that pedestrians will not regard as merely pedestrian.

The revenue from pedestrian fines will more than make up for the loss of revenue from parking violations due to the end of vehicular traffic in New York City (other than cars driven by politicians, or their relatives, friends and donors).

New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito will claim that the breath of conservatives contributes to climate change and demand that conservatives cut down their breathing by 25 percent.

The City Council will also approve a resolution asserting that heterosexual marriage is a form of violence against women. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, in September, will declare the City of New York a disaster area and name Michael R. Bloomberg guardian of the city. Bloomberg's authority will include the power to ban soda, sugar, cakes and candy. The governor's action would have made him a presidential contender for 2016, but for events in Federal City, D.C.

By summer, 2014, "moderate conservatives" in the media will call on Republicans to be "statesmanlike" in responding to the collapse of Obamacare.

Meanwhile, the leftwing media will blame House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell for the collapse of the Affordable Care Act, asserting that this collapse would never have happened had Boehner and McConnell supported Sen. Ted Cruz in opposing the act. Polls taken on the eve of the 2014 elections will say that the public blames Republicans for the collapse of Obamacare. In the November election, Democrats will maintain their Senate majority and will regain majority control of the House.

The November 2014 election will see millions of amnestied immigrants going to the polls for the first time. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid will be quoted, after the November election, as saying, "It is time to revisit the two-term limit on presidents." New York Governor Cuomo will be the first 2016 presidential possibility to call for repealing the 22nd Amendment, adding that he will not be a candidate. In a joint statement, retiring House Speaker Boehner and retiring Senate Republican leader McConnell will declare their support for ending term limits on presidents, and add: "We will go one step further and advise the Republican party not to nominate a candidate in 2016." The New York Times will applaud the "statesmanship" of the retiring Republican leaders.

In December, 2014 President Obama and the first family will vacation in Hawaii amid speculation that in January 2015 government purchasing cards (GPCs) will replace greenbacks. One anti-government malcontent, reacting to the news by crying out -- "what is this, food stamps for everyone?" --will be charged in federal court for hate-speak.