Here are some of the people who will shaping events in 2015.
Jeb Bush
The former Florida governor and son and brother of presidents, a
favorite of the GOP establishment, was the first Republican to move
openly toward a 2016 White House run. The Spanish-speaker has
strong ties to Florida's Hispanic community and could expand the
party's reach into an increasingly diverse U.S. electorate. His
access to donors, meanwhile, could shake up financing for
Republicans as the race takes form.
Hillary Clinton
The former secretary of state, U.S. senator and first lady is
the overwhelming favorite to capture the Democratic presidential
nomination should she enter the race. All signs point to her
announcing a bid in the next few months. Long seen as a
business-friendly centrist, Mrs. Clinton is already facing pressure
from the party's liberal wing to make income inequality a central
campaign issue--something she and her husband have proved reluctant
to do in the past.
Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi
Now that the mysterious, self-declared caliph of Islamic State
has built the Sunni militant group into the world's most feared
terrorist organization, the coming months will test his leadership
and survival skills under a continued airstrike campaign and a
potential ground offensive in Iraq.
Rand Paul
The first-term Kentucky senator is perhaps the most intriguing
in the field of potential GOP presidential contenders. He
challenges his party's orthodoxy on many fronts, particularly on
foreign policy--an outsider's approach that could make him an
attractive antiestablishment candidate at a time of voter
discontent with Washington.
Travis Kalanick
The chief executive of Uber Technologies Inc. is often
characterized as Silicon Valley's bad boy for his unapologetic
quest to topple the taxi industry. That defiance helped him raise
more than $2 billion in capital and push his car-hailing app into
more than 250 cities globally. But he must justify his company's
$46 billion valuation while managing congressional inquiries over
data-privacy lapses and cities trying to ban Uber.
Joni Ernst
Before becoming the first woman Iowa has ever elected to a
statewide office, she created a sensation with a campaign ad about
how growing up on the farm "castrating hogs" would help her cut
pork in Congress and "make 'em squeal" in Washington. She first won
as an underdog in a crowded GOP primary, then beat Democratic Rep.
Bruce Braley in the general election for the U.S. Senate. A veteran
of the Iraq war, she can be expected to advocate for military
spending and support veterans.
Xi Jinping
Two years into the job, China's president is pressing ahead with
a popular crackdown on corruption while grappling with a slowing
economy and unrest in the nation's Muslim far west. Abroad, he will
look to capitalize on promises of big spending on infrastructure to
knit Asian neighbors more tightly to China.
Jeh Johnson
The U.S. Homeland Security chief has been building ties with
Muslim groups in the hopes they will report signs of radicalization
among members that could lead to "lone wolf" terrorists. He also
will be key to implementing the Obama administration's efforts to
protect millions of illegal immigrants from deportation.
Elizabeth Warren
In just two years in the Senate, the Massachusetts Democrat
gained prominence through assertions that Washington is out of
touch with the middle class and that big banks need more oversight.
Her populist rhetoric makes her a favorite of liberals who want her
to run for the White House in 2016--challenging presumed Democratic
candidate Hillary Clinton--though so far she has demurred.
Mark Emmert
From federal lawsuits to a vote by athletes at Northwestern
University to unionize, college sports are under pressure to give
athletes a cut of the hundreds of millions of dollars they generate
each year. Mr. Emmert, who as NCAA president heads collegiate
sports' governing body, has made it his mission to fend off such
actions, calling the move to pay players an "existential threat" to
college programs.
Shinzo Abe
The Japanese prime minister won a decisive election victory at
year's end by persuading voters to give him more time to carry out
his economic mission, though many voters say they have yet to
benefit. In 2015, it is time to deliver. A turning point could come
this spring, when big companies decide whether to give workers
raises, as Mr. Abe is urging them to do.
Alexis Tsipras
The 40-year-old leader of Greece's main opposition party, the
leftist Syriza, is in a tight race with the conservative New
Democracy party ahead of Jan. 25's snap elections. His threat to
tear up Greece's bailout agreement and end austerity demanded by
international creditors is spooking investors, but winning over
crisis-weary Greeks.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan
As Turkey's leader seeks to transform his country into a world
power, he faces threats from Islamic State across the border, tough
negotiations to end a Kurdish insurgency and tepid economic growth.
Parliamentary elections in June will determine whether the
president can single-handedly rewrite the constitution, amid
criticism of his autocratic style.
Don Thompson
The McDonald's Corp. chief executive enters 2015 on the hot
seat, with the world's largest-grossing restaurant chain in a rut.
Will his plan to simplify the menu, enable more localization and
customization, and upgrade ingredients restore the Golden Arches'
shine?
Mario Draghi
At the European Central Bank's last 2014 meeting, Mr. Draghi,
its president, signaled the bank was open to new stimulus measures,
such as buying government bonds, as one option in the fight against
both slowing economic growth and low inflation. Rate cuts in 2014
and expectations for more easing have sent European stock markets
rallying and eurozone bond yields to record lows.
Ed Miliband
The leader of Britain's main opposition Labour Party faces David
Cameron in a general election in May, but while his party has a
narrow lead in opinion polls, some question whether he has the
personal popularity to oust the prime minister. Mr. Miliband wants
to raise the top income-tax rate to 50% and force banks to sell
branches, policies that appeal to core Labour voters.
Joko Widodo
Indonesia's president hopes to use the popular appeal that
helped him win office last year to propel an agenda that includes
developing much-needed infrastructure and social programs. He also
needs to attract foreign investment to a country long marked by
economic nationalism and a murky legal system.
Marissa Mayer
Yahoo Inc. investors are growing impatient with the CEO, who has
failed to grow its core ad business in her more than two years at
the top. If things don't improve soon, she could feel the need to
make a bold move, such as using some of the billions of dollars
Yahoo made from Alibaba's IPO to acquire a hot Internet
startup.
Goodluck Jonathan
A raging Islamic insurgency in Nigeria's north and falling oil
prices have racked the African nation's government, but not
necessarily dimmed President Jonathan's re-election prospects in
February. He remains in control of his ruling party and its vast
fundraising machine.
Justin Trudeau
The head of Canada's Liberal Party and son of former Prime
Minister Pierre Trudeau is poised to give the ruling party a run
for its money in 2015's federal election. Mr. Trudeau, 43, is an
untested government leader. But his party, now Canada's
third-biggest, has doubled in popularity under his leadership,
ahead of Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Conservatives.
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