Sunday shows preview: 118th Congress to begin; Experts focused on inflation, Russia, China

As the 118th Congress begins next week, the slowing, but still sky high, rate of inflation and America’s increasingly rocky relationships with Russia and China are likely to dominate the Sunday morning talk shows on New Year’s Day.

Inflation showed further signs of cooling in November, after several months of record-high numbers. The annual inflation rate came in at 7.1 percent in November, down from 7.7 percent the month before.

The lower inflation numbers also gave the Federal Reserve room to hike interest rates at a slower pace, providing consumers with further relief. 

However, recession concerns remain despite the improving inflation numbers, with research released by the Federal Reserve Bank in St. Louis on Wednesday suggesting that the risk of recession in the new year is rising.

Kristalina Georgieva, the managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), is set to join CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday to discuss the 2023 outlook for the global economy. 

Georgieva warned in October that the outlook for the global economy was “darkening,” with the world’s three largest economies — Europe, China and the U.S. — showing signs of slowing down. The IMF also cut its global economic growth forecast for 2023 in October, lowering it 0.2 points to 2.7 percent.

“In short, the worst is yet to come and, for many people, 2023 will feel like a recession,” the IMF said at the time.

CBS’ “Face the Nation” is also set to chat with Michael Gapen, the chief economist for the Bank of America, on New Year’s Day about his forecast for the U.S. economy next year.

America’s increasingly tense relationships with Russia and China are also likely to be a topic of discussion on the Sunday shows circuit.

Russia’s war against Ukraine shows no sign of slowing in the new year, as Moscow has continued to bombard its neighbor throughout the winter. Russia fired more than 120 missiles earlier this week, largely targeting cities like Kyiv and Kharkiv that lie far from the war’s frontlines.

The U.S. has sent massive amounts of military aid to Ukraine amid the war, straining an already fraught relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin. 

Putin triggered widespread international concern earlier this year for making several threats to employ Moscow’s nuclear arsenal against Ukraine. However, the Russian president later walked back his threats.

America’s relationship with China also faced several tests this year, amid renewed tensions between Beijing and Taiwan. Following Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) high-profile trip to Taiwan in August, China conducted nearly a week of military drills.

Beijing has continued to inflame tensions with the island nation, sending a record number of aircraft near Taiwan’s airspace earlier this week.

A panel of experts — including former U.S. ambassador to Russia John Sullivan, former defense undersecretary Michele Flournoy and former national security adviser H.R. McMaster — are set to join “Face the Nation” on Sunday to discuss Russia, China and other “international stories that will carry over into 2023.”

Michael Allen, a former national security aide to President George W. Bush, will also join Fox News Sunday on New Year’s Day.

Below is the full list of guests scheduled to appear on this week’s Sunday talk shows:

ABC’s “This Week” — Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R-Ark.); Rep.-elect Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.)

NBC’s “Meet the Press” — Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.); Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.); Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen

CBS’ “Face the Nation” — Michael Gapen, managing director and chief U.S. economist, Bank of America; Kristalina Georgieva, managing director, International Monetary Fund; John Sullivan, former U.S. ambassador to Russia; Michele Flournoy, former defense undersecretary; H.R. McMaster, a former national security adviser; Michael Morell, a former acting director and former deputy director of the CIA; Kevin Book, managing director at Clearview Energy Partners

CNN’s “State of the Union” — Gov.-elect Wes Moore (D-Md.); Reps. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) and Steny Hoyer (D-Md.)

“Fox News Sunday” — Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Texas); Michael Allen, former national security aide to President George W. Bush

Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Morning Futures” — Reps. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) and Bryan Steil (R-Wis.); Rep.-elect Monica De La Cruz (R-Texas); Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody (R)