Who knows what will make news locally, statewide, across America country and around the globe this year? Though surprises are ahead, we can sketch an outline of some items on the 2015 news agenda. Scheduled events that’ll earn front-page headlines include Oscar nominations Jan. 15 for the best films of last year, with awards presented Feb. 22. Another heavily watched telecast soon will be the Super Bowl on Feb. 1 to determine this year’s NFL champ. And the NCAA college basketball playoffs known as March Madness wrap up at the Final Four games in Indianapolis on April 4 and 6.

In far more significant news, Pope Francis is scheduled to speak at the eighth World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia during late September, his first visit to America as pontiff. He'll be only the fourth pope to visit our nation. And by that time of year, political speaking and fund-raising will escalate among 2016 presidential candidates and potential candidates to succeed Barack Obama. On one side, there's speculation that Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts may join the widely assumed Democratic favorite – former First Lady Hillary Clinton – in trying for their party’s nomination. Among Republicans, prospects include Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio, Rand Paul, Paul Ryan, Scott Walker and others.

In the entertainment arena, big-budget 2015 movies include Jupiter Ascending (Feb. 6), a sci-fi thriller from the team behind The Matrix trilogy of hit films. (See the trailer below.) Another blockbuster adventure is Avengers: Age of Ultron, opening May 1 with six Marvel superheroes opposing an artificial intelligence villain named Ultron. Later in May comes Tomorrowland, a family-friendly sci-fi mystery with a teen heroine who helps find a way to travel to a magical place named after the futuristic Disneyworld theme park. Among new TV series will be Empire, a hip-hop soap opera starting Jan. 7 on Fox, and The Last Man on Earth (March 1), a comedy also on Fox about a guy searching for any other survivors of a mass disaster. (We don't get how that's funny, but are intrigued.)

Archbishop says: "The Holy Father will bring all of us – Catholic and non-Catholic alike – together in tremendously powerful, unifying and healing ways. We look forward to Pope Francis' arrival in Philadelphia next September." – Charles J. Chaput, head of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia

Politics writer says: "The story on the Democratic side [of the 2016 presidential race] looks pretty boring at the moment. It's Hillary's world until there's some reason to believe it's not." – David Graham of The Atlantic magazine

TV writer says: "It'll be fascinating to see how Will Forte, who also created the show, wrings comedy from his situation" on The Last Man on Earth. – David Sims of The Atlantic