Twelve Things to do in 2025 to Make America Better

by Joe Wallace December 31, 2024

In 2025, the United States stands at a critical juncture, facing opportunities to address deep-seated challenges and shape a brighter future. Here are twelve key actions the nation can take to foster progress and unity:

1. Revamp Education for the 21st Century The U.S. must prioritize a modernized, inclusive, and equitable education system. This includes expanding STEM programs, vocational training, and digital literacy to prepare students for evolving job markets. Investing in teacher training, infrastructure, and free community college initiatives can bridge education gaps and bolster economic competitiveness.

2. Advance Clean Energy and Combat Climate Change Accelerating the transition to renewable energy sources is vital. Federal support for solar, wind, and nuclear energy projects, alongside incentives for electric vehicle adoption, can reduce emissions. Infrastructure upgrades, such as a modernized grid and sustainable public transportation, will solidify America’s leadership in combating climate change while creating jobs.

3. Reform the Healthcare System Affordable and accessible healthcare remains a pressing need. Expanding Medicaid, controlling prescription drug prices, and implementing mental health programs can improve overall well-being. Addressing systemic disparities in care is essential to achieving a healthier, more equitable society.

4. Invest in Infrastructure and Housing A robust infrastructure plan can revitalize the nation’s roads, bridges, and water systems. Tackling the housing crisis by incentivizing affordable housing development and offering assistance to first-time homebuyers will address homelessness and housing insecurity.

5. Strengthen Bipartisan Governance Bridging political divides is paramount to restoring faith in government. Encouraging bipartisan initiatives on key issues like criminal justice reform, election integrity, and economic policy can rebuild public trust and foster national unity.

6. Support Small Businesses and Innovation Small businesses are the backbone of the economy. Simplifying tax codes, providing low-interest loans, and reducing regulatory hurdles will empower entrepreneurs. Enhancing funding for research and development can drive technological advancements and maintain the nation’s competitive edge.

7. Address Systemic Inequality Combating racial, gender, and economic inequality requires targeted policies. Strengthening anti-discrimination laws, closing the gender pay gap, and offering economic opportunities in underserved communities will promote inclusivity and equity.

8. Reform Immigration Policy A comprehensive immigration reform plan is long overdue. Streamlining visa processes, creating pathways to citizenship, and enhancing border security can balance compassion with practicality, benefiting both the economy and humanitarian interests.

9. Prioritize National Security and Cyber Defense Emerging threats demand a robust and adaptive national security strategy. Investments in cybersecurity infrastructure, international alliances, and counter-terrorism measures will protect citizens and maintain global stability.

10. Promote Civic Engagement and Media Literacy Strengthening democracy starts with an informed and engaged populace. Encouraging voter participation through accessible voting methods and implementing media literacy programs to combat misinformation will enhance civic responsibility and informed decision-making.

11. Improve Government Efficiency Streamlining government operations and reducing bureaucratic red tape will enhance public trust and effectiveness. Implementing technology-driven solutions, eliminating redundant programs, and fostering accountability can ensure taxpayer dollars are used responsibly.

12. Ensure a Healthier Food Supply Promoting sustainable agriculture and ensuring access to nutritious, affordable food can improve public health. Incentivizing local farming, reducing reliance on processed foods, and regulating harmful additives will create a stronger, healthier population.

By addressing these twelve priorities, the United States can take meaningful strides toward a more prosperous, sustainable, and unified future. Achieving these goals will require collective effort and visionary leadership from government, businesses, and communities alike.

Want to Make Your Resolutions Stick? Here Are Some Tips

by Johnny Kincaid  December 31, 2024

As the calendar turns to 2025, many of us are thinking about New Year’s resolutions—those promises we make to ourselves to improve, grow, and achieve something meaningful in the months ahead. Whether you’re someone who writes out a detailed list or just keeps a few goals in mind, the start of a new year feels like the perfect time to hit the reset button and focus on what matters most.

New Year’s resolutions can be as varied as the people who make them. Some of us want to get healthier, whether that means eating better, exercising more, or taking time for mental health. Others might focus on relationships, making an effort to spend more time with loved ones, or being kinder and more patient. Career goals, personal development, and even spiritual growth often make the list, too.

But let’s be honest: sticking to resolutions isn’t always easy. Life gets busy, old habits creep back, and by February, many of those well-intentioned goals have fallen by the wayside. So how can we make resolutions that truly stick and make a difference in our lives?

First, it helps to set realistic and specific goals. Instead of saying, “I’m going to get healthy this year,” try something more concrete like, “I’ll go for a 30-minute walk three times a week” or “I’ll add one extra serving of vegetables to my meals each day.” Breaking your goals into small, actionable steps makes them more achievable and gives you a sense of progress along the way.

Second, write your resolutions down. There’s something powerful about putting your goals on paper. It makes them feel more real and gives you a point of reference to come back to. You can even post them somewhere visible—on your fridge, your mirror, or your phone—as a daily reminder.

Accountability is another key to success. Share your resolutions with a friend, family member, or coworker who can cheer you on and help keep you on track. Better yet, find a resolution buddy who has similar goals and work on them together. Whether it’s a workout partner, a book club, or someone to swap recipes with, having support makes the journey more enjoyable and less daunting.

Another tip is to focus on progress, not perfection. Nobody’s perfect, and there will be days when you fall short. The important thing is to keep going and not let a slip-up derail your entire resolution. Celebrate the small victories along the way, and remember that every step forward counts.

As we think about our own resolutions, it’s also a great time to consider how we can make a positive impact on our community. What if one of your goals this year was to volunteer, support a local charity, or simply be a better neighbor? Small acts of kindness—like checking in on someone who’s lonely, picking up litter in your neighborhood, or donating to a food bank—can create ripples of good that extend far beyond yourself.

For those of us who value our faith, New Year’s resolutions can also be an opportunity to grow spiritually. Maybe you want to spend more time in prayer, read through the Bible, or get involved in a church group. Resolutions like these not only strengthen your relationship with God but also equip you to be a light to those around you.

Finally, let’s remember to be kind to ourselves as we embark on this journey. Resolutions aren’t about perfection—they’re about progress and intention. It’s okay to revise your goals if they’re not working for you, and it’s okay to take a break when you need one. The important thing is to keep moving forward and to celebrate the effort you’re making to grow and improve.

As we welcome 2025, let’s embrace this fresh start with hope, determination, and a commitment to making the most of the year ahead. Whether your resolutions are big or small, personal or community-focused, may this be a year of growth, connection, and meaningful change for all of us. Happy New Year!

John Krull, publisher, TheStatehouseFile.com 

December 31, 2024

During his years in the White House, he was caricatured as a naïve, moralizing micromanager who was in over his head.

While he was commander-in-chief, events conspired to magnify his all too human shortcomings. Critics, for example, spun the tale of him scheduling time on the White House tennis court as an example of his controlling nature, rather than seeing it for what it was—a desperate attempt to keep squabbling longtime aides whom he could trust by his side while he struggled to defend himself in a hostile political climate.

The cliché is that his presidency was a failure.

In political terms, perhaps it was. His repudiation by the voters in the epochal 1980 presidential election in favor of Republican Ronald Reagan was decisive—so overwhelming that his fellow Democrats distanced themselves from him during campaign seasons for the rest of his long life.

Other Democratic presidents—Bill Clinton, Barack Obama—would find themselves in demand during election cycles, but rarely Carter, so toxic were the memories of his time in power.

The truth is that, in policy terms, his presidency was far more successful than it appeared.

His political weakness sprang from the same qualities that were his greatest source of strength—his determination to see things with his own eyes and make his own decisions, consulting in the end only with his own heart and his God in the process.

In those post-Vietnam years, he angered his fellow Democrats by strengthening the U.S. military. He thought the United States needed to have more flexible might at its disposal to meet the challenges presented by an evolving world.

After Carter left the White House, much of the muscle-flexing Reagan did on the world stage was done with muscles Carter provided.

The same was true of his economic policies.

He, perhaps alone among modern presidents, refrained from trying to artificially juice the American economy as he approached reelection. He believed in cycles of growth and saw government’s role as a source of support for those who suffered during downswings, not as a stimulant to unnatural and ultimately dangerous growth spurts.

In short, he was the sort of president—independent, guided by his own conscience—that so many Americans say they want but rarely mean it when they say it.

The characteristics that doomed his chances to be a two-term president, though, liberated him when he left the White House.

The second great cliché of Carter’s life was that his post-presidency was a spectacular success.

In many ways it was.

He won a Nobel Prize for his humanitarian and diplomatic labors and earned the world’s respect for his advocacy of enduring moral principles.

The same qualities that made him easy prey for Reagan served him better outside presidential strictures.

The traits that encouraged the presidents, Republican or Democrat, to keep him at arm’s length—his independence and determination to follow his own conscience—made the poor, the dispossessed and the disparaged of the world see him as an honest broker, someone they could trust to hear and speak to their grievances and concerns.

It was this appreciation of the shared humanity of people around the world that tied his political career and his long post-presidential odyssey together.

His faith was grounded in a worldly understanding of human frailty.

When he ran for president, he said in an interview that he had known lust in his heart. In an era in which our dominant political figure lusts openly for sex, for money and for power, Carter’s admission seems quaint.

But his acknowledgement was consistent with his beliefs.

Before he was even sworn in as president, he stripped the inaugural proceedings of much of the pomp and circumstances that defined previous transitions of power. He and his wife, Rosalynn, walked in the parade as a reminder that they were not elevated above or distant from the people they led.

His message, in the White House or not, was always the same: We are all failed creatures in a hard world, and we should not look for strong men to save us.

Redeeming the life of this planet is God’s work and, for the devout, God’s work must truly be our own.

Jimmy Carter in all his flawed nobility died Dec. 29. He was 100.

May he rest in peace.

John Krull is director of Franklin College’s Pulliam School of Journalism and publisher of TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students. The views expressed are those of the author only and should not be attributed to Franklin College.