NEWS AND OPINION:

“Trump is the right man to walk us back from the brink of nuclear war,” writes Cliff Sims, who served as special assistant to then-President Trump from 2017 to 2018, and deputy director of national intelligence for strategy and communications from 2020 to 2021.

Mr. Sims’ confidence in Mr. Trump remains steadfast.

“President Trump is clear-eyed about the stakes and has shown uncanny instincts for navigating the complex world of geopolitics. He has a natural feel for how power is wielded on the world stage. And he’s shown the courage, unpredictability, and restraint it takes to establish credible deterrence without unnecessary escalations,” Mr. Sims wrote in The Federalst in an analysis released Monday.

“Trump doesn’t receive the credit he deserves for being a peacemaker, from the Abraham Accords, to his deft handling of opening a dialogue with North Korea’s enigmatic leader, to being the only recent president to keep Putin from invading another country, to perhaps the most important achievement of his first term: not sending American troops into any new conflicts,” Mr. Sims noted.

“Trump the peacemaker is needed now more than ever. America’s enemies know the dynamic changes on Jan. 20 when he walks back into the Oval Office and the president of the United States once again embodies the true strength of the American people. For the sake of us all, that day can’t come soon enough,” he advised.

RECLAIMING THE CLASSROOM

“A movement has been gaining momentum throughout 2024 to reclaim America’s classrooms from ideological activists who have prioritized indoctrination over the pursuit of true education,” writes Nicholas Giordano, a political science professor at Suffolk Community College.

“This year, several colleges and universities — including Washington State University, Cornell University, the University of Southern California, and Harvard University — have adopted ’neutrality policies,’ pledging to no longer issue statements on political and social controversies,” Mr. Giordano noted in an analysis of the trend published by CampusReform.org — a conservative news site.

“Educational institutions at all levels have begun to roll back toxic Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives. More than 30 states have introduced or passed legislation that eliminates or restricts DEI initiatives and loyalty oaths, including Florida, Oklahoma, Texas, Georgia, and Utah,” Mr. Giordano said.

He also noted that Arkansas, Florida, Missouri, and even California have passed legislation requiring students to complete American government and civics courses at publicly funded colleges.

“It is more than just lawmakers taking action on DEI. Some colleges and universities aren’t waiting for legislation and have begun to voluntarily dismantle these divisive policies. The University of North Carolina (UNC) has eliminated nearly 60 DEI positions and closed 17 DEI offices across its 17 campuses. UNC isn’t alone – other institutions like the University of Arkansas, the University of Missouri, and the Georgia State Public University System – have taken bold steps to dismantle their DEI programs,” Mr. Giordano wrote.

“These victories underscore the power the American people have to salvage our education system, but there is still work to do in 2025,” he advised.

MEANWHILE IN SPACE

Curious about how things are going 140 million miles from Earth? Let’s recall that NASA’s Perseverance rover completed the collection of the first sample of Martian rock on Sept. 6, 2021. It was “slightly thicker than a pencil” and sealed in an airtight titanium tube.

There’s some intriguing news to share, however.

NASA administrator Bill Nelson and Nicola Fox, associate administrator of the Science Mission Directorate for the space agency, will host a media teleconference at 1 p.m. ET on Tuesday to provide an update on the status of the agency’s official Mars Sample Return Program.

“The briefing will include NASA’s efforts to complete its goals of returning scientifically selected samples from Mars to Earth while lowering cost, risk, and mission complexity,” the agency said in a written statement.

Audio of the media call will stream live on the agency’s website at nasa.gov.

FOXIFIED

Fox News Media will present live coverage of multiple events commemorating the life of former President Jimmy Carter leading up to and through the official state funeral in Washington  on Thursday.

On Tuesday, “America Reports” co-anchors John Roberts and Sandra Smith will cover the late-president’s transport from Georgia to the nation’s capital from 1-3 p.m. EST. On Thursday, Bill Hemmer and Dana Perino of “America’s Newsroom” will anchor coverage of the state funeral, beginning at 9 a.m. EST.

Live reporting and contributions throughout the events will also be provided by Fox News correspondents Rich Edson, Steve Harrigan, Aishah Hasnie, Mark Meredith, Jonathan Serrie, David Spunt and Lucas Tomlinson.

Fox News Digital also will share nonstop updates throughout the week in a live blog found at FoxNews.com.

In addition, Fox Nation — Fox News Media’s online streaming service — will provide live coverage of the events on Tuesday and Thursday. Fox News Audio will also provide continuous coverage across affiliates on the FoxNews Hourly Update Podcast, The Fox News Rundown, Fox News Headlines 24/7 on Sirius XM and during special, long-form coverage of the national funeral service on Thursday, to be helmed by Jared Halpern, Jessica Rosenthal and Josh Kraushaar.

POLL DU JOUR

• 46% of U.S. adults “strongly or somewhat agree” that starting a new diet is one of their New Year’s resolutions.

• 40% of this group will reduce their calorie intake, 26% will opt for a low-carbohydrate diet.

• 25% will try a low-fat diet, 17% will try intermittent fasting.

• 12% will try a “carnivore” diet which includes meat, eggs, and dairy.

• 8% will try a Mediterranean diet, 7% will try a vegan diet.

• 7% will try a vegetarian diet; 6% a “Flexiterian diet” of plant and animal products.

• 5% will try a raw diet of uncooked foods.

• 5% will try “some other diet.”

• 4% will try a pescatarian diet, a plant-based diet that includes fish and seafood.

• 2% will try a Paleo diet of unprocessed food plus fruits and vegetables.

SOURCE: A Morning Consult/Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine survey of 2,174 U.S. adults conducted online Dec. 13-15 and Dec. 30.

• Follow Jennifer Harper on X @HarperBulletin, on Facebook @HarperUniverse, Contact her at jharper@washingtontimes.com.

• Jennifer Harper can be reached at jharper@washingtontimes.com.