2025 began days after the death of former President Jimmy Carter at 100. Readers rang in the new year bidding farewell to the man from Plains, reflecting on his humanitarian legacy as others celebrated or dreaded Donald Trump’s second inauguration. In emailed letters or by putting pen to paper and tongue to envelope, you share perspectives as only you can on the news we chronicle. Today, we look back on the year through your words in the Voice of the People. From the Bronx, Pauline Graham Binder paid tribute to Carter: “What a man. He was the epitome of loyalty, faithfulness, decency and kindness. He was not a schoolyard bully.” Jagjit Singh, of Los Altos, Calif., welcomed news of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas after 15 months of unrelenting bloodshed, but his optimism was cautious. “Ultimately, while the ceasefire provides a temporary pause, the future of Gaza and the broader Palestinian cause remains uncertain,” he said. As Trump reentered the Oval Office, JoAnn Lee Frank of Clearwater, Fla., looked forward to better days. “America is on its way to being greater, safer, stronger, prosperous and proud again,” she said. David J. Melvin of Chester, N.J., predicted a more ominous turn “as ICE is now empowered to enter a church and round up anyone who looks like they ‘don’t belong here,’ ” he said. “Next we will have people being stopped in the streets and asked to ‘show me your papers!’ ” In Bellerose, Frederick R. Bedell Jr. mourned a loss close to home after learning of the death of a fellow Voicer, Larry Penner. “I loved reading his opinions. A lot of them were about the MTA, local businesses and restaurants,” he said. “God bless you, Larry, for a job well done.” As politicians continued to grapple with each other in D.C. over inflation, tariffs and energy policy, John L. Rienecker wrote from Glendale about how those issues show up in his utility bills. “They’re charging me four and a half times more for delivery than for the gas itself. I want to know if that’s even legal,” he said. “Same thing with Con Ed: My bill was $227 — $79 for electricity and the rest for delivery. Pretty soon they’ll be forcing me to sit in the dark and cold. I don’t even think the mafia charges that much for its services.” Kayla Dasilva of Brooklyn, a student in a high school class whose letters populated the page one day, noted the economy’s impact on a local staple: “Inflation in NYC is getting real. Dollar slices are declining in quality and increasing in price.” And from the Bronx, Nancy Reilly mused on the change in fortune of Mayor Adams under the new president: “The only sitting mayor in the history of NYC who has been indicted on federal charges has been given a reprieve by his hero.” By the end of March, headlines about civilians being killed in Gaza had returned. Sid Sussman of Hallandale Beach, Fla., lamented the grim news. “Even after dropping 85,000 tons of mostly U.S.-supplied bombs that wiped out thousands of civilian lives, Israel has renewed its fury and pledge to widen the destruction, again laying siege to Gaza’s killing fields after having declared the ceasefire agreement null and void,” he said. A month later, the world reacted to the loss of another leader known for his humanitarian principles with the death of Pope Francis. So did Rose Mary Lancaster in the Bronx: “The beautiful gentleman had a conscience. I will miss him so much (even though I’m a Protestant).” From San Rafael, Calif., Robert A. Casper Sr. soon celebrated news of the first American pope. “He was elected to unite the country and world with faith again, especially because he’s from America. The pope knows Trump is a very Christian president, and he and the Vatican see Trump as a uniter,” he said. In June, attention shifted to Israel’s confrontation with Iran as the countries traded waves of unprecedented attacks by air, drawing the U.S. into its first open hostilities with Tehran. “No one wants to be at war, but no one wants an unstable regime that may detonate a nuclear weapon against Israel or the U.S.,” said Joseph V. Comperchio of Brooklyn. Warren Davis of Olivebridge, N.Y., didn’t buy the rationale: “Suddenly, Iran’s bomb making capabilities become real. The hawks spread their wings… the Weapons of Mass Destruction playbook again. A new villain, a new political need.” And with a dramatic political upheaval at home in NYC’s Democratic mayoral primary, Phil Serpico of Kew Gardens expressed skepticism: “Along comes Mamdani, a virtual unknown, promising the moon and the stars, and the people have responded to him like the legendary Pied Piper.” In July, fans of late-night TV learned they would have to say goodbye to one of its most prominent hosts. “CBS can spin it however they want. We all know that Stephen Colbert’s show was cancelled as part of the settlement with Donald Trump,” said Barbara Haynes of Charlotte, N.C. By summer’s end, eight months of Trump’s second term prompted a harsh assessment from Lynbrook, L.I.’s Barbara Sobey of the country’s direction  “I thought we were beyond treating people so inhumanely,” she said. “Hard-working people just trying to make a better life for themselves and their families are taken by ICE — no trial, just deported or sent to places like the concentration camp in Florida surrounded by alligators.” Within days, U.S. military strikes on small boats the administration accused of smuggling drugs were further cause for concern for Ken Derow of Swarthmore, Pa.: “Trump and Hegseth now act in the capacity of judge, jury and executioner.” The day before the nation commemorated the 9/11 attacks, a prominent political figure’s assassination laid bare the severity of its division, according to Brooklyn’s Alan Podhaizer. “The killing of Charlie Kirk is an American tragedy. Unfortunately, political violence has been commonplace,” he said. In November, a potentially seismic shift in the city’s leadership became official. “Wham! Bham! Thank you Mam(dani)!,” cheered Lawrence Krasner of Queens Village. “It’s a new day for NYC and the nation.” From Central Islip, L.I., Thomas Sarc warned, “Now NYC is in trouble!” But in Brooklyn, Ellen Levitt sidestepped the doomsaying: “I may not be pleased about the outcome of the mayoral election, but I also believe that New York City will endure. New York is eternal.” With health insurance subsidies set to end with 2025, threatening health care for millions of Americans, Jamie H. Bassel of Manhattan predicted a true catastrophe in 2026: “The elimination of these subsidies will result in the collapse of our health care system as we know it,” she said.  Whatever happens, we’ll be here to keep you informed about it, and Voice of the People is your place to keep us and each other informed about what it all means to you. Be well, and please be in touch. ...read more read less