Morning Briefing: Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026

Happy New Year! Here are three things you should know today:

🏋️ Resolutions: Making a New Year’s resolution? Local professionals have tips to make it happen.

🛌 New Year’s sleep: A recent survey showed a new trend of people avoiding New Year’s parties in exchange for a chill time at home.

✉️ Post haste: The USPS is changing when it postmarks envelopes, which could cause problems for time-sensitive mail.

If you have thoughts or feedback on this newsletter or other news tips, please let me know at daniel.susco@coxinc.com.

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The newsletter should take about 2 minutes, 3 seconds to read.

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Best New Year’s resolution? Local doctor, fitness coaches have tips for you

Ahead of New Year’s resolutions, staff writer Michael Kurtz spoke to a local professionals for tips on making resolutions and sticking with them.

• How: One problem, according to Dr. Fadi Tayim, clinical neuropsychologist and director of Premier Health’s Brain Mapping Center, is that people make a resolution without a plan to make it happen. He added to have a contingency plan for when things go wrong, saying “Life is not going to go from A to Z.”

• Why: More important, though, Fayim said, is the why. “What’s important is what’s the reason behind it. What keeps you going and working toward that goal.”

• Realistic goals: LA Fitness personal trainer Robert Fleck said that along with a plan, you need to have realistic expectations, not expecting everything to change at once or overnight.

• No resolutions: MarieYolaine Toms, founder of financial coaching company Focused Fire, said she follows a “no resolutions” mindset with her clients, and instead focuses on making an action plan that you can track forward and backward, then make adjustments to until the goal is met.


FREE CONTENT: New Year’s Eve trend: Quieter, calmer, cozier

A recent survey has found mixed results on whether people plan to spend New Years’ Eve partying. While a significant number of Gen Z respondents said they would dress up and head to a party, others largely said they would spend the night at home, whether alone, watching streaming platforms or even just going to sleep.


What to know today

• One big takeaway: A change to when the U.S. Postal Service puts postmarks on envelopes could cause problems for deadlines for ballots, tax returns and other time-sensitive mail.

• Tip of the day: YouTube TV has announced that it will offer new genre-specific channel packages for less than the current $83 per month subscription price.

• Person to know today: Steve Baker, longtime WHIO-TV reporter who died Wednesday morning at 79.

• Quote of the day: “[…]a great plate of pasta is lightyears more reliable than romance.” – “But First, Food” columnist Whitney Kling, discussing her New Year’s Eve meal this year.

• Stat of the day: 13: the number of new weather records set in Dayton during 2025.

• Happening today: Ohio’s minimum wage is increasing to $11 for 2026.

• Photo of the day: A dish from The Burger Bistro by Cece’s Kitchen, one of more than 80 restaurants, food trucks and hospitality businesses to open in the greater Dayton area in 2025.