INI CIVILITY LEARNING LAB

Who fact-checks the fact-checkers?

OPINION — A reader recently wrote to thank us for emphasizing the importance of fact-checking information that you may read on social media or hear in conversation. We recommended actions to …

Opinion

Veterans help power the U.S. economy; how can we help them?

OPINION — After serving in their nation’s military, they’re now serving in America’s economy. Veteran-owned businesses generate $1.3 trillion in annual sales and employ 4 million workers ... leaders of veterans service organizations say some of the men and women behind that economic success are still struggling to find stable housing, get mental health care or translate military experience into a civilian career.

Opinion

Service members in crisis need more than a ‘thank you’

OPINION — Every year, we pause on Veterans Day to celebrate our veterans for their service. But for decades now, many returning veterans have asked us for more than platitudes.

Question of the Week: Did midterm election attack ads sway your vote?

Nov. 3 brought a merciful end to nonstop political attack ads by candidates and political action committees in the run-up to Election Day. They unfold predictably: tear down the opponent with the …

Opinion

US should make Armistice Day great again, ditch Veterans Day celebrations

OPINION — At “the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month” of 1918, guns officially fell silent across Europe and World War I came to a military end (the political finish came in 1919 with the Treaty of Versailles).

Opinion

Honoring those who served: Why I still do this work after 30 years

OPINION — Every Veterans Day, there is a moment that reminds me why I do this work. It isn’t the marching bands, the magnificent floats or the thousands of spectators lining Phoenix streets.

Opinion

Midterm elections were an enormous populist blowout

For years, Americans have been viciously divided according to race, religion, immigration status and gender identity by politicians dead set on making us fight each other rather than them. In a year where real people’s struggles were impossible to ignore, that effort fell short. It’s hard to overstate the scale of Democratic victories in this year’s midterm elections.

Question of the Week: How often do you fly for pleasure or work?

A new terminal is coming to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport west of Terminal 3 by 2033, the airport’s first new terminal since 1990. That suggests anticipated continued increase in …

Opinion

My town passed a data-center moratorium, and yours can, too

OPINION — I’m the mayor of Lochbuie, Colorado, and my residents are worried about our water supply. So, we passed a five-year moratorium on AI data centers. Your town can, too. Like many other parts of the country, our state is facing a serious water-supply problem.

Opinion

What first responders carry home after the call ends

OPINION — For first responders, what most of us would consider an extraordinary crisis can simply be part of a Tuesday. Law enforcement officers, firefighters, emergency medical personnel, correctional officers and paramedics routinely face circumstances many people may experience only once, if ever, in their lifetime.

Opinion

Arizona elections are transparent, honest

OPINION — Arizona’s election system doesn’t rely on blind trust. It’s built on transparency. Ballot processing and other activities at the Maricopa County Tabulation & Election Center are livestreamed 24 hours a day. Teams of political observers from the various political parties monitor ballot verification procedures, tabulator checks and other operations.

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Civility Checklist

How to engage in respectful, honest & civil dialogue about public issues.

Checkmark Take the high road. Respond to the topic — not the person. Refrain from demonizing others for their opinions. Assume those you disagree with are, like you, genuinely interested in improving the community.

Checkmark Be respectful. Bullying, public humiliation, insults, name-calling, harassment, and threats directed at another person — or that person's race, gender, religion, ethnicity, etc. — have no place in civil discussions. Find ways to respectfully disagree without questioning someone's character or motives.

Checkmark Be truthful. Base your opinions/arguments on facts. Value honesty. Make only accurate statements when making your point and avoid exaggeration and stereotypes. When appropriate, cite your sources of information that others may question.

Checkmark Don't misrepresent. Always identify your opinions as opinions (not stating opinions as facts). Never misrepresent the views of others or falsely claim your opinions represent someone else. If quoting the words of others, identify and credit the source.

Checkmark Listen & learn. It's both polite and respectful to listen to those we disagree with (as well as those we support) and be genuine in our attempts to understand their point of view. Expand your mind by thoughtfully seeking out views that don't agree with your own.

Checkmark Look for common ground. When disagreeing with others, look for even small areas of agreement — which can be the gateway to working together for the greater good.

Checkmark Respect privacy. Keep private things private — whether it involves your own information or those with whom you disagree. Revealing private information about someone else is rude, unethical, potentially harmful and, in many cases, illegal.

Checkmark Set a good example. Practice civil behavior online as well as in public and in your interaction with others. Encourage others to practice these civil behaviors. And it's OK to challenge disrespectful behavior — but be courteous, respectful and helpful in your approach.

Now that you've read the checklist, take the Civility Pledge.

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Your Community Your Voice

Love at first byte: Is your next date human — or is it AI?

OPINION — Online dating used to mean wondering whether someone’s profile photo was 10 years old. Now there’s a more fundamental question: Does this person even exist?

Question of the Week: Do you still play games in the Arizona Lottery?

The Arizona Lottery was created when voters approved Proposition 200 in November 1980. The two biggest games are Powerball and Mega Millions, both multi-state games. Odds of winning are just as …

Big snag with GLP-1 program

OPINION — When President Trump and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz announced the creation of the GLP-1 Bridge Program last year, many Americans might have thought the administration had cut a deal that would drop the price of GLP-1 medications to $50 per month for anyone looking to lose weight.

Arizona’s fentanyl overdose statistics are alarming; free Narcan training can help

OPINION — While deaths from drug overdoses across the United States declined during each of the last three years, they have surged in Arizona. From September 2024 to September 2025, our state recorded a 17% increase in overdose deaths — twice the national average — according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Healthcare shouldn’t be so hard; health literacy can help

OPINION — A visit to the doctor may get you a diagnosis. A trip to the pharmacist fills the needed prescription. Your health plan has all sorts of information about benefits. Healthcare. Straightforward and easy to understand, right? Eye roll. Laugh stifled.

Feeling safe again can take time after domestic violence

Safety can change in a moment, but feeling safe again can take much longer. This is something I have come to understand through my work as a therapist in Arizona with individuals who have experienced domestic violence and other forms of trauma.

Question of the Week: Does your family participate in Halloween traditions and fun?

There was a time when nothing signaled the onset of autumn like Halloween, the annual cultural celebration observed on Oct. 31, which features trick-or-treating, wearing costumes and carving …

Fighting hunger also means prioritizing nutrition

OPINION — When most people think about hunger, they picture an empty pantry or fridge. Yet, for families struggling to make ends meet, the challenge is often more complicated than simply having enough food to eat.

Congress should pass the Major Richard Star Act to keep its promise to combat-injured veterans

OPINION — When Americans are injured in combat, we have a responsibility to make sure they receive the benefits they earned through their service and sacrifice. For tens of thousands of veterans, we are falling short of that promise.

Arizona business leaders: Skip the boring icebreakers at company functions

OPINION — Phoenix is having a moment as a meeting destination, recently ranking No. 4 in U.S. News & World Report’s inaugural list of the nation’s best conference cities. But filling a ballroom is only half the job. With Gallup reporting that 51% of remote-capable U.S. employees work in hybrid roles, the more important question is what happens once everyone gets together?

Question of the Week: Should the Pentagon livestream the execution of former U.S. Army Maj. Nidal Hasan?

Former Army Medical Corps psychiatrist Nidal Hasan is scheduled to be executed by firing squad Dec. 3 at Fort Hood, Texas, for the 2009 mass shooting that claimed the lives of 13 soldiers and wounded …

What a 100th birthday taught me about caring for seniors

OPINION — When one of my patients recently reached the remarkable milestone of turning 100, our care team invited him in for a special celebration. As is his nature, he expressed appreciation, but truth be told, we were the grateful ones.

What’s next for integrity of home health and hospice?

OPINION — Fraud in home health and hospice care is real, and it hurts everyone who touches this industry — patients, who deserve care they can trust, taxpayers, who fund the Medicare program, and the honest providers, whose reputations are dragged down every time a bad actor makes headlines.

Question of the Week: Are you voting by mail this year or going to the polls Nov. 3?

There has been plenty of bluster about mail-in voting, some of the negative coming from President Trump — who votes by mail himself. Do you believe in the integrity of voting by mail through …

They’re coming for our pets

OPINION — Just when you thought the cost of healthcare couldn’t rise any further, they’re coming for our pets.

When cancer affects the whole family

OPINION — A cancer diagnosis can change the rhythm of an entire household. Parents, grandparents, siblings and caregivers often find themselves navigating new responsibilities, emotions and uncertainties while adjusting to an unfamiliar reality. For children and teens, these changes can be especially difficult to process when they sense something is different.

U.S. vs. Mexico: ‘War’ that ends at final whistle in Glendale

OPINION — On Saturday, Oct. 3, at 7 p.m., the United States’ men’s soccer team will play Mexico at State Farm Stadium in Glendale. On paper, it is a friendly. Nobody in my family has ever used that word for this game. Mexico can lose to the United States in almost any sport and take it well. Basketball, baseball, a bad night in the ring. We shake hands and go to dinner. Soccer is different.

Dental tourism may save money, but Arizonans should understand the risks

OPINION — As the cost of dental care continues to rise, more Arizonans are looking outside the United States for major dental treatments such as implants.

Question of the Week: How are you observing Hispanic Heritage Month?

Arizona’s population of Hispanic or Latino heritage is 32.5% — nearly one-third, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. President Lyndon B. Johnson established Hispanic Heritage Week in 1968 and …

Combating hunger in Arizona requires effort from all of us

OPINION — More than 1 million Arizonans currently face inadequate access to food. In some communities, about 1 in 4 residents experience food insecurity.

AI is already making Valley travelers’ lives miserable

OPINION — All this talk about pacing the frontier of artificial intelligence overlooks a reality that travelers experience every day. An algorithm already determines your airfare. Another sets the hotel's rate. And another answers your complaint with a non-answer, hoping you'll give up.

Arizona lawmakers should kill the legislative subpoena

OPINION — According to Arizona law, a subpoena can be issued by the president of the Senate, the speaker of the House and the chairman of any committee. The Legislature has over 30 committees.

A student’s perspective on Proposition 320

OPINION — Every morning, I walk into a public school in Mesa as a student. I go to class, learn from my teachers, work with my classmates and eventually go home. From the outside, it would be easy to think my education begins and ends in those classrooms. As a high school senior, I know it doesn’t.

Question of the Week: Are Valley communities planning wisely?

Metro Phoenix remains among the fast-growing areas in the country. But are its communities doing the best job of regulating growth and development? Are they planning wisely for housing, schools, …

Gen Z women don’t owe America babies

OPINION — Gen Z women like me are having fewer babies. That shouldn’t be a surprise. With prices for everything going up, our parents’ steady jobs, white picket fences and retirement packages feel much less attainable for us.

Reader agrees Congress must fund defense innovation

OPINION — I recently read Todd Jackson’s letter to the editor, Don’t forget local Army Reservists after 9/11 remembrances. I have to say I had no idea about many of our modern defenses such as the Integrated Battle Command System that are being built and designed to protect not only our nation, but our service members as well.

Data center incentive moratorium risking one of Arizona’s labor success stories

OPINION — Arizona earned its title as a national leader in data center development through smart, innovation-focused policies, a highly skilled workforce and union members who have proven they can build some of the most advanced infrastructure in the world. However, the Legislature’s three-year moratorium on data center tax incentives now risks the very momentum making Arizona one of the country’s greatest labor success stories.

Substance abuse recovery isn’t the same for everyone

OPINION — Recovery on its own can mean a lot of things. Recovery after an injury. Recovery after a heartbreaking loss. Recovery after a bad flu. But this September, we’re acknowledging substance use recovery — a reality for millions of Americans and thousands of Arizonans.

What will the Valley of the Sun look like in 2035?

OPINION — Greater Phoenix’s architectural landscape is ever-changing. For decades, we’ve seen business developments, lifestyle hubs and communities sprout up across the desert. But as we look toward 2035, the next chapter of Valley growth may look very different from the last.

Let’s make suicide something we discuss and prevent

OPINION — In my office, a conversation about suicide may start with a patient saying they cannot sleep, a parent mentioning that their teenager has withdrawn from friends or an older adult struggling with pain, illness or the loss of a spouse. None of these concerns necessarily means someone is considering suicide, but each is a reason to ask more questions.