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 …

Opinions

Signs, signs everywhere in Paradise Valley

OPINION — As many of you have pointed out to me, and certainly a growing problem, our Town is being taken over by large, potentially illegal construction/builder/contractor advertising signs …

Opinion

The Vance myopia will hurt the GOP going forward

OPINION — JD Vance exhibits little in the way of political acumen or skills. Exhibit A could be his post-election social media post. In it, Vance said that the Republican debacle was solely the result of the Iran war. Moreover, everyone knows it and any contention to the contrary was dishonest. This is typical of the way Vance practices politics. Any disagreement with him, according to him, is stupid or dishonest, and probably both.

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

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.

Opinion

The day after: A look at the campaigns that weren’t

OPINION — I’ve never seen an election cycle in which the gulf between real policy choices and campaign messaging was wider. Based upon campaign messaging, you’d think that the biggest issue confronting the state and nation is pedophilia.

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

Savor the season of connection

OPINION — Welcome November, the “Month of Connection.” At least that is what I call it, because people tend to get together all month long. Then the culminating event for most of us will be on …

Opinion

Jon Kyl: Remembering a lifelong friend and leader

OPINION — Jon Kyl was a close friend for all of my adult life. Prior to becoming a journalist, I was also part of his political team, serving, for example, as general chairman of his first campaign for the U.S. Senate in 1994.

Opinion

A call for refugee support

OPINION — In this fraught time when so many freedoms are endangered, this letter calls for support for vetted refugee immigrants. This October, the Department of Homeland Security cut the …

Take the Civility Pledge

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.

Our civility pledge member community

Your Community Your Voice

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.

The bond invests in Scottsdale’s future

OPINION — Scottsdale Unified School District is one of the best public-school districts not just in Arizona, but in the nation. The reality is that many of our school facilities have not seen …

Can’t wait for Paradise Valley council to act on leaf blowers

OPINION — Following the town council’s Oct. 22 study session on leaf blowers, one thing is clear: residents shouldn’t count on the council to lead any effort to reduce leaf blower noise and …

Candidates talk green energy, rate increases

OPINION — Recently, I had an opportunity to participate in a forum for ACC candidates sponsored by two faith-based Phoenix organizations. All of the candidates were invited, but only Clara Pratte …

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 …

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.

Join me in voting yes for Scottsdale schools

OPINION — Hi. I’m Skyler Badenoch, a local SUSD dad who knows we only have 12 days until the election. As a parent with children attending Desert Mountain High School and Cheyenne …

The Scottsdale Unified bond provides vital infrastructure

OPINION — We proudly support the 2025 Scottsdale Unified School District bond plan because it directly funds essential infrastructure, such as modernizing schools, technology servers, plumbing and …

Why experience matters in the Scottsdale school board election

OPINION — Experience matters when making decisions that shape the future of our schools. But not all experience is the same. I'm a mother of six children, all educated in Scottsdale Unified …

Vote yes on 426 and 427 for Paradise Valley

OPINION — Vote yes on Proposition 426 to increase the expenditure limitation in Paradise Valley. There is no increase in any tax if you vote yes on 426. Mayor Mark Stanton and four council …

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 …

Bridging the gap between breast cancer awareness and action

OPINION — New American Cancer Society research reveals a gap between breast-cancer awareness and action that can save lives. In Arizona, approximately 900 women died from breast cancer in 2024, …

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.

Paradise Valley residents should support Propositions 436 and 427

OPINION — I encourage Paradise Valley residents to vote yes on Propositions 426 and 427. Arizona's expenditure limitation system was created nearly 50 years ago and limits how much of its …

Let Paradise Valley voters decide

OPINION — Paradise Valley’s Town Council voted 5-2 to place expenditure-limit (426) and the capital projects accumulation fund exemption (427) on the November ballot. Paul Dembow’s repeated …

Paper water should equal wet water

OPINION — I have written 100 essays about Arizona water, runaway growth, sprawl, wildcat development, the Colorado River and the relentless destruction of the desert we keep claiming we want to …

Christine Labelle, Town of Paradise Valley vice mayor

Prop 426: A familiar practice, complementary to Prop 427

OPINION — Arizona’s expenditure limitation is an artificial spending ceiling established almost 50 years ago. It relies on population and inflation, not changing demands or available revenues. …

Paradise Valley should vote no on Proposition 426

OPINION — Mayor Stanton is pushing a $20 million increase in Paradise Valley’s spending limit (Proposition 426). He is the same person who pushed the Five Star/Ritz project more than a decade …

Scottsdale bond supports our schools’ future

OPINION — As long-time champions of the Scottsdale Unified School District and co-chairs of Yes to Children, we urge you to join us in voting yes on the SUSD bond. A yes vote invests in our …

Elections, and school closures in Scottsdale, have consequences

OPINION — Elections have consequences. Recently, Scottsdale families saw just how significant those consequences can be when the governing board voted 3-2 to close two more neighborhood schools. …

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 …

Crossroads: Where does America go from here?

OPINION — The liberal American democracy we all grew up in is under severe strain. The America of strong middle class, stable jobs, predictable two big-tent party politics and national confidence has been seriously compromised. The economic and political choices of the past 40-plus years reshaped American life, and those choices are now being questioned.