Utah Gov. Spencer Cox wants people to learn to disagree.

As the elected chair of the National Governors Association, he is leading a campaign called "Disagree Better" - an initiative "designed to help Americans bridge the partisan divide," and adopt more positive approaches to politics and social discourse.

Last week, a day after the first Republican presidential debate, Cox took to X - the platform formerly known as Twitter - and shared a video where he said he has found "listening to understand as opposed to listening to debate is a powerful tool."

"Healthy disagreement is about staying true to who we are, to the principles that we believe in," said Cox, "but also not attacking the person who disagrees with us."

Cox acknowledges that the United States is deeply divided and a majority of Americans are tired of the division and hyper-partisanship.

According to the Pew Research Center, partisanship continues to be the dividing line in the American public's political attitudes - far surpassing other markers such as age, race and ethnicity.

Cox said the nation was created with 50 states, of which he calls "laboratories of democracy." He said each state is uniquely positioned to work together and learn from one another.

The Disagree Better initiative has a list of recommended strategies and tools for state and local leaders to implement in an effort to ease tensions.

"Because what happens is when we're curious, when we're really trying to understand where the other person is coming from," said Cox, "they're much more likely to give us that same opportunity and to listen to us."

Cox said it's an important message with the 2024 presidential primaries in full effect.

A recent poll found that more Americans viewed neither President Joe Biden, the likely Democratic nominee, nor former President Donald Trump, the clear front-runner for the Republican Party, in a favorable light than those who saw either of them favorably.




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A series of free summer camps focused on STEM and other career paths seeks to boost the career goals of youth in the agricultural community of Immokalee.

Florida Gulf Coast University has teamed up with the Immokalee Foundation to offer a series of free educational camps for underserved youth in the region. The initiative includes a STEM camp for middle schoolers and four high school camps focused on business management and entrepreneurship, education and human services, engineering and construction management, and health care.

Noemi Perez, CEO of the Immokalee Foundation, explained the value of the program.

"When you take a community and individuals who are just surviving and giving their students, their children this type of opportunity, it just, it creates such a huge impact," Perez stressed. "Not only for the family, but also for the community as a whole."

In its final week, students pitch their ideas to judges, like on the popular show "Shark Tank." The competitive program serves about 1,300 Immokalee students per year. Perez said 100% of participants graduate from high school and attend a postsecondary institution.

Heather Skoza-Acosta, director of the Whitaker Center for STEM Education at Florida Gulf Coast University, oversees the middle school STEM camp. She emphasized the importance of early exposure to science.

"They have four separate STEM disciplines on four different weeks," Skoza-Acosta pointed out. "I think it gives them an opportunity to find their passion, find their skill sets, meet some professionals working in the field. "

During Forensics Week, Florida Gulf Coast University's forensics anthropology team guided students through analyzing crime scenes. During Environmental Science Week, students examined water quality on campus.

Organizers said the initiative is part of a broader effort by both the university and the foundation to support educational equity and create pathways to success for underserved communities.

Community action agencies in Utah and across the nation are celebrating 60 years of battling poverty and empowering communities, which started with the signing of the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964.

Jennifer Godfrey, CEO of Utah Community Action, said there are a total of nine community action agencies in the Beehive State, with each one aiming to help Utahns in their own unique way. She added all nine organizations have the ability to provide services that can change people's lives.

"Not only is it incredibly humbling to be a part of that work, but it is also such an honor to be working with these individuals who are experiencing poverty," Godfrey noted. "Because everybody deserves a second chance from time to time."

Godfrey pointed out people who experience poverty are not a monolith, because poverty is a complex issue and there is not a single reason behind it for many people. In Utah, Native Americans experience the highest rate of poverty at just above 27%.

Utah has been a leader when it relates to volunteerism, and Godfrey encourages Utahns to continue strengthening its standing year-round by contacting their local action agency to help.

Utah's poverty rate is just below 9%, which sits below the national average of around 12%.

Godfrey stressed new challenges like increasing food, medical and housing costs are taking a toll on Utah residents. She added most people don't realize how many Utahns are actually living on the edge.

"In some instances, many instances in fact, the vast majority of individuals are one paycheck away from having a crisis," Godfrey asserted.

Regardless of the situation, Godfrey emphasized her organization is there to help, as action agencies are designed to be nimble to the needs of their respective communities.

The National Weather Service continues to survey damage across northern Arkansas after tornadoes ripped through the state over the weekend.

Crews have confirmed at least six twisters touched down causing widespread destruction. Schools and businesses remain closed, and thousands of residents are still without electricity as power lines across the state were destroyed.

Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed two executive orders, one declaring a state of emergency and a second authorizing paid leave for state employees affected by the storms.

"We are in, still, an assessment phase; we're going to have to continue," Sanders said. "The rebuilding efforts will come-this is not going to be a short process, but a long road ahead. But I can assure you that not only will our city, county, state and federal partners, we will work together. "

Seven people were killed in the tornadoes. The storms hit just a little over a year after five people were killed by tornadoes in 2023.

Families who have lost everything are receiving help from their neighbors as well as local, state and federal agencies. The Arkansas Division of Emergency Management is accepting monetary donations through the Arkansas Disaster Relief Program, and the Texas based nonprofit Texans on Mission is working with partner agencies in Arkansas to help residents pick up the pieces.

John Hall, chief mission officer and director of communications for Texans on Mission, said it is an emotional task.

"The very first thing we typically go in with is that we call box teams," Hall explained. "These are small groups of volunteers who bring in trailers full of empty boxes. They'll drive into these neighborhoods and start handing out these pre-boxes, that people then use to go through the debris and find the heirlooms and find the jewelry."

The organization also provides shower and laundry teams, mass feeding trucks and chain saw teams to clear away downed trees and debris. Crews from the National Weather Service are still checking damage patterns and the number of confirmed tornadoes could increase.


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