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Regarding the May 17 article “UA: Higher percentage accepting admission,” Provost Prelock boasts about an increased “yield rate,” including an incoming GPA rising from 3.43 to 3.65, the Honors College being at an “all-time high,” 12 Flinn Scholarship students, and ASU and NAU “not achieving the same yield as we are.” However, she did not discuss what a sophomore in a 200-level Ed Psych class would point out: restricted range — a biased sample.

What about the thousands of applicants who were never “offered” admission because of the new elite admission policies? As an associate professor of practice, I work with students who are not “high yield.” Some are the high-C, low-B students who struggle but eventually graduate. After all, shouldn’t those students be included in the mission of our land-grant college?

Working with Honors students is satisfying, but helping the B-minus or C student succeed can be more rewarding. U of A administrators should remember: Education is a sacred trust for all levels of students.

Richard Wood

Midtown

Destroying two countries

Over the weekend, Ukraine launched a shower of drones on Moscow, with many hitting their mark.

Until now, Ukraine had targeted military and industrial facilities only, but after enduring recent Russian drone strikes on Kyiv, it must have figured civilian targets were fair game as well.

The Russians have reportedly lost over a third of their young men on the battlefield and lately have lost ground there as well. Yet Putin's obstinacy prevents any peace initiative from moving forward.

Many of the elites in Russia are sick of this war but don't dare confront Putin. He is completely in control.

Hey, but guess what? We're getting to have the same problem here. And this is supposed to be a democracy. Yet the Republican Party, in control of Congress, doesn't dare confront Trump, who stubbornly doesn't care about the will of the majority of the American people.

Now, Trump is confronted with either escalating tensions with Iran or backing down from his own braggadocio. Guess which option will win.

John Schmidt

Southwest side

Happy 250th Birthday, Trumplandia!

Only in Trump's America can the president urge his followers to violently attack Congress, threaten elected representatives with death and violently attack police officers in an attempt to overturn a legal election, then pardon those involved, sue the government and order a crooked attorney general to settle his case for $1.776 billion to reward his criminal henchmen and celebrate the founding of our country.

I can't help but wonder if this is what our Founders had in mind.

Bruce Hilpert

North side

Tucson Veterans Affairs

I am a decorated veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard (1977-83). Nine years ago, while at the VA, a dermatologist looked at a black spot on my right ear. After looking at my ear, he said, “This is a Venus lake. Do not worry about it. It will go away.” He never took a biopsy, and I trusted this doctor.

This was nine years ago. In July 2024, I went to the ER at the VA. Right there, I was told that my ear was full of cancer. I was admitted that night and operated on early the next morning. I had four surgeries in the next week, and I died during the fourth surgery before being revived by doctors in the operating room.

After a two-month stay, I was released from the VA. Before I left, I filed a tort claim regarding my ear, which was removed, and eight years of pain and suffering, along with additional financial losses due to the lack of action.

Patrick Gebel

Midtown

IRS settlement

If Barack Obama had sued his own government, settled privately with himself, and established a billion-dollar fund to pay his political allies without congressional oversight, the National Guard would have been called in, impeachment articles would have been filed, and Fox News would have expressed outrage. However, when Trump does something similar, many appear to consider it acceptable.

America was once a great country, but under Trump and Republican control, corruption has become rampant.

Jim Dreis

East side

Hopeful for budget by early June

Perhaps I'm a bit too optimistic, but I was hopeful to hear that, according to Senate President Warren Petersen, negotiators had almost agreed on a budget to fund our state government as of May 20. While I disagree with the political theater on both sides and wish something like negotiating a budget didn't involve gaining political points, I'm impressed that they came back to the table.

Gov. Hobbs' budget proposal was ambitious given our nation's current economic conditions, and the legislative majority's budget cuts to fund OBBB were borderline cruel given how those conditions are affecting everyday Arizonans. I'm hoping that this new version of the budget will include a compromise that retains Rio Nuevo, preserves art commission funding, removes the data center tax credit and supports ongoing affordability efforts for the majority of Arizonans.

The governor already jump-started these efforts in her first term, but there is more work to do, and both sides know it.

Wyatt Kanyer

Midtown

Norway's wealth

Today, Norway is richer than the United States in per capita wealth thanks to its discovery of oil and gas in the Norwegian-controlled continental shelf. Norway manages its oil and gas by acting as owner through a national energy company and transferring profits into a sovereign wealth fund for long-term security. This wealth fund is currently worth $2.2 trillion and is invested in stocks throughout the world. It funds much of the costs associated with health care, education, and retirement, and the fund keeps growing. It will continue to fund future generations. Compare that to the wealth distribution in the United States and the division of our country between the rich and poor. Norway is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system of government. Power is divided between the executive, legislative, and judicial branches. Currently, the U.S. model reflects greed, ignorance, and failure to adhere to the Constitution.

Michael Mount

Foothills

Is he any better?

I'm glad my father didn't live to see this.

Let me explain: He was a WWII veteran of the Battle of the Bulge and an 'old school' Republican. I can imagine him in today's world freezing nearly to death, starving, and being shot at while wondering if the guy calling the shots in the White House wasn't a whole lot different from the maniac he was fighting against ...

We must change our country's direction in November or forsake the memory of all those brave souls who have fought and died to preserve it for 250 years.

Richard Rose

East side

I remember

On Memorial Day, we remember those who died in the service of our country. Years ago, I acquired the book "To Heal a Nation" by Scruggs and Swerdlow (Harper & Row: 1985). It describes the development of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. It lists every name on that memorial wall. Using that book and my recollection, I determined that I had known about 32 people who had died during that war. Some were neighbors, others I had known in high school, but most of them (15) had been in my Army basic training company at Fort Dix, N.J., in the spring of 1969. Many of them I didn't know personally, but I remember hearing their names being called out during morning roll call. (....BROWN, Here, First Sergeant!....HARRISON, Here!....STEVENS, Here!....) I didn't go to Vietnam. The Army sent me to Europe instead, but I remember those that I had known who had made that ultimate sacrifice.

Christopher Roe

Southeast side