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What Betsy DeVos' 'grizzlies' answer really tells us

By Jill Filipovic
The GOP's irrational fealty to the NRA defeats any sane debate about gun policy--even about guns in proximity to schoolchildren. But Americans deserve that debate from their leaders, writes Jill Filipovic.
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vault 1993 maya angelou pulse morning bill clinton inauguration_00015018.jpg

Why President Trump needs poetry

By Jane Carr, CNN
Former poet laureate Rita Dove describes how writers resist and the power poetry can have for everyday citizens and a commander in chief.
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The West side of the US Capitol during a rehearsal for the inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump on January 15, 2017 in Washington.

We prayed with Donald Trump yesterday

By Scott Black Johnston and Patrick H. O'Connor
The pastors of two New York City churches with unique connections to President-elect Donald J. Trump write about praying with him and their hopes that he will listen to leaders of all faiths.

What Sean Spicer can learn from Bill Belichick

By James Lynch
On Friday, Sean Spicer will become the 30th White House Press Secretary. If Spicer wants to be successful, he might take a tip from his favorite football coach—especially if that coach is six-time Super Bowl champion coach—Bill Belichick. When it comes to handling the press, no one does it better than Coach Belichik.
President-elect Donald Trump speaks to reporters at Trump Tower on January 13, 2017, in New York City.

President Trump, want to lead America? Start with 'sorry'

By Issac Bailey
Donald Trump will be my president even though I don't want him to be. Make no mistake, though, Trump's taking the oath Friday will be a legitimate political exercise only because he achieved every constitutional requirement to claim the office, not because he is a great, or even a good man.
First Lady Michelle Obama meets with Melania Trump for tea in the Yellow Oval Room of the White House, Nov. 10, 2016. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy) This official White House photograph is being made available only for publication by news organizations and/or for personal use printing by the subject(s) of the photograph. The photograph may not be manipulated in any way and may not be used in commercial or political materials, advertisements, emails, products, promotions that in any way suggests approval or endorsement of the President, the First Family, or the White House.

What happens when first ladies share a backseat

By Kate Andersen Brower
After an election that was polarizing and personal, tradition still stipulates that Michelle Obama and Melania Trump ride together to the Capitol, says Kate Andersen Brower.
President-elect Donald Trump speaks during a press conference January 11, 2017 at Trump Tower in New York.

Donald Trump: 'Me generation' boomer-in-chief

By Michael D'Antonio, CNN
The man who will put his hand on the Lincoln Bible on Friday is unlike any president in living memory. But he does not defy understanding. In fact, Donald Trump is a product of his generation, a profoundly narcissistic president who should be regarded as the baby boomer-in-chief.

Why Talladega band belongs at Donald Trump's inauguration

By William R. Harvey
It's right to celebrate the peaceful transition of power in our democracy, whatever one's views, writes Hampton University president, William Harvey, and the parade offers a golden opportunity to spotlight historically black colleges.
3 h
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What's the state of sisterhood in the time of Trump?

By Carol Costello
The state of women in the time of Trump is ... fraught. I can't take credit for that insanely perfect word to describe this precarious time -- that goes to feminist writer and critic Roxane Gay.
Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump speaks to members of the media during a tour of his International Golf Links course north of Aberdeen on the east coast of Scotland on June 25, 2016. Donald Trump hailed Britain's vote to leave the EU as "fantastic" shortly after arriving in Scotland on Friday for his first international trip since becoming the presumptive Republican presidential nominee. / AFP / Michal Wachucik (Photo credit should read MICHAL WACHUCIK/AFP/Getty Images)

Trump as job creator: hope or hoax?

By Douglas Rushkoff
Trump tweet-slamming companies over jobs encourages them to cast any jobs they add as inspired by him. Can this sales-job convince a nation to feel good enough to borrow billions for infrastructure jobs, asks Douglas Rushkoff?
President-elect Donald Trump speaks during a press conference January 11, 2017 at Trump Tower in New York.

Donald Trump: 'Me generation' boomer-in-chief

By Michael D'Antonio, CNN
The man who will put his hand on the Lincoln Bible on Friday is unlike any president in living memory. But he does not defy understanding. In fact, Donald Trump is a product of his generation, a profoundly narcissistic president who should be regarded as the baby boomer-in-chief.

The fight against sex trafficking is bigger than Backpage

By Andrea Powell, CNN
On January 9, after an investigation lasting over 21 months, a Senate subcommittee published a scathing report, finding that classified ads website Backpage.com knowingly facilitated online child sex trafficking on the "adult" section of its website.
President-elect Donald Trump talks to Vice President-elect Mike Pence during a press conference at Trump Tower in New York on January 11, 2017. Trump held his first news conference in nearly six months Wednesday, amid explosive allegations over his ties to Russia, a little more than a week before his inauguration. / AFP / TIMOTHY A. CLARY (Photo credit should read TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images)

The hope of audacity in Indiana

By Daniel Lee
I first realized that Donald Trump might actually win the presidency when I was with my mom last fall at Deaconess Gateway Hospital in Evansville, Indiana, where she was recovering from knee replacement surgery.
President-elect Donald Trump arrives to speak at a USA Thank You Tour 2016 at the Giant Center on December 15, 2016 in Hershey, Pennsylvania. / AFP / Don EMMERT (Photo credit should read DON EMMERT/AFP/Getty Images)

Trump doesn't care if you don't like him

By Julian Zelizer
Donald Trump is betting that America's fascination with the anti-hero will bring him success as president in a divided nation, writes Julian Zelizer

Republicans, enjoy this week's party, but remember 2009

By Steve Israel
Steve Israel says as the Republicans celebrate control of Congress and the White House, they should remember how that kind of undivided power quickly slipped out of the Democrats' hands after the heady days eight years ago
A photo shows the Congress Centre on the eve of the opening day of the World Economic Forum, on January 16, 2017 in Davos. Inequality will be among the issues topping the agenda as the world's political and business elite meet in Davos from January 17 to 20, when 3,000 people will gather for the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum. / AFP / FABRICE COFFRINI (Photo credit should read FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP/Getty Images)

Nobel economist: One-percenters, pay your taxes

By Joseph E. Stiglitz
Oxfam report reveals that eight men have as much wealth as half the world. Corporations must confront this moral failure with some basic steps that will workers and build prosperity for all in the process, writes Joseph Stiglitz.
More than 30 years the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, many pregnant women still experience unfair challenges on the job.

Why we still need to pay attention to Zika

By Lindsay C. Malloy
We need more funding for Zika research to prevent other women from being in my position, says Lindsay C. Malloy, who had a false positive test early in her pregnancy.
MIAMI, FL - FEBRUARY 05: Pedro Rojas holds a sign directing people to an insurance company where they can sign up for the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, before the February 15th deadline on February 5, 2015 in Miami, Florida. Numbers released by the government show that the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach metropolitan area has signed up 637,514 consumers so far since open enrollment began on Nov. 15, which is more than twice as many as the next large metropolitan area, Atlanta, Georgia.

Obamacare saved my life. What now?

By Xeni Jardin
I was lying in bed with my dog, recovering from my most recent surgery, when a news alert went off on my iPhone after midnight.
US President-elect Donald Trump arrives at the New York Hilton Midtown in New York on November 8. Trump stunned America and the world Wednesday, riding a wave of populist resentment to defeat Hillary Clinton in the race to become the 45th president of the United States.

Trump is following the authoritarian playbook

By Ruth Ben-Ghiat
From stifling of press to rewriting history to discrediting justices who object to extra-legal practices, Trump's record bodes ill for the country and demands a vigorous push-back from citizens, writes historian Ruth Ben-Ghiat.
President-elect Donald Trump speaks to reporters at Trump Tower on January 13, 2017, in New York City.

Is the Christopher Steele dossier fake news?

By Nick Dowling
Donald Trump has called the Christopher Steele dossier "fake news" and "phony stuff," but is it? Nick Dowling says the material may or may not be true, but we can't dismiss it lightly
The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. arrives in Alabama's state capital at the end of the Selma-to-Montgomery march a few weeks after "Bloody Sunday." The Selma campaign is widely considered King's greatest victory.

What MLK might say to Donald Trump

By Peniel Joseph
Donald Trump's critique of civil rights icon John Lewis, says Peniel Joseph, reminds us that Martin Luther King Jr. believed that justice was what love looked like in public.

Ex-spy who wrote intel memos is a pro

By Nick Dowling and David Handley
Two former officials, one American and one British, say the material provided by a retired intelligence operative may or may not be true but deserves to be taken seriously, and intelligence should not be politicized

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                QAQORTOQ, GREENLAND - JULY 30: Calved icebergs from the nearby Twin Glaciers are seen floating on the water on July 30, 2013 in Qaqortoq, Greenland. Boats are a crucial mode of transportation in the country that has few roads. As cities like Miami, New York and other vulnerable spots around the world strategize about how to respond to climate change, many Greenlanders simply do what theyve always done: adapt. 'Were used to change, said Greenlander Pilu Neilsen. 'We learn to adapt to whatever comes. If all the glaciers melt, well just get more land. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
                QAQORTOQ, GREENLAND - JULY 30: Calved icebergs from the nearby Twin Glaciers are seen floating on the water on July 30, 2013 in Qaqortoq, Greenland. Boats are a crucial mode of transportation in the country that has few roads. As cities like Miami, New York and other vulnerable spots around the world strategize about how to respond to climate change, many Greenlanders simply do what theyve always done: adapt. 'Were used to change, said Greenlander Pilu Neilsen. 'We learn to adapt to whatever comes. If all the glaciers melt, well just get more land. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

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                  QAQORTOQ, GREENLAND - JULY 30: Calved icebergs from the nearby Twin Glaciers are seen floating on the water on July 30, 2013 in Qaqortoq, Greenland. Boats are a crucial mode of transportation in the country that has few roads. As cities like Miami, New York and other vulnerable spots around the world strategize about how to respond to climate change, many Greenlanders simply do what theyve always done: adapt. 'Were used to change, said Greenlander Pilu Neilsen. 'We learn to adapt to whatever comes. If all the glaciers melt, well just get more land. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

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                The most important number you've never heard of

                By John D. Sutter, CNN
                If the world warms more than 2 degrees Celsius, we're all in a lot of trouble. See how you can get involved below.

                      In Case You Missed It 

                      CNN Opinion's Best of 2016

                      By CNN Opinion
                      It's been quite a year -- here's a look back on 2016 with twenty of CNN Opinion's most popular articles.
                      Official portrait of President Barack Obama in the Oval Office, Dec. 6, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza) This official White House photograph is being made available only for publication by news organizations and/or for personal use printing by the subject(s) of the photograph. The photograph may not be manipulated in any way and may not be used in commercial or political materials, advertisements, emails, products, promotions that in any way suggests approval or endorsement of the President, the First Family, or the White House.

                      Barack Obama: America will take the giant leap to Mars

                      By Barack Obama
                      One of my earliest memories is sitting on my grandfather's shoulders, waving a flag as our astronauts returned to Hawaii. This was years before we'd set foot on the moon. Decades before we'd land a rover on Mars. A generation before photos from the International Space Station would show up in our social media feeds.
                      MADISON, WI - JUNE 28: A research specialist at the AIDS Vaccine Research Labs at the University of Wisconsin-Madison processes blood samples taken from pregnant rhesus macaque monkeys infected with the Zika virus on June 28, 2016 in Madison, Wisconsin. Researchers at the University released a study today detailing how research at the facility has found the Zika virus persisted in the blood of pregnant monkeys for 30 to 70 days but only around 7 days in others. The study also found that monkeys previously infected with the virus were resistant to a second infection, which suggests the animals have a naturally occurring immunity. Health professionals in the United States are preparing for the possibility of an epidemic of Zika which can be transmitted by mosquitoes. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

                      Could Zika be the next HIV?

                      By Laurie Garrett
                      Global health expert Laurie Garrett evaluates the very real risk that Zika, like HIV or Ebola, will become widespread as a sexually transmitted disease
                      An all-gender restroom at Santee High School in Los Angeles, California.

                      'We need a restroom revolution'

                      By John D. Sutter, CNN
                      Before I launch into the argument for making all restrooms in the United States gender neutral -- that is, removing "men's" and "women's" labels -- I want to show you a photo.
                      LAS VEGAS, NV - FEBRUARY 02: Donald Trump speaks to members of the media before endorsing Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney at the Trump International Hotel & Tower Las Vegas February 2, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Romney came in first in the Florida primary on January 31 and is looking ahead to Nevada's caucus on February 4. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

                      The four big questions about Donald Trump

                      By Michael D'Antonio
                      Now that he's likely GOP candidate, voters must scrutinize Trump's claims of success, his political beliefs, temperament and character, says Michael D'Antonio.
                      President Richard Nixon meets with Elvis Presley on December 21, 1970 at the White House.

                      Which generation has it worse?

                      Editor's Note: Generation whining has become nearly a national pastime. Millennials say they have it the worst. Generation X feels neglected. Baby boomers are tired of being called narcissistic. In articles and cartoons everywhere -- from CNN to The New York Times to Gizmodo and beyond -- critics call out this generation's sense of entitlement, that generation's self-absorption. We invited writers, activists and CNN contributors from different generations to hash it out.
                      Mosaic of the Valles Marineris hemisphere of Mars projected into point perspective, a view similar to that which one would see from a spacecraft. The distance is 2500 kilometers from the surface of the planet, with the scale being .6km/pixel. The mosaic is composed of 102 Viking Orbiter images of Mars. The center of the scene (lat -8, long 78) shows the entire Valles Marineris canyon system, over 2000 kilometers long and up to 8 kilometers deep, extending form Noctis Labyrinthus, the arcuate system of graben to the west, to the chaotic terrain to the east. Many huge ancient river channels begin from the chaotic terrain from north-central canyons and run north. The three Tharsis volcanoes (dark red spots), each about 25 kilometers high, are visible to the west. South of Valles Marineris is very ancient terrain covered by many impact craters. : NASA/JPL-Caltech

                      Is it ethical to colonize Mars?

                      By Brian Patrick Green
                      With the recent NASA announcement of liquid water flowing on Mars and the movie "The Martian" making a splash at the box office, we might well ask whether humans should go to Mars.

                      Why can't America have high-speed trains?

                      By Michael Smart
                      Imagine being able to travel from New York to Los Angeles without having to step on a plane, yet be able to do so in a fraction of the time it would take to drive. On the surface, that tantalizing prospect took a step closer with the news last month that a Japanese maglev train had reached a top speed of close to 400 mph, breaking its own world record in the process.

                      Ready for the marriage apocalypse?

                      By Carol Costello, Anchor
                      The marriage apocalypse may be coming. Talk to any millennial and you can envision an America virtually marriage-free, with everyone happily single.
                      Beautiful clouds over the sea

                      Why you don't need God

                      By Ryan Bell
                      Atheists are accused of having no source of meaning in their lives, but it is popular Christian theology that saps the meaning from our daily experiences.
                      Powerful businesswoman standing with back with business team at background.

                      Why more women choose not to marry

                      Pepper Schwartz
                      Some revolutions happen in a single day; others over decades. The rise of the voluntarily single woman has been happening in Western societies slowly, over time, concomitant with well-paying jobs, legal protection from economic or physical abuse, reliable birth control and the possibility of fulfilling careers and adventures.