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How to score the candidates for DNC chair

By Julian Zelizer
With a party at the crossroads, Julian Zelizer provides a set of criteria to assess the potential value of the candidates who want to lead it into the future.
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DNC chair candidates explain why they're the right pick

The Democratic National Committee chair candidates explain why they're the right choice to lead the Democratic Party. Tune in Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET to hear the candidates in a debate moderated by CNN's Dana Bash and Chris Cuomo. The opinions expressed in these commentaries are those of the authors.
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I'd like the firing squad, please

By Austin Sarat
The Supreme Court's recent refusal to hear an Alabama death row inmate's appeal highlights growing legal and social uncertainty about methods of execution, says Austin Sarat.
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US President Donald Trump speaks following a tour of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC, February 21, 2017.

Trump rejects anti-Semitism? Prove it

By Ruth Ben-Ghiat
After a campaign that trafficked in bigotry, Trump should rid the White House of alt-right influences, reject considering a plan that would limit terror probes to Muslim-linked acts.
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Is a "deep state" subverting the presidency?

By Steven L. Hall
Let's start with what we can all agree on: Leaking is serious and illegal, and leaking classified information can endanger national security. All leaks must therefore be thoroughly investigated. Even former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper acknowledged as much in his Feb. 16 statement.
In this Tuesday, February 7, 2017, photo released by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement shows foreign nationals being arrested this week during a targeted enforcement operation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) aimed at immigration fugitives, re-entrants and at-large criminal aliens in Los Angeles.

A nation of immigrants enters dark chapter

By Raul A. Reyes
The Trump administration's harsh new DHS orders get it wrong on immigration enforcement, increasing the risk of racial profiling, threatening due process and creating a looming threat for Dreamers, writes Raul Reyes.
Chairman of the Republican National Committee (RNC) Reince Priebus (R) shakes hands with Republican presidential elect Donald Trump (C) as Republican candidate for Vice President Mike Pence looks on during election night at the New York Hilton Midtown in New York on November 9, 2016.

This is the real problem for Reince Priebus

By David B. Cohen
Unless Trump is willing to have a strong chief of staff who will instill discipline (including over the President himself), it won't matter who is chief, says David B. Cohen.
Bobbi Young holds a photo of her mother, Marilyn Young, the day after she passed away at home in Carmel Valley, Calif., on Monday, January 9, 2017. Marilyn Young contracted an STD after being raped at the age of 88 by an unknown assailant in a California nursing home.

My mother was raped at 88 -- but never defeated

By Bobbi Young, Special to CNN Photographs by Preston Gannaway for CNN
I scanned my mother's bed, pulled back the rumpled sheets and uncovered her shivering naked body. I stared at her bruised inner thighs, her sheets wet with urine and blood, her catheter pulled completely out of her. I covered her with a blanket and held her close as she pleaded, "Get me out of here."
US Vice President President Mike Pence (R) swears in General John Kelly (L) as US Secretary of Homeland Security in the Vice President's Ceremonial Office in the Old Executive Office Building in Washington, DC, January 20, 2017. / AFP / JIM WATSON (Photo credit should read JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images)

DHS memos build wall around US without laying a brick

By Cristina Rodríguez
On Jan. 25, President Trump issued two executive orders calling for the dramatic expansion of immigration enforcement in the name of public safety -- at the border and throughout the United States.

Trump's brilliant choice of McMaster

By Peter Bergen, CNN National Security Analyst
President Donald Trump's appointment of Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster to be his national security adviser is a brilliant decision.
President Donald Trump smiles as he prepares to speak at his "Make America Great Again Rally" at Orlando-Melbourne International Airport in Melbourne, Fla., Saturday, Feb. 18, 2017. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Why Trump's supporters still love him

By Timothy Stanley
He maintains a striking consistency between who he was as a candidate and is as the President, says Tim Stanley, and has cannily stoked hostility to the media to rally his troops and create an enemy to blame for his failures.
President Donald Trump, shakes hands with Army Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida on February 20, 2017, where he announced that McMaster will be the new national security adviser.

Can McMaster steer Trump clear of ISIS disaster?

By David A. Andelman
There is a great, potentially existential, danger lurking deep within the next critical decision President Trump will have to make -- the one he has said would define his presidency: how to do away with ISIS.
US Army Lieutenant General H.R. McMaster looks on as US President Donald Trump announces him as his national security adviser at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, on February 20, 2017.

What McMaster needs to say to Americans

By Gayle Lemmon
A good start as H.R. McMaster begins his work would be helping our country's citizens to recognize this: We are a nation at war, writes Gayle Lemmon.
Blind Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman sits and prays inside an iron cage at the opening of court session in August 1989 in Cairo. Abdel-Rahman, the spiritual leader of Egypt's fundamentalist group Jamaa Islamiyya, was jailed for life in January 1996 for his role in terrorist attacks, including blowing up the World Trade Center in New York in February 1993 and an assassination bid against Egyptian President Mubarak.

The cleric who altered the course of modern history

By Peter Bergen, CNN National Security Analyst
Omar Abdel-Rahman, the Egyptian cleric who died in an American prison on Saturday, was also the spiritual guide and inspiration behind the 9/11 attacks, writes Peter Bergen.
george takei allegiance japanese american internment camps intv nr_00002005

George Takei: I hear terrible echoes of the past

By George Takei
On the 75th anniversary of the order that led to the internment of 120,000 Japanese-Americans, George Takei warns that Trump policies targeting Muslims and immigrants risk ignoring a painful lesson from America's past.
President Donald Trump introduces Gene Huber on stage to speak during a campaign rally at the AeroMod International hangar at Orlando Melbourne International Airport on February 18, 2017 in Melbourne, Florida. President Trump is holding his rally as he continues to try to push his agenda through in Washington, DC.

Donald Trump and the psychology of blame

By Robert Klitzman
People want simple and quick answers to help make sense of a confusing reality, writes Robert Klitzman. Donald Trump has given many that easy narrative.
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You've committed the graver sin, Senator Scott

By Issac Bailey
Though Sen. Tim Scott should not have been disparaged for supporting Jeff Sessions for Attorney General, he did a greater injustice by helping to elect Donald Trump, who will turn the clock back on racial equality, writes Issac Bailey.
President-elect Donald Trump (L) stands with Trump National Security Adviser Lt. General Michael Flynn (R) at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, where he is holding meetings on December 21, 2016.

Russiagate: What kind of scandal?

By Julian Zelizer
Julian Zelizer says some Washington scandals have fizzled while others have resulted in big change. It's too early to tell where this one will wind up, he says.
WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 16: U.S. President Donald Trump calls on a reporter during a news conference announcing Alexander Acosta as the new Labor Secretary nominee in the East Room at the White House on February 16, 2017 in Washington, DC. The announcement comes a day after Andrew Puzder withdrew his nomination. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Why Trump wants you to hate the media

By Frida Ghitis
While trust in the media overall is low, audiences do have significant levels of trust in the media outlets Trump is attacking, Frida Ghitis writes
A man walks to use a voting booth March 1, 2016, at one of the Virginia primary election polling stations at Colin Powell Elementary School, in Centreville, Virginia. Voters in a dozen states will take part in "Super Tuesday" -- a series of primaries and caucuses in states ranging from Alaska to Virginia, with Virginia the first to open its polling stations at 6:00 am (1100 GMT). / AFP / PAUL J. RICHARDS (Photo credit should read PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP/Getty Images)

To safeguard voting rights, go local

By Joshua A. Douglas
As recently as Thursday's press conference, President Donald Trump continued to peddle falsehoods about his electoral win. It came after a weekend when one of his top aides, Stephen Miller, brazenly claimed that Democrats sent busloads of voters from Massachusetts into New Hampshire, preventing Trump and fellow Republican Kelly Ayotte from winning the state.

Trump's performance fuels worry about his presidency

By Julian Zelizer
His thin skin. His inability to separate fact from fiction. His continuing focus on his election victory margin. His failure to push policy along. All of these are reasons for people to think this still-young presidency is off the rails, writes Julian Zelizer
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference announcing Alexander Acosta as the new Labor Secretary nominee in the East Room at the White House on February 16, 2017 in Washington, DC.

Trump voters applaud press conference

By Kayleigh McEnany
While the establishment politicians and the left scoff at President Trump's Thursday press conference, Trump voters celebrate a victorious display of confidence. After a week of rampant speculation about selective leaks from the intelligence community, Trump boldly took to the East Room podium to address a room full of inquisitive journalists.
U.S. Attorney R. Alexander Acosta talks to reporters during a news conference in Miami, Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2008. Acosta announced eight people and eight corporations have been charged with illegally exporting to Iran electronic parts that have military uses, including microchips that have been found in Improvised Explosive Devices in Iraq. (AP photo/Alan Diaz)

Why would Acosta join the Trump team?

By Raul A. Reyes
On Thursday, President Donald Trump held a bizarre news conference in which he railed against the media, Senate Democrats, and the intelligence community. He insisted his former national security adviser, Michael T. Flynn, had done nothing wrong. He falsely asserted that he had "the biggest electoral college win since Ronald Reagan." Oh, and he named his new nominee for secretary of labor, Alexander Acosta. That was supposedly his reason for holding the press conference, yet it took only a few sentences out of about 80 minutes.

Combat troops to Syria? Not so fast

By Mark Hertling
Retired Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling says reports of a presidentially-directed review to step up campaign against ISIS don't signal anything close to a done deal, more like part of military planners' complex exploration of many options.
russia ship

The Cold War returns to the high seas

By James Holmes
By placing a Russian surveillance vessel off the East Coast of the United States, Vladimir Putin is flexing his muscles and reminding the US that it doesn't have a monopoly on the high seas, writes James Holmes.
Donald Trump

The irony of Trump whining about leaks

By Paul Begala
There is some poetic justice in seeing the man who was made President because of leaks potentially hobbled by ones that may legitimately reveal wrongdoing, writes Paul Begala.
President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu participate in a joint news conference in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2017. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Is the two-state solution dead?

By Aaron David Miller
Aaron David Miller writes that President Trump has added a layer of uncertainty to the future of Israeli-Palestinian relations by opening the door to endorsing an ill-defined one-state solution.

Courts, let the cameras in

By Stephanie S. Abrutyn
Courts, including the US Supreme Court, should allow cameras inside so the public can better understand legal proceedings and maintain confidence in the judiciary, writes Stephanie S. Abrutyn.
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Can SNL topple the Trump administration?

By Dean Obeidallah
Alec Baldwin's highly anticipated episode wasn't wall-to-wall Trump; Melissa McCarthy's Sean Spicer and Kate McKinnon's Kellyanne Conway show that SNL is also has key Trump staffers in its sights.
WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 01: National Security Adviser Michael Flynn answers questions in the briefing room of the White House February 1, 2017 in Washington, DC. Flynn said the White House is "officially putting Iran on notice" for a recent missile test and support for Houthi rebels in Yemen. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Flynn's talks with Russian ambassador point to larger problem

By Frida Ghitis
Frida Ghitis writes that new revelations revive questions of whether Trump's administration colluded with the Kremlin in its campaign to interfere with the US election, and whether Trump's decisions on Russia are guided by anything other than America's best interests.

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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 

                      ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA - NOVEMBER 11: U.S. President Barack Obama makes remarks in the Memorial Amphitheater on Veterans Day after laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery on November 11, 2016 in Arlington, Virginia. (Photo by Ron Sachs-Pool/Getty Images)

                      David Axelrod: Obama's legacy can't be erased

                      By David Axelrod, CNN Senior Political Commentator
                      Obama's former senior advisor says he's grateful to have been along for some of his friend's amazing journey--and whatever happens next, Obama's accomplishments won't be forgotten.

                      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.

                      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.