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Carrie Matula embraces a woman after a fatal shooting at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, on Sunday, Nov. 5, 2017. Matula said she heard the shooting from the gas station where she works a block away. (Nick Wagner/Austin American-Statesman via AP)

America's unyielding plague of gun violence

By Peter Bergen, CNN National Security Analyst
Americans often think of themselves as belonging to an exceptional nation, and in many ways they do. They belong to a tolerant, multicultural society that has led the world toward a more innovative and more inclusive future through new technologies and a unique embrace of diverse cultures.
Saudi Arabian royal Al-Waleed Bin Talal bin Abdulaziz al Saud looks on during a meeting with Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Ravi Karunanayake in Colombo on July 4, 2017. Saudi Arabian royal Al-Waleed Bin Talal bin Abdulaziz al Saud is on a short visit to hold talks with Sri Lankan leaders. / AFP PHOTO / ISHARA S. KODIKARA (Photo credit should read ISHARA S. KODIKARA/AFP/Getty Images)

Saudi corruption case spells trouble for Trump

By David A. Andelman
The recent arrests of Saudi princes and officials creates a new challenge for President Trump, who will need to balance his relationship with the king with that of US business interests, writes David Andelman.

Trump's bogus Clinton allegations assault the rule of law

By Norman Eisen and Fred Wertheimer
In recent weeks, President Trump and his allies have been desperately seeking to divert attention away from the Russia/Trump investigation by ginning up an alternative review of a Democratic scandal. The latest effort came in response to reports that Hillary Clinton had gained control over the Democratic National Committee during the primaries by entering into a joint fundraising agreement with it.
ABINGDON, VA - OCTOBER 14: U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, left, and gubernatorial candidate Ed Gillespie, R-VA, wave during a campaign rally at the Washington County Fairgrounds on October 14, 2017 in Abingdon, Virginia. Virginia voters head to the polls on Nov. 7. (Photo by Sara D. Davis/Getty Images)

Tuesday will show if racist fear-mongering can win elections

By Karthick Ramakrishnan
Karthick Ramakrishnan says it's not clear whether an explicit racial strategy can be successful beyond the Trump candidacy. Trump was a dominant media personality and a well-known rule breaker and violator of taboos; will others succeed with a divisive message?

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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.

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                        Bill Nye March for Science

                        Bill Nye: Science made America great

                        By Bill Nye
                        The US has become the most powerful nation on Earth and among the greatest in history, because it has long respected and promoted science. Science is being actively undermined by ideological forces motivated to maintain the status quo rather than advance the nation's long-term interest, says Bill Nye.
                        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.
                        Steve Bannon, chief strategist for Donal Trump, leaves after the motorcade of US President-elect arrived at Trump Tower on December 10, 2016 in New York.

                        David Axelrod: I woke up this morning as an alternative fact

                        By David Axelrod, CNN Senior Political Commentator
                        Contrary to what Sean Spicer said, former Obama adviser says he and Robert Gibbs did not regularly attend the most sensitive National Security Council meetings. Including adviser Steve Bannon in those meetings is unprecedented.
                        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.