Kepler or not, we'll find life

Meg Urry says loss of the planet-finding Kepler satellite would be huge for NASA, which is furiously trying to fix it--but one way or another, it's a matter of time before we find signs of life on other worlds

Smart to exaggerate terrorist threats

Bruce Schneier says our government has lots of unneeded and ineffective security measures.

Use money to buy happier time

Elizabeth Dunn and Michael Norton write that people pass up opportunities to spend their money to avoid disagreeable tasks

What of Obama's promise?

Julian Zelizer says that Obama, like many before him, chose to work within the system to get things done rather than lead transformative change.

For Obama, no more Mr. Nice Media

Howard Kurtz says with scandals over IRS, Benghazi and, especially, the administration's scrutiny of AP phone records, the press has turned on the president.

'L' is for losers in LA sports

"LMAO @ L.A.," came the text.

Obama won't let media do their job

"Government should be transparent. Transparency promotes accountability and provides information for citizens about what their Government is doing. ... My Administration will take appropriate action, consistent with law and policy, to disclose information rapidly in forms that the public can readily find and use." -- President Barack Obama, memo to heads of executive departments and agencies, 2009

Don't lower DUI threshold

LZ Granderson says instead of reducing the blood alcohol content threshold, how about enforcing existing laws better?

Our 'hookup culture'

Romance may be getting short shrift among college students these days, replaced instead with quick "hookups" devoid of any real emotion, a new book argues.

GOP using Benghazi to smear

Donna Brazile says lack of transparency and due process at GOP-led hearings shows their true intent: To damage Clinton's presidential prospects, and Obama's credibility

Bring diversity to science

Inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King, Freeman Hrabowski helped build a college with a national reputation for training scientists of all backgrounds

Is Rush still relevant?

Is Rush Limbaugh becoming a relic, a human version of "Mad Men," except without the style or cool clothes? Dean Obeidallah says Rush's troubles with advertisers are a sign his time has passed

Why abortion rights need protection

Ilyse Hogue says Pennsylvania case shows how denying women safe abortions risks sending women into substandard care of a murderer like Kermit Gosnell

'I thought she was safe in school'

Angela Hornsby thought her niece, a Plaza Towers third-grader, was safe when the twister hit Moore, Oklahoma. Now, she has only memories of the girl who loved to play dress-up and pretend she was Beyonce.

9 myths about drones, Gitmo

Peter Bergen says there's a great deal of misinformation about the counterterrorism policies President Obama will address in a speech Thursday.

They discovered cure for...

Before the term vaccination was coined, millions died each year from these deadly diseases.

Student killed by cop honored

Sunday's graduation ceremony at Hofstra University was a bittersweet affair marked by a moment of silence for a 21-year-old student killed by a police officer two days ago.

Army suspends general

The Army has suspended the top general at Fort Jackson in South Carolina due to allegations of adultery and assault, an Army spokesman says.

Castro captives 'happy, safe'

Three women who were rescued this month after allegedly being held captive in a Cleveland house for close to a decade "are happy and safe," and overwhelmed by the public's support, their attorneys said in a statement released Wednesday.

Jewish L.A. mayor makes history

Eric Garcetti won the Los Angeles mayoral race, and will become the first Jewish mayor of the nation's second-largest city.

Jury has final say on Arias execution

The jury in the Jodi Arias trial has one decision left to make: Should she live or die?

FBI kills Tsarnaevs' acquaintance

A man fatally shot overnight by an FBI agent in Orlando was being investigated for a possible connection to the Boston bombings, a U.S. law enforcement official with direct knowledge of the Boston Marathon case told CNN.

Holder: Drone strikes have killed 4 Americans since 2009

Counterterrorism drone strikes have killed four Americans overseas since 2009, Attorney General Eric Holder acknowledged on Wednesday.

Moore Mayor wants shelters

The mayor of tornado-ravaged Moore, Oklahoma, will push for a law requiring storm shelters or safe rooms in new homes, he told CNN. "We'll try to get it passed as soon as I can," Glenn Lewis said.

Basements scarce in tornado-prone Oklahoma City; here's why

The options for people seeking protection from tornadoes have grown since Dorothy and Toto failed to make it into the storm shelter on the Kansas plains, but one of the most basic protections is scarce in Moore, Oklahoma.

Surveying: Are American teens unliking Facebook?

There's fresh evidence that American teenagers may be growing weary of Facebook.

Man killed by FBI agent knew Tsarnaevs, official says

A man fatally shot overnight by an FBI agent in Orlando was being investigated for a possible connection to the Boston bombings, a U.S. law enforcement official with direct knowledge of the Boston Marathon case told CNN.

Jury: Execute Arias or jail her for life?

The jury in the Jodi Arias trial has one decision left to make: Should she live or die?

Ariel Castro's ex-captives 'happy, safe'

Three women who were rescued this month after allegedly being held captive in a Cleveland house for close to a decade "are happy and safe," and overwhelmed by the public's support, their attorneys said in a statement released Wednesday.

Sweet controversy at Michael Jackson death trial

Every issue in the Michael Jackson wrongful death trial is so disputed that even giving candy to jurors caused an argument.