Sir Ken Robinson, 12/07/12

Consultant; Author, 'The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything'

We're all born with deep natural capacities for creativity, and systems of mass education tend to suppress them. It is increasingly urgent to cultivate these capacities and to rethink the dominant approaches to education to make sure that we do.

Marlo Thomas, 12/07/12

Award-winning actress, author and activist

We all carry inside of us our collective Christmases and Hanukkahs -- the sight of twinkling lights and glowing candles, the sound of caroling and chanted prayers, the smell of pine trees and freshly fried latkes -- and it all comes rushing back to us every December.

Arianna Huffington, 12/07/12

In this week's Huffington, John Rudolf puts the spotlight on crime-ridden Camden, New Jersey, where instead of improving the police department, local leaders plan to replace it entirely. And Michelangelo Signorile looks back at an article he wrote 20 years ago about being gay at The New York Times, and how the paper rose to a new level of journalistic integrity by ending its silence on gay issues.

Emma Jenner, 12/04/12

Child development and behavioral specialist

The English are truly great at bringing up resilient, well-mannered, brave, and kind children. Too many parents -- in our own country and across the Western world -- have lost sight of what we've always done right.

Dan Froomkin, 12/07/12

Contributing editor, Nieman Reports

Fearful of appearing biased, the elite political press failed to call sufficient attention to the Republican Party's radical agenda and disdain for facts. The result is that in the name of balance, the press actually put its thumb on the scale and prevented a true reckoning.

Josh Silver, 12/07/12

CEO, United Republic

For those of us who care less about partisanship and more about what our elected officials actually do -- or fail to do -- once in office, the 2012 election portends a bleak future.

Neil Young, 12/06/12

Activist and rock legend

For survival of the planet and our way of life as human beings, we need to drastically reduce our carbon output. The approach being taken does not do that.

Geoffrey R. Stone, 12/07/12

Edward H. Levi Distinguished Service Professor of Law, University of Chicago

The time has come for all law enforcement organizations to support mandatory state laws that require the use of electronic recording systems during custodial interviews. This is a simple, sensible and effective way to improve our nation's system of criminal justice.

Raymond J. Learsy, 12/07/12

Author, 'Oil and Finance: The Epic Corruption Continues'

The most effective and notorious weapon in any arsenal of destruction was the existence and capabilities of the nerve gas sarin. That large stocks of sarin gas are held by the Syrian government is unnerving in the extreme.

Nadia Cho, 12/07/12

Student, University of California-Berkeley

Sex is the one of the few things that are constant and universal, and human beings aren't going to stop banging anytime soon, if ever. It would benefit everyone to view sex as something more natural in a positive light, rather than a super-scandalous forbidden phenomenon.

Mike McCready, 12/07/12

Guitarist, Pearl Jam

I have lived with ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease for 25 years. Despite this diagnosis, I have a fortunate career as the lead guitarist of Pearl Jam, a beautiful family, and am an advocate for people struggling with these same diseases.

Rachel Hollis, 12/04/12

Founder, Chic Events

When I start to really overwhelm myself, I am reminded to take a breath and slow down. The last thing I want is to get sick again.

Brian Rosenberg, 12/07/12

President, Macalester College

It's easy and tempting to blame teachers or unions or professors for the problems in education, but the reality is that here -- as in the political institutions about which we so passionately complain -- we get what we deserve, or rather, we get the natural result of the choices we make.

Daryl C. Hannah, 12/07/12

Director of Media and Community Partnerships, GLAAD

To call the media's silence on Sage Smith's story deafening would be an understatement. That someone's son or daughter, trans-identified or not, can go missing from their family for nearly 20 days and there be no national or even local outcry is more than enraging; it's terrifying.

Marian Wright Edelman, 12/07/12

President, Children's Defense Fund

Children who have to navigate the harsh reality of homelessness on top of poverty often fall through our already porous safety nets and disproportionately drop out of school and then, too often, drop into the prison pipeline.

Jared Bernstein, 12/07/12

Fmr. Obama administration economist; CNBC and MSNBC contributor

The job market in November performed notably better than expected, especially in light of expected damage to hiring from late October's Hurricane Sandy.

Melanie Biehle, 12/06/12

Creator of Inward Facing Girl

My husband had ended our ten-year marriage by leaving me a note and moving out while I was in Austin for my best friend's wedding reception.

Josh A. Goodman, 12/07/12

Counseling psychology Ph.D. student

Straight people benefit from gay rights. It's not a major reason to support LGBT rights (such rights stand on their own merits); it's just a fact. (But if it swayed somebody on the fence, though, I'd be OK with that.)

Duane Wells, 12/07/12

Travel / Lifestyle Expert

It started off as a bad day. In fact, it started it off as a very bad day that I didn't imagine could possibly end up involving Justin Bieber.

Bruce Friedrich, 12/06/12

Senior Director for Strategic Initiatives, Farm Sanctuary

In what has to be his most unlikely movie role yet, Steve-O has narrated What Came Before a 10-minute film short about three escapees from the American meat industry.

Robert Reich, 12/07/12

Chancellor's Professor of Public Policy, University of California at Berkeley; Author, 'Beyond Outrage'

Today's jobs report shows an economy that's still moving in the right direction but way too slowly, which is why Washington's continuing obsession with the federal budget deficit is insane. Jobs and growth must come first.

Richard (RJ) Eskow, 12/06/12

Writer; host, 'The Breakdown'; Senior Fellow, Campaign for America's Future

DeMint's performed one public service by abandoning his post: He's given us a glimpse of a half-hidden Washington where leaders don't lead, think-tankers don't think, and the house always wins.

John Seed, 12/07/12

Professor of Art and Art History, Mt. San Jacinto College

There is a reason that every graphic software has "brush" tools: it is because technology is trying very, very hard to emulate the subtlety of expression that only a physical brush applied a human hand to actual materials can truly offer.

Radley Balko, 12/06/12

Senior Writer and Investigative Reporter, The Huffington Post

Even as marijuana legalization supporters are celebrating their victories in the two states, the Obama administration has been holding high-level meetings since the election to debate the response of federal law enforcement agencies to the decriminalization efforts.

Sen. Tom Harkin, 12/07/12

Democratic Senator from Iowa

It's become an article of faith among certain "serious" people in Washington that any agreement to rein in deficits must include cuts to Social Security. I couldn't disagree more strongly.

Ralph Nader, 12/07/12

Consumer advocate, lawyer and author

The United States of America is the richest country in the history of the world. So why is its foundation literally crumbling away? Consider these three areas of vital infrastructure in need of serious attention.

Bob Cesca, 12/06/12

Host of The Bob & Chez Show, Media Producer

The bumper-sticker party of "these colors don't run" -- the party that practically branded the notion of American patriotism -- is only around half-sure that it doesn't want to abandon the United States. The other half is split between still making up its mind on secession and totally wanting to secede right away.

Jane Heller, 12/05/12

Bestselling Author, Blogger, Caregiver

So despite living in a confessional, social media-driven, let-me-tell-you-every-detail-about-myself world, I didn't discuss Michael's travails for the most part -- or my anguish over them -- except with my inner circle of confidantes and even then I painted an entertaining picture.

Chris Carberry and Artemis Westenberg, 12/07/12

Although Curiosity is not designed to verify life, we are left to wonder -- if Curiosity did discover life on Mars, what would be the impact of that discovery to the general public and to the future of human and robotic exploration of Mars?