Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Mary Anne Hitt

The Clean Water Act is one of our nation's greatest statutory achievements. But 40 years after the Act was passed, the coal industry is still polluting with impunity, thanks to a loophole that no other industry enjoys.

Jim Pugh and Colin Holtz

Conservatives, rarely lacking significant resources, can afford to drop big money on paid advertising to get their message in front of millions of people. Progressives will need to get the most out of social if they want to compete.

Bob Bragar

Founder and Principal, U.S. Immigration Law Advisory

In my work advising LGBT couples and families on the U.S. immigration process, I find that the procedures, in the best of times, can be complex and confusing for the average person. And some cases are particularly challenging, especially if there has been a history of immigration problems.

Michael Marx

Director, Beyond Oil Campaign, Sierra Club

The real question here is how did State get it so wrong? The answer, simply, is that the State Department once again hired the oil industry to evaluate itself -- and, not surprisingly, the industry gave itself a passing grade.

Adam J. Rose

HuffPost Standards Editor

I don't know enough about hacking and odds are you don't, either. I set out to learn more at DEF CON, a hacking conference with enough discussions on civil liberties, ethics and philosophy to delight a liberal arts major. Charged to "live an examined life," we should all think harder about our technology, privacy and security.

D. Robert Worley

Senior Fellow, Johns Hopkins Center for Advanced Governmental Studies

The military will be called upon to execute a wide range of missions, not just one. Nonetheless, choices must be made, priorities set, and scarce resources allocated. There is no consensus on what missions U.S. military forces should be organized, trained, and equipped for.

Mark Rosenman

Director, Caring to Change

While religious and other nonprofits are organizing new coalitions to join established leaders fighting to preserve the charitable tax deduction, most charities have remained silent about severe cuts in government funding for domestic needs.

John Rosenthal

President, Meredith Management

There is no question in my mind that gun ownership is a right in the U.S. But with that right come responsibilities and psychological consequences that are different for everyone.

Ray McGovern

Fmr. CIA analyst; Co-founder, Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity

To Americans and others who see no hope that an experienced politician with demonstrated respect for conscience and Constitution could reverse the trend to a national security state, I bring good news. There is such a person; his name is Rush Holt.

Adam Hanft

Political Columnist, CEO of Hanft Projects

The decision to close as many as two dozen American embassies and consulates, based on intelligence reports about an upcoming Al Qaeda attack (or attacks), is nothing less than a public relations and recruiting bonanza for them.

Gina Glantz

Founder, genderavenger.com, Harvard Kennedy School Fellow/Lecturer, Organizer

How often have you attended a conference with mostly male or all male panels? How often have you watched legislative hearings featuring men and more men? How often have you wondered where the women's voices were in magazine roundtables, anthologies, and the like?

Jacob Combs

Editor, EqualityOnTrial.com

When I call up Paul Katami and Jeff Zarrillo, they're in the car -- as Katami puts it, "We're running around today." It's all remarkably ordinary in a way, a marked change from the whirlwind June for the two men who, along with another couple, successfully brought Proposition 8 to its knees.

Eric Segall

Constitutional law professor, Georgia State University

How could anyone seriously think that Kathryn and Linda's special relationship would threaten traditional ideals of love, matrimony and monogamy? How could denying them full recognition as a couple not be a blatant denial of the "equal protection of the laws" in the most literal sense?

Faisal J. Abbas

Editor-in-Chief, Al Arabiya English; author of upcoming book on Arab media

The Middle East peace process has frequently been more process than peace, but even the slim possibility of success makes it a worthwhile pursuit given the negative repercussions of doing nothing.

William Courtney and Michael Haltzel

The Snowden affair has thrown Russia into the limelight, but longer-term issues deserve more attention -- the country's swerve toward authoritarian rule and diminishing political stability.

Paul Armentano

Deputy Director, NORML; co-author, 'Marijuana Is Safer, So Why Are We Driving People to Drink?'

The availability of highly potent strains of marijuana and marijuana-derived concentrates is nothing new. And neither are alarmist claims that these products pose unique dangers to public health. But such claims require clarification and context.

Medea Benjamin

Co-founder, CODEPINK: Women for Peace

If the U.S. wants help and sympathy in rooting out would-be attackers, it has to show the world it will stop using extrajudicial assassinations and start adhering to international law.