The Weekend Word: N.R.A.

Today's Times

• The vice president of the National Rifle Association said steps other than gun control, like cracking down on criminals and fighting violence in the media, would be most effective in preventing mass shootings, Eric Lichtblau and Motoko Rich report.  The N.R.A.'s proposal to place armed security officers in every school was met with widespread derision from school administrators, law enforcement officials and politicians across the nation.

• Senator John Kerry, Democrat of Massachusetts, was nominated to replace Hillary Rodham Clinton as secretary of state, an appointment that is likely to further centralize policy decisions in the White House, Mark Landler writes.

• President Oba ma called on Congress Friday to take action to prevent a fiscal crisis at the start of the year by raising taxes on the wealthy and extending aid for two million unemployed Americas, Jackie Calmes and Jonathan Weisman report. “Call me a hopeless optimist,” he said, “but I actually think we can get this done.”

• Mr. Obama's political opposition - unmoved by his re-election and unwilling to compromise on social policy, economics and foreign affairs â€" could severely constrict the power of his presidency, Michael D. Shear writes in a news analysis.

• Speaker John A. Boehner faces a formidable choice at the crossroads of his career: acquiesce to the will of a few Republican House members and watch the country enter a fiscal crisis, or come to an agreement with the White House, risking the persistent, and perhaps fatal, wrath of the party purist, Jennifer Steinhauer writes.

Weekly Addresses

• Michelle Obama joined the president for this week's address to extend a holiday greeting to the nation and to thank the troops for their service. “This week, let's give thanks for our veterans and their families. And let's say a prayer for all our troops â€" especially those in Afghanistan â€" who are spending this holiday overseas, risking their lives to defend the freedoms we hold dear,” President Obama said.  “And remember, when our men and women in uniform answer the call to serve, their families serve right along with them,” Mrs. Obama added. “In this country, we take care of each other. And in this season of giving, it's inspiring to see so many people all across America taking the time to help those most in need.”

• Speaker John A. Boehner used the weekly Republican address to remind Washington that Americans may have re-elected President Obama to the White House, but they re-elected a Republican majority to the House, too. “Unfortunately, the president and Senate Democrats have vowed to reject and veto all of our proposals while failing to offer a responsible solution of their own,” he said. “The best way to address our crippling debt is to make significant spending cuts and fix our tax code to pave the way for long-term growth and opportunity. This is an approach most Americans support, and it remains Republicans' highest priority. But we only run the House. Democrats run Washington.”