In Today’s Times:
- President Obama and Congressional Republicans have quietly brought up making broad changes to Medicare, a move that could result in significant savings and possibly lead to a budget deal, Jackie Calmes and Robert Pear report.
- With Congress increasing its resistance to tougher gun laws, Mr. Obama asked lawmakers and the nation Thursday not to forget about the school shooting in Newtown, Conn., Jeremy W. Peters and Peter Baker report.
- The focus of recent cyberattacks on American financial institutions has shifted to destroying data, with suspicions cast on Iran and North Korea, though a smoking gun has yet to be produced, Nicole Perlroth and David E. Sanger report.
- The Obama administration’s balancing act on enforcement of the Defense of Marriage Act is up for discussion this week after Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. accused the president of not having “the courage of his convictions†by continuing to enforce a law he deemed unconstitutional, Peter Baker reports.
- Craft beer brewers descended on Washington this week for the industry’s first conference, sampling the hometown brew and lobbying Congressional staff members for a tax cut, Andrew Siddons reports.
Washington Happenings:
- Mr. Obama will travel to Miami on Friday to tour a tunnel project and talk about investing in infrastructure.
- The presidents of Cape Verde, Malawi, Senegal and Sierra Leone will speak about encouraging prosperity in Africa at the United States Institute of Peace on Friday.
