Remarks from the NRA press conference on Sandy Hook school shooting, delivered on Dec. 21, 2012 (Transcript)  —  Video: After a week of silence in the wake of the Newtown shootings, the National Rifle Association finally spoke out Friday defending guns and decrying violence.

The humiliation of John Boehner  —  He's powerless, and his own party continues to make him look like a fool.  Maybe he'll just walk away  —  Last night was hardly the first public humiliation that John Boehner has suffered at the hands of his fellow Republicans, but it's probably the most stark.

Obama Nominates Kerry for Secretary of State  —  WASHINGTON — President Obama nominated Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts as secretary of state, choosing an elder of the Democratic Party's foreign policy establishment and a crucial political ally in the Senate to succeed Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Chuck Hagel apologizes for gay slur  —  Former Sen. Chuck Hagel, seeking to preserve his viability for nomination as secretary of Defense, on Friday issued a strong apology for a gay slur in 1998 that turned some top Democratic activists against his potential selection.

Community Resource Officer Called to “Back Lot”  —  Jefferson County Sheriff's Deputy Neil Gardner soon would complete his second year as the uniformed community resource officer assigned to Columbine High School.  Gardner, a 15-year veteran of the Sheriff's Office, normally ate his lunch …

GQ Exclusive!  Ben Affleck on Politics: “Ugly.”  “Toxic.”  “Horrendous.”  “Complete Bullsh-t.”  “I Don't Want To Run For Office.”  —  All this feverish speculation that Ben Affleck is ready to put himself forward as a candidate if John Kerry vacates his senate seat, does it really come from somewhere?

The Case For Going Over The Cliff Remains Strong  —  WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 20: U.S. President Barack Obama walks to the White House December 20, 2012 in Washington, DC.  —  I wrote earlier today that I think the failure of Plan B makes a deal more likely than it would have been had the bill passed.

Iowa Court: Bosses Can Fire ‘Irresistible’ Workers  —  The Iowa Supreme Court says a dentist did not commit gender discrimination when he fired an attractive female assistant he viewed as a threat to his marriage.  —  The court ruled Friday that a boss can fire an employee he considers an …

Obama Waking Up From Dream of Grand Bargain  —  “Call me a hopeless optimist,” said President Obama at his press conference tonight, in which he pleaded for Republicans to join him in averting the “fiscal cliff,” “but I still think we can get this done.”  —  Okay.  You're a hopeless optimist, President Obama.

Marijuana, Not Yet Legal for Californians, Might as Well Be  —  LOS ANGELES — Let Colorado and Washington be the marijuana trailblazers.  Let them struggle with the messy details of what it means to actually legalize the drug.  Marijuana is, as a practical matter, already legal in much of California.

How Many People Have Been Killed by Guns Since Newtown?  —  Slate partners with @GunDeaths for an interactive, crowdsourced tally of the toll firearms have taken since Dec. 14.  —  Since the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Conn., on Dec. 14, we at Slate have been wondering …

With Farm Bill Stalled, Consumers May Face Soaring Milk Prices  —  WASHINGTON — Forget the fiscal crisis and the automatic budget cuts.  Come Jan. 1, there is a threat that milk prices could rise to $6 to $8 a gallon if Congress does not pass a new farm bill that amends farm policy dating back to the Truman presidency.