In Today's Times:
- President Obama's re-election all but guarantees the future of his health care law, sending many states scrambling to comply with an important deadline. The next challenge? Making it work, Abby Goodnough and Robert Pear report.
- In the wake of Mitt Romney's loss, his aides have begun considering what the restless chief executive will do next. Michael Barbaro takes a look at the potential paths, including writing a book or taking a leadership role in the Mormon Church.
- Acting on the postelection sense of urgency to strike a deal averting the so-called fiscal cliff, lawmakers said Thursday that they were already moving on the issue, which could come to a climax early next year when major tax increases and spending cuts go into effect in the absence of an agreement, Jonathan Weisman reports.
- Iran fired on a military surveillance drone flying over the Persian Gulf last week, igniting a strong protes t to the Iranian government and raising questions about the administration's failure to disclose the incident, Thom Shanker and Rick Gladstone report.
- The government is coming dangerously close to being unable to finance its deficits, with the Treasury Department expecting the United States will hit its “debt ceiling†near the end of the year. In addition to the so-called fiscal cliff, Congress will have to face this issue soon, Annie Lowrey reports.
Washington Happenings:
- Mr. Obama and Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. will meet with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Friday. Later, Mr. Obama will speak from the White House about encouraging economic growth and reducing the deficit.
