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N.R.A., Tariffs, Nor’easter: Your Friday Briefing

President Trump said on Thursday that he would impose stiff tariffs on imported steel and aluminum. He later met with the top lobbyist from the National Rifle Association, who said Mr. Trump had retreated from his support a day earlier for gun control measures.Credit...Tom Brenner/The New York Times

(Want to get this briefing by email? Here’s the sign-up.)

Good morning.

Here’s what you need to know:

• President Trump and the top lobbyist for the National Rifle Association had positive things to say after a meeting at the White House on Thursday, suggesting that the president’s embrace of comprehensive gun control might be short-lived.

A day earlier, Mr. Trump had supported expanding background checks to purchases at gun shows and on the internet, a measure that conservatives vowed would not become law.

In the aftermath of the Florida school shooting last month, Mr. Trump has also suggested arming teachers to combat gun violence. We visited schools that already do.

Many Americans can buy a gun in less than an hour. We examined requirements in 15 countries.

• President Trump’s sudden decision on Thursday to impose stiff, sweeping tariffs on steel and aluminum imports rattled markets, his pro-trade advisers and other countries, particularly Canada.

Who wins, who loses, and what will be the effect on consumers? Our chief economics correspondent explains.

Mr. Trump’s chief economic adviser, Gary Cohn, had warned that he might resign if the president went ahead with the plan, a legal review of which hasn’t been completed.

Our correspondents report that the chaotic rollout reflects the dysfunction at the White House. The chief of staff, John Kelly, jokingly summed up the mood: “God punished me.”

• President Vladimir Putin announced a new generation of nuclear weapons on Thursday, including what he described as an “invincible” missile and a nuclear torpedo that could outsmart American defenses.

His announcement, during his annual state of the nation address, focused on a vulnerability of American-designed defenses: They are based on the assumption that missiles fly high and can be destroyed well before they reach their targets.

But the new Russian weapons, Mr. Putin said, travel low and too fast for defenders to react.

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President Vladimir Putin offered Russians a rosy picture of future prosperity and military might in his annual speech, delivered in Moscow.
Credit...Pool photo by Michael Klimentyev

Some experts suggested that Mr. Putin was bluffing, and American officials said that the nuclear cruise missile was not yet operational.

• Subfreezing temperatures have spread across much of Europe this past week, from Poland to Spain.

The Arctic itself is balmy by comparison: The North Pole is above the freezing mark in the dead of winter. One of our climate reporters explains what’s going on.

Across the Atlantic, alerts have been issued along the East Coast, which is being menaced by a dangerous nor’easter.

• Representative Tom Rooney, a Florida Republican, talks about the Russia investigation, gun control and his decision not to run for re-election.

Listen on a computer, an iOS device or an Android device.

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The Rev. Billy Graham’s casket was carried from the U.S. Capitol, where his body lay in honor on Wednesday and Thursday. President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence are expected to attend Mr. Graham’s funeral today in Charlotte, N.C.Credit...Pool photo by Saul Loeb

Georgia lawmakers approved a bill that removed a tax break proposal highly coveted by Delta Air Lines.

The move was retribution for a decision by the company, one of the state’s largest employers, to end a promotional discount for members of the National Rifle Association.

The Weinstein Company might have a buyer after all. An investor group said on Thursday that it had reached an agreement to buy most of the assets of the near-bankrupt film and TV studio, just days after a deal had been declared all but dead.

Facebook allows ads to feature a man’s bare chest. A woman’s bare back is another matter.

U.S. stocks were down on Thursday. Here’s a snapshot of global markets today.

Tips, both new and old, for a more fulfilling life.

Natural cleaning can go beyond baking soda and vinegar. Ketchup, vodka and other household items can help.

Is that bump a spider bite? Probably not — most spiders only bite defensively.

Learn how to make flawless rice, every time.

The $31,000 dining room set

Ben Carson, the secretary of housing and urban development, is attempting to cancel an order for a customized table and other furniture after an investigation was announced into the refurbishment of his office.

The week in good news

Read how a Broadway musical has inspired trips to Newfoundland to meet “nice people” and six other stories that brightened our week.

Quiz time!

Did you keep up with this week’s news? Test yourself.

Ready for the weekend

At the movies, our critic liked “Red Sparrow,” starring Jennifer Lawrence as a Russian ballerina-turned-spy.

The Academy Awards are Sunday. Our veteran observer shares what to expect (and not expect) as well as her predictions.

(And because we love quizzes as much as you do, here’s one for movie lovers.)

We recommend new offerings on streaming services as well as seven books.

Finally, the Metropolitan Museum of Art now requires nonresidents of New York State to pay $25. (Our reporter found that a Yankees cap might be enough for free entry.)

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The Metropolitan Museum of Art says the demise of its pay-as-you-wish model is an economic necessity.Credit...Amy Lombard for The New York Times

Today’s number: 383

That’s the new telephone country code for Kosovo, its first even though it’s celebrating its 10th anniversary as an independent country.

Best of late-night TV

With reports of discord in the Trump administration, “White House tours must be getting really interesting,” Stephen Colbert said.

Quotation of the day

“Oh God — I just need a good look at you.”

Marina Krim, stopping on her way to the witness stand to confront her former nanny, Yoselyn Ortega, for the first time since Ms. Ortega killed two of Ms. Krim’s children in their New York apartment in 2012. Ms. Ortega faces murder charges and has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity.

The Times, in other words

Here’s an image of today’s front page, and links to our Opinion content and crossword puzzles.

He’s 13.5 inches tall and weighs a (relatively) hefty 8.5 pounds. He’s been handed out more than 3,000 times since 1929. And he’s one of the world’s most famous statuettes. You’ll probably know him as Oscar.

The winners of Sunday’s 90th Academy Awards will take home the bronze, 24-karat gold-plated figure of a knight holding a crusader’s sword, which is officially called the Academy Award of Merit. (Bone up on the Best Picture nominees here.)

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Where did Oscar get his name? It depends whom you ask.Credit...Valerie Macon/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

But where did the name come from?

One explanation is that Margaret Herrick, the librarian for the Academy who would later become its executive director, saw the statue in 1931 and said it reminded her of her uncle Oscar.

Others say the nickname came from the actress Bette Davis, who said the statue reminded her of her first husband, Harmon Oscar Nelson Jr.

A third version has it that the Hollywood columnist Sidney Skolsky coined the term when he referred to an old vaudeville joke “Will you have a cigar, Oscar?” in a 1934 column.

No matter who was responsible, it stuck. The Academy officially adopted the name in 1939.

Claire Moses contributed reporting.

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