8:35 a.m. E.T.

New York Times: “In Step on ‘Light Footprint,’ Nominees Reflect a Shift”

Washington Post: “Some in Administration Push for Only a Few Thousand U.S. Troops in Afghanistan After 2014″

Wall Street Journal: “Challenges Grow for Nominees”

Associated Press: Influence Game: NRA Lobbying Targets Courthouses”

Los Angeles Times: “Groups Mobilize to Fight Gun Violence”

Politico: “Hagel Pick: Final Snub of George W. Bush”

The Hill: “McConnell to Take Entitlement Talks Lead, Boehner in Back Seat”