Quiet, religious and fiercely meticulous, President Obama’s chief of staff, Jacob J. Lew, may be the most unassuming power broker in Washington.

Trusted Aide to Obama Faces Test in Budget Showdown

When the final seconds ticked off an instant classic Saturday, Alabama celebrated, rather wildly, its SEC championship win over Georgia that earned it a spot in the B.C.S. title game, opposite Notre Dame.

Alabama Hopes Thrilling Title Is Prelude to Ultimate Prize

On his first drive after taking over for Mark Sanchez in the third quarter, Greg McElroy revitalized a stagnant offense by throwing a touchdown pass, one of the few highlights in a dismal game.

McElroy Replaces Sanchez and Leads Jets to Victory Over Cardinals

A mix-and-match lineup of musicians brought ample hometown pride to “Red Hot + Cuba,” while Cuban-American relations was never too far away.

Mix-and-Match Ensemble Erases Borders With Enthusiasm

The big studios hope to take top Oscars back from the independents, who have won major awards since 2008.

Big Boys Lay Out Their Oscar Bait

A 19-hour Chinese Kunqu epic, stripped of subplots and nonessential characters, becomes a 70-minute opera for a museum garden.

Sprawling Love Story, Abridged

Shania Twain, opening a residency at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, revisited the over-the-top glitter of her arena tours of the late ’90s and early 2000s, though in a more controlled format.

Rebound, as Demure as Ever

John Huey, the editor in chief of Time Inc., will vacate his office at the year’s end and says there is little he will miss about the job.

A Stalwart of Time Inc. Packs Up

Judging from tax changes in the past, some economists see a mostly mild effect on markets if tax rates on dividends and capital gains rise at the end of the year, as the White House has proposed.

Some Analysts Doubt Dire Predictions on Tax Increase Fallout

Another victory for the Knicks, this time against Phoenix, was memorable because they moved to 7-0 at the Garden, but mostly because Rasheed Wallace was ejected after playing only 1 minute 25 seconds.

Knicks Stay Perfect at Home as Wallace Steals Show

On Saturday, despite a valiant effort by Georgia, college football’s dream scenario materialized: the SEC champion in Alabama against undefeated Notre Dame.

Alabama-Georgia Classic Merely a Warm-Up

The following tax-exempt fixed-income issues are scheduled for pricing this week.

Treasury Auctions Set for This Week

Data will include earnings reports from Toll Brothers and Smithfield Foods and a Census Bureau report on household income, education and occupations from 2007 to 2011.

Economic Reports for the Week Ahead

Ranger Rick Jr., featuring Ricky Raccoon, a mascot for children ages 4 to 7, is a new magazine from the National Wildlife Federation, which is tapping into interest in ecology at an earlier age.

A New Wildlife Magazine Aimed at the Very Young

Corrections appearing in print on December 2, 2012.

Corrections: December 2, 2012

Quotation of the Day for Sunday, Dec. 2

But “Killing Them Softly,” a drama starring Brad Pitt and released by the Weinstein Company, struggled in its opening weekend at theaters.

‘Twilight’ and ‘Lincoln’ Thrive at Box Office

The finance ministers of the 17 euro zone countries will meet in Brussels to examine Greece’s proposed response to a plan to unlock a long overdue bailout loan installment.

European Financial Officials Will Meet, Again, to Address the Greek Crisis

A proposal would give the German government a direct stake in European Aeronautic Defense & Space equal to that of France, but also would dissolve an agreement that gave the two countries veto powers.

Airbus Parent Expected to Alter Base of Its Investors

Paulinho da Viola, 70, a musician and singer of Brazilian samba who has devoted himself to renewing the traditions of choro and samba de morro, made his Carnegie Hall debut on Wednesday.

Samba Purred Serenely, With Stealthy Metaphor

Mark Forstater, a producer of “Monty Python and the Holy Grail,” the film on which “Spamalot” is based, is suing Monty Python members over royalty rights.

Monty Python Sued Over ‘Spamalot’ Money

Amour,” the latest film from Austrian director Michael Haneke, almost performed a clean sweep at the European Film Awards on Saturday.

Honors for ‘Amour’ at European Awards

Falling concrete pinned drivers in their vehicles and started a fire in the tunnel  in eastern Japan, severing a major highway leading to Tokyo.

Nine Killed When Highway Tunnel Collapses in Japan

In “All Gone” Alex Witchel writes about her mother’s dementia (with recipes), and in “The End of Your Life Book Club” Will Schwalbe describes what he and his mother read as she was dying of cancer.

Homages to Mom, With a Pinch of Sentiment and Literary Side Dishes

Sunday was the last day of play at the American Contract Bridge League’s Fall North American Championships in San Francisco.

Fall North American Championships

Tom Hendry was the co-founder of the Manitoba Theatre Centre in 1958 and, in 2008, the MTC Warehouse Theatre was officially dedicated to Hendry.

Tom Hendry, Canadian playwright, co-founded the Manitoba Theatre Centre (born 1929)

Tom_Hendry

Ehsān Narāghi was an Iranian sociologist, writer and Farah Pahlavi adviser

December 2, 2012

Headlines from December 2, 2012

Trusted Aide to Obama Faces Test in Budget Showdown

Alabama Hopes Thrilling Title Is Prelude to Ultimate Prize

McElroy Replaces Sanchez and Leads Jets to Victory Over Cardinals

Mix-and-Match Ensemble Erases Borders With Enthusiasm

Big Boys Lay Out Their Oscar Bait

Billboard 200

Take Me Home

Red

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn: Part 2

Trilogy

King Animal

Notable Deaths

Historical Context for December 2, 2012