3. The National Rifle Association is urging Congress not to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, a 1994 law that assists victims of domestic and sexual violence. The House is set to vote on a renewal this week.

The gun lobby’s objection: a new provision that closes the so-called boyfriend loophole that it sees as too broad. It would block gun purchases and gun ownership for those convicted of abusing, assaulting or stalking a dating partner, or those subject to a court restraining order.

The N.R.A. faces significant obstacles, including a wave of freshman Democrats who favor gun restrictions and an accumulation of data underscoring the dangers women face from intimate partners.

Separately, research shows that in shooting deaths, the size of the bullet matters.

_____