A snowman peeks through an Oval Office window in this photo posted to Instagram by official White House photographer Pete Souza. "For the past three weeks, there have been four snowmen on display in the Rose Garden," Souza said in his post on Friday, December 16. "We've been joking that we should move the snowmen a few feet closer to the Oval Office every day to see if anyone noticed."
From Instagram
US President-elect Donald Trump holds up a Green Bay Packers jersey that was given to him by House Speaker Paul Ryan, left, during a rally in West Allis, Wisconsin, on Tuesday, December 13. "He's like a fine wine," Trump said of Ryan at the rally, which was part of his "thank you" tour to states that helped him win the election. "Every day that goes by, I get to appreciate his genius more and more."
Morry Gash/AP
US Marines and several public officials -- from left, Ohio House Speaker Cliff Rosenberger, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, Ohio Gov. John Kasich and US Secretary of State John Kerry-- pay their respects to former astronaut and US Sen. John Glenn as he lies in repose at the Ohio Statehouse on Friday, December 16. Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth, died last week at the age of 95.
Bill Ingalls/NASA/Getty Images
US President Barack Obama hugs Kate Grubb, whose daughter died of a drug overdose, at the signing ceremony for the 21st Century Cures Act on Tuesday, December 13. The $6.3 billion bill will boost spending for medical research on cancer and other diseases, and it will also address the country's mental health crisis and opioid epidemic.
Carolyn Kaster/AP
Trump and rapper Kanye West speak to the press after meeting at Trump Tower in New York on December 13. Trump called West a "good man" and told journalists that they have been "friends for a long time." West later tweeted that he met with Trump to discuss "multicultural issues."
Drew Angerer/Getty Images
Zakariya Baker helps raise an American flag at Orange Crescent School, an Islamic school in Garden Grove, California, before a special assembly Thursday, December 15. The school, along with many other Southern California mosques, received a threatening letter around Thanksgiving. Thursday's assembly gave the young students a chance to respond to the threats while also hearing support from community members, according to the Orange County Register.
Jeff Gritchen/The Orange County Register/AP
First lady Michelle Obama and television personality Ryan Seacrest read "Twas the Night Before Christmas" while visiting children at a Washington hospital on Monday, December 12.
Alex Brandon/AP
Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio listens to a presentation in Phoenix about President Barack Obama's birth certificate on Thursday, December 15. Arpaio continues to say that it is fake. Critics have called Arpaio's investigation a shameless ploy to raise money from his right-wing base.
Ross D. Franklin/AP
Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, Donald Trump's choice for energy secretary, visits Trump Tower in New York on Monday, December 12. Trump and his transition team are in the process of filling high-level positions for the new administration.
Drew Angerer/Getty Images
Carlos Sada, Mexico's ambassador to the United States, speaks in Nashville, Tennessee, during a session of the National Immigration Integration Conference on Monday, December 12. "Mexico's relationship with the United States is essential to our international stature," he said during a panel discussion.
Mark Humphrey/AP
Trump speaks during a meeting with technology executives in New York on Wednesday, December 14. Apple CEO Tim Cook, right, and PayPal founder Peter Thiel, center, were among those in attendance. The three main areas discussed were jobs, immigration and China, according to a source briefed on the meeting.
Evan Vucci/AP
Janet Yellen, chairwoman of the Federal Reserve Board, speaks during a news conference about the Fed's monetary policy on Wednesday, December 14. The Fed increased its key interest rate by 0.25%, a move that signifies confidence in the improving US economy. "Economic growth has picked up since the middle of the year," Yellen said. "We expect the economy will continue to perform well."
Alex Brandon/AP
Former Republican presidential candidate Carly Fiorina, left, talks with Kellyanne Conway, Donald Trump's campaign manager, after meeting with the President-elect in New York on Monday, December 12. The meeting stoked speculation that Fiorina is under consideration for a Cabinet post.
Richard Drew/AP
Democratic presidential elector Bret Chiafalo speaks outside the US Courthouse in Seattle before a hearing on Wednesday, December 14. Chiafalo and fellow Democratic elector Levi Guerra were challenging the law that would fine electors $1,000 each if they broke their pledge and cast electoral votes for someone other than who the state chose. But a judge ruled against them, damaging the longshot idea that "faithless electors" could keep the presidency out of Donald Trump's hands.
Elaine Thompson/AP
Tyler Haines, wearing a Santa Claus outfit, shows his support for Trump ahead of a "thank you" rally in Hershey, Pennsylvania, on Thursday, December 15.
