Flags at half staff as the U.S. mourns the passing of Barbara Bush

"Thank you very much and a very Merry Christmas to all. It's going to be a great year," says US President Donald Trump during the National Tree Lighting ceremony, which was pre-recorded due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The President was joined by the First Lady Melania Trump who had the honor of lighting the 30-foot Colorado blue spruce at the White House.

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany says that US President Donald Trump is "absolutely open" to taking a Covid-19 vaccine, but refuses to answer whether Trump will be taking it publicly to instill confidence.

As Joe Biden becomes the new president of the United States after a bitterly contested election, Inside the Americas takes you to Washington and to his hometown of Wilmington, Delaware. In this special edition of the show, our team meets some of the people who made Biden the man he is today. We also discover the places where the president-to-be spent his time, such as the train that took him to Washington every day when he was a young senator.

US First Lady Jill Biden thanks educators for their "heroic commitment" during the Covid-19 pandemic, a day after Joe Biden's inauguration. "I have never felt prouder of our profession," says the community college teacher, who will continue to teach after moving into the White House, making her the first First Lady to retain a full-time job.

The reversal of democratic progress in Myanmar "will necessitate an immediate review of our sanctions' laws and authorities, followed by appropriate action," White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki says after US President Joe Biden called on Myanmar's military to relinquish power immediately and ordered a review to consider reimposing sanctions lifted during the nation's transition to democracy.

The US Senate confirms Joe Biden's pick for secretary of transportation in a 86-13 vote, making Pete Buttigieg the first openly gay member of a White House cabinet.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki assures the world's media that the Bidens' dogs won't be away from the White House for long, saying their banishment to Delaware was planned before a "biting incident" involving one of the hounds, and they will return "soon". She adds that there's no plan to replace them with a cat, yet.

Asked about US involvement in a move by the Australian government to scrap a state's deal to join China's Belt and Road Initiative, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki says, "how we can work together as a global community and in a coordinated fashion as it relates to China is part of nearly every discussion the President has with a European partner or country in the region."

The United States will release up to 60 million doses of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki says at her daily briefing. The Food and Drug Administration will perform quality checks over the next few months on US-produced doses before they are sent abroad, she adds. But, she explains, "Just to be clear, right now we have zero doses available of AstraZeneca."

The outgoing German chancellor is set to travel to Washington for talks with the US president on COVID, climate change and bilateral ties.

"Pride is back at the White House," US President Joe Biden tells a group of gay rights activists, transgender military service members and youth, and officials during a commemoration of the month that celebrates LGBTQ life in America. Biden and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg - the first-ever openly gay cabinet member - warn against the rise in anti-LGBTQ legislation in statehouses across the US.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki says the United States holds China's Ministry of State Security responsible for "malicious cyber activities" and reserves the option "to take additional actions" in response.