Usa Weekly News, Biden toasts Warnock’s victory in Georgia (and 2024 with Macron)

Warnock, Georgia – Joe Biden’s party won a new US Senate seat with Democrat Raphael Warnock’s victory in Georgia. The incumbent senator defeated Republican Herschel Walker, a protégé of former President Donald Trump. This new seat gives more freedom to Biden’s party, which has been governing with a very narrow majority for two years: 50 seats out of 100. It will allow him, among other things, to exercise greater influence in essential parliamentary committees

Defend democracy – “Tonight Georgia voters stood up for our democracy, rejected ultra-MAGAism and, most important of all, sent a good man back to the Senate for another six years”: so on Twitter the president Joe Biden, posting a photo of him phoning Raphael Warnock to congratulate him after winning the ballot

Brittney is back – “After months of unjust detention in Russia, held in intolerable circumstances, Brittney returns to the arms of her loved ones.” Joe Biden said this when commenting in a statement to the press on the release of the American basketball player Brittney Griner by the Russian authorities. “This is a day we have worked hard for. We have never stopped pushing for her release. It took painstaking and intense negotiations,” added Biden, after embracing Griner’s wife

Defend sovereignty – The United States “has not supplied Ukraine with weapons to strike outside its territory but to defend its sovereignty from Russia’s aggression”. This was stated by State Department spokesman Ned Price at a press briefing when answering a question about Moscow’s allegations in Kiev of carrying out a drone attack near Kurs airport

Kennedy Honors – Joe Biden received Kennedy Center honorees at the White House, meaning the artists who have influenced American culture. Among this year’s honorees are George Clooney and U2. The president is accompanied by First Lady Jill in the room packed with VIPs, including Matt Damon, Julia Roberts, Sean Penn, Eddie Vedder, George Clooney and U2

Paul Pelosi – Nancy Pelosi’s husband returns to the public eye after the attack on his home at the end of October. Paul Pelosi attended the annual event at the Kennedy Center in Washington together with the speaker of the House for the awarding of stars who have influenced US culture. The event was also attended by President Joe Biden, who had received the awardees at the White House shortly before. “Thank you for showing us the power of art and We the people,” said Biden referring to the first words of the US Constitution

NYT strike – Over 1,000 reporters and other New York Times employees went on a 24-hour strike, the first of its kind at the flagship newspaper in more than 40 years. The cause is the lack of agreement for the renewal of the contract after it expired in March 2021. Among the nodes the increase in salaries and remote work policies

Fraud – The Trump Organization was found guilty on all charges in its New York trial. This was established by a jury after two days of deliberation. The tycoon’s holding company is accused of tax fraud for having paid some of its managers without declaring it to the tax authorities. Donald Trump and his children were not in the dock but it is a verdict with serious effects on the image of the tycoon, candidate for the White House, and on the company’s relations with banks and lending institutions

Toast to 2024 – Joe Biden toasted (with Coca-Cola) his 2024 presidential campaign with his wife and the Macrons during last Thursday’s state dinner for the French president’s visit. The New York Times writes it quoting two people familiar with the discussion. It all started with a question from the première dame, who asked Jill if she was ready for another campaign

“Absolutely,” the first lady allegedly replied. At this point the French leader, eager like the rest of the world for a resolute response to Biden’s plans, would have turned to him saying that congratulations were in order and proposing a toast to his campaign for 2024. Macron would have raised a glass of wine, the US president his glass of Coca-Cola. For now, neither the Elysée nor the White House have commented

Decorations & cookies – A special feature about the Christmas decorations at the White House: there’s also a perfect replica of Philadelphia’s Independence Hall, made out of cookies. A Sweet Christmas (and not just at the White House!)