This Week’s News in 19 Photos

Kelsey Lucas /

Immigration, immigration and more immigration. After reports surfaced about President Obama’s 10-step plan to take executive action on immigration, lawmakers and the media flooded our screens with alternative plans and warnings. Last night, he made it official.

In other news, Pope Francis is holding a raffle, and one photographer proved cows can be artistic.

Check out this week’s news photos below.

President Obama announced Nov. 20 that he will begin to fix the nation’s “broken” immigration system by allowing millions of illegal immigrants to stay.

President Obama announces executive actions on U.S. immigration policy during a national address from the White House Nov. 20. (Photo: Jim Bourg/Newscom)

President Obama announces executive actions on U.S. immigration policy during an address from the White House. (Photo: Jim Bourg/Newscom)

Republicans could use the “power of the purse” to stop Obama’s executive action. But, lawmakers in the House and Senate disagreed over how.

Speaker of the House Republican John Boehner walks through Statuary Hall. (Photo: Michael Reynolds/Newscom)

House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, walks through Statuary Hall. (Photo: Michael Reynolds/Newscom)

Pope Francis is raffling off dozens of gifts he’s been given during his short papacy, with the proceeds going to charity. The Vatican City State administration this week put up posters around the Vatican advertising the $13-per-ticket raffle. Tickets are on sale at the Vatican post office, pharmacy and other venues open to the public.

A girls holds a lottery ticket for the charitable works of Pope Francis. (Photo: Massimiliano Migliorato/Newscom)

A girl holds a lottery ticket for the charitable works of Pope Francis. (Photo: Massimiliano Migliorato/Newscom)

More than 5,000 men and women aboard the USS George H.W. Bush and the guided missile destroyer USS Truxtun were welcomed home by loved ones in Norfolk, Va., Nov. 15.

#MilitaryMonday: Welcome home USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) following a nine month deployment! pic.twitter.com/imvGB0lxDI — Crash MacDuff??? (@Crash_MacDuff) November 17, 2014

There were so many beautiful reunions.

RETURNING HUGS Navy Cmdr. Camille Flaherity hugs her son after returning to Norfolk, Va., from a deployment . pic.twitter.com/0VC3Zlag2i — MichaelDouglasCarlin (@MichaelDCarlin) October 22, 2014

Ferguson, Mo., was back in the news as a grand jury continued deliberations whether to indict Darren Wilson, the officer involved in the shooting of Michael Brown.

Protests in Ferguson, Mo. continue. (Photo: Chris Lee/St. Louis Post-Dispatch/MCT)

Protests in Ferguson, Mo., continue. (Photo: Chris Lee/St. Louis Post-Dispatch/MCT)

Two Palestinian men armed with axes, knives and guns attacked people praying inside a synagogue in Jerusalem on Nov. 18. Israeli officials report they killed four people.

Israeli policemen take position near the scene of an attack in a Synagogue in on Nov. 18. (Photo: Newscom)

Israeli policemen take position near the scene of an attack in a synagogue. (Photo: Newscom)

“Football” players from Brazil celebrate a win over China. All the players in the league are under 22.

U-22 Brazilian soccer players celebrate after the 'International Youth Football Tournament' match against China. (Photo: Xinhua/Newscom)

Brazilian soccer players celebrate after the International Youth Football Tournament match against China. (Photo: Xinhua/Newscom)

A new study suggests secondhand marijuana smoke is just as dangerous as tobacco smoke.

'Today’s marijuana is a dangerous substance, much more so than alcohol.' (Photo: Getty Images)

Photo: Getty Images

Who knew a cow could be so cool looking? Photographer Karl-Josef Hildenbrand captured this great shot.

A cow of the brown cattle (Braunvieh) breed amongst other cows in the stall of a farm in Betzigau, Germany. (Photo: Karl-Josef Hildenbrand/Newscom)

A cow of the brown cattle breed amongst other cows in the stall of a farm in Betzigau, Germany. (Photo: Karl-Josef Hildenbrand/Newscom)

Jonathan Gruber, one of the architects of Obamacare, has been caught over and over again mocking the American people. Those same taxpayers were on the hook for $6 million in federal and state contracts awarded to him over the past six years.

'That's not too painful,' Jonathan Gruber writes in a comic book explanation of Obamacare.  (Photo: Newscom)

“That’s not too painful,” Jonathan Gruber writes in a comic book explanation of Obamacare. (Photo: Newscom)

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel spoke about how to make sure the U.S. military is ready to defend the nation’s vital interest in these difficult days. Hagel, however, didn’t describe a plan to deliver “game-changing” technology; he gave a speech about planning to have a plan.

U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel speaks at a news briefing at the Pentagon in Washington D.C. on Nov. 14, 2014. (Photo: Newscom)

U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel speaks at a news briefing at the Pentagon on Nov. 14. (Photo: Newscom)

It’ll probably be a white Thanksgiving for Buffalo, N.Y., residents. Winter storms dumped several feet of snow on the area this week.

A home is covered in snow in a neighborhood just south of Buffalo. (Photo: Newscom)

A home is covered in snow in a neighborhood just south of Buffalo. (Photo: Newscom)

Dave Morris shovels snow from atop his car in Alden, New York. (Photo: Newscom)

Dave Morris shovels snow from atop his car in Alden, New York. (Photo: Newscom)

Buffalo snowstorm

Photo: Newscom

A man uses a long fishing net to scrape snow off his roof as snow continues to fall. (Photo: Newscom)

A man uses a long fishing net to scrape snow off his roof as snow continues to fall. (Photo: Newscom)

Just in time for the holidays, the third installment of Hunger Games was released at midnight Thursday.

Jennifer Lawrence attends the premiere of Lionsgate's 'The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1.' (Photo: Newscom)

Jennifer Lawrence attends the premiere of Lionsgate’s “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay—Part 1.” (Photo: Newscom)

The House’s traditional conservative caucus voted Tuesday to make Rep. Bill Flores, R-Texas, its next leader, sparking recriminations about inappropriate influence from “establishment” leadership and opening questions about whether the group had abandoned its conservative roots.

Rep. Bill Flores, R-Texas, newly elected chairman of the Republican Study Committee, says the group has 'pulled the House to the right.' (Photo: Tom Williams/Newscom)

Rep. Bill Flores, R-Texas, newly elected chairman of the Republican Study Committee, says the group has “pulled the House to the right.” (Photo: Tom Williams/Newscom)