Morning Briefing: Drilling Down on Secretary of State, Trump vs. CIA and Should You Warm Up Your Car?

YOUR MORNING BRIEFING

Good morning, Patchers.

Here's a look at some of what you need to know for getting through the day.

DRILLING DOWN ON SECRETARY OF STATE CHOICE

The word is that Donald Trump is close to announcing his pick for secretary of state and that Exxon/Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson is the front-runner. Patch's Feroze Dhaona takes a look at the man and his relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

TRUMP VS. THE CIA (AND OTHERS)

When it was revealed on Friday that the CIA believed not only was Russia behind the hacking but that it also had taken steps to help Trump, his team shot back with a snarky response that these were the same people who had said Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. Putting aside the fact that's pretty much not true (to read what the CIA actually said, head here), Trump then upped the ante by saying he doesn't need daily intelligence briefings as he is already "smart" and that he told his briefers he doesn't need to hear the same thing day after day; that if they have something new, let him know and he'll be available in a minute's notice. Now, adding to the turmoil, four key senators (two Democrats and two Republicans) are calling for a Congressional probe on what Russia did. And, in a move that is likely to cause tension with the yet-to-be- sworn-in administration, the two Republicans — John McCain and Lindsey Graham — have been very critical of Trump.

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY

It started out in the Pacific Northwest, moved to the Midwest where more than 1,000 flights were canceled in Chicago, and it's now headed to the East Coast where it should bring snow and freezing rain. Patch's Feroze Dhanoa has a recap, but if you're planning to travel, check with your airline for delays and cancellations and check the roads before heading out. Chances are, you should give yourself some extra time.

HOW DO YOU GO FROM MILLIONAIRE TO GANG LEADER HEADED TO JAIL?

Thaddeus TJ Jimenez went from the poster child for the wrongfully convicted (Chicago had to pay him $25 million after a detective framed him) to a gang leader ordered to pay a man $6 million for shooting him. Jimenez still has at least one criminal trial in his future. How does a man fall so far? Patch's Dennis Robaugh has the compelling tale.

NO MORE HOMELESS VETS?

We're not there yet, but over the weekend — as I reported here for Patch — Portland and Multnomah County became the first areas on the West Coast to be honored by the White House for bringing the number of homeless veterans down to "functional zero." Doesn't mean there aren't any... but it means they are getting very close in what has been a nationwide problem.

WOULD YOU LOOK AT THIS? IT'S BY DA VINCI. SURE IT IS.

As it turns out, it was. The New York Times has the tale of one of the rarest of rare artistic discoveries: a previously unseen sketch by Leonardo da Vinci. Read about how it was found, how it was authenticated, and what is next.

FOR DEBATE: IT'S COLD. WARM UP YOUR CAR OR NOT?

Patch doesn't just go after the tough story (see above), we try to answer the important questions that you need answered to make it through the day. One such question - it's cold. Some people say warm up your car, and others say don't. So, what's the answer? Patch's Beth Dalbey takes a look. It turns out, it kind of depends. Take a look at the story for the answer.

POLICE GET THAT HOLIDAY SPIRIT

There are times where you start to doubt whether there are good people out there. Here is a story by Patch's Elizabeth Janney that will help you feel better about things. She tells the story about a group of police officers overcome with the Santa spirit and what they did.

TJ MILLER, HIS ARREST, AND WHO WON WHAT AT THE CRITICS' CHOICE AWARDS

They call it the first big awards presentation of the season - I'm not even going to get into whether it predicts anything for the Oscars. Comedian/actor TJ Miller was the host. He was arrested Friday night and teased that he might address the incident (this one I don't mind spoiling - he did not). As for who won, who lost... check out this report from the Los Angeles Times.

HAPPENING MONDAY

• President-elect Trump has a full day of meetings including sit-downs with Carly Fiorina (a former candidate turned Ted Cruz supporter and running mate; West Virginia Sen, Joe Manchin, a Democrat who has been floated as a possible energy secretary; former presidential candidate Rick Santorum; and Republican Rep. Raul Labrador.
• The Supreme Court is expected to hand down at least one opinion at its conference Monday morning. It's also the court's last meeting before it breaks until Jan. 9.
• Tommy Thompson is a treasure hunter who has been behind bars since last December on contempt of court charges in Columbus, Ohio. A judge thinks he's not telling all he knows about 500 coins minted from gold recovered from the S.S. Central America which sank in a hurricane in 1857. While Thompson said he's told all he knows, the judge ordered him to review thousands of pages of documents to see if anything springs to mind. There's a hearing scheduled for Monday.

Photos: Trump/Transition Team; Rex Tillerson/William Munoz via Wikimedia Commons