Morning Briefing: Obama's Farewell; Trump and Russia; Tillerson At The Plate

Happy midweek, Patchers. There's a lot happening, so we'll get right to it:

'YES WE CAN. YES WE DID.'
Barack Obama returned to the beginning to mark the end Tuesday night, speaking from his adoptive hometown of Chicago and evoking his 2008 campaign slogan in his final address as president of the United States. Missed it? Watch the whole thing or read the transcript at the link. (Patch)

MEET THE PRESS (FINALLY)

Nine days from taking office, President-elect Donald Trump will hold his first press conference since late July. He could spend all day and still not answer pent-up reporters' many questions. The lines of inquiry will likely converge on the pending confirmations of Trump's Cabinet appointees, his abrupt directive on repealing Obamacare and a new report containing some eye-popping allegations. Never a dull moment... (USA Today)

ABOUT THAT REPORT

The unverified report, based on a supposed Russian dossier on Trump, allegedly contains damaging information on the president-elect's personal and business life. That includes allegations of lewd acts recorded in a Moscow hotel room and evidence that Trump's staff worked with Russians to defeat Hillary Clinton. But who needs press conferences to respond when you have seven-word tweets? (Patch)

ABOUT THOSE CONFIRMATIONS

Next in line for a confirmation hearing is Rex Tillerson, Trump's nominee for secretary of state and former CEO of Exxon Mobil. According to reported remarks, Tillerson intends to open Wednesday by advocating for a hard line on Russia. His close ties to the nation have sparked criticism and suspicion. (CNN)

ABOUT THAT OBAMACARE

Congress on Wednesday is also expected to take its first stab at amputating key components of the Affordable Care Act. Complicating matters is a new directive from the president-elect to repeal the law "immediately" and then complete the virtually impossible task of replacing it within weeks. (Patch)

QUICK HITS

Tortoise Blamed For House Fire In San Antonio (Patch)

Watch: Former Sen. Alfonse D'Amato Escorted Off Plane For Complaining (Patch)

Obama Has A Job Waiting For Him As Spotify's 'President Of Playlists' (Patch)

NUMBERS ARE FUN

LINGERING QUESTIONS

"Of all that I have done in my life, I’m most proud to be your dad," Obama told daughters Malia and Sasha at his final address. Only, Sasha wasn't there to hear it. The absence of the Obamas' youngest drove some viewers to distraction, firing up "WheresSasha" and "WhereIsSasha" hashtags on Twitter, along with a flurry of jokes and speculation. The most popular (and, apparently, true) explanation? She had school in the morning. (Twitter)

GOOD NEWS/BAD NEWS

In the first half of 2016, cities across the country experienced a 6.3 percent increase in violent crime, the FBI reported Tuesday. The good news? Although the rate of violent crime rose, those numbers remain at historic lows. (Patch)

DEATH SENTENCE

As the departing president spoke of "finding grace in a Charleston church," the man who murdered nine churchgoers was effectively en route to death row. Dylann Roof was sentenced to death for the racially motivated killings Tuesday without offering much of a defense. He appeared "stone cold" and unrepentant of a vicious act he felt he "just had to do." (Patch)

R.I.P., AT 105

'AMBASSADOR FOR HIS SPECIES'

One of the world's vanishingly few Guam kingfishers died this weekend in the Bird House at the national zoo in Washington, D.C. Only 145 of the birds remain, according to zoo officials. (Patch)

NEWLY ENDANGERED

The rusty patched bumble bee has been added to the endangered species list this week, the first bee species in the continental U.S. to be declared endangered by the Fish and Wildlife Service. (CNN)

We appreciate you sticking with us this morning, Patchers. Now, take a deep breath. Are you ready to take on Wednesday? We know you are. Go get it.

Screen shot via the White House | YouTube