“What Exactly Is The 'President's Daily Brief' And Why Is It Important

For more than 50 years, it's been a tradition at the White House — a concise daily intelligence briefing — presented to the president and a small group of top officials. "The president's daily brief is the most tightly controlled daily document in the world." It is also tradition for the winner of the presidential election to start receiving the same briefing during their transition, as a way to start preparing for the world they will face once they move into the Oval Office. But Donald Trump, who defied all conventions of campaigning for the White House, is doing the same when it comes to the President's Daily Brief. Most days he has declined to receive the briefing, making it more of a weekly occurrence than a daily one. "Well, I get it when I need it.” That was Trump's answer. "I don't have to be told — you know, I'm like a smart person," Trump said. "I don't have to be told the same thing and the same words every single day for the next eight years.” The President's Daily Brief has its origins in the early days of John F. Kennedy's presidency. The Central Intelligence Agency felt it needed a more orderly way to keep the president updated on potential crises and hot spots around the globe. Jeison Aristizábal wasn't born destined for success. Hailing from one of the poorest areas of Colombia, and waging a constant battle with cerebral palsy, the world seemed dead set against him. "When I was a young boy, a doctor told my mom that I would amount to nothing," said Aristizábal. Family support and a dogged spirit helped Aristizábal gain independence, and he set out to ensure other disabled youth could do the same. Launching a disability-advocacy foundation out of his parents' garage was one of the first steps in a journey. Now Aristizábal has been named the 2016 CNN Hero of the Year for his work providing educational and medical support for youth living with disabilities in Colombia. Aristizábal was recognized during Sunday's "CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute" alongside the other top 10 CNN Heroes for 2016. The 10th annual show saluted everyday people doing extraordinary things to improve the world. Aristizábal was selected the 2016 CNN Hero of the Year after a six-week audience vote on CNN Digital and social media. Aristizábal will receive $100,000 to continue working toward greater opportunities for disabled and non-disabled youth.

In Other News President-elect Donald Trump has chosen ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson to serve as secretary of state, the transition team announced Tuesday, setting up a heated Senate confirmation battle and signaling a desire to ease Washington's estrangement with Russia. Like Trump, Tillerson, 64, has no formal foreign policy experience, but has built close relationships with many world leaders by closing massive deals across Eurasia and the Middle East on behalf of the world's largest energy company. "His tenacity, broad experience and deep understanding of geopolitics make him an excellent choice for Secretary of State," Trump said in the statement. The last of Aleppo's rebel-held neighborhoods look set to fall to the Syrian regime, in a bloody end to the four-year battle for control of the key city. Government forces are now in control of most of eastern Aleppo, which had been held by rebels for four years, and there are several reports of mass executions. Activists say anyone with links to the rebels who seized control of the enclave in 2012 is being hunted down.