Patch Morning Briefing: Obama's Farewell; Alabama Upset; Sessions First At Bat

Good morning, Patchers, and our condolences to anyone who bet their fortune on the Crimson Tide last night. Missed the epic game? Catch up on that and much more below.

FINAL FAREWELL

President Obama returns to Chicago tonight to deliver his final address to the nation. Aides have said the farewell speech "is not intended as a victory lap, but a call to action to the next generation of leaders," a theme that's been running through many of the president's recent interviews as his time in the White House wanes. The speech is slated for 8 p.m. CST. (Chicago Tribune and Patch)

A COSTLY GOODBYE

Free tickets to the president's final public speech are going for as much as $5,000 on sites such as eBay and Craigslist this week. That level of after-market popularity is on par with the musical "Hamilton" or Cubs World Series tickets last year. (Patch)

EARNING THEIR STRIPES

The Clemson Tigers claimed victory and vindication Monday night, besting Alabama in the final six seconds of the teams' College Football Playoff National Championship rematch in Tampa. The Crimson Tide was heavily favored to win once more but gave up a last-second touchdown to end the game at 35-31. (Patch)

STEALING THE SHOW

QUICK HITS

First Hippo Ultrasound Shows Pregnancy; How Zookeepers Managed It (Patch)

PETA Wants To Turn Wall's Circus Drive-In Into Circus Animal Torture Museum (Patch)

U.S. Supreme Court Snubs Jesse Ventura's Bid to Reinstate $1.8M Verdict (Patch)

STILL TRENDING

Using the dueling bully pulpits of the Golden Globes and Twitter, actress Meryl Streep and President-elect Donald Trump went head to head, and the internet can't get enough of it. (Patch)

BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY

The first of the president-elect's Cabinet nominees are expected to go before the Senate today, despite ongoing opposition from Democrats. First up is Jeff Sessions, Trump's nominee for attorney general. Also slated for consideration late this afternoon is retired Gen. John F. Kelly, who is the nominee for secretary of Homeland Security. (Patch)

Watch Livestream: Jeff Sessions Attorney General Confirmation Hearing Begins With Shouts

ALSO VERY IMPORTANT ON TWITTER

SOUND OF SILENCE

With a boost from Donald Trump Jr. and a Republican-packed Congress, gun advocates may soon check a long-awaited item off their wish list — quietly, of course. Hope is stirring anew for those in favor of rolling back restrictions on gun silencers. (Washington Post)

CHIEF: 'RUDE, BUT NOT RACIST'

A police officer has been temporarily suspended in Forth Worth, after video revealed what's been decried as racist behavior during the arrest of an African-American mother and her daughter. The mother had called police after a neighbor allegedly choked her son, and the situation escalated from there. (Patch)

FEEL OLD YET?

"Every once in awhile, a revolutionary product comes along that changes everything..." That was 10 years ago yesterday, when Apple's Steve Jobs first introduced the iPhone. Yes, it's officially been a decade.

IN MEMORIAM

The nation has lost its first Mexican-American bishop with the death of Patrick Flores, who passed away while in hospice care this week. He was 87. (Patch and San Antonio Express-News)

Thanks for reading along this morning, Patchers. Planning to watch 'Bama-Clemson highlights all morning at your desk? Go for it. We won't tell.

Image via whitehouse.gov