Trump Picks Exxon CEO for Sec of State: Reports

NBC News, the Washington Post, and other outlets are reporting that Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson will be the next secretary of state. Two sources close to Donald Trump say the president-elect is going to nominate Tillerson, likely next week—though nothing is official until he does. Tillerson apparently jumped ahead of other candidates like Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani, who withdrew himself from consideration. Tillerson, who has been head of Exxon since 2004, has a "close business relationship" with Vladimir Putin.

The Post notes that Tillerson's work in Russia on behalf of Exxon is likely to result in "intense scrutiny" during the confirmation process. Heavy has a list of five things to know about Tillerson, including that he opposes sanctions against Russia, has no experience as a diplomat or in government, and has said the world will keep using fossil fuels "whether they like it or not." (More Rex Tillerson stories.)