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US President-designate Joe Biden
Photo: Carolyn Kaster / AP
The "death-destruction-and-terrible-things-book" is said to have named Michelle Obama the daily intelligence report.
This is what her husband, former US President Barack Obama, reports in his memoir.
Certainly, that is not a particularly charming paraphrase.
But one thing is clear: For each incumbent in the White House, the "President's Daily Brief" - its official name - is an important document for assessing the global security situation.
The fact that US President-elect Joe Biden was able to see the report for the first time since his election victory shows that the handover of power in Washington is in full swing.
That is actually a matter of course - but the outgoing President Donald Trump had long blocked an orderly transition.
As reported in the US media, Biden and his future Vice President Kamala Harris will now receive the report prepared for Trump every day until the inauguration on January 20.
First leather portfolio, then iPad
Each President can decide in which form he would like to receive the report.
Biden has ample experience on this matter.
As Vice President-designate, he read the report of then President George W. Bush in late 2008 and early 2009.
He then received the Obama report for eight years.
The documents for Obama were always 10 to 15 pages.
Initially, these were put together in a leather folder and placed on the President's breakfast table.
Obama later received the information on a secured iPad.
Obama described what awaits him in terms of content in his memoirs: In the reports he read about terror threats, unrest in the world or weapon systems in other countries.
Biden had already received intelligence briefings.
However, these have so far been of a more general nature. Trump initially denied the Democrats access to the most important information because he questioned the election result.
The incumbent still speaks of election fraud.
However, there is no evidence to support these allegations.
Last week, Trump finally cleared the way for the formal handover of official business.
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