1. Trump's tweetstorm on Hamilton
Imagine this: you win the presidency of the United States of America and, by default, become the so-called leader of the free world. A fortnight after a victory you won on the back of drastically reshaping the current order, your hours are filled with calls from world leaders, congratulations from friends and foes, and negotiations on what your administration is going to look like and – more importantly – accomplish. Unless you're Donald Trump, whose preoccupations appear to be ... Hamilton, the musical and Saturday Night Live.
If you missed this story on the weekend, Vice President-elect Mike Pence attended the Broadway production of Hamilton, the sold out smash-hit hip-hop musical about founding father Alexander Hamilton.
More Videos
- Video duration
- 03:31
How we might find life in our galaxy
How we might find life in our galaxy
Astronomers are developing new ways to study Earth-like worlds outside our Solar system.
Up Next
Video reveals Harrison Ford plane mishap
- Video duration
- 00:30
- Video duration
- 00:30
Video reveals Harrison Ford plane mishap
Video reveals Harrison Ford plane mishap
Newly released video shows a plane piloted by Harrison Ford mistakenly flying low over an airliner that was taxiing at John Wayne airport in southern California.
Up Next
Grant Hackett to seek help
- Video duration
- 00:32
- Video duration
- 00:32
Grant Hackett to seek help
Grant Hackett to seek help
Olympic swimming legend Grant Hackett thanks his parents and fans for their support and will seek help for his mental health issues. Vision courtesy Seven News.
Up Next
Guilty plea after dogwalker dies
- Video duration
- 01:24
- Video duration
- 01:24
Guilty plea after dogwalker dies
Guilty plea after dogwalker dies
A woman has pleaded guilty to two driving charges after her car ploughed into Anthony Cassidy while he was walking his dog in Boronia in 2015, which lead to his death. Vision courtesy Seven News.
Up Next
Minister: Power surplus, but please don't use it.
- Video duration
- 01:41
- Video duration
- 01:41
Minister: Power surplus, but please don't ...
Minister: Power surplus, but please don't use it.
NSW Energy and Utilities Minister Don Harwin has requested the public make restrictions to their power usage between peak times to prevent potential rolling blackouts, despite claiming we have a power surplus.
Up Next
Labor MP accused of homophobic slur
- Video duration
- 00:46
- Video duration
- 00:46
Labor MP accused of homophobic slur
Labor MP accused of homophobic slur
Labor MP Walt Secord has been accused of making a homophobic slur against MLC Don Harwin, the leader of the government in the NSW upper house.
Up Next
Cat-called cyclist fights back
- Video duration
- 01:19
- Video duration
- 01:19
Cat-called cyclist fights back
Cat-called cyclist fights back
A female cyclist retaliating after being harassed in the streets of London has gone viral.
Mike Pence gets booed at Hamilton
The cast of the smash Broadway hit 'Hamilton' tells the Vice President-elect that despite their concerns they hope Donald Trump's administration will uphold American values.
The cast took it upon themselves to urge Pence to govern for all Americans.
Trump on Sunday morning resumed his new tweet-rant about the show (which began the night before) at 6.22am US time, claiming the cast harassed Pence.
Related Content
The cast and producers of Hamilton, which I hear is highly overrated, should immediately apologize to Mike Pence for their terrible behavior
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 20, 2016
A tweet sent attacking the cast for not being able to memorise their lines was deleted minutes later.
Trump then turned his sights on Saturday Night Live.
I watched parts of @nbcsnl Saturday Night Live last night. It is a totally one-sided, biased show - nothing funny at all. Equal time for us?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 20, 2016
SNL revived its Alec Baldwin-as-Donald Trump skit.
Free lecture? Well, that’s one way to put it. #WiigOnSNL pic.twitter.com/wPbk33XcF7
— Saturday Night Live (@nbcsnl) November 20, 2016
(Personally I don't find SNL particularly funny, but I'm a British humour type of gal.) But it's going to be a long four years if the president gets upset by every satirical assessment of his administration.
As for Mike Pence, he responded on Fox on Sunday and said when he arrived to boos and cheers he told his daughter "that's what freedom sounds like."
He's not offended and even cited Donald Trump's victory speech to say the message about governing for all was exactly what the president-elect wants for his term. Oh the irony.
Trump, also on Twitter, hinted at announcing key appointments, including Secretary of Defence and Secretary of State, which could be either Mitt Romney or Rudy Giuliani. [The New York Times]
2. Australian politics
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has spoken to his Canadian counterpart on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Peru [AAP] and will speak again to President Obama. [Simon Benson/The Australian] Turnbull still hopes Trump will back the regional trade deal known as TPP. [Lisa Murray/Financial Review]
Turnbull is confident of his union-busting bills passing the Senate. [Jacob Greber/Financial Review] Don't underestimate how significant this would be for the troops. Last fortnight in Canberra I found most Coalition MPs to be so depressed they had reached the point of gallows humour. Reinstating the construction industry watchdog was about the only highlight they could identify, should it happen.
Big story on the budget by Jacob Greber. Treasurer Scott Morrison says the surprise rebound in commodity prices won't help the budget bottom line when the update is delivered on December 19. [Financial Review]
The Grattan Institute has found seniors are the "taxed nots" of Australian society and says tax breaks should be wound back to save the budget $1 billion per year. [Peter Martin/Fairfax]
Jamie Walker has an interesting story on the Melbourne property developer bankrolling One Nation. [The Australian]
Communications minister Mitch Fifield and GRACosway partner Richard King in the Birdcage on Derby Day. Photo: Jesse Marlow
SAVAGE column from respected media commentator Mark Day on Mitch 'Homer Simpson' Fifeld – the most ineffective politician in the land who risks being consigned to the dustbin an "utter failure." OUCH! [The Australian]
Fifield, in case you haven't heard of him, is the Communications Minister and – ironically given his portfolio – keeps a low profile. Fifield was one of the first to quit the Shadow Cabinet in 2009 to lead the putsch against Turnbull, but was one of the first to do Turnbull's numbers for the successful spill against Tony Abbott. Fifield was subsequently elevated to Cabinet after Turnbull's ascension.
Sky News is making another political show based on talking heads. Former Labor Leader Mark Latham, journalist Rowan Dean and former Liberal MP Ross Cameron are going to start a show after the ABC's Insiders called Outsiders with the starting premise of doing the opposite of whatever ABC host Barrie Cassidy would do. [Jake Mitchell/The Australian]
3. War in Syria
A chemical bomb has killed a family of six in Syria and rebel shelling has killed seven children in a school. [Reuters]
ABC journalist Sophie McNeill has posted some graphic footage on Twitter of some of the dead children. I won't embed as it's very distressing so will link you instead. [Sophie McNeill/Twitter]
As with any never-ending war, it's all too easy to look away when it's not something affecting us directly. McNeill is rightly disappointed her own network, the ABC, didn't air her report on this in Sunday night's flagship 7pm news.
What does it take to keep this horror in the news? Disappointingly my report (with this footage) didnt make the 7pm Sydney @abcnews #Aleppo
— Sophie McNeill (@Sophiemcneill) November 20, 2016
4. Train derails in India
People gather at the site of a train accident near Pukhrayan, about 270 kilometres from Allahabad, on Sunday. Photo: AP
More than 100 people are dead after a train and the death toll is expected to rise after a train derailed in Uttar Pradesh. [Reuters]
Uttar Pradesh is India's most populous state – if you've ever seen the Taj Mahal, you've been there.
5. Angela Merkel to seek fourth term
German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Photo: AP
It has been a rocky 12 months for the German leader, who has faced a backlash over her open-door policy for Syrian refugees. Since then, Germany has been rocked by terrorist attacks and the far-right AfD political party has been gaining support.
But Merkel will seek a fourth term, ending months of speculation about her political intentions. [Reuters]
6. French primaries
Keep an eye out on the results of the French primaries. It's the first time the conservatives in France have held a US-style primary to select their candidate for next year's presidential election.
The three frontrunners are all men aged over 60: former president Nicolas Sarkozy and former prime ministers Francois Fillon and Alain Juppe. [AP]
Post Brexit and post-Trump, the French elections are one to watch. Socialist President Francois Hollande's poll numbers are at a record low and he may not even recontest the next election, leaving the field clear for Prime Minister Manuel Valls. [Bloomberg]
French far-right Front National party leader Marine Le Pen. Photo: AP
So it may be that whomever the French conservatives choose as their candidate ends up fighting the far-right's Marine Le Pen, leader of the Front National, in the vote.
A Le Pen victory is unlikely but possible says French philosopher Bernard-Henri Levi because voters no longer care whether politicians tell the truth. [James Rothwell/Telegraph]
Hopefully every politician who has ever thought telling lies was a politically clever and savvy way to operate is taking stock of what the cumulative effect of this has been on the populace as we grapple with this era of post-truth politics. (Media not exempt here, either.)
And that's it from me today – you can follow me on Facebook for more.