Hello and welcome to The Midge, the e-bulletin that takes a bite out of politics in Scotland and elsewhere.
Front pages
Exclusive: The Herald continues its Beyond Brexit series with education correspondent Andrew Denholm reporting on moves by Scottish universities to secure a greater international foothold. Proposals include building campuses abroad.
“Labour’s Brexit betrayal” is the headline in The National, which says the UK party will not oppose the triggering of Article 50, while the Scottish party wants access to, rather than membership of, the single market.
Under-5s are spending more than four hours a day in front of screens, reports the Mail.
In the Evening Times, Catriona Stewart reports on an outbreak of illness that has closed a Glasgow school for two days.
The Telegraph says German chancellor Angela Merkel has hinted that freedom of movement may not be such a red line after all.
The Times reports on another warning, this time from the Institute for Government think-tank, that Whitehall is at risk of being overwhelmed by Brexit.
The FT highlights tensions among Donald Trump’s transition team. See Afore Ye Go.
The Scotsman leads on Bank of England Governor Mark Carney’s prediction that a sharp rise in the cost of living lies ahead.
The Sun says former Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson was stopped from boarding a plane in Germany by an airport worker who allegedly shouted: “I’m from Argentina, so **** you.”
The Guardian reports on a tax avoidance scheme used by temp recruitment agencies which the paper says is costing taxpayers “hundreds of millions” a year.
The “i” says the number of paupers’ funerals in Scotland has risen by 24% in four years.
Camley’s cartoon
Prof Camley examines the twin pillars of civilisation in Scotland’s higher education system.
FFS: Five in five seconds
What’s the story? As a momentous 2016 strides towards its close, Oxford Dictionaries has announced its word of the year.
OMG? Jings? “Post-truth”, which Oxford Dictionaries defines as an adjective, “relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief”.
Are we talking the Trump campaign here? That, plus the EU referendum campaign, has brought the word front and centre with a 2000% increase in its use in the past year. But OD has traced its first appearance to a 1992 essay on the Iran-Contra scandal and the Gulf War by playwright Steve Tesich in The Nation magazine.
Does post-truth have staying power? Previous winners of the word of the year title, such as “omnishambles” and “big society” have had mixed fortunes, but OD thinks post-truth could be here for the long haul.
Why? Casper Grathwohl, president of Oxford Dictionaries, says: “Fuelled by the rise of social media as a news source and a growing distrust of facts offered up by the establishment, ‘post-truth’ as a concept has been finding its linguistic footing for some time. Given that usage of the term hasn't shown any signs of slowing down, I wouldn't be surprised if ‘post-truth’ becomes one of the defining words of our time.”
Afore Ye Go
Very organized process taking place as I decide on Cabinet and many other positions. I am the only one who knows who the finalists are!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 16, 2016
The president-elect returned to Twitter last night to dismiss reports of turmoil in his transition team. After demoting Chris Christie and promoting VP Mike Pence to the post of transition chairman, it has emerged that former Congressman Mike Rogers has quit as Trump’s national security adviser. Another leading Republican issued his own warning to colleagues thinking of joining Team Trump. See below.
After exchange w Trump transition team, changed my recommendation: stay away. They're angry, arrogant, screaming "you LOST!" Will be ugly.
— Eliot A Cohen (@EliotACohen) November 15, 2016
Could @TheRock become the US president in 2020? pic.twitter.com/D9HINkThiw
— ITV News (@itvnews) November 15, 2016
Looking ahead to 2020.
Latest pop. vote: Trump on 60.94m (inc. Michigan), just above Romney (60.93) and 1m >McCain (59.95M). Almost 1m fewer than Clinton (61.93m)
— Andrew Neil (@afneil) November 15, 2016
Andrew Neil with the latest scores on the doors for the US election.
"Distraught students get therapy dogs to cope with Trump’s win"
Headline in the New York Post as it reports on the goings-on in the city's private, Clinton-supporting, schools.
What is she thinking? pic.twitter.com/rFufrgMb
— MELANIA TRUMP (@MELANIATRUMP) August 10, 2012
A word from the First Lady in waiting.
she's thinking about how she's going to die because your husband doesn't believe in climate change https://t.co/SjoFoNHHGt
— james blonde (@StephenSchlegel) November 14, 2016
And it's not long till Twitter responds.
“It does seem as though this is a firm touting for business aided by the media.”
A spokesperson for PM Theresa May dismisses the leaked memo from Deloitte which said the Government did not have an overall Brexit plan. Above, Mrs May at the Lord Mayor’s Banquet. Carl Court/Getty Images
Possibly the cheekiest wink I've ever seen in the Holyrood chamber as Liam Kerr notes Keith Brown's alleged admiration for Thatcher...! pic.twitter.com/YrbHcdpAy4
— Philip Sim (@BBCPhilipSim) November 15, 2016
Not much escapes the attention of the BBC's keen-eyed Philip Sim.
3.4%
Annual rise in house prices in Scotland, making the average cost of a property in September just over £143,000. This compares to a UK average of £217,888 following a 7.7% jump. Registers of Scotland. Joe Giddens/PA Wire
“I have a big mic, and I was established. He couldn’t really destroy me, but think about the message that was sent to other journalists thinking about covering him sceptically. Perhaps they just don’t want to spend a year being bullied.”
Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly is interviewed by USA Today to mark publication of her memoir, Settle for More, which covers Donald Trump’s criticism of her. Andrew Toth/Getty Images
28%
The dip in easyJet profits, the first annual fall for six years, taking pre-tax profits to £495 million for the year to September 30. The firm blamed the falling pound, terrorism fears, and air traffic control strikes. Peter Byrne/PA Wire.
“A quick side note to everyone referring to Bannon as ‘controversial’. He’s not ‘controversial,’ he’s a white nationalist and an anti-Semite. Don’t talk about him like he’s pineapple on pizza.”
Late Night host Seth Myers on the appointment of Steve Bannon, above, formerly of Breitbart News, as Trump’s strategy chief. NBC. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
BBC to broadcast sketch containing the c-word 12 times and the f-word 15 times in 70 seconds https://t.co/UChIEKaeBq pic.twitter.com/Bx7YLdI6Yu
— Radio Times (@RadioTimes) November 15, 2016
Stand by for an outbreak of outrage after BBC4 shows a documentary about Peter Cook, one half of Derek and Clive, at 10pm tonight.
“He is in many aspects a liberal guy from New York.”
Boris Johnson on Donald Trump. Interview with Czech newspaper Hospodářské noviny. Leon Neal/Getty Images
Hi @BorisJohnson - we fixed your bus for you. Love, the Daily Record pic.twitter.com/TiNiKtLvlb
— David Clegg (@davieclegg) November 15, 2016
And here's one Boris wrote earlier.
After a five-year-old boy is rescued from a tumble-dryer by the family dog, critics say these emotional Christmas ads have gone too far.
— HaveIGotNewsForYou (@haveigotnews) November 15, 2016
Thanks for reading. See you tomorrow. Twitter: @alisonmrowat
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