NEWS WRAP

Failure looms for Pelosi's new gun law

• New bill unlikely to pass Senate | Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said she will introduce the Protecting Our Children Act for a vote this week to raise the purchase age of semi-automatic weapons from 18 to 21, and ban bump stocks. The bill is expected to be unsuccessful without the support of 10 Senate Republicans. READ MORE HERE
   

• Primary showdown in seven states | Seven states hold their midterm primaries this week. In Iowa several Democrats are competing to take on seven-term Republican Senator Chuck Grassley while in Pennsylvania, Trump-backed celebrity doctor Mehmet Oz secured the nomination after David McCormick conceded. READ MORE HERE
   

• Leaders boycott Summit of the Americas | US leadership in Central America took a blow with the presidents of Mexico, El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala withdrawing from the Biden Administration's regional summit. This is in protest to the exclusion of Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua from the Los Angeles event. READ MORE HERE
   

• US, South Korea launch missiles | South Korea and the United States launched eight surface-to-surface Army Tactical Missile Systems earlier this week in response to a North Korean ballistic missile launch the previous day. It is the second retaliatory display from the United States and South Korea in as many weeks, following President Biden's visit to the region. READ MORE HERE
   

• Australian golfer wins US Women’s Open | Australian Minjee Lee collected the biggest single payday in women’s golf history when she pocketed $2.5 million in a stunning US Open win. Lee joined Australian legends Karrie Webb and Jan Stephenson as Australia’s only other US Women’s Open champions. READ MORE HERE

A Documentary History of the United States with Alexander Heffner

In an age dominated by terms like fake news and disinformation, what are the facts about the history of the United States? In the updated edition of A Documentary History of the United States, Alexander Heffner revisits primary sources to tell the unvarnished history of the United States – compiling the key documents, speeches, letters, tweets and Supreme Court decisions from the Declaration of Independence to Articles of Impeachment against Donald J. Trump following the January 6 insurrection.

What do we learn from examining these primary sources? Which documents are critical to understand the pandemic and its impact on the United States? What significance do these primary source documents have for Australia?

To discuss these issues, please join us for a webinar event featuring co-author and host of The Open Mind on PBS Alexander Heffner.

WHEN:
SYDNEY | Thursday, 7 July 2022 | 10:00-11:00am AEST
WASHINGTON DC | Wednesday, 6 July 2022 | 8-9:00pm EDT

COST:
Free but registration is essential.

You can also subscribe to have event invitations and reminders sent straight to your inbox, so you never have to miss an event!

ANALYSIS

The US Capitol riots - FAQs

On 6 January 2021, pro-Trump protestors violently stormed the US Capitol in Washington DC as Congress was meeting to certify the 2020 presidential election results. Proceedings were suspended as the crowd occupied both House and Senate chambers and vandalised members’ offices. Five people died, including a Capitol police officer.

Shortly following the attack, the United States Studies Centre (USSC) provided the following FAQs to help explain these events.

What led up to the riots?

The 2020 presidential elections have been repeatedly criticised by President Trump and his supporters as fraudulent. Multiple court cases were brought by the Trump campaign and supporters seeking to challenge the election results in key states won by Trump in 2016 but lost to Biden in 2020. Virtually every case was dismissed for want of evidence. President Trump staged a “Save America” rally on the National Mall on the morning on 6 January, ahead of the last stage of the 2020 election process, when Congress met to certify the Electoral College results.

What did Trump say?

President Trump had repeatedly and consistently alleged fraud with the election. On Twitter, he urged his supporters to come to the 6 January rally, saying “Be there. Will be wild!” Trump’s speech at the rally become central to the impeachment charges later brought and adopted by the House of Representatives. Specifically, Trump told the rally, “Something is wrong here, something is really wrong, can’t have happened and we fight, we fight like hell, and if you don’t fight like hell, you’re not going to have a country anymore.” Trump urged his supporters to then march to the Capitol.

This article was first published on 15 January 2021.

BY THE NUMBERS

The law and January 6

Following the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol, the US Government continues investigating the impact that resulted from the breach, including damage to the Capitol building and grounds, both inside and outside the building.

As of January 6, 2022, 725 defendants were arrested, 140 police officers were assaulted, 70 defendants received sentences for their criminal activity and 31 have been sentenced to prison, according to the United States Attorney’s Office District of Columbia.

Under the continued leadership of the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the investigation and prosecution of those responsible for the attack continues.

VIDEO

What does a Kennedy in Canberra mean for Australia? Dr Michael Green, Bruce Wolpe, Stephen Loosely and Victoria Cooper

As a daughter of a cherished US president, scion of a political dynasty, globally-renowned philanthropist and accomplished former ambassador to Japan, Australia has arguably never had a higher profile US ambassador than it soon will with Caroline Kennedy.

The United States Studies Centre hosted a webinar discussion on the newly confirmed US Ambassador to Australia featuring incoming USSC CEO Dr Mike Green, Non-Resident Senior Fellows Stephen Loosley AM, Bruce Wolpe and Research Associate Victoria Cooper.

Catch more analysis on the United States on the USSC YouTube channel.

THE WEEK IN TWEETS

#January6thHearings