Capitol offense

RISKY BUSINESS

Thousands of armed pro-Trump extremists are reportedly plotting to surround the US Capitol ahead of Joe Biden’s inauguration. Speaking to CNN member of Congress, Pennsylvania Democrat Conor Lamb, tells how was among those who were briefed late Monday on terror threats against lawmakers and the Capitol.

According to The New York Times, the FBI has also issued warnings to local law enforcement over the potential for armed protests in all 50 states, with some legislatures already seeing demonstrations, and Twitter citing talk of plans for a second attack on the US Capitol and state buildings on Sunday, January 17th in their decision to ban Trump.

US House Democrats are meanwhile preparing to vote Tuesday evening (Eastern Standard Time) on a measure calling for Mike Pence and the GOP cabinet to remove Donald Trump using the 25th Amendment, in a symbolic move ahead of a planned impeachment vote on Wednesday.

Elsewhere, ABC explains that Twitter has blocked 70,000 QAnon accounts following the riot, Washington Democrat Pramila Jayapal has reported testing positive to COVID-19 following the lockdown with Republican lawmakers “who cruelly and selfishly refused to wear masks”, and The Washington Post ($) reports that not only have several Capitol police officers been suspended over their role in last week’s attack but that a Secret Service officer is under investigation after accusing lawmakers of treason and sharing election conspiracy theories on social media.

For his part, Trump has shown no contrition for inciting last week’s mob, calling his remarks to the rally “appropriate” and, along with other Republicans and Fox News lackeys, attempting to link the potential for mass violence with the impeachment effort.

PS: For the second time in two days on the job as acting prime minister, Michael McCormack has justified his colleagues’ right to spread Trump-style conspiracy theories (“facts can sometimes be contentious” is the new “alternative facts”) and equated last week’s armed siege with protests against the systemic police killing of Black people.

McCormack, for good measure, also rebuffed questions over his stance on the Black Lives Matter movement with a Pauline Hanson-style, anti-anti-racist “all lives matter” jibe.

A SHOT IN THE DARK?

The Australian and New Zealand Society for Immunology has called for an immediate pause on plans to rollout the AstraZeneca vaccine, the domestically-manufactured centrepiece of Australia’s broader strategy, over fears it may not be effective enough to generate herd immunity.

However The Sydney Morning Herald explains that the Australasian Virology Society appears split on the issue, with initial support for a pause quickly retracted by president, Professor Gilda Tachedjian over concerns of undermining public confidence and a lack of sufficient data.

These concerns come after peer-reviewed data in The Lancet demonstrated that the drug has an efficacy of 62% among those given the prescribed two doses but 90% in a group accidentally given a half and then a full dose.

The debate takes place as Gladys Berejiklian “pleads” for more testing in Sydney after five new community cases, four of which The Guardian explains are mystery cases.

NO PLANE, NO GAIN

Finally, the ABC reports that the Transport Workers’ Union (TWU), the Australian Services Union (ASU), the Flight Attendants Association of Australia (FAAA), and the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) are taking Qantas to the High Court over claims of inadequate public holidays, weekends, and overtime rates during the pandemic as well as their alleged misuse of the JobKeeper scheme.