Former US President Donald Trump's second Senate impeachment trial will start on Wednesday at 1pm (AEDT), setting up a week (or two) that will be equal parts historic and divisive.

What is expected to happen?

Mr Trump is poised to be acquitted by the Senate, where it would take a two-thirds vote to convict him.

At least 17 Republicans would need to join all of the Senate Democrats to convict.

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However, the trial will still bring drama. Mr Trump is not expected to appear, after his lawyers rejected a Democratic request to testify.

His lawyers are expected to argue that the Senate cannot impeach a former president and that Mr Trump's January 6 speech at the White House Ellipse preceding the US Capitol insurrection was protected by the First Amendment.

The House impeachment managers will argue that Mr Trump is "singularly responsible" for inciting the insurrection, and that he should be barred from holding future office.

How long will the trial last? 

That's an open question at this point. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and their aides have been engaged in extensive discussions about the trial's organising resolution, which the Senate will pass before arguments begin.

Both sides hope to reach a bipartisan agreement on the trial's parameters, which will include how long the impeachment managers and defence team get to make their arguments, how witnesses could be called and other matters.

READ MORE: Donald Trump rejects calls to testify at his impeachment trial

Two impeachments in two years

Mr Trump became only the third US President to be impeached – ever – when the House convicted him in 2019 of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress over his efforts to pressure Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden and Biden's son Hunter.

The Senate vote to acquit Trump of those charges came a little more than a year ago, on February 5, 2020.

Mr Trump made history as the only impeached President to run for re-election, and then last month – after his loss to Mr Biden was sealed – became the only President in US history to be impeached twice.

Let's review exactly how we got here.

'Stop the Steal'

The road to Mr Trump's second impeachment began in earnest during an election night address when he falsely claimed that he had already won re-election.

The conspiracy theory Mr Trump laid out then metastasized into the defining message of his final weeks in office as he and his allies in conservative media and Congress sought to sow doubt not just over Mr Biden's win but over the integrity of the US election system.

Beyond an endless stream of tweets claiming victory, Mr Trump's legal team launched an effort to disenfranchise millions of voters with the goal of overturning the results of key battleground states.

The lawsuits, though, were roundly dismissed for lacking evidence and states began to certify Mr Biden's win, which was affirmed by the Electoral College in December without so much as one faithless elector.

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But Mr Trump remained undeterred by that reality. Instead of accepting his loss and moving toward a transition, he and his allies set their sights on Congress' largely ceremonial role in certifying Electoral College votes on January 6 as a final stage where the will of the voters could be subverted.

This culminated in Mr Trump's speech near the White House. The President told a crowd of supporters to march to the Capitol building, where Congress was set to formalise his loss in a gathering presided over by Vice President Mike Pence.

"We're going to walk down to the Capitol and we're gonna cheer on our brave senators and congressmen and women. And we're probably not going to be cheering so much for some of them, because you'll never take back our country with weakness, you have to show strength and you have to be strong," he said at that rally, less than an hour before the certification was due to begin.

After he spoke, Mr Trump returned to the White House in an armored SUV and hunkered indoors. But his supporters, emboldened by Mr Trump's call to action, marched east to the seat of the legislative branch, where they climbed over scaffolding already in place for Mr Biden's inauguration to launch an unprecedented breach of the Capitol that engulfed DC in chaos.

Only after pleading from aides and congressional allies inside the besieged building did Mr Trump release a video urging the rioters to "go home," while still fanning their baseless grievances about a stolen election.

"We love you," Mr Trump said. "You're very special."

READ MORE: Donald Trump names two lawyers to impeachment defence team

Later, he seemed to justify the actions in a tweet, writing, "These are the things and events that happen when a sacred landslide election victory is so unceremoniously & viciously stripped away."

The insurrection left five dead, including an officer with the US Capitol Police.

Congress reconvened later that night to complete its task, and Mr Biden's win was certified in the early hours of January 7 – a step delayed by the decision of Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley to proceed with an objection to counting Mr Biden's victory in Pennsylvania.

Democrats act fast

Democrats moved quickly after the insurrection to organise an impeachment effort over Mr Trump's role in whipping up the mob.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced just two days after the episode that her party was prepared to move forward with impeachment if Mr Trump didn't resign immediately.

"It is the hope of Members that the President will immediately resign. But if he does not, I have instructed the Rules Committee to be prepared to move forward with Congressman Jamie Raskin's 25th Amendment legislation and a motion for impeachment," Ms Pelosi said at the time.

"Accordingly, the House will preserve every option — including the 25th Amendment, a motion to impeach or a privileged resolution for impeachment."

Mr Trump didn't resign and his Cabinet didn't invoke the 25th Amendment to remove him from office. The following Monday, Democrats formally introduced their impeachment resolution, charging Mr Trump with "incitement of insurrection."

The single impeachment article specifically points to Mr Trump's repeated false claims that he won the election and his speech to the crowd on January 6 before the rioters breached the Capitol.

READ MORE: Senators sworn in for Trump impeachment trial

It also cited Mr Trump's January 2 call with Georgia's Republican secretary of state, Brad Raffensperger, where the President urged him to "find" enough votes for Mr Trump to win the state.

"In all this, President Trump gravely endangered the security of the United States and its institutions of Government," the resolution said.

"He threatened the integrity of the democratic system, interfered with the peaceful transition of power, and imperiled a coequal branch of Government. He thereby betrayed his trust as President, to the manifest injury of the people of the United States."

The House voted to impeach Trump 232 to 197 two days after their resolution was formally introduced, and exactly one week after rioters forced lawmakers to flee from the very chamber in which they cast ballots.

Senate trial delay

The blazing House impeachment process prompted a push among Democrats for an immediate Senate trial, potentially before Mr Trump left office on January 20.

Sen. McConnell rejected those calls and ultimately struck a deal with Sen. Schumer that allowed some formal steps in late January before the trial formally begins this week — a delay that allowed the Senate to confirm some key Cabinet members as well as time for Mr Trump's defence team to prepare.

The delay also — critically — allowed the immediate shock to subside and gave Republicans a window to get a sense of support for impeachment within their party.

READ MORE: Capitol mob aimed to 'assassinate' elected officials

Initially several Republicans claimed they were keeping an open mind, but as more time has passed, GOP leaders have become increasingly bullish that Mr Trump isn't at risk of conviction.

The clearest indicator came when GOP Sen. Rand Paul raised a point of order that the trial of an ex-president was unconstitutional. Only five Republicans split from the party.

Democrats and Republicans alike have pointed to the vote on Sen. Paul's point of order as a measure for how the trial's final vote will likely land. And Sen. McConnell sided with Sen. Paul in the vote — suggesting his initial signals that he might be open to convicting Mr Trump are not likely to result in him voting that way.

The current reality

That brings us to now.

Given the way GOP lawmakers have aligned behind Mr Trump in recent weeks, the trial for Democrats will be as much about holding him accountable in the public eye than securing a conviction – a reality that the House impeachment managers' fiery pre-trial briefs signal they're prepared for.

"President Trump's effort to extend his grip on power by fomenting violence against Congress was a profound violation of the oath he swore," the House impeachment team wrote.

"If provoking an insurrectionary riot against a Joint Session of Congress after losing an election is not an impeachable offence, it is hard to imagine what would be."

As two paramedics flanked her stretcher an unwell patient stares out at the calming waves.

The trio made an unlikely scene at the point at Cleveland Lighthouse, in Brisbane, at the weekend.

Little is known about why the patient and the Queensland Ambulance Services members stopped to take in the vista, though it has left quite the impact on a passer-by who captured the tender moment.

https://www.facebook.com/qldambulanceservice/posts/3975831449115219

"Lovely watching the amazing paramedics bringing an obviously not well patient to the point for a visit on her way to hospital(?)," Facebook user Neil King said in a post accompanying the photo.

"So grateful to our front line workers serving so kindly. The gesture was amazing but the kind words and lovely conversation they shared even more so.

"Thank you Queensland Ambulance Service you are amazing."

Nine.com.au contacted the Queensland Ambulance Services for further details but was told unfortunately there were no specific details to share.

The family of a high-profile Australian journalist arrested in China say they are convinced of her innocence and have urged authorities to allow her contact with her children.

Cheng Lei has been formally arrested and charged nearly six months after being detained over allegations she illegally supplied state secrets overseas.

"We are absolutely convinced of her innocence, in close consultation with (Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade) and supporting her children in every way we can," Ms Cheng's family said in a statement today.

"We respect China's judicial process and urge the authorities bring this matter to a swift, compassionate and timely conclusion whilst at all times respecting her rights with the knowledge that she is the mother of two young and vulnerable children who need her.

"To that end, we would also urge that Lei be able to have contact with her children and basic items such as reading materials. Mental health is as important as physical wellbeing."

The family said while Ms Cheng has been a long-time Australian citizen, she has "a great love for the country of her birth".

"Out of respect for the judicial process in China, we will not be commenting further on her arrest and detention at this time," the statement said.

"As a family, we would urge all to respect the privacy of her vulnerable children and elderly grandparents.

"We of course hope that Cheng Lei will be reunited with them very soon."

Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne said the Chinese Embassy in Beijing informed the Federal Government of Ms Cheng's arrest on Friday evening.

"We have consistently raised our strong concerns about her detention, regularly, at the most senior levels," Ms Payne said.

Ms Payne said the progress to her formal arrest means the matter has now "entered the formal criminal investigative stage", which can take months to move through the Chinese system.

Ms Cheng had been working as a business journalist for the state broadcaster CGTN when she was secretly detained in Beijing in mid-August 2020.

Since then she has been assisted by the government, and the most recent consular visit was on January 27.

"We continue to seek assurances of her being treated appropriately, humanely, in accordance with international standards," Ms Payne said.

The mood on the field was tense during the Super Bowl as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers trounced the Kansas City Chiefs. Off the field, brands sought to relieve the tension of the game – and the year – with lighthearted commercials stuffed with celebrities and nostalgic characters.

They aimed to connect to the estimated 100 million viewers who tune in to the Super Bowl broadcast each year.

Cadillac updated the classic 1990 film “Edward Scissorhands,” M&M’s enlisted Dan Levy to show how a bag of M&M’s given as an apology can help people come together. And Will Ferrell teamed with GM — and Awkwafina and Kenan Thompson — on a madcap cross-country dash to promote electric vehicles.

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Perhaps the most striking effect: Virtually none of the ads featured people in masks, a public-health priority but also a grim reminder of the ongoing pandemic.

With so many light spots, advertisers that took a different approach were more likely to be remembered. Jeep aired a two-minute ad in the second half of the game starring Bruce Springsteen urging people to find common ground. Oat milk maker Oatly opted for going weird.

“The relentless stream of cheery ads made it tough for any of them to really stand out," said Northwestern University marketing professor Tim Calkins.

Aiming to entertain

In an effort to be light, advertisers stuffed – and sometimes overstuffed – their ads with celebrities.

Cadillac enlisted “Call Me By Your Name” actor Timothée Chalamet to portray Edward Scissorhand’s son enjoying the Cadillac Lyriq’s hands-free “Super Cruise” technology. Winona Ryder revisited her role in the classic 1990 move as his mother.

Other ads combined celebrities with humor. Rocket Mortgage tapped comedian Tracy Morgan to show a family why being “pretty sure” doesn’t cut it in situations like eating questionable mushrooms, skydiving — and taking out a mortgage. State Farm showed Paul Rudd and Drake as commercial set stand-ins. And Hellmann’s enlisted comedian Amy Schumer as a “Fairy Godmayo” that helped a man deal with his leftovers.

Touching on politics

Most ads steered clear of politics, but there were some notable exceptions.

Fiverr teased that its ad would feature Four Seasons Total Landscaping, the scene of an infamous Rudy Giuliani press conference during last year’s tumultuous election, raising the question whether the ad would be political or not.

It did not. Instead, the tongue-in-cheek ad was more about how small businesses can thrive with Fiverr. It featured Four Seasons Total Landscaping owner Marie Siravo talking about how to build a successful business with the help of Fiverr.

But the strongest political statement of the night came from Jeep’s two-minute ad featuring Bruce Springsteen. Even thought the Boss urged people to find common ground, the very idea of “unity” during this contentious election year has become polarising.

“It’s no secret the middle has been a hard place to get to lately, between red and blue, servant and citizen, freedom and fear,” Springsteen intones, adding “we need the middle.”

FCA chief marketing officer Olivier Francois said it was worth taking the risk on a serious ad in order to create a “healing” commercial that will be remembered long after the game. “There’s a divide and Bruce wants to do one thing, speak to the common ground,” he said in an interview with the Associated Press. “It doesn’t take a stand, left or right, blue or red, the only stand it takes is the middle.”

“It speaks to where we are now as a country and our need for “common ground,” said Vann Graves, executive director of the Brandcenter at Virginia Commonwealth University. “Clearly this is not a new approach, but in today’s climate, it is an effective and necessary one.”

But Brooks Brasfield, 28, watching the game in Nashville with his wife, said the tone of the Jeep ad leaned too political for him.

“I like Springsteen and heartwarming ads like this generally, but this one feels too forced given the current political climate,” he said.

Going for weird

Oat milk company Oatly ran a surprise ad that showed its CEO singing with a keyboard in a field of Oats that its product is like milk but not milk.

It wasn’t a hit with David Simmons, 24, from Louisville, Ky., watching the game with his two roommates and his girlfriend.

“It was just shockingly strange, I couldn’t really focus on the next commercial,” he said. “It was jarringly weird. I drink all types of milk, but I won’t be drinking Oatly.”

But Kim Whitler, a marketing professor at the University of Virginia, said the ad “is likely to stand out because it is so starkly different,“ She added, “It will drive awareness because of the size of the Super Bowl audience and is clear about what it is — and it is quirky. That might work for the target.”

More diversity

Many ads this year featured a diverse cast, from Amazon’s Alexa ad with two Black leads to job site Indeed’s ad featuring a wide array of real-life job seekers. Mercari featured a mixed-race couple in its ad and WeatherTech showed a diverse workforce of its real employees.

Elsewhere, Hellmann’s ad featuring Amy Schumer as the “fairy GodMayo” featured a Black lead and DoorDash’s ad starred “Hamilton” star Daveed Diggs singing and dancing through a Muppet-populated neighborhood. While it's hard to quantify how much more diverse the ads were this year, it’s certainly a far cry from 2013, when there was an outcry after a Cheerio’s ad featured a mixed-race couple.

“It’s the right thing to do and it’s good business,” said VCU’s Graves. “Consumers are now demanding that they see themselves reflected in brands they spend money on.”

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