Happy Thursday!

Did you watch the 2nd GOP Debate last night?

We’ve got our little recap here.

First Hearing in Impeachment Inquiry Today

The curtain goes up today on the House Impeachment Inquiry hearings into Joe Biden’s alleged bribery, corruption and abuse of power. Democrats are now willing to admit Hunter Biden used his connection to The Big Guy to make serious scratch. They’ll even admit that Joe discussed business with Hunter and met with his business associates. The new line is that it hasn’t been proven Joe Biden personally benefited. Did foreign individuals, companies or countries pour money into the Biden family with the expectation that Joe would use his government position to provide a benefit to those foreign interests?

The House will be laying out the evidence it has thus far that Joe Biden did, indeed, abuse his power and sell his influence. And evidence is released every day.

Biden’s Brother Cops to Effort to Help Chinese Energy Company With Close Ties to Xi Buy U.S. Energy Concern

Here’s an eye-opener from Just the News:

President Joe Biden’s brother told the FBI the first family – including Hunter Biden – tried unsuccessfully to help a Chinese company buy U.S. energy assets and did so believing the firm’s leader was tied directly to Communist Chinese President Xi Jinping, according to explosive new documents made public Wednesday by the House Ways and Means Committee.

The Chinese company was called CEFC. They were eyeballing a liquid natural gas facility on Monkey Island off the Louisiana coast. According to the FBI, “James B noted (Hunter) portrayed CEFC to him as Chairman Ye was a protégé of President Xi.” So the Bidens knew they were helping China’s Communist Party muscle into the U.S. energy market.

Where’s Joe in this? Looking for his 10%. CEFC is the deal where “10% to be held by H (Hunter) for The Big Guy.” Another party in the deal, Tony Bobulinski, testified The Big Guy was definitely understood to be Joe Biden. Bobulinski had been warned about mentioning Joe Biden’s involvement. His name was never to be used. “Plausible deniability,” brother James explained.

White House Dismisses Significance of New Allegation … But Can’t Ignore Who Payment Came From

On Wednesday, the White House offered a pretty weird response to the Oversight Committee revelation that two wire payments in 2019 totaling over $250,000 from Chinese business associates in Beijing had Joe Biden’s Delaware home listed as the beneficiary address.

Imagine them arguing that, if someone stayed at their parents' house during the pandemic, listed it as their permanent address for work, and got a paycheck, the parents somehow also worked for the employer

It's bananas

Yet this is what extreme House Republicans have sunken to https://t.co/25bQuDwtcp

— Ian Sams (@IanSams46) September 27, 2023

Of course, the pandemic didn’t start until 2020 … and in 2019, according to his own court filings, Hunter Biden was living in California. But, Hunter’s lawyers say, the Delaware address was his “only permanent residence” at the time. And besides, the payments are from 2019, when Joe wasn’t in office. (Though he had just announced he was running.)

Assume that’s true. Still, one of the wire payments came from Jonathan Li. Why is that name familiar? That’s the guy who Hunter shook down on WhatsApp, demanding payment in 2017. “I am sitting here with my father and we would like to understand why the commitment made has not been fulfilled,” said Hunter, channeling his inner Sonny Corleone. Two other times in the message he referenced the presence of his father, in his “pay up or else” message. While the IRS investigators were blocked by Biden DOJ loyalists from trying to prove Joe was sitting right there — hello, obstruction — we do know Hunter was at Joe’s Delaware crib that day. Photos show Hunter tooling around in his Dad’s prized Corvette.

If only cars could talk. I mean, cars beside KITT.

One thing we can ask for from the House Republicans? Put the pieces together in an easy to understand way.

UPDATE: Investigation Opened Into High School That Hired a Drag Queen Once Accused of Possessing Child Porn to Be Its New Principal

Dr. Shane Brent Murnan started this fall as the new principal of John Glenn Elementary School, and now the Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction, Ryan Walters, wants to know how in the world that happened. Murnan openly performs as a drag queen. Not exactly the side hustle you want for someone overseeing a school full of children. More ominous, Murnan was arrested on child porn possession charges back in 2001. The charges were dropped when lawyers convinced prosecutors they could not prove the kids in the images were underage. (Officers thought otherwise.)

Walters announced Tuesday he’s launching an investigation into the district superintendent of Western Heights Public Schools (WHPS), saying he’s heard from residents:

who are deeply concerned about the message being sent by a district who would put a drag queen in charge of one of our schools. It’s simply unacceptable. Mr. Murnan has been very clear that he is “very open” about his alter ego and has shared it not only on publicly available social media but has performed in public libraries under the very thin veil of would-be anonymity. These are not the actions of a school leader concerned about the well-being of children.

Walters will also be examining the teaching certificate of Murnan, noting Oklahoma law allows the firing of teachers for “moral turpitude.” The WHPS district insists they followed “normal hiring practices” and had done a background check.

“WHPS is committed to working in collaboration with OSDE as they conduct their investigation.”

Hollywood Writer’s Strike Officially Over

After 148 days, the Hollywood writer’s strike is over as of one minute after midnight. The Writer’s Guild of America voted to lift the strike order after a tentative new deal was reached with Hollywood studios. The deal still needs to be ratified, but the 11,000 members are free to ply their trade.

Let the dreary late night jokes commence.

The actors’ strike continues.

Meanwhile, if you’re heading to Vegas, don’t expect much service on The Strip. The Culinary Workers Union and Bartenders Union have voted overwhelmingly to approve a strike. The hospitality workers are demanding increased pay, job security and better conditions.

Along The Stream

Stream publisher James Robison had a spirited discussion with Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk about the state of America. Check it out. Let us know what you think!