Above the Fold

IMPEACHMENT CIRCUS: “A majority of the House now backs impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump, a significant milestone as Democrats move rapidly on an impeachment inquiry,” Politico reports. “As of Wednesday night, 218 lawmakers have indicated support for impeachment proceedings — 217 Democrats and independent Rep. Justin Amash.” Meanwhile, the contentious whistleblower complaint finally dropped this morning (see below), wherein the whistleblower, citing “multiple U.S. Government officials,” alleges that “the President of the United States is using the power of his office to solicit interference from a foreign country in the 2020 U.S. election.” The complaint also asserts that “senior White House officials had intervened to ‘lock down’ all records of the phone call” between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The bottom line? Trump’s situation is troubling but hardly conclusive or impeachable.

As a side bar, The Washington Free Beacon reports, “The lead counsel representing the Ukraine whistleblower donated to Joe Biden’s presidential campaign earlier this year.”

ANOTHER ASYLUM DEAL: “The Trump administration signed an asylum agreement with the Honduran government Wednesday, marking the latest in a string of asylum deals with Latin American countries aimed at controlling the immigration crisis. The Department of Homeland Security announced it reached a deal with Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez, allowing the U.S. to send some asylum seekers from ‘third’ countries back to his country.”

Government & Politics

BORDER OBSTRUCTION: “The Senate again voted on Wednesday to end President Trump’s emergency declaration on the U.S.-Mexico border wall, paving the way for a veto showdown with the White House,” The Hill reports. “Senators voted 54-41 on a resolution to end the declaration, which Trump used to shift billions of dollars from the military toward wall construction.” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer claimed: “The vote [yesterday] is the surest and likely the only way to restore funding the president has stolen from our troops and military projects across the country.” He didn’t care to mention the jobs, money, and even lives that have been stolen from the American people as a direct result of illegal immigration.

A NEW SHERIFF IN TOWN: “A new national survey shows Elizabeth Warren now sitting atop the 2020 Democratic field, further cementing her ascendancy in the party’s presidential primary after a pair of polls reported her leading in the first two primary states,” according to Politico. “Twenty-seven percent of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents polled by Quinnipiac University said they favor Warren, according to a survey released Wednesday morning. Twenty-five percent said they prefer former Vice President Joe Biden.” Rep. Dan Crenshaw speculates: “This impeachment inquiry seems worse for Biden than it is for Trump. Now the Hunter Biden-Ukraine issue is on everyone’s radar AND we know that Democrats overstepped with their ‘quid pro quo’ accusation. Have to wonder whether they did this to help Warren/Sanders.”

Culture

WOKE DOLLS: “In an effort to be ‘woke’ and kowtow to the gender-confused masses, Mattel is coming out with a new line of Barbie-like dolls, called ‘Creatable World,’ that are gender-neutral and have a variety of interchangeable hairstyles and clothing choices to switch up the doll’s look.” (PJ Media)

CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR: “The marriage vow that usually involves a variation of ‘for richer or poorer’ may no longer apply. Women may now want to add ‘as long as you make as much money as me.’ It seems many men aren’t getting up to the income level that women prefer in a potential marriage partner, according to the New York Post. That has left successful ladies single and disgruntled, according to a Cornell University study.” (Fox Business)

‘JOKER’ ANXIETY: “Family members of those killed in the July 20, 2012, mass shooting at a screening of The Dark Knight Rises in Aurora, Colorado, have signed a letter to Warner Bros. sharing concerns about the upcoming Joker film and asking the studio to donate to groups that aid victims of gun violence. … As Warner Bros. gears up for the Oct. 4 release of Todd Phillips’ R-rated Joker, which is attracting attention for its gritty, realistic violence as well as for its artistry and the performance of star Joaquin Phoenix, some survivors and relatives of the victims are expressing fears about the film.” (The Hollywood Reporter)

Other Notables

JUSTICE: Boston College student accused of sexual assault wins over $100,000 (National Review)

ECONOMIC BLUDGEON: Fracking ban proposed by 2020 Democrats would kill millions of jobs (The Washington Free Beacon)

Closing Arguments

POLICY: Trump’s approach to Iran smartly strikes a difficult balance (National Review)

POLICY: How far should we go to stop climate change? (Capital Research Center)

HUMOR: Hollywood blacklists people who have worn blackface, whiteface, and alienface (Genesius Times)

For more of today’s editors’ choice headlines, visit In Our Sights.

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