An aide to VP pence testified behind closed doors on Wednesday, John Bolton was a no show (but hinted that could change), and the GOP is focusing on two points of deflection: First, there’s the idea that the whistleblower must be outed and testify publicly (even though the testimony of others who have provided firsthand accounts has rendered the whistleblower’s identity and motives meaningless). And second, there are new demands that Hunter and Joe Biden must testify. (In legal circles, such requests are referred to as ‘complete and utter bullshit.’) For more nonsense, here’s the latest from the impeach pit from CNN and WaPo.

+ “Trump, of course, called us liars. He attacked our looks. At one pumped-up rally, he said of me: ‘Look at her. Look at her words. Tell me what you think. I don’t think so!’ We got hate mail, death threats. And what did he get? The keys to the office once held by Washington, Lincoln and the Roosevelts.” Natasha Stoynoff in WaPo: Women were the first Trump whistleblowers.

+ And here’s a lede that truly captures the mood of the era. “After the White House cut off military aid to Ukraine, Donald Trump’s top officials scrambled to get it restored but were unable to organize a meeting with the president, in part because his staff were too busy pursuing his interest in buying Greenland.”