Firm, fervent and fiery: It's Fiona Hill's day

Good evening, OnPolitics readers! The hearings in the House impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump wrapped up Thursday with Dr. Fiona Hill, the former National Security Council senior director for Europe and Russia, and David Holmes, the counselor for political affairs at the US Embassy in Ukraine, testifying in front of the House Intelligence Committee. 

Before we dig into Thursday's impeachment inquiry content, here are some of the key headlines from Wednesday night's fifth Democratic presidential primary debate:  

• In her analysis, Susan Page noted theevening was an "object lesson in the way Trump and the impeachment debate are defining the moment ..." and how the process has "overshadowed the ideological divides in the sprawling field." She also asked the simple, yet important, question, especially if Trump is not removed from office: "Who can win?" 
• Our winners and losers from the evening came with a special hat tip to the four female debate moderators.
• Some of the top moments of the night included the candidates discussing impeaching Trump and quick wit serving several folks as they sparred with one another over policy issues. 
• "And keep punching at it and punching it and punching at it." — When asked how he would address sexual violence, former Vice President Joe Biden used some unfortunate terminology to help make his point.

Ukraine viewed WH meeting as 'critical' but Trump soured on the idea

While Hill and Holmes' testimony did not provide the fireworks Wednesday's action did,  they disclosed some important details to the inquiry's overall narrative. 

Holmes testified Ukrainian officials viewed a White House meeting with Trump as "critical" in their efforts to show Russia the U.S. was behind its East European ally. Trump soured on helping Ukraine, in part because his personal attorney Rudy Giuliani portrayed Zelensky as someone "surrounded by enemies" of Trump, Holmes said. Trump aides viewed the potential meeting as leverage to pressure Kyiv to go after the president's political rivals, Holmes testified. 

Hill admonished lawmakers for promoting a "fictional narrative" that it was Ukraine – not Russia – that interfered in the 2016 presidential election. "In the course of this investigation, I would ask that you please not promote politically driven falsehoods that so clearly advance Russian interests," she said.

Hill's wit and humor were on full display and her display of resilience did not go unmissed by viewers. She delivered punchy lines of testimony and asserted her position as a witness in the inquiry who would present facts exactly as she knew them to be, despite facing accusations of partisanship and receiving hateful calls and death threats at her home.

What happens next?

Hill and Holmes cap off the dozen witnesses called to testify publicly in the impeachment inquiry.

Democrats do not plan to hold any hearings during the week of Thanksgiving, though they could add closed-door interviews or hearings to the calendar. Congress does not return to Washington until the week of Dec. 2.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., was noncommittal when asked during her weekly news conference Thursday whether there might be a vote soon on impeachment.

While the House's plans have not materialized yet, we know that Trump and his aides have started meeting with Republican senators who may have to serve as jurors for an impeachment trial of the president. 

Sondland turns into a star (witness)

Wealthy businessman and Republican donor-turned-ambassador Gordon Sondland likely never thought he'd become a key figure in the impeachment of President Trump, but that's what he became. Thanks to his bombshell testimony stating that Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani sought a "quid pro quo" in which the administration would release military aid for Ukraine if its officials announced an investigation into Biden, Sondland has emerged as the star witness in the inquiry. He left Washington as quickly as possible to "fly back to Brussels to resume his duties" as Ambassador to the European Union, but we probably haven't seen the last of him in this process. Some additional coverage on Sondland and from a dramatic Wednesday:

• Sondland's stunning opening statement began a wild day. 
• Takeaways from the hearings include Sondland testifying, Giuliani being the pivotal player driving the Ukraine policy because that's what Trump wanted. Also, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Laura Cooper added to her previous closed-door testimony, saying she learned of additional relevant emails about Ukraine's concerns about security assistance after her deposition.
• Trump has claimed he doesn't know Sondland well, but does he know about Sondland's seven-figure donation to his presidential inaugural committee? Appointing donors as ambassadors is nothing new, but Trump has expanded the practice.

Let's put a bow on this 

Here are some more notable political news stories you may have missed:

• Trump said he will block possible military efforts to remove Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher, whose demotion over a war crimes charge he reversed last week. Gallagher is one of the three defendants in war crimes cases in which Trump intervened, issuing pardons to two soldiers and restoring Gallagher's rank and pay.
• 'This is corruption, plain and simple' — Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a top candidate in the Democratic presidential primary, sharply criticized Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg for attending a "secret dinner" with Trump, accusing company executives of "going on a charm offensive with Republican lawmakers."
• The powerful House Committee on Oversight and Reform, which is investigating Trump's financial dealings, urged the Supreme Court to validate a subpoena requiring his accounting firm to turn over several years of tax returns and financial records.

That's all for now, OP readers. Thanks for tuning in!