December 22, 2022 Afternoon Report

•Hunter Biden has hired Abbe Lowell, a high-powered defenselawyer, to help him navigate possible congressional probes.• The Department of Justice is investigating Hunter Bidenfor potentially not paying enough taxes on income he received from serving onthe board of directors for a Ukrainian natural gas company and for the mannerin which he paid off tax obligations in recent years.• Congressional Republicans plan to investigate PresidentJoe Biden's family once they take control of the House in January with a focuson finding out whether Joe Biden was more involved in his son's dealings thanpreviously known.•Neal Schon, lead guitarist of Journey, is sending a ceaseand desist letter to Jonathan Cain for performing the group's hit "Don'tStop Believin'" at an event for former President Trump.• Schon founded Journey in 1972, and he, Cain, and StevePerry penned the group's 1981 rock anthem.• The letter from Schon's legal team says that when Cainperforms on behalf of Journey or the band, it is "extremely deleterious tothe Journey brand as it polarizes the band’s fans and outreach." It alsosays that Journey should not be political.• This is not the first time an artist has taken issue withtheir music being played at a political rally - Neil Young sued Trump'scampaign in 2020 after his song "Rockin' in teh Free World" wasplayed without proper licensing.An Australian man was rescued off the country's north coastWednesday after surviving nearly 24 hours in shark- and crocodile-infestedwaters by clinging to a piece of wood.The Queensland man, who has not been identified, wasdiscovered by an air rescue crew in the rough waters of the Torres Strait, alittle more than one mile away from his upturned dinghy, according to theAustralian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA).The man had left Getullai Island on Tuesday and failed toarrive at his destination on time. A search by rescue aircraft that evening wasunsuccessful, but resumed the following morning with a helicopter and a policevessel joining the search.•The Senate has reached a deal that will allow them to voteon a $1.7 trillion government funding package, averting a shutdown that wouldhave occurred Friday at midnight.• The agreement comes after senators were unable to come toan agreement Wednesday night over how to handle a GOP border amendment.• Under the new deal, two dueling border proposals will bevoted on Thursday, both of which are expected to fail. However, this allowsDemocrats and Republicans to stake out their positions without jeopardizing thefate of the broader funding measure.• If approved, the spending package would boost federalagency budgets through the fiscal year and includes about $45 billion inemergency aid to Ukraine and nearly $40 billion for disaster aid.