Beet L. Jooz

The viral Facebook plan to storm Area 51 fell well short of its expected attendance, but its legend continues to grow on the internet.

An Afghan police officer fired on a NATO coalition convoy in Kandahar province on Monday, leaving three U.S. soldiers with non-life-threatening injuries.

What's got your goat right now? Maybe it's all those climate-change strikes that are giving schoolkids cover for playing hooky on a beautful early Autumn day. Or maybe it's that we're not doing enough to combat climate change. Blackface is back in the news, thanks to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's compulsion to impersonate other races. What else is going on? Unending modifications by Democratic presidential candidates to the theme of "Medicare for All." An intriguing and emerging possible scandal involving Donald Trump, the Ukraine, and interference in the 2016 presidential election. Or maybe it's actually an intriguing and emerging scandal involving the deep state trying to hamstring a president.

There isn't a day—an hour, really—that goes by where you can't lose yourself in breaking news or developments in all sorts of stories. Which is exactly how the people running the federal government probably want it. While we're outraged or flummoxed by the latest outrage du jour, the feds manage to keep spending more and more money that we don't have. The practice is so routine that only oddballs such as Rep. Justin Amash (I–Mich.) even bother pointing it out anymore:

Today, the House will pass another spending bill, which extends current, reckless spending levels until November 21. It also continues multiple corporate welfare programs. Democratic and Republican leaders support it, and the president is expected to sign it. I'll be voting no.

— Justin Amash (@justinamash) September 19, 2019

But hallelujah, the members of the House of Representatives put aside their deep divides on whatever to make sure the cash keeps flowing without any interruption. From CNN's account:

Former House Oversight Chair Trey Gowdy (R-SC) suggested on Fox News that if House Democrats wanted the whistleblower complaint, they could have shut down the government.

“I think Congress has lots of tools to get information from the executive branch. Didn’t they just pass a budget resolution this week? They didn’t have to do that. They could have said you won’t get the money until we get the whistleblower complaint,” Fox contributor Gowdy told America’s Newsroom anchors Bill Hemmer and Julie Banderas Friday morning.

“When you put someone who is wrong as often as Adam Schiff is wrong and deeply partisan as he is in charge of the intelligence committee, no, you aren’t going to share confidential information,” Gowdy continued.

Banderas tried to stress caution on the story, while asking Gowdy what he thought was the takeaway. “The question is was there a promise made? We don’t know. Everybody is speculating a promise was made. There was a whistleblower. We don’t know the facts yet. What do you believe the facts to be here?” Banderas asked.

“No idea, Julie. I would be doing you a disservice if I guessed,” Gowdy said. “There is a transcript so we don’t have to wonder what was said.”

Watch above, via Fox News.

Facebook still aims to launch its Libra digital currency next year, its executive overseeing the project told Swiss newspaper NZZ, as the company presses ahead despite authorities around the world pouring cold water on the plans.

1. Two Android adware apps with 1.5 million downloads removed from Google Play Store  ZDNet
2. Remove these Android apps from your phone immediately  BGR
3. I'm switching back to a Pixel because Android 10's privacy features are so important  Android Central
4. Leaked video shows Google’s vision for Android-based feature phones and apps  9to5Google
5. Android VPN apps found serving disruptive ads  TechRadar
6. View full coverage on Google News

A Houston furniture salesman reportedly rescued more than 100 people from flooding caused by Tropical Storm Imelda....

The city says safety concerns and the removal of concrete slabs forced them to limit access to the bridge.

1. Michelle Carter, who encouraged boyfriend to kill himself, denied early release from prison  USA TODAY
2. Michelle Carter, convicted in texting suicide case, is denied parole  msnNOW
3. Michelle Carter, Jailed for Urging Boyfriend's Suicide, Is Denied Parole: She 'Lacked Sincerity'  PEOPLE.com
4. Woman convicted in texting suicide case denied parole  Yahoo News
5. Parole Board Denies Michelle Carter's Request For Early Release  CBS Boston
6. View full coverage on Google News

President Trump on Friday dismissed growing scrutiny over a whistleblower complaint that reportedly raised concerns about a conversation he had with a Ukrainian leader, saying the focus should instead be on Democratic presidential candidate Joe...

Subsequent to the public hearing held in July on the proposed toll structure modifications and implementation of some of the suggested comments, the Cabinet Council of the Republic of Panama officially approved modifications to the Canal toll structure on September 3.

1. This is what mysterious ancient humans might have looked like  CNN
2. Israeli Scientist Have Unveiled The Looks Of Ancient Family  Watertown Daily News
3. View full coverage on Google News

Tekashi 6ix9ine Kidnapping on Dash Cam, Snitches on Jim Jones on the Stand  TMZ

Tekashi69's ex-bodyguard threatened to shoot him as he snatched the rapper from his chauffeur-driven ride.

View full coverage on Google News

Chelsea Handler's Netflix documentary on white privilege – Hello, Privilege. It’s Me, Chelsea – has been panned by critics, who say it amounts to a "misguided reckoning" and note that she is actively "exploiting her wokeness" and "profiting off a film about her white privilege."

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg addressed critics who say she should have retired during one of former President Obama's two terms, asking, "Who do you think the president could nominate that could get through the Republican Senate, who you would prefer on the court than me?”