Overnight Briefing & General Reality Check - Aug 22, 2017

Sucking up:

Millions of people want monuments celebrating the Confederacy removed from public places, but what could possibly replace the pieces of history? How about something a bit more modern? Cosmopolitanreports NATHAN COFLIN started a petition on Change.org lobbying to put a statue of MISSY ELLIOTT in Portsmouth, Virginia. Mr. Coflin asks: "Who better to encapsulate the culture and spirit of the city enshrined in a new monument" than the "Grammy Award winning rapper, dancer and record producer?"
He truly believes we can "put white supremacy down, flip it and reverse it" and points out that Missy has sold 30-million albums without "even once owning a slave." (Lee)

Another Chalk Outline:

At least now her family can have some closure. Police charged Danish submarine builder PETER MADSEN, who's 36, with homicide after KIM WALL, who's 30, and a reporter, disappeared after last being seen with him.
Madsen has now come clean, telling police that Wall died accidently and gave her a burial at sea --in other words, he threw her body into the bay. Police believe he then sank his sub on purpose to hide the evidence, but they have resurfaced it processed it for evidence. (Myers)

Pet Patrol:

Customers at a grocery store in California spotted a very unusual customer.
Online video shows a dog pushing a shopping cart down the aisle while walking on its hind legs. The German shepherd turned several heads at the unidentified grocery store in Milpitas, California. Twitter user Ashleen posted the clip with the caption: "I'm still shook." Other users posted similar videos of the pooch. It's unclear if a man in a backpack seen walking beside the dog might be his owner. (Still)

Grace notes from Vinny Marino:

Some more additions to the lineup of performers at this Sunday's MTV Video Music Awards. LOGIC, GUCCI MANE, POST MALONE and JULIA MICHAELS are all set to do their thing on the stage of The Forum in Los Angeles. KATY PERRY hosts the VMAs, and she'll perform too. (Marino)