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Collision Next Week: Spent SpaceX Rocket Set To Slam Into Moon

A spent SpaceX Falcon 9 upper stage is forecast to slam into the moon near Einstein Crater early Wednesday morning, potentially producing the first impact plume observed from Earth against the lunar surface's sunlit side.

William Jo, a doctoral candidate at the University of Texas at Austin's Cockrell School of Engineering, and five co-authors posted a preprint to arXiv detailing the expected lunar impact of the spent upper stage rocket.

Using a high-resolution physics simulation, the researchers modeled what could happen when roughly 3,900 kilograms of hollow rocket hardware slams into the lunar surface:

On Aug. 5 at 06:34 UTC, a Falcon 9 upper stage (~3,900 kg) will strike the lunar surface at 2.43 km/s, yielding a potentially visible debris plume.

We present a study of the expected impact dynamics and resulting possibly observable debris field. The debris plume should reach roughly 15 to 20 km in altitude for the ejecta curtain and 75 to 100 km for the central ejecta spike, extend 183 km laterally from the impact point near the sunlit limb, and yield a peak dust column density above 10 km altitude of 6.08*10^7 m^-2.

Simulated I/F exceeds dark-sky background brightness by several orders of magnitude for the first few minutes after impact, reaching I/F = 1.27*10^-3 at the earliest resolved time (t = 5 s). Above 10 km, peak I/F reaches 1.33*10^-5, still several orders of magnitude brighter than the dark sky.

NEWS 🚨: A Falcon 9 upper stage abandoned in orbit since Jan. 2025 will hit the Moon on August 5 at ~5,437 mph (8,750 km/h)

It's projected to carve out a 100-foot crater pic.twitter.com/20hOVAhsVv

— Latest in space (@latestinspace) July 29, 2026

Jo and the other researchers hope the unplanned collision next week will provide insight into lunar geology and the risks posed by discarded rockets as the US, China, and private companies plan future moon bases.

Tyler Durden Sat, 08/01/2026 - 21:35

It’s the time of year when every minor league lineup is closely monitored for late scratches and signs of a potential trade. On Saturday night at the Dodgers’ Double-A affiliate in Tulsa, there were two notable absences that sent sirens off around the industry. Zyhir Hope, a highly touted outfield prospect in the Dodgers’ farm...

Blair's property in Southern California was visited by authorities Friday.

Blair's property in Southern California was visited by authorities Friday.

Here’s our own batting order, a list of hitters for the Yankees to chase in the order that makes sense.

The celebrated crystal ball of the “Nostradamus of AI” hasn’t merely gone cloudy — it has rolled off the table and shattered on the parlor floor.

Day 4 of New York Giants training camp is in the books and NY Post’s Brandon London shares his impressions of the team following their 4th practice at The Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia.

Disease Caused By Cyclospora Parasite Now In 45 States: CDC

A disease caused by a parasite called Cyclospora has been recorded in 45 states this summer, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in an update.

Delaware, Oregon, South Dakota, and Vermont have now logged cases of cyclosporiasis, the disease, the CDC said on July 28.

The CDC in its previous update had said 41 states had reported cases.

The number of confirmed cases across the 45 states since May 1 is up to 6,707, according to the CDC.

More than 11,500 other cases have been reported but are pending laboratory confirmation or “further investigation and analysis, such as ruling out international travel,” the CDC said.

The agency is not counting cases involving international travel or probable cases.

Patients have ranged in age from 1 to 98, with a median age of 44.

“We estimate a 6-week reporting lag between illness onset and case reporting to CDC, so we anticipate that case counts will continue to rise as data are received,” the CDC said.

As Zachary Steieber reports for The Epoch Times, cyclosporiasis typically appears in the summer, but the number of cases this year is much higher than normal. The main symptom of the disease is diarrhea.

Cyclospora is present in produce contaminated with feces.

Federal officials have said that the cases in nine states are linked to contaminated lettuce from Taylor Farms that was served at Taco Bell, while officials in North Carolina suspect parsley and cilantro as causes in addition to lettuce.

More than 400 of the people whose cases have been confirmed have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.

A sign at a Taylor Farms facility in Salinas, Calif., on July 17, 2026. Benjamin Fanjoy/Getty Images

The Oregon Health Authority said in a statement that two Oregon residents recently developed cyclosporiasis cases after traveling to other states “involved in the recent nationwide recall of pre-shredded iceberg lettuce associated with the outbreak.” So far, authorities there said, the number of cases in the state is up to 23 this year, which is lower than the numbers reported in 2025 and 2024.

Officials in Delaware, South Dakota, and Vermont have not provided information on the cases in those states.

Diners Avoid Restaurants

Traffic is down at Taco Bell and other restaurants in recent weeks.

Foot traffic at Taco Bell dropped by 20.8 percent on Thursday, July 23, from the Thursday average between January 1 and July 6, according to data from Placer.ai.

Foot traffic was also down by 12.2 percent at salad chain Chopt; 1.4 percent at Chipotle Mexican Grill; and 3.1 percent at Panera Bread on July 23, compared to the prior six-month average for Thursdays, the analytics company said.

A Taco Bell fast food restaurant in Taylor, Mich., on July 14, 2026, Paul Sancya/AP Photo

Chipotle declined to comment on the decline, while Taco Bell, Chopt, and Panera Bread did not respond to requests for comment. Taco Bell has said it removed lettuce from Taylor Farms, which recalled the lettuce under direction from the Food and Drug Administration, from its restaurants as of July 17.

Paul Sellew, CEO and founder of Little Leaf Farms, which grows lettuce in the eastern United States, said worries about infections have driven down sales by double digits.

“The entire fresh produce category at retail is down,” Sellew said. “The consumer has been motivated by fear.”

According to market research firm NielsenIQ’s data, U.S. unit sales for fresh lettuce in the week ending July 18 were down 9 percent from a week earlier and 19 percent from two weeks before.

Tyler Durden Sat, 08/01/2026 - 21:00

Talk about a hole lot of drama. The Bay Area’s most talked-about new doughnut shop isn’t making headlines for its glaze. It’s making them for where it opened. Randy’s Donuts, the iconic Southern California chain famous for the giant rooftop doughnut at its original Inglewood shop, officially opened its first Northern California location in Santa...

Yulieth Angulo allegedly agreed to pay around $1,265 to four local street gang members to kidnap a pregnant woman steal her unborn baby, authorities said Friday.

A 36-year-old man was found knifed to death inside a luxury apartment building in Queens, police say.

A tiny hidden movie theater in San Francisco that plays silent films 24 hours a day has become a beloved neighborhood secret.

These grim finds follow similar shocking discoveries in Fresno on Friday, where two bodies were also located.

“It’s all fake news.” That’s the hopeful — and maybe wishful — thinking Alex Call has had to do over the last week. The Dodgers’ Alex Call has heard his name mentioned in trade rumors ahead of Monday. A year after being acquired by the Dodgers at the trade deadline, the veteran outfielder has found...

Teams are starting to exchange offers with the Tigers for the market’s one superstar, two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal.

Authorities recently released two ransom notes they believe to be from Guthrie's abductors.

Authorities recently released two ransom notes they believe to be from Guthrie's abductors.

Kamala Harris Moves To $8.5M Mansion In 94% White Neighborhood

Authored by Luis Cornelio via Headline USA,

Former Vice President Kamala Harris has long spoken about the importance of being surrounded by other black or minority Americans. But her new $8.5 million home is located in an exclusive Malibu neighborhood where the population is overwhelmingly white.

Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff, purchased a 4,000-square-foot mansion in Point Dume, one of Malibu’s most exclusive coastal enclaves. Point Dume’s population is approximately 94% white and just 0.2% black, according to a Fox News report citing the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2019 American Community Survey.

Kamala Harris just dropped $8.15 million on a mansion in one of California's Whitest neighborhoods — a census tract that is 94% White and just 0.2% Black.

The Point Dume property includes ocean views, multiple wine fridges, private golf greens, and parking for five vehicles.… pic.twitter.com/IXlqvsi5EK

— Fox News Politics (@foxnewspolitics) July 30, 2026

As Fox News noted, Harris’ choice of neighborhood contrasts with remarks she made during her 2019 presidential campaign about attending a Historically Black College or University.

The twice-failed presidential candidate said in an interview with the Washington Post that attending Howard University “becomes about you understanding that there is a whole world of people who are like you.”

Harris added, “It was more, for me, about the numerosity than it was the diversity, I grew up in a community where there were many representations of diversity. Going to Howard, there were so many (Black people)! And they’re all in your age group, in your phase of life.”

Point Dume has long been known as one of Southern California’s most exclusive communities.

Politico described the neighborhood earlier this year as “a secluded idyll,” noting its surveillance cameras and that “the quiet feels carefully curated.”

The New York Post likewise described Point Dume as “one of Malibu’s most exclusive coastal enclaves.”

She will enjoy a “cliff-side retreat with sweeping ocean views,” the outlet noted.

Harris and Emhoff reportedly purchased the property in January 2026.

Tyler Durden Sat, 08/01/2026 - 20:25

The rising popularity of e-bikes and e-motorcycles — particularly among juveniles — combined with a series of high-profile crashes led to increasing scrutiny of the vehicles across Southern California.

SAN DIEGO — A day after Willy Adames’ work ethic was called into question on national television, Giants manager Tony Vitello deemed the criticism “bulls–t” while defending the franchise shortstop in the middle of a miserable season. Giants shortstop Willy Adames has not had a stellar season, but manager Tony Vitello defended the player’s work...