(Worthy Insights) – A recent study led by Ronald-Louis Ballouz from Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory suggests that the asteroid 99942 Apophis may experience tremors—similar to earthquakes—due to Earth’s gravitational pull during its close flyby on April 13, 2029, with simulations indicating significant surface changes. Apophis, approximately 340 meters in size, will pass within about 32,000 kilometers of Earth, closer than many satellites in orbit.

When Apophis was discovered on June 19, 2004, by Roy Tucker, David Tholen, and Fabrizio Bernardi during the University of Hawaii Asteroid Survey (UHAS), initial calculations indicated that it could approach Earth with a risk of collision, especially during its pass in 2029. It didn’t help that it is named after the Egyptian god of darkness and chaos.

At the time of its discovery, Apophis was considered the potentially “most dangerous” asteroid for Earth due to a possible impact that could kill millions of people. However, additional research allowed scientists to rule out the possibility of impact in 2029 and 2036, and calculations now show no impact risk for at least the next 100 years. [ Source (Read More…) ]

(Worthy Insights) – The incoming Trump administration is considering locations and talking to private prison companies about drastically expanding immigrant detention centers that would hold immigrants before they are deported as part of President-elect Donald Trump’s promised mass deportation plan, two sources familiar with the planning told NBC News.

The goal is to double the number of Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention beds — 41,000 are now allocated by Congress — to hold vast numbers of migrants for short periods of time while they await deportation after their arrests inside the U.S., the sources said.

The plan would also include restarting the policy of detaining parents with their children, known as family detention, which immigration advocates have criticized and the Biden administration stopped in 2021, the sources said. [ Source (Read More…) ]

(Worthy Insights) – China’s premier defense exhibition, Zhuhai Airshow, opened its gates this week headlined by the J-35A fifth-generation fighter as well as a J-15T fighter designed for catapult operations aboard aircraft carriers.

The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is a secretive organization, but it uses events like the Zhuhai Airshow to unveil new equipment for the armed forces. This applies to the J-35A, which appeared emblazoned in PLA Air Force (PLAAF) markings.

As the J-35A joins the J-20 in Chinese service, China becomes the second nation in the world to operate two different fifth-generation, stealthy fighters. The only other country to achieve this is the U.S., which flies the F-22A Raptor and F-35 Lightning II. [ Source (Read More…) ]

(Worthy Insights) – A man employed by the U.S. government abroad was charged with leaking what appears to be Israel’s plans to retaliate against Iran, according to sources familiar with the matter and charging documents unsealed Wednesday.

Asif William Rahman is charged with willful transmission of national defense information, according to a court documents.

The documents are vague about what exactly he allegedly shared, but sources have confirmed that the charges are related to the leak reported widely last month — although it’s not immediately clear whether Rahman is believed to be the primary source of the leak. [ Source: ABC News (Read More…) ]

(Worthy Insights) – President-elect Donald J. Trump on Tuesday announced on social media that he has appointed Mike Huckabee to be his ambassador to Israel.

My colleagues and I are absolutely thrilled by this appointment.

After all, Mike is a dear friend, a devout Evangelical follower of Jesus Christ, and one of the most influential pro-Israel voices in the Christian world.

He is a passionate champion of the U.S.-Israel alliance and a fierce defender of Israel against the “avalanche of lies” he sees coming from the Iranian regime, other hostile world governments, and much of the U.S. and global media. [ Source (Read More…) ]

(Worthy Insights) – House Republicans are seeking “systemic transparency” when they launch a new round of hearings on unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) — aka UFOs — on Capitol Hill on Wednesday.

The House Oversight Committee is holding the joint subcommittee hearing in an effort “to further pull back the curtain on secret UAP research programs conducted by the U.S. government, and undisclosed findings they have yielded.”

The hearing will, in part, follow up on information provided by whistleblower David Grusch, who asserted in July 2023 that the Pentagon has been operating a secret crash retrieval program for UFOs, something the Defense Department has denied. [ Source (Read More…) ]