‘Artemis II’ Nears Spaceflight Record & NeeDoh Craze Causes Shortage

April 6, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

Artemis II Breaks Distance Record as Solo Unicorn MedVee Sparks Debate

The four NASA astronauts on the Artemis II mission are about to make history today when their Orion spacecraft passes 252,000 miles from Earth on the far side of the moon, breaking the distance record of 248,655 miles set by Apollo 13. For a six-hour window, the crew will glimpse about 20% of the moon's far side—something no human has seen since the Apollo era. The mission has gone remarkably smoothly so far, with the only drama involving a malfunctioning toilet that engineers suspect has an ice-blocked vent line. The crew rotated the capsule toward the sun to thaw it out.

The mission has produced stunning viral images, including one of Earth showing two auroras. Notably, this is the first NASA mission to carry iPhones, which required a lengthy approval process because any shattered glass would float dangerously inside the spacecraft. NASA administrator Jared Isaacman said he was proud of the "expedited process" to get consumer tech onboard. The astronauts have a wide menu of rehydratable and thermostable foods—vegetable quiche, barbecue brisket—designed to minimize crumbs that could damage sensitive instruments. They also brought five varieties of hot sauce because taste buds go numb in microgravity.

Continue reading the full summary in the app — free to try.

Read Full Summary →

Free • No credit card required

Listen to Audio Summary Open in App

What you'll learn

1 (00:31) **Show Open & Host Intro** - Neil Freyman and Toby Howell preview the day's top stories: Artemis II's record-setting moon flyby and the first solo unicorn startup.
2 (00:51) **Segment: The "Restaurant Gap" & Relationship Disparities** - Discussion on a New York Times trend piece about differing culinary tastes in relationships, expanding to other "gaps" like museum, travel, and texting preferences.
3 (02:58) **Artemis II Nears Moon Flyby Record** - The four NASA astronauts on the Artemis II mission are set to break the distance record from Earth (252,000 miles) set by Apollo 13, with a planned lunar flyby later today.
4 (08:14) **MedVee: The First "Solo Unicorn" Startup** - A New York Times profile on MedVee, an online prescription platform for weight-loss drugs, built by founder Matthew Gallagher from his home with $20,000 and AI tools.
5 (15:12) **Winners of the Weekend: Jobs Market** - US hiring unexpectedly jumped by 178,000 jobs in March, ahead of expectations, driven by healthcare and a bounce-back in leisure/hospitality.
6 (19:23) **Winners of the Weekend: NeeDoh Toy Craze** - The squishy sensory toy "NeeDoh" has gone viral, causing shortages and a resale market frenzy, with sales 6x higher than last year.
7 (22:35) **The Week Ahead: Geopolitical Threats** - Trump posted a threat to escalate the military campaign against Iran, calling for "power plant day and bridge day," which mediators (Pakistan, Egypt, Turkey) are trying to avert with a 45-day ceasefire.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Show Notes

Episode 816: Neal and Toby chat about the historic Artemis II mission and what the astronauts have been seeing so far on their journey. Then, how one solopreneur used AI to build a $1.8B company. Also, a recap of the March jobs report that showed the US economy added 178,000 jobs. Meanwhile, what’s behind the craze for NeeDoh squishies. Finally, what you need to know in the week ahead.

Learn more at taxact.com/business-returns

Vote for our show for the Webby Awards: https://wbby.co/57452N

Learn more about IBIT and view a prospectus at www.ishares.com/us/strategies/ways-to-invest-in-bitcoin

Subscribe to Morning Brew Daily for more of the news you need to start your day. Share the show with a friend, and leave us a review on your favorite podcast app.

Listen to Morning Brew Daily Here:⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.swap.fm/l/mbd-note⁠⁠⁠

Watch Morning Brew Daily Here:⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@MorningBrewDailyShow⁠

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices