To the Moon… and Back

Space

To the Moon… and Back

What’s going on: The Artemis II crew showed us the moon in a new light, reminded us that awe isn’t dead, and broke our hearts open along the way. Now, this team filled with firsts (the first woman and first person of color on a lunar mission and the first trip around the moon in 53 years) prepares for the hardest part of their mission: reentry. Splashdown is expected at 8 pm ET today off the coast of San Diego, California. For a successful return, it all comes down to the heat shield, the part of the spacecraft that protects both the carrier and the astronauts from temperatures that could reach 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit. The heat shield has to work, because there’s no backup plan. It’s a big bet, but one that NASA feels confident about.

Remind me about the mission: Artemis II traveled behind the moon, so far beyond that Earth’s signals (and NASA) couldn’t reach them. For 40 minutes it was just the crew and the sound of the universe. What they saw put everything going on down here into perspective — and don’t even get us started on the Carroll moment. (Too late, already crying.) But the trip was worth more than just the social media memories. A satellite can’t tell you if we can survive deep space or make the kind of observations only a human can. The mission is also stage one of a multi-decade plan to build a permanent lunar station and mine the moon for this medical and technological necessity — before China or Russia do so. Who knows, maybe Jimmy Buffett was right. Some day we might all have beach houses on the moon.

Related: How the Women of NASA Have Healed Something in Us (Instagram)

The News in 5

🗞️ In a rare, unscheduled White House statement, First Lady Melania Trump publicly denied any relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and made a plea to Congress.

🗞️ Florida is investigating OpenAI after the FSU shooting suspect allegedly used ChatGPT to plan the attack, and the details are chilling.

🗞️ Automatic US military draft registration will start in December. As for what that actually means…

🗞️ Barron Trump looked at his brothers’ business empires and said: Hold my yerba mate. 

🗞️ Emperor penguins were officially classified as endangered, and the reason why will wreck any Happy Feet fan. Mumble, we’re so sorry.

Reproductive Health

Call It the Baby Bust Generation

What's going on: When fertility rates declined in 2007, demographers pinned the cause on the Great Recession. Birth rates tend to dip in times of economic downturn, but the ongoing downward trend has left experts puzzled. And in 2025, US fertility rates dropped to their lowest yet: 53.1 births per 1,000 women of childbearing age. Falling birth rates tend to set off alarm bells for governments (think: fewer workers, shakier safety nets), but that’s not the whole story.

Tell me more: Factors outside of macroeconomics (and the pandemic) offer a better picture of what’s actually going on. Take access to birth control. Teen pregnancy hit its own historic low last year. Despite some Republican lawmakers’ best efforts, millions of women also have access to safe, effective abortion pills. More women are also focusing on their education and careers — a move that delays marriage (if they choose to marry at all) and parenthood. Others opt out of having children altogether for environmental reasons, affordability concerns, or because they just don’t want them. Some analysts say the birthrate could rebound as women have children later in life. But other experts warn that the more concerned governments become with falling birth rates, the more intense efforts against reproductive rights could become.

Related: What’s Behind the Great Estrogen Patch Shortage? (NBC News)

Sports

Hold On, WNBA Free Agency Is a Wild Ride

What's going on: There’s no right or wrong way to mourn — just ask Chicago Sky fans who turned to an Etsy witch. After only two years, the Sky traded Angel Reese to the Atlanta Dream earlier this week. The announcement is the biggest story so far (though “balloon-gate” is also up there) out of a chaotic and condensed free agency period. Fans who’ve consistently rallied behind Reese through her tumultuous experience — remember the “Free Angel” T-shirt? — are still in shock. A Chicago women’s sports bar even threw an “Angel’s Goodbye Party” — only it was more of a wake — and asked attendees to bring Sky gear... for the Etsy witch, of course.

What it means: The Sky and the Dream aren’t the only ones with new rosters. About 80% of the league (read: more than 100 players) is eligible for a trade. The addition of two new WNBA teams — the Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire — adds new destinations for players, and the newly mandated 12-player roster opens the door for even more athletes to make a move. Throw in the new collective bargaining agreement’s higher salary cap ($5.5 million), and you can expect players to follow the money. Whatever happens, the 2026 season is sure to be an eventful one when it begins on May 8.

Related: More and More Women’s Sports Bars Are Opening (Self)

Quick Hits

😴 Researchers weighed in on the best PJs for a good night’s sleep. The best part? You definitely own it. 

📝 Forget the to-do list, these seven tips could help you become more productive (and hopefully, less stressed). 

👭 Millennials may never be ready to ditch their side parts or skinny jeans, but this new, viral Gen Z trend sounds like one we can all get behind.

💪 Experts are here to debunk these protein myths. The gym bros are going to hate the last one. 

💍 This actor revealed he’s been married this entire time and welcomed a second child. We missed a whole season or two.

💘 It is a truth universally acknowledged that we will watch every Pride & Prejudice spin-off there is. And this one is finally coming to the US.

⚽ NWSL star Trinity Rodman just made history again — and something tells us it won’t be the last record she breaks this season.

On Our Calendar

Things to jot down today…

🗓️ The first weekend of Coachella starts now — and apparently “futuristic boho” is a thing.

🗓️ The Reunion: Laguna Beach drops on the Roku Channel. Could this be the last we see of LC?

🗓️ You, Me, & Tuscany hits the big screen. The rom-com era is back.

🗓️ Happy National Siblings Day. Time to post those awkward middle school pics.

Psst…For more dates worth knowing this week, check out the Skimm+ calendar.

Know It All

Panera has a new bread bowl and it's not for soups. It's for…

Skimm'd by: Rashaan Ayesh, Aryanna Prasad Bhullar, Molly Longman, Mallory Simon, Erika W. Smith, Maria del Carmen Corpus, and Kylie McConville. Fact-checked by Sara Tardiff.