It's launch day.

Why it matters: Artemis II returns to NASA's original deep-space ambitions as the agency moves toward a sustained presence on and around the Moon.

• Scientists from Cleveland's NASA Glenn have been deeply involved both in today's lunar mission and the broader project of power generation in outer space.

What they're saying: "I think this signals a picking up where we last left off," NASA chief historian Brian Odom tells Axios. "There's still that 'shoulders of giants' mentality."

• NASA concluded its lunar missions with Apollo 17 in 1972, but everything that's happened since, with the shuttle program, the International Space Station and more, has built on that experience and led to today, Odom says.
• "Deep space exploration has been the plan from the very beginning. We're to that point now where we're applying all those great lessons."

Driving the news: Artemis II, if it launches on schedule this evening, will travel nearly 250,000 miles from Earth, the farthest from the planet a human has ever traveled.

• The 10-day lunar fly-by will travel 4,600 miles past the Moon, serving as a test flight before NASA attempts a lunar landing in 2028.

Zoom in: NASA Glenn scientists tested the Orion spacecraft at the Armstrong testing facility in Sandusky.

• And a Cleveland team will be on hand tonight at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida to monitor the mission's real-time telemetry data.

Catch up quick: The mission comes as NASA pushes toward a higher cadence of lunar missions and a sustained human presence on the Moon.

Context: The last time America went to the Moon was more than half a century ago, in the Space Race days when the impetus was proving that humans could get there and back.

• Now it's about going to the Moon and staying, Odom says, and in cooperation with international partners, noting the Artemis Accords.

The intrigue: NASA Glenn is spearheading the development of a nuclear reactor on the moon.

The bottom line: "NASA, and the country, and the world, are undertaking a very monumental step here in that process of becoming a spacefaring society," he says.

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👋 Sam here — bona fide train enthusiast!

• I took the Amtrak to Chicago this week and was reminded what a pleasant way it is to travel. Who can deny the pleasures of generous legroom, low-cost tickets and up-close views of the United States?
• Anyone who values a good night's sleep, that's who!

State of play: All four daily departures from Cleveland — the Floridian and Lakeshore Limited lines, eastbound and westbound — have scheduled departures between 1:54am and 5:50am.

Zzzzoom in: I managed to get about three hours of sleep before my 3am alarm Monday morning.

• And even with the comfortable reclining seats, I only slept in 15- to 20-minute increments as the Lakeshore Limited traveled west across Ohio.
• By Waterloo, Indiana, I was up for the day.

Between the lines: Dicey on-time performance was a major knock against Amtrak in the past, with delays on shared tracks often lengthening trips by hours.

Yes, but: My train arrived at Chicago's Union Station several minutes early, with no delays on the roughly seven-hour trip.

By the numbers: Amtrak concluded 2025 with 34.5 million passengers, an all-time record, and logged on-time performance improvements.

The bottom line: The current routes that pass through Cleveland are optimized for travelers on the East Coast and in Chicago.

• One of the benefits of proposed Amtrak expansion, including a three-times-a-day route from Cleveland to Cincinnati, could feature departures at more reasonable hours.

Keep reading

🎸 The 2026 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees will be announced on April 13 during an episode of "American Idol." (ABC Entertainment)

⚖️ An Akron jury failed to reach a verdict in the corruption trial of two ex-FirstEnergy executives involved in a $60 million bribery scandal. (WBNS-TV)

🏘️ The Cavaliers are teaming with Redfin for a special one-day open house and garage sale at Rocket Arena that will feature a record-breaking yard sign outside the venue. (Cleveland.com)

🏟️ Former Cuyahoga County Commissioner and candidate for county executive Lee Weingart has been tapped as a lobbyist by the Cleveland Browns. (Signal Cleveland)

Cleveland chef Vinnie Cimino has been named a finalist for the James Beard Awards for the second time in three years.

Why it matters: Cimino, the executive chef at Cordelia and Rosy, could become the third Cleveland chef to win a James Beard in the Best Chef category, joining Michael Symon and Jonathon Sawyer.

State of play: Cimino is representing the Great Lakes region, which includes chefs from Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio.

• The five finalists include two chefs from Cincinnati and two from Chicago.

Between the lines: Cleveland's Mallorca was named a semifinalist in the hospitality category, but did not advance.

Context: Last year, Edwins founder Brandon Chrostowski won a James Beard Foundation Impact Award, which for the first time recognized individuals and organizations pushing for equity and sustainability in the restaurant industry.

Go deeper

"Now Deshaun has a great chance, fresh start, offensive-minded coach, who has, in his past, been able to work with all kinds of different quarterbacks and make him successful."

We haven't even made it to the NFL Draft, which is in a few weeks, without Browns offseason quarterback drama.

Driving the news: On Monday, Jimmy Haslam told reporters that Deshaun Watson has a "great chance" at a "fresh start" under new head coach Todd Monken.

What they're saying: "We talked to [Watson] the other day," Haslam told reporters. "He said he weighed less than he had in several years, was in great shape."

• "He'll be here on April 7th when we start (the offseason program) and let's see what Deshaun can do. We're all excited."

Flashback: Haslam's words came a year after calling the team's 2022 trade for Watson a "big swing and miss."

What's next: Watson is expected to compete with second-year quarterback Shedeur Sanders this offseason for the Browns' starting job.