America's greatest enemy lurked in the skies above rural Texas.
On October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik – the first satellite successfully launched into low-Earth orbit.
President Dwight D. Eisenhower dismissed Sputnik as "one small ball in the air." But the satellite shocked the American public. It proved that the Soviets were a scientific and military force to be reckoned with. And for many folks, it was downright terrifying to have a Soviet satellite passing over their heads.
Lyndon B. Johnson, then the Senate majority leader, was spending October 4 at his Texas ranch. He later recalled the feeling...
In the Open West you learn to live closely with the sky. It is part of your life. But now, somehow, in some new way, the sky seemed almost alien.
Eventually, Eisenhower recognized that Sputnik couldn't be laughed away. On July 29, 1958, he signed the historic National Aeronautics and Space Act into law, creating NASA as a new federal agency.
The next wave of the space race truly began in 1961 under President John F. Kennedy. In an early speech to Congress, Kennedy declared, "I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the Earth."
For years, America's space program floundered as the Soviet Union notched win after win... like sending the first man and woman into space.
But before the end of the 1960s, NASA's Apollo missions – and nearly $50 billion in spending – finally helped Americans "win" the space race.
The Cold War and the space race petered out over time... with both the U.S. and Russia turning their attentions elsewhere.
But today, there's a new fervor for space exploration.
Unlike in decades past, many of the major advances in the aerospace industry aren't from governments... They're from private companies like SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Lockheed Martin. Companies are trying to become the first to offer space tourism... or the first to get a human to Mars.
Next week, SpaceX will officially go public when it opens its initial public offering ("IPO") on the Nasdaq stock exchange.
This could be the biggest IPO in history. And could make SpaceX's CEO, Elon Musk, the world's first trillionaire.
It's an exciting time to invest in space. You might even be waiting for SpaceX's IPO on June 12 to buy shares.
But my friend and colleague Dave Lashmet has uncovered a far better way to play this moment – one that does not require buying a single share of SpaceX.
Dave is watching a June 15 catalyst that virtually no one on Wall Street has spotted. He believes it could send a small list of stocks soaring within days.
This technology is roughly 10 times more powerful than anything Elon has built, and the Pentagon has been funding it for years.
Dave revealed all the details yesterday. Click here to catch his presentation before the chance passes.
Now, let's get to this week's Q&A... And as always, keep sending your comments, questions, and topic suggestions to feedback@healthandwealthbulletin.com. My team and I read every e-mail.
The Benefits of Kefir
Q: Doc, do you think kefir drinks are just another fad or should I be drinking them? – R.S.
A: Thanks for your question, R.S. Kefir can be great to drink or use as an ingredient in other dishes – as long as you get the right type.
In northwest China, folks have been using a culture called kefir grains to create dairy products since the Bronze Age. But today, you can find kefir milk in the dairy aisle of most grocery stores.
This tangy, creamy milk is loaded with probiotics, or "good bacteria." It also gives you a hefty dose of protein as well as other goodies like calcium and other vitamins and minerals.
A 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis of 16 randomized-controlled trials involving 1,264 participants with irritable bowel syndrome ("IBS") found that kefir and other fermented foods significantly improved symptoms.
Another recent systematic review found that sipping some kefir could even protect your brain from the most terrifying disease of old age: Alzheimer's.
When your gut bacteria become imbalanced, you can suffer from inflammation, which leads to oxidative stress. In turn, that can trigger immune cells in your brain (or microglia) to start inflammation in your brain, which can damage neurons and worsen Alzheimer's.
Along with promising animal and lab studies, kefir milk showed good results in one study of a small group of patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's. Participants who drank kefir saw their cognitive functioning, motor skills, and memory improve, and their levels of oxidative-stress markers dropped.
As with yogurt, watch out for added sugar in kefir. You want unsweetened types to get the health benefits without the harm of too much sugar.
And if you've tried kefir already and weren't a fan, work it into your recipes rather than drinking it straight up...
Do what I do and use kefir in place of almond milk in your morning smoothie. In the summer, I also like to pour kefir-fruit smoothies into molds to make creamy popsicles. It can also make a creamy dressing to drizzle on salad or dip veggies in.
What We're Reading...
- Did you miss it? The 'SaaSpocalypse' is coming to an end.
- Something different: A single lifestyle change could lower your risk of dementia by 16%.
Here's to our health, wealth, and a great retirement,
Dr. David Eifrig and the Health & Wealth Bulletin Research Team
June 5, 2026