Morning Brew Daily: "Are You Smarter Than Morning Brew?"
Episode Date: February 16, 2026
Hosts: Neal Freyman & Toby Howell
Guests/Contestants: Dan Toomey, Molly Liebergal, Meg Banowitz
Overview
In celebration of Presidents’ Day, Morning Brew Daily flips the script from its usual news and business banter, turning the episode into a witty, fast-paced trivia game show. Hosts Neal and Toby pit three comedic colleagues—Molly, Meg, and Dan—against each other in a battle of wits, covering fresh 2026 news, Winter Olympics, love odes, U.S. Presidents, and a clever "app draft." Play along and see if you’re smarter than a Brew employee!
Key Segments & Highlights
1. Opening & Game Show Introduction
[01:02 – 01:41]
- Theme: Special game show episode for Presidents’ Day.
- Contestants:
- Molly (Morning Brew writer)
- Meg (social media video creator)
- Dan (star of Good Work YouTube)
- Prize: Homemade cake (winner picks flavor)
- Hosts' Tone: Encouraging audience to play along.
Quote:
“Be that person muttering to yourself in a car or on the train, answering questions under your breath... Let’s see if you’re smarter than a Brew employee!”
— Toby Howell [01:41]
2. Meet the Contestants
[02:58 – 03:48]
- Molly: Favorite rewatch is Hotel for Dogs.
- Meg: Song memorized is Happy Birthday.
- Dan: Skincare routine is “just towel it.”
Quote:
“Some of us just slap a towel on that thing and I'm good to go.”
— Dan Toomey [04:00]
3. Round 1: 2026 News Trivia
[04:03 – 12:51]
Standouts:
- Dan dominates: Correctly answers about Fed chair (Kevin Warsh), Mark Carney’s Davos speech, and Ryanair/Elon Musk feud.
- Meg’s pop culture win: Names both prominent teams in sports drama (Metros and Boston Raiders) and Trevi Fountain fee.
- Nobody guesses Alex Honnold’s climbing band (Tool).
Memorable Quotes:
“If none of you got the question right, we'll call your parents to come pick you up.”
— Neal Freyman [04:03]
“They make, like, dishwashers. Apparently really badass dishwashers.”
— Toby Howell on Bosch [12:49]
Round 1 Scoreboard:
- Dan: 5 points
- Meg: 2 points
- Molly: 0 points
4. Round 2: Winter Olympics
[13:24 – 20:19]
Noteworthy Questions:
- Jamaica in the Winter Olympics: Dan nails the "Cool Runnings" answer.
- Meg identifies the luge as the fastest sport.
- Lake Placid as Miracle on Ice city.
- Molly uses “test to take the test” to get Lake Placid for bobsled tracks.
- Dan on a roll, including “Apollo Anton Ohno” as most decorated U.S. Olympian and biathlon as skiing + shooting.
Great Moments:
“You know how, like, your dad pushes you to be better and your mom just wants to see you do well?” — Dan Toomey [18:48]
“And it seems very uncomfortable.”
— Meg, on luge and skeleton [14:52]
Scoreboard after Round 2:
- Dan: 9
- Meg: 3
- Molly: 2
5. Round 3: Love Odes
[23:26 – 31:37]
Format:
- Identify the sender and recipient of love quotes from songs, literature, DMs, etc.
- 1 point per correct identification.
Highlights:
- Taylor Swift to Travis Kelce (hint: “New Heights”) — Meg.
- Timothée Chalamet to Kylie Jenner at Critics’ Choice Awards — Molly (first two-pointer).
- Adam Levine’s infamous DM — Meg: “It is truly unreal how effing hot you are.”
- Troy to Gabriella (High School Musical) — Meg.
- “I am 100% a cannibal.” — Dan nails the Armie Hammer DM.
- “This is our year...tiger.” — Meg: Elizabeth Holmes to Sunny Balwani.
- Harry to Sally (When Harry Met Sally) — Molly.
Quote:
“That was during the clubs—Critics Choice.”
— Toby, clarifying Chalamet’s award show [28:31]
Tally:
- Molly: 6
- Meg: 10
- Dan: 11
6. Round 4: Presidents’ Day Survivor
[31:38 – 37:13]
Format:
- Around the table, contestants name American presidents—repeat or blank, you’re out.
- The last standing wins (worth 6 points, but tie leads to 3 points each for Dan & Meg).
Fun Interactions:
- Contestants zigzag between old and new presidents.
- “Who owns a bunch of weird animals?” — Dan on Calvin Coolidge [34:14]
- Real-time strategizing and gentle ribbing as contestants run dry on names.
Quote:
“Does she have to name it?”—Toby
“No. If you're going Jeopardy.”—Neal [34:53]
Final Scores after Round:
- Dan: 14
- Meg: 13
- Molly: 6
7. App Draft (Listener Participation Segment)
[38:13 – 46:12]
Draft Rules:
- Snake draft: Dan, Meg, Molly, then hosts Neil and Toby.
- Build a “dream team” of four phone apps each.
Memorable Picks:
- Dan: Igun, GarageBand, Health, Radiooooo (musical time machine)
- Meg: Settings, Weather, Camera, Jeremy Renner app
- Molly: Find My Friends, Notes, Jetpack Joyride, Chess.com
- Neil: Google Maps, NYT Games, Uber, Spotify
- Toby: Strava, Calculator, Domino’s app, App Store
Color Commentary:
- Meg: “I can see, like, what apps are tracking my location...and sending that info to the government.” [39:59]
- Molly: “Who owns a bunch of weird animals?” [34:14]
- Dan deploys Igun sound effects mid-show; picks Radiooooo for unique, fun functionality.
- Audience encouraged to vote for best home screen via comments.
8. Final Scores & Prize Announcement
[37:18 – 38:12]
- Winner: Dan Toomey (14 points)
- Runner-Up: Meg Banowitz (13 points)
- Third: Molly Liebergal (6 points)
- Prize: Toby bakes a cake of Dan’s choice (“Toby cake” = cookie cake).
Memorable end conversation:
“You mean to tell me I'm rewarded with Toby cake?... I’ll take a cookie cake!”
— Dan Toomey [38:03, 38:09]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- “Just a couple of tools. Punching sideways. That’s us.” — Dan Toomey (referencing friendly banter) [07:55]
- “Use the test to take the test, Molly.” — Toby Howell (testing strategy encouragement) [18:28]
- “New heights of manhood. Knock on wood.” — Taylor Swift to Travis Kelce (via Meg) [25:12]
- “I am 100% a cannibal.” — Armie Hammer DM (Dan, correctly identifying) [30:21]
- “I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.” — Harry to Sally (Molly, nailing classic romcom) [30:03]
- “The Jeremy Renner app. It’s an app where you can talk and discuss your favorite actor, Jeremy Renner.” — Meg Banowitz [44:39]
Timestamps for Important Segments
- Game Show Intro & Contestant Intros: [01:02 – 04:00]
- Round 1: 2026 News Questions: [04:03 – 12:51]
- Winter Olympics: [13:24 – 20:19]
- Love Odes: [23:26 – 31:37]
- Presidents’ Day Survivor: [31:38 – 37:13]
- App Draft: [38:13 – 46:12]
- Final Scores, Cake Talk, and Outro: [37:18 – End]
Final Thoughts
This President’s Day special mixes sharp trivia, off-the-cuff comedy, inside jokes, and perfectly timed cultural references. Dan clinches victory—and “Toby cake”—on the strength of both his obscure knowledge and comedic timing, while Meg shines in pop culture, and Molly scores big in romcoms and reality TV. The friendly, fast-moving energy and balance of news, nostalgia, and new bits make it both a compelling listen and a great candidate for listener play-along.
Who won the app draft? That’s up to listeners—so join the conversation!
To Listen: Find "Morning Brew Daily" on your podcast app or YouTube channel.
Participate: Vote in comments or email your favorite app lineup!