The Smile: 04/07/2025

 

Hi friend, From Manhattan to Alaska, people are showing up — and showing out — to stand against Trump and Musk’s harmful agenda. Millions have taken to the streets to demand justice, democracy, and dignity. Want to join them? Add your name to stand with the movement. Amid the headlines, there’s also hope everywhere you look — from schools refusing to back down on DEI, to law firms standing up for free speech, to a viral Ring doorbell moment reminding us how kind people can be. Let’s keep celebrating the good and standing strong together. 💛 From Manhattan to Alaska, protesters rally against Trump and Musk WORTH READING FOR THE SIGNS & COMMENTS!  THANKS TO ALL WHO PROTESTED! Pets making a difference in the lives of senior assisted living residents Thompson is one of a few seniors who live at Lisbet with their furry friends by their side. Another is Virginia Gissendanner who lives at the campus with her 9-year-old dog Hope. "We had her on a farm in Georgia," Gissendanner said. "And she walked across the farm in Georgia, across the farm to the house and we found her on our porch." Jay Mikosch, Lisbet Assisted Living campus director, thought when seniors leave their houses to move into assisted living, they should be allowed to move with their four-legged friends, honoring the bond that the residents already have with their companions. "For seniors, pets are really for many of them are their family and, in some cases, their only family because their children live out of state or they might not have any other family members," Mikosch said. "So when they are thinking of moving to an assisted living community, it's really important for them to be able to have their family member move with them." Over 500 law firms sign brief backing Perkins Coie suit against Trump New York public schools tell Trump administration they won’t comply with DEI order Reality star Ts Madison opens re-entry home for formerly incarcerated Black trans women Watch: Graduate goes viral for sweet message left on stranger's Ring doorbell camera Protests continue at Tesla showrooms amid talk Elon Musk could soon leave DOGE Ted Cruz Turns on Trump Over Tariff ‘Bloodbath’ USM frat brothers reunite dog with Louisiana owner 5 years later 16 state attorneys general sue Trump administration over NIH grant terminations NIH operates without fanfare, without publicity, but works to PROTECT PUBLIC HEALTH... Sixteen state attorneys general filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration on Friday over its cancellation of research grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The suit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, argues the cancellation of the grants is "unlawful" and the attorneys general "seek relief for the unreasonable and intentional delays currently plaguing the grant-application process." The NIH told ABC News it does not comment on pending litigation. The HHS did not immediately reply to ABC News' request for comment. "Once again, the Trump administration is putting politics before public health and risking lives and livelihoods in the process," New York Attorney General Letitia James, one of plaintiffs in the lawsuit, said in a statement. "Millions of Americans depend on our nation's research institutions for treatments and cures to the diseases that devastate families every day." "The decision to cut these funds is an attack on science, public health, and medical innovation -- and I won't stand for it. We are suing to restore these critical funds because the people of New York, and the entire nation, deserve better," the statement continued. Over the past several weeks, active research grants related to studies involving LGBTQ+ issues, gender identity and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) have been canceled at the NIH because they allegedly do not serve the "priorities" of President Donald Trump's administration. As of late March, more than 900 grants worth millions of dollars have been terminated, an NIH official with knowledge of the matter, who asked not to be named, told ABC News. In previous termination letters, viewed by ABC News, they state that, "Research programs based on gender identity are often unscientific, have little identifiable return on investment, and do nothing to enhance the health of many Americans. Many such studies ignore, rather than seriously examine, biological realities. It is the policy of NIH not to prioritize these research programs." The defendants named in the suit include the NIH, almost all of the NIH's 27 institutes and centers, NIH director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, the Department of Health and Human Services and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. "The premise…is incompatible with agency priorities, and no modification of the project could align the project with agency priorities," the letters continue. The plaintiffs argue that the terminations, "if left unchecked," could cause "direct, immediate, significant, and irreparable harm to the plaintiffs and their public research institutions. " The attorneys general are seeking a preliminary and permanent injunction asking the defendants to review delayed applications and barring them from carrying out terminations of grants. Earlier this week, researchers who had millions of dollars' worth of grants terminated by the NIH sued the agency, the HHS, Bhattacharya and Kennedy in the hopes of stopping any further research cancellations. Today’s user-submitted photo was sent in by Faith T. who shared this cute photo of her two dogs, Cane and Mabel. If you want the chance to have your photo featured, reply to this email 😄  Thank you for reading, and we hope these articles shine a light on your day. In solidarity, Emily from The Smile