The Smile: 8/29

 

Hi friend, Happy Friday! In a major win for press freedom and democracy, a federal judge has blocked Kari Lake, acting on behalf of the Trump administration, from unlawfully firing Voice of America Director Michael Abramowitz. The ruling ensures that VOA’s leadership, and its mission of independent journalism, remain protected from political interference.  ✍️ Add your name to celebrate this ruling, stand with VOA journalists, and defend press freedom from Trump’s dangerous attempts to control the media SUBSCRIBE & JOIN WITH LIKE-MINDED PEOPLE who support CIVIC SHOUT! And in more good news: Arizona courts rejected Republicans’ latest attack on mail voting, California’s Supreme Court shut down another GOP redistricting challenge, and federal judges delivered more blows to Trump’s attempts to undermine independent institutions. Let’s dive into the good news! 💛 US Fed Governor Lisa Cook sues Trump over his attempt to fire her 'Fine for what'? Newsom doubles down on refusal to give in to Trump's UCLA demands Arizona Court Rejects GOP Lawsuit Targeting Mail Voting Democrats probe Trump administration's retreat from public corruption cases Trump's Approval Rating Hits New Second Term Low, Poll Shows Democrat Leads Republican Rivals by Double Digits in Deep Red Georgia Race Republican Hit With Furious Boos at Town Hall Disaster in JD Vance’s Backyard excerpt: A U.S. representative from Ohio became the latest Republican to be heckled into silence during a disastrous town hall held just miles from where Vice President JD Vance grew up. More than 500 people attended a rare town hall on Wednesday hosted by Rep. Warren Davidson in rural Trenton, Ohio, about five miles from the town of Middletown, which Vance immortalized in the memoir that catapulted him onto the national stage, Hillbilly Elegy. Throughout the event, constituents booed and jeered Davidson’s answers to questions about President Donald Trump’s Medicaid cuts, troop deployments to U.S. cities, and his introduction of legislation to use federal resources to study “Trump Derangement Syndrome,” which is very much not a real medical condition. “The Big Beautiful Bill is projected to take Medicaid away from as many as 500,000 people. How will you explain your vote to the people who will no longer be able to see their doctor?” one person asked, drawing cheers. “As I said early on, the only people who are losing access to Medicaid aren’t affected in Ohio because we didn’t add illegals to Medicaid,” Davidson said in a video published by the Cincinnati Inquirer. The response drew loud boos, but he continued, “And able-bodied, working-age adults. And I honestly think most of them will still keep access to Medicaid because they’ll probably get a job. Or they’ll probably go to school. And lots of people are hiring, so I think most of them aren’t going to lose anything. It’s going to be great.” Davidson is the latest GOP lawmaker to be savaged by voters during the August recess, when members of Congress were tasked with selling the deeply unpopular Republican spending bill to their constituents. Metro Richmond Zoo welcomes 6 cheetah cubs California Supreme Court Rejects Latest GOP Redistricting Challenge Federal judge bars Kari Lake from ousting Voice of America’s director Celebrate This! Today’s user-submitted photo comes from Jodi R., who shared this cute photo of her cat, Phoebe! 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 P.S. Know someone who could use a dose of good news? Forward this email and encourage them to subscribe to The Smile. Let’s spread the positivity together. 🌟

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