The Smile: 1/14

Minnesota pushes back on federal overreach, judges protect essential services, and more good news!

January 14, 2026

Hi friend,

Happy Wednesday! A federal judge just ruled that Donald Trump violated the Constitution by targeting Democratic states with the cancellation of billions in energy grants — a powerful reminder that presidents don’t get to punish communities just because of how they vote.

And there’s even more encouraging news today: a federal court has blocked Trump’s attempted $10 billion welfare funding freeze for five blue states, the cancer fight hits a hopeful new milestone, and momentum is building to make online subscriptions easier to cancel with a simple “click-to-cancel” rule.

Let’s dive into the good news! 💛

Today’s user-submitted photo comes from Chad G., who shared this lovely photo below! 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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