The Smile: 7/6

Hi friend,

Happy Monday! Planned Parenthood health centers can once again receive Medicaid funding after Congress allowed a temporary funding ban to expire, restoring access to essential healthcare services for millions of patients and marking an important victory for affordable, preventive care.

🎉 Celebrate the restoration of healthcare access and the patients, providers, and advocates who never stopped fighting for it!

There’s more good news today: an appeals court sharply limited ICE’s detention expansion, Missouri’s abortion restrictions were struck down as unconstitutional, and The Atlantic republished JD Vance’s decade-old essay criticizing Donald Trump, putting his past words back in the public spotlight.

Let’s dive into the good news! 💛

Planned Parenthood Can Access Medicaid Funds Again as Congress Lets Ban Expire

The Federal Government Has Made America 250 a Spectacle. These States Want It to Be a Moment for Reflection.

American woman about to row into record books

Trump Spirals Over Crowd Size After Delivering Speech to Empty Seats

Missouri judge finds state laws restricting abortion violate voter-approved constitutional amendment

252 immigrants become U.S. citizens on America's 250th birthday at Seattle Center ceremony

Appeals court sharply limits ICE’s massive expansion of detention

DOGE self-deletes on July 4th. The grand experiment fell apart long before that.

Trump’s July 4 Event Is Coming Apart at the Seams—Literally

The Atlantic republishes JD Vance’s anti-Trump essay from 10 years ago

Today’s user-submitted photo comes from Carl B., who shared this adorable photo of their cat, Oliver! 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. 🌟