The Smile: 8/15

Book club works to improve children’s literacy, medical journal stands against RFK, and more!

August 15, 2025

Hi friend,

Happy Friday! In a win for reproductive rights, a federal judge has struck down the Trump administration’s sweeping “religious and moral” exemptions to the Affordable Care Act’s birth control mandate — protecting no-cost contraception coverage for millions of Americans. 

And in more good news: Zohran Mamdani’s odds of becoming New York’s next mayor have hit a record high, an appeals panel refused Louisiana’s push to gut the Voting Rights Act, and a federal judge blocked the Trump administration’s sweeping birth control mandate exemptions.

Let’s dive into the good news! 💛

Today’s user-submitted photo comes from Tracy O., who shared this cute photo of her dog, Blue! 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

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