The Smile: 8/24

Court strikes down Trump's visa ban, Trump faces staff turmoil, and more!

August 24, 2026

Hi friend,

Happy Monday! A federal judge has struck down the Trump administration’s sweeping immigrant visa ban targeting people from 75 countries, ruling that the policy violated federal immigration law by discriminating against applicants based solely on their nationality.

There’s even more encouraging news today: Aisha Wahab has made history as the first Afghan American elected to Congress, unions are continuing to fight for good-paying clean energy jobs despite attacks from the Trump administration, and Democrats are taking the Justice Department to court to demand transparency about any potential plans to seize election materials before the midterms are certified.

Let’s dive into the good news! 💛

Today’s user-submitted photo comes from Gregory D., who shared this cute photo of his cat, Aloo! 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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