What's next for abortion pills in Mass.

Also: Boston Marathon bombing responders share their stories; the MBTA's late-night blues [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  April 10, 2023 ☀️ Sunny, with a high near 61. Good Morning Boston, We're starting the week on [a rather chilly note]( but it's only getting warmer, with forecasted highs [in the 70s and 80s]( (!) through the end of the week. Before you start pulling out those summer clothes from storage, let's get to the news: - Massachusetts officials are emphasizing that medication abortions remain legal and accessible in the state, after [two contradictory federal court rulings this past Friday]( threw the national legality of one of the two main pills often used for the procedure into national jeopardy. - What happened Friday: A conservative Texas judge ordered the FDA to revoke its approval of the abortion pill mifepristone by this Friday. But hours later, a judge in Washington ruled in a separate case, blocking the FDA from pulling mifepristone off the market — at least in the 17 states that brought that case to court. - What to know about mifepristone: As WBUR's Martha Bebinger [shared in our CommonHealth newsletter]( 49% of abortions reported in Massachusetts occur using a two-drug regimen: mifepristone and misoprostol. Taken together, the two pills end a pregnancy without the need for surgery in 99% of cases. Medication abortions can also be done using misoprostol alone, with a [93% effectiveness rate](. - Go deeper: Here's [how medication abortion works](. - The local impact: Massachusetts was not involved in the Washington lawsuit. But even if the Texas ruling stands, medication abortions will still be available in the Bay State. Bebinger [reports that local providers like Planned Parenthood will switch to the slightly less effective]( [misoprostol-only abortions]( if mifepristone is pulled off the market. - What's next: Don't count out mifepristone quite yet. Gov. Maura Healey is promising to announce a plan today at 1 p.m. that her office says will protect access to mifepristone in Massachusetts. And at the federal level, the Biden administration is appealing the Texas decision. (Some Democrats also say the FDA [could use its discretion to effectively ignore the ruling]( - Late-night MBTA blues: The entire Blue Line is shutting down early each night today through Thursday for track work. Free shuttle buses will replace subway service from around 8:45 p.m. through the end of service each night between Government Center and Wonderland. - The shuttles will [only stop at Aquarium and State stations on the way into downtown Boston]( and Bowdoin won't get any shuttle service at all (meaning the station's late-night users will have to walk over to Government Center,[as if it were the 1990s again]( - The reason for the early closure: 43% of the Blue Line [remains covered by 10-25 mph speed restrictions]( following last month's [reveal of a systemwide record-keeping breakdown]( on track conditions. So, crews will be using the overnight hours to replace and realign stretches of the Blue Line's rails. (T officials aren't saying how much progress they expect to make.) - Today is also the first day on the job for new MBTA General Manager Phillip Eng. As he takes his first commute as GM this morning, Eng will get a firsthand look at the subway slow zones (which currently [cover 24% of the system](. - A stretch of Broadway in Cambridge remains closed this morning after [a massive fire broke out yesterday]( at Faith Lutheran Church, only hours after Easter service. Fortunately, no one was hurt — but officials are still investigating the cause of the six-alarm blaze. - Try to avoid [the intersection of Prospect Street and Broadway]( if you're driving through the Cambridge area this morning. - Mel King will be remembered by family and friends this week in the South End neighborhood that he long called home. A public viewing hours will be held today for[the late Boston civil rights leader]( from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Union United Methodist Church — followed by a funeral service Tuesday at noon at the Columbus Avenue church. - Watch: Tickets to attend the funeral tomorrow are fully booked, but the event will also be live-streamed online, as well as at Boston City Hall, the Bruce Bolling Municipal Building and Titus Sparrow Park in the South End. - Listen: Local writer and historian Dart Adams [joined our daily podcast The Common last week to discuss King's ongoing legacy](. P.S.— We're one week from the Boston Marathon, so this is the last week to catch "The Finish Line" in the windows of CitySpace at 890 Commonwealth Ave. Read the story behind the photo display [here.]( Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [These Boston Marathon medical volunteers responded to the bombings — then healed each other]( Nearly 10 years after two bombs exploded at the Boston Marathon, some medical volunteers stationed at the finish line are speaking out, for the first time, about what they saw and the bonds they forged that day. [Read more.]( [These Boston Marathon medical volunteers responded to the bombings — then healed each other]( Nearly 10 years after two bombs exploded at the Boston Marathon, some medical volunteers stationed at the finish line are speaking out, for the first time, about what they saw and the bonds they forged that day. [Read more.]( [Conflicting accounts over why Easthampton superintendent candidate lost job offer]( The job offer that the Easthampton School Committee initially extended to Vito Perrone, and that was later rescinded, has been clouded by an alleged microaggression. But some critics say there were other concerns about his candidacy. [Read more.]( [Conflicting accounts over why Easthampton superintendent candidate lost job offer]( The job offer that the Easthampton School Committee initially extended to Vito Perrone, and that was later rescinded, has been clouded by an alleged microaggression. But some critics say there were other concerns about his candidacy. [Read more.]( [Boston City Council's tussle over redistricting map now in federal judge’s hands]( The judge could leave the map as is, or send it back to the Boston City Council, which spent September and October haggling over which precincts go where, for a rewrite. She said she has at most six weeks to resolve the issue, since this year’s municipal election is getting underway. [Read more.]( [Boston City Council's tussle over redistricting map now in federal judge’s hands]( The judge could leave the map as is, or send it back to the Boston City Council, which spent September and October haggling over which precincts go where, for a rewrite. She said she has at most six weeks to resolve the issue, since this year’s municipal election is getting underway. [Read more.]( [Facing ongoing crises, Bay State College gets new leadership]( That development is just the latest shock to the small for-profit institution, which is set to lose its accreditation on August 31, following years of declining enrollment and financial troubles. [Read more.]( [Facing ongoing crises, Bay State College gets new leadership]( That development is just the latest shock to the small for-profit institution, which is set to lose its accreditation on August 31, following years of declining enrollment and financial troubles. [Read more.]( [Police search Massachusetts marsh for missing child]( Police have searched a marshy area in Massachusetts as part of their investigation into the 2019 disappearance of a 5-year-old New Hampshire girl who is presumed dead. [Read more.]( [Police search Massachusetts marsh for missing child]( Police have searched a marshy area in Massachusetts as part of their investigation into the 2019 disappearance of a 5-year-old New Hampshire girl who is presumed dead. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - This week at CitySpace: You can still [get virtual tickets to Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Rhiannon Giddens's sold-out talk Thursday night]( with On Point host Meghna Chakrabarti. Or start [scouting out next week's loaded lineup]( of Earth Week events. - Gov. Maura Healey's new Council on Latino Empowerment [aims to give more voice to the growing population]( on Beacon Hill. But one state lawmaker [says the Council doesn't give voice to western Massachusetts]( home to some of the state's biggest Latino hubs. - Do you have any leftover Easter jelly beans? It turns out that the colorful candy's origins can be traced back to Boston, the big Shrafft building you've definitely seen while driving up I-93 and the Civil War. Andrea Shea, WBUR's senior arts reporter (and resident candy history chronicler), [has the story here](.  What We're Reading 📚 - On TikTok, I’m the new face of taco salad ([The Boston Globe]( - How Fox Chased Its Audience Down the Rabbit Hole ([The New York Times Magazine]( - The Gambler Who Beat Roulette ([Bloomberg](  Tell Me Something Good [More than 100 golden retrievers to cross Boston Marathon finish line the day before the race (The Boston Globe)]( The canine conclave will take place on Sunday, April 16, in honor of Spencer, the marathon's official dog who died Feb. 17, and Penny, who died eight days later. [Read more.]( [More than 100 golden retrievers to cross Boston Marathon finish line the day before the race (The Boston Globe)]( The canine conclave will take place on Sunday, April 16, in honor of Spencer, the marathon's official dog who died Feb. 17, and Penny, who died eight days later. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common [talks to WBUR's Steve Brown about the uphill climb for Boston's rent control proposal on Beacon Hill](. Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: Please [don't insult our state bird](. 😎 Forward to a friend. They can sign up [here](. 📣 Give us your feedback: newsletters@wbur.org 📧 Get more WBUR stories sent to your inbox. [Check out all of our newsletter offerings.]( Support the news   Want to change how you receive these emails? Stop getting this newsletter by [updating your preferences.](  I don't want to hear from WBUR anymore. Unsubscribe from all WBUR editorial newsletters [here](.  Interested in learning more about corporate sponsorship? [Click here.]( Copyright © 2022 WBUR-FM, All rights reserved.