3 moves to protect mifepristone in Mass.

Also: Hospitals would have a harder time responding to the Boston Marathon bombings today; recapping Phillip Eng's first day [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  April 11, 2023 ☀️Mostly sunny, with a high near 72. Good Morning Boston, It didn't take long for elected officials in Massachusetts to jump into action after [last Friday's abortion pill court ruling](. In fact, local Democrats were working behind the scenes to protect access to the drug mifepristone before the pill's legality was thrown into national jeopardy. While medication abortions are [still possible with just one drug]( Gov. Maura Healey announced plans Monday to ensure that the more effective two-pill regimen remains "safe, legal and accessible" in Massachusetts for the near future — despite the court orders and confusion. Here are the three pillars of the plan: - A year's supply of mifepristone: Healey announced that, at her request, the University of Massachusetts Amherst ordered roughly 15,000 doses of mifepristone last week — enough to supply the entire state for more than a year. The doses, which are expected to arrive this week, will be distributed to providers around the state. - Why UMass? Under a 2022 state law, the school [began offering abortion pills to students on campus last year through their own health services]( — so they already had a supply contract and the required FDA approvals. As a result, they were able to get their order filled in just one day. - Zoom out: Massachusetts isn't the only one stockpiling abortion pills. Washington [struck a deal for three year's worth of mifepristone]( and California is stocking up on another drug. - Protecting providers: Healey also signed [an executive order]( Monday clarifying that the 2022 law protecting abortion providers from out-of-state legal action also applies to medication abortions and mifepristone. "This means that providers, including pharmacists, can continue to stock and dispense mifepristone," Healey said, adding that the order will also "protect providers and patients from consequences for accessing this essential care." - An extra million: Healey's administration is also chipping in $1 million from the Department of Public Health's budget to help other local health care providers — in addition to UMass — buy even more mifepristone while it's still on the market. - How much will that buy? For comparison's sake, Healey's office says UMass's 15,000-dose order cost around $675,000. - Go deeper: WBUR's Martha Bebinger has [more on Healey's actions — and the reactions from proponents and critics](. - Heads up: House Democrats are expected to unveil [their answer to Gov. Maura Healey's tax relief proposal]( today. We still don't know the exact details of what it will include, but expect something similar to the package the Legislature agreed on last summer. - What's next: The House is slated to vote on the bill Thursday. Then, the focus will turn to the Senate. Senate President Karen Spilka signaled to reporters yesterday that they'll be putting forward a "progressive, permanent tax reform" proposal, too. - Attention snowbirds: There's about to be a new way to fly to Florida. JetBlue and the Massachusetts Port Authority announced plans Monday for two new nonstop flights from Worcester's airport. - The first will offer year-round daily trips to Orlando, beginning June 15 (restoring a route that was [canceled in 2020](. - The second will offer seasonal flights to Fort Myers during the winter — starting at twice-a-week, but ramping up to every day from mid-February through March for Red Sox spring training. - Is it worth giving Worcester a try? JetBlue is dangling particularly cheap flights to Orlando this summer, with [fares widely available at as low as $30 each way](. Plus, you can park at Worcester airport for just $7 a day, or $42 a week. You might as well go catch a Woo Sox game (and [say hi to Rick]( while you're in the neighborhood! - Officials in Cambridge say the 114-year-old steeple at Faith Lutheran Church will be torn down today, after it was [heavily damaged by a fire on Sunday](. (The cause of the fire is still under investigation.) - Police say that the two blocks of Broadway between Norfolk and Prospect Street will remain closed for "most, if not all," of the day. P.S.— Boston Mayor Michelle Wu has declared today a citywide day of remembrance for [the late Mel King]( whose funeral is this afternoon in the South End. Yesterday's episode of Radio Boston devoted an hour to remembering King as the community knew him, with local leaders like former acting Boston mayor Kim Janey and ex-city councilor Tito Jackson. [Listen to the episode — or read the highlights — here](. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [Boston hospitals took quick action after the marathon bombings. Could they do it again?]( Hospitals saved lives after the Boston Marathon bombings 10 years ago. But today, dealing with disaster is more difficult. [Read more.]( [Boston hospitals took quick action after the marathon bombings. Could they do it again?]( Hospitals saved lives after the Boston Marathon bombings 10 years ago. But today, dealing with disaster is more difficult. [Read more.]( [New T GM promises to prioritize safety, reliability and staffingÂ]( In his first day on the job, MBTA General Manager Phillip Eng pledged to seek solutions to slow service and other problems that have frustrated subway and bus riders. [Read more.]( [New T GM promises to prioritize safety, reliability and staffingÂ]( In his first day on the job, MBTA General Manager Phillip Eng pledged to seek solutions to slow service and other problems that have frustrated subway and bus riders. [Read more.]( [6 people are dead and 8 are injured after a shooting in downtown Louisville]( The 25-year-old gunman was an employee of the bank and was shot and killed by police. An officer who had just graduated from the police academy was among those wounded after he was shot in the head. [Read more.]( [6 people are dead and 8 are injured after a shooting in downtown Louisville]( The 25-year-old gunman was an employee of the bank and was shot and killed by police. An officer who had just graduated from the police academy was among those wounded after he was shot in the head. [Read more.]( [Tennessee Rep. Justin Jones returns to Capitol after Nashville Council reinstates him]( Tennessee state Rep. Justin Jones, who was expelled from the state House last week alongside former Rep. Justin Pearson of Memphis, was reinstated to his seat Monday on an interim basis. [Read more.]( [Tennessee Rep. Justin Jones returns to Capitol after Nashville Council reinstates him]( Tennessee state Rep. Justin Jones, who was expelled from the state House last week alongside former Rep. Justin Pearson of Memphis, was reinstated to his seat Monday on an interim basis. [Read more.]( [Mass. employers are less optimistic about the economy]( The state's largest business association asks employers how they're feeling about the economy each month. The index was 51.5 on a 100-point scale in March — a two-point drop from the previous month (and a 5.7-point drop from the same time last year). [Read more.]( [Mass. employers are less optimistic about the economy]( The state's largest business association asks employers how they're feeling about the economy each month. The index was 51.5 on a 100-point scale in March — a two-point drop from the previous month (and a 5.7-point drop from the same time last year). [Read more.]( Anything Else? - The Second Gentleman is coming to town. Doug Emhoff is visiting the JFK Library in Dorchester to speak at a 6 p.m. forum about how arts and culture play a role in combating hate. You can [watch it live here](. - Go deeper: As the first Jewish spouse of a president or vice president, Emhoff has made fighting antisemitism a core part of his role. [Listen here to his recent interview]( with NPR's Morning Edition about the personal and political dimensions of his effort. - A [new study from Dartmouth]( says that climate change could lead to a 10% increase in home runs by 2100 — yes, seriously. That's because warm air is thinner than cold air, allowing baseballs to fly farther. In fact, researchers found that warming temperatures have already had a small effect. - There's about to be new man in charge of Massachusetts' state parks and beaches (and the many roads that run along and through them): Revere Mayor Brian Arrigo. He was [named as the next commissioner of the state's Department of Conservation and Recreation]( yesterday and will begin work on April 24. - Arrigo had already announced plans to leave the mayor's office at the end of the year. - Ten years after the Boston Marathon bombings, Myrieme Churchill [writes in this commentary]( that our society still views extremism primarily as a moral and political issue — rather than "genuinely trying to understand internal workings of the disease."  What We're Reading 📚 - A hundred years of choking housing growth catches up with Massachusetts ([The Boston Globe]( - She became an anti-vaccine icon, and vanished. She’s finally ready to talk about it. ([NBC News]( - A Newbury Street gallery. A tiny scuba diver. An elaborate con. Explaining the ‘Champagne Scuba’ caper. ([Boston.com](  Life Advice [No, the IRS isn't calling you. It isn't texting or emailing you, either]( Since 2018, over 75,000 victims have lost $28 million to IRS imposters over the phone, email, texts and more. Here’s how the the agency actually contacts taxpayers and how you can spot imposters. [Read more.]( [No, the IRS isn't calling you. It isn't texting or emailing you, either]( Since 2018, over 75,000 victims have lost $28 million to IRS imposters over the phone, email, texts and more. Here’s how the the agency actually contacts taxpayers and how you can spot imposters. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common gets [an inside look at Lowell Public Schools' efforts to make their teaching ranks more diverse](. Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: There's a new award at this year's Boston Marathon: ["Fastest Bostonian."]( 😎 Forward to a friend. 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