Why OTC birth control matters — and what's next

Also: What happens to the glass you think you're recycling; actors on strike [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  July 14, 2023 ☁️ Mostly cloudy, with a high near 83 and potential rain midday. Good Morning Boston, TGIF! If any of you are brave enough to [try Sam Adams' new pickle beer]( there's a special release party tonight at the brewery's downtown taproom. (Apparently, it's a big weekend here for [pickle things]( To the news: - Massachusetts reproductive rights advocates are pretty stoked about the federal approval of the first over-the-counter sales birth control pill. The FDA's [decision yesterday]( means women will soon be able to get the once-a-day tablet Opill without a prescription. "Over-the-counter birth control is essential to our reproductive freedom," Rep. Ayanna Pressley said in a statement celebrating the news. - How you can get it: Opill's maker Perrigo says the pills will be in stores and online in early 2024. There will be no [age restrictions]( on who can buy it. And while it's called "over the counter," you should also be able to buy it off the shelf just like Dayquil or Tylenol (though some stores may choose keep it at the counter). - Why it matters: The big factor is convenience, according to Kelly Blanchard, the president of the Cambridge-based group Ibis Reproductive Health, which led the decades-long OTC push. Blanchard says it means people won't have to take time off work for a doctor's appointment to access birth control. They can just swing by the pharmacy or even go on their computer. - The key question: Will it also be cheaper? Opill's manufacturer hasn't announced what the pill will cost. While over-the-counter medicines are usually cheaper than prescriptions, they typically aren’t covered by insurance, the Associated Press reports. Some advocates want the Biden administration to use its executive authority to require insurers to cover Opill. (They're [reportedly considering it]( Pressley is also pushing [legislation]( to do so. - Between the lines: Without insurance, other birth control pills cost around $15-$30 for a month's supply, according to the AP. - Who says no? WBUR's Gabrielle Emanuel [recently explored why there was surprisingly little pushback]( against the FDA's decision, despite the polarization over reproductive rights. - Heads up: Green Line service is a bit wacky this weekend. There's basically going to be no underground trolley service and all E branch service is suspended south of North Station. (There'll still be service on the Green Line Extension and the above-ground B, C and D branch stops.) - Why? T officials say they're doing a whole range of inspections to the Green Line tunnel (electrical, mechanical, fire, etc.). - What are your alternative options? Shuttle buses will run from the Boston University East and St. Mary’s Street stops to Back Bay station so riders can take the Orange Line downtown. Meanwhile, the T is suggesting E branch riders take [the 39 bus](. - Boston leaders are encouraging people to turn over guns, after [the shooting death of a 12-year-old boy Thursday in Mattapan](. "I just implore folks that you have guns in your home, particularly illegal or whatever, turn them in to us," Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox [told reporters.]( - Police have arrested 22-year-old Walter Hendrick in the shooting. He's charged with unlawful possession of a firearm and improper storage, and is due in court in Dorchester this morning. - Veep veep: Vice President Kamala Harris is [coming to Boston at the end of the month]( to speak at the NAACP's national convention. The conference schedule — which runs July 26 to Aug. 1 — shows Harris speaking Saturday night, July 30. Other convention speakers include Hillary Clinton, Pressley and [Tennessee Rep. Justin Jones](. - Listen: Tanisha Sullivan, the president of the NAACP's Boston chapter, [talked to Radio Boston this week]( about the convention and [the response to the Supreme Court's affirmative action ruling](. - Looking for a greener way to get to the zoo? The Franklin Park Zoo officially launched [a free weekend electric shuttle bus]( to and from the Forest Hills Orange Line station, thanks to a grant from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center. Zoo officials hope the new connection encourages more transit riders to visit — and fewer car trips, according to John Linehan, the CEO of Zoo New England. - The deets: The 14-person shuttle will run from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. every weekend through Labor Day. The maximum wait should be roughly 20 minutes, according to a spokesperson from the MCEC. P.S.— What sport took over Fenway Park from Wednesday to Sunday this week for an exhibition series? If you think you know the answer, [take our Boston News Quiz]( to find out. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [What happens to the glass containers you think you’re recycling]( Resident of many northeastern states may assume that the glass bottles and jars they add to a recycling bin, along with the junk mail, plastics and aluminum cans, will become new glass. A new report says that assumption is wrong. [Read more.]( [What happens to the glass containers you think you’re recycling]( Resident of many northeastern states may assume that the glass bottles and jars they add to a recycling bin, along with the junk mail, plastics and aluminum cans, will become new glass. A new report says that assumption is wrong. [Read more.]( [Hollywood actors go on strike, say it's time for studio execs to 'wake up']( SAG-AFTRA, the union representing Hollywood actors and performers, is on strike against major studios after negotiations broke down with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. [Read more.]( [Hollywood actors go on strike, say it's time for studio execs to 'wake up']( SAG-AFTRA, the union representing Hollywood actors and performers, is on strike against major studios after negotiations broke down with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. [Read more.]( [Kentucky man found with 40 skulls in home, allegedly linked to Harvard morgue thefts]( FBI agents searched the home of James Nott on Tuesday and found 40 human skulls, spinal cords, femurs, hip bones and a Harvard Medical School bag, according to court records. [Read more.]( [Kentucky man found with 40 skulls in home, allegedly linked to Harvard morgue thefts]( FBI agents searched the home of James Nott on Tuesday and found 40 human skulls, spinal cords, femurs, hip bones and a Harvard Medical School bag, according to court records. [Read more.]( [Powerball jackpot climbs to $875 million, the third-largest on record]( The new jackpot for the next drawing is the third-largest in the history of the game, coming behind the world record $2.04 billion jackpot won last year and the $1.586 billion jackpot won in 2016. [Read more.]( [Powerball jackpot climbs to $875 million, the third-largest on record]( The new jackpot for the next drawing is the third-largest in the history of the game, coming behind the world record $2.04 billion jackpot won last year and the $1.586 billion jackpot won in 2016. [Read more.]( [In hard-hit Ludlow, Vermont cleanup is underway: 'We are taking care of one another']( Cleanup efforts are underway in Ludlow, Vermont, a community that was hard hit by flooding earlier this week. Community members are coming together to volunteer and offer free services while the area grapples with the damage. [Read more.]( [In hard-hit Ludlow, Vermont cleanup is underway: 'We are taking care of one another']( Cleanup efforts are underway in Ludlow, Vermont, a community that was hard hit by flooding earlier this week. Community members are coming together to volunteer and offer free services while the area grapples with the damage. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - Your Massachusetts driver's license remains acceptable in Florida, whether or not you have legal U.S. residency. Despite a new Sunshine State law prohibiting recognition of some licenses from states that allow undocumented immigrants to legally drive, State House News Service [explains why]( Bay State licenses have stayed off the list. - We're now on the seventh installment of the "Mission Impossible" series, but don't count it out. WBUR film critic Sean Burns says "Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One" is surprisingly very good, even if it isn't super sophisticated art. Read[his full review](. - For the 37th time, Somerville's ArtBeat festival returns this Saturday and this year's theme is "pulse." WBUR's Hanna Ali explains [how it's being interpreted by performers and how to prepare if you plan on attending]( the vibrant Davis Square music and arts fest. - Jennifer De Leon spent her summers as a child in a state-subsidized program — and loved it. Now, as [she writes in this commentary]( her 10-year-old son is enrolled in a myriad of sports and enrichment camps, and she’s been asking herself: What if how you grew up looks different from how you are raising your own kids?  What We're Reading 📚 This section is supported by [Beacon Hill Books]( a new independent bookstore. - That dangerous TikTok trend on the news? It’s fake. ([Washington Post]( - Controversy in Cranston over ‘Topgolf Providence’ name ([WPRI]( - What to Do with Climate Emotions ([The New Yorker](  Life Advice [You could still be eligible for student loan forgiveness under this plan]( The Supreme Court may have struck down a sweeping plan for student loan debt forgiveness, but under President Biden's new income-driven repayment plan, SAVE, borrowers stand to pay thousands less. [Read more.]( [You could still be eligible for student loan forgiveness under this plan]( The Supreme Court may have struck down a sweeping plan for student loan debt forgiveness, but under President Biden's new income-driven repayment plan, SAVE, borrowers stand to pay thousands less. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common [surveys the local indie film scene](. Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: [A silver lining]( to those MBTA disruptions. 😎 Forward to a friend. 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