"Gut punch"

Also: Trump and Haley race toward Super Tuesday; the sound of Massachusetts hip-hop [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  February 26, 2024 🌤️ A little cloudy, with a high near 50. Good Morning Boston, While you may see some snow flurries this morning, things will be warming up over the next week or two — with temps reaching into the 50s (and [maybe even 60]( over the next few days. (And yes, [your teenage son will try to wear shorts]( Now to the news: - IVF fallout: For U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan, [the Alabama court ruling]( declaring frozen embryos used in the process of in vitro fertilization are children is a "gut punch." The Massachusetts congresswoman and her husband used IVF to have their two daughters. While she doesn't often talk about the physically and emotionally grueling process, the Westford Democrat is now opening up out of concerns for others struggling with fertility. "The idea of a family who has gone through every possible option before finally turning — or being about to turn— to IVF having that option ripped away from them is a pain I just can't imagine," Trahan told WBUR's Dave Faneuf. - Zoom in: Currently, the impacts of the Feb. 16 ruling are limited to Alabama, where [at least three providers]( have paused IVF treatments. (By declaring embryos to be "extrauterine children," it raises the risks for IVF providers since frozen lab-grown embryos often don't survive the process.) Republican elected officials in Alabama — and [across the country]( — have responded by [pushing to protect IVF](. - How does IVF work? Why are so many frozen embryos created in the process? [Read this explainer]( for more on the science. - Zoom out: Still, Trahan fears similar rulings could spread across red states, where anti-abortion activists have pushed to expand the definition of personhood. While Massachusetts saw [an uptick in out-of-state abortion patients]( following the Supreme Court's Dobbs ruling, Trahan says the logistics of traveling out of state for IVF would be "very difficult." There's [federal legislationÂ]( Congress that would protect IVF, but Trahan says she doubts it will get a hearing or vote in the Republican-controlled House. - The local angle: Massachusetts native Elizabeth Carr — the first baby born via IVF in the U.S. — [wrote a new essay published this morning for our Cognoscenti opinion section]( responding to the Alabama news: "For the first time in my 42 years of life, I feel like an endangered species." - Heads up: Months of weekday lane closures on the Tobin Bridge begin today. MassDOT will be closing one of the bridge's southbound lanes from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. every weekday. While the single-lane closures were designed to dodge the morning rush hour and keep traffic moving through the other two lanes, officials are still alerting drivers to prepare for delays. - What's the reason for the closures? The 75-year-old bridge has been [flaking hazardous lead paint chips]( onto the communities below. So, as part of a $100 million maintenance project, crews will be repairing the steel, removing old paint and repainting the bridge. - What's the timeline? Expect the lane closures to continue through the end 2024 (weather permitting), according to MassDOT. - We gotta make a decision: Due to [delays in the FAFSA process]( some Massachusetts colleges and universities are giving high school seniors an extra month to decide on where to enroll — extending what's usually a May 1 deadline. [According to The Boston Globe]( Emerson College, Suffolk University, Massachusetts College of Art and three UMass campuses (Boston, Dartmouth and Lowell) extended their deadlines until June 1. Williams College has also pushed its deadline to May 15. - Why the extra time? The FAFSA delays mean many schools won't be able to send out their financial aid offers until April, [per NPR](. - About last week: AT&T says it will [give customers affected by last week's cell phone network outage $5]( to compensate them. Expect to see the credit on your account within two billing cycles. P.S.— WBUR is looking to connect with people who attended or worked for Boston Public Schools during the desegregation of the district's busing — especially those who have children in Greater Boston schools today. Even if you just have a thought or memory from that time, please reply to this email or reach out directly to WBUR education editor Suevon Lee at suevon@bu.edu. Your story could be considered for an upcoming series on the busing era as its 50th anniversary approaches. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  The Rundown [Trump, Haley and the Mass GOP's future is on the primary ballot]( Trump is the dominant force among the Massachusetts GOP, but Nikki Haley supporters insist the fight for the nomination is not over. [Read more.]( [Trump, Haley and the Mass GOP's future is on the primary ballot]( Trump is the dominant force among the Massachusetts GOP, but Nikki Haley supporters insist the fight for the nomination is not over. [Read more.]( [Why Egypt won't allow vulnerable Palestinians across its border]( Egypt's empty Sinai Peninsula would offer safety for Palestinian civilians. But Egypt fears refugees might never be allowed back, citing the painful history of earlier Israeli-Palestinian wars. [Read more.]( [Why Egypt won't allow vulnerable Palestinians across its border]( Egypt's empty Sinai Peninsula would offer safety for Palestinian civilians. But Egypt fears refugees might never be allowed back, citing the painful history of earlier Israeli-Palestinian wars. [Read more.]( [Vigils held in Boston, nationwide for nonbinary Oklahoma teen who died following school fight]( Nex Benedict, a 16-year-old who identified as nonbinary, got into an altercation with three girls in an Owasso High School bathroom who were picking on Benedict and some friends. [Read more.]( [Vigils held in Boston, nationwide for nonbinary Oklahoma teen who died following school fight]( Nex Benedict, a 16-year-old who identified as nonbinary, got into an altercation with three girls in an Owasso High School bathroom who were picking on Benedict and some friends. [Read more.]( [Steward hospital chain's financial woes could spread to other states]( Steward operates more than 30 hospitals nationwide, and its finances are deeply entangled with one of the largest owners of hospital real estate in the country, raising questions about how Steward's financial problems could impact hospitals in several states. [Read more.]( [Steward hospital chain's financial woes could spread to other states]( Steward operates more than 30 hospitals nationwide, and its finances are deeply entangled with one of the largest owners of hospital real estate in the country, raising questions about how Steward's financial problems could impact hospitals in several states. [Read more.]( [Wife of ex-Harvard morgue manager agrees to plead guilty to transporting stolen human remains]( Cedric and Denise Lodge were accused of running a nationwide body parts business, supplied by donor remains from Harvard Medical School. [Read more.]( [Wife of ex-Harvard morgue manager agrees to plead guilty to transporting stolen human remains]( Cedric and Denise Lodge were accused of running a nationwide body parts business, supplied by donor remains from Harvard Medical School. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - What does "Massachusetts hip-hop" sound like? Lowell producer DeevoDaGenius is trying to define the Bay State's hip-hop sound with "Champion Sound," a 19-track project featuring 15 local artists. Read about the project's backstory (and listen to it) [here](. - Saturday night's Screen Actors Guild Awards — often seen as a good prediction of who will win at next month's Oscars — saw some big wins for "Oppenheimer." [Check out the full list]( SAG winners. - Radio Boston spoke to author and professor John O'Connor about his new book on the search for Bigfoot and how Massachusetts plays a central role in the narrative. [Here are some highlights]( from the interview. - “Becoming a Man” — a stirring story of gender transition amid a pivotal political moment in America — is premiering at Harvard's American Repertory Theater through March 10. [Read theater critic Jacquinn Sinclair's review here](. What We're Reading 📚 - Is ‘paper compliance’ with the MBTA Communities law good enough? ([CommonWealth Beacon]( - Remember your landline? In these Massachusetts households, they never stopped ringing. ([The Boston Globe]( - A Marketplace of Girl Influencers Managed by Moms and Stalked by Men ([The New York Times](  Tell Me Something Good [Act meow: Cat pics will pay your fines at Worcester's libraries]( Don't be skittish about your Worcester library fees this March: A feline facsimile will free you of your fine. [Read more.]( [Act meow: Cat pics will pay your fines at Worcester's libraries]( Don't be skittish about your Worcester library fees this March: A feline facsimile will free you of your fine. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common is joined by WBUR's Walt Wuthmann to [discuss Supreme Judicial Court nominee Gabrielle Wolohojian]( her background and what to make of her ties to Gov. Maura Healey[.]( Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: Start your Monday with [this beautiful sunset view over Boston Harbor.]( 😎 Forward to a friend. They can sign up [here](. 🔎 Explore [WBUR's Field Guide]( stories, events and more. 📣 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 © 2023 WBUR-FM, All rights reserved.