What happened?
At least two of Alabama's eight in vitro fertilization clinics, including the state's largest hospital, paused IVF treatments Wednesday after the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos have the same legal protections as children.
Who said what?
Last week's ruling "impacts all Alabamians and will likely lead to fewer babies — children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews and cousins — as fertility options become limited," the Medical Association of the State of Alabama said Wednesday. "Embryos, to me, are babies," Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley told NBC News.
The commentary
The Alabama Supreme Court's "absurd and unscientific" Bible-quoting ruling is a clear sign "this country is sliding toward theocracy," Charles Blow said at The New York Times. A fertilized blastocyst actually may be "a baby in the eye of the beholder," Monica Hesse said at The Washington Post. IVF is hard, and prospective parents need hope, but "trying to provide legal protection and personhood to fantasies" is "wholly inappropriate for the legal system."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
What next?
IVF doctors are considering petitioning the Alabama Supreme Court to reconsider, asking the state Legislature to intervene, or seeking review at the U.S. Supreme Court.
-
England’s ‘dysfunctional’ children’s care systemIn the Spotlight A new report reveals that protection of youngsters in care in England is failing in a profit-chasing sector
-
Cider farms to visit this autumnThe Week Recommends With harvest season fast approaching, spend an afternoon at one of these idyllic orchards
-
Endangered shark meat is being mislabeled and sold in the USUnder the radar It could cause both health and ecological problems
-
House posts lewd Epstein note attributed to TrumpSpeed Read The estate of Jeffrey Epstein turned over the infamous 2003 birthday note from President Donald Trump
-
Supreme Court allows 'roving' race-tied ICE raidsSpeed Read The court paused a federal judge's order barring agents from detaining suspected undocumented immigrants in LA based on race
-
South Korea to fetch workers detained in Georgia raidSpeed Read More than 300 South Korean workers detained in an immigration raid at a Hyundai plant will be released
-
DC sues Trump to end Guard 'occupation'Speed Read D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb argues that the unsolicited military presence violates the law
-
RFK Jr. faces bipartisan heat in Senate hearingSpeed Read The health secretary defended his leadership amid CDC turmoil and deflected questions about the restricted availability of vaccines
-
White House defends boat strike as legal doubts mountSpeed Read Experts say there was no legal justification for killing 11 alleged drug-traffickers
-
Epstein accusers urge full file release, hint at own listspeed read A rally was organized by Reps. Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie, who are hoping to force a vote on their Epstein Files Transparency Act
-
Court hands Harvard a win in Trump funding battleSpeed Read The Trump administration was ordered to restore Harvard's $2 billion in research grants
