💊 What two abortion pill rulings mean for Mass.

It's Monday, Boston.

🍦 PSA: Dairy Queen is offering 85 cent Blizzards through April 23 if you order through the app. Not an ad, just love a good deal.

👀 What’s on tap today:

• You’re getting warmer

• Are millionaires leaving Mass.?

• The 9-9-9 challenge

Up first...

HEALTHCARE

The state of mifepristone in Mass.

Two contradicting rulings on the use of mifepristone, a pill used in medicated abortions, have left a piece of reproductive access in Mass. in limbo.

Here’s what you need to know:

👨‍⚖️ The rulings. A Texas judge ruled on Friday that the FDA improperly approved mifepristone, a pill used as abortion medication, more than 20 years ago, and ordered the FDA to take it off the market. Less than an hour later, a Washington state judge issued a contradicting ruling in another case, ordering the FDA to keep the pill available in the 17 states and D.C. that brought a suit seeking more access to the pill. However, nothing went into effect as the Texas judge stayed his own order for a week to give the FDA time to ask an appeals court to intervene.

😡 The reaction. President Biden vowed to fight the ruling, saying in a statement that “If this ruling were to stand, then there will be virtually no prescription, approved by the FDA, that would be safe from these kinds of political, ideological attacks.” At the state level, Gov. Healey tweeted that “abortion medication is safe and legal in Mass. And it’s going to stay that way.”

💊 The local impact. Medication abortions make up nearly half of abortions in Mass., so if the Texas ruling stands, a lot could change. During a medicated abortion, mifepristone is typically the first of two drugs used, followed by misoprostol. If mifepristone is banned, misoprostol alone could be used to induce an abortion. However, it has a 15% failure rate when used on its own, along with other side effects and risks. If mifepristone becomes unavailable, one local doctor said she would probably recommend that patients undergo surgical abortion instead of taking misoprostol alone.

🤒 Also: Patients with Cushing syndrome, a condition where the body produces too much cortisol, use the same pill to manage their symptoms. If the ruling stands, they will no longer have access to the treatment.

🤷‍♀️ Next steps. This issue will realistically be settled in either a federal appeals court or the U.S. Supreme Court, so we won’t have an answer soon. In the meantime, some local clinics are stockpiling mifepristone and plan to use it for as long as possible. It should be noted that even if the Texas judge’s ruling stands, medication abortion will still be available in Mass., it just means that misoprostol would be the primary drug used.

Gov. Maura Healey said, in a statement, that she is “prepared to take immediate action to protect access to this important medication.” Healey’s office on Monday will outline a plan to protect access to the pill.

TOGETHER WITH SOFAR SOUNDS

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CITY

Quick & dirty headlines

☀️ You’re getting warmer … warmer. That’s pretty much the gist of Boston’s forecast this week. Today’s highs will be in the 60s, and they’ll climb into the 70s on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Plus, record highs may be within reach Friday, with the potential to make a run toward 80. Thankfully, it looks like the heat will break just in time for runners on Marathon Monday (but temps will likely remain above average).

💸 Are millionaires actually leaving Mass.? That’s been the million-dollar question ever since voters passed Question 1, adding a 4% surtax on income over $1 million. There’s definitely chatter among the state’s wealthiest about leaving the state: A recent survey of 270 Mass. CPAs found that many of their wealthy clients are thinking of leaving due to the new tax. But another report revealed that Mass. had one of the lowest rates of outmigration in the U.S. among households earning more than $200,000 in the 2010s, suggesting that state tax levels have little impact on where wealthy people choose to live.

🏃 Take note of the MBTA’s Marathon Monday service. The Red, Orange, Blue, and Silver Lines will be business as usual with extra service before and after the race. The Green Line will be a little trickier as Copley Station will be closed all day and a few above ground stops on the B and C branches will be closed. If you want to see the race from start to finish via public transit, the Commuter Rail has a $15 Marathon Pass for unlimited travel across all zones on race day. Just make sure to budget extra time for slow zones (and crowds).

👏 Boston sports teams had a helluva weekend. Rafael Devers hit two homers (including a grand slam) during Saturday’s game to lift the Sox to a 14-5 win over Detroit; the Revolution cruised to an easy 4-0 win over Montreal; the Celtics had a blowout win against Toronto, and the Bruins won their 63rd game of the season, setting a new NHL record for most regular-season wins. The C’s and B’s should hopefully know this week who they’ll face in the first round of playoffs. Do we smell a duck boat parade in our future?

THINGS TO DO

Weekday checklist

🦢 Celebrate spring with a Swan Boat ride. They’re back in action on Friday!

🥘 Try all the pozole and mezcal at the Bowl of ‘Zole Fest in South Boston.

🎨 Take a pour art class with local artist Rahim Gray inside Dorchester Brewing Company’s Taproom.

ONE LAST THING

The 9-9-9 challenge

Think you could eat nine Fenway Franks and drink nine beers over the course of nine innings of a Sox game? TikTok user @wannabeastayathomedad gave it his best shot.

The local creator known for taste testing some of Boston’s best eats made it through the first three innings without any hiccups, but once the fourth hit, he quickly realized that “Bud Light is disgusting.” By the 6th inning, he started wondering “what’s actually in a hot dog.” And while he made it through “Sweet Caroline,” he noted that these were, in fact, “not good times.”

When all was said and done, he made it through 8.5 innings and finished 8.3 hot dogs and 8.3 beers. You can watch the entirety of his valiant attempt here.

🌭 Thanks for reading! The real question is how much did this challenge cost?

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