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Coverage dated February 20, 2024 to February 27, 2024

Alabama lawmakers scramble to protect IVF after ruling, while AG’s office says it has ‘no intention’ of prosecuting families

Headline from Local News 8, from the development of Feb 24, 2024

Newest development Feb 27, 2024 · 4 reportsAlabama ruling frozen embryos are equivalent to living children has worrying implications for IVF

By Jason Hanna, Meg Tirrell and Dianne Gallagher, CNN (CNN) — Fallout continues after the Alabama Supreme Court’s ruling last week that frozen embryos are children – an unprecedented decision that critics say could have a chilling effect on access to IVF treatments in the state.

Local News 8's own description from its feed. We collect headlines and these descriptions, not full articles; read the original reporting below.

Earlier updates in this story

Developments in this update

5 dated developments, oldest first, newest marked. Each is named by one outlet's own headline; open its reports to see every outlet that covered it.

  1. Is a frozen embryo a ‘child’? Alabama’s Supreme Court thinks so

    Headline from Al Jazeera ·

  2. Facing backlash over IVF ruling, Alabama lawmakers look for a fix

    Headline from Omaha World-Herald ·

  3. Names this update

    Alabama lawmakers scramble to protect IVF after ruling, while AG’s office says it has ‘no intention’ of prosecuting families

    Headline from Local News 8 ·

  4. Alabama lawmakers race to shield IVF services in wake of state Supreme Court ruling

    Headline from CBS News ·

  5. Newest

    Alabama ruling frozen embryos are equivalent to living children has worrying implications for IVF

    Headline from MedicalXpress ·

1 report not tied to one development ·

Read the reports

Reports & sources

101 articles, oldest first.

  1. NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

    How an Alabama court ruling that frozen embryos are children could affect IVF (opens NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth)

    Published

    NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth's feed description

    The Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos can be considered children under state law.

  2. Al Jazeera

    Is a frozen embryo a ‘child’? Alabama’s Supreme Court thinks so (opens Al Jazeera)

    Published

    Al Jazeera's feed description

    And what does this mean for the provision of fertility services such as IVF?

  3. ABC 17 Mid-Missouri

    In unprecedented decision, Alabama’s Supreme Court ruled frozen embryos are children. It could have chilling effects on IVF, critics say (opens ABC 17 Mid-Missouri)

    Published

    ABC 17 Mid-Missouri's feed description

    By Christina Maxouris, CNN (CNN) — In a first-of-its-kind ruling, Alabama’s Supreme Court said frozen embryos are children and those who destroy them can be held liable for wrongful death – a decision that puts back into national focus the question of when life begins and one that reproductive right…

  4. The Guardian

    Alabama’s supreme court ruled embryos are ‘extrauterine children’. IVF patients are worried (opens The Guardian)

    Published

    The Guardian's feed description

    The state’s sweeping ruling leaves doctors and patients scrambling to untangle its implications for frozen embryos

  5. Vox

    The Alabama Supreme Court opinion holding that embryos are children, explained (opens Vox)

    Published

    Vox's feed description

    Did Alabama’s Supreme Court just ban IVF treatments?

  6. The Christian Post

    IVF embryos are protected children under state law, Alabama Supreme Court rules (opens The Christian Post)

    Published

    The Christian Post's feed description

    The Alabama Supreme Court has ruled that embryos created through in vitro fertilization and kept frozen are protected by state law, overturning a lower court decision.

  7. NBC News

    Doctors and patients fearfully proceed with IVF after Alabama court rules embryos are children (opens NBC News)

    Published

    NBC News's feed description

    The Alabama Supreme Court ruling that embryos are children could lead to lawsuits for destroying frozen embryos, raising questions about in-vitro fertilization.

  8. KEYT Santa Barbara

    How an Alabama court ruling that frozen embryos are children could affect IVF | News Channel 3-12 (opens KEYT Santa Barbara)

    Published

    KEYT Santa Barbara's feed description

    How an Alabama court ruling that frozen embryos are children could affect IVF

  9. St. Louis Post-Dispatch

    Morning headlines: How an Alabama court ruling that frozen embryos are children could affect IVF (opens St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

    Published

    St. Louis Post-Dispatch's feed description

    Today

  10. The Columbian

    Alabama’s frozen embryo ruling is now having its first effects (opens The Columbian)

    Published

    The Columbian's feed description

    The Alabama Supreme Court recently ruled that frozen embryos can be considered children under state law, raising concerns about how the decision could affect in vitro fertilization, commonly known as

  11. News Nation Now

    Frozen embryo controversy: Is Alabama making IVF illegal? (opens News Nation Now)

    Published

    News Nation Now's feed description

    Law professor Leah Litman explains why Alabama's ruling officially deeming frozen embryos children "certainly comes close to" making IVF illegal.

  12. CBS News

    Alabama patient says embryo ruling has (opens CBS News)

    Published

    CBS News's feed description

    Alabama patients are in limbo with IVF treatments being put on hold following the state supreme court's ruling that frozen embryos are considered children under state law.

  13. NPR

    Uncertainty looms after Alabama's IVF court ruling (opens NPR)

    Published

    NPR's feed description

    Alabama's new court ruling that frozen embryos should receive legal protections as "unborn life," leaves fertility clinics and parents-to-be in limbo.

  14. America Magazine

    Alabama Supreme Court rules frozen embryos are children under wrongful death law (opens America Magazine)

    Published

    America Magazine's feed description

    An Alabama Supreme Court ruling that frozen embryos qualify as children under state law has raised complex legal questions about artificial reproductive practices opposed by the Catholic Church.

  15. Christianity Today

    Alabama Rules that Frozen Embryos Are Children (opens Christianity Today)

    Published

    Christianity Today's feed description

    The first-of-its kind decision affirms life at its earliest stages but complicates the future of IVF.

  16. Time

    Alabama Doctor on What's Next After Court’s Embryo Ruling (opens Time)

    Published

    Time's feed description

    An Alabama fertility doctor whose clinic paused IVF treatment on the ramifications of the state supreme court's ruling that embryos are children.

  17. The New Republic

    That Alabama Court Embryo Ruling Is Already Having Tragic Effects (opens The New Republic)

    Published

    The New Republic's feed description

    Critics warned that the ruling would hurt anyone seeking IVF in the state—and they were right.

  18. Politico

    ‘Another hot potato’: Alabama’s IVF ruling risks political, legal backlash (opens Politico)

    Published

    Politico's feed description

    Alabama court ruled frozen embryos are people. The GOP could pay for it in November.

  19. Newsweek

    Alabama IVF ruling: What embryo law means for treatments going forward (opens Newsweek)

    Published

    Newsweek's feed description

    Alabama

  20. CBS News

    Biden calls Alabama IVF ruling (opens CBS News)

    Published

    CBS News's feed description

    The Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos are children, which could have broad effects on the legality of IVF.

  21. The New Republic

    Alabama’s IVF Ruling Is a Dire Warning to Other States (opens The New Republic)

    Published

    The New Republic's feed description

    The state's embrace of fetal personhood has had terrible, if unintended, consequences that will kill many families' dreams of having children.

  22. The American Spectator

    Can the Pro-Life Movement Rally Behind the Alabama Supreme Court’s IVF Ruling? - The American Spectator | USA News and PoliticsThe American Spectator (opens The American Spectator)

    Published

    The American Spectator's feed description

    In an 8-1 decision published last week, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that embryos created through IVF are persons.

  23. CNN

    Alabama lawmakers are planning legislation to ‘protect’ IVF following state Supreme Court ruling, sources say. Here’s the latest (opens CNN)

    Published

    CNN's feed description

    Fallout continues in the wake of the Alabama Supreme Court’s ruling last week that frozen embryos are children – an unprecedented decision that critics say could have a chilling effect on access to IVF treatments in the state.

  24. Newsweek

    Alabama Embryo Ruling Brings Much-Needed Regulation to Fertility Industry (opens Newsweek)

    Published

    Newsweek's feed description

    A decision to hold IVF clinics to a higher standard should be a great encouragement to both potential parents and children.

  25. Bangor Daily News

    What's next after the Alabama ruling that counts IVF embryos as children? (opens Bangor Daily News)

    Published

    Bangor Daily News's feed description

    MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — The Alabama Supreme Court ruled last week that couples who were trying in vitro fertilization and lost frozen embryos in an

Showing the first 25 of 59 headlines. ·

Identical headlines usually mean shared wire copy. They are counted as separate articles but are not independent confirmation.