The Evening: Alabama hospital paused I.V.F.

Also, President Biden canceled $1.2 billion in student loan debt.

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story February 21, 2024 By Matthew Cullen Good evening. Here's the latest at the end of Wednesday. Alabama's ruling on embryos More student debt forgiveness Plus, lots of new Broadway shows The University of Alabama health system said it was worried about potential criminal prosecutions. Kim Chandler/Associated Press Alabama hospital paused I.V.F. treatments after court ruling The University of Alabama at Birmingham health system, which includes the state's largest hospital, announced today that it would pause in vitro fertilization treatments after the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos in test tubes should be considered children. While it evaluates the legal ramifications, the health system said that it would continue performing egg retrievals from women seeking fertility treatment, but that it would not undertake the next steps in the process: combining the eggs with sperm in a lab for fertilization. The State Supreme Court ruled on Friday that an 1872 statute allowing parents to sue over the wrongful death of a minor child applies to "unborn children." The decision was criticized by the White House, reproductive medicine scientists and some legal experts who warned that the ruling could have profound effects beyond Alabama. A photo released by the Russian state media showing President Vladimir Putin meeting with his defense minister at the Kremlin yesterday. Alexander Kazakov/Sputnik, via Getty Images The U.S. warned of a Russian space weapon this year U.S. intelligence agencies have told their closest European allies that if Russia is going to launch a nuclear weapon into orbit, it will probably do so this year. That warning came as U.S. officials conducted a series of rushed, classified briefings for their NATO and Asian allies, as details of the U.S. assessment began to leak out last week. U.S. intelligence agencies are sharply divided in their opinion about what Vladimir Putin is planning. Some officials believe that Putin might instead launch a harmless "dummy" warhead into orbit to leave the West guessing about the country's capabilities. Putin insisted yesterday that he was not planning on launching any weapons into space. But the threat posed by a space weapon could be enormous: While it wouldn't be designed to attack anything on Earth, it could be capable of destroying satellites, including those from Starlink, which has played a critical role for Ukraine's war effort. In related news, a Russian military blogger died after exposing the scale of Russia's military losses. The Supreme Court blocked President Biden's plan to cancel $400 billion in student debt. Al Drago for The New York Times Biden canceled $1.2 billion in student loan debt The Biden administration sent out emails today to more than 150,000 people announcing that at least some of their student loan debt will be forgiven. The move, which canceled $1.2 billion in debt, was his latest effort at student debt relief after the Supreme Court blocked a more sprawling plan last year. In total, President Biden has canceled $138 billion of student debt for almost 3.9 million borrowers, according to the White House. The action comes as some Democrats have pleaded for Biden to highlight his success in relieving debt to galvanize crucial constituencies, including young voters and Black borrowers who disproportionately shoulder student loan debt. Emmanuel Polanco China lags behind the U.S. in generative A.I. In 2017, Chinese policymakers set out an ambitious plan to make the country the world's premier artificial intelligence innovator by 2030, and the government pledged billions to researchers and companies focused on A.I. But when OpenAI released ChatGPT in 2022, China was caught flat-footed, and its tech firms were hamstrung by a regulatory crackdown. Even as the country races to build generative A.I., China's leading A.I. tools are built on top of open-source U.S. technology. Industry insiders say that China lags behind the U.S. in generative A.I. by at least a year and may be falling further behind. In related news, top U.S. venture capital firms, under intensifying scrutiny from lawmakers, have pulled back from investing in Chinese start-ups. More top news Middle East: At the U.N.'s top court, the U.S. argued that calls for Israel to withdraw from occupied Palestinian territories ignored the country's "real security needs." Boeing: The head of the 737 Max program is leaving the company, the most significant shake-up since an incident that left a hole in a Max jet in flight. Supreme Court: The conservative majority seemed inclined to temporarily stop an effort by the Biden administration to curtail cross-state air pollution. Elections: With three days until Saturday's South Carolina primary, Nikki Haley dismissed speculation about her motives for staying in the race. Oklahoma: The death of a 16-year-old student drew outrage from transgender rights groups who said the student was attacked because of their gender identity. Courts: An Arizona prosecutor refused to extradite a murder suspect to New York, saying that she did not believe the Manhattan's district attorney could be trusted to keep the man charged behind bars. New York City: Nearly two million residents lived in poverty in 2022, according to a new report, an increase of 500,000 people from the year prior. Music: With her single "Texas Hold 'Em," Beyoncé became the first Black woman to top Billboard's country chart. Time: Oregon tried and failed to eliminate daylight saving time, for now. TIME TO UNWIND For Broadway fans, there will be plenty of shows to choose from.  Clockwise from top left: Evan Zimmerman for Murphy Made; Marc Brenner; Sara Krulwich, via The New York Times; Rich Soublet II; Sara Krulwich, via The New York Times; Jeremy Daniel. What to see on Broadway this season Broadway is gearing up for an especially crowded spring, with 18 new shows opening in March or April. There will be pop musicals (Alicia Keys's "Hell's Kitchen"), book adaptations ("The Notebook") and celebrities aplenty (Steve Carell in "Uncle Vanya" and Jessica Lange and Jim Parsons in "Mother Play"). Which one is for you? Our theater reporter has answers. If you're in New York this spring, there are a host of other live performances that our critics recommend as well, including a concert from the pop dynamo Olivia Rodrigo, an evening of jazz with Herbie Hancock and a dance party at the Guggenheim Museum. While the bevy of performances might feel overwhelming, our critic argues that more is better. Gardeners have capitalized on the ornamental potential of willows. Bill Noble Brighten your garden Want to create a living fence? Or perhaps you'd like to simply enliven a landscape during winter? There's a willow for that. Willows, if properly pruned and the right variety, can produce bark with vibrant colors, including yellow, green, deep red and violet. Our gardening columnist Margaret Roach explained how it works. A taxi cab in Berlin showing "Taxi Driver." Gordon Welters for The New York Times Dinner table topics A film festival in a taxi: The TaxiFilmFest in Berlin is partly a protest — and also a celebration of the cab's iconic place in the urban cultural landscape. The return of the doily: In fashion and home products, lace — once seen as the fustiest of fabrics — is suddenly looking fresh. An argument for better buildings: A writer makes the case that an obsession with luxury is transforming cities into bland, isolating landscapes. The fall of Louise Blouin: After a dramatic rise in business and society, the art-world mogul finds herself unloading a Hamptons dream home in bankruptcy court. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT WHAT TO DO TONIGHT Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Sue Li. Prop Stylist: Sophia Eleni Pappas Cook: These peanut butter noodles are a dream to cook and requires just a handful of pantry staples and one pot. Watch: "Mister Organ" is one of the best underappreciated films streaming right now. Listen: Our critic recommended nine new songs. Read: The Oscar-nominated film "Poor Things" is based on a book beloved by writers. Save: Our Climate desk put together a guide to saving money and fighting climate change. Slumber: Poor sleep can make anxiety issues worse. Here's what to do. Compete: Can you find the titles of 10 thrillers hidden in this text puzzle? Play: Here are today's Spelling Bee, Wordle and Mini Crossword. Find all our games here. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT ONE LAST THING "There are many good things about aging," Lyn Slater said.  James Estrin/The New York Times It's never too late to be a style influencer Lyn Slater was in her 60s and working as a social worker when a professor in a class on how to open a vintage clothing store suggested she start a fashion blog. Slater always had a flair for style, and was interested in pursuing something creative, so she thought, "Why not?" Within a few years, she became a style sensation, with nearly a million online followers. Slater, who is now 70, has since taken a step back from the hubbub of social media. But the process reaffirmed her belief in reinvention: "The key to life," Slater said, "is flinging yourself into life without a plan and being open to living that way." Have a life-changing evening. Thanks for reading. I'll be back tomorrow. — Matthew We welcome your feedback. Write to us at evening@nytimes.com. Continue reading the main story Writer: Matthew Cullen Editorial Director: Adam Pasick Editors: Carole Landry, Whet Moser, Justin Porter, Jonathan Wolfe Photo Editor: Brent Lewis Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for The Evening from The New York Times. To stop receiving The Evening, unsubscribe. 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