Hello,

I'm Vox's executive editor, and in my role here at Vox, I oversee our text newsroom and think about our daily coverage. In the past month, we've been thinking a lot about the Alabama Supreme Court ruling that embryos are legally children, and what it means not only for parents — and want-to-be parents — pursuing IVF, but for reproductive rights across the country.

Ian Millhiser wrote this guide to the decision and how it affects the ability to get IVF treatments in Alabama. Meanwhile, Rachel Cohen wrote about the extremist wing of the anti-abortion movement that's interested in "fetal personhood" and why this decision was a victory for them — and how birth control could be their next target. Lastly, Anna North took a look at fetal personhood and whether the rest of the country could see restrictions like those now imposed in Alabama.

IVF is popular — and imperiled, an illustrated guide to IVF.

Don't forget to check out our illustrated guide to IVF.

This conversation can't be covered in a single explainer; like so many policy issues, it's much more nuanced than that. Policy is, at its core, personal. It's what determines how much your insurance company can charge you to see a doctor when you're feeling sick, how much you'll pay on your student loan, and so much more. One of the reasons we're able to devote serious thought and coverage to moments like this is because we have audience support from the Vox community.

If you've ever read one of our policy explainers or found yourself telling a friend about something you read on Vox, I hope you'll consider a contribution to support Vox through this year and beyond. As the world remains complicated, we're ready to shed some light on what's happening and what it means for you — but we need your help in order to do so.