Today in one sentence: An Alabama Democrat won a special election in the state Legislature after making in vitro fertilization and abortion rights central to her campaign; the Biden administration pledged to rebuild Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge after a 984-foot cargo ship hit a pillar, causing it to collapse; a federal appeals court blocked Texas’ plan to arrest migrants suspected of illegally entering the U.S.; in a reversal, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will send officials to Washington for talks about his planned military operation in Rafah; and Trump repeatedly attacked the New York judge – and the judge's daughter – who imposed a gag order limiting what he can say about his upcoming criminal hush money trial.

1/ An Alabama Democrat won a special election in the state Legislature after making in vitro fertilization and abortion rights central to her campaign. Marilyn Lands – who had criticized the state’s near-total abortion ban and the recent state Supreme Court ruling that temporarily banned in vitro fertilization – said her win sends “a clear message” to Montgomery and called for the legislature to “repeal Alabama’s no-exceptions abortion ban, fully restore access to IVF, and protect the right to contraception.” The Biden campaign said the victory was a “warning sign” for Trump and “extreme MAGA Republicans,” adding that Alabama voters “know exactly who’s to blame for restricting their ability to decide how and when to build their families and they’re ready to fight back.” In 2020, Trump narrowly carried the district. (CNN / NBC News / Associated Press / Politico / The Hill / New York Times)

2/ The Biden administration pledged to rebuild Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge after a 984-foot cargo ship hit a pillar, causing it to collapse. Six people are presumed dead. “It’s my intention that the federal government will pay for the entire cost of reconstruction in that bridge,” Biden said. “I expect the Congress to support my effort.” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg warned of a “long and difficult path” to full recovery, but added that “Infrastructure is, or at least ought to be, a bipartisan priority.” Buttigieg said he expects the White House will need Congress to authorize additional funds beyond the approximately $1 billion allocated by the 2021 infrastructure law for emergency relief, noting that some Republicans “crossed the aisle” to support the bipartisan infrastructure bill. (Politico / ABC News / Washington Post / New York Times / CNN / NBC News)

3/ A federal appeals court blocked Texas’ plan to arrest migrants suspected of illegally entering the U.S. The 2-1 decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit follows a lower-court ruling in February that said the state law, which would criminalize unauthorized immigration at the state level, is probably unconstitutional. The same court temporarily froze the law March 19 – hours after the Supreme Court said it could go into effect. The Biden administration initially challenged the law in January, arguing that the state law conflicts with the federal government’s immigration policy and violates the Constitution’s supremacy clause, which says that federal laws preempt conflicting state laws. Texas can now ask the Supreme Court to allow the law to go into effect again. In the meantime, same court is set to hear arguments on April 3 over the constitutionality of the law. (NBC News / Washington Post / Politico / Texas Tribune / CBS News)

4/ In a reversal, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will send officials to Washington for talks about his planned military operation in Rafah. On Monday, Netanyahu canceled the trip in protest over the U.S. not vetoing a U.N. Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages held by Hamas, which the White House called “perplexing,” “a mistake,” and “unnecessary drama on Netanyahu’s part.” Biden plans to discuss “alternatives” to Israel’s attack on Rafah, which is overflowing with more than 1.4 million displaced civilians that’s been characterized by UNICEF as “unrecognizable” and “a hellish disregard for basic human needs and dignity.” The Biden administration has also repeatedly said it would not support a “major military operation” in Rafah, with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin urging Israel to abandon plans for the offensive. Israeli officials, neverthless, have made clear that they’ll enter Rafah and direct civilians to “humanitarian islands.” (Axios / Washington Post / Associated Press / New York Times / CNN / Bloomberg)

  • Poll: 55% of Americans disapprove of Israel’s military action in Gaza, while 36% approve. In November, 50% approved and 45% disapproved. (Gallup)

5/ Trump repeatedly attacked the New York judge – and the judge’s daughter – who imposed a gag order limiting what he can say about his upcoming criminal hush money trial. In a series of posts on his personal social media platform hours after being put under a gag order, Trump called Judge Juan Merchan a “hater” that, he claims, is “biased and conflicted.” Trump also complained that the gag order was “illegal, un-American, unConstitutional” and that Merchan was “wrongfully attempting to deprive me of my First Amendment Right to speak out against the Weaponization of Law Enforcement.” The gag order bars Trump from making public statements about jurors, potential witnesses, court’s staff, prosecution team or their families in the hush money trial. It doesn’t, however, bar comments about Merchan or his family. Trump is charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records to conceal a hush money payment to Stormy Daniels. The trial begins April 15. (Associated Press / NBC News / CNBC)

Four years ago today: Day 1163: "Wasting time."
Five years ago today: Day 797: Difficult decisions.
Six years ago today: Day 432: Botched obligations.