Biden to make his case at SOTU; Alabama IVF law will protect patients and providers

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President Biden delivers his State of the Union address tonight, when he will lay out his priorities for the year — and the next four, if he is reelected. The address could be his chance to win over skeptical voters and put questions over his age and stamina to rest.

"This is truly Biden's first speech of what is going to be a difficult 2024 general election fight," NPR's Tamara Keith tells Up First. Sarada Peri, a speechwriter for former President Barack Obama, tells Keith that even if Biden's speech is policy-heavy, his performance is almost more important. Last year, Biden had a raucous back-and-forth moment with Republicans about social security. Keith says if Biden gets another chance to go off-script and improvise, it might go a long way to soothe Democratic voters concerned about his age.

• White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients tells Morning Edition's Steve Inskeep that Biden's speech will highlight his potential second-term agenda and include a call for restoring Roe v. Wade. 
• Sen. Katie Britt will deliver the GOP response to Biden's address. Here's what to know about the first-term senator from Alabama. 
• Join Steve Inskeep and correspondents Asma Khalid, Mara Liasson and Claudia Grisales tonight for special coverage of the State of the Union, streamed live from NPR's studios. 

In vitro fertilization providers in Alabama could resume services as soon as today after Gov. Kay Ivey signed into law a bill protecting IVF clinics and the families they serve from criminal and legal prosecution. Many clinics halted