Obama Says His Budget Will Prioritize Health Care Reform
Last night, in his weekly address,
President Obama said that his budget will prioritize health care
reform: "We need a budget that makes a serious investment in health
care reform" he said; one that will bring down costs, ensure quality,
give people their choice of doctors and hospitals. Health care reform
is "one of the best ways to reduce the deficit" in the long term, Obama
says.

Recession Shapes Family Planning Choices
ABC News
talked to a number of women and couples who made decisions to have an
abortion or postpone a pregnancy because of economic difficulty.  Some
sought abortion due to financial constraints; others delayed
child-bearing; still others decided they wanted children more than they
were worried about the economy. 

CNN found a dramatic increase in men seeking vasectomies:

Much like Jones, Dr. Marc Goldstein, surgeon-in-chief of male
reproductive medicine and surgery at the Cornell Institute for
Reproductive Medicine in New York, saw a 48 percent increase in
vasectomy consultations compared with the same time last year.

"I have never seen anything like this," said Goldstein, a urologist for
the last 30 years. "When things started to go south in the stock
market, then the vasectomy consults went north."

NYT Editorializes In Favor of Ruling on FDA

We called
that decision “an acceptable compromise” because it finally made the
drug more accessible. But Judge Korman notes that there is
“overwhelming evidence” in F.D.A. files that 17-year-olds can use the
drug safely without medical supervision.

The harder question is
whether to remove all age and other restrictions, potentially allowing
children as young as 11 or 12 to take the drug without medical
supervision. The judge sensibly left that issue to the F.D.A., which
can presumably be trusted to make a fair assessment now that it will be
under new leadership.

New Hampshire House Kills Abortion Restriction
The New Hampshire House has killed a bill that would have required teen girls to "provide notarized proof they received counseling before getting an abortion," reports WCAX.  "The bill would have required a girl 14
or younger show an abortion provider notarized proof that she had
received counseling at least 48 hours earlier from a parent, mental
health or religious counselor."

Obama’s Invitation to Notre Dame Commencement Under Fire
President
Obama would be happy to speak at the University of Notre Dame
commencement this year, but would Notre Dame be happy to have him?  Not
universally, reports the Chicago Tribune. 
"Obama’s decision to speak at the school’s May 17 commencement is
generating strong feelings on all sides, with supporters saying he
should be welcomed as the nation’s leader and opponents saying he
should be shunned because of his views [on abortion and stem cell
research]."  At least one area bishop doesn’t plan to attend if Obama
does: "While claiming to separate politics from science, he has in fact
separated science from ethics and has brought the American government,
for the first time in history, into supporting direct destruction of
innocent human life," Bishop John D’Arcy of the Diocese of Ft.
Wayne-South Bend said in a statement.

Meanwhile, on the Washington Post, Thomas J. Reese writes, "When I was a student in the 1960’s, Jesuit-run Santa Clara University
was attacked for performing "Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf?" and for
having a Marxist speak on campus. Now we are fighting over the "Vagina
Monologue" and pro-choice politicians. If Catholic universities are
afraid to have people on campus who challenge our views, then we are
not training students to listen and think critically. We are admitting
that our arguments are not convincing."

Other News to Note
March 25: SLT:  Family planning a priority for more in tough economy: One couple spends the cable money on contraception.

March 24: Free Lance Star: Kids having kids: Teen pregnancy is on the rise again

March 24: Examiner: Bioethicist calls for an ‘Abortion Pride Movement’

March: Self Magazine: Single, pregnant and panicked

March 24: Common Dreams: Planned Parenthood Applauds Federal Court Ruling on Plan B

March 24: Dallas Morning News: Pope’s leadership in condom stance

March 24: Physorg.com: Researchers identify growth factor that stimulates adult stem cells–implications for male contraception

March 25: IVF News Direct: Use of Oral Contraception does not Influence Return to Fertility

March 25: Honolulu Star Bulletin: Plan B ruling could halt confusion with isle law

March 25: Huffpo: Do We Need A Pro-Choice Litmus Test for Obstetricians?

March 24: WBZ: Anti-Abortion Group Calls Catholic Bishops ‘Weak’

March 24: North Star Writers Group: Why Pro-Life Activists Should Be Able to Support Stem-Cell Research