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It's pretty clear that a proposal floated by the White House to safeguard federal funding to Planned Parenthood if the group stopped providing abortions never stood a chance of even being considered by the group. “Non-negotiable,” said one Planned Parenthood official. But the fact that the idea was broached at all is significant as the latest sign that Republicans recognize the problems — and likely political repercussions — of cutting off funds to an organization that is held in high regard by the American public for providing critical health-care services. (3/7)

During one of the presidential debates candidate Donald Trump said, “Millions and millions of women – cervical cancer, breast cancer – are helped by Planned Parenthood. I would defund it because I’m pro-life, but millions of women are helped by Planned Parenthood.” That muddled logic is now public policy. Trump and the Republicans rewriting the health care law are willing to kill women in order to punish Planned Parenthood. (EJ Montini, 3/7)

I am writing on behalf of Pro-Choice Charlotte as an appeal to abortion protesters participating in the 40-week Love Life prayer walk outside A Preferred Women’s Health Clinic in Charlotte that started last weekend. While the stated purpose of Love Life Charlotte is “to create a culture of love and life that will bring an end to abortion,” please reconsider whether shaming, intimidating and harassing women arriving at the clinic is the best way to show love and compassion. You may not intend for the marching, shouting and posters to cause psychological distress, but this is the effect you have on many women. Not only does this not demonstrate love or respect for your fellow human, it is also not an effective way to reduce the number of abortions. I would like to offer three alternatives. (Brooke Adams, 3/7)

Sometimes reality presents us with two sets of facts that exist simultaneously, yet seem impossible to reconcile. Such is the case of a recent groundbreaking medical procedure at Nationwide Children's Hospital and the latest news about the effort to curb the Franklin County's appalling infant mortality rate. (3/8)

There is strong and consistent evidence that exposure to secondhand smoke causes heart attacks and that smokefree workplace and public place laws cut heart attacks (and other diseases). The most recent evidence comes from a large study in Sao Paolo, Brazil, where heart attack deaths dropped by 12 percent following implementation of its smokefree law. (Stanton Glantz, 3/7)