Life Links 5/6/11

Charges have been dropped against 94 individuals who protested President Barack Obama's commencement speech at the University of Notre Dame.

The St. Joseph County Prosecutor's Office announced Thursday the university and defendants met and resolved the situation, and the prosecutor won't stand in the way of their agreement.

Norma McCorvey (Jane Roe of Roe v. Wade) will play a role in a small budget movie.

Norma McCorvey, a.k.a. Jane Roe, appears in "Doonby," a psychological thriller from British writer/director Peter Mackenzie. She plays an elderly woman who tries to talk the expectant mother out of going through with her plan.....

The niche title tackles abortion head-on, taking place in modern times but with significant flashbacks to an era when illegal abortions were conducted in back alleys. The filmmakers know they've created something controversial but maintain it is apolitical -- a position that will be a tough sell beyond pro-life circles.

The federal government will have decide how it will deal with Indiana's efforts to defund Planned Parenthood.

Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, a possible Republican contender for the White House, set the stage for a legal and political clash with the administration last week when he announced he will sign legislation requiring the funding cutoff for Planned Parenthood. An "overwhelming majority of Hoosiers" are opposed in principle to any use of "tax dollars to support abortion," he said.

But the federal Medicaid Act, which pays for care for patients who are poor, says these persons may choose any provider who is "qualified" and "willing" to provide a service. In many states, Planned Parenthood clinics provide basic health care and medical tests for low-income women.....

U.S. health officials have been pondering how to respond.

"If the state denies payment to these providers, that would be illegal," said Mary Kahn, a spokeswoman for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the U.S. agency that administers the two huge health-care programs. "There are some options available to us, but I can't say what action will be taken to bring the state into compliance. All we can say now is we will review the matter once Indiana decides."