Michelle while you are touting the great deeds of women. Here’s one on Guam that is not so great.
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A woman who pleaded guilty to running one of Guam’s largest methamphetamine rings in recent memory could be sentenced to as little as 10 years in prison, or spend the rest of her life behind bars.

Gina Medina, 38, pleaded guilty in the District Court of Guam yesterday to smuggling methamphetamines, or “ice,” from the Philippines, selling those drugs on Guam and laundering profits.

In exchange for her plea agreement, Medina has promised to assist federal investigators by telling them everything she knows about the drug trade on Guam. She must also testify if asked.

During her court hearing yesterday, District Court of Guam Magistrate Judge Joaquin Manibusan said Medina’s drug smuggling and drug dealing convictions carried a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years, which could be served simultaneously or consecutively.

Both convictions could potentially carry a life sentence, too, or as much as $4 million in fines, Manibusan said.
But if Medina provides “substantial assistance” to investigators, she could be allowed a lesser sentence, Manibusan said. Only government prosecutors can decide what assistance is substantial and what isn’t, he said.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Karon Johnson, who brokered the plea agreement, declined to comment on the importance and scope of this conviction because two of Medina’s alleged collaborators — Henry Fresnoza and Rodean Villa — are still scheduled to stand trial.

Fresnoza is Medina’s brother, and one exception in her plea agreement is that she does not have to testify against him. There is no such exception for Villa, who allegedly was caught smuggling almost 400 grams of ice in a cake in March.

Two other members of the drug ring — Andres Sotelo and Sophia Vivas San Agustin — pleaded guilty to their respective roles earlier this year.

Johnson has previously said Medina was the link between the collaborators and that she was the “main target” of the investigation.

Pacific Daily News files show that convictions for ice dealing and smuggling are regular occurrences in Guam’s court, but rarely do drug dealers admit they have been working with such large amounts.

According to her plea agreement, Medina’s drug ring has imported at least five and a half pounds of ice since 2004.

In contrast, other convicted drug smugglers on Guam in recent years have been caught with between a few grams to a few hundred grams, Pacific Daily News files show.
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Women can be as lethal as men.

Henry

FanHouse had it for Manny Pacquiao, 119-107.

Referee: Laurence Cole

Margarito enters the ring first to cheers, led by his Mexican flag; Pacquiao, second, led, initially, by AC/DC’S “Thunderstruck.” Both fighters were cheered loudly as they entered.

Margarito’s introduction is greeted by a mixture of cheers and boos, but mostly, cheers. Pacquiao’s introduction receives a similar reception, so the crowd appears to be a mix of fans for both fighters.

Round 1: Pacquiao has a bit of a bulge to his belly and his trunks are pulled high. They touch gloves, Pacquiao right jabs and Margarito meets him in the middle of the ring and is coming forward. Pacquiao jabs and goes to the belly with a left. Margarito is so much bigger at 165 to Pacquiao’s 148. Pacquiao lands a few jabs and right hands that follow and the crowd gets into it. A counter right hand lands for Pacquiao and another that jars Margarito’s head. Pacquiao lands a right to the body and two more jabs to the head. Margarito is backing up. A three-punch combination by Pacquiao, who is so much faster. Another three-punch Pacquiao combination. Margarito misses with a wild right hand. Another three-punch combination for Pacquiao as the bell rings. Pacquiao’s round, 10-9.

Round 2: Pacquiao has established the tempo behind his right jab and follow up lefts. Margarito’s guard is high but he is not punching. Pacquiao counters with a hard right but then takes a left from Margarito. Pacquiao stays on the outside and circles. Margarito takes a four-punch combination, right-left, right-left, and another right uppercut. Margarito lands three blows to the head and chest along the ropes. Margarito fires twice to the body. If Pacquiao can do this all night he will have no problems. Pacquiao lands a double-right hook and two left hands, but takes a nice uppercut from Margarito. Margarito lands two solid left jabs. Pacquiao fires and lands two left hands before the bell. Pacquiao’s round, 10-9; Pacquiao, 20-18.

Round 3: Margarito did better in the second round by closing the distance and landing some punches in close. But Pacquiao resumed his strategy of landing from the outside, a one-two up the middle early. Pacquiao whips home a nice left hand and then another. Margarito clubs with a jab and a right hand. The pressure is decent from Margarito, his hands held high. Margarito lands a nice right but takes a hard left hand from Pacquiao that draws crowd reaction. Pacquiao takes a wide right but Pacquiao’s defense is tight. Pacquiao reaches and lands a round-ending four-punch combination. Pacquiao’s round, 10-9; Pacquiao, 30-27.

Round 4: Pacquiao continues to circle to his left, and then lands a double-right hook over the top. Pacquiao escapes a jam along the ropes with a hard right and a left and then fires another three-punch combination. Pacquiao shakes Margarito with a hard right and then lands seven unanswered punches. Margarito is undeterred and comes forward. A hard body shot backs up Margarito and then a right wobbles him. Pacquiao is on him, pounding away. Pacwuiao is peppering with his right jab and pounding him so that there is swelling and a large, bloody cut. Pacquiao’s round, 10-8; Pacquiao, 40-35.

Round 5: Margarito appeared to be ready to go at the end of the last round, but catches Pacquiao early along the ropes with a series of body shots. However, the smaller man resumes control with yet another series of unanswered punches, starting with a right-left combination. A hard left hook targets Margarito’s eye again. Margarito gets Pacquiao on the ropes for a three-punch combination to the body, but Pacquiao escapes and fires that left hand that swivels Margarito’s head. Pacquiao drives Margarito’s head back, yet again, with another right-left, right combination before the bell. Pacquiao’s round, 10-9; Pacquiao, 50-44.

Round 6: Pacquiao continues to circle and jab with his right, and Margarito, to plod, unable to close in. Margarito continues to run into the right hand and then a left hook follows from Pacquiao. A right to the chin by Pacquiao. A right-left from Pacquiao jars Margarito. A four-punch series — all uppercuts — find the mark for Pacquiao, whose angles and movement prevent Margarito from getting a bead on him. Pacquiao appears to nearly go down from a left hand to the body along the ropes, but escapes, moves away, and then fires about six unanswered punches to win the momentum back. Margarito’s round, 10-9; Pacquiao, 59-54.

Round 7: Pacquiao goes back to jabbing and moving to start the seventh, apparently wary of Margarito’s body shots. Pacquiao does the Ali-Shuffle to the delight of the crowd, and then fires two, successive combinations. Pacquiao lands a nice left but can’t follow up. Pacquiao answers with a three-punch volley and then dances away. Pacqauiao takes a right to the body and two uppercuts. Margarito takes three of the same. Pacquiao fires a seven-punch combination starting with his left hand. Margarito seems close to trapping Pacquiao in a neutral corner, lands two body shots, and then absorbs a right, left right combination as the bell sounds. Pacquiao’s round, 10-9; Pacquiao, 69-63.

Round 8: Pacquiao is on his toes but then gets trapped on the ropes and absorbs some punishment to the body. A vicious counter attack allows Pacquiao to escape. Pacquiao lands and shakes Margarito with a big left, but the bigger man comes forward. Margarito lands a good, solid left to the chin along the ropes. Pacquiao escapes and fires a four-punch volley. Margarito fires a straight right hand up the middle, and, later, traps Pacquiao along the ropes and enjoys some success to the body. But Pacquiao closes strongly. Pacquiao’s round, 10-9; Pacquiao, 79-72.

Round 9: Margarito steps up the pressure early and lands a hard right to the body along the ropes. Pacquiao dances and jabs to create distance. Pacquiao is boxing almost exclusively until he lands two, wicked left hands that knock Margarito’s head back. Pacquiao’s energy level is incredible. Hard right hand from Pacquiao, who takes one, and then lands another right that shakes Margarito. Pacquiao’s round, 10-9; Pacquiao, 89-81.

Round 10: Margarito’s eyes, bruised over and under, are nearly closed. Referee Laurence Cole tests them prior to the start of the round, asking what Margarito can see when he holds up his fingers. He allow the fight to continue, and Pacquiao lands a wicked right hand. A five-punch combination from Pacquiao begins a 10-punch assault. The crowd chants “Manny!” A right uppercut lands from Pacquiao, and then, an overhand right. Pacquiao fires and lands an eight-punch combination and Margarito is rocked by a right hand and nearly goes down. Pacquiao pours it on, but, amazingly, Margarito stays on his feet. Pacquiao’s round, 10-9; Pacquiao, 99-90.

Round 11: Pacquiao goes back to pounding Margarito, who appears ready to go. Rights and lefts to the head, uppercuts, and Pacquiao looks at Cole as if asking him to stop the fight. And then Pacquiao resumes the punishment, uppercuts, right hands. Cole stops the action and asks Margarito if he can see, and then allows the beating to continue. Margarito’s right eye is pouring blood. His mouth is agape. Pacquiao closes with a four-punch combination, Pacquiao’s round, 10-8; Pacquiao, 109-98.

Round 12: Pacquiao, told simply to ease up and win the round by trainer, Freddie Roach, has his up-jab working early. Margarito is still throwing punches, gamely. Margarito still is coming forward, and Pacquiao seems content to box. A four-punch combination lands to the head for Pacquiao. Pacquiao doubles up on the left hand. Pacquiao closes the round with a six-punch volley, even as Margarito throws and misses. Pacquiao’s round, 10-9; Pacquiao 119-107.

FanHouse had it for Manny Pacquiao, 119-107.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Pacquiao maybe unbeatable for a while in the 147 weight class.

How about an article or two about great men and what we do to keep bitches happy.

Georges Benjamin, MD
American Public Health Association

More than one-quarter of all deaths worldwide are caused by infectious diseases. In the US, more than 170,000 people die from these diseases each year — and the number is likely to get much higher. In just the last few years…

Reemerging diseases that were nearly eradicated in the US, such as measles, malaria and tuberculosis, now are occurring in increasing numbers.

Bird (avian) flu has killed more than half of those infected — though none of these cases has occurred in the US to date and most cases have resulted from people having direct contact with infected birds or contaminated surfaces.

Should the virus mutate to permit human-to-human transmission, the death rate could rise into the millions.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) now is the sixth-leading cause of death in the US. It is a strain of bacteria that causes an infection — often called “staph” — that can be deadly even when patients are treated with state-of-the-art antibiotics.

To learn more about the risks for infectious diseases, including the likelihood of another epidemic, Bottom Line/Personal talked with Georges Benjamin, MD, executive director of the American Public Health Association…

Are epidemics on the rise?

Yes. Every two or three years, there’s a new epidemic somewhere in the world. The term “epidemic” means that a particular health-related issue — an infectious disease, obesity, even car accidents — is occurring more often than expected. The frequency of epidemics seems to be increasing.

One of the reasons for the increase is that global warming has extended the population and range of mosquitoes, leading to increases in malaria, dengue fever and other mosquito-borne diseases.

In addition, human and animal populations worldwide are living in closer proximity than in the past. More than half of all infectious diseases can infect species other than their original hosts.

Many of the most dangerous pathogens, including the virus that causes AIDS, originated in animals and only later developed the ability to infect humans.

A century ago, a disease in a remote area might sicken or kill a few dozen people and then “burn out.” Now more than two billion people fly on airplanes every year.

A deadly pathogen, such as Ebola virus, easily could spread into more populated areas and infect thousands — or worse.

How dangerous is the next epidemic likely to be?

It depends on the organism. In the best-case scenario, something such as a cold virus could mutate and gain the ability to infect more people than it had in the past. But because this virus isn’t lethal, it would be more of a nuisance than anything else.

The most serious epidemics involve organisms that are both highly transmissible and lethal. The Spanish flu of 1918–1919 had both of these traits.

It was readily passed from person to person, and it was uncommonly virulent. Worldwide, it killed between 20 million and 40 million people within about two years and has been called the most devastating epidemic in recorded history.

A disease that can be transmitted via indirect contact — for example, from inhaling airborne organisms from sneezes — is more likely to emerge as an epidemic than a disease that can be transmitted only under specific circumstances, such as hepatitis C from infected blood.

If you had to guess, what epidemic is likely to be next?

There’s no way to know. Any infectious organism could be involved. Many bacterial infections (such as tuberculosis) have reached epidemic proportions, but we often can control these illnesses with antibiotics.

Viral infections are more worrisome. We have only a few antiviral drugs. Viruses replicate far more rapidly than bacteria, which means that they can develop drug resistance more quickly than bacteria. The same mechanism also allows them to mutate rapidly into more lethal forms.

Is it likely that an epidemic will be caused by bioterrorism?

It’s a serious risk. People used to need specialized training and sophisticated equipment to produce or disseminate lethal agents.

This is no longer the case. Knowledge in general is more widely available than it used to be, thanks to the Internet, and technology is more available and affordable.

It doesn’t take much sophistication to launch a crude attack. In 1984, a religious cult in Oregon spiked area salad bars with a Salmonella culture.

No one died, but more than 750 people were sickened. It was the largest bio­terrorist attack in the US.

What emergency supplies should we have on hand?

We recommend stockpiling at least a three-day supply of nonperishable foods, such as canned meats, fish, beans, fruits and vegetables.

Check the expiration dates every six months. Also, have on hand one gallon of water per person per day. Be aware that your water supply also needs to be rotated because microbes may build up in it. Also, try to keep prescriptions filled and pain relievers/fever reducers on hand.

Should we stockpile antibiotics?

You don’t want to stockpile an antibiotic, because you don’t know which one you are going to need.

What will the authorities do?

State health departments and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have surveillance systems that look for unusual symptoms or disease clusters that could indicate an emerging epidemic.

In the early years of the AIDS crisis, it was noted that there was an increase in requests for a drug used to treat a rare fungal infection. This, along with an increase in unusual diseases later known to be associated with AIDS, indicated that a new organism was spreading fast.

Once a new (or reemerging) infectious disease has been identified, the goal is to both treat it and limit its spread.

In addition to educating the public, public health officials might resort to isolation (keeping sick patients away from the general population to avoid infecting others) or quarantine (isolating people who have been exposed to an organism but who may or may not actually have the disease).

There also will be a push to develop vaccines and other medications to treat the disease, protect healthy people and limit the spread of the disease.

It almost sounds as if the government will have everything under control. What are your thoughts on that?

There is a need for people to be as self-reliant as they can. Local officials will help as soon as they can, but the government cannot do everything.

The greater the number of people who are self-reliant, the more help that will be available for those who are unable to help themselves.

Bottom Line/Personal interviewed internist Georges Benjamin, MD, professorial lecturer at George Washington University School of Public Health and executive director of the American Public Health Association (www.apha.org), both in Washington, DC.

He is former secretary of the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and a leading expert in emergency preparedness.