NICARAGUA - An illegal alcohol has caused 35 deaths and over 600 illnesses in the capital city of Managua. The bootleg sugar-based alcohol called "aguardiente" was contaminated with methanol, an organic compound often used to heighten the effect of alcohol for a lower price. Police confiscated over 17,200 gallons of the liquor when they arrested six people charged with connections to the case. Some believe that the incident was an attack on the poor population of the country. The number of patients is expected to increase within days, but the current resources of the healthcare system may not be able to handle the cases. The government declared a national emergency and banned the sale of alcohol. Despite the ban, vendors continued to sell the contaminated alcohol at extremely low prices. High concentrations of methanol have resulted in symptoms cause excessive dizziness, organ damage, vomiting, and permanent blindness. The United States Agency for International Development (USAid) and the Joint Task Force-Bravo (JTF-Bravo), both based in Honduras, have been sent to the city of Leon and are providing dialysis equipment and medical supplies.

CHILE - Around the world, the over-the-counter availability of Plan B morning-after pills has aroused controversy. The US Food and Drug Administration allows adult women to obtain the pills, but girls under the age of 17 are still required to have a prescription. The Chilean government, however, under recently elected president Michelle Bachelet, has distributed the pill free of charge at public health clinics across the country. Bachelet, a single mother and agnostic, has firmly stood by the production and distribution of Plan B since her time as the nation's Health Minister. She maintains that the morning-after pill will remain true to its purpose a solution in the case of emergency. The decision has sparked contention between the Chilean government and the Catholic Church, which believes that Plan B is a subtle form of abortion. In a country where abortion is illegal even if the mother's life is at risk, the availability of Plan B is expected to spark open debate over the taboo subject. Bachelet continues to support her decision and cites that fourteen percent of Chilean women are mothers during teenage years, believing that the government has the duty to provide its citizens with the option.