There's A New Sheriff In Town

Marisol Valles Garcia (AP Photo/Raymundo Ruiz)

20-year old Marisol Valles Garcia was named the first female police chief of Praxedis G. Guerrero, a Mexican border town laden with drug violence. She was the only person who accepted the position which, after 28,000 drug cartel related deaths over the past 4 years, has left most people scared and intimidated. Ms. Garcia, a student studying Criminology, hopes to hire more female officers and take a different approach to policing. One resident stated "well, let's see what a woman can do..."

Read more about Ms. Garcia here:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39760545/ns/world_news-americas/

LLadies Love: Matthew Leone

Last week, Madina Lake bassist, Matthew Leone was brutally beaten after he came to the aid of a woman who was being assaulted by her husband on the streets of Chicago. Matthew's assailant, Justin Pivec left Matthew unconscious and bloodied. Since then, Matthew has had to undergo one surgery to remove a third of his skull, to relieve the swelling and bleeding on his brain.

Luckily, Matthew survived and is home. However, like many musicians he lacks health insurance -- which is a situation many Ladies Lotto members can understand. Thankfully, there is a network of people who are fully behind him and they have started to raise funds to help pay for the mounting costs of treatment and a second surgery.

Madina Lake's management is working with Sweet Relief Musicians Fund and Pledge Music to raise money to help pay Matthew's hospital bils. Roadrunner Records is soliciting items from bands to auction off, to assist with fundraising efforts. If you are in a band, a collector or management, you can help. Please mail autographed, limited/special edition items to A&R director, and Ladies Lotto member Maria Gonzales. All goods will be forwarded to Roadrunner.

Maria Gonzales
Director, A&R
Bandmerch, LLC
16000 Ventura Blvd
Suite 800Encino, CA 91604
EM: magonzales@bandmerch.com

Violence against women should never be tolerated. We're happy Matthew did the right thing and hope this encourages others to stand up for those who can't protect themselves. This is why LLadies love Matthew Leone. We wish him the best and hope for a speedy recovery so he can return to what he loves and does best -- making music.

Rihanna Has A Posse

On the eve of the 2009 Grammies, the singer Rihanna was brutally attacked -- leaving "her eyes closed, two contusions on each side of her forehead, bruises over each of her eyes, swollen lips and lacerations on her face". The 20-year-old was hospitalized, leaving a storm of gossip and paparazzi in her wake.

The assailant? Her boyfriend, Chris Brown, who was released after posting $50,000 in bail.

Sara Tea has created a powerful sticker for everyone shocked over this incident, and supportive of Rihanna. Reminiscent of the street campaign "Andre the Giant Has a Posse", the sticker is available for anyone who wants to print it.

PDF is available for download here.

"Women Are Heroes" Photography Project

A recent large-scale project by the photographer named JR has focused attention on women - relatives of victims of violence - by displaying their large portraits in one of Rio de Janeiro's hardest hit neighborhoods. The project is called "Women Are Heroes", through which the photographs of women, relatives of the victims of clashes between the police and drug traffickers, were placed in the facades of the houses. This project already took place in Sudan, Sierra Leone, Kenya and Liberia, and will be taken to India, Cambodia, Laos and Morocco after Brazil. Though Rio is blessed with natural beauty and climate, it still struggles with large disparities between rich and poor, and many of the six million residents reside in hillside favelas.

Here are some views of JR's work. A facade of some houses at the "Morro da Providencia" favela, one of the most violent of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, taken on August 20, 2008. (VANDERLEI ALMEIDA/AFP/Getty Images)

Source: Boston.com