Friday, June 16, 2017
Traveling genes
Ever feel an near-unstoppable urge to hit the highway? To take that freeway exit for no good reason other than to see where it goes? A desire to explore faraway lands? That almost primal call to travel may actually be in your genes. A “wanderlust gene” — DRD4-7R — has been identified in about 20 percent of the population, and is more prominent in North and South American populations; in other words, people whose ancestors have immigrated to new lands. In a report in Conde Nast Traveler, biologist Dawn Masler notes that the wanderlust gene affects dopamine levels in the brain: “Dopamine is the 'liking' hormone, and when you want to get more, it doesn’t sate you — you get hooked.”
Taking advantage of the ever-expanding knowledge of our genetic make-up is the goal of a new form of medicine being dubbed “scientific wellness.” How does knowledge of our DNA impact the way health care is delivered now, and what does the future hold?
Read about it in the new issue of InHealth.
Gesundheit!
Our weird spring weather has created a perfect storm for allergies: tree pollens were delayed by the cool, wet spring, and are now overlapping with grass pollens. “For people who aren’t allergic, this means a gritty sensation in the eyes, nose and throat. For those who are allergic, they’ve got an intense concentration of tree and grass pollen giving them cold-like symptoms,” says Tim Kohlhauff of WSU’s extension program in Spokane. A WSU news release reports the situation may start to improve when tree pollinating ends in late June; grass pollination continues through mid-July.
Summer Parkways returns
Mark your calendar for next Wednesday’s Summer Parkways in Manito and Comstock parks, a glorious, once-a-year glorious when roads are closed to traffic and filled with bikes, skaters and other human-powered transportation. Neighbors enjoying al fresco dining on their front porches, as well as information booths lining the route, add to the festive atmosphere.
Tags: InHealth , wanderlust gene , scientific wellness , DNA , pollen , allergies , Summer Parkways , Manito Park , Comstock Park , Image
ON INLANDER.COM
NEWS: On Twitter, a Spokane Valley councilman said that "Countries don't, and shouldn't, care for children. Parents do!" Here's what else Ed Pace said, and what he claims he meant.
NEWS: An all-white Spokane jury acquitted a white man of manslaughter and murder charges last month for fatally shooting a black man in the back while he was walking away after a fight. The Spokane Ministers Fellowship, Spokane Community Against Racism and the Spokane branch of the NAACP are organizing a "March for Justice" tomorrow to highlight what they see as racial injustice in Spokane.
IN OTHER NEWS
Arcade smoke
Mike Fagan, a marijuana opponent, has come to the defense of a pot shop whose license was denied for being too close to an arcade. (Spokesman-Review)
Lacking discipline?
Spokane Public Schools brings down its suspension and expulsion rates, but some teachers and parents are worried that the progress has come at the cost of classroom management. (Spokesman-Review)
Think kale, but beneath layers of packing peanuts
Amazon buys Whole Foods. What's next? A newspaper? (New York Times)
Dreams live on
President Trump, despite his intense anti-immigration campaign rhetoric, decides not to deport "Dreamers" — for now. (New York Times)
Tags: Morning headlines , News , Ed Pace , children , March for Justice , Mike Fagan , marijuana , Spokane Public Schools , Amazon , Whole Foods , Trump , dreamers , Image
Thursday, June 15, 2017
Locally, children face a number of obstacles both in school and at home. Thousands of students between Spokane and Spokane Valley are homeless, or have to stay with a friend or relative just to have a roof over their head at night. Kids are sometimes raised in homes where they are abused or neglected, then placed in a foster care system lacking in foster homes or adequate facilities.
But for Spokane Valley Councilman Ed Pace, these are things that government shouldn't focus on.
"Countries don't, and shouldn't, care for children. Parents do!" Pace wrote on Twitter today.
Countries don't, and shouldn't, care for children. Parents do! @UNICEF @NPR
— Councilman Ed Pace (@councilmanpace) June 15, 2017
The post generated
Pace has never been shy about his libertarian views, so the Inlander called him today to find out what he meant by saying countries shouldn't care for children.
Pace says he was responding to a story on National Public Radio about the study done by UNICEF that said the U.S. was low on the list of taking care of its children. When he tweeted "countries," he meant that "government" shouldn't care for children, he says.
"Parents have authority and
Tags: Spokane Valley , Ed Pace , libertarian , caring for children , UNICEF , WIC , Head Start , News , Image
It's been about a month since Edward Bushnell was acquitted of murder after he shot and killed a black man who was walking away from him in East Central. But the Spokane community is still grappling with the all-white jury's decision.
Some members say the decision to acquit a white man for shooting a black man in the back is just another example of a "criminal justice system that is broken and riddled with racial disparities," and are organizing a march in memory of 45-year-old William Poindexter, the man who was shot and killed.
In July 2015, Bushnell claimed he was trying to stop Poindexter from assaulting Poindexter's girlfriend. The two got into a fight, and as Poindexter and the woman walked away, Bushnell pulled out a gun and shot him in the back, killing him. A jury in Spokane ultimately decided that Bushnell was acting in self defense.
Three community groups — the Spokane Ministers Fellowship, Spokane Community Against Racism and the Spokane branch of the NAACP — are organizing a "March for Racial Justice" this Saturday in Poindexter's honor and to highlight other racial inequities in the criminal justice system.
"We still feel like he didn't deserve what happened to him," says Pastor Walter Kendricks, president of the Spokane Ministers Fellowship. "We're no longer asking for justice. We're demanding. We are American citizens, too. How long do we have to be subjected to this nonsense?"
The march will begin at 1 pm in Liberty Park in the East Central neighborhood after a brief song and a couple of speakers. Kendricks says the organizers are still working out the specific details in that regard.
Tags: Edward Bushnell , William Poindexter , Walter Kendricks , race , racial disparity , News , Image
ON INLANDER.COM
NEWS: In Washington's smallest counties, elected coroners can also be the prosecuting attorney. That means people trained as lawyers must learn how to conduct death investigations on the fly. (ICYMI: Spokane County's two medical examiners are under state investigation. Grieving families say they're ignoring evidence of murder.)
MUSIC: "The band that didn't exist" but still got an invite to play one of Europe's biggest festivals, Ex Eye, is coming to Spokane.
IN OTHER NEWS
Obstructionist-in-Chief?
Robert Mueller, the special counsel appointed to uncover any links between Russia and the U.S. election, is reportedly widening the scope of his investigation into whether President Trump obstructed justice. The investigation's three prongs, explained. (Washington Post)
GOP congressman in critical condition
Rep. Steve Scalise, shot yesterday during a congressional Republican baseball practice, remains in critical condition after undergoing surgery. Three other people were also shot by a man named James Hodgkinson, who died in a shootout with police. (CNN)
Personal data stolen in April
Social Security numbers, personal health information and other sensitive data for approximately one million people was stolen from a WSU storage facility unit in April. The data was collected by Washington State University researchers and was being kept in a locked storage unit in Olympia. (Spokesman-Review)
'Everyone has to die of something'
The head of the state's health department, Nick Lyon, along with other Michigan health officials, is facing criminal charges in the water crisis that led to the deaths and illness of people in Flint. Lyon is charged with involuntary manslaughter for "willfully disregard[ing] the deadly nature of the Legionnaires' disease outbreak," court documents say. He reportedly told investigators that "he can't save everyone," and "everyone has to die of something." (Detroit Free Press)
Louisville basketball punished for hiring prostitutes
Head coach Rick Pitino received a five-game suspension, and the entire team was slapped with four years of probation for arranging strip-tease dances and hiring prostitutes for recruits. The Cardinals may also have to forfeit their 2013 national title, as the team will vacate all wins in which ineligible players were used from 2010 to 2014. (Fox Sports)
Tags: News , Washington , coroners , medical examiners , Ex Eye , Robert Mueller , special counsel , President Trump , Russia investigation , Congressman Steve Scalise , shot , Social Security information , WSU , Flint , water crisis , Louisville basketball , probation , Image
Wednesday, June 14, 2017
A lot of people tend to mistake me for a vegetarian, which is understandable because I eat a fair amount of veggie burgers and meat alternatives, like tofu. I'm not a vegetarian, but I do consciously try to limit my intake of meat for many reasons.
This confession, however, doesn't mean I don't enjoy a juicy burger — which are not hard to find in this town — every now and then. But my own and America's collective love of ground beef patties comes with a cost, to our health (everything in moderation, folks) and to the environment. These concerns are paramount in the James Beard Foundation's annual Blended Burger Project, going on now, which challenges chefs across the country to blend ground meat with chopped mushrooms to make a "an incredibly delicious patty that's healthier for your guests and more sustainable for the planet."
The competition started on May 29, and runs through July 31. To qualify for the program, chefs must swap at least 25 percent of their burgers' animal protein with mushrooms.
Of the nearly 350 chefs across the nation who've signed up to participate in this year's Blended Burger Project, three Spokane eateries are on the list: Prohibition Gastropub in North Spokane and Remedy Kitchen and Tavern on the South Hill. Allie's Vegan Pizzeria & Cafe was a late entrant to the competition, and is offering an all-vegan burger with tempeh bacon, cashew cheese and barbecue mayo.
At Prohibition, find Chef John Leonetti's "Voot Burger," which contains a blend of shiitake, oyster and cremini mushrooms with his signature coffee-grounds-infused beef. The Voot comes with greens, feta, diced onion, tomatoes and a fontina cream sauce, and is served atop a pretzel bun.
Adding finely chopped mushrooms to a ground meat blend — whether beef, turkey, lamb, pork or something else — can heighten the rich and savory characteristics, called umami, of both the meat and the mushrooms. Subbing mushrooms for ground meats also reduces sodium, calories and fat without a major sacrifice in flavor, according to information from the national nonprofit Mushroom Council, a partner in the Blended Burger Project.
Tags: James Beard Foundation , Blended Burger Project , Prohibition Gastropub , Remedy Kitchen and Tavern , burgers , mushrooms , Food , Image
Empire Health Foundation is suing the for-profit company that bought Deaconess and Valley hospitals along with the Rockwood Clinic in 2008, claiming the company has shorted the community on charity care by at least $55 million.
The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Spokane Monday, claims that Tennessee-based Community Health Systems has not been complying with state law on charity care — care provided free of cost to very low-income people — or with an agreement signed when CHS bought Empire Health Services (now called Rockwood Health System).
CHS on the other hand, argues that the complaint misconstrues the contract and state law.
When the sale was closed and Empire Health Foundation was formed, the foundation filled the shoes of the seller, and is now able to enforce the agreement, explains Ele Hamburger, an attorney representing Empire Health.
When the state Department of Health gave CHS permission to do business as a hospital through what's called a certificate of need, part of that was contingent on CHS making reasonable efforts to meet or exceed regional levels of charity care, Hamburger says.
But the foundation claims that according to publicly reported data, the two hospitals provide less charity care than other Eastern Washington hospitals on average.
From 2009 to 2015, the costs used to calculate charity care went up 14.7 percent each year at Valley Hospital, and 9.4 percent at Deaconess, compared to an average 6.1 percent per year at other Eastern Washington hospitals. Taking that into account, the difference in charity care could actually be as high as $110 million, the complaint alleges.
Tags: empire health foundation , community health systems , deaconess , valley hospital , health care , lawsuit , court , challenge , News , Image
ON INLANDER.COM
NEWS: U.S. attorneys fire back at claims that they withheld crucial evidence in a Spokane Valley marijuana grow op case; the stakes are high, as one man could go to prison for life.
NEWS: A group opposed to a "road diet" on Monroe Street has paid for a new billboard targeting two Spokane city councilmembers up for reelection in November. Just one problem: Neither Breean Beggs nor Candace Mumm ever voted for the lane reduction.
IN OTHER NEWS
Gunman targets GOP lawmakers in Virginia
House Majority Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana was one of at least five people injured early this morning in Arlington, Virginia, as a gunman opened fire on a group of GOP congressmen and staffers practicing for a baseball game. The gunman, who was shot by Capitol Police and has died in a D.C.-area hospital, was identified as 66-year-old James Hodgkinson of Belleville, Illinois. (Washington Post)
Crunch time in Olympia
Washington Governor Jay Inslee, vowing to "kickstart" stalled negotiations, has ordered the state legislature to come up with a two-year budget plan by the end of the month; if they can't, a government shutdown looms on July 1. (KUOW)
New era for CdA Ironman
This August's Ironman triathlon in Coeur d'Alene will be the last as a full 140.6-mile race, ending a 14-year run. A smaller half-Ironman will continue to be conducted in CdA. (Spokesman-Review)
Mariners draft Zags' Mills
Gonzaga's Wyatt Mills, a right-handed pitcher who played his high school ball at G-Prep, was selected by the Seattle Mariners with the 93rd overall pick in the third round of major league baseball's draft. (Spokesman-Review)
Will the Warriors pass?
The Golden State Warriors, NBA champions for the second time in three years, say that talk of refusing a trip to Donald Trump's White House is premature, although at least one Warrior has made it clear where he stands on the subject. (Los Angeles Times, CBS Sports)
Tags: Morning Briefing , news , U.S. attorneys , Monroe Street , lane reduction , shootings , Steve Scalise , Jay Inslee , legislature , budget , government shutdown , CdA Ironman , Wyatt Mills , Gonzaga baseball , Mariners , Warriors , White House , Trump , Image
Tuesday, June 13, 2017
Accusations that federal prosecutors withheld evidence in the case that could send one man to prison for life for a marijuana grow operation are not true, according to recently filed court documents.
Last month, defense attorneys for Jerad Kynaston of Spokane Valley and four co-defendants suggested that United States attorneys neglected to hand over "freetalk" reports in the 5-year-old case, and that those reports could show that the men were operating within the state's medical marijuana laws.
But in court documents filed last week, Assistant U.S. Attorney Russell Smoot writes that the reports do not contain new information. He fires back at defense attorneys, saying their claims "relied on a vague, speculative proffer invoking discovery and aspersions of 'Brady' violations."
"Indeed, the defendants have not, because they cannot, demonstrate that the United States has failed to meet its Brady obligations," Smoot writes, referring to the U.S. Supreme Court case Brady v. Maryland, which requires the government to turn over all evidence that could point to a person's innocence.
Federal defender Alison Guernsey says she disagrees with the U.S. attorney's recent statements in court documents, but declined to elaborate before the defense team's June 28 deadline to file a response with the court.
The reports in question document "freetalk" interviews in 2012 with at least four defendants. Federal prosecutors say information contained in those reports is duplicative of other reports handed over in 2012. Generally, a "freetalk" is an opportunity for suspects or defendants to give law enforcement information without incriminating themselves, or in exchange for a potentially lighter sentence.
In this case, Assistant. U.S. Attorney Patrick Cashman has described the freetalks in court as conversations between at least four defendants, the police and at least one federal prosecutor.
The defense team has now received the freetalk reports, attorneys confirm, but they've been filed under seal and are not publicly available.
Tags: News , Jerad Kynaston , Alison Guernsey , U.S. Attorney's Office , marijuana , medical marijuana , mandatory minimum , Jeff Sessions , Image
The opportunity for opponents of the city's plan to reduce the number of lanes on the 1.12-mile stretch of North Monroe Street between Kiernan and Indiana avenues appears to have already passed.
"We announced back in April that we are moving ahead with the project. It’s now in design. We’re moving ahead," city spokeswoman Marlene Feist says. "We're not going back to this discussion again."
That doesn't mean that the opponents to the lane reduction are giving up. If anything, they're upping their rhetoric, attempting to attach a political price to supporters of the North Monroe road diet project.
The Monroe Street Business Association has put up a billboard urging voters to "Remember in November!" that Councilmembers Breean Beggs and Candace Mumm "do not support business" and that they "advocate wasteful spending."
"We're just putting councilmembers on notice who don’t believe in businesses that they're going to have a hard time getting re-elected in the fall," says Gary Jarvis, president of the Monroe Street Business Association, a group that formed in opposition to the lane reduction. For more than a year, they've been warning of traffic jams and shuttered businesses if the five lanes on that section of Monroe are reduced to three.
The billboard is just north of the corner of Monroe Street and Northwest Boulevard, above Bellwether Brewing — which is one of the businesses ardently backing the Monroe Street road diet.
But here's the thing: Beggs — whose first name is spelled wrong on the sign — and Mumm didn't technically vote for the Monroe Street lane reduction.
"It’s an administration initiative. The council hasn’t proposed or led or asked to vote on anything," Beggs says. "All I can imagine is whoever paid for [the billboard] is not happy, and we’re the two who are up for election."
Tags: News , North Monroe , Emerson Garfield , Gary Jarvis , Candace Mumm , Breean Beggs , Image
Moonshine: Artisan Night Market & Moonlit Movie @ Commellini Estate
Wednesdays, 5:30-10 p.m. Continues through Aug. 27
