Bloglander

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t was quite a week for the Brown brothers. On Friday, Jon Brown appeared as a contestant on the long-running quiz show Jeopardy! He was described as a bartender from Los Angeles, but Spokanites may recall him from Stella's, the beloved but now-closed sandwich shop, or as an occasional contributing writer to the Inlander.

His star turn on TV didn't exactly end well. He trailed most the game and bet everything but a dollar in Final Jeopardy. The final clue — "A Portuguese explorer gave this name to an island he sighted off Africa’s coast 40 days after Easter" — stumped all of the competitors. Jon had answered "What is Madiera?" and finished in third with that final buck. (The correct answer, by the way, is "What is Ascension Island?")

Meanwhile, earlier in the week, Jon's younger brother, Tony Brown, was rubbing elbows with Guy Fieri, who was in town filming for his Food Network show Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Tony, the chef and owner of Ruins restaurant on North Monroe, declined to give any comment to the Inlander, but one of guests present during filming confirms that Fieri was at Ruins for a future episode of DDD. (Fieri visited the restaurant twice: on Saturday, June 9, and again last week.)

Luke Baumgarten, one of the guests at the June 9 filming, gives this account:

"We got there on Saturday around 10. After a little milling around, the crew sent us in the side door. Guy was filming his intro by pretending to talk into the payphone that still sits near the front of the restaurant. He seemed amused to be in a place where pay phones still exist.

"Guy came in a few moments after we’d taken our seat and started off by apologizing. He said there were a couple tiers of places they feature on Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives and that Ruins was top tier. The top tier places, he said, get a lot of love on the show, and he said he gets angry emails from locals who find their favorite spots overrun by Triple-D tourists. He said something to the effect of, 'You’re going to need to run people out of this place!'

"When we got to attend the filming at Chaps 8 years ago, Guy methodically went around for over an hour interviewing people. This time he spent about 15 minutes, interviewing only one table — a man and his father who Guy seemed to know personally. After that the crew quickly packed up and we were left to eat our dirty fries, taquitos, gnocchi and a couple other dishes.

"After everyone left, Tony came around to each table, told us he’d gotten to the restaurant at 1 am to prep for the filming and then thanked us for coming."

No word yet on when the episode might be broadcast.

Online followers of Washington State University head football coach Mike Leach are typically treated to tips on exotic travel destinations, inspirational sports quotes and the occasional meme. 

Last night, however, Leach's web surfing led him to tweet out a doctored 20-second video of President Barack Obama giving a speech in 2014. The video was intentionally edited to make it seem like Obama told the crowd, "ordinary men and women are too small-minded to govern their own affairs, but order and progress can only come when individuals surrender their rights to an all-powerful sovereign."

Again, the video is fake.

Obama was actually arguing against the idea presented above, calling it an "alternative vision" that threatened the idea that all men and women are created equal. Here's the full transcript of the actual speech.

But Leach, a supporter and friend of President Donald Trump, apparently didn't realize it was fake initially. His tweet has since been deleted, but Deadspin got a screenshot of it, in which Leach says, "Listen to this. Text your thoughts. There is a lot of disagreement on government, so I think that an open discussion is always in order. Tweet your thoughts. Maybe we can all learn something."

When people on Twitter pointed out the video was fake, Leach doubled down, spending hours arguing with Twitter users. He told them to prove it was fake, then argued that the facts were irrelevant to the larger "ideas" presented in the video, which, again, were misrepresented. And when all else failed, he justified tweeting the video — whether it was fake or not — because "fake news" happens all the time.


You can check out his account for more, but you can get the gist from the tweets above.

It wasn't until this morning that Leach said "I agree that the video was incomplete," without acknowledging his role in spreading the misinformation.

This is the complete speech. I agree that the video was incomplete. However, I believe discussion on how much or how little power that our Gov should have is important......Remarks by the President in Address to European Youth: https://t.co/BnNzxyivyN

— Mike Leach (@Coach_Leach) June 18, 2018

Washington State University has not responded to the Inlander's request for comment on Leach, who gets paid roughly $4 million a year. WSU spokesman Phil Weiler gave the following statement: "As a private citizen, Mike Leach is entitled to his personal opinions. Coach Leach's political views do not necessarily reflect the views of Washington State University students, faculty and staff."

ON INLANDER.COM

MUSIC: What could be better than catching a quality show at the Bartlett? How about a second, bigger Bartlett?

WHAT'S UP?: Summer starts this week (need ideas? Our Summer Guide is on stands this week) and there's a packed calendar, with Cedric the Entertainer and Buddy Guy swinging through the area, both KYRS and Beerocracy having birthday parties, and more.

IN OTHER NEWS

Republicans and Democrats call to stop separating children from parents at border
After President Trump put a "zero tolerance" policy in place in April, thousands of children have been separated from their parents at the border after crossing illegally. Now both Republicans and Democrats are calling for an end to the policy, which is not, as the President tweeted, a law Democrats put in place. (New York Times)

Tales of survival and facing down the man who killed her family
Shasta Groene, now a mother living in south Idaho, is trying to raise funds to support the first run of the book she's been working on to tell her story of the kidnapping and sexual assault she endured at the hands of Joseph Duncan III after he murdered her family. If the campaign raises enough, she'd also like to film a documentary this year and include the moment she faces Duncan in prison for the first time. (Coeur d'Alene Press)

Who are you, Washington?
Washington's ID cards will change starting in July to comply with federal Real ID rules, by placing a notice in the top of normal ID cards that says "Federal Limits Apply." (Spokesman-Review)

Paying to file your taxes? There's a free way though...
There are ways to file your taxes online for free, but most Americans aren't doing it, instead forking over fees to the tune of $1 billion. (ProPublica)

Remaking Evergreen
With enrollment expected to drop by 20 percent this fall, the Evergreen State College is considering making some changes.  (Seattle Times) 

In just a few days, June 21, summer is going to be all official, so it's time to step up your recreation game. Use our event listings and Staff Picks to help you out.

Here are some highlights from the week ahead:

Monday, June 18

MUSIC | Northern Quest Resort & Casino kicks off its summer concert series with Little Big Town, bringing the country to the newly redesigned amphitheater in Airway Heights.

Tuesday, June 19

FILM | The Garland Theater's summer camp movie series is off and running, and this week it goes full '80s with The Neverending Story on the big screen.

Wednesday, June 20

FOOD | Join chef Adam Hegsted for an exploration of soft pretzels and beer, two of the most important aspects of the bar life.

The owners of the Bartlett, one of downtown Spokane's most popular all-ages music venues, have announced they will be opening a second — and bigger — venue.

"We've seen a need in the music community for a larger, high quality space and we are ready to make that happen," reads a Facebook event page titled "Kickstart The Bartlett 2.0." "We have signed a lease on a 10,000 square foot space and we are thrilled."

That location? The former Sunset Junction dive bar at 1801 W. Sunset Blvd., a red and white rectangular building on the edge of Browne's Addition that was most recently a Mexican restaurant. Construction has already begun, though a grand opening date has yet to be announced.

The Bartlett was opened in 2013 by owners Karli and Caleb Ingersoll, who have long been involved in Spokane's music scene and envisioned the venue as a go-to spot for both local and touring musicians. The current space holds 150 people, and though the new location's capacity has yet to be determined, the Inlander confirmed that it will exceed the Bartlett's.

Details about the new venture will be revealed during a fundraising event at the Bartlett on June 28, which has a lofty end goal of $40,000. The evening will be open to the public, and you can buy tickets here for $20.

ON INLANDER.COM

NEWS: The Vets Garage may have saved lives. But soon it may be losing its home — and it doesn't know where it's going next. 

NEWS: The number of Spokane students being placed in group homes from outside of the district has increased significantly.

IN OTHER NEWS...

The Redband rebrand
Glover Field, named after Spokane founding father James Glover, has been renamed Redband Park. (Spokesman-Review)

A second opinion
Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers comes out against the Trump Justice Department's decision to not protect the constitutionality of the pre-existing condition protections:

"I strongly disagree with the Department of Justice’s recent argument of the unconstitutionality of pre-existing conditions protections." (Spokesman-Review)

Raúl Labrador kind of hates his job
An exit interview with Raul Labrador, the "angriest man in Congress." (Politico)

From victorious presidential campaign manager to jail
Paul Manafort has been sent to jail until his trial. (CNN)

Getting IGggy with it
The Inspector General report suggests James Comey screwed up royally, but in a way that hurt Clinton, not in a way that benefited her. (New York Times)

ON INLANDER.COM

NEWS: The owner of the Bartlett will open a new, bigger music venue in Browne's Addition. More details will come out during a June 28 fundraising event. Tickets are $20.

NEWS: Spokane's Vets Garage, a safe haven for some local veterans, is looking for a new location.

MOVIE: The lovable crime-fighting family is back in the Incredibles 2, right where they left off. Costumed crime fighting is still illegal, but more and more super heroes are brought out of the woodwork in this somewhat predictable sequel, critic Josh Bell writes, as Mr. Incredible juggles stay-at-home dad life with his super hero duties.

SUMMER GUIDE: Summer is here. You need a guide. We got you.


IN OTHER NEWS

Charity for whom?
The New York State attorney general is suing the Donald J. Trump Foundation for alleged violations of campaign finance laws and self-dealing, including the purchase of a $10,000 portrait of Trump that hung in one of his golf clubs, as well as $100,000 paid to settle a legal dispute with the city of Palm Beach.

On Twitter, Trump denounced the accusations as an attack by "sleazy New York Democrats," and vowed to take the case to trial. (New York Times)

Barred from medical care
An inmate is suing the Washington state Department of Corrections for refusing him gallbladder removal surgery. (Spokesman-Review)

Comey's reckoning
A Department of Justice report to be released later today is expected to fault former FBI Director James Comey for violating DOJ guidelines and mishandling the investigation into Hillary Clinton's emails. (NPR)

Un-defense of Obamacare
Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers rebuked the Justice Department's decision to stop defending the Affordable Care Act in court. Specifically, McMorris Rodgers pointed to coverage for people with pre-existing conditions, saying in a statement: "This is one of the areas in the Affordable Care Act that was widely agreed upon from both Republicans and Democrats."

Yet last year, McMorris Rodgers voted for the American Health Care Act, which would have allowed some insurers to charge more for people with pre-existing conditions in some cases. (Spokesman-Review)

A Seattle-based company has put an ATM in the Spokane Valley Mall that allows people to create an account, deposit cash and save it as Bitcoin in a virtual wallet.

"One of the things that we really want to do is provide a low-barrier entry for people who are looking to get into crypto," says Dom Garrett, director of marketing for Coinme, which started in Seattle in 2014.

The company hopes to make it as easy as possible to buy and trade cryptocurrency. While it's just set up for deposits now, eventually the plan is to also allow people to withdraw cash from the machine, Garrett says. Some of Coinme's 50 other ATMs around the country already have that feature, and with the new ATM in Spokane Valley, the company now has 12 across Washington.

Bitcoin is a virtual currency that was created to exchange value with others without needing a bank or central authority to verify transactions, and it's the most popular of hundreds of cryptocurrencies that now exist.

(If you missed it, you can learn all about how "mining" for the digital currency is impacting Central Washington utilities in our cover story from April.)

Part of the reason Coinme was founded is that getting into buying and trading cryptocurrency can seem daunting to many people, as there's a lot of jargon and confusing explanations online, but it doesn't have to be that complicated, Garrett says.

"Cryptocurrency is something that we view as the future of the financial system," Garrett says. "We are really excited to be able to provide that on ramp for people to be able to take part in the system, especially in areas like Spokane."

While Seattle and San Francisco tend to be the places where early technologies are available first, Coinme hopes to bring this technology to rural and smaller urban areas in hopes of helping speed its adoption, Garrett says.

HOW IT WORKS

To use the ATM, users need a government-issued ID (say, a driver's license) to start.

The ATM will walk you through the process, including agreeing to terms of use and taking a picture with the built in camera while holding up your license to prove it's you depositing the money — this is an anti-money laundering requirement on the company, Garrett says.

From there, you've got an account.

"What we do is we actually create a hosted wallet for you," Garrett says. "And then just like a vending machine, there’s a little slot with a light and you feed cash into the machine."

As you do so, you'll see what fraction of a Bitcoin you're actually buying, and deposit as little as a dollar and up to $2,500 per day, Garrett says.

"It’s pretty simple," he says. "At the machine it takes about 60 seconds and you’re all set up."

Afterwards, you can go to coinme.com and log into your digital wallet for the first time, when you'll be prompted to set your password and finish setting up your account. From there, you can trade your Bitcoin on exchanges if you want to and find other information on markets.

The fine print: There's a 10 percent transaction fee (for both deposits and withdrawals), which is in line with other Bitcoin ATMs, Garrett says. The hope is to be able to lower those fees in the future.

As for security, Coinme has an entire team dedicated to keeping user information and digital wallets secure.

With cryptocurrency, there is no federal insurance like there is with a bank, where the FDIC guarantees deposits up to a certain amount.

"We have had an incredibly great track record in our company’s history as far as security," Garrett says. "While there may not be specific assurance there, it’s on the top of our minds. Our team is constantly looking for ways to make sure we are more secure."

He also points out that the company has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.

"That is something we do take seriously," he says. "Trust is everything, especially when it comes to people's money."

 

ON INLANDER.COM

NEWS: The ACLU is suing the Whatcom County Jail for letting its inmates who are addicted to opioids go cold turkey. The Spokane County Jail is now considering a program to implement treatment.

MUSIC: Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy is comin’ to town. Tickets go on sale on Thursday.

IN OTHER NEWS:

Primary party
There were primary elections last night in Virgina, Maine, South Carolina and Maine. Vox reports that the “narrative” of politics this year has so far held: more women winning important Democrat elections and Trump critics losing Republican support. Nate Silver of FiveThirtyEight writes, “the two most interesting outcomes of the evening featured problems for traditional Republicans and underscored the degree to which the GOP has become Trump’s party.” (Vox, FiveThrityEight)

People who are addicted to opioids and booked into the Whatcom County Jail are denied treatment for their addiction, according to a federal civil rights lawsuit filed by the Washington state chapter of the ACLU.

The lawsuit asks a judge to require the jail to provide medication assisted treatment for inmates addicted to opioids.

As the U.S. is in the midst of an opioid addiction epidemic, the case, if successful, could put pressure on other correctional facilities to provide similar treatment.

In Whatcom County, unless an inmate is pregnant, the jail denies inmates access to medication assisted treatments such as methadone and buprenorphine, which is sold under the brand names Suboxone and Subutex. Now, inmates are essentially forced to go cold turkey, the lawsuit filed against Whatcom County and the Sheriff's Office says.

Whatcom County's refusal to allow such treatment is a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act, according to the lawsuit, because opioid addiction, also called opioid use disorder, is considered a disability under the law. The policy to deny opioid addiction treatment subjects inmates to unnecessary and painful withdrawal and increases their risk for relapse and overdose after they're released, according to the lawsuit.

Although opioid addiction treatment in correctional facilities across the country is rare, the Spokane County Jail is one exception.

For about the past year, the jail has partnered with the Spokane Regional Health District to allow those already participating in the SRHD's opioid treatment program to continue with treatment while in jail, says Sgt. Tom Hill.

"We've built a system where we can identify who is in the program and notify the health district," Hill says. "We didn't want anybody to miss a dose."

Through the partnership, SRHD employees go to the jail seven days per week to administer medication for opioid addiction, including methadone, buprenorphine and naloxone, says Misty Challinor, interim director of the treatment program. Challinor says they serve 12 to 20 inmates on any given day.

Jail staff will also notify the health district if an inmate is exhibiting withdrawal symptoms, Challinor says, and they work to get that person into the program as quickly as possible.

The health district's treatment program requires daily doses of opioid addiction medication, weekly counseling and a valid ID.

The Spokane County Jail has had a similar program for pregnant women for years, Hill says. Additionally, jail officials are close to implementing a separate treatment program using buprenorphine for those people who qualify.

Both methadone and buprenorphine bind to opioid receptors in the brain, but block the euphoric effects and prevent withdrawal symptoms associated with opioid use disorder.

The delay in implementing the new program, according to Hill, is logistical. An inmate would need to be observed for about 10 minutes after taking the medication, he says, and for a jail operating "at bare minimum staffing," that can present a problem.

"It's a matter of finding a place and a person to supervise the administration of this treatment," he says. "It's only a bump in the road, and we're really close to accomplishing it."

Last month, Patrick Flynn, 36, attempted suicide in the Spokane County Jail, and later died in the hospital. Family members believe he may have been experiencing withdrawal from heroin when he decided to end his life.

Hill declined to comment on Flynn's situation specifically, but says "I absolutely think that people in his position will benefit from this program. You can imagine there's a certain amount of depression from being sick from heroin or opiate withdrawal, and I think that goes to our sense of urgency on this. We really think this can make a difference."

Whatcom County Sheriff Bill Elfo tells the Bellingham Herald that his office has been considering a plan to implement a three to five-day Suboxone treatment program. Elfo told the Herald that he hopes to start the treatment program in July.

The ACLU lawsuit is filed on behalf of two people who were incarcerated in Whatcom County and were denied opioid addiction treatment. ACLU attorneys are seeking class action status, which would include include anyone with opioid use disorder previously incarcerated in Whatcom County Jail, or anyone who will be incarcerated there in the future.