Bitcoin boom or bust? Guns vs. healthcare in Eastern Washington and other headlines

ON INLANDER.COM

COVER: This week’s latest issue is out and we have a TON of stuff to check out. In our cover story this week, Samantha Wohlfeil travels to Central Washington to learn more about the Bitcoin craze.
NEWS: Also, the Washington state Supreme Court just made it easier for courts to weed out racial bias in jury selection. It is the first state to do so, according to a Tacoma lawyer who helped draft a new rule.

NEWS: Youth suicide rates have increased in Spokane County. How are school officials handling the problem and what do experts say the culprit is?

IN OTHER NEWS

257 dead
A plane crashed in Algeria, killing 257 people on board. There were some survivors, but their condition is unknown. Most of the victims were military personnel and their families. (BBC)

Guns vs. Healthcare
Eastern Washington voters are in favor of raising the age limit for buying a semi-automatic rifle. Overall, 62 percent support the idea, while 33 percent do not. Voters are also “evenly split on whether they think Congress should repeal the Affordable Care Act.” (Spokesman-Review)

#MeToo: Microsoft
Despite Microsoft’s own proclaimed gender equality, women at the tech giant say the company isn’t there yet.

“Interviews with more than three dozen current and former employees and a review of hundreds of pages of court filings and internal documents illustrate why Microsoft has failed to hire more women or retain those within its ranks: Widespread complaints focus on a culture of casual sexism, a male-dominated hierarchy slow to change, and poor resolution of employee grievances,” writes Seattle Times technology reporter Matt Day. (Seattle Times)