The company you keep: Today So Far

• Joe Kent's congressional campaign had contact with a well-known white nationalist.
• Washingtonians will soon get alerts about missing or endangered Indigenous people.
• King County Executive Dow Constantine answers criticism of hotel housing program for people experiencing homelessness.

This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for March 7, 2022.

"You're known by the company you keep," is a proverb I heard often growing up (usually from my more conservative relatives). As someone who likes to keep a wide range of friends, I never thought it was such a great rule. Still, the saying comes to mind when I hear about Joe Kent's campaign having contact with a well-known white supremacist. Here are the basics. Joe Kent is a Republican running in Washington state to unseat fellow GOP Congressmember Jaime Herrera Beutler (who voted to impeach President Trump). At some point in his campaign, a consultant set up a meeting with Nick Fuentes, a known white nationalist, to chat about social media strategies.

Kent says he didn't know much about Fuentes when he chatted with him long ago, and hasn't spoken with him since. And he condemns his politics. However, Fuentes is not the only person within Kent's circle who has been swimming in this end of the Conservative pool. His chief consultant had a booth at Fuentes' America First Political Action Conference. Congressmembers Marjorie Taylor Greene and Paul Gosar (known for their own far-right politics and connections to Fuentes) also spoke at the recent AFPAC. Oregon Public Broadcasting points out that Kent has often praised these lawmakers. The same campaign consultant runs an organization that has rallied in support of the January 6 rioters.

Now, Fuentes once hyped Kent. But more recently, he has said that Kent is not conservative enough to earn his endorsement. To some level, it's understandable that when you run for office, you encounter a lot of people. And nobody aligns 100% with everybody they know. However, this all makes me consider another proverb: Where there's smoke, there's fire. Read more here.

Washingtonians will soon get alerts about missing or endangered Indigenous people. If you're smartphone has ever buzzed with an alert for a missing child or you've seen info posted on a roadside reader board (aka an Amber Alert), then you're familiar with the idea. Lawmakers in Olympia just passed bills for this new program. It's just a matter of having Gov. Inslee's signature to make it official. This would be the first program of its kind in the United States. It comes after years of concern over the considerable number of missing Indigenous women from Seattle, Washington, and the U.S. Read more about this issue here.

It's easy to say: "Can't sleep here." But it's not so easy to answer the question: "Where do I go now?" It's a major problem with our region's approach to homelessness. While folks don't want people living on the street, we don't have many places for them to go. That's hopefully changing through a King County program that is converting hotels into supportive housing. But the program hasn't come without criticism and opposition — mainly from residents who live nearby these hotels. King County Executive Dow Constantine spoke with KUOW's Soundside to answer such criticism. One comment that I will point to is that there is a difference between a shelter and supportive housing. Listen to more about that here.

AS SEEN ON KUOW

Puget Sound has a new baby orca. The Center for Whale Research recently spotted the new calf — named J59 — near the San Juan Islands. It's the first calf to be born to J Pod since 2020. See more photos of the new baby orca here. (Courtesy of the Center for Whale Research)

DID YOU KNOW?

Dog walkers in Washington state, and Seattle, earn more than in most other U.S. regions. According to an analysis by 365 Pet Insurance, Washington state has the sixth highest-paid dog walkers in the nation. And Seattle comes in with the sixth-highest dog walker salaries when you just consider large cities.

• Average dog walker salary in Washington: $30,103
• Average dog walker salary in Seattle: $32,666

Of course, a salary of $32,666 in Seattle basically means you're not bringing dates home (because you live with your parents), or you're renting a comfy bathtub on Capitol Hill for a reasonable $1,300. However, this info further confirms something Seattleites already know — we love our dogs!

ALSO ON OUR MINDS

Gas prices surge to above $4 a gallon, near a national record

Oil prices surged to a 14-year high, while gasoline prices surged past $4 a gallon to near a national record, as the U.S. and its allies discuss potential restrictions on the purchase of oil from Russia after the country invaded Ukraine.

SUBSCRIBE TO TODAY SO FAR