Libby Denkmann
Host, Soundside
About
Libby Denkmann has covered veterans' issues, homelessness, and local politics during her radio journalism career. She became the host of KUOW's Soundside in November 2021. Previously she was a producer, reporter, anchor, and host for stations KIRO, KFI, and KPCC in Seattle and Los Angeles. During a yearlong hiatus from journalism in 2011, she worked as a congressional staffer in Washington, D.C.. Libby was born in Seattle, grew up on the eastside, and graduated from the University of Washington. Her favorite things include soccer, video games, and her dog, Monty.
Location: Seattle
Languages: English, limited Japanese and Portuguese
Pronouns: she/her
Podcasts
Stories
-
How dramatic pandemic shifts affected Northwest birds
While we were cooped up in Covid lockdowns, birds in the cities and suburbs of the Pacific Northwest were spreading their wings! And in a new University of Washington paper, ornithologists suggest that birds like crows, hummingbirds, finches, and chickadees were using a wider variety of public spaces during the early days of the pandemic. Olivia Sanderfoot was the lead researcher on the study.
-
What's the line between innovation and cheating in professional baseball?
Professional baseball has long been a proving ground for new ways to fool crowds and umpires, From sign stealing to illegal hacking operations to a little extra spit on the ball to get the perfect curve in a pitch. But there's a fine line between innovation and cheating.
-
'We don't have the resources, but we do see the need.' King County creates mental health coalition
Over one million people in Washington have a mental health condition. In February 2021, almost half of adults in Washington reported symptoms of anxiety or depression. 30% were unable to get needed counseling or therapy. A new coalition announced today by King County Executive Dow Constantine is looking to make a difference in the crisis.
-
The promises and pitfalls of ranked choice voting
Seattle voters will decide in November whether to adopt ranked choice voting, approval voting, or to keep the electoral system as is. These new voting methods would only apply to mayoral city council and city attorney elections.
-
Exploring North America's first free-standing tsunami tower
If you spend any time driving along the coast of Washington, you’ll see Tsunami Escape Route signs leading the way to higher ground. Tokeland, WA is one of the communities in a tsunami risk zone, it's about 30 miles southwest of Aberdeen on the Washington Coast. It's ALSO home to a brand-new tsunami tower.
-
SCOTUS decision on Bremerton football coach creates uncertainty around school prayer
This year, your student may walk into their classroom and see something new: their teacher leading a silent prayer. Right now, that's legal. That's due to a decision from the Supreme Court earlier this summer.
-
What a new manufacturing act could mean for Washington state
Today, President Biden signed the CHIPS and Science Act. It authorizes $250 billion dollars to subsidize domestic production of semiconductors, and fund research into new semiconductor technology. Supporters of the Act say it will help deal with those supply chain issues, and make the US more competitive against foreign manufacturers. But not everyone's so sure.
-
Understanding how our brains work through the Neuroscience of You
According to Dr. Chantel Prat, "The point of the brain is to take in as much information in the world around the being that it's driving, and use this information to guide that being through life in a way that maximizes its success." But how individual brains work comes down to a fascinating combination of factors, with each person's experiences changing how they engage with the world.
-
An update on the race in the 3rd Legislative District
Election workers are still processing and counting ballots from last week's primary election, and some of the early results we saw on election night have shifted. Right now one of the Washington Republicans who voted to impeach President Trump is staring down defeat.
-
The books that bind us -- your favorite Washington books and authors
Summer is a great time to curl up in the park with a good book. It's also a time when we start to thaw a bit from our Seattle freeze and head out to explore everything Washington has to offer. From the Palouse to the Peninsula, we have a lot of landscapes to explore. Those landscapes -- and their histories -- have inspired many of our local authors. Today Soundside speaks with some of your favorite authors about what makes Washington a literary wonderland.