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
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How 'deinstitutionalization' changed the face of mental health care in Washington state
Soundside host Libby Denkmann talks with Seattle Times reporter Sydney Brownstone about "Deinstitutionalization," and how that effort in the 60's and 70's attempted to refocus mental health support with community care.
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Why Burien is suing King County over the city's own camping ban
The battle between the city of Burien and King County reflects a struggle places up and down the West Coast are experiencing: trying to understand how to regulate the rising number of visibly homeless people on their streets, and what can be done to support those people.
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Fewer people are having kids. But what led them to make that choice?
Today, for many people of child-bearing age, the question of whether to have a kid comes down to the simple calculus: will having kids make you happy? Does reproducing add to your overall well-being?
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Yes take-backs. Workers asked to return pandemic cash in Washington state
Last month, joblessness our state reached its highest levels since the Covid-19 pandemic – higher than the national average. And the first thing many do when they’ve lost a job is file for unemployment benefits. But Washington’s unemployment system itself is still reeling from the one-two punch of Covid.
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Why your takeout is sparking one of the fiercest battles in Seattle politics
Delivery App companies like UberEats, DoorDash, Instacart and Grubhub are waging a battle over a new Seattle gig worker minimum wage law that took effect in January.
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Washington state lawmakers hit the reset button on rules to protect homes from wildfire
Six years ago, the state set out to create a building code to protect homes in high fire risk areas. That goal has remained elusive.
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What do the graves around Northern State hospital tell us about the Lost Patients who lived there?
Soundside host Libby Denkmann talks with Northern State Hospital historian John Horne about some of the history surrounding the location & the gravestones he's found.
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Facing a $230 million deficit, Seattle mulls options to close the gap
Five new members of Seattle’s City Council said during their campaigns that they would like to audit the city budget for waste and redundancies --before raising or adding new taxes. But now, as a $230 million city budget deficit looms, the realities of a time-consuming and expensive audit process are leading those new councilmembers to back off the idea. That means they likely have to take a hard look at something they did not want to do: add new revenue through taxes.
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Hear it again: Documenting local hummingbirds
Soundside Producer Hans Anderson talks to Burke Museum Curator of Birds Alejandro Rico Guevera about the local hummingbird population, in a story that originally aired in January.
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Is Washington state's public records act losing its power?
Public records belong to the people. That was the argument made in 1972 that spurred the Washington Public Records Act into law, opening virtually every government document to the public. But that law — widely considered one of the strongest public records laws in the country — is losing some of its teeth as legislators pile on more exemptions, according to a report recently published by the Washington Coalition for Open Government.