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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In 'vexing' trend, traffic fatalities in Washington state continue to rise
Last month, the state’s Traffic Safety Commission told lawmakers that Washington had at least 800 traffic fatalities last year. If that preliminary estimate holds up, 2023 would go down as the deadliest year on Washington roadways since 1990.
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Arts & Life
Movies like 'Barbie' bolstered theater attendance in 2023. Will the rebound hold?
Moviegoers are beginning to return to Seattle-area theaters. But with attendance still down from pre-pandemic numbers, movie theaters are getting creative with how they draw in new customers.
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Government
WA bill aims to make dancing in strip clubs safer. What would change?
Dancers say working in Washington strip clubs carries a lot of risks, from the physical danger of aggressive customers to the thin financial margins that put dancers at an increased risk of sex trafficking. To try and mitigate some of these issues, Washington legislators are considering SB 6105 – what some are calling the “strippers' bill of rights.”
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Business
How is Seattle's higher minimum wage affecting local restaurants?
Soundside host Libby Denkmann talks with Seattle Times food writer Jackie Varriano about Seattle's new minimum wage, and how it affects restaurant owners, employees, and customers.
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Arts & Life
What makes good romance writing? It's more than just a 'hot plot'
We as humans love love. We need it, in fact, and we revisit it again and again in romantic stories. But what makes a great love story? To find out, we went straight to the source: a romance author and a bookseller.
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Rocky times leave homelessness philanthropy a question mark
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Government
Tacoma approaches affordable housing from a new angle: anti-displacement
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Government
Investigation finds utility's security light at fault for devastating Gray Fire
In a report released last week, the Washington Department of Natural Resources says the initial sparks came from a security light mounted on an Inland Power and Light pole. Those sparks ignited nearby brush and the fire quickly raged out of control. The Gray Fire burned 10,000 acres last August, forcing thousands to evacuate and destroying hundreds of homes.
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Business
What the 737 Max crashes can tell us about where Boeing is headed
For many, it's unimaginable that within 6 years of two deadly crashes of its 737 Max 8 jets, Boeing finds itself in yet another very visible crisis. To others it's not actually too surprising. That's because some of the lessons that should have been learned in the wake of those tragedies appear to have gone unheeded.
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Government
Bremerton walks a fine line between encampment sweeps and available shelters
As homelessness grows around the region, communities are struggling to keep up with a spreading encampment crisis. In Bremerton, the largest city in Kitsap County, growing encampments have forced the city to reconcile with a lack of available shelter space throughout the county.