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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Why is liberal Seattle appealing to the conservative U.S. Supreme Court over homeless camp sweeps?
The city of Seattle, the liberal paradise of legal weed and autonomous zones, is asking for help from the most conservative U.S. Supreme Court in almost a century. Seattle joined a dozen other cities, including Tacoma and Spokane, to ask the justices to overturn two Ninth Circuit Court rulings that restrict when they can sweep homeless encampments, known as Grants Pass v. Johnson and Martin v. Boise.
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Arts & Life
Hear It Again: This Coast Salish punk wants you to call her anything other than 'survivor'
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'Tacoma's Notre Dame' was set to be demolished. Now its fate rests in Rome
For more than 100 years, the Tacoma skyline has had a familiar mainstay: the Holy Rosary Church. But citing expensive repairs and declining numbers, the church has spent four years under the threat of demolition. It may take the Vatican to decide its future.
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Business
FTC takes more conservative approach in Amazon case
It finally happened. The Federal Trad Commission sued Amazon in federal court this week. The Seattle company has been in the crosshairs of federal regulators for years; and the suit has wide reaching implications for the online retail, cloud computing, grocery and entertainment giant. This is the biggest test yet of Khan’s vision for a more progressive antitrust enforcement agenda – what critics have knocked as “hipster antitrust.” But the 172-page complaint is more rooted in tradition than some had predicted.
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Environment
Most of Western Washington's largest Caspian tern colony is dead. Can the seabirds rebound?
More than 1,500 adult Caspian Terns made Rat Island, near Port Townsend, their home. Now 80% of them are dead.
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Crime
Washington state is closing its first prison in 10 years. Are other facilities next?
For the first time in more than a decade, Washington state is closing a prison. The Larch Corrections Center in Yacolt, Clark County will shut its gates for the last time next week. The state’s Department of Corrections says the population of the 240-bed minimum security prison is now down to about 60 people, all of whom will be relocated by Monday, Oct. 2.
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Government
State and local governments are using AI for work. But should they?
How public employees should use programs like ChatGPT in their day-to-day work — and whether generative artificial intelligence should be allowed at all — is being dealt with through a patchwork of policies nationwide.
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What the end of SPD's bodycam analysis program reveals about AI and policing
Soundside host Libby Denkmann talks to Laurence Du Sault, the reporter behind the investigation into Seattle Police Department's decision to cancel a contract with Truleo - a body analysis software - days after a SPD officer mocked Jaahnavi Kandula's death.
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Business
Panicked. Angry. Thrilling: 'Exit Interview' examines Amazon’s culture through the eyes of a former exec
In her new memoir, "Exit Interview: The Life and Death of My Ambitious Career," former amazon executive Kristi Coulter takes a hard look at the intense pressure and psychological strain — and even the physical toll — that she and her colleagues experienced at the company.
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Technology
Assistive tech for older adults is becoming increasingly automated. What are the privacy risks?
Modern assistive technology can help older adults with small tasks like turning the lights on and off, locking doors, and managing medications. Some systems can automatically alert a care partner when someone falls out of bed. This emerging technology has come with new concerns about data privacy and user consent.