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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Hear it again: When WA was a country music capital — Stephanie Clifford's 'The Farewell Tour'
When you think about country music, places like Texas, Appalachia and Nashville probably come to mind. Maybe you even know about The Bakersfield Sound, a sub-genre of country music that sprang from California. But the Pacific Northwest has a long country tradition, from honky tonks in Tacoma to radio shows in Walla Walla and dances at Whatcom County meeting halls.
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KUOW salutes reporter Tom Banse
It's a bittersweet day for us here at KUOW as we say goodbye to a legend. For the last 37 years, one reporter has brought listeners to what’s felt like every corner of the state – as he’s broken news, covered politics, the environment, and told countless stories about the fascinating people around us. But after 37 years of diligent reporting, Tom is retiring.
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WA Legislature votes on a Blake fix. Now drug courts have to adapt
In the hours before Washington’s legislative session ended last month, House Democrats called a vote. It was for a fix to what’s called “The Blake Decision” -- a 2021 state Supreme Court ruling striking down Washington’s felony drug possession law. In response, legislators put in place a temporary fix that treated knowingly carrying drugs as a misdemeanor. That measure is set to expire July 1st. But as the clock ticked down on the regular session, the votes weren’t there. The State House failed to pass the bill, which threw the future of the state’s drug possession law into question – and prompted a number of cities and counties to start passing their own patchwork of regulations.
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Seattle's 'Cathedral of Cinema' is coming back
On Thursday the non-profit film and educational organization Seattle International Film Festival – aka SIFF – announced it had acquired the Seattle Cinerama, and will be bringing movies back to the very, very big screen.
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What's in a weave? Native basketmaker and archeologist explore the stories baskets tell
Master basketmaker and National Heritage Fellowship winner Ed Carriere is teaming up with a retired WSU archeologist to explore the recent and ancient history of Native basket weaving, as Carriere works to keep the traditional techniques he learned from his great-grandmother alive.
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Review: '11th and Pine' aims to capture the goings-on of CHOP. Does it succeed?
As journalists, we’re often expected to cover stories dispassionately — hiding our own thoughts and concerns out of fear of appearing biased. But we’re also humans, with life experiences, perspectives, emotions. And sometimes we can’t help but get affected by what we see. KUOW arts reporter Mike Davis recently reported on a piece that sent him on a bit of a journey.
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Spokane is closing Camp Hope, but for many the trauma of homelessness continues
Camp Hope, a large homelessness encampment in Spokane, has become a battleground between city, county, and state officials. It’s also brought a lot of attention and scrutiny toward Spokane’s homelessness policies. Local officials want camp residents moved elsewhere, citing concerns with community safety and drug use. Both sides agree residents should be moved elsewhere — but just where, and when, has remained an open question.
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Police use genetic information to solve cold cases. Are active cases next?
One of the first uses of forensic genetic genealogy was in Washington state, to apprehend a suspect in a 30-year-old murder. Since then, the technique has been key to solving hundreds of cases. But while the use of genetic evidence has changed the cold-case landscape, it has also raised questions about how that material is collected and when it is used.
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Take the bus to these King County hiking trails, starting May 13
You can take the bus to the trails! King County Metro & King County Parks have partnered to get folks out of the city & into NATURE! Soundside host Libby Denkmann sits down with The Wilderness Society's "Urban to Wild" director Kitty Craig to talk about expanding equity in the outdoors!
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Should we think of gun violence as a 'disease'? These epidemiologists do
For the first time ever, the Springer Handbook of Epidemiology has added gun violence to its pages. How does looking at gun violence as a disease change the way we view it?