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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

Stories

  • caption: This Puget Sound Energy substation in Puyallup, Washington, was one of three attacked early Christmas morning in Pierce County.

    Federal investigators charge two Puyallup men for Christmas substation attacks

    On Dec. 31, federal prosecutors charged two Puyallup men for attacks on substations in Pierce County. Four electrical substations in Washington were attacked over Christmas weekend, knocking out power to 15,000 people in Pierce County and causing millions of dollars in damage. These knockouts came just weeks after attacks on two substations in North Carolina knocked out power for 45,000 people.

  • airport travel baggage luggage generic

    How to turn your travel woes into an engaging story

    Face it: That story you're telling your co-worker about frantically looking for rental cars while stuck at O'Hare is boring. We asked a storytelling expert how to make it a little bit more interesting.

  • caption: Dan Price, as pictured in 2015. Price is the CEO of Gravity Payments, which has offices in Seattle, Boise, and Hawaii.

    Dan Price branded himself as a benevolent CEO. Some former employees challenge that portrayal

    In 2015, Seattle CEO Dan Price became an overnight celebrity following his decision to raise the base minimum salary for all of his employees at Gravity Payments to $70,000. But some of his former employees say the glossy magazine features and talk show appearances painting him as a benevolent leader were a façade — that the day-to-day work at the company was far from glamorous.

  • caption: The Washington state capitol building in Olympia.

    Lawmakers have a long to-do list as they return to Olympia

    Washington's legislative session starts Jan. 9, and that means state lawmakers have less than a week to maneuver for their priorities. For Democrats, those include building more housing, approving gun-control measures and exploring alternatives to prosecution for drug possession.

  • caption: More than 21,000 fans attended Sunday's fixture against the Kansas City Current. Kansas City ultimately prevailed, defeating the OL Reign 2-0.

    Hear It Again: Cheers and jeers — Seattle's year in sports

    Today, we’re taking a look back on big moments for Seattle sports fans in 2022. Locally, the Mariners broke a 21-year playoff drought, Sue Bird played her last game for the Storm, Russell Wilson left for Denver, and the Sounders hosted — and won — the CONCACAF championship. But internationally, the year kicked off with a controversial Winter Olympics, hosted in China, and ended with a contentious World Cup and Qatar.

  • caption: An elevator out of service at the 5th & Pine light rail station.

    Hear It Again: Transit Woes

    The Soundside team is taking some time off this week, and while we’re away, we’re revisiting some of the episodes that made us think about the way we move throughout our region. We’ll explore why the U.S. is one of the only wealthy countries to be moving in the wrong direction on traffic deaths. Plus, those escalators in the light rail stations, they’re still giving us grief!

  • caption: Matt McCauley (left) and Jeff Hummel (right) began their shipwreck journey after raising a World War II Navy plane from Lake Washington.

    Seattle shipwreck enthusiasts find possible site of the deadliest wreck in PNW history

    The S.S. Pacific was packed full of passengers in 1875. It was charting the first steamship voyage from Seattle to San Francisco, before Washington had even achieved statehood. But after a collision with a sailing vessel called The Orpheus, the Pacific and its cargo was lost. Now after decades of searching, two local researchers think they've found it.

  • caption: Reggie Fils-Aimé is the former COO and president of Nintendo of America. He sat down with Soundside host Libby Denkmann.

    Sound it Out: Seattle graffiti update and a revisit to our electoral system

    We're a show built around you – our listeners. Every other week, we bring you a segment called "Sound it Out," to broadcast your thoughts about the show and answer questions about stories we've covered. Today, we're looking back on our conversations with Mayor Bruce Harrell on graffiti in Seattle and why we vote for uncontested judges.