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 long will smoky skies linger above Puget Sound?
The smell of the air around the Puget Sound today is... not pleasant. Some KUOW employees described it as "like a smoked ham" or "similar to a car backfiring". So, how long will we be living with this burnt ham, car backfiring, badly-made bonfire smoke? And what is breathing it in doing to our bodies?
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Space, our final dumping ground. Can we clean it up?
Last week, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) introduced a new bill calling for the removal of "space junk." The Orbital Sustainability Act, or the ORBITS Act, aims to promote the development of technology and methods to clean up rocket and satellite debris orbiting Earth.
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'Local Sightings' brings PNW films back to Seattle
Last Friday the Northwest Film Forum launched "Local Sightings" - a film festival dedicated to movies made by and about the Pacific Northwest.
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A week without driving challenges motorists to learn about transportation inequity
City council members, state senators and transit CEOs from around Washington are taking to sidewalks and light rail stations to better understand what it's like to not have access to a car.
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Incoming SDOT director promises ‘top to bottom review’ of Vision Zero
Before taking the top job at SDOT, Greg Spotts was in Los Angeles, leading the city of L.A.'s street services bureau. Soundside host Libby Denkmann spoke to Spotts about some of his priorities for the department in his first year on the job, Vision Zero, and creating a more climate-resilient transportation infrastructure.
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A national railroad strike was averted, but remains possible as unions vote this week
The Biden administration helped broker a tentative deal that will affect 120,000 rail workers across the country. While many are celebrating the aversion of a potentially disastrous shutdown, some workers have reservations about the new deal. And with a worker vote set for Thursday, rail companies are not out of the tunnel just yet.
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Seattle's urban forest is shrinking. How can it grow?
In 2007, Seattle's urban forest management plan set a goal for 30% of the city to be canopied, meaning covered with urban trees. However, a recent report from the city showed that Seattle's canopy actually decreased by 1.7% over the last five years -- an area roughly the size of Green Lake.
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West Seattle residents reflect on 2.5 bridge-less years
The day is finally approaching that people in West Seattle -- and those who want to get to West Seattle -- have been waiting for. After more than two and a half years, the West Seattle bridge reopens this Sunday.
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Sound it Out: local business owner weighs in on eco-blocks
We're a show built around you - our listeners. Every other week, we take some time for a segment called Sound it Out, to broadcast your thoughts and answer questions about stories we've covered. This week - we're diving back into a conversation about eco-blocks.
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The untold history of migrant labor in the Pacific Northwest
Author and historian Megan Asaka tells the story of Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, and indigenous laborers in her book Seattle from the Margins: Exclusion, Erasure, and the Making of a Pacific Coast City.