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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: Purse-seine boat Intruder rescues crew of the Aleutian Isle amid flotsam of the sunken boat on August 13 off San Juan Island.

    Fishing vessel sinks off San Juan Islands, leaking fuel

    At 2:00pm on Saturday the U.S. Coast Guard received a distress call from a commercial fishing vessel named the Aleutian Isle. The vessel was near the San Juan Islands and taking on water. The crew onboard evacuated to a small skiff before being picked up by a good Samaritan, and the Aleutian Isle eventually sank to the sea floor, where it remains today.

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    The future of renewable energy may lie in organic waste

    There are lots of forms of renewable energy out there. But Snohomish County is investing in something different — a kind of renewable energy you may not have heard of before. It starts out in the fields of a local dairy farm.

  • caption: Families evacuated from Kabul, Afghanistan, walk through the terminal before boarding a bus after they arrived at Washington Dulles International Airport, in Chantilly, Va., on Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2021.

    One year later, Afghan refugees in WA still need support to put down roots

    This week marks the one year anniversary of the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, following the U.S.’s military withdrawal. Life has changed for most Afghans, including those who fled the country with their families through refugee resettlement programs. Soundside caught up with one advocacy group about what the resettlement process looks like in Washington state, one year later.

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    How dramatic pandemic shifts affected Northwest birds

    While we were cooped up in Covid lockdowns, birds in the cities and suburbs of the Pacific Northwest were spreading their wings! And in a new University of Washington paper, ornithologists suggest that birds like crows, hummingbirds, finches, and chickadees were using a wider variety of public spaces during the early days of the pandemic. Olivia Sanderfoot was the lead researcher on the study.

  • caption: Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Marco Gonzales throws to a San Francisco Giants batter during the first inning of a baseball game Thursday, April 1, 2021, in Seattle.

    What's the line between innovation and cheating in professional baseball?

    Professional baseball has long been a proving ground for new ways to fool crowds and umpires, From sign stealing to illegal hacking operations to a little extra spit on the ball to get the perfect curve in a pitch. But there's a fine line between innovation and cheating.

  • caption: An elections worker feeds ballots into a ballot sorting machine on Wednesday, October 28, 2020, at King County Elections in Renton.

    The promises and pitfalls of ranked choice voting

    Seattle voters will decide in November whether to adopt ranked choice voting, approval voting, or to keep the electoral system as is. These new voting methods would only apply to mayoral city council and city attorney elections.