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
-
How a cold snap exposed cracks in King County's emergency response shelter system
This month’s cold snap did more than just ice over roads and knock out power — it also revealed some of the cracks in King County and Seattle’s cold weather emergency response system.
-
AI in the classroom? What we can learn from social media's rise
Washington just became the fifth state to issue guidelines for how AI technology is used in the classroom. AI software like ChatGPT usually makes headlines for how it could help students cheat, but State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Chris Reykdal, said that while those stories make the news, the reality is more nuanced.
-
What's with all the hype surrounding Ozempic and other weight-loss drugs?
The medication Ozempic and its competitors are being widely used off-label as weight-loss aides. Some fear their popularity could undermine the body-positivity and inclusivity work that has helped different body types be embraced in mainstream culture.
-
Could studying how dogs age help us understand the ways humans do?
Dogs share so much of their lives with humans and can develop the same health conditions we do, like dementia or diabetes. Those similarities drove researchers to wonder if our medical science can help dogs live longer — and if maybe, our furry friends could tell us something about how we age, too.
-
Washington state sues to block Kroger-Albertsons merger
Seattle Times reporter Paul Roberts joins Soundside to talk about WA State Attorney General Bob Ferguson's lawsuit aiming to block the merger between Kroger & Albertsons.
-
Why is it so hard to hire and keep cops in Seattle?
Since 2020, Seattle has lost more than twice as many officers as it has hired. In 2023, Seattle had the lowest police staffing levels in the city since 1991.
-
This former Buddhist monk left life at the monastery behind — but not his community
Back in 2018, Annika Prom brought listeners the story of Venerable Prenz Sa-Ngoun, a then-20 year-old Cambodian-American Buddhist monk. In an effort to build a bridge between generations, Sa-Ngoun explained Buddhist practices and principles to viewers on Instagram and YouTube. It's been six years since Prom's original story, and a lot has changed. For one, Sa-Ngoun is no longer a monk.
-
Woolly dogs once provided fleece for Coast Salish tribes. What happened to them?
Outside of alpacas, woolly dogs were one of the few indigenous animals providing wool in the Americas. And for centuries, woolly dogs were at the center of tribal life throughout the Coast Salish world. Since the 19th century, however, these dogs are considered extinct. Today, a resurfaced specimen at the Smithsonian Institution is helping broaden the scientific and tribal understanding of the woolly dog's genetics and role in Coast Salish life.
-
The end of an era as Seattle Seahawks say farewell to Pete Carroll
SeattleSports.com's Stacy Rost joins Soundside to talk about the abrupt departure of Pete Carroll as head coach of the Seattle Seahawks.
-
Would you pay $700k to discourage a homeless encampment? Washington state did by buying rocks
In city planning terms, “hostile architecture” is the practice of using spikes, or bike racks, or cement blocks — really anything — as a design choice to prevent people from loitering or laying down in public places. Sometimes hostile architecture is actually hostile landscaping.