Noel Gasca
Producer, Soundside
About
Noel is a producer for KUOW’s midday show Soundside.
Prior to joining Soundside, Noel worked as an online editor/producer with KUOW’s web team. She’s also a proud graduate of KUOW’s RadioActive program.
Noel is an alumna of Emerson College and has interned at NPR member stations WBUR in Boston and WAMU in Washington DC. Originally from Lake Stevens, Washington, Noel is elated to be back in the Pacific Northwest and covering the people and places that make up the state she calls home. Noel has reported on labor and education.
When she’s not working, Noel enjoys perusing Seattle’s used bookstores, discussing the lasting legacy of Selena Quintanilla’s music with anyone who will listen, and spending way too much time fixing up her island on Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
Location: Seattle
Languages: English
Pronouns: she/her
Professional Affiliations: National Association of Hispanic Journalists, AIR
Podcasts
Stories
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Arts & Life
How one conversation changed the life of a RadioActive alum
Today, we’re revisiting a feature story from RadioActive alum April Reyes. It’s about how one conversation with a classmate changed Reyes’s junior year, and ultimately — her life.
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Health
Trying to count unhoused people in WA is 'like nailing water to the wall,' experts say
How many unhoused people live in Washington state? It seems like a relatively simple question — especially since it’s the basis for so many important decisions. But figuring out the answer is tough.
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Law & Courts
What Arizona v. Navajo Nation could mean for tribal rights in the West and beyond
Last week, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Arizona v. Navajo Nation. The court’s decision could have significant implications for the water rights of tribes across the country, including here in the Pacific Northwest.
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Arts & Life
Representation sold separately: New American Girl dolls overlook Seattle's diversity
For Soundside producer Noel Gasca, two new American Girl dolls prompted her to think about who gets to represent Seattle — even in doll form — and reexamine her own relationship with her favorite childhood toy.
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Environment
Springtime with Ciscoe Morris
Gardening Legend Ciscoe Morris joins Soundside to talk about the advent of spring and to answer listener questions.
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Technology
Amazon makes move to disrupt the health care industry
Late last month, Amazon closed a $3.9 billion deal to acquire One Medical, a membership-based primary care practice. The provider, which was founded in 2007, leans heavily on technology for care, using things like telehealth visits and apps for scheduling appointments. The acquisition is a big step for Amazon but not a surprising one.
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How WA food banks are handling a hunger cliff
Emergency Benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — better known as SNAP — have ended. The change in federal law affects more than half a million households in Washington, representing a loss of about $95 million a month in food assistance.
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'Just one of many tragic stories': Uncovering the story of Chemawa Indian School
For 150 years, the federal government operated more than 400 boarding schools for Indigenous children who had been forcibly removed from their families. One example of the brutal legacy of these boarding schools lies in Oregon, in the unmarked grave of Charlie Fiester. Soundside caught up with KUOW investigative reporter Ashley Hiruko to talk about Charlie's story.
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Arts & Life
Need a little help getting through 'The Big Dark'? Soundside has your weekend covered
We're headed into the last leg of "The Big Dark" — that time of year when you just want to nestle inside, hang out on your couch, cling to our seasonal affective disorder lamps, and really not do much more than that. But we've almost made it through! You can sense spring if you know where to look. Why not get a head start on emerging back into everything the Pacific Northwest has to offer by checking out some local events?
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Law & Courts
In WA, pay and child care present obstacles to jury diversity and participation
Under the Sixth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, defendants in criminal cases have the right to a jury of their peers at trial. But in Washington state, it might not always work out that way for people of color.