Noel Gasca
General Assignment Reporter
About
Noel is a general assignment reporter for KUOW, covering everything from city hall to pickleball. Prior to joining the newsroom, Noel worked as a producer for KUOW’s midday show Soundside. Noel has also worked as an online editor and producer with KUOW’s web team, and 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 D.C. 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.
When she’s not working, Noel enjoys perusing Seattle’s used bookstores, practicing her kata, and discussing the lasting legacy of Selena Quintanilla’s music with anyone who will listen.
Location: Seattle
Languages: English
Pronouns: she/her
Professional Affiliations: National Association of Hispanic Journalists, AIR
Podcasts
Stories
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Microsoft's $69 billion deal to acquire Activision-Blizzard faces FTC suit
In a deal that may go down as the largest video-game merger of all time, Microsoft, the maker of the Xbox, is attempting to buy Activision Blizzard, which is responsible for the games, "World of Warcraft," "Diablo," and "Call of Duty," as well as the company that makes "Candy Crush."
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Remembering the maestro behind 'Twin Peaks' sound
With just three short notes, you’re there: the lumber yard, Snoqualmie Falls, and a pie-loving detective trying to solve the murder of a high school girl in the Cascade foothills.
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Neighbors: the Olympic Marmot
Washington state is known for its variety of flora and fauna. But when it comes to public adoration, it seems like one local animal has been a little jilted - the Olympic marmot. It's ironic, considering the fuzzy rodent was officially declared a state symbol in 2009. But what makes the marmot so worthy of a government distinction? Soundside producer Noel Gasca introduces us to a scientist and a citizen activist who tell us why, and what the process of getting state recognition for the Olympic marmot looked like.
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Hear it again: Defying the odds, one patient at a time
Seattle author and doctor Patricia Grayhall went to medical school in the early 1970s, when gender discrimination and homophobia were commonplace in the field. Grayhall was forced to hide her identity as a lesbian and she faced sexism from superiors and colleagues.
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Trimming the tree
Christmas is right around the corner, and too get us all in the mood, we’re bringing you some special Christmas stories courtesy of our colleagues here at KUOW. In Today’s first story comes from Seattle Now’s supervising producer, Caroline Chamberlain Gomez.
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Alison Mariella Désir found salvation through running. Now she's addressing its disparities
We’ve all heard the slogan: Just do it. And it’s so powerful, because it’s such a simple idea: just put on your shoes, go outside, and run. It’s that easy. But if you’re not white, it may not necessarily be true.
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Hear it again: The musicians and tastemakers that make the PNW's sound
2022 was a pretty great year for music. Even if your name isn’t Beyoncé or Taylor Swift. Today, Soundside is revisiting some of our favorite stories about the musicians and tastemakers that help shape the Pacific Northwest's sound.
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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!
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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.
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Playoffs or not, Seahawks surpass preseason expectations
Before this NFL season got started, things were looking grim for the Seahawks. Now the team is fighting to reach the postseason. And they’ll need a little luck to get there. Soundside host Libby Denkmann talked to The Athletic's Michael-Shawn Dugar about the highs and lows in the Seahawks season so far.
