Regional Correspondent, Northwest News Network
Tom Banse
Tom Banse is a regional correspondent for the Northwest News Network, covering business, environment, public policy, human interest and national news across the Northwest.
Tom has covered state government and the Washington Legislature for more than a decade. He got his start in radio at a public radio station in southern Minnesota, WCAL.
Reared in Seattle, Tom graduated from Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota with a degree in American Studies.
Tom enjoys exploring the Olympic Peninsula backcountry and cooking dinner with his wife and friends.
Recent Articles
Technology | Transportation | local | News | Business
Undeliverable Boeing 737 Max Jets Spill Over To Central Washington For Storage
Boeing is running out of space to park grounded 737 Max jets in the Puget Sound region and is now sending some of its Renton, Washington, factory output to Moses Lake's spacious airport.
local | News | Environment
Washington Has More Dead Whales Than It Knows What To Do With
NOAA Fisheries put out the call Friday for waterfront property owners who wouldn't mind having a dead whale dropped off on their beach to decompose naturally.
local | News | Agriculture | Education | Environment | Science
OSU Establishes New Hemp Research Center In Hopes Of Becoming Global Hub
Oregon State University is delving into hemp big time in the wake of congressional action last year to legalize the crop nationally. The university's new hemp research center involves 40 faculty members.
Animals | News | local | Environment | Fish & Wildlife | Transportation
Cormorants Have Taken Up Residence On The Astoria-Megler Bridge, Where They're Unwanted
The abundance of double-crested cormorants resting on the Astoria-Megler Bridge over the Columbia River can be hard for the average onlooker or motorist to appreciate. But the birds' population has boomed in recent years.
local | News | Environment | Unprepared: Will We Be Ready For The Megaquake In Oregon?
Navy Hovercraft Could Be Hulking Lifesavers After 'The Big One' Hits
People visiting or living along the Pacific Northwest coast may be completely cut off after "The Big One" — the feared magnitude 9.0 Cascadia earthquake and tsunami. For that reason, the U.S. Navy has been scouting landing sites along the coast for disaster relief delivery by sea.
local | News
Deadly 2017 Amtrak Wreck In Washington Could Have Been Prevented, Feds Conclude
Crew training deficiencies played a crucial role in the deadly 2017 Amtrak train derailment near DuPont, Washington, according to a final report from federal investigators accepted Tuesday by the National Transportation Safety Board.
local | News | NW Life | Environment | Recreation | Land
New Washington State Park In The Works Along Nisqually River
Washington is getting its first new full-service state park in many years. The planned park build-out is on land the state owns along the Nisqually River near Eatonville, Washington.
Politics | local | News | Environment
Oregon Looks To Shake Up Development Rules In Tsunami Zones
In Oregon, it's state law that new schools and public safety buildings be built outside the tsunami zone. But that rule has a bullseye on it.
Politics | local | News
Washington Becomes 1st West Coast State Ready To Ditch Time Changes
With the stroke of the governor's pen Wednesday, Washington officially became the first West Coast state to ditch the twice-yearly time switch. Now the ball is in Congress' court.
Animals | local | Fish & Wildlife | Environment | News
They Smell, Bark And Snatch Dogs. Sea Lions Cause Trouble At PNW Ports
Sea lions are smart and fun to watch from a safe distance, but also noisy, smelly and proving to be a headache for some coastal marinas.
Technology | Politics | local | News | Business
Delivery Robots Cleared To Drive On Washington Sidewalks
The new rules limit the small, battery-powered robots to operating on sidewalks and crosswalks — unless there are no sidewalks. The machines have to yield the right of way to pedestrians and bicycles.
local | News | Technology | Environment | Politics | Energy | Transportation
Washington's Tax Break For Electric Vehicles Makes A Comeback
The resurrected incentive will be similar in value to a publicly-funded rebate for battery-powered cars that Oregon now offers.
Water | Animals | News | Pacific Ocean | local | Environment | Fish & Wildlife
NW Charter Fishing Fleet Casts Wary Eye Toward Possible Cutbacks To Save Orcas
Pacific Northwesterners are undeniably fond of their endangered resident killer whales. Many locals are also fans of salmon fishing. But now there is a chance future fishing trips on the ocean could be curtailed to leave more food for the orcas.
local | News | Environment
Why Are Gray Whales Washing Up Dead On Northwest Beaches?
An unusually large number of gray whales are washing up dead on their northbound migration past the Oregon and Washington coasts this year.
local | Science | News | Environment
What The Northwest Can Learn From Indonesia's Deadly 2018 Quake
Two Oregon State and University of Washington professors who surveyed the aftermath of Indonesia's 2018 earthquake say the disaster should elevate attention to quake-induced landslide risks here at home in the Pacific Northwest.
local | News | Environment | Energy | Science | Business | Transportation
Is There Room For Hydrogen-Powered Cars In A Future That Looks Electric?
Fifteen years after the idea of a great "hydrogen highway" from Canada to Mexico was initially floated, it may finally be gaining steam.
Animals | News | Pacific Ocean | local | Environment | Politics | Fish & Wildlife
Washington Politicians Mull Options For Removing Competition For Orcas
Politicians and wildlife managers are engaged in a fresh debate about whether to intervene in nature to save an imperiled species.
Climate change | local | Business | Environment | Energy | Science | Economy | Renewable energy | Sustainability | News
Washington Utility Eager To Branch Into Hydrogen Fuel Production
It would be the first of a group of power companies in the Pacific Northwest to use their dams to make "renewable hydrogen."
History | local | News | Environment
This Ship Could Provide Relief After A Cascadia Megaquake
A former Navy landing ship commissioned during World War II could come to the rescue when a big Cascadia earthquake hits someday.
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