Tom Banse
Correspondent Tom Banse is an Olympia-based reporter with more than three decades of experience covering Washington and Oregon state government, public policy, business and breaking news stories. Most of his career was spent with public radio's Northwest News Network, but now in semi-retirement his work is appearing on other outlets.
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Some islanders dependent on ferries get a life ring, but November statewide vote on cap-and-trade repeal could poke new leaks in budget. -
Increased state aid for Guemes Island ferry replacement and a new Kitsap hydrofoil ferry comes with a catch: voters must reject climate act repeal initiative. -
The closed aluminum smelter will be sold to a Canadian energy company that wants to redevelop the complex to produce “green” hydrogen. The renewable energy project still faces hurdles. -
State lawmakers in Washington and Oregon are looking to toughen standards to ensure public buildings can offer shelter after major earthquakes. -
Supporters say the dream of a speedy train between Portland and Vancouver, BC, is not derailed. Meanwhile, other rail fans want to see more money directed to existing Amtrak lines in the region. -
Oregon and Washington scored big Friday in a fiercely contested national competition to grab a share of $7 billion to kickstart the production and use of “green” hydrogen, viewed as an important fuel source for cutting pollution from heavy industry. -
One of the premier peak bagging objectives in the Pacific Northwest is to scale the 100 highest mountains in Washington state. That challenge is called the Bulger List. Two years ago, an Oregon man became the first to conquer all 100 peaks in a single season. Just in the past few days, a duo from Ellensburg, Washington, repeated the feat — not quite as fast, but with an extra-hard twist. -
Artificial intelligence is all the rage, and now it’s helping some Pacific Northwest seniors live in their own homes for longer. Twenty grandmas and grandpas on the Washington coast joined a pilot project that is trialing how AI-driven companion robots could reduce loneliness and social isolation among seniors —especially those living alone. -
For a few years now, aviation enthusiasts have teased the idea of a Jetsons-style future in which small electric aircraft whisk us to work or across the state and region. That future is not here yet, though a handful of companies, including one based in the Pacific Northwest, are trying to get a head start on the future of flying using conventional planes. -
Alaska Airlines ceremonially handed over a surplus turboprop airliner on Monday to a company that aims to turn it into the largest hydrogen-powered plane yet to fly.
