Tom Banse - N3
Regional CorrespondentTom Banse covers national news, business, science, public policy, Olympic sports and human interest stories from across the Northwest. He reports from well known and out–of–the–way places in the region where important, amusing, touching, or outrageous events are unfolding. Tom's stories can be found online and heard on-air during "Morning Edition" and "All Things Considered" on NPR stations in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho.
Before taking his current beat, Tom covered state government and the Washington Legislature for 12 years. He got his start in radio at WCAL–FM, a public station in southern Minnesota. Reared in Seattle, Tom graduated from Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota with a degree in American Studies.
When not sifting through press releases, listening to lobbyists, or driving lonely highways, Tom enjoys exploring the Olympic Peninsula backcountry and cooking dinner with his wife and friends. Tom's secret ambition is to take six months off work and travel to a faraway place beyond the reach of email.
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The Washington Legislature has a lot of prickly problems on its plate. But there's a new one that may be the prickliest of all: Should lawmakers designate an official state cactus? A school class proposed a native cactus for the honor and they now have a sponsor in the Legislature. -
Northwest tech companies are laying off workers, or putting a freeze on hiring. It's an industry trend that has some folks concerned, especially as the word "recession" creeps further into speculation over the next year. -
Last week’s earthquake in Mexico provided another reminder about the risks of poorly reinforced buildings.According to government studies, there are… -
In news from the Summer Games in Brazil, Oregon's Ashton Eaton has successfully defended his Olympic decathlon title Thursday night. Correspondent Tom…
