For bicyclists, it’s a spring ritual: dust off the old bike after a long winter stored in the garage. But in some cities, you no longer have to own a bike to ride one. Bike-sharing schemes are a fixture across Europe. But now they are taking root on American soil. Jacob Fenston reports on the nation’s largest bike-share system, in Washington DC.
Over the past decade, Americans have been writing fewer checks and using more plastic. But now, some analysts are predicting an end for the credit card too. Who’s the giant-killer capable of one day taking down Visa and Mastercard? As Jacob Fenston reports, it could be your smartphone.
Not only can you update your Facebook status on your smartphone — you can also manage your bank account. But security experts warn that as more people bank by phone, more criminals will can steal by phone. Jacob Fenston has the story.
Halloween has always sparked creativity: white sheets become ghosts, front lawns become graveyards. But these days, the holiday is going high-tech. Jacob Fenston has more.
The Civil War has been over for 145 years, but in Virginia, the battles rage on. This week’s fight was over a 4th grade text book. It claims that thousands of black soldiers joined the Confederate army. As Jacob Fenston reports, the controversy has called into question the way that Virginia approves text books.
During World War II, the French national railway transported some 75,000 Jews to Nazi death camps. This still strikes a sensitive nerve for some Holocaust survivors. This month, a subsidiary of that railway took over operation of a commuter train in northern Virginia and survivors are upset, as Jacob Fenston reports.
If you’re one of those drivers who always has a quarter in your pocket except when you have to park at a meter, take heart. This spring, Washington, D.C., rolled out a pilot program that allows drivers to use their cell phones instead of having to fish for change. As Jacob Fenston reports, this technology may mean the parking meter’s time is about to expire.
As America remembers its war dead on Memorial Day, we’re hearing from family members and friends of fallen soldiers and Marines. Sergeant Bill Cahir had an unusual resume for an enlisted man. He was a Capitol Hill staffer, then a Washington journalist before joining the Marines at age 34. Reporter Jacob Fenston visited Sergeant Cahir’s widow at her home in Alexandria, Virginia.
Virginia’s Republican governor, Bob McDonnell, apologized yesterday. That’s after backlash over his proclamation of Confederate History Month and what it left out. As Jacob Fenston reports, the governor has reignited a long-simmering debate over how to remember Virginia’s role in the Civil War.
Drivers have gotten used to plotting their route using Google Maps. But commuters trying to find a safe route for two wheels have found themselves out of luck. Cyclists have now finally gotten biking directions from Google. As Jacob Fenston reports, they’re still a work-in-progress.