Jacob Fenston
Jacob Fenston is WAMU’s environment reporter. In prior roles at WAMU, he was the founding producer of The Big Listen, interim managing producer of Metro Connection, and a news editor. His work has appeared on many national programs and has been recognized by regional and national awards. More importantly, his reporting has taken him and his microphone deep into muddy banks of the Anacostia River, into an enormous sewage tunnel, and hunting rats in infested alleys. His best story ever (as determined by himself) did not win any awards, even though it required recording audio while riding a bicycle the wrong way down the busy streets of Oakland, Calif.
Before coming to WAMU, Fenston was a reporter at KBIA in Columbia, Missouri, covering issues of health, wealth and poverty in the rural Midwest. In a previous life, he was a stage manager for a theater company in Portland, Oregon. While in Oregon, he got his start in radio, as a volunteer at community radio station KBOO. Fenston is a native of the great state of California, and holds a bachelor’s degree from Reed College and master’s degree in journalism from U.C. Berkeley.
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Spring is a busy time for the people charged with rehabilitating animals that are injured or orphaned. Right now, it's baby squirrel season across much of the country.
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Since before the political newcomer was inaugurated, there has been speculation that Maryland Gov. Wes Moore wants to run for higher office. The bridge collapse could be his first major test.
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Maryland Gov. Wes Moore is the only sitting Black governor and the third ever elected in the U.S. Moore is described as a "rising star" in the Democratic party without spending much time in office.
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Washington, D.C.'s famous cherry blossoms hit peak bloom this week. This will be the last season for about 150 of the famous flowering trees — they'll soon be cut down to adjust to sea-level rise.
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Invasive plants and insects are wreaking havoc on many of the nation's beloved parks. We visit parks in the D.C. area where vines are spreading fast and killing trees.
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A US farm has started equipping its goats with GPS collars so they can be fenced in electronically, with no physical fence necessary.
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Since 1972, China has gifted or loaned pandas to countries across the globe – often coinciding with major trade deals. But now these very popular ambassadors are being recalled.
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When their rare Siberian tigers proved to be "just friends," the National Zoo turned to artificial insemination in hopes of creating a next generation.
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Most streets that were closed across the nation so people could get outside more have since reopened. But some permanent closures, such as in Washington, D.C., and San Francisco, are wildly popular.
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Many cities opened streets for pedestrians during the pandemic, temporarily making way for outdoor dining and strolling in new places. Cars won't return to some of them.