The Insider’s Guide to Fourth of July Road Trips: The Best Times to Travel

by Paul Riegler
The Insider’s Guide to Fourth of July Road Trips: The Best Times to Travel

If you are planning a road trip on Independence Day weekend, you most certainly won’t be alone.
More than 47.7 million Americans will travel during the five-day July 4th holiday period according to the American Automobile Association, and 91% of them will be going by car.
If possible, leave before the extended weekend, i.e. on Tuesday or Wednesday, to miss the rush and by all means check weather forecasts as summer storms …

Review and Test Drive: The 2021 Volkswagen ID.4 Electric Vehicle Offers Fahrvergnügen for the EV Era

by Jonathan Spira

There will be a time when it will no longer be necessary to write the words “Electric Vehicle” after a model name in the headline of a car review, but that time has not yet arrived. However, if more cars such as Volkswagen’s entertaining ID.4 come to market, we may soon need to use a retronym in headlines for those cars powered by internal-combustion engines.
Many people don’t really know what to …

Sunday’s Summer Solstice to Mark Longest Day of the Year

by Anna Breuer
Sunday’s Summer Solstice to Mark Longest Day of the Year

This Sunday, June 20,marks the summer solstice, the day of the year with longest period of daylight and fewest hours of darkness.
The solstice is an astronomical phenomenon at which the Northern Hemisphere is tilted closest to the sun, and takes place at the same time everywhere on earth.
In 2021, the solstice will occur at 11:32 p.m. EDT, hence 10:32 p.m. CDT, 9:32 p.m. MST, and 8:32 p.m. PDT. At that …

American Tourists to Be Welcomed Back to Europe After Bloc Lifts Restrictions

by Paul Riegler

American tourists, pack your bags!  Your European holiday awaits, now that the European Union gave the green light for member nations to return for the first time since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
The move will allow visitors from the U.S. in time for the crucial summer travel season on the Continent.
The European Union on Wednesday added the United States to the bloc’s official white list of countries, a list …

Everything You Missed at Apple’s WWDC Event Including Digitized Driver’s Licenses and Better Messaging

by Kurt Stolz

All eyes – at least those of Apple aficionados and tech geeks – were on the Apple World Wide Developers Conference Monday.  The annual showcase for Apple’s latest tech was held virtually amidst the backdrop of a pandemic that is easing in the United States but wreaking havoc in many other parts of the world.
Within the span of a two-hour keynote address, Apple unveiledits next mobile operating system, iOS 15, …

U.S. May Pioneer Supersonic Passenger Aircraft Second Time Around

by Jonathan Spira

The United States, which was a bystander in the first wave of supersonic travel that started in the 1970s, may be a pioneer as the second wave of supersonic transport starts to take flight.
The order by a U.S. airline for 50 new supersonic aircraft may put the country at the forefront of flying at twice the speed of sound, after having passed on the opportunity the first time around.
The carrier, …

Today Is National Doughnut Day: Here’s Where to Get A Free Donut to Celebrate

by Paul Riegler

Let’s face it: Last year’s National Doughnut Day was a bust since many of us were locked away in our homes while the coronavirus wrought havoc in our lives.
The good news is that today, June 4, is National Doughnut Day and it’s a brand new year as virus rates plummet and vaccinated people in the United States are free to go about much of their day without donning a mask. Except …