Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a country in the Baltic region of Europe.[a] It is one of the Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea to the southeast of Sweden and the east of Denmark, with Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, Poland to the south, and Kaliningrad Oblast of Russia to the southwest. Lithuania covers an area of 65,300 km2 (25,200 sq mi), with a population of 2.7 million. Its capital and largest city is Vilnius; other major cities are Kaunas and Klaipėda. Lithuanians belong to the ethno-linguistic group of the Balts and speak Lithuanian, one of only a few living Baltic languages.
Morning News: Global Inflation, Rental Homes & China’s Space Program
A.M. Edition for June 17. WSJ’s Paul Hannon on the role central banks around the world play in determining interest rates to control inflation.
Property-rental sites deal with a shortage of inventory and strong demand. China marks a milestone in its space program. Marc Stewart hosts.
Climate: Rainforests In Some Unexpected Places
Many of us are familiar with rainforests; lush and exotic environments that serve as the pinnacle of life on Earth. For the most part we assume these only occur throughout the tropics, but as it turns out certain areas in the temperate latitudes can receive just as much rainfall, creating a number of rainforests in unexpected places.
Temperate rainforests are coniferous or broadleaf forests that occur in the temperate zone and receive heavy rain. … The moist conditions of temperate rain forests generally support an understory of mosses, ferns and some shrubs and berries.
Walks: Alberobello In Southeastern italy (4K)
Alberobello is a town in Italy’s Apulia region. It’s known for its trulli, whitewashed stone huts with conical roofs. The hilltop Rione Monti district has hundreds of them. The 18th-century Trullo Sovrano is a 2-level trulli. Furniture and tools at the Museo del Territorio Casa Pezzolla re-create life in the trulli as it was centuries ago. Southwest of town is the Casa Rossa, a WWII internment camp.
Walks: Dürnstein On The Danube River, Austria (4K)
Dürnstein is a small town on the Danube river in the Krems-Land district, in the Austrian state of Lower Austria. It is one of the most-visited tourist destinations in the Wachau region and also a well-known wine growing area.
Inside Views: Cataract Surgery Procedure
The patient is awake as a laser cuts her cataract into six pieces. Then, she heads into the operating room. When she wakes up, her cataracts and nearsightedness are gone.
News: Top 5 Stories For June 16, 2021 (Reuters)
Five stories to know for June 16, 2021:
1. U.S. President Joe Biden meets Russian President Vladimir Putin in Geneva for their first face to face since he took office. Disagreements remain between the U.S. and Russia. Expectations for any breakthroughs are low.
2. Israeli airstrikes hit Gaza after Hamas launched fire balloons at Israel earlier in the day, which sparked fires. Tensions are high after an Israeli nationalist march in Jerusalem
3. The U.S. Senate voted to establish Juneteenth as a federal holiday.
4. Taiwan reported a record incursion of Chinese aircraft after the G7 scolded Beijing and called for peace in the Taiwan Strait.
5. Fireworks lit up New York state as COVID-19 restrictions were lifted. NY reported that 70% of adults have received at least one vaccine dose.
Magazines: Scientific American – July 2021
Walks: Hydrangeas At Hakusan Shrine, Tokyo
The Ajisai (Hydrangea) at start of summer in Japan are in full bloom at Hakusan Shrine in Tokyo.
Morning News: Biden & Putin, Cryptocurrencies, French Property Laws
Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin have much to hammer out today—but don’t expect it to be genial. We examine what is on the table, and how each president will be judged.
Competition in the cryptocurrency world is mushrooming; we ask whether any contender might knock bitcoin off its top slot. And France’s curious sell-now, die-later property scheme.
Boomers Daily 