High Views: Glass Elevator Added To NYC Skyscraper

A glass elevator and observation deck are under construction at the top of Kohn Pedersen Fox’s supertall skyscraper One Vanderbilt in New York. Called Summit One Vanderbilt, the observatory and elevator ride is being built towards the crown of the 1,401-foot-tall (427 metres) tower next to Grand Central Station in Midtown Manhattan. Kohn Pedersen Fox designed One Vanderbilt and Summit One Vanderbilt for developer SL Green Realty. The attraction is split into three parts called Ascent, Levitation and Summit. Ascent is a glass elevator complete with a transparent floor that will take visitors up the outside of the supertall skyscraper to a height of 1,210 feet (369 metres). Read more on Dezeen: https://www.dezeen.com/?p=1661707

Aerial Views: Lithuania – Cities & Landscapes (4K)

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 KlaipėdaLithuanians 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. 

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.

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