Drought withers corn, sparks prices

Heat and dry conditions forced the US Department of Agriculture to recently lower its estimate for US corn production for this year by an astounding 1.82 billion bushels, according to Southeast Farm Press.

“ … persistent and extreme June dryness across the central and eastern Corn Belt and extreme late June and early July heat from the central Plains to the Ohio River Valley,” led to the USDA’s decision to lower projected US corn yield, according to the publication.

Farmers from Illinois to Wyoming are watching corn and other crops and livestock wither as the most widespread drought since the mid-1950s persists across more than half the US, according to the Christian Science Monitor, which added that higher food prices won’t be far behind.

The USDA said earlier this month that 30 percent of the corn in the 18 states that produce most of the nation’s crop is now considered in poor or very poor condition. A week earlier, it was 22 percent, according to the Associated Press.

Not surprisingly, corn prices have jumped sharply in recent weeks.

The USDA’s corn yield was lowered by 20 bushels per acre, to 146 bushels, reflecting the rapid decline in crop conditions since early June and the latest weather data.

Berlin seeks to restore glory of past

The Berlin City Palace, home to Prussian kings and German emperors, served not just as the residence of imperial leaders for centuries but was the city’s most cherished landmark.

It’s difficult to overstate the majesty of the Berliner Stadtschloss, a brilliant example of Baroque architecture with approximately 12,000 rooms and 250,000 square feet of floor space.

For five centuries the palace was not only a central part of Berlin’s identity, but also served as the focal point of its architecture, with the city center’s ensemble of historical building and main avenues growing up around the palace for more than 500 years, according to the Epoch Times.

Though heavily damaged in World War II, the palace’s structure remained intact. In 1950, the East German communist regime pulled it down to both make space for a grand square for military parades in the heart of Berlin and to rid the city of the reminder of Prussian militarism.

East German Communist Party chief Walter Ulbricht ignored all protests, even from within the party, to save the palace. Due to the thickness of the walls, up to 10 feet in places, the demolition process took 10 months, according to the Times.

Now, more than 60 years later, the Berlin City Palace is being rebuilt entirely from scratch, in a massive, ambitious project expected to cost upwards of $1 billion.