10 Things You Need To Know For Wednesday

2012 was one hot year--the warmest year on record for the continental United States, breaking the previous index set in 1998 by a long shot. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced Tuesday that the average temperature of the year was 55.3 degrees—1 degree above the 1998 record and 3.2 degrees hotter than the 20th Century average. 2012 was also the driest year for the U.S. since 1988, marked by an historic drought in the Midwest, wildfires, and super storms.

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News in Photos: The 10 topics you should be ready to talk about today.

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