Summer is seldom an easy time for the U.S. electric power grid. Demand for power usually peaks between July and August, when America's air conditioners kick into overdrive and extreme heat can reduce the efficiency of transmission lines just when they are needed the most. Yet despite the sustained, record-shattering heat in many parts of the country this summer, the U.S. power grid has borne the hottest days of 2012 with few major incidents. That is due, in large part, to the creeping pace of the economy, which has cut down on production and thus demand from the industrial sector. Go to story #1

Yes, it really is that hot. Extreme summer heat -- like the sizzling temperatures that hit Texas and Oklahoma last year and Moscow in 2010 -- occurs far more frequently now than it did 30 years ago, according to a new study from NASA climatologist James Hansen. Go to story #2