2016 Was the Hottest Year on Record and 4 Other Stories to Know Jan. 18
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- For the third consecutive year, Earth's average temperature has shattered records, making 2016 the hottest year ever documented. According to experts, human activity is directly responsible for the warming. One scientist told The New York Times that if humans were removed from the equation, the amount of warming in 2016 would "have less than one-in-a-million odds of occurring." Disturbingly, 16 out of the 17 hottest years recorded have occurred since 2000.
- NBC announced on Wednesday evening that it would be renewing Will and Grace for a limited season. The cast reunited for a sketch about the presidential election in September, which prompted fans of the show to wonder if it would return. According to NBC's preliminary release, the reboot will be 10 episodes.
- President Barack Obama commuted Chelsea Manning's sentence on Tuesday, which will allow her to be released in May. Manning was sentenced to 35 years in federal prison in 2013 for leaking classified information about the Afghanistan and Iraq War to WikiLeaks when she worked in the military. Advocates have long called for Manning's release, as her imprisonment discourages future American whistleblowers.
- George H. W. Bush and his wife Barbara were both hospitalized in Texas on Wednesday morning. Per a press release from Bush's spokesman, the former president was admitted to a hospital in Houston, TX, for pneumonia. Mrs. Bush was admitted for fatigue. Both are in stable condition as of the statement's release.
- Everyone's favorite chain, Chuck E. Cheese, is reportedly planning to go public. According to Reuters, the restaurant and entertainment franchise is preparing for a $1 billion public offering in late 2017.