(AP) — Drought-damaged corn stalk is seen near Brownville, Neb., Thursday, July 26, 2012.
The widest drought to grip the United States in decades is getting worse with no signs of abating. The drought covering two-thirds of the continental U.S. had been considered relatively shallow, the product of months without rain, rather than years, but a report released Thursday showed its intensity is rapidly increasing, with 20 percent of the nation now in the two worst stages of drought, up 7 percent from last week. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)