Marie Cusick

The sudden ups and downs of the oil and gas industry can feel like whiplash for rural communities seeing an influx of workers. Affordable housing has been a challenge. With the current slowdown in drilling, rental prices have dropped, but they're still much higher than they were pre-boom, leaving low-income and senior people still struggling to find a place they can afford.

Driven by new regulations and fracking, more coal power plants are retiring for cheaper, cleaner-burning natural gas. But scientists have yet to work out the fossil fuel's imperfect climate footprint.

This week marks the 150th anniversary of the battle of Gettysburg. While it's widely known as the critical turning point of the Civil War, the small Pennsylvania town has seen many other battles since then — over how the historic site should be preserved and remembered.

Residents of the South End neighborhood of Albany, N.Y., had made repeated requests for a bus route for their underserved neighborhood. Resident Willie White brought his neighbors together to demand a bus route — and a seat at the table in city politics.