In the course of reporting on a story about energy and employment in Detroit, my colleague Mike and I talked with several people about the resurgence of the city. It's impossible to discuss the future of Detroit without acknowledging the current state of the shrinking city, but those who are committed to seeing Detroit regrow are not leaving its history behind.

The BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has rocked the small towns that thrive in southern Plaquemines Parish, La. Located in the southernmost tip of the state, and now surrounded by oil-filled bays, Venice and its neighboring towns, Boothville and Buras, have been described by many as "ground zero" of the disaster.

The BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has rocked the small towns that thrive in southern Plaquemines Parish, La. Located in the southernmost tip of the state, and now surrounded by oil-filled bays, Venice and its neighboring towns, Boothville and Buras, have been described by many as "ground zero" of the disaster.