Freight rail is booming throughout the U.S. While shipping oil from North Dakota's Bakken shale basin has been a huge factor in the resurgence, Betsy Morris digs deeper and analyzes the surprising competition between road and rail.
Mar 28, 2013 The Wall Street Journal
The public is increasingly showing support for hydraulic fracturing of oil and gas - and it's reflected at the ballot box as many pro-drilling candidates were elected. In fact, the debate has shifted from banning to what to do with new tax revenue.
Nov 24, 2012 USA Today
Oil drilling has brought abundant prosperity to North Dakota over the past few years. Nicholas Kusnetz exposes the impact of weak environmental regulation in the state.
Jun 10, 2012 ProPublica
New York Times economics writer and Nobel laureate Paul Krugman analyzes two major reasons for increasing oil drilling - reducing unemployment and lowering gas prices, and describes why it does neither.
Mar 20, 2012 The New York Times - The Opinion Pages
The Bakken formation, which lies under North Dakota and Montana, could contain almost 11 billion barrels of oil. Towns like Williston, ND are exploding in population and have the lowest unemployment in the country.
Sep 26, 2011 NPR
Small town movie theaters are seeing new interest from community members who are fighting -- and volunteering -- to keep them open.
Jul 5, 2010 The New York Times
Joel Kotkin reports that the from Dallas to Des Moines and Bismark, the urban areas of the Great Plains states has seen steady growth thanks to energy, agriculture and high-tech jobs.
Jul 4, 2010 New Geography
North Dakota is undergoing a jobs boom right now, but it doesn't have the housing stock to match the new increase in workers.
Apr 21, 2010 The New York Times
A North Dakota man says he'll fight his city to keep his wind turbine.
Dec 9, 2009 The Bismarck Tribune
Recognizing a need for formal cooperation between the regions in the middle of North America, the author of this article calls for a North American Central Economic Region.
Oct 8, 2008 New Geography