Marie Cusick

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.

Fracking was among 149 words added to the Merriam-Webster dictionary. Activists play up its unseemly connotations; those in the oil and gas industry downplay documented problems with gas development.

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.

So what does a Christmas cookie from centuries ago look like? This time of year, a bakery in Pennsylvania Dutch country is busy making cookies the same way they were made in medieval Germany, and their edible pieces of art history have attracted customers from all over the globe.