1. ELECTION 2012:
Shale gas poised to be a star player in economy-driven second term
President Obama has gained a second term in which a shale gas and oil boom seems likely to write a new chapter in America's energy future with or without help from a politically fractured Washington, D.C. If past precedents hold, Obama will have two years, or possibly less, to try to impart a new direction on energy and climate policies before Congress turns its attention to the 2016 presidential race.