Just off the graveyard shift, Aaron Starks refuels with coffee in the early-morning quiet of the student union at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, steeling himself for his classes in electrical engineering.

Nevada was one of the states most affected by the economic downturn, which meant it also had to deal with one of the nation's worst state budget shortfalls in 2011. So what did state and local governments do well during the downturn? And what could we have done better?

So there it was. Amid the single-serving shrimp cocktails, bite-sized quiche, wine, hugs, polite conversations, photo-ops, artists, writers, gallerists and well-heeled art collectors, lived the one single truth: We’ve been given another chance.

Barrick Museum to feature revived collection at grand reopening

Colorado Springs, plagued by high unemployment, continues to struggle to find traction in its recovery from the recession, a report by the Brookings Institution finds.