Britain’s shale prospects got a lot brighter today, after 10 Downing sweetened the deal local communities will get for playing host to drilling operations. Local councils could now reap nearly $3 million per well—a number that could overcome what has been to this point strident NIMBY opposition.

The political gridlock that has gripped Washington over the past few years may have one small upside: For the third year in a row, the lobbying industry is losing profits. Most struggling companies are losing business due to the linger effects of the recession, but with lobbyists, the problem appears to stem from the inability of Congress to get much of anything done.

Tens of thousands of protesters who took to the streets of Bangkok today to put pressure on Thailand’s Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra were largely unopposed by government forces. Mainstream coverage of the story is a bit garbled, but The Diplomat has a comprehensive look at the situation that is well worth your time.

Between offers made by Israeli leaders and the hints—especially on Jerusalem—from Sharon’s thinking, it seems clear that there is an implicit Israeli bottom line for peace. The question for Secretary Kerry’s negotiations is this: is he trying to find a way to get the Palestinians to accept this old formula with a few minor modifications or is he trying to get the Israelis to put more on the table?

We hope our readers had a productive return to reality in the first full week after the holidays. Here are some stories you may have missed in the past week that are well worth your time this Sunday afternoon.

Late last week, 7,500 gallons of a coal-processing chemical leaked into West Virginia’s Elk River. That river supplied water for the state’s capital, Charleston, and in the aftermath of the spill, more than 300,000 people are without clean water. Fracking could prevent accidents like this one, but don’t expect any green to admit that.

The appeal of telework for small businesses is readily apparent: office space is an expense many can’t afford, so teams coordinate remotely from houses and coffee shops. It also allows firms to pursue the best talent available, without regard to spatial limitations (something the TAI team takes advantage of). But large enterprises are getting on board with telework as well. Small or large, public or private, the economic, social, and even health rationale for telework are manifest.

A Saudi Prince isn’t hiding his fear of the rising North American energy juggernaut, and is publicly calling for his country to start working on diversifying its economy away from a near-total dependence on crude. This isn’t the first time that billionaire Prince al-Waleed bin Talal has aired these concerns, and this persistence underscores his belief that the House of Saud is ignoring American shale at its own peril.

France’s oil behemoth Total will reveal a sizable $50 million investment in British shale tomorrow, in what the FT is calling a “vote of confidence” on the UK’s shale prospects. Total is keen on tapping some of the UK’s estimated 1.3 quadrillion cubic feet of shale gas and will explore two areas in east England for natural gas trapped in shale.

China is officially setting targets to reduce air pollution across its provinces. The central government outlined the expectations, which vary by region, as part of its push to clear its smoggy skies. Unfortunately, this naming and shaming strategy is unlikely to work as intended. Local Chinese politicians have a strong incentive to encourage economic (and more often than not that means industrial) growth as a path for political advancement; there will still remain a desire to fudge the numbers.