While Washington's division and dysfunction threatens our economic recovery, some American cities are still working their way back to prosperity after decades, not years, of tough times.

Recently, John Avlon traveled to Youngstown, Ohio, his mother's home town, and caught a glimpse of hope deep in the Rust Belt. Youngstown's recovery is a fragile work in progress, but it's a story that is starting to echo across the midwest – local innovation leading to economic progress.