Google Maps Mashups and what they're good for

Mike Pegg over at Google Maps Mania posted a list of 50 things to do with Google Maps.

Some examples: find someone's house, beat traffic, check weather, find food, track a flight.

How could Google Maps and their Mashups be used in the news?

Track sex offenders, overlays for events across areas, track hurricanes and calculate possible damage to areas, crime and weather by zip code, show where construction and blocked roads may cause traffic, what companies or institutions are in an area, locations of non-profit organizations like blood drives and Goodwill drop-off points, show an influx or outflux of population in an area.