Power from the Rift

East Africa’s Rift Valley could transform a continent where two billion people have no access to electricity. Advocates say geothermal sites in the valley (at right) could someday produce at least 4,000 megawatts of electricity for Kenya, Mozambique, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Uganda and Tanzania. Photo: stevej2000

Tell Us All About It

Your feedback makes a difference! Take the Newsdesk.org annual survey and help us improve our coverage of important but overlooked news in 2009. You’ll have real impacts on our work during a time of growth and change for this free public service. Photo: Lynne Featherstone

Endangered Species?

A new report by Fitch Ratings finds that a deepening credit crunch may cause “several cities” to lose their local newspapers entirely by 2010. On the threatened list? Foreign-coverage mainstay McClatchy, and the ill-starred Tribune Company. Photo: Special

Pennies for Journalism

We’re looking to raise $10,000 to publish News You Might Have Missed in 2009. NYMHM is a unique source for deep context, unexplored angles and neglected stories from around the world — and your own backyard. Your donation will help keep this free resource going strong! Photo: long division and x-ray vision

Return of a Cold War

Like a chilly breeze from another era, news of a “catastrophic” NATO security leak came with the arrest of Herman Simm (right), a high-ranking Estonian official whom the E.U. says was recruited by the KGB in the ’80s, but was only caught passing secrets to Russia this summer.Photo: Handout

Lip-Syncing the Cultural Revolution

China’s Ministry of Culture says it’s going to crack down on lip-syncers that “cheat” the public, but this didn’t stop Lin Miaoke (right) from “miming” China’s national anthem at the Beijing Olympics. The song was actually performed by Yang Peiyi (left), whom officials found less photogenic.Photo: Handout

Hidden Statistic?

Is there a spike in violence against homeless people? Are teens the main culprits? Depends which official report you believe. ALSO: Recent attacks put human faces on disturbing and disputed statistics. Photo: Shapeshift

Losing Tibet

Speaking in Japan, the Dalai Lama said his drive for autonomy in Tibet has failed. He described the situation there as one of martial law, and said Tibet’s culture and people “are being handed down a death sentence.”Photo: Jan Michael Ihl

Prop D: Consensus on Pier 70?

By Bernice Yeung, Newsdesk.org/The Public Press

Although development is a perennially hot-button topic in San Francisco due to concerns about gentrification, Proposition D, which would facilitate Pier 70 revitalization, is a seemingly controversy-free measure that has garnered wide support from neighborhood groups, environmentalists, city officials and developers. Pier 70 is a 65-acre site along the Central Waterfront, just south of Mission Bay. According to the Port of San Francisco’s proposed master plan — which will be finalized by early 2009 and then released to the public for comment before going to the Board of Supervisors for approval — the redeveloped port would feature retail sites, restaurants, public parks, cultural venues, parking and continued maritime industry (Pier 70 is the oldest continuously operating shipyard on the West Coast for boat building and repair). In fact, many anti-gentrification activists are supporting D because they see it as a way to not only save the historic buildings, but also to insist on more green space and less dense retail-type development. No Opposition?

Poll Smarter

The San Francisco Election Truthiness Report fact-checks the ads and arguments around local voter propositions — Junior ROTC, affordable housing, property and business taxes, clean energy, hospital rebuilding, ballot-book spin doctoring, and more.Photo: BTobin