• 58 more people died of a drug overdose in the city last month — which now brings the annual total to at least 621 drug-related deaths in San Francisco. Many of these deaths have been attributed to the worsening fentanyl epidemic gripping the country; the opioid — around 100 times more potent than morphine — has become popular to self-medicate with because to its "numbing effects on the mind and body." [Chronicle]
• A new hiking spot is opening in the Presidio soon, courtesy of the newly restored Quartermaster Reach Marsh. The renewed seven-acre marshland, which is more a return to form than anything else, includes the resurrection of a once-buried stream and new wildlife watching areas; around a quarter-mile of new passages will also snake through the area. [7x7]
• All Bay Area counties have now joined California's regional stay-at-home order. [ABC7]
• SF's public school kids won't start returning to campuses on January 25 as originally planned. [KRON4]
• One East Bay community organizer has taken it upon himself to start cleaning the homeless encampments in West Oakland. [Oaklandside]
• The FDA has officially authorized the "emergency use" of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine — becoming the second one of its kind to garner such approval. [NYT]
• Mike Kai Chen's photo essay in Mission Local expertly captures the nuances of everyday life in the pandemic. [Mission Local]
• Here's what to order and drink in the Bay Area for New Year's Eve. [Eater SF]
• But also don't forget to support these local Jewish businesses this Chanukah — and well after it's over. [The Bold Italic]

Image: Unsplash via Jesse Collins