- Family members of the 36 people who died in the tragic Ghost Ship warehouse fire in Oakland four years ago were informed Wednesday that defendant Derick Almena will not be tried again. After Almena's 2019 trial ended in a hung jury regarding his guilt, he was expected to face a second trial, but prosecutors have reached a plea deal in which he will serve nine years in prison, which means about six more years than he already has. [Los Angeles Times]
- The SF Giants' largest shareholder, Charles B. Johnson, donated the maximum possible amount to the campaign of batshit Colorado congresswoman and reported QAnon sympathizer Lauren Boebert. Boebert is on Democrats' shit list after tweeting out Nancy Pelosi's location during the siege on the Capitol last week. [Chronicle]
- The Warriors-Suns game scheduled for Friday has been postponed due to COVID contact-tracing surround the Suns. The Suns are one of multiple teams who have had difficulty coming up with eight eligible players for a game, fueling talk of a possible pause in the NBA season. [NBC Bay Area]
- More dangerous surf and big waves are expected on Friday, rendering beaches unsafe. Following King Tides on Tuesday and Wednesday, meteorologists say Half Moon Bay and the Sonoma coast could see 30-foot waves on Friday. [Chronicle]
- Like Uber already did, Lyft announced a new fee for riders in California to pay for the benefits the companies already promised in Prop 22. [Examiner]
- Marin County has had some success in delivering a lot of vaccines in a single day through a "Disneyland"-style strategy with long, socially distanced lines. [ABC 7]
- Don Chava’ Salvador Lopez, the owner of the El Farolito taqueria chain, has died. [SFGate]
Photo: Jim Heaphy/Wikimedia
