- A website called "Hark Town Rescure" — yes, they really did misspell "rescue" in their name — is scamming people with adoption fees for non-existent dogs. Those running the site claim that the founder of Family Dog Rescue, an SF nonprofit that has been in operation for 11 years, is behind the agency and are charging people some $375 for adoption fees, presenting them with "no paper, no receipts, nothing." [KTVU]
- Chinatown's famous Lunar New Year parade was a largely digital experience Saturday, dealing yet another financial blow to the neighborhood's merchants. Around 30% of the annual income (for many Chinatown businesses) is generated during the two-week period honoring the Lunar New Year, with that business all but shuttered amid COVID-19. [ABC7]
- It could take six years or longer for business to return to pre-pandemic levels at SFO; 2021, thus far, has seen around 40% of 2019's travel at the international airport, per a spokesperson. [SF Examiner]
- Queers, millenials, and horticulture lovers — and all the plant daddies, mommies, and non-binary parental figures in between — are buying up rare plants (sometimes costing as much as $300 per potted baby) with abandon. [SFGate]
- Oakland's own Ayodele Nzinga recently released a new book on poetry that explores "racism, capitalism, and the 'eternal battleground' of social change" in sublime prose. [Oaklandside]
- Volunteers are giving Chinatown business owners in Oakland air horns to help keep them safe; there's also an ongoing community stroll throughout the neighborhood starting that you can volunteer for, as well. [ABC7/The Bold Italic]
- Partial immunity, a lack of holiday travel, and proper social distancing are all key factors as to why COVID-19 cases in San Francisco and elsewhere in the state are on the decline. [Chronicle]
- A tepid Fauci is still hesitant to say exactly when things will return to normal in the United States, but some semblance of it will likely come around this fall or winter. [CNN]
Image: Getty Images/yhelfman
