• Twitter was alive with people fawning over a Flemish giant rabbit that made a surprise appearance at Thursday's SF Giants game. Described as a therapy animal,  4-month-old Alex — the rabbit's name — without a doubt stole the spotlight during last night's San Francisco Giants game; "now that's a first," said one of the announcers in the stands adding "if I didn't know any better I'd think that bunny was fake"; Kei Kato, Alex's owner and a restauranteur by trade, keeps the young rabbit around to help cope with her anxiety and the stress from losing her main source of income amid the pandemic. [Chronicle]
  • After eleven days, the United States lifted its pause on using Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 shots. Friday, the FDA announced that the single-dose vaccine is critical to battling the pandemic and that the small risk of blot clots could be addressed with preemptive warnings and screenings; "above all else, health and safety are at the forefront of our decisions," CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said in a statement, citing that "[J&J's] vaccine safety systems are working." [ABC7]
  • Newsom has taken steps to place a ban on new fracking facilities by 2024 and is also aiming to shift CA entirely away from oil extraction by 2045 — the first state declaring to do so in the United States. [Guardian]
  • So, you're fully vaccinated — still wear a mask in public and practice social distancing as we inch closer to herd immunity. [Oaklandside]
  • Despite a worrying wildfire season looming on the horizon, Big Basin Redwoods State Park — the state’s oldest park — is recovering quite well after last year's lightning complex fires. [KPIX]
  • An ex-teacher who purposely coughed on a one-year-old's face at a San Jose Yogurtland this past June has been charged with assault. [KRON4]
  • Renowned Hayes Valley eatery Cala will continue to lend its space to chefs at Refettorio San Francisco, a local nonprofit that provides meals and resources to those in need; their services also include offering food education and preparation classes to vulnerable communities. [Eater SF]

Image: Getty Images/stu99