- KRON4 security Kevin Nishita passed away Saturday after sustaining gunshot wounds during an attempted robbery earlier in the week. On Wednesday, Nishita was protecting a news reporter covering the story of a masked mob breaking into a clothing store in Oakland when he was shot in the chest by a man trying to steal camera equipment; Nishita was transported to Highland Hospital where he received emergency surgeries to help save his life — but the wounds proved too severe, and he had succumbed to those injuries Saturday morning; a reward of up to $32.5K will be offered to anyone who can bring forward information that will lead to the arrest of the armed robber who took Nishita's life. [KTVU/KRON4]
- A pride of over 30 peacocks is causing chaos in a Tracy neighborhood. The brightly colored peafowl are perching in backyard trees and smearing fecal material across driveways and roofs near Redbridge and George Kelley Elementary School; an agreement has been made between the City and the Redbridge Homeowners Association to remove the birds — which will cost some $30K to do. [KCRA]
- With woes and worries growing around the novel Omicron variant, some Bay Area scientists have said this could be the worst adaptation of COVID-19 we've yet seen. [ABC7]
- After being struck by a rogue vehicle during a Palo Alto slideshow, one dog was euthanized after it was rushed to a nearby veterinary hospital. [Chronicle]
- Marine noise pollution has resulted in cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises) losing track of mates, navigating to the wrong feeding grounds, and more; deep-sea mining is only expected to exacerbate that problem. [Mongabay]
- As the "Metaverse" gains more traction among the massing — promising lofty plans to better connect the planet, causing certain cryptocurrencies slated to be used in the virtual space to climb in value — there's one thing that Zuckberg's dystopian digital reality can't give us: human touch and the joys of sharing physical space with those we love. [NYT]
Photo: Getty Images/Cavan Images
