• "Phoenix" — the coyote that found itself in the waters off a deck at Marina Green Friday — was successfully treated before being released back into the wild. Named after an SFFD's historic fireboat, the canine was given veterinary care for severe hypothermia over the weekend; the coyote was successfully released back into an undisclosed area in the city. [KPIX]
• Though local economies are (for the most part) recovering, people continue to pile their previously purchased goods onto Bay Area thrift shops — which is now all the more reason to search for treasures at your local second-hand store [Oaklandside]
• SFPD's presence at Union Square has been steady over this shopping weekend.... and at some points outnumbering shoppers. [NBC Bay Area]
• Here's your reminder that San Francisco's "mini-mansions" sell for nearly ten times the average U.S. family home. [Chronicle]
• If you're still running about the city doing some holiday shopping, you'll be delighted to know that Bay Area malls are full of good eats. [Eater SF]
• The Netherlands has confirmed 13 cases of the new Omicron variant, while Australia found two cases, with the COVID-19 variant, more than likely, to already be elsewhere in the world — including the United States. [Associated Press/CNBC]
• With billionaires now doubling as ostentatious space cowboys, this piece in the New York Times sits as evidence that the gravity-free awe most space tourists hope to see (and feel) won't be exactly what they think. [NYT]

Photo: Getty Images/kellyvandellen