• A new report shows that residents in the SF Bay Area are most likely to experience package theft. Findings from Safewise, a home security website, show that three out of every four Americans have experienced package theft, with the rate of this kind of thievery having increased over 23% this year; second to the Bay Area where "porch pirates" strike most is Seattle. [KRON4]
• There's a good chance we're in for a winter boom in COVID cases. "COVID positivity is going up," says Shishi Luo, the associate director of bioinformatics and infectious disease at the genetic testing company Helix; the company has been monitoring coronavirus variants since the pandemic and has found that new infections are "increasing fastest among 18- to 24-year-olds"; it's the first time Helix data has shown an increase in COVID positivity since July. [ABC7]
• If you need a break from animal meats this weekend, the vegan bacon cheeseburger from Roam Artisan Burgers is a great plant-based option to indulge in. [Eater SF]
• Outgoing Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf is pouring hundreds of thousands of dollars into public safety initiatives for downtown and other retail districts to inspire shopper confidence and mitigate theft. [NBC Bay Area]
• Here's your reminder that the fundraising campaign set up to install new gender-inclusive bathrooms at El Rio is still up. [GoFundMe]
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• If you're keen on cutting down your own Christmas tree, you can at CA's Stanislaus National Forest — for the first time ever. [Chronicle]
• People are using psychedelics to bolster their mental health more than ever before, but unclear industry standards, a lack of regulation, and hit-or-miss product quality means the efficacy of these drugs can be problematic. [New York Times]

Photo: Getty Images/canbalci