• Beachgoers are warned to avoid wildlife on the beach — and keep pets away — after the bird flu was detected in elephant seals in San Mateo County's Pescadero. This is the first time the virus has been found in mammals in California, but the risk of human transmission is still low. [KGO, KTLA]

  • Climate advocates say that the San Francisco Environment Department could be gutted under Mayor Daniel Lurie’s proposed plan for balancing the city’s budget. The plan would reduce the department’s city funding by 80%, and federal and state grant funding, which have historically accounted for a large portion of the department’s budget, have also dried up. [SF Examiner]
  • The Tenderloin and Lower Nob Hill neighborhoods now have the highest number of Airbnbs in the city due to their proximity to downtown, beating out the Mission, which held the title for a decade. This likely means heavy police presence in the area will become a mainstay, as SFPD conducted at least one sweep Friday following the recent scuffle involving Mayor Daniel Lurie's security detail. [Chronicle/SFist]
  • An Ebony Alert was issued for three teenagers, Kaliyah Jones, 17, London Scott, 15, and Xyer Thomas, 16, who were last seen in San Leandro, in the area of 163rd Avenue and East 14th Street, around 6:20 pm Friday, and it’s believed they’re on foot. [Bay Area News Group]
  • Hundreds of thousands of spectators attended the Chinese New Year Parade in San Francisco Saturday, and prior to the festivities, lion dancers made appearances across the city, including Green Apple Books and a protest against US involvement in the Middle East. [Chronicle]

  • Two students at Berkeley High School tested positive for the mumps last month, and while there’s no evidence of an outbreak, public health officials sent out an alert about potential exposure at the school on February 19 and 20. [NBC Bay Area]
  • Olympic figure skater and gold medalist Alysa Liu, who’s still getting accustomed to her newfound fame, says a fan followed her to her car at the airport when she returned to the Bay Area after the Olympics. [Chronicle]

Image: Leanne Maxwell/SFist