All of a sudden in recent weeks, everyone in San Francisco was talking about killer robots. What happened? Chronicle reporter J.D. Morris joins host Demian Bulwa to talk about why San Francisco police sought approval to use robots to kill suspects in extreme circumstances — and why the Board of Supervisors flip-flopped amid backlash.

Chronicle reporter Carolyn Said joins host Cecilia Lei to discuss Bay Area employers who are experimenting with a 32-hour work week — at full 40-hour pay — and CommonFuture's VP of People Operations, Joann Lee Wagner, talks about why the four-day work week is about equity.

After less than a year of operations, the controversial facility has closed. Chronicle reporter Mallory Moench joins host Cecilia Lei to discuss why Mayor London Breed's emergency project is over, and to talk about how the city plans to address its drug epidemic now.

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed nearly 1,000 bills into law in 2022, the most productive law-making year since the start of the pandemic. Chronicle reporters Sophia Bollag and Dustin Gardiner join host Cecilia Lei to discuss a handful that you should know about, from big issues like gun safety and abortion to smaller ones like jaywalking and selling fur.

Denver Riggleman, who worked for the Jan. 6 committee after losing his reelection bid in 2020, talks to host Joe Garofoli about what's next for the investigation, how Republicans aren't likely to abandon Trump, and what motivates the likely next speaker of the House.

The deaths of four children are raising questions about the East Bay hospital's capabilities. Chronicle reporters Matthias Gafni and Cynthia Dizikes join host Cecilia Lei to discuss their follow-up investigation into John Muir Health and the care provided in the hospital's pediatric intensive care unit. (See also April 7, 2022, episode)

The 37-year-old progressive will be the first Hmong American to lead a major U.S. city. How does she plan to tackle its biggest issues? Chronicle reporter Sarah Ravani joins host Cecilia Lei to talk about what Thao plans to do in her first months as mayor to address Oakland's pressing problems around public safety, homelessness and economic uncertainty.

With Silicon Valley tech heavyweights like Twitter and Meta cutting jobs, thousands of people are looking for work. But for immigrants on H-1B visas, the consequence of not finding something quickly can be life-changing. Chronicle reporter Carolyn Said joins host Demian Bulwa with details.

The COVID-19 pandemic has both created mental health challenges for athletes — and fans — and spotlighted the opportunity to discuss them in a new way. Chronicle sportswriters Marisa Ingemi and Connor Letourneau join host Cecilia Lei to talk about the changing attitudes

We're sharing this episode of the Fixing Our City podcast from The Chronicle's SFNext project in which host Laura Wenus talks to Dr. João Goulão, Portugal's drug policy coordinator, about how that country dealt with an overdose epidemic similar to San Francisco's. Fifth & Mission returns with new episodes Monday.

The COVID pandemic caused a roller skating boom. Now, skaters in West Oakland are fighting for a rink of their own. Producer Caron Creighton reports on the history of Black roller skating and why the sport is deeply personal for the community. First published 9/16/22. Fifth & Mission returns with new episodes Monday.

UCSF's Dr. Peter Chin-Hong joins Cecilia Lei to discuss the "tripledemic" that figures to make this season challenging, as well as how to stay safe. And he reflects on nearly three years of the coronavirus pandemic.

It's All Political on Fifth & Mission host Joe Garofoli joins Cecilia Lei to talk about who will follow Nancy Pelosi as Democratic leader, and then Joe chats with John Lawrence, Pelosi’s former chief of staff, about her leadership style.

The former president on the ballot for a second presidential term is bad news for California Republicans — not to mention all the people he’s maligned with his racist, sexist, homophobic rhetoric. Reporters Shira Stein and Dustin Gardiner join host Joe Garofoli to talk about the Former Guy's new White House run.

Amid a groundswell of labor actions in recent years, University of California academic workers have organized the largest strike in the history of U.S. higher education. Chronicle reporter Nanette Asimov joins host Cecilia Lei to discuss what they're demanding, and Ken Jacobs, the director of UC Berkeley's Labor Center, explains why organized labor is making a comeback.

San Francisco's Board of Supervisors is expected to adopt legislation Tuesday that will establish a Pacific Islander Cultural District. Reporter Elissa Miolene joins host Cecilia Lei to discuss the unique challenges facing the population, and activist Gaynorann Siataga talks about the decades of work that have made the cultural district a reality.

Since buying Twitter, the billionaire's leadership has resulted in massive layoffs, executive resignations and other questionable business decisions. Casey Newton, editor of the Platformer newsletter and co-host of the Hard Fork podcast, joins host Cecilia Lei to discuss the internal chaos at Twitter, and the tech industry's future as a possible recession nears.

The Edwin M. Lee Apartments are a supportive housing complex for veterans. They're a model for how to attack homelessness, Chronicle reporter Kevin Fagan tells host Demian Bulwa. Fagan discusses why the national homeless count among veterans dropped dramatically from 2010 to 2016 — and why that trend stalled under the Trump administration.

Chronicle national baseball writer and Willie Mays biographer John Shea, who appears in the new HBO documentary "Say Hey, Willie Mays!" chats with host Cecilia Lei about his relationship with the San Francisco icon and his part in the film.

Gavin Newsom was re-elected and San Francisco D.A. Brooke Jenkins was heading toward victory. Nationally, the Republicans' "red wave" didn't materialize as abortion rights and the specter of Donald Trump and election denial loomed large. Joe Garofoli, Mallory Moench and Demian Bulwa break down the results from Tuesday's pivotal election.

A new survey found that one in five elections officials say they are likely to leave their jobs before the 2024 election. Escalating hostility and conspiracy theories, including 2020's "Big Lie," are to blame. Chronicle reporter Shwanika Narayan joins host Cecilia Lei to talk about how election workers are faring.

Brazen thefts of catalytic converters are exploding around the Bay Area. So what's going on and why can't we stop it? Chronicle reporter Nora Mishanec tells host Demian Bulwa the answers lie in a shocking case in which the converters were sawed off cars, trafficked through a Northern California family and shipped across the country.

Emily Dreyfuss, the co-author of “Meme Wars: The Untold Story of the Online Battles Upending Democracy in America,” joins host Cecilia Lei to talk about how the social media landscape will change in the wake of Musk buying the bird app.

In response to high living costs, many California residents have moved to more affordable areas of the state that will also face the highest temperature increases by the end of the century. non-white communities will face key challenges to adapt to climate change.

Bay Area Democratic consultant Jim Ross explains why political alliances may not be the best strategy, and Chronicle East Bay reporter Sarah Ravani shares the details on an ongoing ethical investigation into one of the leading candidates.