On this episode of Fifth & Mission, Chronicle reporter Kurtis Alexander discusses why a rare winter wildfire along the Big Sur coastline may indicate a more regular problem facing California

Who are the people at the center of the Bay Area's epidemic of drug addiction and fatal overdoses? Columnist Heather Knight discusses her three years following a man named Jeffrey Choate through the ups and downs of painful addiction and hopeful recovery, from his teenage years getting hooked on painkillers to his time as a prison firefighter to his worst days on the streets of San Francisco's Tenderloin. Knight tells host Demian Bulwa that Jeffrey's story ended tragically but carries lessons about how we should respond to the crisis.

The debut episode of It's All Political on Fifth and Mission features a conversation between senior political writer Joe Garofoli and Sen. Alex Padilla. The first Latino U.S. senator from California reflects on his first year in the Senate.

After 100 years, San Francisco's beloved Castro Theatre is getting a major makeover. How will it affect the cultural landmark? Host Cecilia Lei talks to reporter Tony Bravo, events producer Marc Heustis and drag performer Peaches Christ

Voters will determine the fate of three San Francisco Board of Education commissioners on Feb. 15, and make their picks for the city’s assessor-recorder and in a primary for its newest Assembly member. Reporters Jill Tucker and Mallory Moench have the lowdown.

Not a lot is known about whether vaccines prevent long COVID, a condition whose symptoms can range from shortness of breath to psychosis. But as reporter Nanette Asimov tells host Cecilia Lei, researchers are starting to learn how the shot can help prevent and lessen the disease.

A bill to change the controversial Ellis Act is making its way through the Legislature. But for some tenants, it's already too late. Reporter Lauren Hepler joins host Dominic Fracassa to discuss what the new bill would do, where it would apply and who could still be left behind.

To honor the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, Fifth & Mission offers this encore presentation of the June 18, 2021, episode. Black Bay Area leaders including Betty Reid Soskin, Harry Edwards, Rev. Amos Brown and Barbara Rodgers share stories of the past and visions for the future.

Oakland Unified School District is requiring students ages 12 and older to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Chronicle education reporter Jill Tucker discusses what's at stake or the district, as well as families choosing not to vaccinate their children

Last month, San Francisco Mayor London Breed announced a police crackdown in the Tenderloin to combat rampant drug use and crime. Chronicle reporter Megan Cassidy checked in with the mayor to see how it's going.

With the omicron variant breaking daily COVID-19 case records, reporter Catherine Ho joins host Cecilia Lei to discuss a new antiviral pill. Plus: Erin Allday on Sonoma County's new shelter-in-place recommendation.

California's governor unveils his budget proposal. Chronicle reporter Dustin Gardiner and senior political writer Joe Garofoli join host Cecilia Lei to chat about what Newsom's priorities are, and what he wants to do with a $46 billion surplus.

UCSF's Dr. Bob Wachter joins host Cecilia Lei and Chronicle health reporter Erin Allday to offer clarity during this record-breaking omicron surge, including isolation guidelines, advice for parents of kids under 5 and when the pandemic might become endemic.

Pandemic tension is exploding again in schools — including in San Francisco, where public campuses were down nearly 900 teachers and aides on Thursday. Chronicle reporter Jill Tucker joins host Demian Bulwa to talk about fights over masks, tests and more.

One year after the Capitol was invaded by angry Trump supporters, Chronicle reporters Tal Kopan, Joe Garofoli and Matthias Gafni join host Cecilia Lei to discuss how prosecutions are going and the growing threat to American democracy.

A new law requires the state to dramatically expand its composting abilities and shrink the amount of waste sent to landfills by 2025. Chronicle reporter Chase DiFeliciantonio joins host Cecilia Lei to explain why this is a climate change fight. Plus: Reporter Dustin Gardiner discusses major infrastructure problems in the state’s recycling program.

The highly infectious variant is already surpassing the case numbers of last winter. Chronicle health reporter Erin Allday joins host Cecilia Lei to talk about the latest COVID-19 wave and a possible silver lining.

Rain and snow storms helped usher in a new year in California, but are they drought busters? Chronicle reporter Kurtis Alexander has the latest.

For our last episode of 2021, hosts Cecilia Lei and Demian Bulwa ask Chronicle journalists and other notable Bay Area figures to answer the question: ‘What issue or story are you most curious about or interested in following in 2022?'

In a Chronicle Live virtual event in November, reporter Kevin Fagan speaks with Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf and housing advocates Tomiquia Moss and Chelsea Andrews about the crisis.

What does it actually mean to be immunocompromised? Fifth & Mission producer Téa Francesca Price shares the pandemic experiences of those with compromised health.

The governor is co-opting the Lone Star State's end run around the courts on abortion to target illegal homemade firearms. As reporter Dustin Gardiner tells host Demian Bulwa, Newsom sees his gambit as an attempt to use a bad tactic for something good.

Mayor London Breed unveiled a strategy that would significantly boost police presence in S.F.'s Tenderloin district in order to manage increased gun violence and open air drug dealing. Despite promoting alternatives to policing recently, Breed's latest plan indicates an abrupt change in tone. Chronicle reporter Trisha Thadani joins host Cecilia Lei to explain.

UCSF's Dr. Bob Wachter and Dr. Monica Gandhi have turned into Twitter celebrities during the coronavirus pandemic. In this Twitter Spaces conversation, they discuss the omicron variant and how to stay safe with host Cecilia Lei and health reporter Erin Allday.

That's the question Bay Area communities are answering as money is distributed from the bipartisan infrastructure bill and possibly President Biden's Build Back Better bill. Political correspondent Tal Kopan talks about the projects that stand to benefit.