Fifth & Mission

The flagship news podcast of the San Francisco Chronicle. Producer/host Cecilia Lei and director of news Demian Bulwa discuss the biggest stories of the day with Chronicle journalists and newsmakers from around the Bay Area. | Get full digital access to the Chronicle: sfchronicle.com/pod

News
Politics
26
Brooke Jenkins to Drop SFPD Case, Blames Chesa ...
The San Francisco district attorney intends to drop the historic prosecution of an SFPD officer who shot and killed an unarmed man. She claims her predecessor, Chesa Boudin, filed the manslaughter charges against Christopher Samayoa for political reasons, while Boudin says Jenkins is not interested in holding police accountable. Reporter Joshua Sharpe joins host Demian Bulwa to talk about the death of Keita O’Neil and what it means in the context of the police reform movement nationally.
15 min
27
Mayor Breed: The State of the City is "Resilient"
"You can write us off, but you better write in pencil," said London Breed in her state of the city address Thursday. City Hall reporter Mallory Moench joins host Joe Garofoli to talk about the mayor's vision for San Francisco, including plans to build 82,000 new housing units and bolster SFPD staffing numbers.
12 min
28
Does San Francisco Need a Red-Light District?
Street prostitution has been an issue on Capp Street in the Mission District for decades.
16 min
29
"Inevitable": The Bay Area's Next Big Earthquake
Over 7,000 people have been killed in Turkey and Syria from major earthquakes this week. How prepared are Bay Area cities for a similar quake? Geologist Austin Elliott of the USGS joins host Cecilia Lei to talk about the probability of the Bay Area's next "big one" and how to prepare for it.
17 min
30
The "Huge Impact" of Ending Pandemic Food Assis...
The federal government has been providing emergency funds to tackle food insecurity since the start of the pandemic, but that support will end this month. Meg Davidson from the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank joins host Cecilia Lei to talk about the local action that's needed now.
16 min
31
Community Not Cops: Are S.F.'s Street Teams Hel...
San Francisco has half a dozen teams responding to people in crisis on the streets. Have these teams been effective? Chronicle reporter Mallory Moench joins host Cecilia Lei to talk about the city’s new pilot program to address homelessness, and what the data tells us about the impact of San Francisco's crisis teams.
13 min
32
How S.F. Pride Plans to Counter Right-Wing Attacks
The LGBTQ community is facing aggression on both the legislative and community levels. New S.F. Pride president Nguyen Pham joins host Cecilia Lei to talk about how recent challenges for the queer community are informing his leadership.
18 min
33
Half Moon Bay Farmworker Living Conditions: "A ...
Last month's mass shooting highlighted problems that have long existed: Exploited populations living in substandard conditions on California farms. Reporters Matthias Gafni and Nora Mishanec join host Cecilia Lei to talk about what's been exposed since the shooting, and Darlene Tenes of Farmworker Caravan shares why deplorable living conditions at farms have been a long-standing crisis across the state.
26 min
34
Does California Have the Power to Go All-Electric?
Tthe state wants to limit carbon emissions by going all-electric — in your home and in your car. But it also needs to keep the lights on, building a stronger and more innovative power grid.
14 min
35
Can Santa Cruz Turn Back the Tide?
Intense storms like the ones that just rolled through California, combined with rising sea levels, are endangering scenic shoreline areas like West Cliff Drive in Santa Cruz, where large chunks of bluffs fell into the sea earlier this month. Reporter Kurtis Alexander tells host Cecilia Lei that coastal cities are having to deal with problems like this years before they thought they’d have to.
17 min
36
"Fuel for Propaganda": Understanding the Attack...
Law enforcement officials have released recordings that document what happened before and after the attack on Paul Pelosi in the home he shares with then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Abner Hauge, editor-in-chief of Left Coast Right Watch, which monitors alt-right extremism, joins host Cecilia Lei to talk about attacker David Wayne DePape and his extremist rhetoric.
17 min
37
California's 2024 Senate Race Is On
Almost two years before Election Day, Katie Porter and Adam Schiff have tossed their hats in the ring, and Barbara Lee is making plans. Washington correspondent Shira Stein joins host Joe Garofoli to talk about who else might run for the seat now held by Dianne Feinstein, who's expected to retire, and how they'll raise the enormous amounts of money required.
17 min
38
An Accountability Crisis at the Oakland Police ...
Oakland Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong is on paid administrative leave after a report said he mishandled an officer misconduct investigation.
12 min
39
Can California Prevent More Mass Shootings?
The state has some of the strictest gun laws in the country, including background checks and bans on assault-style weapons, but mass shootings in Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay this week have left the state reeling. Assembly Member Evan Low joins host Cecilia Lei to discuss the limits of state legislation — and the support that AAPI communities need now.
19 min
40
5 Oakland Schools Won’t Close, But Trouble Remains
The newly elected Oakland school board reversed the controversial decision to shutter several elementary schools.
18 min
41
How SFPD Language Reveals Racial Bias
A Chronicle analysis of more than three years of police data has found that the San Francisco officers used terms like "marijuana" and "baggy" clothing to justify searches of Black residents, which yielded no contraband.
15 min
42
11 Million Bucks or the Bay Bridge Lights Go Dark
The Bay Bridge has sparkled for 10 years with a light installation designed by artist Leo Villareal. But the display costs millions to maintain and, with funds drying up, could soon go dark forever. Columnist and TotalSF podcast co-host Heather Knight and urban design critic John King join host Cecilia Lei to argue the cases for and against a fund-raising campaign to preserve the Bay Lights.
18 min
43
Can San Francisco Ever Be Ready for the New Bre...
Climate change has unleashed flurries of rain on a city with an antiquated sewer system, and the severity of future storms is not going to lessen. Reporter St. John "Sinjin" Barned-Smith joins Cecilia Lei to talk about what San Francisco officials can and can't do, and a brewing fight over who will pay for the extensive damage.
15 min
44
What’s Different About the Most Recent Tech Lay...
Entrepreneur Roger Lee started tracking tech sector layoffs in March 2020. Since then, Bay Area tech companies — including Twitter, Meta, Salesforce and Lyft — have laid off more than 93,000 employees. Lee joins host Cecilia Lei to talk about the scale of recent layoffs, their effects on the tech sector, and what job seekers might expect. in the coming months.
14 min
45
“It’s Just So Jarring”: A Photographer Covers F...
After years of covering California disasters, Chronicle photojournalist Jessica Christian turned the lens to Sunol, where she grew up. The small town flooded during recent heavy rains, and she shares with host Demian Bulwa what it was like to watch her family’s memories and relics get destroyed — and how her local community came together to support one another.
15 min
46
Best of 5M: The Case for a 4-Day Work Week
Originally published Dec. 7, 2021: 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.
17 min
47
Why S.F. Leaders Are Responsible for that Viral...
The clip that captured an art gallery owner spraying a homeless woman with a hose sparked massive outrage. Chronicle columnist and editorial writer Nuala Bishari joins host Cecilia Lei to explain why San Francisco's failure to manage homelessness has fueled tensions in the city and why human compassion is key to finding solutions.
15 min
48
It’s Unhappy Hour for Bay Area Bar Culture
COVID-19 hit local nightlife hard, and it hasn’t come all the way back. Bar owners are struggling to find ways to attract customers who have changed their socializing habits during the pandemic. Chronicle senior wine critic Esther Mobley joins host Cecilia Lei to talk about the how bar owners are adapting and what's at stake if bar culture doesn't bounce back.
16 min
49
"Just Put the People First": Jackie Speier on H...
After nearly five decades of public service and 15 years representing San Francisco and San Mateo counties in the House of Representatives, Jackie Speier has retired from Congress. Washington correspondent Shira Stein joins host Cecilia Lei to discuss the conversation she shared with Speier near the end of her term.
17 min
50
17 Ballots Later, a Surprise Win for Aaron Peskin
Though incumbent San Francisco Board of Supervisors President Shamann Walton was favored to be reelected, deadlocked votes and an impasse led to Peskin winning the job. Chronicle reporter J.D. Morris joins host Cecilia Lei to discuss the dramatic election and what Peskin's leadership may signal for city governance.
13 min