Fifth & Mission

The flagship news podcast of the San Francisco Chronicle. Producer/host Cecilia Lei and co-host Laura Wenus 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
501
San Francisco's Deportation "Conveyor Belt"
Immigrants are being deported "in absentia" because they don't show up for court hearings they never received notice about. It's legal, but reporter Deepa Fernandes tells host Demian Bulwa that advocates call it a "deportation conveyor belt."
15 min
502
Why Did San Francisco Reject 500 New Housing Un...
Reporter J.K. Dineen joins host Cecilia Lei to explain why the Board of Supervisors voted down a market-rate residential complex in SoMa. The controversy involves some S.F. standbys: Housing, gentrification and bare-knuckle politics.
16 min
503
3 Sierra Towns Changed by Fire
Wildfires have ravaged communities throughout the Sierra. Now, their residents are facing difficult decisions, including whether and how to rebuild and how to stay safe. Reporter J.D. Morris joins host Cecilia Lei to talk about three of them.
24 min
504
Gov. Newsom Gets a Booster — Should You?
Chronicle health reporter Erin Allday joins host Demian Bulwa to discuss booster shots, children's vaccinations and more.
15 min
505
TikTok and Billboards: Public Schools Turn to M...
Public schools in the Bay Area, and across the country, are hiring marketing firms to boost their enrollment numbers, which have declined and resulted in lost revenue in recent years. Marketing strategies have included TikTok accounts, Pandora ads, and other creative strategies. Chronicle education reporter Jill Tucker joins host Cecilia Lei to discuss how the education system became a competitive marketplace — one that is particularly challenging for public schools.
14 min
506
Palo Alto’s 2-Year Battle Over 4 Homeless Parki...
Chronicle reporter Lauren Hepler joins host Cecilia Lei to talk about the two-year battle the Unitarian Universalist Church of Palo Alto had to take on to offer four parking spaces in the city.
15 min
507
Chesa Boudin: A Former Assistant D.A. Speaks Out
City Hall columnist Heather Knight joins Demian Bulwa to talk about her interview with Brooke Jenkins, one of the 50-plus attorneys and other staff who have left the San Francisco district attorney's office since the beleaguered D.A. took over.
14 min
508
Midnight for Democracy With Adam Schiff
The California congressman and author of the new bestseller "Midnight in Washington" talks to Joe Garofoli about the Jan. 6 insurrection hearings, the Trump administration, and the ongoing crisis for democracy.
21 min
509
Conservatorships: Could One Have Saved This Life?
While the Britney Spears case is the most famous, conservatorships can be an important tool for helping people who can't care for themselves. Reporter Mallory Moench talks to Demian Bulwa about a San Francisco case that ended in tragedy.
16 min
510
Rain Is Here! We Need It! (But Not Too Much)
In the midst of drought, a potential "atmospheric river" in the forecast may cause mudslides, but may not be enough to put an end to fire season or the need to conserve water. Reporters Jessica Flores and Tara Duggan have details.
12 min
511
Just How Bad Is Shoplifting in San Francisco?
Reporters Shwanika Narayan and Susie Neilson join host Demian Bulwa to talk about the Chronicle's finding that San Francisco crime statistics don't support Walgreens' claim that it's closing five stores in the city because of a spike in thefts.
15 min
512
How Will Redistricting Change California?
The state is entering the home stretch for drawing new maps for congressional and legislative seats based on 2020 Census data. Washington correspondent Tal Kopan joins host Cecilia Lei to talk about the key dynamics at play.
16 min
513
Is School Desegregation in Sausalito Marin City...
After years of funding discrepancies and generations of racial division, the Marin County district was ordered by the California attorney general to desegregate. Cecilai Lei reports on the district's progress now that it's merged its two schools.
24 min
514
California Reckons with Reparations
A state task force is meeting this week to recommend a reparations plan to the Legislature. Tammerlin Drummond of the ACLU of Northern California and reporter Dustin Gardiner talk to host Demian Bulwa about the hurdles and what's at stake.
19 min
515
Family Homelessness: One Bay Area County's Plan
Santa Clara County is home to Silicon Valley giants — and enduring poverty and homelessness. Now, as Lauren Hepler reports, officials want to house more than a thousand homeless families, and they’ve given themselves a year to do it.
15 min
516
California's Newest Laws: What's Coming
Chronicle reporter Dustin Gardiner joins host Cecilia Lei to chat about the 770 new laws Gov. Newson has signed this legislative session, from banning new gas-powered leaf blowers and "stealthing" to requiring gender-neutral children's sections in large stores.
19 min
517
Can PG&E Stop Causing Fires?
The utility's hope is to bury 10,000 miles of power lines underground. But what will this and other projects cost customers, and will it restore the company's tarnished reputation? Reporter J.D. Morris joins host Demian Bulwa to talk about the plan.
16 min
518
Giants-Dodgers in the Playoffs: This Is Big
Baseball writer John Shea calls it the sport's greatest rivalry — with apologies to the Yankees and Red Sox. He and Susan Slusser join Cecilia Lei to talk about the Giants' incredible season and what could be a classic postseason series.
17 min
519
Mask Fatigue and Vaccine Mandates
Public health officials are set to establish new rules for when, where and how we can begin to uncover our faces. Meanwhile, a rush of San Francisco workers get the jab, proving that vax mandates work. Health reporter Erin Allday on two pandemic storylines.
17 min
520
The Financial Crisis of S.F. Schools: The State...
After 18 months of upheaval and school board controversies, the latest blow to the San Francisco Unified School District is its massive $116 million shortfall. The financial situation is so dire that the state is stepping in to help the district figure out how to cut 13% of its annual budget, or else risk a total state takeover of the district. Chronicle reporter Jill Tucker joins host Cecilia Lei to discuss how the district arrived here, and what it may mean for students.
14 min
521
Why the Warriors' Andrew Wiggins Controversy Wa...
The forward initially refused to get the COVID-19 vaccine but reversed his stance Sunday. The drama around him missed the real issue, says Chronicle columnist Justin Phillips: Access to health care and information in the Black community.
18 min
522
Is the Counterculture Legacy of Berkeley's Peop...
Last week, the University of California approved a $312 million plan to develop student housing at People's Park, which has been the site of activism since the 1960's, and a safe haven for unhoused residents to camp. Producer Caron Creighton reports from Berkeley to understand how the university's new housing plan may affect the legacy of the historic park and displace its community members.
13 min
523
Breaking: COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate for Californ...
Gov. Gavin Newsom announces a first-in-the-nation order — which will go into effect when vaccines get full authorization from the FDA. Reporter Alexei Koseff joins host Demian Bulwa to talk about the order and what it means.
10 min
524
Last Pandemic Gasp in the Bay Area?
With vaccinations rising and shots for young children coming soon, the Bay Area is a very different place than it was a year ago. But what does that mean as we enter the holiday season?
15 min
525
San Francisco's Big Power Shift
City Hall reporters Trisha Thadani and Mallory Moench join host Demian Bulwa to discuss a game of musical political chairs as Mayor Breed names David Chiu city attorney to replace Dennis Herrera, and a crowd forms to try to claim Chiu's Assembly seat.
11 min