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
601
Did You Throw Away Your Shot?
Thousands of Bay Area residents haven't gotten their second shot of the two-shot vaccine. As California reopens, these shot-skippers may be better off than people who are fully unvaccinated. But they're at risk, especially from the potent "delta" variant.
12 min
602
What Pandemic Crime Stats Really Tell Us
Beyond the politics and fear, what do the numbers actually show? Chronicle data reporter Susie Neilson explains that even though crime has been falling all over the place for decades, the pandemic spurred distinct trends.
17 min
603
California Reopens: What It Means for You
Karaoke's OK now, right? Packed indoor dining? Concerts? Reporter Kellie Hwang breaks down the new rules with host Cecilia Lei. Plus: Health reporter Erin Allday reflects on this long road back to something like normal.
22 min
604
How TikTok Became a Lifeline for LGBTQ Youth
Host Cecilia Lei is joined by reporter Malavika Kannan, who wrote about how the community found solidarity and celebration on the platform, and 19-year-old content creator Cas Davis of Fairfield, who found their voice there.
15 min
605
How an Eviction Tore One Family Apart
Lizzie Johnson tells the story of 10-year-old Bre-Anna Valenzuela, whose parents were fighting as her mother fought a terminal disease. But at least their home in Fresno was protected by California's eviction moratorium. Or so they thought.
13 min
606
Breaking: Aaron Peskin Says He's Entering Rehab
The powerful San Francisco supervisor, a pivotal figure at City Hall since 2000, acknowledged a problem with alcohol after Chronicle reporters interviewed dozens of his colleagues about a troubling pattern of bullying and apparent intoxication at meetings.
14 min
607
"Do Not Pull a Karen": What to Expect as Restau...
Short-handed restaurants are desperate to avoid poor Yelp reviews as customers deal with long waits. Food writer Elena Kadvany talks about the tension as indoor dining opens back up. Plus: A restaurant general manager and a bartender who's left the industry.
14 min
608
How Is This Drought Different?
Cecilia Lei talks to reporter Kurtis Alexander and food writer Tara Duggan about the drought and why farms and ranches will be hit hardest. Then Sonoma County grazing specialist Byron Palmer shares how his business is struggling to survive.
17 min
609
Do Bathrooms Encourage Homeless Encampments?
One of San Francisco's most explosive debates centers on whether the city's policies attract unhoused people and tent camps. Now, the debate extends to portable public bathrooms. Reporter Mallory Moench on a big fight among city leaders.
14 min
610
Corrected: California Finally Responds to Coron...
An earlier version of this episode was published with old audio. That version has been fixed, and we've also republished the correct audio here. — For a while, the state wasn't doing much to monitor the spread of coronavirus variants in communities. That has changed, reporter Erin Allday says. More widespread genomic sequencing of the virus may help us respond more quickly to flare-ups.
17 min
611
California Finally Responds to Coronavirus Vari...
For a while, the state wasn't doing much to monitor the spread of coronavirus variants in communities. That has changed, reporter Erin Allday says. More widespread genomic sequencing of the virus may help us respond more quickly to flare-ups.
17 min
612
How Will the Bay Area Cope With a Rising Bay?
In just a few decades, the waterline is expected to rise by almost a foot, which will impact nearly every facet of life in the region. Chronicle writer John King joins host Cecilia Lei to discuss a problem that goes way beyond losing a few feet of shoreline.
19 min
613
Why Did So Many Kids Leave S.F. Public Schools?
The coronavirus pandemic's toll on San Francisco public schools may be felt for years. More than 1,700 students have left, which could cost the district millions of dollars. Reporter Jill Tucker talks about what schools are grappling with.
16 min
614
Can $1 Billion End Homelessness in San Francisco?
Mayor London Breed wants to spend that much over the next two years. Reporter Trisha Thadani joins Cecilia Lei to talk about how the mayor plans to spend the money, and homeless advocate Juthaporn Chaloeicheep gives her reaction to the huge price tag.
16 min
615
The Doctor Who Hates School Closures
Dr. Monica Gandhi of UCSF has gained national attention with her controversial critiques of the Bay Area’s conservative pandemic response, which she argues has done more harm than good for some populations, especially schoolchildren.
21 min
616
Surviving COVID-19 With Dementia
Reporter Sarah Ravani and photographer Gabrielle Lurie talk with Cecilia Lei about their reporting on dementia patients at Gordon Manor, an assisted living facility in Redwood City. The pandemic has carried extra dangers for those with dementia.
17 min
617
Get Ready for the Post-Pandemic Travel Boom
After more than a year of lockdowns, people are ready to shove aside their "travel guilt" and get away. Reporter Greg Thomas tells Demian Bulwa what you need to know before you fly — or, more likely, hit the road.
12 min
618
"It Really Is a National Crisis"
We tend to look at mass shootings as isolated events. But Guardian reporter Abené Clayton tells Cecilia Lei "the repercussions of gun violence spread like a virus," and we should be thinking about tragedies like the San Jose shooting as a public health disaster.
19 min
619
What Happens When the Rent Comes Due?
Rent relief and eviction moratoriums have helped many residential tenants and small businesses survive the pandemic. Reporters Emma Talley and Mallory Moench talk about tensions between renters and landlords as the crisis eases.
14 min
620
Bay Area Police Reform: What’s Changed?
In the year since George Floyd’s death, local city leaders have launched a variety of police reform initiatives. But do they go far enough? Reporters Sarah Ravani and Megan Cassidy give an update on whether progress has been made.
25 min
621
George Floyd 1 Year Later: "A Lost Opportunity"
John Jones III, an Oakland activist and member of the city's Reimagining Public Safety Task Force, says it's always good when people demand justice, but "we're beyond protesting at this point," and much work remains.
19 min
622
Caitlyn Jenner's Running, Trans Advocates are F...
Many in the trans community see the star as a problematic figurehead at a critical time. Dustin Gardiner talks about Jenner's run for governor of California, and Ann Killion weighs in on her opposition to trans girls playing girls sports in schools.
18 min
623
Dining Indoors Again: An Expert's View
Soleil Ho, co-host of the Extra Spicy podcast, covers the food industry — but hadn't eaten indoors at a restaurant in 15 months. She dishes about sliding into the booth of a pho house after getting fully vaccinated, and knowing hospitality workers had too.
12 min
624
Comeback Win: Stanford Reinstates 11 Sports
For months, Chronicle columnist Ann Killion has been raising questions about Stanford's decision to cut 11 varsity sports programs early in the pandemic. This week, the school reversed course under pressure, reinstating every one.
16 min
625
San Francisco 911: A Pivot From Police
Reporter Trisha Thadani talks about the city's new Street Crisis Response Team — mental health professionals, not cops — which responds to the city's most vulnerable people, including those who are mentally ill, addicted to drugs and unhoused.
15 min