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
926
I'm Over 65 But Who Are you Calling Elderly?
Age is a factor in coronavirus risk, but many Americans over 65 are pushing back on sometimes condescending advice to isolate — often from their own adult children. Ryan Kost talks about it with his favorite older American: his mom.
20 min
927
Examining COVID-19 Myths
Does eating garlic prevent the coronavirus? Can you test whether you have it by holding your breath for 10 seconds? Chronicle reporter Sam Whiting tells you if any of the wild things you might have heard are true.
19 min
928
Coronavirus Detectives: Contact Tracers
They'll be a key part of gaining control of the spread of coronavirus, but most health departments don’t have nearly enough people to track the outbreaks. Aidin Vaziri discusses the effort to train tens of thousands.
18 min
929
California Budget: Pay Cuts, Furloughs and Tax ...
Gov. Gavin Newsom has proposed a way to close a $54 billion hole in the state budget, and none of it is going to make anyone happy. Alexei Koseff breaks down the governor’s proposals and how it will affect Californians.
23 min
930
Coronavirus and the Flu: A Potential Disaster
Medical experts are predicting a relatively calm summer before a big uptick in COVID-19 cases in the fall. Health reporter Erin Allday describes why that, coupled with the regular flu season, has hospitals worried.
18 min
931
Budget Ideas: Help for Renters? Tax Hikes?
The hole in California's budget is massive — tens of billions of dollars. But officials say they need extra money to help renters and others suffering under the shelter-in-place orders. Alexei Koseff explains the latest proposals.
21 min
932
A San Francisco Doctor at the COVID-19 Epicenter
Dr. Maya Kotas tells the Chronicle's Sarah Feldberg about the month she and a team of fellow UCSF health care workers just spent at a New York City hospital that was understaffed and overwhelmed by a tsunami of disease.
21 min
933
Elon Musk’s Strange Gamble
Chronicle business editor Owen Thomas, who's been covering Elon Musk since the '90s, joins Heather Knight to talk about the Tesla CEO's huge ego and whether his fight with Alameda County could hurt his customer base.
18 min
934
Coronavirus and the Future of Sports
America’s favorite pastimes are a clear casualty of the pandemic. But with billions of dollars at stake, teams and players are eager to get back to work. Ann Killion discusses the implications of reopening pro and college sports.
24 min
935
Suing to Save the Tenderloin
Rhiannon Bailard, executive director of operations for Hastings Law School in San Francisco, discusses the dire conditions in the Tenderloin that prompted the school to team with residents and business owners to sue the city.
23 min
936
Latinos’ Coronavirus Burden
Data analyzed by The Chronicle shows just how hard COVID-19 has hit communities of color — particularly Latinos and black people. Reporter Joaquin Palomino explains the data.
18 min
937
Why the Bay Area Can't Open Up Yet
Dr. Mark Shapiro, a hospitalist at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital and the host of the podcast Explore the Space, explains why it's important to continue sheltering in place despite the region's coronavirus deaths and hospitalizations being lower than most of the rest of the country.
25 min
938
Layoff Tracker: 92,000 and Counting
Business reporter Roland Li talks about the Chronicle's new tool, a constantly updated tally of Bay Area workers who've lost their jobs as the coronavirus crisis has hammered the economy.
21 min
939
What It's Like to Be a Nurse in the Crisis
On National Nurses Day, several Bay Area nurses talk about how the coronavirus crisis has affected their lives and their work — from delivering babies to caring for the elderly in nursing homes.
18 min
940
Baby Steps Toward Reopening
Gov. Gavin Newsom announces some changes to how businesses may operate under coronavirus shelter-in-place orders — but they won’t supersede the Bay Area’s more stringent limitations. Alexei Koseff explains.
19 min
941
New Shelter-in-Place Rules: What’s Allowed?
It's complicated. Reporter Dominic Fracassa explains where you can go, what you can do — and, critically, how health officials will know if we are successfully staving off a coronavirus resurgence.
26 min
942
Making Homeless Tent Camps Safe
San Francisco Supervisor Rafael Mandelman has proposed building safe sleeping sites for unhoused people on city parking lots and in schools and parks to keep people safer during the coronavirus pandemic.
19 min
943
How Coronavirus Is Affecting the Tenderloin's D...
Del Seymour, a former drug dealer now known as the Mayor of the Tenderloin, talks to Heather Knight about how the neighborhood is coping during shelter-in-place. | Full COVID-19 coverage: sfchronicle.com/coronavirus
21 min
944
Will JFK Drive Stay Closed?
San Francisco has finally closed some streets to cars, including roads in Golden Gate Park and McLaren Park. Marta Lindsey of the pedestrian advocacy group Walk SF talks about why she's hopeful the policy will continue after shelter-in-place rules are lifted.
24 min
945
A Terrifying Day in the Life of an E.R. Nurse
San Francisco General Hospital emergency room nurse Christa Duran prepares for her shifts like a soldier preparing for battle. Reporter Trisha Thadani talks about how Duran and her colleagues confront their own fears as they work.
17 min
946
Can Your Marriage Survive Shelter in Place?
We've been stuck inside for almost two months. How's your relationship faring? Columnist Tony Bravo surveyed a variety of Bay Area couples, and he has some ideas about how to make marriage work in these unusual times.
19 min
947
What Victim No. 1 Taught Us
The first known U.S. resident to die of coronavirus died from a ruptured heart. As frightening as it sounds, that information could be useful in learning more about how the virus attacks otherwise healthy people.
16 min
948
Shelter In Place: A Relaxation and Extension
Six Bay Area counties have extended the shelter-in-place orders, but many public health officials say they intend to ease limits on some low-risk activities. Erin Allday discusses what might be allowed in the coming days.
18 min
949
The Class of '20 Is Dejected Over Covid-19
No prom. No sports championships. No graduation ceremony. There's never been a senior year quite like this one. Kate Green, a senior at Lowell High in San Francisco, talks about what the coronavirus has meant for her and her classmates.
16 min
950
You Have to Wear Face Masks: Make Them Fun
Sister Roma, one of San Francisco's most beloved drag queens, talks about judging the "Masks Are Fierce" competition this week and explains how the coronavirus pandemic is affecting queer nightlife.
19 min