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
151
The Latest Battle for People's Park in Berkeley
UC Berkeley is constructing new development at People's Park in Berkeley. Protesters clashed with police as construction began on Wednesday.
13 min
152
New D.A., New Drug Crackdown in San Francisco
Brooke Jenkins has announced her plans to increase punishment for dealers while calling her predecessor, Chesa Boudin, too lenient. Chronicle reporter Megan Cassidy joins host Demian Bulwa to outline those plans and explain why many progressives are outraged by what they call a return to failed policies.
14 min
153
Why S.F.'s Laguna Honda Shouldn't Shut Down
After federal regulators decertified San Francisco's 700-bed nursing home because of mismanagement, it's dealing with botched patient transfers and the potential end of critical care to patients. Chronicle columnist Heather Knight joins host Cecilia Lei to talk about what she calls a "draconian" response.
18 min
154
Why San Francisco Rents Bounced Back to Sky High
The onset of the pandemic offered a brief silver lining — lower rents. But it didn't last. The average price of a 2-bedroom apartment means you need to make $61 an hour to afford one. Reporter Lauren Hepler joins host Cecilia Lei to talk about what happened.
14 min
155
San Francisco Declares a Monkeypox Emergency. I...
While San Francisco declared a state of emergency, members of the LGBTQ community are furious at limited vaccine access — and fearful of discrimination.
18 min
156
First There Were Fires. Now, Residents of Oakla...
Residents of the Wood Street encampment in West Oakland are fighting a pending eviction after a two alarm fire broke out on CalTrans property in mid-July.
20 min
157
Is More Black Political Representation Leading ...
Chronicle columnist Justin Phillips joins host Demian Bulwa to discuss the promises and reality of Black leadership in S.F.
13 min
158
Why Are Napa Valley Cabernets Tasting the Same?
Wine consultants have become essential for Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.
18 min
159
How Reporting Sexual Abuse May Put California A...
The story of an Ohio 10-year-old rape victim who traveled to Indiana for an abortion spotlighted the potential risks of mandated reporting for out-of-state abortion patients and their health providers.
14 min
160
The Man Who Tried to Start a Civil War in Oakland
Chronicle reporter Joshua Sharpe tells the story of the radicalization of Steven Carillo, a member of the far right, anti-government extremist group the Boogaloo Bois. Carillo shot and killed a federal security guard during a Black Lives Matter protest in 2020.
18 min
161
Another San Francisco School Board Controversy
One of the three San Francisco school board members appointed after this year's recall is already facing calls to resign.
16 min
162
Food is Political at Oakland’s Most Radical Res...
Oakland’s Understory restaurant won a James Beard award. But can it change the industry?
24 min
163
How Anti-Trump Resistance Group Swing Left Is P...
The new leader of Swing Left, explains how Democrats have a path forward to hold the House in November's midterm elections.
20 min
164
Why LGBTQ Protestors Say Monkeypox Is a "Public...
On Monday, advocates protested outside the U.S. Health and Human Services office in San Francisco to call out the slow federal response to the monkeypox outbreak and the low supply of monkeypox vaccines.
29 min
165
Is Gavin Newsom Running for President?
As President Biden drops in the polls, some Democrats are shopping for a 2024 candidate. Newsom says he isn’t running, but the way he’s taking on high profile Republicans is making some wonder.
14 min
166
San Francisco School Board Goes Back to Basics
The board, once lambasted for infighting and focusing on issues like renaming schools, is vowing to pivot back to a core issue following a landslide recall — student performance. Reporter Jill Tucker joins host Demian Bulwa to talk about the challenges ahead.
14 min
167
California's Racial Profiling Problem Is Gettin...
Racial disparities in traffic and pedestrian stops by law enforcement have been a historical problem, but now California has the data to see how bad it actually is. Chronicle reporters Dustin Gardiner and Susie Neilson join host Cecilia Lei to discuss the most recent data.
18 min
168
UCSF’s Bob Wachter: How the BA.5 Covid Wave Is ...
The latest Covid-19 pandemic twist is the new Omicron subvariant BA.5, which evades immunity from vaccinations, boosters and previous infections. Dr. Bob Wachter, UCSF's chair of medicine, joins host Cecilia Lei to talk about what makes this variant different, and offers guidance on future boosters and how to calculate risks.
20 min
169
How Alameda County's Mental Health System is Fu...
An Alameda County grand jury report has found that the local mental health system is making the area's homeless crisis worse. Among the findings is a lack of basic consensus on solutions, which cause mentally ill residents to cycle in and out of ERs and jails. Reporter Lauren Hepler has details.
17 min
170
Who is New S.F. District Attorney Brooke Jenkins?
Mayor London Breed appointed former Recall Chesa Boudin spokesperson Brooke Jenkins as S.F.'s new district attorney.
28 min
171
Total SF: The Castro Theatre's Organ Player Ris...
On this episode of The Chronicle's Total SF podcast: Longtime Castro Theatre organ player David Hegarty got a scare earlier this year, when Another Planet Entertainment took over operations of the 100-year-old cinema and the future seemed unclear. But the music will go on. Hegarty talks about his start as an organ player and the new digital organ for the theater that is close to reality. Fifth & Mission will return with new episodes on July 11.
27 min
172
Best of 5M: The Tenderloin Rooster
First published March 21: For months, a rooster living in a Tenderloin yard has been terrorizing the neighborhood with its all-day crowing. Longtime resident Adriel Lively wanted to do something about it, but she only found dead ends. Fifth & Mission will return with new episodes on July 11.
13 min
173
Best of 5M: Locked in Fentanyl's Grip
First published Feb. 3, 2022: Chronicle reporter Trisha Thadani takes us into the center of the city's fentanyl crisis — which has nearly double the death toll of COVID-19 — and introduces us to people who are suffering through it. Fifth & Mission will return with new episodes on July 11.
22 min
174
Fixing Our City: Why a Hole in the Ground Is “T...
The debut episode of The Chronicle’s new podcast seeking solutions for San Francisco’s seemingly intractable problems: A 2015 apartment building fire at Mission and 22nd streets killed one person and displaced 50. Seven years later, there’s an empty lot, gathering trash and growing weeds. In the midst of a severe housing crisis, why has nothing been built, and what can we learn from this hole in the ground? Fifth & Mission will return with new episodes on July 11.
25 min
175
California Gas Prices Get Even Higher, Thanks t...
California drivers will pay about 3 cents more per gallon in gas taxes after state legislators rejected a push to suspend the increase amid soaring costs at the pump. Fifth & Mission will return with new episodes on Monday, July 11.
10 min