Fifth & Mission

The Colorado Fire, which is burning through parts of Big Sur this week, is a rare winter coastal fire. As the state enters its third year of a historic drought, scientists warn that the window for wildfires has grown and California’s fire season is now longer than it was. Chronicle reporter Kurtis Alexander joins host Cecilia Lei to discuss what Big Sur’s winter wildfire means for the rest of this year’s fire season. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/pod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Who are the people at the center of the Bay Area's epidemic of drug addiction and fatal overdoses? Columnist Heather Knight discusses her three years following a man named Jeffrey Choate through the ups and downs of painful addiction and hopeful recovery, from his teenage years getting hooked on painkillers to his time as a prison firefighter to his worst days on the streets of San Francisco's Tenderloin. Knight tells host Demian Bulwa that Jeffrey's story ended tragically but carries lessons about how we should respond to the crisis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The debut episode of It's All Political on Fifth and Mission features a conversation between senior political writer Joe Garofoli and Sen. Alex Padilla. The first Latino U.S. senator from California reflects on his first year in the Senate, including the battle over voting rights, progressive policies, and what it's like working in a polarized Senate. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/pod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Castro Theatre, San Francisco’s beloved movie palace and an internationally known symbol of the Bay Area LGBTQ community, is getting a major makeover. Will renovations and an expanded slate of programming under new management change this cultural landmark? Host Cecilia Lei discusses the legacy of the theater with Chronicle Arts & Culture reporter Tony Bravo.Plus: How is the community reacting to the news? Events producer Marc Heustis and drag performer Peaches Christ share concerns and hopes for the theater’s future. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/pod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Voters will determine the fate of three San Francisco Board of Education commissioners on Feb. 15, and make their picks for the city’s assessor-recorder and in a primary for its newest Assembly member. Education reporter Jill Tucker joins host Cecilia Lei to discuss the intense debate over the school board recall, and City Hall reporter Mallory Moench explains how the state Assembly race is highlighting the city's top issues. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/pod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We know now that fully vaccinated people can avoid serious illness or death from COVID-19, but not a lot is known about whether vaccines prevent long COVID, a condition whose symptoms can range from shortness of breath to psychosis. But as reporter Nanette Asimov tells host Cecilia Lei, researchers are starting to learn how the shot can help prevent and lessen the disease. Plus: A fully vaccinated woman who's had long COVID for months talks about her often-frightening situation. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/pod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A bill to change the controversial Ellis Act is making its way through Sacramento. But for some tenants, it's already too late. Reporter Lauren Hepler joins host Dominic Fracassa to discuss what the new bill would do, where it would apply and who could still be left behind. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/pod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To honor the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, Fifth & Mission offers this encore presentation of the June 18, 2021, episode. Part of an exclusive series of conversations with Black Bay Area leaders, Betty Reid Soskin, Harry Edwards, Rev. Amos Brown and Barbara Rodgers share stories of the past and offer visions for future generations. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/podSee the project online, with full interviews and videos: sfchronicle.com/voice Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last October, the Oakland Unified School District became one of the first in the state to require students ages 12 and older to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Chronicle education reporter Jill Tucker joins host Cecilia Lei to discuss how the mandate is going, and what the stakes are for the district, as well as families who are choosing to not vaccinate their kids. | Unlimited Chronicle access:sfchronicle.com/pod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last month, San Francisco Mayor London Breed announced a police crackdown in the Tenderloin to combat rampant drug use and crime. Chronicle reporter Megan Cassidy checked in with the mayor to see how it's going. She joins host Cecilia Lei to share what's next for the neighborhood. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/pod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices