

Fifth & Mission
San Francisco Chronicle
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
Episodes
Mentioned books

May 10, 2021 • 19min
California's Math Wars
San Francisco public schools moved Algebra 1 out of middle school and into high school for all students in 2014, and the state might recommend that all public school districts do the same. But some parents don't like the controversial move, saying kids should be able to advance in math if they're able. Education reporter Jill Tucker adds it all up. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 7, 2021 • 16min
Is San Francisco's Exodus Over?
San Franciscans fled the city in droves during the pandemic. Now that the city's reopening, will its citizens return? Chronicle data reporter Susie Neilson explains what numbers can tell us about pandemic migration, the Bay Area's "baby bust" and vaccine hesitancy in communities of color. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/pod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 6, 2021 • 26min
Happy Birthday, Willie Mays
S.F. Giants great Willie Mays celebrates his 90th birthday today. The Major League Baseball Hall of Famer is a San Francisco icon and an ambassador for the sport who was still a regular at Giants games pre-pandemic. San Francisco Chronicle national baseball writer and sports columnist John Shea, who co-authored the book "24: Life Stories and Lessons from the Say Hey Kid" with Mays, talks about the baseball legend's 90th birthday, his rough start in San Francisco and what he means to the city today. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/pod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 5, 2021 • 18min
Welcome to the Yellow Tier
It became official Tuesday: San Francisco is advancing to the yellow tier of coronavirus restrictions. On Thursday the city will start easing the rules on large gatherings and indoor bars, among other things. Restaurants, movie theaters, gyms — they can all expand capacity. Chronicle reporters Aidin Vaziri and Erin Allday explain the news, lay out what comes next and discuss a difficult question: Are some vaccinated people now being too cautious? | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/pod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 4, 2021 • 15min
Are STDs Really Down in the Pandemic?
Chronicle health reporter Erin Allday discusses her look at reports of sexually transmitted diseases in the past year. Turns out, STDs including HIV were way down — but that may not be a result of people isolating themselves, and it may not be a good thing. According to experts, it may be the side effect of less testing. People were still getting STDs, Allday says, but many of them just didn’t know it. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/pod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 3, 2021 • 22min
Sneaker Waves: Death at the Beach
One minute, people are relaxing at a Bay Area beach. The next, they're in a life-or-death struggle in the water. In recent months, a series of massive, out-of-nowhere waves have crashed over unsuspecting beachgoers again and again, including Arunay Pruthi, 12, who was swept to sea in front of his family. Reporter Nora Mishanec tells the story of the effort to rescue the boy, and to keep these tragedies from happening in the future. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/pod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 30, 2021 • 20min
Misery in India
As life in the United States is beginning to return to normal, India has been crushed by a deadly surge of the coronavirus. Chronicle health reporter Erin Allday discusses why that country is getting hit so hard now and how it's affecting the 300,000 Bay Area residents with ties to India. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/pod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 29, 2021 • 18min
Why 49ers Fans Are in a Frenzy
San Francisco 49ers fans are on pins and needles as they await Thursday's NFL Draft. The reason? The team of Joe Montana, Steve Young and Colin Kaepernick is under intense pressure to pick a quarterback of the future. But which QB? And what will happen to the current Niners starter, Jimmy Garoppolo? Chronicle sports columnists Ann Killion and Scott Ostler weigh in on the tension, give their preferred picks, and lament the continued racist stereotypes often placed on Black quarterbacks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 28, 2021 • 33min
City Hall's Top Lawyer Moves On
San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera has been nominated to take over the Public Utilities Commission after 20 years of representing the city in court. He talks about some of his biggest cases, his frustrating loss in trying to reopen schools and how the city has changed without President Trump as its biggest foil. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/pod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 27, 2021 • 20min
California's Slow Growth Costs a House Seat
For the first time in history, California is about to lose an elected representative in Congress, even as Texas picks up two seats. The shift was cemented by numbers released Monday by the U.S. Census Bureau. What does it mean for California? What about the balance of power between Republicans and Democrats? And how will the state form its new congressional districts? Chronicle Washington correspondent Tal Kopan explains. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


