Fifth & Mission

San Francisco and other counties entered the red tier on Wednesday, reopening indoor dining, gyms and museums. But is that smart with just a fraction of the population vaccinated and variants taking hold? Chronicle reporters Aidin Vaziri and Steve Rubenstein discuss the city's first day in the red tier and why it has some doctors concerned. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

San Francisco prepares to open indoor dining and other activities as the city moves into the red tier. Are we heading into a yo-yo phase of opening up and shutting back down, or does vaccine distribution mean the worst of shelter in place is finally coming to an end? Health reporter Erin Allday talks about what to expect. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/pod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Reporters Alexei Koseff and Jill Tucker talk about California's multibillion-dollar reopening plan, which could mean a windfall for schools if they meet certain dates and requirements. The agreement comes as schools and teachers' unions face pressure from parents, and Gov. Gavin Newsom faces a possible recall election. But will it actually speed things up? | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/pod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Two boys who were forced out of a Bay Area high school over what appeared to be a blackface photo have filed a $20 million lawsuit, saying the selfie was years old and they were actually wearing acne medication. It's the latest emotional dispute over racism on campus and the responsibility of schools. Reporter Matthias Gafni and columnist Justin Phillips talk about the case and the necessary conversation it raises. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/pod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The city's 215 hotels are usually packed nightly. But a year into the pandemic, half of them are temporarily closed, the rest mostly empty. S.F. Hotel Council CEO Kevin Carroll talks about how a key industry can rebound. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/pod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Reporter Janelle Bitker talks about the conversations she's been having with Bay Area Asian Americans who have been victims of coronavirus-related racism, including a recent series of brutal physical attacks. They say they are too often scapegoated and cast as foreigners in their own home. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/podRead Janelle Brown's story: sfchronicle.com/asianattacks Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The legendary poet, publisher and City Lights Books founder, who died Tuesday at 101, is remembered by Jerry Cimino of the Beat Museum and others, and we hear him recite from "A Coney Island of the Mind" on the Datebook podcast in 2018. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/pod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The United States has surpassed 500,000 dead in the COVID-19 pandemic, a figure that roughly matches the entire population of Sonoma County. The milestone comes amid steady progress in the Bay Area as vaccinations take hold, Reporter Erin Allday talks about that and new worries about research showing a dangerous variant spreading in California, a mutation that may be both more contagious and more serious. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/pod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The city's 148-year-old cable cars have been out-of-service for nearly a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency has no timeline for when they'll return. Chronicle columnist Heather Knight explains why that is and why it's crucial to save these treasures. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/pod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're not out of the woods, but health reporter Erin Allday says vaccines, the passing of the holidays and other factors are helping the Bay Area turn the corner on the pandemic. Plus: Business reporter Carolyn Said on a study estimating tens of thousands have died due to the nation's unemployment crisis. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/pod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices