Fifth & Mission

In the final episode of Season 1 of The Chronicle's food podcast, hosts Soleil Ho and Justin Phillips apply their “What is this nonsense?” segment to the year 2020. From a KFC movie to the politics of French Laundry dinners, Soleil and Justin review their top nonsense from a year like no other. Extra Spicy will return with season 2 on Jan. 25. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/podHave you listened? Chronicled: Who Is Kamala Harris?: podfollow.com/chronicled Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California was poised Wednesday to cross 2 million total confirmed coronavirus cases, with the second million coming over just the past six weeks. With hospital ICUs almost out of space, counties including Santa Clara are demanding people not gather in groups for Christmas, and Gov. Gavin Newsom is warning of "a surge on top of a surge on top of a surge." Health reporter Erin Allday has all the latest. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/podHave you listened? Chronicled: Who Is Kamala Harris?: podfollow.com/chronicled Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"That Little Girl Was Me." In this episode of The Chronicle's 6-episode limited series profiling the vice president-elect, reporters and hosts Joe Garofoli and Tal Kopan explore how her childhood in Berkeley shaped her worldview. You don't have to have heard the first two episodes to enjoy this one.Listen to all 6 episodes: Chronicled: Who Is Kamala Harris? podfollow.com/chronicledFifth & Mission is on a lighter publishing schedule over the two holiday weeks, with new episodes on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vaccinations have begun, but COVID-19 is spreading so fast the state is opening makeshift field hospitals and bringing in hundreds of additional health care workers. If it gets much worse, doctors may need to ration care. Health reporter Erin Allday joins us to talk about California's crisis, the latest on Gov. Newsom's shutdown orders, and whether there are reasons to be hopeful. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/podHave you listened? Chronicled: Who Is Kamala Harris?: podfollow.com/chronicled Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Will Andrews was 23, homeless and addicted to heroin, then fentanyl. He agreed to let reporter Trisha Thadani follow him as he tried to kick his addictions while living on San Francisco's streets. His story is one of personal struggle, but also of a broken system of care. This episode first ran in September, but not much has changed about the city’s drug treatment system since then. Fifth & Mission is on a lighter publishing schedule over the two holiday weeks, with new episodes on Tuesdays and Thursdays. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/podHave you listened? Chronicled: Who Is Kamala Harris?: podfollow.com/chronicled Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Monica Gandhi, an infectious disease doctor at UCSF, says that some of the current shutdown rules are so strict that people have stopped paying attention to them. She says schools and outdoor dining can operate safely with proper precautions, and that the Bay Area is so focused on COVID-19 that it’s ignoring other public health disasters, like overdose deaths, depression and loss of learning for kids. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/pod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cal Fire’s Mike Thompson suspected serial arson in a devastating string of blazes in Lake County. And he and his fellow investigators identified a suspect: Damin Pashilk, a former inmate firefighter. But arsonists are hard to catch. The evidence burns up. Lizzie Johnson tells the story of the chase. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/podHave you listened yet?: Chronicled: Who Is Kamala Harris? sfchronicle.com/chronicled Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With a bit of fanfare and lots of relief, five front-line workers at San Francisco General Hospital were given their first doses of vaccine on Tuesday. The historic day opened up numerous questions: How does the vaccine work? Who will get it first? What are the side effects? Will immunizations help at all in fighting the current deadly surge? Health reporters Catherine Ho and Erin Allday have the answers. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/podKamala Harris bio podcast: Chronicled: Who Is Kamala Harris? sfchronicle.com/chronicled Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There's light on the horizon even as U.S. COVID-19 deaths pass 300,000: San Francisco was to see its first vaccinations Tuesday, a day after hospitals in Los Angeles started doling out the long-awaited shots. Erin Allday talks about this historic move, and what you need to know about the massive immunization drive ahead. And Annie Vainshtein reports on the psychology behind growing defiance of coronavirus lockdowns. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/podKamala Harris bio podcast: Chronicled: Who Is Kamala Harris? sfchronicle.com/chronicled Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The San Francisco school board designed a process to take controversial names off of public schools, and 44 names could be ditched. One big surprise: The 16th president. What makes Honest Abe controversial? Education reporter Jill Tucker has a history lesson. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/podKamala Harris bio podcast: Chronicled: Who Is Kamala Harris? sfchronicle.com/chronicled Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices