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Fifth & Mission

San Francisco Chroniclecms.megaphone.fm
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
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Episodes

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 10, 202119 min

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 07, 202116 min

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 tod...

May 06, 202126 min

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...

May 05, 202118 min

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 mega...

May 04, 202115 min

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 abo...

May 03, 202122 min

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 30, 202120 min

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 mor...

Apr 29, 202118 min

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 28, 202133 min

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

Apr 27, 202120 min

Small Towns to Remote Workers: We'll Pay You to Live Here

From Michigan to Maine, communities are dangling incentives of up to $20,000 to out-of-state folks, hoping to convince tech workers and others in the expanding remote workforce to move in. Reporter Carolyn Said talks about these pandemic perks, which in some places include home lots, bicycles and even free Jimmy John's sandwiches — though you have to commit to staying for awhile. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 26, 202116 min

Addressing San Francisco's Homelessness and Drug Crises

City Hall is debating fixes for San Francisco's most pressing problems including funding sanctioned tent encampments and opening a long-discussed safe injection site. Reporter Mallory Moench explains the proposals and why they're far from sure things. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 23, 202118 min

A Sixth Accuser for Foppoli

Windsor Mayor Dominic Foppoli has been accused of sexual assault by five women — and now another is sharing her story with The Chronicle. Reporter Cynthia Dizikes discusses the latest allegations and why the woman's email about them to town officials in 2017 didn't accomplish much. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/pod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 22, 202120 min

Derek Chauvin Guilty: Now What?

The former Minneapolis cop's conviction on three charges in the killing of George Floyd was met with relief — and two more police-related deaths. Dominic Fracassa talks to Black Lives Matter organizer Melina Abdullah, police reform expert Alex Vitale, Oakland activist Akil Riley and Assemblyman Reggie Jones-Sawyer about where America goes from here. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/pod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 21, 202128 min

Making Muni Faster

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency is trying to add HOV lanes to highways in the city, but some residents are fighting back. Reporter Ricardo Cano explains why the SFMTA seems to be at the center of so many pandemic squabbles. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/pod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 20, 202118 min

Oscar Grant’s Mom Is Right

With Daunte Wright the latest in a long string of Black men dying at the hands of police, Wanda Johnson says it's past time for the country to get armed cops out of traffic stops. Columnist Justin Phillips agrees, and remembers "the talk" his parents had with him, even though his own dad was a cop. "Not every cop's going to be like your dad." | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/pod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 19, 202115 min

Racism in the Bay Area Food Industry

Anti-Asian attacks and rhetoric are rising, and they're impacting Asian food workers who have to interact with the public in a big way. Chronicle food reporter Janelle Bitker explains how Asian restaurants are coping with the disturbing trend. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/pod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 16, 202114 min

Different Pandemics for Different Neighborhoods

San Francisco has fared well, but not every part of the city has been equally fortunate. Reporter Susie Neilson talks about the Chronicle's analysis of Covid-19 cases by neighborhood. Plus: Trisha Thadani on the’s city’s efforts to vaccinate its hardest-hit communities. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/pod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 15, 202116 min

Johnson & Johnson Suspension: How Bad Is It?

The pause on one of the country's three vaccines comes at a bad time as everyone 16 and up becomes eligible to get shots this week in California. Reporter Erin Allday talks about why it happened, what it means for the race to herd immunity, and whether it might delay Gov. Newsom's plans to reopen the state's economy in June. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/pod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 14, 202121 min

What the First Day of School Looked Like in S.F.

Education reporter Jill Tucker takes you behind the scenes of the first day back in school in San Francisco. The district, among the last big public systems in the country to bring students back, opened 22 elementary schools, with more on the way. This is after months of worry over the coronavirus spreading, political bickering, labor negotiations and a lawsuit. There are challenges ahead, including a potential teacher shortage. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/pod Learn more about ...

Apr 13, 202120 min

Fifth Woman Accuses Dominic Foppoli

An ex-girlfriend says she was sexually assaulted by the Windsor mayor. Meanwhile, some residents of the town are launching a recall bid. Foppoli released a statement denying the allegations and attacking lawmakers who have called for his resignation. One of those now calling for him to step down? His older brother. Reporters Alexandria Bordas and Cynthia Dizikes have the latest on the story they broke last week. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/pod Listener alert: This episode conta...

Apr 12, 202114 min

Wine Country Mayor Faces Criminal Investigation

Hours after The Chronicle published an investigation into Windsor Mayor Dominic Foppoli, the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office opened a criminal probe. It was a response to the accounts of four women who said Foppoli sexually assaulted them in incidents from 2003 to 2019. Foppoli, through his attorney, denied the allegations. The Chronicle's story also prompted more than a dozen local elected leaders to call for Foppoli to resign. The reporters who broke the story, Alexandria Bordas and Cynthia Diz...

Apr 09, 202113 min

"Prince" of Wine Country Accused of Sexual Assault

Four women have told The Chronicle that winery owner and Windsor Mayor Dominic Foppoli isolated and assaulted them after nights of drinking. The incidents span from 2003 to 2019. Foppoli denies the allegations. Reporters Alexandria Bordas and Cynthia Dizikes discuss their findings and how they reported the story. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/pod Listener alert: This episode contains details of alleged sexual assault that may be upsetting. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ...

Apr 08, 202128 min

Reopening: The End Is Near

With vaccinations growing, Gov. Newsom delivered staggering news on Tuesday: California plans to lift most pandemic restrictions and fully reopen on June 15. Unless something changes, that means the end of the color-coded tier system for counties. Reporters Erin Allday and Aidin Vaziri discuss what this means for schools, for events like concerts and for mask-wearing — and whether there's still a chance of a backslide. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 07, 202117 min

Imposteraunts!

If beloved Blowfish Sushi closed in December, how can people still order sushi from a restaurant of the same name in the same space? Not to mention from a Japan-based restaurant famous for its $180 sandwiches. Reporter Janelle Bitker has been following this fishy story. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/pod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 06, 202121 min

Stanford's Professor of Women's Basketball

The Cardinal's NCAA title adds to the remarkable legacy of coach Tara VanDerveer. Her team is the most consistently successful in Bay Area sports, but this was their first title in 29 years. Sports columnists Ann Killion and Scott Ostler talk about Stanford's decades of success and frustration. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/pod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 05, 202112 min

How Much Longer Will We Have to Wear Masks?

There are few more obvious tokens of the pandemic than the masks covering everyone’s faces. But despite the rising number of vaccination rates, Californians shouldn’t expect to tear them off any time soon. Health writer Erin Allday joins to explain why. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 05, 202117 min

We're Here. We're Queer. We're in Power

Have we entered a new era for LGBTQ politicians? Reporter and columnist Tony Bravo talks about the groundbreaking rise of gay and transgender leaders, the response to progress by forces on the right, and how veteran politicians are reflecting on what has changed — and what has not. Plus: Rachel Swan breaks down the tension over responding to anti-Asian crimes. Is a focus on punishment for hate crimes the right approach? | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/pod Related: Tom Ammiano: Kiss...

Apr 02, 202121 min

50-64: You're Vaccine Eligible! But ...

But there aren’t enough shots. Reporters Catherine Ho and Nanette Asimov discuss what the Bay Area can expect as eligibility opens for those 50 and over. Plus: Alexei Koseff talks about the nearly $8 million Bay Area lawmakers squeezed out of the Newsom administration to help the region’s poorest residents get vaccinated. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/pod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 01, 202118 min

Polling on Recall is Good News for Newsom

A new poll shows opponents of California Gov Gavin Newsom have a lot of work to do. A strong 56% of likely voters oppose the recall, compared to 40% backing it. Meanwhile, Newsom’s job approval rating among likely voters is 53%, virtually unchanged from the before the pandemic that ignited anger against him. The Chronicle's Joe Garofoli explains the numbers, how the pandemic is at the center of recall momentum, and how leading Democrats aren't likely to run to replace Newsom. Learn more about yo...

Mar 31, 202118 min
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