Fifth & Mission
By 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
Latest episode
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Thank You For Listening
In a final farewell, Fifth and Mission host and executive producer Cecilia Lei explains why the show is ending and what making the show has meant to the team. To share any thoughts or messages with the production crew before they leave, visit sfchron… -
"From Victim to Actor": What Ballroom Dance Means for Asian Seniors
After tragedy struck an Asian ballroom dance studio in Monterey Park, host Cecilia Lei reports from ballroom studios and social dances in Oakland and San Francisco to see how Asian seniors are responding — and how dancing helps them find their person… -
San Francisco Drug Arrests Are Surging. Here’s What That Means.
Drug users and dealers are being arrested in unusually high numbers in San Francisco’s troubled Tenderloin neighborhood amid a spike in overdose deaths and complaints about street conditions. It’s just the latest in a series of enforcement pushes, an… -
Political activist, TV host and author Van Jones
The Fifth and Mission team is not producing any new episodes this week. Instead, we are sharing some of our favorite past episodes that exemplify what we've loved about making this show. Today's pick is from 2017, chosen by It's All Political on Fift… -
A Celebrated Food Hall Closes in the Tenderloin
La Cocina Municipal Marketplace was heralded as a springboard for immigrant- and women-owned food businesses when it opened in 2021. Now, its food kiosks are closing down. Opinion columnist Soleil Ho and food reporter Mario Cortez join host Cecilia L… -
The Price of Fighting California’s Wildfires
Wildland firefighting has long been recognized as dangerous, dirty work. Now, there is growing evidence that it can also cause serious long-term health problems. Chronicle reporter Julie Johnson spent six months investigating the impacts of wildfire … -
The Controversial Plan to Save California's Giant Sequoias
Wildfires have devastated giant sequoias, the world’s largest trees. Now national park officials want to restore the iconic California species by replanting them, but the plan is facing pushback. Reporter Kurtis Alexander joins host Cecilia Lei to di… -
"What Help?" Lessons From California's Largest Homeless Study in Decades
“This is a story of deep poverty in a state with incredibly high housing costs.” That’s how Dr. Margot Kushel, director of the UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative, describes the takeaway from California’s largest study of homeless adults… -
A Cautionary Tale on American Fascism from Rachel Maddow
Rachel Maddow’s new book, “Prequel: An American Fight Against Fascism,” tells the largely overlooked story of America’s own Nazi movement during World War II — and the people who battled it at great personal risk. Ahead of a live appearance in San Fr… -
Food Banks Helped the Bay Area Get Through the Pandemic. Now They're Struggling
As demand for food support skyrocketed during the early days of the pandemic, Bay Area food banks redoubled their efforts, boosting food distribution and adding services. Years later, the need remains high, even as pandemic-era funding sources run dr…
