Fifth & Mission

At an upscale San Francisco restaurant, diners recently got a taste of chicken that was never part of a bird. The companies developing lab-grown meat say cultivating flesh instead of raising livestock could reduce animal cruelty and the environmental impacts of our food. But how far away are those goals? And more importantly, how does it taste? Producer Keith Menconi picks up his fork — and talks...

A new contender to challenge Mayor London Breed's re-election bid announced his campaign on Tuesday. Wealthy philanthropist Daniel Lurie says it’s time for a "new era of leadership." Senior political writer Joe Garofoli joins host Cecilia Lei to discuss Lurie’s vision for San Francisco and why he has a fighting chance to become the city’s next mayor even as a political newcomer. | Unlimited Chroni...

Sharing a home with roommates has always been a strategy for lower-income tenants to rent in expensive cities, but now a nonprofit is matching up strangers on the verge of displacement to help them stay in San Francisco.  Chronicle reporter Kevin Fagan talked with two people who moved in together with the help of the HomeMatch program. He joins host Laura Wenus to explain how the city is using thi...

Last week, San Francisco's African American Reparations Advisory Committee went before the Board of Supervisors to present its recommendations for repairing the harm done to the Black community. Will their report lead to action? Reparations committee chair Eric McDonnell reflects on the supervisors' professed support, and Chronicle columnist Justin Phillips analyzes where the city will likely go f...

As Oakland’s crime continues to rise, the city’s leaders are facing growing criticism and demands for more aggressive action. Mayor Sheng Thao has resisted calls to declare a state of emergency, arguing that such a move would amount to “political theater.” Reporter Sarah Ravani joins host Cecilia Lei to help unpack the increasingly fraught politics of public safety in Oakland. | Unlimited Chronicl...

Higher wages for fast food workers? Driverless big rigs? Legal psychedelic mushrooms? California lawmakers just wrapped the legislative session and sent 900 bills to Governor Gavin Newsom. Reporter Sophia Bollag joins It’s All Political on Fifth & Mission host Joe Garofoli to talk about what the governor will sign, what he’ll veto and what we still don't know. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchron...

A water main burst last June at 33 Tehama, a luxury apartment tower in San Francisco, forcing residents to evacuate. More than a year later, they haven’t been able to return, and it’s unclear when repairs will be complete. Tenants have been left in limbo, with residents of below-market-rate units hit especially hard. Reporter Rachel Swan picks up the ongoing saga of 33 Tehama with host Laura Wenus...

The California fishing fleet is struggling through "unprecedented" times, with drought, wildfires, algal blooms, ocean warming and subsequent restrictions all jeopardizing their work. Climate and environment reporter Tara Duggan tells host Laura Wenus how this is making it harder to find coveted local salmon, what seafood lovers might look for instead, and why these conditions could be a death kne...

When landlords in Berkeley celebrated the end of an eviction moratorium recently, the backlash was swift: Tenant advocates protested, and a physical fight broke out. Tensions between renters and property owners have been escalating, but for the most part they don’t boil over — they show up in court, where a swell in eviction cases is overwhelming staff. Berkeleyside and Oaklandside reporters Supri...

Amid rising local and national COVID-19 cases, public health officials are hoping updated COVID vaccines will help prevent yet another winter surge of infections. Chronicle reporter Aidin Vaziri joins host Cecilia Lei to discuss the sub-variants that are causing the latest swell of cases, as well as tips on how to get the new shots. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/pod Got a tip, comm...

Dreamforce is in full swing in downtown San Francisco this week, bringing in tens of thousands of people and millions of dollars to the city. But Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff has warned that the event may leave San Francisco next year if the city’s drug and homelessness problems don’t improve. Reporter J.D. Morris joins host Cecilia Lei to discuss why San Francisco has been seeing declines across t...

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, and this time, state agencies are involved. But even within the city’s own government, this is a deeply controversial strategy. And, as City Hall report...

A new state law that took effect in 2020 has expanded the window for former Bay Area students who allege sexual abuse by educators to file claims against schools they say didn’t protect them. Chronicle reporter Sophia Bollag joins host Cecilia Lei to discuss her months-long investigation and the patterns of abuse and grooming by educators and neglect by administrators. She’ll also share how coming...

San Francisco’s gay bars and nightclubs have been struggling for years, but now a rare bright spot: After closing in March 2020, the owners of the Stud bar have found a new location and plan to reopen early next year. Arts and culture writer Tony Bravo joins host Cecilia Lei to discuss this historic LGBTQ institution and why so many have rallied to save it. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicl...

About 4,000 city jobs are vacant in San Francisco. That means the city is short police officers, street cleaners, accountants, nurses and technicians. Why? A Civil Grand Jury report from June pinpoints roadblocks to hiring. Foreperson Karen Kennard gives highlights of the jury’s findings and Department of Human Resources Director Carol Isen tells host Laura Wenus what the city’s been doing to fix...

When a teen at a Bay Area high school started posting overtly racist images on Instagram, the fallout fractured a community and surfaced deep divides. Journalist Dashka Slater spent years reporting on the aftermath and how it affected a generation of students at Albany High — which happens to be host Cecilia Lei's alma mater. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/pod Got a tip, comment, qu...

As San Francisco struggles against the rip tide of urban decline, reporter Chase DiFeliciantonio found a model for its future in Pittsburgh. The East Coast city stagnated after the collapse of its steel industry in the 1970s, but it has recently reinvented itself as a center for tech innovation and higher learning. Chase joins host Joe Garofoli to discuss what lessons the fall and rise of Pittsbur...

Car break-ins have risen dramatically in San Francisco and Oakland since 2010. At their peak, San Francisco saw more than 80 incidents a day. And this isn’t the first time a spree of automobile thefts has bedeviled the city: S.F. faced a similar situation a century ago. Data reporter Susie Neilson and culture critic Peter Hartlaub dig into the history with host Laura Wenus to figure out what's beh...

Note: In observance of Labor Day, our next episode will be posted on Tuesday, September 5. Five years ago, an unknown entity began offering exorbitant sums of money to buy up vast tracts of land in rural Solano County. No one knew who was behind the purchases until their plans came to light in recent weeks. Reporter Shira Stein joins host Cecilia Lei to discuss this very well-funded effort to bui...

Artificial intelligence companies are flocking to San Francisco to take advantage of local talent and capital. In response, city leaders have wasted no time branding the city as the “AI capital of the world,” but it remains to be seen whether the success of this multi-billion dollar industry will be a boon for the local economy. Reporter Chase DiFeliciantonio joins host Laura Wenus to discuss the...

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 Lei to discuss whether the closure is a symptom of the city’s larger struggles and what the loss means for the food hall’s resident vendors and Tenderl...

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 smoke on firefighters, and spoke to a dozen men and women diagnosed with grave diseases who all suspect that smoke was a factor. She tells host Cecili...

Unsheltered women face violence and harassment both on the streets and inside temporary housing in San Francisco. Reporter Mallory Moench spent months speaking to several women about the challenges they face, from navigating pregnancy to protecting themselves from sexual assault — and how the city lacks sufficient resources to keep them safe. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/pod Got a...

Since last December, San Francisco has been fighting a court injunction that blocks it from sweeping homeless encampments. That legal battle erupted this week as supporters and opponents of encampment sweeps squared off outside the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Reporter Aldo Toledo joins host Cecilia Lei to discuss why this long-simmering controversy is heating up now and what’s at stake for San...

Students are returning to classes amid a national wave of anti-LGBTQ hostility, and California school districts are not immune. Recently, some schools have restricted LGBTQ themes and icons from classes. But in San Francisco, educators are being trained to be as supportive and inclusive as possible. Reporters Erin Allday and Jill Tucker tell host Laura Wenus how different districts are handling th...