Fifth & Mission

John Jones III is an Oakland activist and member of the city’s Reimagining Public Safety Task Force, formed after calls were made to cut the Oakland police budget. He tells new host and producer Cecilia Lei that it’s always good when people demand justice, but there’s a difference between a moment and a movement, and racial justice must focus on more than protests and police reform. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/pod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The conservative celebrity's effort to unseat Gov. Gavin Newsom is historic, but advocates for transgender rights see her as a problematic and detached figurehead at a critical time. Reporter Dustin Gardiner breaks down Jenner's place in the nation's culture wars. And columnist Ann Killion weighs in on Jenner's statements that trans girls should be barred from girls sports in schools. Plus: Announcing a new Fifth & Mission co-host. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/pod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Soleil Ho, co-host of the Extra Spicy podcast, covers the food industry — but hadn't eaten indoors at a restaurant in 15 months. That changed recently after she got fully vaccinated and knew hospitality workers had too. So what was it like to slide into a booth inside a pho restaurant for the first time? Soleil dishes all about it. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/pod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For months, Chronicle columnist Ann Killion has been raising questions about Stanford's decision to cut 11 varsity sports programs early in the pandemic. This week, the school reversed course under pressure, reinstating every one. Killion tells Demian Bulwa about how deep-pocketed Stanford had angered athletes and alumni, triggered lawsuits and exacerbated gender inequities. And what happened to the athletes whose futures were thrust into chaos? | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/pod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Reporter Trisha Thadani talks about the city's new Street Crisis Response Team — mental health professionals, not cops — which responds to the city's most vulnerable people, including those who are mentally ill, addicted to drugs and unhoused. The team is part of a the nationwide movement to get police out of situations where they might not be needed. But big challenges remain, including providing enough shelter and care and making sure people don't simply cycle back to the streets. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/pod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The CDC says it’s OK to stop wearing them if you’re vaccinated, but host Demian Bulwa isn’t so sure he’s ready — or that he trusts others that they’ve really gotten the jab. Reporter Erin Allday says that makes sense. We’ve all been through trauma and we’re nervous and scared. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/pod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The CDC urged city officials to avoid clearing homeless encampments during the COVID-19 pandemic. But now that the virus is subsiding and cities want to reclaim public space, some unhoused people face eviction and uncertain futures. Reporter Lauren Hepler discusses those tensions and how Gov. Gavin Newsom is responding. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/pod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Two San Francisco supervisors advanced their plan for three free months of Muni rides on Wednesday, but Muni officials don't like the idea. The Chronicle's transportation reporter Ricardo Cano explains why. Plus: The upcoming return of the city's historic streetcars, current ridership trends and the ongoing battle over car-free JFK Drive.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Despite the pandemic, state officials are projecting a $38 billion surplus in the upcoming fiscal year. The question: How to spend it? It's a good problem to have for Gov. Gavin Newsom, who's facing a recall election and is pushing ideas including more stimulus payments and expanding an intriguing program for unhoused people. Joining the podcast is Chronicle Sacramento reporter Alexei Koseff, who discusses the big windfall and the political considerations in a state grappling with immense poverty and inequality along with drought and fire crises. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/pod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Reporter Catherine Ho talks about the latest pandemic breakthrough: federal approval of the Pfizer vaccine for children 12-15. But when, and where, will shots start going in arms? Will enough parents actually give permission, considering the coronavirus hasn't hit young people as hard? Plus: A 15-year-old talks about what vaccine approval means to her. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/pod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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

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

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 today. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/pod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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

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 more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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

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