Pacific Standard Time

The San Francisco Standard
  • 4.9 (56)
  • NEWS COMMENTARY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Pacific Standard Time is the SF Standard’s weekly news podcast about the people and ideas driving San Francisco's future — and their ripple effects across the country. Hosted by Emily Dreyfuss and Jesse Alejandro Cottrell. New episodes Wednesdays.

  1. SF rent is due. Here's how we afford one of the most expensive cities in the US.

    5D AGO

    SF rent is due. Here's how we afford one of the most expensive cities in the US.

    We all know San Francisco is one of the most expensive cities in the world – but did you know that the average renter here spends about 34% of their salary on housing alone? So, after that rent check clears, what’s left? And how can you live a full life in SF without going broke? To help us answer these questions, we talk to San Francisco’s Chief Economist, Ted Egan, to make sense of SF’s unique rental market, as well as André Lucas, a recent SF transplant who has gone viral with a series of videos about how to live well in SF without breaking the bank. Plus, we hear from listeners about what they’re cutting from their budgets this month, and what they absolutely refuse to give up (hello, Equinox membership). For more information and episode transcripts, visit: https://sfstandard.com/pacific-standard-time/ Support this podcast from The San Francisco Standard by becoming a subscriber: ⁠https://sfstandard.com/subscriber

    40 min

  2. APR 24

    How to become a Valkyries superfan in one episode

    The WNBA's hottest team - the Golden State Valkyries - is on the cusp of a brand new season. After a blockbuster debut last year that saw sold-out crowds of 18,000 fans, the Valks are sure to bring the heat both on and off the court again this summer - and with that, new supporters, like our very own Emily Dreyfuss! To get us up to speed with this Bay Area franchise, we chat with the Standard's sports editor Kerry Crowley. We then meet Danielle Thoe, owner of SF's only women's sports bar. And we end with a game hosted by the Standard's comedy correspondent Sophia Garrow to test our newfound sports fandom. For more information and episode transcripts, visit ⁠sfstandard.com/pacific-standard-time⁠/. Support this podcast from The San Francisco Standard by becoming a subscriber: www.sfstandard.com/subscriber

    40 min

  3. APR 15

    Ronan Farrow on the trust issues shrouding Sam Altman and OpenAI

    Ronan Farrow spent 18 months investigating Sam Altman for The New Yorker. This week, he joined us to talk about what he found. Farrow and co-author Andrew Marantz spoke to over 100 people in Altman's orbit for their 16,000-word piece, "Sam Altman May Control Our Future — Can He Be Trusted?" The story landed just days before a Molotov cocktail was thrown at Altman's San Francisco home, amid a national wave of anxiety about AI and the people building it. In this conversation, Farrow talks about the pattern of deception described by Altman's own colleagues and investors, OpenAI's transformation from a safety-first nonprofit into a company racing for profit, and why he sees Altman's story as a window into a much bigger crisis: an industry without guardrails shaping all of our futures. We also get into what it's like to actually sit across from Altman in an interview, how Farrow's #MeToo reporting informs his approach to power, and the uncomfortable parallels between ChatGPT's tendency to hallucinate and people-please — and the personality traits sources attribute to the man who built it. Read the full New Yorker piece: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2026/04/13/sam-altman-may-control-our-future-can-he-be-trusted Pacific Standard Time is a production of the San Francisco Standard. Produced by Eddie Sun and Tessa Kramer. Edited by Sophie Bearman. Mixing by Michelle Lanz. Video by Morgan Ellis. Art by Jess Hutchinson. Music by Carly Bond and Bear Attack. Hosted by Emily Dreyfuss. Subscribe to The Standard: sfstandard.com/subscriber

    34 min

  4. APR 11

    SF vs. DC: The two cities fighting over America’s AI future

    Freelance journalist Jasmine Sun calls the SF-DC-AI axis "the most important story in the world" — so we brought her to Manny's in the Mission to break it down live. We get into the AI partisan divide, how Washington is thinking about jobs, and then spend 20 hilarious minutes grilling her on her 2026 cultural predictions. Spoiler: Graza olive oil is still out; cultured butter is in. For more information and episode transcripts, visit ⁠sfstandard.com/pacific-standard-time⁠. Support this podcast from The San Francisco Standard by becoming a subscriber: www.sfstandard.com/subscriber

    44 min

  5. APR 3

    The end of BART? Inside the Bay Area's transit crisis

    BART is considering cutting 70% of its service. Muni could eliminate 20 lines. Stations might close permanently. And after 9 p.m.? You're on your own. San Francisco's public transit system is facing the worst financial crisis in its history — a slow-motion collapse years in the making, accelerated by the pandemic and the rise of remote work. This week, we explain how we got here, what's on the ballot this November to address it, and what Bay Area transportation may look like if voters don't show up. Guests: Garrett Leahy, SF Standard transportation reporter; Laura Tolkoff, transportation policy director at SPUR

    33 min

  6. MAR 27

    Crimes in SF: Serious, petty and stinky

    San Francisco's crime rate is lower than it's been in decades, and politicians are lining up to take credit. We break down what's really happening. Plus: we consider whether putting your dog’s stinky poop bag in someone else's trash can is a crime — or, if not a crime, a moral failure. More reading: ⁠Police report: Daniel Lurie initiated confrontation that injured his security team⁠ ⁠San Francisco once led the fight against police surveillance. Now it’s a laboratory for it⁠ Can you put dog poop bags in other people’s trash cans? An ethical investigation⁠ For more information and episode transcripts, visit ⁠⁠sfstandard.com/pacific-standard-time⁠⁠. Support this podcast from The San Francisco Standard by becoming a member: ⁠www.sfstandard.com/member⁠.

    35 min

  7. MAR 20

    Can you afford to have a family in SF?

    San Francisco has the lowest rate of children per capita of any U.S. city — and if you've ever tried to afford childcare here, you know why. This week, host Emily Dreyfuss is joined by SF Standard head of audio Sophie Bearman, who reported on the real cost of raising kids in the city, to talk about why even families earning $400,000 a year feel squeezed. They also make the case for why, despite it all, SF is a pretty magical place to raise a family — plus the debut of a new segment, "Psst," where they share a hidden gem about the city you won't want to miss.

    31 min

  8. MAR 13

    The median home in SF now costs $2M. Let's talk about that

    This week on the show, hosts Jesse Alejandro Cottrell and Emily Dreyfuss take a look at where the San Francisco housing market stands in 2026 — and who it's actually working for — with SF Standard real estate reporter Emily Landes. Landes explains what's driving SF's latest housing surge: AI workers cashing out before their companies even IPO, rock-bottom inventory, and a median home price that just crossed $2 million. Plus, we explain the "Dirt Alley" saga, and play a quiz game called "What Did It Sell For?!" More reading: ⁠The Wishlist: Buying a home on an educator’s salary required an act of God⁠ ⁠They thought they bought a home. They ended up with ‘Dirt Alley’⁠

    43 min
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About

Pacific Standard Time is the SF Standard’s weekly news podcast about the people and ideas driving San Francisco's future — and their ripple effects across the country. Hosted by Emily Dreyfuss and Jesse Alejandro Cottrell. New episodes Wednesdays.

Information

  • Creator
    The San Francisco Standard
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    23
  • Rating
    Explicit

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