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Since January, the Trump administration has hollowed out San Francisco’s immigration court, firing all but nine of the 21 judges who started the year on the bench. The result is a court in disarray. Some judges keep their personal belongings packed in boxes, bracing for their dismissals. Staffers openly weep. Asylum seekers who have waited years for their day in court lose their place in line when their judge is fired, leaving them to wait years longer. On this week’s episode, a recently-fired jurist offers a rare look at a system in chaos. Background reading:  Trump violating immigration law ‘at an astonishing pace,’ says former judge ‘Shell-shocked’: SF Immigration Court reels from judge firings For more information on this week’s episode, visit sfstandard.com/pacific-standard-time. Transcripts of each episode are available on our website.  Support this podcast from The San Francisco Standard by becoming a member: www.sfstandard.com/member

In early November, San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie beamed with pride as he introduced Beya Alcaraz as the Sunset District’s next supervisor. A week later, Alcaraz resigned, after reporters uncovered her failings as a small business owner. The ill-fated eight-day tenure of Alcaraz dealt a political blow to Lurie’s streak of successes. On this week’s episode, The Standard’s Gabriel Greschler and Adam Lashinsky explain what this fiasco means for Lurie and what it tells us about the political landscape today. Background reading: The 200-hour supervisor Daniel Lurie learns a bitter lesson For more information on this week’s episode, visit sfstandard.com/pacific-standard-time. Transcripts of each episode are available on our website. Support this podcast from The San Francisco Standard by becoming a member: www.sfstandard.com/member

California City is a tiny town that’s become home to the state’s largest ICE detention center. Residents want it gone, but the mayor — a former rapper who nearly joined N.W.A. — is struggling to do anything about it. For more information on this week’s episode, visit sfstandard.com/pacific-standard-time. Transcripts of each episode are available on our website. Support this podcast from The San Francisco Standard by becoming a member: www.sfstandard.com/member

A smart, surprising weekly podcast about California’s future—and why what happens here matters everywhere and to everyone. Hosted by SF Standard culture editor Emily Dreyfuss and enterprise reporter Jesse Alejandro Cottrell. New episodes Wednesday mornings, beginning Nov. 19. If you want to support this podcast, you can become a member at: www.sfstandard.com/member