San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins
Last week, San Francisco Mayor London Breed appointed Brooke Jenkins as the city’s new district attorney, after former DA Chesa Boudin was ousted in a contentious recall election. Jenkins worked for Boudin as a prosecutor, but quit in protest over some of his decisions, and joined the effort to recall Boudin as lead spokesperson. Now that she’s got her former boss’s job, Jenkins has said she wants to review dozens of former drug cases and may overturn decisions made by her predecessor.
Assemblymember Phil Ting’s New Gun Control Law
There have been more than 300 mass shootings in the United States so far this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive. California lawmakers have acted swiftly to respond to these recent events and pushed through a new package of gun control laws. We talk to state Assemblymember Phil Ting, D-San Francisco, about the new law he authored, which carves a pathway to sue gun makers.
This Week in California News and Politics
The first six months of the year have been the driest in California’s recorded history, setting us up for a serious wildfire season. Crews have been battling wildfire in Yosemite National Park, where a big blaze has threatened ancient sequoias. We tackle this and more of the week’s big stories with our panel of reporters.
Guests:
- Guy Marzorati, KQED politics and government reporter
- Kevin Stark, KQED climate editor
- Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times breaking news reporter
James Webb Telescope
Nearly a million miles away, an array of 18 hexagonal mirrors made from rare metals is capturing stunning images of our universe. There’s a special California connection to the James Webb Telescope: It was partly assembled in Southern California, and many Californian engineers worked on the project for years. This week’s Something Beautiful showcases the story of this remarkable piece of technology that taps into our collective human spirit of invention, exploration and wonder.