What Next

The Real Lesson of San Francisco’s D.A. Recall

Chesa Boudin became district attorney as part of a wave of progressive prosecutors. As he leaves office, how do his peers survive?

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Episode Notes

San Francisco is all but short-hand for “liberal American city,” but their progressive district attorney Chesa Boudin just got booted from office in a not-so-close recall. Elected as part of a wave of progressive prosecutors, why is Boudin now out, while his reformer-minded peers remain popular? And what does it mean for criminal justice reform in America?

Guest: Jessica Brand, founder and co-director of the Wren Collective, a consulting service focused on transforming the criminal justice system.

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Podcast production by Mary Wilson, Elena Schwartz, Carmel Delshad, Anna Rubanova and Sam Kim.

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About the Show

The problem with the news right now? It’s everywhere. And each day, it can feel like we’re all just mindlessly scrolling. It’s why we created What Next. This short daily show is here to help you make sense of things. When the news feels overwhelming, we’re here to help you answer: What next? Look for new episodes every weekday morning.

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Host

  • Sonari Glinton is the host of the podcast Bring Back Bronco and formerly covered the economy and cars for NPR.