The recent repeal of Section 50-A of the New York State Civil Rights Law was no technical change. Passed in the wake of the George Floyd protests, it was a big victory for police-reform activists. Section 50-A shielded the disciplinary records of police officers, meaning that, in an officer-involved killing, for example, nobody—not journalists, lawyers, nor the victim’s family—could determine if an officer had a history of disciplinary incidents. The New Yorker staff writer William Finnegan examines how 50-A came to be a hot-button issue, and how Mayor Bill de Blasio has responded to the demands of the public and the police. David Remnick interviews Mayor Lori Lightfoot, of Chicago, about the federal agents sent to her city, and how she’s tackling the issue of police reform. Plus, Jeffrey Toobin discusses his newest book, “True Crimes and Misdemeanors,” which examines the Mueller investigation and the impeachment of Donald Trump.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot and the Federal Forces in Chicago
President Trump is deploying two hundred federal agents to help Chicago fight crime. Mayor Lori Lightfoot gives David Remnick her take on the situation.
The Power of Police Unions
William Finnegan on what the repeal of an arcane law reveals about the conflict among police, protesters, and politicians.
Jeffrey Toobin Explores Donald Trump’s “True Crimes and Misdemeanors”
The lawyer and New Yorker staff writer discusses his new book, which examines the Mueller investigation and the impeachment of Donald Trump.