News Closeup: The battle over women’s reproductive rights; Nassau county’s detective shortage

The battle over women’s reproductive rights is intensifying as several state legislatures take action to block abortions and make it a federal crime for a doctor to perform one.

In New York City, there’s a proposal not only to protect women seeking abortion, but also to pay for the procedure. City Comptroller Scott Stringer wants $250,000 set aside in the city’s budget to help women who can’t afford to pay for the procedure. That’s one of several items Stringer has on his agenda, including a plan to provide affordable childcare for 70,000 NYC families.

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Nassau County is battling a rash of crimes including robberies, scams targeting the elderly, an opioid crisis and the horrific problem of MS 13 gang violence. Police are credited with doing as good a job as possible. But the department is lacking an essential component: There is a shortage of detectives who do the crucial job of investigating these crimes.

We hear from John Wighaus, president of the Nassau County Detectives Association, who tells us why the shortage exists and what the department needs to protect the people who live in Nassau County.