By WILL WEISSERT, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump suggested Wednesday that New Orleans could be his next target for deploying the National Guard to fight crime, potentially expanding the number of cities around the nation where he may send federal law enforcement.

Trump has already said he plans to send the National Guard into Chicago and Baltimore following his administration deploying troops and federal agents to patrol the streets of Washington, D.C., last month.

“So we’re making a determination now,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office during a meeting with Polish President Karol Nawrocki. “Do we go to Chicago? Do we go to a place like New Orleans, where we have a great governor, Jeff Landry, who wants us to come in and straighten out a very nice section of this country that’s become quite, you know, quite tough, quite bad.”

Trump now frequently boasts about turning Washington into a “safe zone.” The White House reports more than 1,760 arrests citywide since the president first announced he was mobilizing federal forces on Aug. 7.

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But Washington is a federal district subject to laws giving Trump power to take over the local police force for up to 30 days. The decision to use troops to attempt to quell crime in other Democratic-controlled cities around the country would represent an important escalation.

“So we’re going to be going to maybe Louisiana, and you have New Orleans, which has a crime problem. We’ll straighten that out in about two weeks,” Trump said. “It’ll take us two weeks, easier than D.C.”

Trump’s latest comments came a day after he declared “We’re going in” and suggested that the National Guard might soon be headed for Chicago, the nation’s third-largest city, and Baltimore. That’s despite state and local officials, as well as many residents, both places staunchly opposing the idea.

But New Orleans is a predominately Democratic-leaning city in a red state run by Landry, a Republican — and reflection of Trump floating federal intervention along ideological lines.

“Crime is down in New Orleans,” City Councilmember Oliver Thomas, who is also a mayoral candidate, said via text message. “That would seem to be very political or a major overreaction!”

Councilmember Jean-Paul Morrell said it is “ridiculous to consider sending the National Guard into another American city that hasn’t asked for it.”

“Guardsmen are not trained law enforcement. They can’t solve crimes, they can’t interview witnesses and they aren’t trained to constitutionally police,” Morrell said in a statement. “NOPD is doing a great job with the existing resources they have. Marching troops into New Orleans is an unnecessary show of force in effort to create a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist.”

Landry, though, posted on social media, “We will take President @realDonaldTrump’s help from New Orleans to Shreveport!” while House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, whose district includes the conservative suburbs outside of New Orleans, praised Trump’s efforts in Washington.

“The citizens of New Orleans, and the millions of tourists who come here, deserve that same level of security,” Scalise wrote in a social media post. “We should all be in favor of increased safety for our citizens and lower crime.”

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said in a statement that people “continue to die in New Orleans because ‘leaders’ refuse to accept the resources that are available to them.”

“If your gut reaction is to reject the President’s offer for assistance without condition, perhaps you’re the problem – not him,” Murill said.

The City of New Orleans struck a more conciliatory tone, staying in a statement, “our federal and state partnerships have played a significant role in ensuring public safety, particularly during special events” and that local officials “remain committed to sustaining this momentum.” New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell was indicted last month on federal fraud charges and is set to be arraigned in the coming weeks.

Trump, meanwhile, has repeatedly railed against Democratic Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker for not requesting that the National Guard be deployed.

“We could straighten out Chicago. All they have to do is ask us to go into Chicago. If we don’t have the support of some of these politicians, but I’ll tell you who is supporting us, the people of Chicago,” Trump said Wednesday.

Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson have been adamant in saying Chicago doesn’t need or want military intervention. In Baltimore, Mayor Brandon Scott and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore have remained similarly opposed.

In Washington, Mayor Muriel Bowser has said Trump’s decision to take over her city’s police force and flood streets with hundreds of federal law enforcement agents and National Guard troops has succeeded in reducing violent crime — but she’s also argued that similar results could have been achieved simply by having more city police officers in service.

She said Wednesday that Trump’s law enforcement powers in the city don’t need to be extended beyond 30 days, saying, “We don’t need a presidential emergency.”

Associated Press writer Jack Brook in New Orleans contributed to this report.

By MATTHEW BROWN

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — A Montana man suspected of killing four people at a bar then evading capture for a week was charged on Wednesday with additional crimes, including attempted arson.

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State District Judge Jeffrey Dahood ordered Michael Paul Brown to be held without bail after the defendant’s attorneys said mental illness could be an issue in the case.

Brown’s family has said the 45-year-old former soldier long struggled with mental illness before allegedly shooting a bartender and three patrons at The Owl Bar in Anaconda, Montana, on Aug. 1.

Brown, who lived next door, also tried to damage or destroy the building by lighting objects inside it on fire, according to newly-released court documents.

The owner of The Owl Bar, David Gwerder, said Wednesday he was told by investigators that Brown lit a cardboard pizza box on fire hoping to use it as a “fuse” to ignite a bucket of flammable or explosive material. But the bucket did not ignite, Gwerder said he was told, and the suspect allegedly left the bar then returned a minute later with a gun and shot everyone who was there.

Defense attorney Walter Hennessey pleaded not guilty on Brown’s behalf to charges that also include four counts of murder, theft and eluding police. Brown appeared by video from jail in Butte, Montana.

A conviction for murder, known in Montana as deliberate homicide, can be punishable by death in the state. However, executions in Montana have been on hold since 2015 under a court ruling regarding a drug used in lethal injections.

A decision on whether to seek the death penalty against Brown is pending, Deer Lodge County Attorney Morgan Smith told the court Wednesday.

Bail for Brown previously had been set at $2 million. But Dahood on Wednesday sided with a prosecution request to hold Brown for now without the possibility of bail. The judge cited public safety and the mental health issues raised by Brown’s attorneys.

This image made from video provided by the Anaconda Deer Lodge County Justice Court shows Michael Paul Brown, who is accused of killing four people in a bar, during a virtual court appearance, Monday, Aug. 11, 2025, in Montana. (Anaconda Deer Lodge County Justice Court via AP)

The judge set trial for Jan. 12.

Anaconda, about 25 miles northwest of Butte, is home to roughly 9,000 people. It is surrounded by mountains. Following the shooting, Brown allegedly stole a truck that he ditched several miles outside of town at the base of a mountain before escaping into the forest.

He hid for a week in that area west of Anaconda where he was eventually apprehended, moving locations while helicopters and drones circled overhead and officers and dogs searched on the ground, officials said. Brown was captured on Aug. 8 inside an unoccupied structure near a bar in the small community of Stumptown, authorities said.

Investigators also have been examining whether he had any contact with individuals or property owners who might have helped him while he was on the run.

Authorities have not commented on a possible motive, and much of the case against Brown has been sealed by the judge.

Brown had patronized the bar over several decades and knew the victims, Gwerder said.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — An estimated $1.4 billion lottery jackpot will be up for grabs Wednesday night thanks to dozens of drawings without a big winner.

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The massive Powerball prize is the sixth-largest U.S. lottery jackpot. It’s a result of 40 consecutive drawings stretching over the summer without anyone matching all of the game’s six numbers.

No one has won the grand prize since May 31, and the 41st drawing on Wednesday will be just one fewer than the record set last year.

All of that losing stems from Powerball’s abysmal odds of 1 in 292.2 million, though lottery officials note that the odds are far better for the game’s many smaller prizes. There are three drawings each week.

The $1.4 billion jackpot is for a winner who opts to receive 30 payments over 29 years through an annuity. Winners almost always choose the game’s cash option, which for this drawing would be an estimated $634.3 million.

Powerball tickets cost $2, and the game is offered in 45 states plus Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

“As we look to the upcoming school year, it is my hope that New York City continues to invest in training for our foster parents as well as initiatives like College Choice and Fair Futures, which have helped turn the ‘system’ into a supportive village to help young people in foster care as they transition into adulthood.”

Brooklyn College graduation in 2022. (Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office)

This season, students across New York City are going back to college, many with the support of their family members and loved ones who may even pay for resources to assist along the way. Students in foster care, like myself, deserve that same support and encouragement. In New York City, the Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) is making that happen in a number of ways, for which I am incredibly grateful.

As someone who grew up in foster care, I know how difficult life can be. I have faced many challenges. I was diagnosed as visually impaired at 12 years old. A few years later, both my parents passed away for different health reasons. There I was in my early teens, legally blind and struggling with the grief of losing the two most important people in my life.

After a few different placements both with relatives and foster parents that just weren’t the right fit, I finally met Ms. Matthews, who showed me patience, kindness and love. I know that was not easy to do, as I was rebellious and unmotivated about the future. Ms. Matthews did not let that stop her. She treated me as part of her family. Although I was unsure about what I wanted to do in life she kept on offering me guidance, but most of all—grace. I am grateful for her dedication and her belief in me even when I didn’t believe in myself.

Ms. Matthews has been a foster parent for many, many years, and so her knowledge of the foster care system is invaluable. She has seen the improvements firsthand and was able to point me to a wide range of resources newly available to older youth in foster care. I was hesitant at first and only did it to appease her, but that changed when I realized how invested everyone was in my success. 

The Fair Futures program was life-changing for me. Ms. Matthews pointed me to an ACS-funded youth center in my borough of the Bronx that paired me with my own Fair Futures coach.  I started to meet with my coach twice a month to plan goals and put them into action, starting with completing my GED. My coach helped me land a paid internship in the catering field. For the first time in a long time, I felt like a productive young adult. 

I was ready to try my next move, but thankfully I didn’t have to do it alone because of the ACS College Choice Program. A team of coaches helped me with everything—from finding the right college, to applying and visiting campuses in person. These are usually rites of passage that a young person does with family members, and that may seem out of reach to teens in foster care. That is not the case anymore, because of College Choice. Foster youth no longer have to feel left out or navigate this complicated process alone. 

College Choice pays the tuition, room and board for college students who are in foster care. It also provides a daily stipend, including for six months after graduation. It is helping to cover the cost of my dual bachelor’s and master’s degree in public administration. This year, 25 young people graduated from the College Choice program.

The help hasn’t stopped there. My Fair Futures coach, Natalie, worked with ACS to help me find, qualify for and furnish my very own apartment. I am in my 20s now and still check in with Natalie often. She helps me stay on track and gives me words of encouragement. 

As we look to the upcoming school year, it is my hope that New York City continues to invest in training for our foster parents as well as initiatives like College Choice and Fair Futures, which have helped turn the “system” into a supportive village to help young people in foster care as they transition into adulthood.

I am an example of what is possible when unconditional support is available for foster youth. I hope the programs continue to grow for the next generation, so every student in New York City—no matter their background—can reach full potential. 

Regina Rivera was born and raised in the Bronx. She is currently pursuing a bachelor’s and master’s in public administration. Rivera enjoys art and baking and is an advocate.

The post Opinion: Supporting the NYC Students in Foster Care Attending College This Fall appeared first on City Limits.