LaToya Cantrell indictment: New Orleans mayor, Jeffrey Vappie face conspiracy, wire fraud charges
According to Schirm, charges against Cantrell include conspiracy, wire fraud, conspiracy to obstruct justice, false statements, and obstruction of justice. Officials are yet to reveal the complete set of charges.
Earlier in the day, Cantrell's lawyer, Eddie Castaing, confirmed to The Associated Press that an indictment was returned, and her name was read aloud by a federal magistrate judge as a defendant. The New Orleans mayor is yet to respond to the charges.
The indictment on Friday comes after a long-running investigation into Cantrell, New Orleans' first female mayor, and her former bodyguard.
Cantrell, a Democrat who is term-limited, will leave office in January after a turbulent second term. Her tenure has been overshadowed by disputes with the City Council, a failed 2022 recall effort, and voter-approved changes to the city's charter that curtailed her authority.
Her relationship with former allies has frayed, and her public profile has diminished. Cantrell last posted on her official X account on July 15, touting 'historic declines in crime.'
'This is a sad day for the people of New Orleans,' said Monet Brignac, spokesperson for City Council President JP Morrell. 'Our thoughts and prayers are with the Cantrell family as they navigate through this difficult time.'
Cantrell and her supporters contend she has been unfairly singled out as a Black woman in office, held to different standards than male leaders, and undermined in her executive role. Earlier this year, she described the treatment she's faced as 'very disrespectful, insulting, in some cases kind of unimaginable.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NDTV
34 minutes ago
- NDTV
Black Mayors Slam Trump, Highlight Sharp Crime Drop In Cities
As President Donald Trump declared Washington, DC, a crime-ridden wasteland in need of federal intervention this week and threatened similar federal interventions in other Black-led cities, several mayors compared notes. The president's characterisation of their cities contradicts what they began noticing last year: that they were seeing a drop in violent crime after a pandemic-era spike. In some cases, the declines were monumental, due in large part to more youth engagement, gun buyback programs and community partnerships. Now, members of the African American Mayors Association are determined to stop Trump from burying accomplishments that they already felt were overlooked. And they're using the administration's unprecedented law enforcement takeover in the nation's capital as an opportunity to disprove his narrative about some of the country's greatest urban enclaves. "It allows us to say we need to amplify our voices to confront the rhetoric that crime is just running rampant around major US cities. It's just not true," said Van Johnson, mayor of Savannah, Georgia, and president of the African American Mayors Association. "It's not supported by any evidence or statistics whatsoever." After deploying the first of 800 National Guard members to Washington, the Republican president is setting his sights on other cities, including Baltimore, Chicago, Los Angeles and Oakland, California, calling them crime-ridden and "horribly run." One thing they all have in common: They're led by Black mayors. "It was not lost on any member of our organisation that the mayors either were Black or perceived to be Democrats," Johnson said. "And that's unfortunate. For mayors, we play with whoever's on the field." The federal government's actions have heightened some of the mayors' desires to champion the strategies used to help make their cities safer. Trump argued that federal law enforcement had to step in after a prominent employee of the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, was attacked in an attempted carjacking. He also pointed to homeless encampments, graffiti and potholes as evidence of Washington "getting worse." However, statistics published by Washington's Metropolitan Police contradict the president and show violent crime has dropped there since a post-pandemic peak in 2023. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson scoffed at Trump's remarks, hailing the city's "historic progress driving down homicides by more than 30% and shootings by almost 40% in the last year alone." Mayor Karen Bass of Los Angeles, where homicides fell 14% between 2023 and 2024, called the federal takeover nothing but a performative "power grab." In Baltimore, officials say they have seen historic decreases in homicides and nonfatal shootings this year, and those have been on the decline since 2022, according to the city's public safety data dashboard. Carjackings were down 20% in 2023, and other major crimes fell in 2024. Only burglaries have climbed slightly. The lower crime rates are attributed to tackling violence with a "public health" approach, city officials say. In 2021, under Mayor Brandon Scott, Baltimore created a Comprehensive Violence Prevention Plan that called for more investment in community violence intervention, more services for crime victims and other initiatives. Brandon Scott accused Trump of exploiting crime as a "wedge issue and dog whistle" rather than caring about curbing violence. "He has actively undermined efforts that are making a difference, saving lives in cities across the country, in favour of militarised policing of Black communities," Scott said via email. The Democratic mayor pointed out that the Justice Department has slashed over $1 million in funding this year that would have gone toward community anti-violence measures. He vowed to keep on making headway, regardless. "We will continue to closely work with our regional federal law enforcement agencies, who have been great partners, and will do everything in our power to continue the progress despite the roadblocks this administration attempts to implement," Scott said. Just last week, Oakland officials touted significant decreases in crime in the first half of this year compared with the same period in 2024, including a 21% drop in homicides and a 29% decrease in all violent crime, according to the midyear report by the Major Cities Chiefs Association. Officials credited collaborations with community organisations and crisis response services through the city's Department of Violence Prevention, established in 2017. "These results show that we're on the right track," Mayor Barbara Lee said at a news conference. "We're going to keep building on this progress with the same comprehensive approach that got us here." After Trump gave his assessment of Oakland this week, she rejected it as "fearmongering." Social justice advocates agree that crime has gone down and say Trump is perpetuating exaggerated perceptions that have long plagued Oakland. Nicole Lee, executive director of Urban Peace Movement, an Oakland-based organisation that focuses on empowering communities of colour and young people through initiatives such as leadership training and assistance to victims of gun violence, said much credit for the gains in lower crime rates is due to community groups. "We want to acknowledge all of the hard work that our network of community partners and community organisations have been doing over the past couple of years, coming out of the pandemic to create real community safety," Lee said. "The things we are doing are working." She worries that an intervention by military forces would undermine that progress. "It creates kind of an environment of fear in our community," Lee said. In Washington, agents from multiple federal agencies, National Guard members, and even the United States Park Police have been seen performing law enforcement duties from patrolling the National Mall to questioning people parked illegally. Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson said the guard troops will not be armed but declined to elaborate on their assignments to safety patrols and beautification efforts. Savannah's Johnson said he is all for partnering with the federal government, but troops on city streets is not what he envisioned. Instead, cities need federal assistance for things like multistate investigations and fighting problems such as gun trafficking and cybercrimes. "I'm a former law enforcement officer. There is a different skill set that is used for municipal law enforcement agencies than the military," Johnson said. There has also been speculation that federal intervention could entail curfews for young people. But that would do more harm, Nicole Lee said, disproportionately affecting young people of colour and wrongfully assuming that youths are the main instigators of violence. "If you're a young person, basically you can be cited, criminalised, simply for being outside after certain hours," Lee said. "Not only does that not solve anything regarding violence and crime, it puts young people in the crosshairs of the criminal justice system." For now, Johnson said, the mayors are watching their counterpart in Washington, Muriel Bowser, closely to see how she navigates the unprecedented federal intervention. She has been walking a fine line between critiquing and cooperating since Trump's takeover, but things ramped up Friday when officials sued to try to block the takeover. Johnson praised Bowser for carrying on with dignity and grace. "Black mayors are resilient. We are intrinsically children of struggle," Johnson said. "We learn to adapt quickly, and I believe that we will and we are."
Time of India
4 hours ago
- Time of India
Where is the 'Taste of the City' Lounge in NYC where brutal mass shooting killed 3 people? Check details
Three people were killed and eleven were wounded when multiple gunmen opened fire inside a Brooklyn hookah lounge and restaurant around closing time Sunday morning. The incident happened at the in the Taste of the City Lounge on Franklin Avenue, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said in a press conference. The New York Police Department said it appeared multiple shooters had been involved in the mass shooting. The initial 911 call was received at about 3:27 a.m., the NYPD said. The three men who were shot and killed were pronounced dead at the scene, Tisch said, adding that one was 27, another was 25 and the third's age was not yet known. A firearm was recovered nearby, in the vicinity of Bedford Avenue and Eastern Parkway, and police were investigating whether it was involved in the shooting, police said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Undo ALSO READ: 3 killed, multiple injured in mass shooting at New York lounge in Brooklyn, suspects at large Where is the Taste of the City Lounge in NYC? New York City was shaken in the early hours of Sunday in a mass shooting in which 11 people were hit, of whom three have died, at a restaurant-cum-lounge called 'Taste of the City' in Crown Heights. The lounge at Franklin Avenue in Brooklyn stays open till 3 am, and the shooting took place just about half an hour after that, when people were still around. The lounge bills itself as a vibrant spot for live music, dinner, and cocktails. Its menu leans toward American and Caribbean flavors, while its social media presence suggests it's a popular hangout for a largely Black clientele. Live Events "Taste of The City Lounge is located In crown heights Brooklyn. At taste you'll indulge to great music , enjoy dinner or have one of our signature craft cocktails during golden hour. We are committed to creating an epic time when you visit us! From live bands, entertainers, and amazing DJs . Mouth watering food, friendly faces, and creative cocktails you'll be sure to come again. Come have a Taste Of The City!," the description of the lounge on its website reads. ALSO READ: 1,000 foot mega-tsunami could wipe out large parts of America? These US states face maximum threat from monster wave "At Taste, we will cater to you and your guests needs and provide unbeatable service. Let us do the work and you can relax and enjoy the Miami vibes," it adds. Taste of the City Lounge serves American and Caribbean plates with a full bar, hookah, and DJs. The business, which opened in 2022, was the scene of another shooting in November 2024. There were non-fatal injuries in that shooting. It is located less than a half mile from the historic Brooklyn Museum. What happened at the 'Taste of the City' Lounge? A mass shooting was reported at the 'Taste of the City' lounge in New York on Sunday morning, killing three people. Officers responded to calls of a shooting inside Taste of the City Lounge at 903 Franklin Avenue in Crown Heights just before 3:30 a.m., NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a press briefing. The three people killed were all men, ages 27, 35 and one whose age wasn't immediately known, cops said. All three were pronounced dead at the scene. No arrests were made in the shooting, and the suspects have yet to be identified. ALSO READ: $1,390 stimulus check in your bank account soon? IRS' crucial update for millions of Americans The eight wounded victims — five men and three women — were taken to local hospitals with what cops said were non-life-threatening injuries. The oldest injured victim was 61. At least 36 shell casings were found from the scene of the shooting, which was reportedly sparked by a dispute inside the crowded lounge. 'We have the lowest number of shooting incidents and shooting victims seven months into the year we've seen on record in the city of New York,' Tisch said. 'Something like this is, of course, thank god, an anomaly and it's a terrible thing that's happened this morning.' The NYPD has opened an investigation into the early morning shooting. NYPD personnel stood inside the business near a pool of blood and broken glass, according to video posted on X.
News18
13 hours ago
- News18
Trump runs into difficulty of Putin diplomacy
Agency: PTI Last Updated: New York, Aug 17 (AP) President Donald Trump walked into a summit with Russia's Vladimir Putin pressing for a ceasefire deal and threatening 'severe consequences" and tough new sanctions if the Kremlin leader failed to agree to halt the fighting in Ukraine. Instead, Trump was the one who stood down, dropping his demand for a ceasefire in favour of pursuing a full peace accord — a position that aligns with Putin's. After calls with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders, Trump wrote as he flew home from Friday's meeting in Alaska that it had been 'determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement, which often times do not hold up." It was a dramatic reversal that laid bare the challenges of dealing with Putin, a cunning adversary, as well as the complexities of a conflict that Trump had repeatedly boasted during his campaign that he could solve within 24 hours. Trump's position after the summit with Putin Few details have emerged about what the two leaders discussed or what constituted the progress they both touted. The White House did not respond to messages seeking comment Saturday. While European leaders were relieved that Trump did not agree to a deal that ceded territory or otherwise favoured Moscow, the summit allowed Putin to reclaim his place on the world stage and may have bought Russia more time to push forward with its offensive in Ukraine. 'We're back to where we were before without him having gone to Alaska," said Fiona Hill, who served as Trump's senior adviser on Russia at the National Security Council during his first term, including when he last met Putin in Helsinki in 2018. In an interview, Hill argued that Trump had emerged from the meeting in a weaker position on the world stage because of his reversal. Other leaders, she said, might now look at the US president and think he's 'not the big guy that he thinks he is and certainly not the dealmaking genius." 'All the way along, Trump was convinced he has incredible forces of persuasion," she said, but he came out of the meeting without a ceasefire — the 'one thing" he had been pushing for, even after he gave the Russian leader the 'red carpet treatment." Trump has 'run up against a rock in the form of Putin, who doesn't want anything from him apart from Ukraine," she said. Democrats call for consequences for Putin At home, Democrats expressed alarm at what at times seemed like a day of deference, with Trump clapping for Putin as he walked down a red carpet during an elaborate ceremony welcoming him to US soil for the first time in a decade. The two rode together in the presidential limousine and exchanged compliments. Trump seemed to revel in particular in Putin echoing his oft-repeated assertion that Russia never would have invaded Ukraine if Trump had been in office instead of Democrat Joe Biden at the time. Before news cameras, Trump did not use the opportunity to castigate Putin for launching the largest ground invasion in Europe since World War II or human rights abuses he's been accused of committing. Instead, Putin was the one who spoke first, and invited Trump to join him in Moscow next. 'President Trump appears to have been played yet again by Vladimir Putin," said Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. 'The President rolled out a red carpet and warmly greeted a murderous dictator on American soil and reports indicate he got nothing concrete in return." 'Enough is enough," she went on. 'If President Trump won't act, Congress must do so decisively by passing crushing sanctions when we return in the coming weeks." Sen. Jack Reed, a Rhode Island Democrat who is the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said he supports diplomacy but 'peacemaking must be done responsibly." 'Instead of caving to Putin, the US should join our allies in levying tough, targeted new sanctions on Russia to intensify the economic pressure," he said. Republicans and Trump allies offer little response so far In Washington, the summit was met by little response from Trump's allies. Republican lawmakers who spoke out were largely reserved and generally called for continued talks and constructive actions from the Trump administration. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, an Alaska Republican, wrote on social media after the summit that 'while the press conference offered few details about their meeting" she was 'cautiously optimistic about the signals that some level of progress was made." Murkowski said it 'was also encouraging to hear both presidents reference future meetings" but that Ukraine 'must be part of any negotiated settlement and must freely agree to its terms." Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican and close Trump ally, offered that he was 'very proud" of Trump for having had the face-to-face meeting and was 'cautiously optimistic" that the war might end 'well before Christmas" if a trilateral meeting between Trump, Zelenskyy and Putin transpires. 'I have all the confidence in the world that Donald Trump will make it clear to Putin this war will never start again. If it does, you're going to pay a heavy price," he said on Fox News. For some Trump allies, the very act of him meeting with Putin was success enough: conservative activist and podcaster Charlie Kirk called it 'a great thing." Some see a Putin win and a Trump loss But in Europe, the summit was seen as a major diplomatic coup for Putin, who has been eager to emerge from geopolitical isolation. Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, deputy head of Russia's Security Council, praised the summit as a breakthrough in restoring high-level dialogue between Moscow and Washington, describing the talks as 'calm, without ultimatums and threats." Former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt said the summit was 'a distinct win for Putin. He didn't yield an inch" but was also 'a distinct setback for Trump. No ceasefire in sight." 'What the world sees is a weak and wobbling America," Bildt posted on X. (AP) GRS GRS (This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - PTI) view comments First Published: August 17, 2025, 10:45 IST News agency-feeds Trump runs into difficulty of Putin diplomacy Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
