Sao Paulo beefs up security for Brazil's 1st ever NFL game as players raise crime concerns

SAO PAULO (AP) — Sao Paulo state's government said it will deploy hundreds of police officers and provide escorts for team buses for Friday's NFL game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Green Bay Packers after some players expressed concern about playing in Brazil.

Security operations for the game in Sao Paulo’s NeoQuimica Arena will be coordinated with U.S. authorities, the state’s public security secretariat said in a statement Wednesday. Gun violence and crime rates in Brazil are among the highest in the Latin America. Metropolitan Sao Paulo has also faced a wave of cellphone thefts.

Hundreds of civilian and military police will be deployed for the game, the first NFL match to be played in the South American country, according to the statement. Military police will be used to escort the teams' buses to their hotels, training grounds and to the stadium.

“Our policing will be beefed up during the week to secure the public's safety for this historic match, with officers on the streets and avenues around the stadium, in public transportation, in the hotels and in tourist areas of the city,” the security secretariat said.

Earlier this week, Eagles cornerback Darius Slay said in a podcast he did not want to go to Brazil because of the country's crime rate. AJ Brown, a wide receiver of the same team, told said he will probably stay in his hotel room throughout his time in Sao Paulo. Other players expressed similar concerns.

On Saturday, San Francisco 49ers rookie receiver Ricky Pearsall was shot in the chest during an attempted robbery in central San Francisco.

Sao Paulo state's government said it will also send trained dogs to the stadium before the match to detect potential explosive devices that could put fans or players in danger. Helicopters and drones will also be used.

Sao Paulo police will have a station inside the stadium to support women who are victims of violence.

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Philadelphia Eagles players arrive at Sao Paulo International airport ahead of a game against the Philadelphia Eagles, in Guarulhos, greater Sao Paulo, Brazil, Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

The Philadelphia Eagles' Dallas Goedert, left, and teammates arrive at Sao Paulo International airport in Guarulhos, greater Sao Paulo, Brazil, Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

The Philadelphia Eagles' A.J. Brown arrives at Sao Paulo International airport ahead of a game against the Philadelphia Eagles, in Guarulhos, great Sao Paulo area, Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

The Green Bay Packers' Jayden Reed poses for a selfie with a fan upon arriving at Sao Paulo International airport ahead of a game against the Philadelphia Eagles, in Guarulhos, greater Sao Paulo, Brazil, Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

Green Bay Packers' Christian Watson, center, arrives at Sao Paulo International airport ahead of a game against the Philadelphia Eagles, in Guarulhos, great Sao Paulo area, Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

The Green Bay Packers' Romeo Doubs arrives at Sao Paulo International airport ahead of a game against the Philadelphia Eagles in Guarulhos, greater Sao Paulo, Brazil, Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

The Green Bay Packers' Jordan Morgan arrives at Sao Paulo International airport ahead of a game against the Philadelphia Eagles, in Guarulhos, greater Sao Paulo, Brazil, Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

The Green Bay Packers' Josh Jacobs, center, and teammates arrive at Sao Paulo International airport ahead of a game against the Philadelphia Eagles, in Guarulhos, greater Sao Paulo, Brazil, Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts arrives at Sao Paulo International airport ahead of a game against the Philadelphia Eagles, in Guarulhos, greater Sao Paulo, Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

A policeman stands guard during the arrival of the Green Bay Packers at Sao Paulo International airport ahead of a game against the Philadelphia Eagles, in Guarulhos, greater Sao Paulo, Brazil Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

Philadelphia Eagles players arrive at Sao Paulo International airport ahead of a game against the Philadelphia Eagles, in Guarulhos, greater Sao Paulo, Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Former President Donald Trump has chosen North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum to head the Interior Department. Some things to know about the two-term Republican governor of a sparsely populated state:

Burgum, 67, grew up in tiny Arthur, North Dakota, population 328. He earned a bachelor's degree from North Dakota State University and his master’s of business administration from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business.

He went on to become a wealthy software executive. He led Great Plains Software, which Microsoft acquired for $1.1 billion in 2001. Burgum stayed on as a vice president until 2007. He's also led other companies in real estate development and venture capital.

In 2016, Burgum ran for governor, his first campaign for elected office. He touted a message of “reinventing” government as the state dealt with a massive revenue shortfall.

In a major upset, Burgum defeated North Dakota's longtime attorney general in the Republican gubernatorial primary. He handily won his first term in the strong Republican state, which has about 784,000 residents.

He was easily reelected in 2020.

Burgum has taken a business-oriented bent as governor of North Dakota, where agriculture and oil are the main industries. He's pushed income tax cuts, reduced regulations, and changes to animal agriculture laws and higher education governance. Burgum also emphasized a “data-driven” approach to governing, advocated for a Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in the state and prioritized engagement with tribal nations.

Burgum and his wife, Kathryn, have been public about her recovery from addiction, and as governor he has prioritized resources for addiction treatment.

Burgum is known as a policy wonk who works long hours and is highly inquisitive.

He has largely resisted wading into social issues, such as anti-LGBTQ measures pushed by members of his own party, vetoing a few such bills in 2021 and 2023. But also in 2023, as he was planning a run for president, he signed a pile of bills opponents said targeted transgender people. They included a ban on gender-affirming medical treatments for transgender kids, sports bans for transgender athletes, and transgender restrictions in schools.

Burgum ran for president from June to December 2023. He campaigned on priorities of energy, economy and national security, but dropped out after his bid failed to resonate.

He appeared in two Republican debates — including the first, which he attended after hurting his Achilles tendon playing basketball. He drew attention for his campaign offering $20 gift cards to people who would donate $1 to his campaign so he would have enough individual donors to make the debate stage.

In January, before the Iowa caucuses, he endorsed Trump. The same month, he declined to seek a third term as governor.

When he entered office in December 2016, he dealt with the final months of the sometimes-chaotic protests of the Dakota Access oil pipeline. He's led the state through terrible droughts and crippling storms.

He was the face of North Dakota's response to the coronavirus pandemic, holding dozens of press conferences, many of them daily in early 2020, including an emotional plea about face masks. He and his wife publicly received their COVID vaccinations in 2021.

Last year, amid his presidential campaign, Burgum called a special session for the Legislature to deal with a budget mess weeks after the state Supreme Court voided a crucial bill, putting some state funding in jeopardy.

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum arrives before President-elect Donald Trump at an America First Policy Institute gala at his Mar-a-Lago estate, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)