Latest news with #Dee
Boston Globe
4 days ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Immigration raids add to absence crisis for schools
Last week, the administration deployed troops to Los Angeles in response to protests against deportations. Absences went up, even though the district tried to reassure families that schools were safe. Advertisement The new paper looked at attendance data from five school districts in the southern part of the Central Valley, serving a total of over 100,000 children. Public schools do not track immigration status. But a majority of students in the region are Latino, many that arechildren of farm workers with uncertain legal status. Those workers help produce about a quarter of the nation's food — fruits, vegetables, grains, and nuts. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Dee examined three years of attendance data. He found an unusual spike in absences in January and February following 'Operation Return to Sender,' a series of immigration sweeps conducted by US Customs and Border Protection. Dozens of day laborers and field workers were arrested at a Home Depot, in parking lots, and at gas stations. Advertisement The operation took place in the final days of President Joe Biden's term. But it was seen as a sign of the immigration enforcement agency's enthusiasm for Trump's agenda. Since then, immigration sweeps in California and across the country have been sporadic, though highly publicized. And on Friday, immigration officials paused raids targeting farmworkers, among others, after the president acknowledged earlier in the week that the raids were hurting the agricultural industry. In the Central Valley, immigrant parents said that after the January raids, they feared being arrested while their children were at school and being deported without them. Rather than risk separation, some parents kept children home. The spike in absences is equivalent to the average student missing about 15 days of school each year, up from 12 days, according to Dee's paper. He called the findings 'a canary in the coal mine' for public education. If absences continue to be elevated, they could threaten student learning and children's mental health. Funding is also at risk, since schools in California are paid according to student attendance. Teachers may have to adjust the curriculum to meet the needs of students who have fallen behind after missing class. School counselors and social workers are already devoting more of their hours to tracking down missing children and to treating their anxiety about deportation, according to educators in the region. The new paper echoes past research that found that under Trump, Biden, and President Barack Obama, immigration raids led to decreases in student attendance at nearby schools. Many immigrants in the Central Valley said that while fears of deportation had always hung over them, anxiety has never been higher. It is fueled by Trump's aggressive agenda and rhetoric, and by stories of family separation and children placed in foster care, often shared via social media. Advertisement One Mexican father of two schoolchildren in Fresno, ages 14 and 6, said that deportation alongside his wife and children would mean losing possessions, wealth, and his work as a mechanic. In California, he and his wife, a farmworker, had carefully built a life. But while losing that life would be difficult, deportation without their children, he said, was simply unthinkable. Like other migrant parents, the man asked to remain unnamed because of his uncertain legal status. He has cut out many of his family's nonessential trips outside their home but has continued to send his children to school. Many others have not. A Fresno mother, also from Mexico, was so fearful of being deported if she left her home that she paid someone else to drive her daughter to school. She also asked that her name not be used. She eventually resumed drop-offs, which is when she noticed a change at the school's doors. There were fewer children waiting in line to file into the building. Half a dozen families she used to see at drop-off were no longer there. In a written statement responding to the research findings, Abigail Jackson, a White House spokesperson, said, 'Illegal immigration is incredibly disruptive to all Americans, including families, students, and teachers. The Trump administration won't apologize for enforcing the law and restoring order to American communities.' This article originally appeared in Advertisement
Pink Villa
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
Vishnu Manchu reveals if Dhee sequel is still in works: ‘If I get the script, I will shoot next day' — EXCLUSIVE
Vishnu Manchu starrer Kannappa is slated to hit theaters on June 27, 2025. Ahead of its release, the actor appeared in an exclusive interview with Pinkvilla, dropping details about the sequel to his iconic film Dhee. Speaking at the interview, Vishnu reflected on his upcoming ventures and said, 'I haven't thought about any projects after Kannappa. There is a period film that is set in 1947, and we want to pull it off.' Highlighting how he isn't concerned with anything besides Kannappa, the actor continued on the sequel of Dhee. He said, 'The director and I have been trying to get together. I would do that film within a heartbeat, but I just hope one day they will come up with a script.' 'Ultimately, the script is the winner; everything goes with the script. If I get the script, I will go to shoot the next very day morning,' he added. For those unaware, Dhee (also spelt as Dee) is a Telugu-language film which was released in 2007. The action comedy venture directed by Srinu Vaitla had Vishnu Manchu and Genelia Deshmukh in lead roles. The flick features the tale of a happy-go-lucky guy who always gets into trouble. Owing to his personality, his father gets him a job under a local mafia leader as his accountant. However, he falls in love with the don's sister, who herself is under threat from a rival gang. Whether his love story progresses and manages to save the girl forms the rest of the story. Moving forward, the actor's next movie, Kannappa, is a fantasy film, directed by Mukesh Kumar Singh. Based on the legend of Kannappa from Hindu mythology, the story narrates the tale of a non-believer man's transition in life to become one of the most ardent devotees of lord Shiva. With Vishnu as the title character, the movie has actors like Prabhas, Mohanlal, Akshay Kumar, and Kajal Aggarwal in cameo appearances. Apart from them, the ensemble cast consists of Mohan Babu, R. Sarathkumar, Arpit Ranka, Kaushal Manda, Rahul Madhav, and more.
The Courier
6 days ago
- Sport
- The Courier
Cammy Kerr to face Dundee next season after making Premiership return
Cammy Kerr will face his old side Dundee next season after returning to Premiership football. The 29-year-old departed Dens Park last summer after 21 years with his boyhood club. The exit was a tearful one as he said goodbye following his testimonial year. He joined Queen's Park on a one-year deal with the option of a further season last summer. He would feature 21 times before injury ended his campaign in December and the Spiders would go on to drift down the Championship table to finish eighth. Now Kerr is back in the top-flight after joining up with Livingston. The newly-promoted side also picked up another former Dee in Zak Rudden from Queen's Park and have added a number of ex-St Johnstone men this summer. David Martindale has snapped up Stevie May, Connor McLennan and Graham Carey in recent days to join Ryan McGowan at Almondvale.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Yahoo
Former PCSO tried to build a gun using 3D printer
A former police community support officer with an 'obsession' for weapons tried to build a gun using a 3D printer. Zoe Watts, 38, was found with an 'arsenal' at her Lincoln home, with items including parts to make a semi automatic weapon, a machete and a crossbow. Watts, who previously served as a PCSO with Lincolnshire Police, was arrested during an armed operation on Dec 11. It came less than four years after she was previously jailed for possessing illegal weapons and manufacturing explosives in 2021. The latest charge related to Watts trying to make an FGC MK II Nutty semi automatic weapon, jurors at Lincoln Crown Court heard. Christopher Poole, a ballistics expert for the prosecution, said: 'It was the first in the UK seen of this variant.' Giving evidence, Mr Poole said 3D printed guns had become an emerging trend where individuals were circumventing firearms laws. He confirmed videos of similar weapons being discharged were readily available on YouTube, while jurors were shown footage of a similar weapon being discharged at a metal target in America. Jonathan Dee, prosecuting, explained the initials of the FGC MK II stood for 'F--- gun control'. When firearms experts tried to put the weapon together, it did not work, but Mr Dee insisted it would have become a 'lethal' prohibited weapon if made correctly. The 3D printer was found in a cupboard during a search of Watts' home along with many of the parts needed to make the FGC MK II Nutty, including a 'very short' steel barrel. Other items including a machete, bladed article, crossbow and bow were recovered from Watts' home. 'The defendant had an arsenal, we say this was part of it,' Mr Dee told the jury. Two days before the search, Mr Dee said Watts had put a search into Google asking: 'Has anybody been killed by a 3D printed gun?' And a day later, a search was made for the death of Brian Thompson, the chief executive of United Healthcare, who was fatally shot outside a hotel in New York, Mr Dee said. During her trial, Watts claimed she was actually making a 'fidget' toy gun as a Christmas present. Watts told the jury she had previously run a YouTube channel dedicated to 'survivalism' and bushcraft. But a jury at Lincoln Crown Court convicted her of the offence after a five-day trial. Judge Simon Hirst adjourned sentence until Aug 8 and remanded Watts back into custody. Watts was previously jailed for 27 months in July 2021 after she 'hoarded' banned weapons and explosive substances and also made an improvised explosive device. Police also found a stun gun, butterfly knives and an illegal electric fly-swatter during a raid in October 2020. On that occasion Watts had made an explosive device out of a modified shotgun cartridge. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Broadband is the bridge to a better future. Why are West Virginians still waiting?
Around 25% of West Virginians live without access to high-speed internet. (Trumzz | Getty Images) In the heart of West Virginia's rural landscape, the promise of new job opportunities through online training is overshadowed by a glaring problem: a lack of reliable broadband access. For residents like Dee and Bobby, this digital divide isn't just an inconvenience; it's a barrier to building better lives and a more prosperous future. Dee, in Wyoming County, is trying to restart her life after battling addiction and losing custody of her children. Last month, she enrolled in an online training program that promised to prepare her for a remote customer service job. Such jobs could be a lifeline in rural counties like hers, where traditional employment is scarce. But Dee immediately hit a roadblock. Her home internet failed to meet the minimum speed requirements for a remote interview, let alone sustained remote work. Her hopes faded because of infrastructure deficiencies outside her control. Despite her resolve, her ability to secure a sustainable livelihood and rebuild her family remains on hold. Bobby, a resident of a remote holler in Putnam County, has a similar story. He enrolled in an Adult Collegiate Education program to become an HVAC technician, aiming to increase his earning potential. But when winter weather made it unsafe to drive out of the holler, he lacked the internet access needed to keep up with coursework. Like many in rural communities without broadband, Bobby isn't being held back by a lack of ambition or ability, but by the absence of a basic prerequisite most Americans take for granted. These stories aren't isolated. They represent the daily struggles of the 25% of West Virginians who live without access to high-speed internet. Nationwide, the digital divide still affects more than 14 million people, mostly in rural and low-income areas. But the gap is particularly stubborn in West Virginia, where rugged terrain and sparse populations make traditional broadband expansion more expensive, and where broadband buildouts have too often stalled due to bureaucratic delays. The situation is worsening. Communities can no longer count on promised funding from federal initiatives like the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program to materialize on time or to support the most effective technologies. Meanwhile, deployment delays continue as providers and utilities argue over who will pay to replace aging poles. These fights have little to do with the lives at stake. But this doesn't have to be the end of the story. In McKee, Kentucky, a town tucked into the Appalachian Mountains like many in West Virginia, a nonprofit called the People's Rural Telephone Cooperative (PRTC) has shown what's possible. With support from federal funds, local investment, and a clear community mandate, PRTC has built and maintained a fiber broadband network that now offers above-average speeds. The project connected residents not just to the internet, but to jobs. More than 600 work-from-home positions have been created in partnership with job-training nonprofits, and the region has seen its unemployment rate drop by an astonishing five percentage points. This model works because it is rooted in local ownership and accountability. It treats broadband not as a speculative venture for private profit but as public infrastructure, no less vital than roads or electricity. It also aligns broadband access with workforce development from the start, ensuring people are trained for the very jobs that connectivity unlocks. West Virginia can replicate this success. Local organizations must be empowered and funded to close broadband gaps, while aligning closely with job-training providers to meet community needs. Strategic investment in community-based broadband cooperatives, especially those leveraging fiber, can create jobs in installation, maintenance, and the digital economy. Broadband access is not a luxury. It is the foundation for economic mobility in the 21st century. Without it, education, career advancement, health care and entrepreneurship are out of reach. And without those, rural residents remain locked in cycles of poverty and dependence, no matter how hard they work. If we're serious about creating real economic opportunity in West Virginia, we must stop waiting for ideal conditions and start investing in real solutions. That means prioritizing broadband expansion as a matter of economic justice. Until people like Dee and Bobby have a fair shot at success, none of us should be satisfied. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
