Latest news with #Sylvia
Daily Mirror
6 days ago
- General
- Daily Mirror
Create an ‘ideal orchard' in gardens or patios as this 5-piece fruit tree set drops by £35
Green-thumbed shoppers enjoy homegrown fruit for less this summer as a 5-piece mini-orchard tree c collection is axed by a whopping £35 in a flash sale Whether you're a gardening expert or a novice beginner, there's no reason why you can't create your own orchard in your backyard or on your patio. If you've been yearning for fresh, homegrown fruit during the summer months, there's no need to worry about your experience or your budget, as this Fruit Tree Collection at Thompson & Morgan comes to the rescue. This set includes five covetable fruit trees: apples, pears, cherries, and plums. Thanks to this special offer, it is also budget-friendly at £49.99, down from £84.95. Perfect for keeping in pots on your patio or decking, or for planting straight into your garden, this mini fruit tree set is a great, wallet-friendly way to start creating your own little orchard that's set to keep your fruit bowl full for seasons to come. These patio fruit trees have been specifically chosen for their dwarf habit, which makes them ideal for growing in large containers, regardless of what space is available. The 5-piece set includes a Golden Delicious apple tree, an easy-to-grow variety that produces masses of attractive golden-green apples that store well over a long period after harvesting, making them great for use in cooking or eating cold. This gala tree is another apple tree in the collection. It is a reliable cultivar that produces attractive, red-flowered fruits that boast a surprisingly sweet flavour when eaten straight from the tree or used to make a delicious juicing apple. The bundle also includes the best-known of all pear trees, the Conference, which produces excellent fruit that can be enjoyed as a dessert pear but also tastes exceptional when cooked. The long, bell-shaped fruits with firm flesh can be eaten hard or fully ripe, and they have a smooth, juicy flavour. The collection is also stocked with a self-fertile Black Amber plum tree, which promises to yield plenty of rounded, firm purple fruits with a deliciously juicy texture. The last tree in the set is this self-fertile Sylvia cherry tree, a dwarf cherry tree that is sure to be an ideal plant for the patio, where it makes a great focal point in spring as pale pink cherry blossom cloaks the branches. This set is available for the reduced price of £49.99 at Thompson & Morgan, Dobies, or Suttons, or you can find a similar set on Amazon for the slightly lower price of £39.99. Raking in plenty of reviews, one 5-star rater beams about this set, writing: "Arrived very fast and well packed in first class condition, planted out and are growing away very happily." A third chimes in: "Usual excellent condition of plants securely and safely packaged. Ideal mini orchard for limited space." While this shopper shares: "Superbly packaged really healthy looking plants."
CNN
7 days ago
- Politics
- CNN
From summer school to language class, Education Department freezes leave students bereft of learning lifelines
Desperation crept into Sylvia's voice as she rattled off all the ways her life would become more difficult if a free learning program that her son attends during the summer shuts its doors. A single mother, Sylvia works as a janitor and is the sole breadwinner for her family which includes her 10-year-old as well as her ailing mother. 'I cannot sleep at night,' said Sylvia, who spoke to CNN through a translator as she picked up her son, Gabriel, at the end of a long shift. 'Gabriel is asking, 'Mom, why you are crying? Why are you crying, mom?'' She has been crying, she said, because she knows that the glue that keeps it all together — a nonprofit program that allows her son to have a safe place to stay, warm meals and a chance to learn English — is being targeted by the Trump administration. She declined to give her last name, citing privacy concerns amid the current political climate. Aspire Afterschool Learning, where Gabriel spends his days during the summer school break in Arlington, Virginia, is one of more than 10,000 summer and after-school programs across the country that has been pushed into a state of perilous uncertainty after the Department of Education abruptly paused the grant it depends on to keep things running. The fund, called 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC), is a federal program that was among a huge swath of nearly $7 billion of education grants that the department suddenly froze this month, with little notice. The halt came amid a review that alleged the money was being used to promote 'leftwing' ideologies. It comes as the Trump administration is seeking to dismantle the Department of Education, with mass layoffs underway and severe funding cuts under consideration. Much of the money goes towards programs that serve some of the US' poorest children. On Monday, some two dozen Democratic-led states sued the Department of Education in federal court to release the funds, which had already been approved by Congress and were supposed to have been disbursed to the states on July 1st. But the squeeze is already forcing many summer programs to scramble to stay open, even as schools and educational schemes are bracing for deeper impacts in the fall. The paused funding for K-12 programs included money for teacher education and recruitment, English language programs, student enrichment and nonprofit learning centers that partner with schools, among other initiatives. They are delivered through grant programs like 21st CCLC, with state education agencies distributing the money to grantees, including school districts and nonprofits that run free enrichment programs or work with schools to put on programming throughout the year. One day prior to the date the funds were to be released, the Department of Education instead sent a letter saying that money is not coming, pending a review. 'The Department will not be issuing Grant Award Notifications obligating funds for these programs on July 1 prior to completing that review,' it said. 'The Department remains committed to ensuring taxpayer resources are spent in accordance with the President's priorities and the Department's statutory responsibilities.' The impact of the freeze is already being felt as it has caused many programs to question whether they will be able to stay open this summer. 'It feels like we're punishing a whole lot of students,' said Paula Fynboh, who runs Aspire, which provides programming throughout the year. She is cobbling together money to keep the summer school running through student-run lemonade stands and other fundraising efforts. But if the money continues to be withheld come the fall, she will have to tell 25 families now in the program that their children will not be able to return. Many nonprofits are facing similar odds. 'They can try and keep their doors open an extra few days and extra few weeks and maybe if they're lucky they have rainy day fund but you know that's a Band-Aid that isn't going to last forever,' said Jodi Grant, executive director of the Afterschool Alliance, a national nonprofit advocacy organization. 'If these funds are blocked, the fallout will be swift and devastating,' said Jim Clark, president and CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of America, the nation's largest after-school youth program. Many sites are also in the midst of running their summer camps and programs, and nearly a fifth (17%) of the Boys and Girls Club network is funded by the 21st CCLC grant, according to the Afterschool Alliance. Up to 926 Boys & Girls Club centers, serving more than 220,000 kids, could be forced to close if the funds are not released, Clark said. Many of them are from underserved communities, and 'will lose access to essential supports like healthy meals, caring mentors, and safe spaces during the most vulnerable hours of the day,' he added. Addie Nardi, who runs a Boys & Girls Club in a rural part of Maryland about 90 minutes from Washington, DC, said the sudden funding freeze this month felt like 'a kick to the gut'— but the shock was 'secondary, almost, to the concern of how we were going to be able to continue to serve these kids.' If the funds don't come through, the site will likely permanently close, leaving elementary students and their families without one of their only options for support in the area, Nardi said. There is no timeline for when the Department of Education review will be completed and if the money will ever start up again. The impetus for the pause came from the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB), which described it as part of an 'ongoing programmatic review of education funding.' In a statement, OMB raised concerns about how some of the funds may have been used by schools. 'Initial findings show that many of these grant programs have been grossly misused to subsidize a radical leftwing agenda. In one case, NY public schools used English Language Acquisition funds to promote illegal immigrant advocacy organizations. In another, Washington state used funds to direct illegal immigrants towards scholarships intended for American students. In yet another, School Improvement funds were used to conduct a seminar on 'queer resistance in the arts.'' OMB did not provide documentation about their claims when asked by CNN. Grant, of Afterschool Alliance, says the move feels extreme. 'Nobody even knows what they're reviewing,' Grant said, 'If there's a specific program that they're concerned about, they should be investigating that program but not holding up funding for all of these other kids across the country.' Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers union, said the freeze of funds already approved by Congress for this summer is particularly damaging. The Department of Education's move is 'hurting children and creating chaos,' she said. Beyond the immediate threat to summer schools vying to stay open now, school districts and nonprofit education programs are bracing for more hardship into the school year. According to an analysis by the New America Foundation, a Washington, DC, think tank, school districts will lose an average of $220,289 if the funds continue to be withheld. Some stand to lose millions, with the poorest districts suffering the most. 'Districts serving high-poverty student populations (those where over 25 percent of children live in poverty) will lose over five times as much funding per pupil as low-poverty school districts (those where fewer than 10 percent of children live in poverty),' according to New America's analysis. 'The 100 school districts facing the biggest cuts on a per-pupil basis have an average child poverty rate of 24.4 percent, much higher than the national average of 15.3 percent.' Many school districts work with outside organizations to use federal grants to run after-school care or offer academic support for children from low-income families. Aspire in Virginia, for example, runs after-school programs at a community center and two local schools that serve many low-income families. Ninety-nine percent of Aspire's students are from families of color, and more than 90% are living below the poverty line. Over three-quarters speak a language other than English at home. Colorful posters line the walls at the community center where Aspire holds its programs, available to kids from 3rd to 8th grade. In one room, an arts and crafts project making masks was taking place, and in another, it was 'pirate day' where teachers dressed as pirates were fielding questions. Some students and former students who have come back as volunteers are serving snacks: On the day CNN visited, it was pineapples and blueberry muffins. The program regularly wraps up and discreetly sends home any leftovers to families in the program who would otherwise go without food. Kids who participate in the program earn points for academic and social achievements — and the difference it makes shows. 'I feel, like, happy because I now, I know how to read,' shared Monserrat, a little girl from Bolivia who is entering 4th grade in the fall. She joined Aspire a year ago, when her family moved to the US. She likes Aspire more than her regular school, she said, because she feels more competent and gets extra support. April, a rising 4th grader, said that Aspire helped her with her English, and now, she even helps translate for her parents. (April and Monserrat's parents asked that their last names not be used to protect their privacy.) When asked for thoughts on their experiences at Aspire, the girls raised both arms high above their heads, with two enthusiastic thumbs-up, flashing wide smiles. The states suing the Department of Education are asking the court to issue a preliminary injunction to unfreeze the funds immediately in at least some states. Fynboh said she fears the day Aspire will have to close. 'Walking by an empty classroom every day is going to be hard,' said Fynboh. 'We know these kids and we know their parents, their faces, their names, their stories, their gifts, their talents, and we know which ones are going to lose access to the program. And that's just heartbreaking.'
CNN
7 days ago
- Politics
- CNN
From summer school to language class, Education Department freezes leave students bereft of learning lifelines
Desperation crept into Sylvia's voice as she rattled off all the ways her life would become more difficult if a free learning program that her son attends during the summer shuts its doors. A single mother, Sylvia works as a janitor and is the sole breadwinner for her family which includes her 10-year-old as well as her ailing mother. 'I cannot sleep at night,' said Sylvia, who spoke to CNN through a translator as she picked up her son, Gabriel, at the end of a long shift. 'Gabriel is asking, 'Mom, why you are crying? Why are you crying, mom?'' She has been crying, she said, because she knows that the glue that keeps it all together — a nonprofit program that allows her son to have a safe place to stay, warm meals and a chance to learn English — is being targeted by the Trump administration. She declined to give her last name, citing privacy concerns amid the current political climate. Aspire Afterschool Learning, where Gabriel spends his days during the summer school break in Arlington, Virginia, is one of more than 10,000 summer and after-school programs across the country that has been pushed into a state of perilous uncertainty after the Department of Education abruptly paused the grant it depends on to keep things running. The fund, called 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC), is a federal program that was among a huge swath of nearly $7 billion of education grants that the department suddenly froze this month, with little notice. The halt came amid a review that alleged the money was being used to promote 'leftwing' ideologies. It comes as the Trump administration is seeking to dismantle the Department of Education, with mass layoffs underway and severe funding cuts under consideration. Much of the money goes towards programs that serve some of the US' poorest children. On Monday, some two dozen Democratic-led states sued the Department of Education in federal court to release the funds, which had already been approved by Congress and were supposed to have been disbursed to the states on July 1st. But the squeeze is already forcing many summer programs to scramble to stay open, even as schools and educational schemes are bracing for deeper impacts in the fall. The paused funding for K-12 programs included money for teacher education and recruitment, English language programs, student enrichment and nonprofit learning centers that partner with schools, among other initiatives. They are delivered through grant programs like 21st CCLC, with state education agencies distributing the money to grantees, including school districts and nonprofits that run free enrichment programs or work with schools to put on programming throughout the year. One day prior to the date the funds were to be released, the Department of Education instead sent a letter saying that money is not coming, pending a review. 'The Department will not be issuing Grant Award Notifications obligating funds for these programs on July 1 prior to completing that review,' it said. 'The Department remains committed to ensuring taxpayer resources are spent in accordance with the President's priorities and the Department's statutory responsibilities.' The impact of the freeze is already being felt as it has caused many programs to question whether they will be able to stay open this summer. 'It feels like we're punishing a whole lot of students,' said Paula Fynboh, who runs Aspire, which provides programming throughout the year. She is cobbling together money to keep the summer school running through student-run lemonade stands and other fundraising efforts. But if the money continues to be withheld come the fall, she will have to tell 25 families now in the program that their children will not be able to return. Many nonprofits are facing similar odds. 'They can try and keep their doors open an extra few days and extra few weeks and maybe if they're lucky they have rainy day fund but you know that's a Band-Aid that isn't going to last forever,' said Jodi Grant, executive director of the Afterschool Alliance, a national nonprofit advocacy organization. 'If these funds are blocked, the fallout will be swift and devastating,' said Jim Clark, president and CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of America, the nation's largest after-school youth program. Many sites are also in the midst of running their summer camps and programs, and nearly a fifth (17%) of the Boys and Girls Club network is funded by the 21st CCLC grant, according to the Afterschool Alliance. Up to 926 Boys & Girls Club centers, serving more than 220,000 kids, could be forced to close if the funds are not released, Clark said. Many of them are from underserved communities, and 'will lose access to essential supports like healthy meals, caring mentors, and safe spaces during the most vulnerable hours of the day,' he added. Addie Nardi, who runs a Boys & Girls Club in a rural part of Maryland about 90 minutes from Washington, DC, said the sudden funding freeze this month felt like 'a kick to the gut'— but the shock was 'secondary, almost, to the concern of how we were going to be able to continue to serve these kids.' If the funds don't come through, the site will likely permanently close, leaving elementary students and their families without one of their only options for support in the area, Nardi said. There is no timeline for when the Department of Education review will be completed and if the money will ever start up again. The impetus for the pause came from the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB), which described it as part of an 'ongoing programmatic review of education funding.' In a statement, OMB raised concerns about how some of the funds may have been used by schools. 'Initial findings show that many of these grant programs have been grossly misused to subsidize a radical leftwing agenda. In one case, NY public schools used English Language Acquisition funds to promote illegal immigrant advocacy organizations. In another, Washington state used funds to direct illegal immigrants towards scholarships intended for American students. In yet another, School Improvement funds were used to conduct a seminar on 'queer resistance in the arts.'' OMB did not provide documentation about their claims when asked by CNN. Grant, of Afterschool Alliance, says the move feels extreme. 'Nobody even knows what they're reviewing,' Grant said, 'If there's a specific program that they're concerned about, they should be investigating that program but not holding up funding for all of these other kids across the country.' Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers union, said the freeze of funds already approved by Congress for this summer is particularly damaging. The Department of Education's move is 'hurting children and creating chaos,' she said. Beyond the immediate threat to summer schools vying to stay open now, school districts and nonprofit education programs are bracing for more hardship into the school year. According to an analysis by the New America Foundation, a Washington, DC, think tank, school districts will lose an average of $220,289 if the funds continue to be withheld. Some stand to lose millions, with the poorest districts suffering the most. 'Districts serving high-poverty student populations (those where over 25 percent of children live in poverty) will lose over five times as much funding per pupil as low-poverty school districts (those where fewer than 10 percent of children live in poverty),' according to New America's analysis. 'The 100 school districts facing the biggest cuts on a per-pupil basis have an average child poverty rate of 24.4 percent, much higher than the national average of 15.3 percent.' Many school districts work with outside organizations to use federal grants to run after-school care or offer academic support for children from low-income families. Aspire in Virginia, for example, runs after-school programs at a community center and two local schools that serve many low-income families. Ninety-nine percent of Aspire's students are from families of color, and more than 90% are living below the poverty line. Over three-quarters speak a language other than English at home. Colorful posters line the walls at the community center where Aspire holds its programs, available to kids from 3rd to 8th grade. In one room, an arts and crafts project making masks was taking place, and in another, it was 'pirate day' where teachers dressed as pirates were fielding questions. Some students and former students who have come back as volunteers are serving snacks: On the day CNN visited, it was pineapples and blueberry muffins. The program regularly wraps up and discreetly sends home any leftovers to families in the program who would otherwise go without food. Kids who participate in the program earn points for academic and social achievements — and the difference it makes shows. 'I feel, like, happy because I now, I know how to read,' shared Monserrat, a little girl from Bolivia who is entering 4th grade in the fall. She joined Aspire a year ago, when her family moved to the US. She likes Aspire more than her regular school, she said, because she feels more competent and gets extra support. April, a rising 4th grader, said that Aspire helped her with her English, and now, she even helps translate for her parents. (April and Monserrat's parents asked that their last names not be used to protect their privacy.) When asked for thoughts on their experiences at Aspire, the girls raised both arms high above their heads, with two enthusiastic thumbs-up, flashing wide smiles. The states suing the Department of Education are asking the court to issue a preliminary injunction to unfreeze the funds immediately in at least some states. Fynboh said she fears the day Aspire will have to close. 'Walking by an empty classroom every day is going to be hard,' said Fynboh. 'We know these kids and we know their parents, their faces, their names, their stories, their gifts, their talents, and we know which ones are going to lose access to the program. And that's just heartbreaking.'
USA Today
15-07-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
Who is Edward J. Zakrzewski II? Airman who killed family is 9th DeSantis death warrant in 2025
Nearly 30 years after a former Eglin Air Force Base airman was convicted of savagely murdering his family, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed his death warrant to potentially make him the ninth person put to death in Florida in 2025. Edward J. Zakrzewski II pleaded guilty to killing his wife Sylvia inside their Okaloosa County home in 1994 by bludgeoning her with a crowbar, strangling her and striking her with a machete, according to court records. Then he turned the machete on his 7-year-old son, Edward, and his 5-year-old daughter, Anna, hacking them to death. Zakrzewski, now 60, was sentenced to death for all three murders. In signing Zakrzewski's death warrant on July 1, DeSantis set the stage to break the modern-day record for number of executions in one calendar year set by former governors Bob Graham in 1984 and Rick Scott in 2014, with six months still left to go in 2025. There are currently 269 people on Florida's death row. More than 100 of them have been there for more than 30 years, according to the Department of Corrections. Zakrzewski is scheduled to be executed on July 31, just two weeks after the scheduled execution of Michael Bell, who was convicted of murdering a Jacksonville couple in 1993 in a revenge killing aimed at the wrong person. Should the scheduled executions go forward, this will be the second month in 2025 when two executions were held. Jeffrey Hutchinson and Glen E. Rogers were both put to death in May. Anthony F. Wainwright was executed in June. There have been executions every month this year except for January. Latest Florida execution: Florida to set record with 9 executions in 2025 under DeSantis; latest is Okaloosa killer Judge: Zakrzewski murders 'brutal and atrocious' According to the sentencing order, Zakrzewski's son Edward called him at work and told him that his mother Sylvia was going to file for divorce. Zakrzewski, who a neighbor testified had previously stated on two prior occasions that he would kill her and the children before he let that happen, bought a machete on his lunch break. At their Mary Esther home, after sharpening the machete, he placed it, a crowbar and some rope around the house, court records show. Then he went back to work and even attended a college course that evening. When he got home, he sent the children to watch TV and then attacked Sylvia Zakrzewski with the crowbar. Zakrzewski dragged her to the bedroom, hit her again, court records said. He also choked her with the rope. Zakrzewski called his son to brush his teeth and struck him with the machete multiple times, nearly decapitating him, then attacked and killed his daughter Anna. Afterward, Zakrzewski drove to Orlando and flew to Hawaii, changed his name and lived with a family who ran a religious commune, according to court records. Four months later, the family saw his picture on the TV show "Unsolved Mysteries" and he turned himself in the next day. Exhaustive attempts at appeals have been denied and the Florida Supreme Court has upheld his conviction and sentences. In 1999, the U.S. Supreme Court denied his petition to review the case. From 2016: Edward Zakrzewski nears 20th anniversary on Florida's death row When is Edward J. Zakrzewski II scheduled to be executed? If the execution happens as scheduled, Zakrzewski's death is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET on Thursday, July 31, 2025, at Florida State Prison in Raiford. How many death row inmates has Florida executed? From 1924 until May 1964, the state of Florida executed 196 people. There were no executions from May 1964 until May 1976. In 1972, the United States Supreme Court struck down the death penalty, but it was reinstated in 1976. Florida has carried out 112 executions since then. DeSantis is on track to set a new record for number of executions in Florida in a calendar year. When is the next execution in Florida? Michael Bell, 54, is scheduled to be put to death on June 24. Bell was convicted in 1995 for gunning down Jimmy West and Tamecka Smith in a car outside a Jacksonville bar in a case of mistaken identity, believing West to be the man who killed Bell's brother earlier that year. Prosecutors said Bell was unaware the real killer had sold his car.
The Sun
14-07-2025
- The Sun
Man rushed to hospital after campervan EXPLODES in ‘gas blast' at Scots beach
A MAN has been rushed to hospital after a campervan exploded in a "gas blast" at a Scots beach. Emergency crews raced to East Beach Car Park in Lossiemouth, Moray, after the alarm was raised around 7.30am today. 2 Dramatic images from the scene show the door of the vehicle blown off by the explosion. A yellow canister is situated beside the campervan. Cops confirmed a 59-year-old was rushed to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. Gerry Cross and wife Sylvia were in the motorhome next to the one that exploded. At first they thought someone had rammed right into their vehicle. But when they went out to investigate they discovered their neighbour's camper had blown up. They found him wandering about the car park in only his shorts, and he told them: 'My van is f***ed'. Gerry, 64, said: 'There was a horrendous bang. 'I thought another car had driven into the side of the motorhome because it was such a noise. 'I threw my clothes on and went out for a look but there wasn't a mark on our motorhome. Terrifying moment torched vehicles catch fire in Scots street as residents report 'explosions' 'That's when I found the guy from the other van. He was really shaken up and looking a bit dazed.' Gerry and Sylvia, from Baildon, Bradford, are driving across Scotland to mark her birthday. But the big day didn't go as planned when the explosion happened right next to them in the car parking spot in picturesque Lossiemouth at about 7.15am. A passerby called the emergency services and Gerry tried to help the 59-year-old owner of the other mobile home. He told them he'd been lying in his bed when his gas canister exploded and blasted the door off. It's thought it had been leaking and slowly filled the vehicle with gas until it reached some kind of flame. Gerry said: 'At first I thought he had really bad sunburn. But I think that was burns from the explosion right across his back. 'His eyebrows were burned off and all the stubble on his face had been singed off. 'But he was incredibly lucky to walk away from it. I wonder if it was just because he was in the eye of the storm that he wasn't more seriously hurt.' Sylvia, 56, was playing Worldle on her phone when the blast happened. She said: 'This is a birthday I'll probably never, ever forget. 'It's fortunate no one was walking across the car park at the time. The door came off like a missile.' Chris Cowe, 37, and partner Nicole Alzate, 35, live next to the car park and came running when they heard the blast. Nicole said: 'The whole house shook. I thought a bomb had gone off.' The couple wrapped the injured tourist, thought to be from England, in clingfilm to help his burns. The emergency services got to the scene within ten minutes and the injured campervan driver was taken to nearby Dr Gray's Hospital in Elgin. He was later transferred to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. Cops cordoned off the camper van and two officers stood guard before fire investigation crews arrived to launch their probe into the incident. After all the drama, Sylvia and Gerry planned to stay another night in Lossiemouth, with dogs Ghost and Etta. They stayed next to the blast site. Gerry said: 'We've been driving across the UK in the van for six years and nothing like this has ever happened before. It's the last thing you expect.'We were called to a report of a possible gas explosion within a motorhome in a car park in the Church Street area of Lossiemouth. 'A 59-year-old man was taken to Dr Gray's Hospital in Elgin and later transferred by road to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary for treatment.' A Scottish Fire and Rescue spokeswoman added: 'We were alerted to reports of an explosion within a campervan in a car park. 'Operations Control mobilised two fire appliances and firefighters assisted emergency service partners. 'One casualty was handed into the care of the Scottish Ambulance Service. Crews left the scene after ensuring the area was made safe.'
