By BIANCA VÁZQUEZ TONESS, Associated Press Education Writer

EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — After driving through a downpour to take her son to day camp, Darleen Reyes told camp administrators the rain would have kept her away but her son insisted on going.

As she marked her son’s name present on a clipboard at the Boys & Girls Club camp one day last week, she laughed about braving a flash flood warning to get there.

Before kissing his mother goodbye, Aiden Cazares, 8, explained to a reporter, “I wanted to see my friends and not just sit at home.” Then he ran off to play.

Aiden’s one of 1.4 million children and teenagers around the country who have been attending after-school and summer programming at a Boys & Girls Club, the YMCA or a public school for free thanks to federal taxpayers. Congress set aside money for the programs to provide academic support, enrichment and child care to mostly low-income families, but President Donald Trump’s administration recently froze the funding.

Jillian Murphy leads children in math activities during the East Providence Boys and Girls Club Summer Camp at Emma G. Whiteknact Elementary School on Thursday, July 10, 2025, in Providence R.I. (AP Photo/Sophie Park)

The money for the 21st Century Community Learning Centers is among more than $6 billion in federal education grants Trump’s Republican administration has withheld, saying it wants to ensure recipients’ programs align with the president’s priorities.

After-school programs for the fall are in jeopardy

In Rhode Island, the state stepped in with funding to keep the summer programs running, according to the Boys & Girls Club of East Providence. Other Boys & Girls Clubs supported by the grants have found ways to keep open their summer programs, said Sara Leutzinger, vice president for communications for the Boys & Girls Club of America. But there isn’t the same hope for the after-school programming for the fall.

Some of the 926 Boys & Girls Clubs nationwide that run 21st Century Community Learning summer and after-school programs stand to close if the Trump administration doesn’t release the money in the next three to five weeks, Leutzinger said.

The YMCA and Save the Children say many of the centers they run are also at risk of shuttering.

Children raise their hands while participating in activities during the East Providence Boys and Girls Club Summer Camp at Emma G. Whiteknact Elementary School on Thursday, July 10, 2025, in Providence R.I. (AP Photo/Sophie Park)

“Time is of the essence,” said Christy Gleason, executive director of Save the Children Action Network, which provides after-school programming for 41 schools in rural areas in Washington state and across the South, where school will begin as soon as August. “It’s not too late to make a decision so the kids who really need this still have it.”

Schools in Republican-led areas are particularly affected by the freeze in federal education grants. Ninety-one of the 100 school districts that receive the most money from four frozen grant programs are in Republican congressional districts, according to an analysis from New America, a left-leaning think tank. Of those top 100 school districts, half are in four states: California, West Virginia, Florida and Georgia. New America’s analysis used funding levels reported in 2022 in 46 states.

Republican officials have been among the educators criticizing the grant freeze.

“I deeply believe in fiscal responsibility, which means evaluating the use of funds and seeking out efficiencies, but also means being responsible — releasing funds already approved by Congress and signed by President Trump,” said Georgia schools superintendent Richard Woods, an elected Republican. “In Georgia, we’re getting ready to start the school year, so I call on federal funds to be released so we can ensure the success of our students.”

The Office of Management and Budget said some grants supported left-wing causes, pointing to services for immigrants in the country illegally or LGBTQ+ inclusion efforts.

Summer clubs provide instruction for children

At the East Providence summer camp, Aiden, a rising third grader, played tag, built structures with magnetic tiles, played a fast-paced game with the other kids to review addition and subtraction, learned about pollination, watched a nature video and ate club-provided chicken nuggets.

Veteran teachers from his school corrected him when he spoke without raising his hand and offered common-sense advice when a boy in his group said something inappropriate.

Children hold hands while participating in activities during the East Providence Boys and Girls Club Summer Camp at Emma G. Whiteknact Elementary School on Thursday, July 10, 2025, in Providence R.I. (AP Photo/Sophie Park)

“When someone says something inappropriate, you don’t repeat it,” teacher Kayla Creighton told the boys between answering their questions about horseflies and honeybees.

Indeed, it’s hard to find a more middle-of-the road organization in this country than the Boys & Girls Club.

Just last month, a Republican and a Democrat sponsored a resolution in the U.S. House celebrating the 165-year-old organization as a “beacon of hope and opportunity.” The Defense Department awarded the club $3 million in 1991 to support children left behind when their parents deployed for the Persian Gulf. And ever since, the Boys & Girls Club has created clubs on military installations to support the children of service members. Military families can sign up their kids for free.

“I suspect they will realize that most of those grants are fine and will release them,” said Mike Petrilli, president of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, a conservative education policy think tank, speaking of the Trump administration’s review of the 21st Century Community Learning Center grants.

But not everyone is so sure.

Families see few affordable child care alternatives

Aiden’s mother has started looking into afternoon child care for September when kids return to school in Rhode Island.

“It costs $220 a week,” Reyes said, her eyes expanding. “I can’t afford that.”

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The single mother and state worker said she’ll probably ask her 14-year-old son to stay home and watch Aiden. That will mean he would have to forgo getting a job when he turns 15 in the fall and couldn’t play basketball and football.

“I don’t have any other option,” she said.

At home, Aiden would likely stay inside on a screen. That would be heartbreaking since he’s thrived getting tutoring and “learning about healthy boundaries” from the Boys & Girls Club program, Reyes said.

Fernande Berard learned about the funding freeze and possible closure from a reporter after dropping off her three young boys for summer camp. “I would be really devastated if this goes away,” said the nurse. “I honestly don’t know what I would do.”

Her husband drives an Uber much of the day, and picking up the kids early would eat into his earnings. It’s money they need to pay the mortgage and everything else.

If her boss approves, she’d likely have to pick up her children from school and take them to the rehabilitation center where she oversees a team of nurses. The children would have to stay until her work day ends.

“It’s hard to imagine,” she said.

The Associated Press’ education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find the AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

FALL RIVER, Mass. — A fire tore through an assisted living facility in Massachusetts, killing nine people and trapping residents inside, including some who were hanging out of windows screaming for help, authorities said Monday. At least 30 others were injured in the blaze.

Firefighters responded to the Gabriel House assisted living facility in Fall River at about 9:50 p.m. Sunday and were met with heavy smoke and flames at the front of the building, the state Department of Fire Services said in a news release. About 70 people live in the house.

The fire was out by Monday morning and firefighters were able to get inside and rescue numerous occupants. About 50 firefighters responded, including 30 who were off-duty.

Many of those rescued were taken to local and regional hospitals in varying conditions.

Jarren Oldrid described the scene as “pretty terrifying” as he tried to figure out if his 67-year-old father, Steven Oldrid, was safe. He found him recovering from smoke inhalation at a hospital.

“It’s kind of just a whirlwind of trying to figure out what’s happening, how this could happen in such a major way,” he said.

Five firefighters suffered injuries that were not life-threatening, a statement said.

“This is an unfathomable tragedy for the families involved and the Fall River community,” said Chief Jeffrey Bacon.

He told reporters “multiple people were hanging out the windows looking to be rescued.” Family members who showed up said police were trying to break windows.

Joe Alves, who lives several houses down from the facility, said he was watching TV when he heard the wave of sirens and fire crews responding to the fire.

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He said he saw officials pulling bodies and injured pets out of the building, with some pouring water bottles on burns as they desperately tried to help those in need.

“There were people in wheelchairs, a lot of people missing limbs, it was terrible,” he said, choking up slightly.

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey said she has expressed condolences and offered state assistance to the city’s mayor and a full investigation is underway.

“The fire at Gabriel House in Fall River is a tragedy. My heart goes out to those who are waking up to the most horrific news imaginable about their loved ones this morning,” Healey said in a statement. ” I’m grateful to the firefighters and first responders whose heroic efforts saved lives.”

At a Monday morning news conference, Fall River Mayor Paul Coogan said the building’s owner is cooperating and the building will soon be boarded up.

“We’ll do whatever we have to do to help these people,” Coogan said of the residents who will now be looking for a new home.

The Fall River Police Department in a statement said that “without hesitation, officers entered the smoke-filled facility, breaking down doors and escorting residents to safety.

“Approximately a dozen non-ambulatory residents were physically carried out by our officers. Their bravery and quick action undoubtedly saved many lives.”

The origin and cause of the fire are under investigation, state and local authorities said.

Gabriel House opened in 1999 and has 100 units, according to Massachusetts Executive Office of Aging & Independence. An email was sent to an office spokesperson Monday morning seeking comment on the home’s inspection records.

Email and phone messages also were left at Gabriel House. A worker at the scene declined to comment to an Associated Press reporter.

Fall River, which has about 94,000 people, is about 20 miles (32 kilometers) southeast of Providence, Rhode Island.

Associated Press writer Kathy McCormack in Concord, New Hampshire, contributed to this report.

By ELAINE KURTENBACH and MATT OTT, Associated Press Business Writers

Wall Street is pointing lower before the opening bell with new tariffs announced for Europe and Mexico and as the unofficial start of earnings season get under way this week.

Futures for the S&P 500, Dow Jones Industrial Average and Nasdaq each retreated by about 0.3% early Monday.

An announcement over the weekend by U.S. President Donald Trump that he plans 30% tariffs on goods from Mexico and the European Union had a modest immediate impact, as analysts said they expected progress toward trade deals before next month’s deadline.

The EU is America’s biggest business partner and the world’s largest trading bloc. The U.S. decision will have repercussions for governments, companies and consumers on both sides of the Atlantic.

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The tariffs could make everything from French cheese to German electronics more expensive in the U.S., while destabilizing economies from Portugal to Norway.

Markets in Europe are responding negatively, with Germany’s DAX slumping 1% and and Paris’s CAC 40 shedding 0.5%. The FTSE 100 in Britain — which is not an EU member and has already negotiated a trade deal with the U.S. — gained 0.4%.

The Trump administration had initially set Wednesday as a deadline for countries to make deals with the U.S. or face heavy increases in tariffs. But with just two trade deals announced since April, the window for negotiations has been been extended to Aug. 1.

In a matter of hours, some of the market’s focus will turn toward banks. JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo and Citigroup are among the big U.S. banks due to report their results on Tuesday.

Shares of Kenvue jumped nearly 6% ahead of the opening bell Monday after the former division of Johnson & Johnson said CEO Thibaut Mongon is stepping down. Kenvue, the maker of Listerine and Band-Aid brands, continues with a strategic review of the company after splitting its consumer health division from the pharmaceutical and medical device divisions in 2021.

Bitcoin climbed to another all-time high, rising as much 3.6% early Monday before settling back around $121,315, according to CoinDesk.

Bitcoin’s price has jumped amid bullish momentum across risk assets and coincides with Congress’ Crypto Week that starts Monday. Lawmakers will debate a series of bills that could define the regulatory framework for the industry.

Chinese shares advanced after the government reported that exports rose last month as a truce in a tariffs war prompted a surge in orders ahead of the Aug. 1 deadline for reaching a new trade deal with Washington.

Elsewhere, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng gained 0.3% to 24,091.45, while the Shanghai Composite index also was up 0.3%, at 3,519.65.

Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 index slipped 0.3% to 39,459.62, while the Kospi in South Korea jumped 0.8% to 3,202.03.

In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 edged 0.1% lower to 8,570.40.

Taiwan’s benchmark lost 0.6%.

In energy markets, U.S. benchmark crude oil gained $1.05 to $69.50 per barrel, approaching the $70 level for the first time since a two-day rout in late June. Brent crude, the international standard, was up $1.03 at $71.39 per barrel.

The dollar ticked up to147.45 Japanese yen from 147.38 yen. The euro fell modestly to $1.1690 from $1.1692.

“Esta información es esencial para identificar carencias, realizar inversiones inteligentes y crear políticas que ayuden a las personas a construir vidas estables y seguras”, declaró la concejal Carlina Rivera, promotora de los proyectos de ley sobre encuestas.

Inmigrantes que llegaron a la ciudad de Nueva York el 10 de agosto de 2022, esperando frente al Port Authority para ser trasladados a refugios para personas sin hogar. El número de recién llegados ha disminuido considerablemente desde entonces. (Foto de Adi Talwar)

Este artículo se publicó originalmente en inglés el 10 de julio. Traducido por Daniel Parra. Read the English version here.

El año pasado, el Concejo de la ciudad aprobó dos proyectos de ley (Leyes Locales 73 y 74) para sondear las necesidades médicas y los obstáculos laborales de los inmigrantes alojados en los albergues de la ciudad. Sin embargo, la alcaldía se ha retrasado en el cumplimiento de los plazos establecidos en las leyes.

La Ley Local 73 exige que la ciudad realice “un estudio sobre la mano de obra de los inmigrantes, incluidos los recién llegados y los solicitantes de asilo”, mientras que la Ley Local 74 se centrará en sus necesidades médicas.

Según ambas leyes, los gestores de casos y el personal de los refugios debían haber recibido las encuestas antes del 1 de noviembre de 2024 y haberla distribuido entre los migrantes alojados.

“Los resultados de la encuesta se entregarán al comisionado de la oficina o agencia designada por el alcalde una vez finalizada, a más tardar el 31 de mayo de 2025”, dicen las leyes.

Sin embargo, las encuestas aún no se habían finalizado al 10 de julio, según informaron funcionarios municipales a City Limits. El Departamento de Salud e Higiene Mental de la ciudad de Nueva York (DOHMH por sus siglas en inglés) está preparando la encuesta de salud, mientras que la Oficina del Alcalde de Talento y Desarrollo de la Fuerza Laboral está preparando la encuesta sobre trabajo, dijeron los funcionarios.

Los funcionarios además dijeron que los cuestionarios están casi terminados y empezarán a distribuirse en los próximos meses, aunque no dieron una fecha concreta. 

“El desarrollo de estudios de esta magnitud requiere tiempo y una coordinación deliberada entre múltiples organismos municipales para garantizar que la encuesta sea precisa, se distribuya con rigor y arroje los resultados necesarios y fiables”, declaró un portavoz del DOHMH.

Según la legislación, la alcaldía o un organismo designado es responsable de crear las encuestas, supervisar el proceso de difusión y recopilar los datos, en coordinación con la Oficina del Alcalde para Asuntos del Inmigrante.

Cuando se pidió el cuestionario de las encuestas, un portavoz del DOHMH no dio detalles, pero dijo que se basan en la ley.

Tanto el Concejo Municipal como la concejal Carlina Rivera, patrocinadora de los proyectos de ley sobre las encuestas, dijeron que sus oficinas se han puesto en contacto con la alcaldía para obtener las últimas actualizaciones, pero han recibido poca información.

“El Concejo ha hecho gestiones para comprender el progreso actual de la Administración hacia la implementación de las Leyes Locales 73 y 74 de 2024”, dijo un portavoz del Concejo en una declaración enviada por correo electrónico.

“La ciudad de Nueva York ha obtenido inmensos beneficios de décadas de integrar con éxito a los neoyorquinos inmigrantes y es imperativo que el gobierno de la ciudad cumpla con las Leyes Locales 73 y 74 para aprender de esta última ola”, agregó el portavoz.

La oficina de Rivera explicó que el poder ejecutivo es responsable de administrar las encuestas, y dijo que han confiado en la Unidad de Cumplimiento del Concejo para las actualizaciones.

“Aprobé la legislación para asegurar que recopilamos los datos críticos necesarios para entender cómo nuestra ciudad está apoyando las solicitudes de permisos de trabajo, el espíritu empresarial, el desarrollo de la fuerza de trabajo y el acceso a la atención médica para nuestros vecinos más nuevos”, dijo la concejal Rivera por correo electrónico. “Esta información es esencial para identificar brechas, hacer inversiones inteligentes y crear políticas que ayuden a las personas a construir vidas estables y seguras”.

Desde la primavera de 2022, alrededor de 237.000 solicitantes de asilo han llegado a Nueva York, y más de 37.000 migrantes todavía están siendo alojados en refugios.

Menos de 100 nuevos inmigrantes entraron en el sistema durante la semana que terminó el 22 de junio. Esto supone un importante descenso con respecto a hace dos años, cuando la ciudad registraba una media de 4.000 ingresados por semana.

Durante meses, la ciudad ha ido reduciendo su extensa red de albergues de emergencia como respuesta a este descenso, y ha empezado a trasladar al sistema tradicional de albergues del Departamento de Servicios para Personas sin Hogar a la mayoría de los inmigrantes. Los defensores de los derechos de los inmigrantes se preguntan si durante esta transición seguirán teniendo acceso a los recursos especializados que necesitan las personas. 

Aunque no existen penas ni sanciones para la alcaldía por no cumplir los plazos legalmente estipulados, el Concejo dijo que espera comprender los problemas que han afectado la implementación. Cuando se le preguntó, un portavoz del DOHMH dijo que “no ha habido ningún problema con la aplicación de esta ley o la realización de encuestas”.

Según la ley, el alcalde y la presidenta del Concejo deben recibir un informe final sobre las encuestas de trabajo y salud antes del 30 de septiembre de 2025. Este informe debe incluir recomendaciones sobre políticas e inversiones para apoyar el bienestar económico y el éxito de los inmigrantes, así como formas de identificar y anticipar sus necesidades médicas.

“Nuestro objetivo es presentar este informe antes de la fecha límite establecida por la ley local, septiembre de 2025”, dijo un portavoz del DOHM.

Rivera dice que la información es vital ahora que los inmigrantes se enfrentan a una mayor aplicación de la ley federal y los riesgos de deportación.

“A medida que el gobierno federal persigue una agenda radical anti-inmigrante que está acelerando las deportaciones, negando los derechos constitucionales, y perturbando vidas y comunidades, contamos con la administración Adams para administrar estas encuestas y entregar un informe completo”, dijo Rivera. 

“Es nuestra responsabilidad afrontar este momento con políticas eficaces e innovadoras que honren ese legado y garanticen que todos los neoyorquinos puedan prosperar”, añadió.

Para ponerse en contacto con los reporteros de esta noticia, escriba a Daniel@citylimits.org. Para ponerse en contacto con la editora, escriba a Jeanmarie@citylimits.org.

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