Latest news with #Rawson
Glasgow Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
This Donald Trump mural in Glasgow became a viral sensation
Ashley Rawson painted a mural on the back of the Brazen Head pub in the Gorbals area of the city late last year entitled MAGA. It features the U.S President behind bars, with the prison door and railings made up by a black and white version of stars and stripes. With Mr Trump visiting Ayrshire and Aberdeen this weekend he posted an image of his work on social media with the message 'welcome to Scotland' which quickly went viral. READ NEXT: Kevin Bridges pictured hanging out with two big TV stars READ NEXT: 15 pictures as Glasgow streets being transformed for Spider-Man filming By early on Sunday afternoon it had received over 7,000 likes on Threads and attracted dozens of comments and messages. Mr Rawson SAID: "I did the mural at the tail end of last year. "I walk home from work through the Gorbals and I noticed this wall with some bars on it and decided to build the American flag around the bars. "Using something that is already there was the inspiration for the rest of the artwork, so separately I did a painting on wood of Donald Trump so I could fasten it behind the bars. "It's been there since the tail-end of last year but yesterday I put up a picture on Threads just saying 'welcome to Scotland' and it's gone absolutely crazy. MAGA in Glasgow's Gorbals, by Ashley Rawson (Image: Ashley Rawson) MAGA in Glasgow's Gorbals, by Ashley Rawson (Image: Ashley Rawson) "I've had loads of comments from Americans so it seems to have spread over there, most of the comments are really nice with lots of complimentary things about Scotland and the fact he's not getting a good welcome! "If you do artwork you're kind of caught in a bind because in the past you might have put it in a gallery for people to see it but now we're kind of in a bind with social media where you put stuff up you've worked hard on and think, 'that might get some interest'. "This is the first time it's really gone through the roof." The act of creating the work was a multi-day process, and Mr Rawson initially feared his creation wouldn't last long. He explains: "The first day I'd kind of sketched it out and when I came back someone had graffitied over it, the second day the same thing happened. "It kept happening, and on the last day when I'd finishing it I thought, 'obviously this isn't going to last'. "But once it was complete it's been untouched, it kept getting tagged and graffitied over but once it was finished it's been left so maybe it's people going, 'oh that's quite good, I'll leave that'. "I did one earlier in the year called 'Christ on a Bike' on the legal graffiti wall on the Clyde Walkway and that lasted about two weeks. "It's been quite an amazing 24 hours, the messages from American people have been almost universally nice. "They're totally on the folks here's side, there have been a few questionable ones which I'm ignoring!"
The Herald Scotland
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
This Donald Trump mural in Glasgow became a viral sensation
It features the U.S President behind bars, with the prison door and railings made up by a black and white version of stars and stripes. With Mr Trump visiting Ayrshire and Aberdeen this weekend he posted an image of his work on social media with the message 'welcome to Scotland' which quickly went viral. Read More: By early on Sunday afternoon it had received over 7,000 likes on Threads and attracted dozens of comments and messages. Mr Rawson told The Herald: "I did the mural at the tail end of last year. "I walk home from work through the Gorbals and I noticed this wall with some bars on it and decided to build the American flag around the bars. "Using something that is already there was the inspiration for the rest of the artwork, so separately I did a painting on wood of Donald Trump so I could fasten it behind the bars. "It's been there since the tail-end of last year but yesterday I put up a picture on Threads just saying 'welcome to Scotland' and it's gone absolutely crazy. MAGA in Glasgow's Gorbals, by Ashley Rawson (Image: Ashley Rawson) MAGA in Glasgow's Gorbals, by Ashley Rawson (Image: Ashley Rawson) "I've had loads of comments from Americans so it seems to have spread over there, most of the comments are really nice with lots of complimentary things about Scotland and the fact he's not getting a good welcome! "If you do artwork you're kind of caught in a bind because in the past you might have put it in a gallery for people to see it but now we're kind of in a bind with social media where you put stuff up you've worked hard on and think, 'that might get some interest'. "This is the first time it's really gone through the roof." The act of creating the work was a multi-day process, and Mr Rawson initially feared his creation wouldn't last long. He explains: "The first day I'd kind of sketched it out and when I came back someone had graffitied over it, the second day the same thing happened. "It kept happening, and on the last day when I'd finishing it I thought, 'obviously this isn't going to last'. "But once it was complete it's been untouched, it kept getting tagged and graffitied over but once it was finished it's been left so maybe it's people going, 'oh that's quite good, I'll leave that'. "I did one earlier in the year called 'Christ on a Bike' on the legal graffiti wall on the Clyde Walkway and that lasted about two weeks. "It's been quite an amazing 24 hours, the messages from American people have been almost universally nice. "They're totally on the folks here's side, there have been a few questionable ones which I'm ignoring!"
Newsweek
21-07-2025
- Newsweek
Woman Placed Daughter for Adoption—10 Years on Shares 'Unbearable Struggle'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Ten years after signing away her parental rights, Aspen Rawson is using her voice to shed light on what she describes as the complex and often painful truths of the American adoption system. In a video shared to TikTok on July 3—which has since garnered more than 700,000 views—Rawson, 27, of Denver, Colorado, marked the anniversary of placing her daughter for adoption with a deeply personal reflection that has resonated with tens of thousands of viewers. Speaking directly to the camera, she said: "Ten years ago today, I signed away my parental rights placing my newborn daughter up for adoption in the state of Texas...I was 17, basically homeless...I think about my daughter every single day." She added: "A piece of my heart lives outside of me, I do not get to contribute to how she is raised and that is an unbearable struggle." The video sparked discussion among viewers, with many reflecting on the emotions, logistics and lasting consequences of adoption in the U.S. Rawson spoke with Newsweek about the chain of events that led her, at 17, to make a decision that still shapes her life. "When I was 16, in 2014, I left my parents' home and became homeless," Rawson said. "For a few months, I was living in my then-boyfriend's car, and during that time, I got pregnant." Though Roe v. Wade was still in effect at the time; Rawson said the restrictive abortion laws already in place in Texas created insurmountable barriers. "To access abortion, I would have needed either parental consent or a judge's approval," she said. "I didn't believe my parents would approve of me making that choice, or that I would be able to get in front of a judge quickly enough." She eventually made her decision while sitting in a mall bathroom. "I saw the test say 'positive' and I knew what I needed to do," she said. "I went straight up to my boyfriend, and told him we were placing our baby for adoption." Despite her determination, Rawson said it was weeks before any agency responded to her outreach. Most would not engage until she was through her first trimester. Eventually, a family friend of her boyfriend's mother helped connect her to prospective adoptive parents. Their first meeting took place at a Starbucks in early 2015. Aspen Rawson speaks in a TikTok video; and smiles for a photo outdoors. Aspen Rawson speaks in a TikTok video; and smiles for a photo outdoors. @that1gorl From there, Rawson said she was matched with a social worker who helped her access food and medical care through her pregnancy. She described the adoptive parents—the two men she chose—as "loving, kind, compassionate, and smart people who will do anything for their baby girl." At the hospital, Rawson chose not to hold her daughter first, hoping to minimize the emotional weight of the impending separation. "But it turns out that no amount of safeguarding will protect you from the post-birth hormonal crash and physical pain that comes with placing a deeply loved child," she said. In the decade since, Rawson has remained in contact with her daughter, a rarity in open adoptions. "Most birth parents are cut off when their child turns 7," she had said in the video. "I still have contact with my daughter at 10 years old. I am one of the lucky ones." Now based in Colorado, Rawson took to social media to share her experience with her growing audience. She began speaking online in 2020 and in the last year alone more than a million people have heard her story. She hopes that her newfound platform is seen not just a personal journal—but as a form of advocacy. Rawson now uses her voice to challenge widely held narratives about the adoption system, and to highlight how the profitable state of the adoption industry can incentivize it to lobby against abortions. "I learned that the industry brings in over $1 billion per year and that there are no legal protections for birth parents," she said. "Many people place wanted children simply because they cannot afford to raise another child." As abortion access has narrowed in many parts of the country, Rawson believes the national conversation about adoption has failed to keep pace. "I share my story to bring attention to the complex and traumatic reality of the U.S. private adoption industry," she said. "Especially as abortion access is being continually restricted and penalized. "I think the conversation around adoption is more important than ever." Rawson emphasized that her intent is not to seek praise or to raise eyebrows, but to encourage a dialogue that many people are keen to sweep under the rug. "I don't believe strangers should be proud of me for a choice I made under duress," she said. "I don't believe I am brave for sharing my story, I am just doing what needs to be done." With each post and video, Rawson said she aims to provoke thought, not sympathy. She added: "I share my story as a birth parent not to center my experience, but to encourage people to think about the impacts of a system we were all taught was beautiful and good." Since Rawson's daughter was born, more than 100,000 private adoptions have occurred—impacting at least three times that many people. "This is not a small issue," Rawson said. "We need comprehensive reform in our country that works to keep families together, educates teenagers about pregnancy prevention, and ensures that promises made to birth parents before placement are legally enforceable." If you have a family dilemma, let us know via life@ We can ask experts for advice, and your story could be featured on Newsweek.
Otago Daily Times
22-06-2025
- General
- Otago Daily Times
First step toward demolition of award-winning lecture theatre
A planner's recommendation could clear the way for the University of Otago to demolish an award-winning lecture theatre. As part of proposed changes to the district plan, the Dunedin City Council has identified 146 buildings which are protected under the heritage schedule. Following hearings last month, council planner Peter Rawson recommended six of the buildings be removed from the list, including the University of Otago's Archway Lecture Theatre. Archway lecture theatre: Treasure or toilet block? Mr Rawson accepted the university's view the theatres were no longer fit for education and refurbishment was not possible. The university's evidence indicated scheduling the building would have a high cost and "constrain their ability to operate efficiently and effectively". "Therefore, I consider that the costs of scheduling the Archway Theatres building outweigh the benefits, and it should not be scheduled as a heritage building." Vice-chancellor Grant Robertson said yesterday the university was "highly supportive" of the recommendation, which aligned with its submission to the hearing panel. In his written submission, he asked for the building not to be included on the heritage list, saying the university was considering demolishing the theatres and the neighbouring Gregory Building — possibly replacing them with a formal garden space. Victoria University of Wellington senior architecture lecturer Christine McCarthy opposed the building's demolition, and said the recommendation was extremely sad. "It is such a progressive, innovative and challenging building that embodies the ethos of what a university would hopefully be striving for. "It's a shame that these values don't appear to be appreciated and that the architecture has been only understood superficially and conservatively." The Archway Lecture Theatre building was built in 1974, designed by notable Dunedin architect Ted McCoy, and won a New Zealand Institute of Architects Southern Architecture Award for enduring architecture in 2020. Mr Rawson also recommended proposed protection be dropped for the Lookout Point Fire Station, saying scheduling it could prevent Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Fenz) providing a fit-for-purpose fire station. In October, the council granted a certificate of compliance for the demolition of the building and an unattached accommodation block, meaning Fenz had a five-year period in which it could demolish the buildings, regardless of heritage protection. Protecting the building could have the "perverse outcome" of encouraging Fenz to demolish within that period, Mr Rawson said. Council city development manager Anna Johnson said a decision on the heritage plan change was expected to be released next month. "The second hearing will address the remainder of the matters covered by Plan Change 1 and will likely be in August 2025 — a separate decision would be released for this hearing."
Otago Daily Times
18-06-2025
- General
- Otago Daily Times
Theatre past its heyday, planner says
A planner's recommendation could clear the way for the University of Otago to demolish an award-winning lecture theatre. As part of proposed changes to the district plan, the Dunedin City Council has identified 146 buildings which are protected under the heritage schedule. Following hearings last month, council planner Peter Rawson recommended six of the buildings be removed from the list, including the University of Otago's Archway Lecture Theatre. Mr Rawson accepted the university's view the theatres were no longer fit for education and refurbishment was not possible. The university's evidence indicated scheduling the building would have a high cost and "constrain their ability to operate efficiently and effectively". "Therefore, I consider that the costs of scheduling the Archway Theatres building outweigh the benefits, and it should not be scheduled as a heritage building." Vice-chancellor Grant Robertson said yesterday the university was "highly supportive" of the recommendation, which aligned with its submission to the hearing panel. In his written submission, he asked for the building not to be included on the heritage list, saying the university was considering demolishing the theatres and the neighbouring Gregory Building — possibly replacing them with a formal garden space. Victoria University of Wellington senior architecture lecturer Christine McCarthy opposed the building's demolition, and said the recommendation was extremely sad. "It is such a progressive, innovative and challenging building that embodies the ethos of what a university would hopefully be striving for. "It's a shame that these values don't appear to be appreciated and that the architecture has been only understood superficially and conservatively." The Archway Lecture Theatre building was built in 1974, designed by notable Dunedin architect Ted McCoy, and won a New Zealand Institute of Architects Southern Architecture Award for enduring architecture in 2020. Mr Rawson also recommended proposed protection be dropped for the Lookout Point Fire Station, saying scheduling it could prevent Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Fenz) providing a fit-for-purpose fire station. In October, the council granted a certificate of compliance for the demolition of the building and an unattached accommodation block, meaning Fenz had a five-year period in which it could demolish the buildings, regardless of heritage protection. Protecting the building could have the "perverse outcome" of encouraging Fenz to demolish within that period, Mr Rawson said. Council city development manager Anna Johnson said a decision on the heritage plan change was expected to be released next month. "The second hearing will address the remainder of the matters covered by Plan Change 1 and will likely be in August 2025 — a separate decision would be released for this hearing."
