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Daily Record
27-06-2025
- Daily Record
Heroic 86-year-old Scot gears up to climb UK's highest mountain in epic charity effort
Murdoch McGregor, 86, is planning on climbing Ben Nevis in July to raise money for Strathcarron Hospice after a close friend spent time in the hospice before her death. An adventurous 86-year-old is preparing to scale the UK's highest mountain – all in a bid to support charity. Murdoch McGregor intends to conquer Ben Nevis to help raise essential funds for Strathcarron Hospice, in Denny. Murdoch, from Sauchie, Clackmannanshire, has set a fundraising target of £5,000 for the hospice when he sets off in July. He was moved to undertake the hike after witnessing a dear friend's final days spent under the compassionate care provided by the hospice. Famed in Clackmannanshire and further afield, intrepid Murdoch holds the distinction of being the oldest individual to complete a solo circumnavigation of the UK coastline by boat. At the British Yachting Awards in London in 2021, he took home the Sailor of the Year accolade, eclipsing some illustrious names in sailing, thanks to the wide admiration garnered from his solitary voyage at 82-years-old. Now at 86, Murdoch is determined to tackle the peak of Ben Nevis, which stands as the tallest mountain across the British Isles. The task of climbing the rugged terrain up to the summit of Ben Nevis, rising 4413-feet above sea level and stretching 10.2-miles, poses a formidable test for anybody, but promises to be an immensely rewarding feat for him. Looking forward to the climb, Murdoch said: "I visited the hospice when it first opened and it really struck me even then what a wondrous place it is. "Much later, I had a close friend cared for there. I will never forget sitting down on a bench at the beautiful pond with her before she died, of my thoughts when I was visiting her and my happy tears at the glorious autumn day we shared as we said our final farewell. "Coming back and visiting Strathcarron now really gives me that inner strength for the challenge – my experience of this place is very special. On this occasion for this challenge I have felt motivated and inspired like never before because I feel part of the Strathcarron family." Murdoch maintains his fitness regime and shared: "I have always liked running and was adventurous when I was a kid. I ran when I was in the army. Being in the army really changed my life and helped with the adventurous spirit and I have always had active jobs, including working as a coalminer and fisherman. "When I was 44 I took up running again and joined Central Region Athletics Club, I've ran marathons, cross country and taken part in hill running – including the Ben Nevis race a few times – and I have tried to keep myself active since I retired." Reflecting on a recent drive, he recounted: "I was driving along looking up at Dumyat last year and was thinking about the days when I used to hill walk. I decided on a whim to attempt to try to do Ben Nevis one more time. "I started training last November and walked up Dumyat with my pal Davie to see how I would get on. I managed it and Davie said ' are surprising me!'. I told him 'I'm surprising myself!'." Currently, Murdoch is undergoing endurance training to ready himself for the monumental challenge, where he will be accompanied by a group of friends, including Frank Harper, a Scottish international marathon runner. Murdoch added: "In my adventures, I have faced many fearsome challenges, many of them at sea in the wildest of conditions, and yet succeeded. Ben Nevis however is a totally different challenge, and given my 86 years, it simply has to be the greatest ever physical challenge of my life. "I love music so for something a bit different I'm aiming to take some song sheets and lyrics for the song 'Climb Every Mountain' from the Sound of Music and try and rope in other walkers who we meet at the top to join in a sing along for an impromptu Ben Nevis choir!". Mel Duffy, Community Fundraiser at Strathcarron Hospice expressed: "We would like to thank Murdoch for taking on this incredible challenge in aid of the Hospice and wish him well on his epic adventure. "We need £19,452 daily to provide our vital services to end of life and palliative care patients and their families when they are most in need. We receive approximately one third of our funding through the NHS and the rest is raised through the generosity and kindness of those like Murdoch and his supporters who fundraise and donate. Every pound is vital so we are grateful for the support."
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Beckley VFW to hold bag drive for children in the foster system
BEAVER, WV (WVNS) — The Beckley Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4469 has partnered with the Knights of Columbus and the Foster Care System to hold a Day of Service on Saturday, May 3, 2025. Raleigh County native named U.S. Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery's Senior Sailor of the Year From noon until five in the evening, members of the VFW, the Knights, and experts from the foster care system will be at 201 Raleigh Avenue collecting backpacks, duffel bags, luggage and essentials for the younger children within the foster care system. William Lewis, a member of the VFW, said the stories the VFW were told about how these little kids transport the few things they're able to take with them inspired the drive. 'A lot of times when these kids are taken out, they just have, I mean, next to nothing. More often than not, that next-to-nothing is placed in a black garbage bag. Which is not the kind of symbolism you want when you're a kid moving from foster family to oftentimes, in just a hotel,' said Lewis. Lewis said the community can help by filling these bags with essentials for the kids. Things like underwear, socks, diapers, and nightlights. He said experts from the foster care system will be on hand to give information to people who may be considering becoming foster parents. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump order banning transgender people from serving in military blocked by federal judge
The Brief A federal judge blocked President Donald Trump's executive order banning transgender people from military service on Tuesday. The judge said the order likely violates transgender people's constitutional rights. The plaintiffs who sued to block the order include an Army Reserves platoon leader, an Army major and a sailor in the Navy. WASHINGTON - A federal judge on Tuesday blocked President Donald Trump's executive order banning transgender people from serving in the military. U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes in Washington, D.C., ruled that Trump's order to exclude transgender troops from serving likely violates their constitutional rights. She delayed her order by three days to give the administration time to appeal. The judge issued a preliminary injunction requested by attorneys for six transgender people who are active-duty service members and two others seeking to join the military. Plaintiffs' attorneys contend Trump's order violates transgender people's rights to equal protection under the Fifth Amendment. The plaintiffs who sued to block Trump's order include an Army Reserves platoon leader from Pennsylvania, an Army major who was awarded a Bronze Star for service in Afghanistan and a Sailor of the Year award winner serving in the Navy. Their attorneys, from the National Center for Lesbian Rights and GLAD Law, said transgender troops "seek nothing more than the opportunity to continue dedicating their lives to defending the Nation." What they're saying "Yet these accomplished servicemembers are now subject to an order that says they must be separated from the military based on a characteristic that has no bearing on their proven ability to do the job," plaintiffs' attorneys wrote. "This is a stark and reckless reversal of policy that denigrates honorable transgender servicemembers, disrupts unit cohesion, and weakens our military." Plaintiffs' attorneys say Trump's order fits his administration's pattern of discriminating against transgender people. The other side Government lawyers argue that military officials have broad discretion to decide how to assign and deploy servicemembers without judicial interference. Attorneys also said the Defense Department has a history of disqualifying people from military service if they have physical or emotional impairments, including mental health conditions. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a policy that presumptively disqualifies people with gender dysphoria from military service. Gender dysphoria is the distress that a person feels because their assigned gender and gender identity don't match. The medical condition has been linked to depression and suicidal thoughts. Hegseth's Feb. 26 policy says service members or applicants for military service who have "a current diagnosis or history of, or exhibit symptoms consistent with, gender dysphoria are incompatible with the high mental and physical standards necessary for military service." Dig deeper In February, the U.S. Army confirmed its policy shift following the president's signed executive order. The order cited concerns that transgender service members' identities conflict "with a soldier's commitment to an honorable, truthful, and disciplined lifestyle." The administration argues that gender dysphoria, a condition of distress caused by a mismatch between assigned sex and gender identity, presents a medical readiness issue. The backstory This is not the first time the U.S. military has restricted transgender service members. In 2017, Trump announced a ban on transgender individuals serving in the military, which was later reversed by President Joe Biden in 2021. Under Biden's policy, openly transgender individuals were allowed to serve, receive gender-affirming care, and transition while in service. With the latest executive order, the Trump administration has reversed that approach, effectively reinstating a ban on new transgender enlistees. The Source Information for this article was gathered from The Associated Press and previous reporting by LiveNOW from FOX. This story was reported from Los Angeles.
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Federal judge blocks Trump administration from banning transgender people from military service
WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge blocked enforcement of President Donald Trump's executive order banning transgender people from military service on Tuesday, the latest in a string of legal setbacks for his sweeping agenda. U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes in Washington, D.C., ruled that Trump's order to exclude transgender troops from military service likely violates their constitutional rights. She delayed her order until Friday to give the administration time to appeal. 'The court knows that this opinion will lead to heated public debate and appeals. In a healthy democracy, both are positive outcomes,' Reyes wrote. 'We should all agree, however, that every person who has answered the call to serve deserves our gratitude and respect.' The judge issued a preliminary injunction requested by attorneys for six transgender people who are active-duty service members and two others seeking to join the military. On Jan. 27, Trump signed an executive order that claims the sexual identity of transgender service members "conflicts with a soldier's commitment to an honorable, truthful, and disciplined lifestyle, even in one's personal life' and is harmful to military readiness. In response to the order, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a policy that presumptively disqualifies people with gender dysphoria from military service. Gender dysphoria is the distress that a person feels because their assigned gender and gender identity don't match. The medical condition has been linked to depression and suicidal thoughts. Plaintiffs' attorneys contend Trump's order violates transgender people's rights to equal protection under the Fifth Amendment. Government lawyers argue that military officials have broad discretion to decide how to assign and deploy servicemembers without judicial interference. Thousands of transgender people serve in the military, but they represent less than 1% of the total number of active-duty service members. In 2016, a Defense Department policy permitted transgender people to serve openly in the military. During Trump's first term in the White House, the Republican issued a directive to ban transgender service members. The Supreme Court allowed the ban to take effect. President Joe Biden, a Democrat, scrapped it when he took office. Hegseth's Feb. 26 policy says service members or applicants for military service who have 'a current diagnosis or history of, or exhibit symptoms consistent with, gender dysphoria are incompatible with the high mental and physical standards necessary for military service.' The plaintiffs who sued to block Trump's order include an Army Reserves platoon leader from Pennsylvania, an Army major who was awarded a Bronze Star for service in Afghanistan and a Sailor of the Year award winner serving in the Navy. Their attorneys, from the National Center for Lesbian Rights and GLAD Law, said transgender troops 'seek nothing more than the opportunity to continue dedicating their lives to defending the Nation.' 'Yet these accomplished servicemembers are now subject to an order that says they must be separated from the military based on a characteristic that has no bearing on their proven ability to do the job,' plaintiffs' attorneys wrote. 'This is a stark and reckless reversal of policy that denigrates honorable transgender servicemembers, disrupts unit cohesion, and weakens our military.' Government attorneys said the Defense Department has a history of disqualifying people from military service if they have physical or emotional impairments, including mental health conditions. 'In any context other than the one at issue in this case, DoD's professional military judgment about the risks of allowing individuals with physical or emotional impairments to serve in the military would be virtually unquestionable,' they wrote. Plaintiffs' attorneys say Trump's order fits his administration's pattern of discriminating against transgender people. Federal judges in Seattle and Baltimore separately paused Trump's executive order halting federal support for gender-affirming care for transgender youth under 19. Last month, a judge blocked prison officials from transferring three incarcerated transgender women to men's facilities and terminating their access to hormone therapy under another Trump order. Trump also signed orders that set up new rules about how schools can teach about gender and that intend to ban transgender athletes from participating in girls' and women's sports. 'From its first days, this administration has moved to strip protections from transgender people across multiple domains — including housing, social services, schools, sports, healthcare, employment, international travel, and family life,' plaintiffs' lawyers wrote. ___ Associated Press writers Lindsay Whitehurst and Gene Johnson contributed to this story.
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Judge hopes to rule next week on Trump order banning trans troops
A federal judge said Wednesday that she hopes to rule next week on whether to block President Donald Trump's administration from banning transgender people from serving in the U.S. military. At the end of a daylong hearing in Washington, D.C., U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes said it is her 'strong hope' that she will issue a decision next Tuesday or Wednesday. Reyes acknowledged that her ruling probably won't be the 'last stop in this train's journey,' given the near-certainty of an appeal. 'I just have to do the best I can with the evidence in front of me,' she said. Reyes spent most of Wednesday's hearing peppering a government attorney with questions about a new Defense Department policy that presumptively disqualifies people with gender dysphoria from military service. Gender dysphoria is the distress that a person feels because their assigned gender and gender identity don't match. The medical condition has been linked to depression and suicidal thoughts. The new policy stems from a Jan. 27 executive order by President Donald Trump that claims the sexual identity of transgender service members 'conflicts with a soldier's commitment to an honorable, truthful, and disciplined lifestyle, even in one's personal life.' Roughly 2,000 transgender people serve in the military, but they represent less than 1% of the total number of active-duty service members. Reyes frequently sounded skeptical of the administration's motives and rationale as she challenged Justice Department attorney Jason Manion to defend the order and policy. She called it a 'Don't Tell' policy, a reference to the military's outdated 'don't ask, don't tell' policy against LGBTQ service members. 'They have to essentially be in hiding while in service,' Reyes said of transgender troops. The judge said the Defense Department has spent roughly $5.2 million annually over the past decade to provide medical care to treat gender dysphoria — a miniscule percentage of the military's multibillion dollar budget. As a point of comparison, Reyes noted that the military spends around $42 million per year on medication treating erectile dysfunction. 'It's not even a rounding error, right?' she asked. 'If it's a cost per service member, it does matter,' Manion said. The plaintiffs who sued to block Trump's order include an Army Reserves platoon leader from Pennsylvania, an Army major who was awarded a Bronze Star for service in Afghanistan and a Sailor of the Year award winner serving in the Navy. Their attorneys contend that Trump's order violates transgender people's rights to equal protection under the Fifth Amendment. Government lawyers argue that military officials have broad discretion to decide how to assign and deploy service members without judicial interference.
