Latest news with #servicemembers
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Yahoo
Memorial Day weekend: How to stay safe while traveling, enjoying the outdoors
Memorial Day is a time to honor fallen servicemembers, but it's also one of America's busiest travel weekends. Many Tennesseans will be hitting the road, heading to lakes, and firing up the grill for backyard cookouts. As travel plans are made and grills are fired up, here's what to know to keep Memorial Day a safe and joyful celebration of America's heroes. Nearly 39.4 million Americans are expected to be on the road this weekend, according to AAA. The roadside assistance organization said the most common vehicle problems during last year's holiday weekend were flat tires and dead batteries. AAA recommends travelers test batteries, brakes and tires before beginning their Memorial Day activities. It is also important to adhere to speed limits during the busy travel weekend and to not drink and drive, AAA noted. On holiday weekends, such as Memorial Day and Fourth of July, police monitor roads for reckless driving at an increased level to prevent crashes. As the Memorial Day holiday ushers in the summer, many Tennesseans will head to lakes and rivers. American Red Cross officials recommend remaining aware of weather conditions and surroundings while also using life jackets and other safety equipment and obeying the rules. The state of Tennessee recorded 27 recreational boating fatalities and 58 injuries during the year in its 2023 incident statistical report, which is the most recent available data. It illegal to operate a boat while under the influence of drugs and alcohol. Operating a boat while under the influence also has the same potential consequences as driving under the influence and can count as a second offense to a DUI. Grilling indoors, failing to make sure the grill ignites, or keeping the grill too close to any structures can all lead to an unwanted fire that will ruin the Memorial Day festivities, according to the American Red Cross. It is important to keep a fire extinguisher in an accessible place. If there is a fire that is not containable with a fire extinguisher call 911. Another crucial step in ensuring the success of a Memorial Day barbecue is properly cooking all meat to the appropriate internal temperature. Beef and pork should be cooked to at least 145 degrees, ground meat to 160 degrees, and poultry to 165 degrees. When grilling, pets and children should be kept away from the grill to prevent burns and an adult should always be supervising the grill. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: How to stay safe and prevent injuries this Memorial Day holiday
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Sen. Dave McCormick: Memorial Day a moment to reflect
While millions of Americans focus on travel over Memorial Day weekend, many also pause to honor America's servicemembers who made the ultimate sacrifice. In this edition of The Hill's 'Office Space,' NewsNation's Jackie Koppell speaks with Pennsylvania Republican Senator Dave McCormick about his career in the U.S. Army and how it shaped his life. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Reuters
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Pentagon waiver looks like a Catch-22 to banned transgender troops
WASHINGTON, May 9 (Reuters) - So far, none of America's transgender troops who want to continue serving in uniform have applied for a waiver to the Pentagon's ban on their service, Reuters was told by each of the military services. The reason? Because it's impossible to qualify, transgender troops say. Reuters was first to report on Thursday a Pentagon memo outlining its plans to start kicking out transgender servicemembers next month, unless they elect to voluntarily leave on their on own beforehand. For transgender servicemembers carrying out critical missions, from flying combat helicopters to serving on warships overseas, there has been a lot of interest in any legal strategy to continue in uniform. The Pentagon has said waivers would be granted "provided there is a compelling government interest in retaining the service member that directly supports warfighting capabilities." But the qualifications for a waiver look impossible to comply with, allowing only individuals who meet the following qualifications, laid out in a Pentagon memo from February: * "The service member has never attempted to transition to another sex." * "The service member demonstrates 36 consecutive months of stability in their sex." "As far as I know, no such transgender service member exists," said one transgender service member, speaking on condition of anonymity. The Pentagon referred Reuters back to its memo on the qualifications when asked for comment. Nicolas Talbott, a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army reserve, said it was impossible to apply for a waiver under the Pentagon's list of exemptions since he had fully transitioned. "It's wild that anybody would think that was something that was actually within the realm of possibility for us to do," Talbott told Reuters. Jennifer Levi, senior director of transgender and queer rights at GLAD Law, an advocacy group, said the list of exemptions essentially meant there was no waiver. "It doesn't make sense to file a waiver because they can't serve in their birth sex, because they're transgender people," Levi said. There were no waivers requested from the Air Force or Space Force, while the Army, Navy and Marine Corps said they were also not aware of any service members who had applied for an exemption. As of late last year, there were 4,240 U.S. active-duty and National Guard transgender troops, officials have said. Transgender rights advocates have given higher estimates. The Pentagon said on Thursday about 1,000 service members who have self-identified as being diagnosed with gender dysphoria will begin the voluntary separation process. A poll from Gallup published this in February said 58% of Americans favored allowing openly transgender individuals serving in the military, but the support had declined from 71% in 2019. The Pentagon's ban is just one of a series of steps the Trump administration has taken to curb transgender rights. Trump issued an executive order on his first day in office on January 20 stating that the U.S. government will recognize only two sexes, male and female, and that they are not changeable. But Trump's efforts to end transgender rights in the military were a special focus on his election campaign. In the executive order barring transgender troops, the White House said that a man identifying as a woman was "not consistent with the humility and selflessness required of a service member." A former Fox News host, Hegseth has embraced conservative stances on this and other culture war issues, including eliminating diversity initiatives at the Pentagon. Speaking on Tuesday, Hegseth told a conference hosted by U.S. special operations forces: "No more pronouns, no more climate-change obsessions, no more emergency vaccine mandates, no more dudes in dresses."
Bloomberg
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Bloomberg
Bloomberg Law: SCOTUS Allows Transgender Military Ban
Constitutional law expert David Super, a professor at Georgetown Law, discusses the Supreme Court allowing the Trump administration to start discharging transgender servicemembers. Former federal prosecutor Jimmy Gurule, a professor at Notre Dame Law School, discusses the Los Angeles US Attorney making a plea deal with a former sheriff's deputy after he was convicted by a jury. Healthcare attorney Harry Nelson, a partner at Leech Tishman Nelson Hardiman, discusses 20 State Attorneys General suing the Department of Health and human Services. June Grasso hosts.
Reuters
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Exclusive: US military to start kicking out transgender troops next month, memo says
WASHINGTON, May 8 (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has issued internal instructions to the Pentagon to start kicking out transgender troops who do not elect to leave on their own by June 6, according to a memo obtained by Reuters. The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Hegseth's memo illustrates how President Donald Trump's administration intends to swiftly act to remove thousands of transgender servicemembers after the Supreme Court's ruling on Tuesday cleared the way for a ban to take effect. In the memo, Hegseth said active duty transgender troops could identify themselves for "voluntary separation" from the U.S. armed forces until June 6. Troops who are in the Reserves forces had until July 7. "On conclusion of the self-identification eligibility window, the Military Departments will initiate involuntary separation processes," the memo said.
