Georgia
Ballet star finds feet in Georgia after quitting Russia over Ukraine war
TBILISI, Nov 24 (Reuters) – When Laura Fernandez’s fellow dancers on the Stanislavsky Theatre in Moscow started discussing the warfare in Ukraine, she knew she must go away.
Swiss-born, with a Ukrainian mom, Fernandez, 24, was a soloist on the Stanislavsky and rising star of the ballet world when Russian President Vladimir Putin despatched troops into Ukraine in late February.
“It was simply very troublesome to be within the dressing room as a result of individuals began to debate (the warfare)…” she advised Reuters.
“They’d say ‘no worries, it is going to finish in per week, all the pieces goes to be positive’, however I knew it is not, it was already beginning after which it received worse and worse.”
She additionally feared for her kinfolk in her mom’s hometown of Mariupol, the southeastern port metropolis devastated throughout a protracted siege earlier than it lastly fell in Could, and the influence it was having on her mom’s psychological well being.
“I left as a result of it was morally simply very troublesome for me to dwell there as a result of I do know what Putin was doing to my household in Ukraine,” she stated.
“I imply our household in Mariupol, we misplaced all the pieces: two, no three residences. My household needed to go away the nation with out something. They did not have something, they could not take something.
“And in addition, how the individuals (in Russia) talked in regards to the state of affairs – it was very troublesome for me to listen to: I might exit of the room with tears in my eyes, making an attempt to carry myself.”
RUSSIAN DREAM
Fernandez joined the Zurich Dance academy in 2010, aged 12, earlier than occurring to coach within the classical Russian fashion on the world-famous Vaganova Academy in St Petersburg, which she described as “a dream”.
She had been on the Stanislavsky since 2020 when she determined to go away Russia in March, certainly one of a number of outstanding dancers and choreographers, together with Bolshoi prima ballerina Olga Smirnova, to give up the nation over the Ukraine warfare.
In Could, she joined the State Ballet of Georgia (SBG) in Tbilisi, the place she spoke to Reuters in an interview in between rehearsals of the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy from the Nutcracker, which the SBG is taking up tour subsequent month.
In between dancing for the SBG, she can be performing in worldwide gala occasions, together with journeys this 12 months to Sydney and Los Angeles.
She is having fun with life in Tbilisi, she stated, however has not given up hope that she may return to Moscow at some point.
I do know it is all Putin and lots of people are in opposition to him; they’re simply afraid of him, so they do not act,” she stated.
“So, I am not in opposition to Russia, I really like Russia, I really like Moscow. I even have some nice mates in Moscow and I actually loved my life there. However, in the intervening time, I’m simply not prepared but to return.”
Writing by Alex Richardson; Modifying by Mike Collett-White
Our Requirements: The Thomson Reuters Belief Rules.
Georgia
Wynk THC seltzer coming to stores across Georgia. Here’s what we know
What is delta 8? What to know about ‘diet weed’ and it’s safety.
Delta-8 THC products are exploding in popularity across the country. Here’s why they are available in states where marijuana is illegal.
This Thanksgiving, want something a little different to wash down your meal? If so, there’s a new beverage you might like to try.
On Wednesday, Wynk announced the statewide debut of its THC-infused seltzers. According to the company’s news release, Wynk delivers a refreshing social experience with a balanced 1:1 ratio of THC and CBD using high-quality manufacturing standards.
The drink comes in a variety of flavors including “Black Cherry Fizz,” “Lime Twist,” “Juicy Mango,” and “Tangerine.” They come in 7.5 oz cans with 2.5mg of THC and CBD and 12 oz cans with 5mg of each. The prices are as follows:
- 6-Pack: 2.5mg $24.99; 5mg $35.99
- 12-Pack: 2.5mg $44.99; 5mg $67.99
- 24-Pack: 2.5mg $89.99; 5mg $129.99
Products like these may be legally sold due to Congress legalizing hemp production in the 2018 Farm Bill, according to a press release on Georgia’s Hemp Farming Act. Hemp is a cannabis plant that naturally contains small amounts of the psychoactive cannabinoid delta-9 THC, along with other natural cannabinoids that may be used for medicinal purposes. Under Georgia’s new legislation, products that contain these kinds of ingredients are restricted those 21 and older.
Wynk is being sold in a variety of stores across Georgia like Chevron, Circle K, and BP. To find your nearest store that sells it, go to drinkwynk.com/find-in-stores.
Georgia
Jimmy Carter Christmas ornament now available at Georgia stores
ATLANTA – The White House is honoring former President Jimmy Carter this Christmas with his own ornament, and Georgians can get their own for their tree.
The ornament is in the shape of an anchor, a symbol of hope that also represents Carter’s service in the U.S. Navy.
It also features historic moments from Carter’s life and presidency and comes with a keepsake box and illustrated booklet on Carter’s presidency.
“It is a great honor to offer the Official 2024 White House Christmas Ornament at Home Depot stores for the first time in Georgia,” said Stewart McLaurin, president of the White House Historical Association. “This year we pay tribute to President Jimmy Carter’s remarkable life and enduring legacy as he continues to be a fixture in our country’s ongoing history.”
Shoppers can find the ornament at around 60 Home Depot stores across Georgia and in the Washington, D.C. area.
You can also buy the ornament on The Home Depot’s website.
Georgia
Georgia Senate study panel considers restrictions on trans women’s college sports participation • Georgia Recorder
A Georgia Senate study committee that bills itself as tasked with protecting women’s sports met Thursday for the last time before it is set to release recommendations before next year’s legislative session, and transgender Georgians are bracing themselves.
At Thursday’s hearing, transgender women and allies argued that vanishingly few transgender women participate in school sports, and those who do are largely not at the top of the competitive heap. Many said the national focus is making life difficult.
“It’s so hard to face this kind of opposition,” said Aaron Baker, a transgender woman and activist. “It’s so hard to be at a hearing like this and hear the language. It’s so hard for you to hear people describe me as a biological man because it’s not
true. I am hormonally female, I’m phenotypically female, I’m psychologically female, and that is a gross oversimplification of who I am and my identity, and it hurts.”
Committee Chair Greg Dolezal, a Cumming Republican, told members he would spend the next week or so reviewing testimony from the committee’s three hearings and plans to announce the date for presenting recommendations shortly after. Study committee recommendations could take the form of proposed legislation in time for the 2025 General Assembly, which is set to begin Jan. 13.
Dolezal indicated he is interested in considering regulations for college sports. A previous hearing featured testimony from cisgender women college swimmers who said they were placed at an unfair disadvantage when they had to compete against a transgender woman at a competition at Georgia Tech.
“A few years ago, I believe it was three years ago, the General Assembly passed a bill essentially prescribing the control to make decisions around transgender participation in sports to the Georgia High School Association, they passed a resolution that stated that participation in sports, high school sports, in the state of Georgia was based on the sex prescribed on a birth certificate. The law is currently silent on the collegiate competition level. So right now, we just have a law as it relates to high school associations,” he said.
Other Republicans on the committee suggested they would like to see legislation in K-12 schools, especially surrounding restrooms and locker rooms.
“As a father of two young daughters, we’ve got to protect women,” said Gwinnett Republican Sen. Clint Dixon. “We’ve got to protect their sports, we’ve got to protect them in changing rooms from what we heard from many of those athletes who testified, four or five of them who testified in the first committee hearing, having to change, which took 20, 30 minutes at a time, in front of a transgender female, but still had the genitalia of a male, which was horrific for them to witness that, some of them ended up changing in a storage closet, some of them waited until that athlete left the room, having to miss some of their competition, and that’s just at the college level, we’re not even talking about minors in K-12.”
Some activists indicated that they would oppose any kind of restriction on transgender participation, while speakers like Lambda Legal attorney Sasha Buchert urged the lawmakers to take a nuanced approach over a blanket ban, which could mean a committee including medical experts to consider safety or competitive concerns on a case-by-case basis. Others said such decisions should be left to athletic associations and leagues rather than politicians or political appointees.
“Sports are already managed by expert organizations like the NCAA, the International Olympics Committee, and professional leagues,” said Delfina Booth, a former Georgia Tech student and high school athlete who said she has lost transgender friends to police violence and suicide.
“These governing bodies have developed policies over decades that analyze fairness based on unique needs of each sport,” she added. “Contact sports have different rules than non-contact sports, children’s sports focus more on teamwork and development than adult sports, et cetera. These nuances cannot be addressed through broad government legislation. Additionally, decisions about athletic ability involve multiple complex factors, including the signs of physical development and the specific demands of each sport. These aren’t matters that lend themselves directly or easily to blanket rules.”
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