All posts tagged: Georgia

Juan Hamilton, Protégé and Beneficiary of Georgia O’Keeffe, Died at 79

Juan Hamilton, Protégé and Beneficiary of Georgia O’Keeffe, Died at 79

Published by skeptic

Juan Hamilton, an artist, caretaker, and protégé of renowned painter Georgia O’Keeffe and the sole beneficiary of her will, died in his Santa Fe, New Mexico home on February 20 at 79 years old. He died from complications related to a subdural hematoma, which occurred several years ago, according to his wife Anna Marie Hamilton. Born John Bruce Hamilton on December 22, 1945, in Dallas, Texas, he grew up in Ecuador, Colombia, and Venezuela, the child of parents Alan and Claire (Kitzmiller) Hamilton, who served as Presbyterian missionaries. During this time, he adopted the name Juan and began learning how to work with clay from local potters. Related Articles Hamilton lived between Manhattan’s Upper West Side and Glen Rock, New Jersey in high school, and earned a bachelor’s degree in studio art from Hastings College in Nebraska, and later studied sculpture at Claremont Graduate University in California. At 27, Hamilton was a divorced potter and handyman at the sprawling Ghost Ranch property, owned by the Presbyterian Church, where 85-year-old O’Keeffe resided. After knocking on the …

The 3 Cities With The Most People In Financial Distress

The 3 Cities With The Most People In Financial Distress

Published by skeptic

Over the last few years, millions of Americans have felt the consequences of economic instability. The cost of living is nearly impossible for many to keep up with and inflation certainly doesn’t help. The American Psychological Association’s annual Stress in America survey found that money is a significant stressor for 64% of Americans. Yet, according to a study conducted by WalletHub, residents of three specific cities are in more financial distress than those who live anywhere else in the country. So, if you’re considering relocating to one of these cities, you might want to think again! A recent study found that these 3 cities have the most people in financial distress: 1. Houston, Texas Houston — the most populated city in Texas and fourth most populated in the country — is home to the most people in financial distress in all of the U.S. The state as a whole seems to be struggling, and last year, WalletHub declared the entire state of Texas the number one state in financial distress.  This is likely due in …

10 Historic Towns to Visit in Georgia

10 Historic Towns to Visit in Georgia

Published by skeptic

  While there’s certainly no shortage of historic small towns in the state of Georgia, if you really want to go old-school, you need to head to the other Georgia- the Republic of Georgia in Eastern Europe. Georgia is famous for its delicious wine, the whimsical and cosmopolitan capital city of Tbilisi, and many smaller towns where you can step back in time and really get a good understanding of Georgian culture. The great news is that there’s truly something for everyone, and in addition to checking out the history, you’ll also be able to occupy yourself in all of these towns.   With an ancient cave city that features over a dozen monasteries, a sky-high mountainous town that’s utterly remote and inaccessible during the winter, and a ski town that used to be an essential trading post, Georgia’s historic towns are varied and delightful. Put these ten towns on your list next time you go across the pond.   1. Vardzia View of the Vardzia caves, Georgia. Source: Shutterstock   The impressive and ancient …

Most Wonderful by Georgia Clark

Most Wonderful by Georgia Clark

Published by skeptic

‘Tis the season for heartwarming holiday romances, and Georgia Clark’s Most Wonderful delivers a delightful queer Christmas story wrapped up with all the trimmings. Like a warm mug of spiked eggnog, this charming novel goes down easy while packing an emotional punch. Clark, known for her previous rom-com hits like It Had to Be You and The Bucket List, brings her signature wit and keen observations on modern love to this festive tale of three adult siblings reconnecting over the holidays. A Very Belvedere Christmas At the heart of the story is the endearingly dysfunctional Belvedere family, helmed by aging Hollywood icon Babs Belvedere. As Christmas approaches, Babs’ three adult children find themselves at personal and professional crossroads: Liz, the responsible eldest, is a TV showrunner struggling with writer’s block and a massive crush on her show’s star Middle child Birdie is a stand-up comic whose career and love life are equally messy Baby of the family Rafi is nursing a bruised heart after a public proposal gone wrong When the siblings all converge on …

Even Republicans alarmed by new Georgia election rules — but experts worry “nothing will be done”

Even Republicans alarmed by new Georgia election rules — but experts worry “nothing will be done”

Published by Sam

Even Republicans are ringing alarm bells about the last-minute changes Georgia’s State Election Board is making to election procedures in the state. Despite a multiple challenges to the new rules — which could sow chaos in the election — many are doubtful that any action will be taken to clarify the state’s rules before Election Day. Earlier this week, a group of Republican and independent attorneys and interested parties penned a letter to Governor Brian Kemp, Attorney General Christopher Carr and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger expressing concern about the recent rulemaking of Georgia’s State Elections Board. The board is an unelected five-member body charged with ensuring “the fair, legal, and orderly” administration of elections across Georgia as well as keeping uniform electoral procedures across the state’s 159 counties. This year, however, a three-member pro-Trump majority consisting of Rick Jeffares, Janice Johnston and Janelle King, passed a spate of new election rules that even has Republicans concerned. The two rules that have raised the most eyebrows are the “reasonable inquiry” rule, passed in August, and a hand-count rule passed …

Voting for Their Jobs | Tim Judah

Voting for Their Jobs | Tim Judah

Published by skeptic

As we sped down Georgia’s main highway, the spine of the country linking east and west, Vato Bzhalava, who had helped set up this trip, showed me a video. He had made it as plainclothes policemen bundled him into a van during last spring’s anti-government demonstrations in the capital, Tbilisi. By chance, journalists who were livestreaming the protest also filmed the moment, and his friends saw the footage. This was lucky. Georgia is a small place; one way or another everyone knows everyone. Messages got through to the police: “Don’t beat up Vato!” They did not. Others were not so lucky. Vato is a moustachioed thirty-four-year-old researcher at the Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies (GFSIS). We were on our way to Akhaltsikhe, a small town eleven miles from the Turkish border. Signs giving the distances to Tehran and Ankara flashed by. Close to the turnoff for Stalin’s birthplace at Gori, we passed within a third of a mile of the southernmost tip of South Ossetia, the de facto Russian-controlled territory that broke away …

Georgia Supreme Court Declines to Rule on Whether Counties Can Draw Their Own Electoral Maps

Georgia Supreme Court Declines to Rule on Whether Counties Can Draw Their Own Electoral Maps

Published by skeptic

ATLANTA (AP) — The Georgia Supreme Court agrees that someone needs to issue a legally final ruling on whether county commissioners can override state legislators and draw their own electoral districts. But the nine justices on Thursday also agreed it would be improper to rule on that question in a lawsuit brought by two Cobb County residents, reversing a lower court judgment that had thrown out the county commissioners’ own map. The ruling that Catherine and David Floam weren’t qualified to get a declaratory judgment means that, for now, residents in Georgia’s third-largest county will elect two county commissioners in districts mapped by the Democratic-majority Cobb County Commission, and not under the earlier map drawn by the Republican-majority legislature. Voting is underway in advance of May 21 primaries. “To be clear, the fact that there are two competing maps does create significant uncertainty for many,” Justice Nels Peterson wrote for a unanimous court in explaining why the couple didn’t qualify for declaratory judgment. “But the Floams have not shown that this uncertainty affects their future …

Michigan Former Clerk and Attorney Charged After Alleged Unauthorized Access to 2020 Voter Data

Michigan Former Clerk and Attorney Charged After Alleged Unauthorized Access to 2020 Voter Data

Published by skeptic

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan’s attorney general announced charges Wednesday against a former township clerk and a lawyer who had supported attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, alleging they accessed voting systems without authorization in a search of fraud. Former Adams Township Clerk Stephanie Scott and her attorney, Stefanie Lambert, were charged with multiple felonies, including unauthorized access to a computer and using a computer to commit a crime. “When elected officials and their proxies use their positions to promote baseless conspiracies, show blatant disregard for voter privacy, and break the law in the process, it undermines the very essence of the democratic process,” Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a statement. “Those who engage in such reckless conduct must be held accountable for their actions.” The charges are the latest to be brought against people in multiple states who had been entrusted to ensure the security of election systems but instead allowed others to breach them in a futile search for evidence of widespread fraud in the 2020 presidential election. …

“Fani Willis messed up badly”: Appeals court deals another blow to Trump’s Georgia election case

“Fani Willis messed up badly”: Appeals court deals another blow to Trump’s Georgia election case

Published by skeptic

The Georgia Court of Appeals has further delayed Donald Trump’s election interference case in the state, revisiting the question of whether Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis should be removed for alleged misconduct. In a Wednesday filing, the court granted an interlocutory appeal to the former president’s legal team, allowing them to argue once again that Willis should be removed from the case. Trump’s legal team has 10 days to file a notice to appeal. The case, concerning Trump’s effort to get Georgia officials to change the results of the state’s 2020 election, has faced a tumultuous path since the DA’s office launched an investigation more than three years ago. Willis has faced significant scrutiny for her relationship with prosecutor Nathan Wade, which Trump lawyers argued created a conflict of interest. Earlier this year, experts also warned that her continued comments on the case, even after a judge ruled she shouldn’t be tossed, posed a threat to the continued prosecution of the case. For example, Willis’ remarks on cable news — that “the train is coming” –— …

Georgia appeals court will hear Trump bid to disqualify D.A. Fani Willis in election case

Georgia appeals court will hear Trump bid to disqualify D.A. Fani Willis in election case

Published by skeptic

Fani Willis, the district attorney of Fulton County, Georgia, photographed on Sept. 20, 2022, and former President Donald Trump, photographed on Aug. 8, 2023. Scott Eisen | Getty Images A Georgia appeals court Wednesday agreed to hear a bid by Donald Trump to disqualify Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis from the former president’s criminal election interference case. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee in March declined to remove Willis from the criminal case following revelations that she was engaged in a romantic relationship with a member of her legal team. Trump is charged in the case with illegally attempting to overturn his loss to President Joe Biden in Georgia’s 2020 election. There is currently no trial date set in the case. Trump attorney Steve Sadow in a statement said the former president is looking forward to telling the appeals court “why the case should be dismissed and Fulton County DA Willis should be disqualified for her misconduct in this unjustified, unwarranted political persecution.” The decision by the Georgia Court of Appeals to take …