Serious rival

Over the last few weeks, more and more candidates have entered the Republican primaries for the 2024 presidential race. The former president, Donald Trump, remains a looming figure while being slapped with yet another court indictment, this time for hoarding classified documents at his residence in Mar-a-Lago.

In a surprise move, the former vice-president, Mike Pence, officially announced that he is entering the race, putting himself in a contest against his former boss. However, analysts doubt he will win the nomination, especially since he is running on a heavily conservative stance in trying to win over Christian evangelical voters. Another contender — the only woman in the Republican field — is the former ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley. Her strategy is to first take down the more likely Trump opponent — the Florida governor, Ron DeSantis, before going up against her former boss. DeSantis ranks second in the polls after Trump and has implemented several restrictive policies on abortion rights and flexible policies on guns.

The Trump team is also looking at DeSantis as the most serious opponent. Trump has not publicly disparaged or ridiculed, as is his typical style, any other opponent. His time is also tied up now with court proceedings and he appeared in person at court in Miami and pleaded not guilty to 37 charges. People are split over whether this will truly hurt his candidacy, given he survived two impeachments. Either way, Republicans rushed forward to his defence after news of the latest indictment broke.

Take pride

Pride Month is celebrated in June and is marked by parades and rainbow themes. However, in the current political climate, several states have passed laws that curtail the rights of LGBTQ+ people. The American Civil Liberties Union has tracked 491 anti-LGBTQ bills in various state legislatures — the highest it has ever been. Tennessee became the first state to explicitly ban drag shows in public, deeming them inappropriate for consumption. Many red states have followed suit.

Nevertheless, the president, Joe Biden, kicked off the Pride Month celebrations from the South Lawn of the White House. “We see you ... made in the image of God, deserving of dignity, respect and support,” he stated in his speech addressed to a cheering crowd.

Meanwhile, national brands are having to think carefully about how to tread the waters in showing their support to the community without alienating their conservative customers. This is a new issue they are facing as anti-LGBTQ voices are more fervent now than before. This comes on the heels of Bud Light getting boycotted after its promotion campaign featured a transgender influencer. The American retail store, Target, also removed their Pride merchandise after their workers’ safety was threatened.

Reality bites

Netflix introduced us to binge-watching, and some of the most watched content is food and reality cooking shows. A pop-up restaurant called Netflix Bites will be launched in Los Angeles on June 30, featuring dishes from its shows. For the first time ever fans will get to taste creations by their favorite Netflix celebrity chef. The attending chefs will include Curtis Stone ( Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend ), Dominique Crenn ( Chef’s Table ), Nadiya Hussain ( Nadiya Bakes ), Jacques Torres ( Nailed It! ) amongst others.

Guests who make a reservation will be required to put down a non-refundable $25 deposit, which will go toward their final bill, according to the official website. This is just an opportunity to eat chef-curated meals, but not a chance for a meet-and-greet. The menu too is still under wraps. This is not the first time that Netflix is creating an immersive experience. Its past line of live experiences includes The Queen’s Ball: A Bridgerton Experience, Stranger Things: The Experience and Money Heist: The Experience.

Award night

The 76th Annual Tony Awards ceremony, which celebrated the performances of Broadway, took place last Sunday in New York City. Unlike the usual venue, which is a Times Square Broadway theatre, the event was hosted at the United Palace in Washington Heights this time. The show opened with a dance number by Ariana Debose, the event’s host. The ceremony was overshadowed by the ongoing strike by the Writers Guild for America. The WGA asked the writers not to attend, but the other attendees paid tribute to them in their speeches. The production of films — the latest Mission Impossible film, for example — has also been impacted by the strike.