Your Thursday Briefing: DeSantis’s Presidential Run

World
By Harry
Your Thursday Briefing: DeSantis’s Presidential Run

Ron DeSantis, the governor of Florida, entered the presidential race yesterday and filed papers declaring his candidacy. DeSantis will announce the start of his campaign on Twitter, in a conversation with Elon Musk, beginning at 6pm ET (8am Sydney; 6am Hong Kong).

For some thoughts on the Republican primary race, we spoke with Trip Gabriel, who covers politics for The Times.

What is at stake in the Republican race?

Journey: The Republican primary is essentially a referendum on Donald Trump. And DeSantis has long been seen as the nominee for Republicans who want Trumpism without the chaos.

But while DeSantis is Trump’s closest rival, really the only serious one so far, he has trailed Trump by about 30 points in Republican polls since the beginning of the year.

It is not an exaggeration to say that a second Trump term would stress American democracy more than at any time in modern history, including the attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021. Trump is now calling that riot, which sought to reverse the results from the president The election of Biden, “a beautiful day”. His followers largely embrace his extremist and authoritarian tendencies.

What is DeSantis’ strategy?

More fundamentally, DeSantis will make an electability argument: Trump risks another defeat, because swing voters in the suburbs hate him.

DeSantis will run on his record as governor of Florida, where he has enacted policies to the right of Trump on abortion and other culture war issues. And at 44, DeSantis may be a generational foil to Joe Biden, who is 80.

Concerts, comedy shows and musical performances across the country were abruptly canceled last week, just minutes before showtime.

The crackdown on culture points to increasing scrutiny in China’s already heavily censored creative landscape. China’s top leader Xi Jinping is demanding that artists align with the goals of the Communist Party to promote a nationalist vision of Chinese identity.

Details: Last week, authorities in Beijing fined a comedy studio around $2 million after one of its stand-up performers was accused on social media of insulting the military in a prank. Hours after the sanction was announced, organizers in other major cities canceled their stand-up shows, and musical performances also began to disappear. Many of the canceled events were supposed to feature foreign artists or speakers.

Background: Stand-up has gained popularity in the country in recent years as a rare medium for limited commentary on life in contemporary China, and officials have taken notice.

Related: US intelligence agencies and Microsoft detected computer code linked to a Chinese hacking group on telecommunications systems in Guam in February. The discovery set off alarm bells because Guam would be an important part of any US military response to an invasion or blockade of Taiwan.

The soul singer’s raspy voice and explosive energy made her an unforgettable performer and one of the most successful recording artists of all time.

His solo album “Private Dancer,” released in 1984, delivered three mammoth hits: the title track, “Better Be Good to Me,” and “What’s Love Got to Do With It,” which won three awards at the 1985 Grammy Awards. , including record of the year. The album sold five million copies and ignited a touring career that established her as a worldwide phenomenon.

Turner spent his last years in Switzerland, where he died. “I had a terrible life,” he told The Times in 2019, speaking from his castle. “I just kept going.”

Chin-Kee, a character from the award-winning graphic novel “American Born Chinese,” takes on ugly racial stereotypes by exaggerating them. As a new series adapted from the book hits Disney+ this month, the feat will be translating the story to the screen without changing it.

Today marks the 60th anniversary of Africa Day, an occasion to challenge the negative notions that still plague this rich continent. There is no one way to celebrate. In some countries, it is a public holiday. In others, it is a day of concerts, gastronomic and fashion fairs. Here are some ideas:

Read from the past: Chinua Achebe changed African literature in 1958 with “Things Fall Apart,” a book that defines modern storytelling. Achebe challenged simplistic portrayals of Africa in books like Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness.

Dance in the present: Afrobeats artists have sold out at venues across the US and hitting amapian rhythms have infiltrated nightclubs in Europe. These genres, and the viral social media dances have engendered, show a cheerful and youthful side of the continent.

Look into the future: If superhero movies are a vision of the future, the future of Africa appears to be female. And these heroines are kicking ass and taking names. “super team 4”, the latest blockbuster African animation project, follows four teenagers who fight crime in a futuristic Lusaka, the capital of Zambia. Created by Zambian writer Malenga Mulendema, designed by Cameroonian artist Malcolm Wope and produced by Triggerfish, a South African animation studio, the series premieres on Netflix this July. —Lynsey Chutel, Briefings writer based in Johannesburg

This ricotta asparagus pasta with almonds offers a comforting lightness.

In the French drama “Night of the 12th,” a by-the-book investigator wrestles with a brutal murder.

Revisit Britpop band Blur, who have a new album out at the end of July.

Play the Mini Crossword, and a clue: Mythological king who ordered the construction of the Labyrinth (5 letters).

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