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PEOPLE & ARTS Wednesday 19 February 2020
White House correspondents' dinner returns to comedic roots

By KEVIN FREKING Associ- throughout his presidency House Correspondents' As-
ated Press and instead has elected to sociation.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Co- hold campaign rallies. The Thompson is currently in his
medians are making their White House did not im- 17th season on "Saturday
return to the White House mediately respond to a re- Night Live" where he has set
Correspondents' Dinner af- quest for comment about a record for the most celeb-
ter last year's hiatus. whether the president rity impressions performed
Kenan Thompson of "Satur- would attend this year. on the show. In 2018, he re-
day Night Live" and Hasan Last year's dinner featured ceived an Emmy Award for
Minhaj of Netflix's "Patriot Pulitzer Prize-winning author Outstanding Original Music
Act with Hasan Minhaj" will Ron Chernow after some and Lyrics and a nomina-
headline this year's dinner, dinner attendees and com- tion for Outstanding Sup-
which takes place April 25. mentators complained porting Actor in a Comedy
Presidents and first ladies that a sharply anti-Trump Series.
have traditionally attend- performance by comedian FILE - In this Sept. 17, 2018, file photo Kenan Thompson presents Minhaj won a Peabody
ed the dinner, which serves Michelle Wolf in 2018 was the award for outstanding drama series at the 70th Primetime award in 2019 for his humor-
as a celebration of the First too pointed and unfairly Emmy Awards at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. ous examination of issues of
Amendment as well as a targeted then-White House domestic and global im-
fundraiser for college schol- press secretary Sarah Sand- "Kenan and Hasan are two of a free press in our de- port. He was the entertain-
arships. Reporting awards ers. of the most engaged and mocracy," said Jonathan er at the 2017 correspon-
are given out as well. Thompson will serve as this engaging entertainers in Karl, Chief White House cor- dents' dinner when he was
But President Donald Trump year's host. Minhaj will be America. I'm thrilled they'll respondent for ABC News a senior correspondent on
has skipped the dinner the featured entertainer. help us celebrate the role and president of the White "The Daily Show.”q

Winfrey holds TV discussion on

'American Dirt' in Arizona

TUCSON, Ariz. (Associated
Press) — Oprah Winfrey’s
soon-to-be televised dis-
cussion about the contro-
versial novel “American
Dirt” is drawing scrutiny for
not inviting some of the
book’s harshest Latino crit-
ics.
FILE - In this Aug. 28, 2019, file photo, Opera star Placido Do- The talk show host orga-
mingo listens to applause at the end of a concert in Szeged, nized her much-hyped
Hungary. conversation with au-
Associated Press
thor Jeanine Cummins
Israeli Opera to host on Thursday after inviting Oprah Winfrey participates in "Oprah's 2020 Vision: Your Life in
around 250 people to the
Placido Domingo Harkins Theatres Arizona Focus" tour at the Barclays Center on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2020, in
Pavilions in southern Arizo-
New York. (Photo by Brad Barket/Invision/AP)
despite protest na, the Arizona Daily Star
reports. The crowd was gations the book relied on an open letter to Winfrey
then directed to another stereotypes, caricatures, on the site Literary Hub
JERUSALEM (Associated standing ovation in Milan Tucson, Arizona, location and material similar to an- calling for deeper conver-
Press) — Despite objec- in December and had and asked to sign a non- other Latino writer. sations about “the contin-
disclosure
agreement. Latino critics also blasted ued underrepresentation
tions from sexual abuse two sold out shows in Ber- The discussion will be the promotions at book re- of (Latino) authors in pub-
activists, the Israeli Op- lin in January. Domingo's next episode in Winfrey’s lease parties that had flo- lishing and in your highly
era will host a week-long Operalia, an annual op- new Apple TV+ series ral art centerpieces with influential book club.”
singing competition orga- era singing competition, Oprah’s Book Club, which barbed wire mimicking The letter mentioned the
nized by Spanish opera will take place at Tel Aviv's features personal conver- the border wall. Tucson event and called
star Placido Domingo in opera house from Oct. 22 sations with authors in front Oprah chose the novel for for a private meeting with
Tel Aviv later this year. to 28. The Israeli Opera's of a live audience. her book club shortly after Winfrey and their move-
Domingo, 80, has with- decision to host Domingo Details of the gathering its release, drawing more ment.
drawn from all U.S. perfor- in spite of the allegations were not known since the anger from Latino critics. “We urge to you open your
mances since reports by against him has angered audience was banned In a video posted on Ins- mind and heart to actual
The Associated Press last Israeli activists. from speaking about the tagram following the criti- Latinos the way you have
year detailed accusations The Association of Rape event until after the show cism, Winfrey said she now publicly declared you did
of sexual harassment or Crisis Centers in Israel airs in March. realizes the book struck to Jeanine’s fictional char-
other inappropriate, sexu- wrote on its Facebook The novel about a Mexican “an emotional chord” acters,” the letter read.
ally charged conduct. page that "the entire mother and her young son with Latinos and created Writer Roberto Lovato, one
While American outlets world is renouncing the fleeing to the U.S. border a need for deeper con- of the signers of the letter,
have dropped Domingo, serial assaulter, and only had been praised widely versation. wrote on Twitter about not
he continues to perform Israel receives him with before its Jan. 21 release. On Wednesday, the group receiving an invitation to
in Europe. He received a open arms."q
But anger built over alle- #DignidadLiteraria posted Winfrey’s Tucson event. q