The White House Correspondents’ Association has canceled plans to have comedian Amber Ruffin perform at its annual dinner on April 26, a new sign of the pressures being brought to bear on news organizations during President Donald Trump’s second term.

The journalism group, which has seen its control over interactions with Trump eroded in recent weeks, made the decision after Taylor Budowich, a White House deputy chief of staff, raised comments Ruffin has made in the past that are critical of Trump. Earlier this week, Ruffin told a podcast backed by The Daily Beast that she would not try to make sure her jokes targeted all sides of the political spectrum as the WHCA had requested, and likened the Trump administration to “kind of a bunch of murderers.” Playing to both sides “makes them feel like human beings,” she said, “cause they’re not.”

Ruffin, who first came to notice as a writer and contributor to Seth Meyers’ “Late Night” on NBC, has in recent years hosted her own program on NBC’s Peacock streaming service and, more recently, worked as a featured player on CNN’s “Have I Got News For You,” a topical comedy program that airs on Saturday nights.

“The WHCA board has unanimously decided we are no longer featuring a comedic performance this year. At this consequential moment for journalism, I want to ensure the focus is not on the politics of division but entirely on awarding our colleagues for their outstanding work and providing scholarship and mentorship to the next generation of journalists,” WHCA president Eugene Daniels wrote to members in a statement.

“For the past couple of weeks, I have been planning a re-envisioning of our dinner tradition for this year,” he added. “As the date nears, I will share more details of the plans in place to honor journalistic excellence and a robust, independent media covering the most powerful office in the world

President Donald Trump will not be attending the dinner.

Daniels, who is about to a launch a career as an MSNBC anchor, seemed very supportive of Ruffin just a few weeks ago. “When I began to think about what entertainer would be a perfect fit for the dinner this year, Amber was immediately at the top of my list,” he said in February, when the decision to have Ruffin host the dinner was announced.

The annual WHCA dinner often spurs lots of media attention and comedians ranging from Seth Meyers to Roy Wood Jr. have tilted at both the press corps and the presidents they cover. During Trump’s tenure, however, the comedy has also generated controversy. In 2018, comedian Michele Wolf drew pushback after a series of jokes and remarks that poked more than an elbow in the ribs of her targets. “I think she’s very resourceful, like she burns facts and then she uses that ash to create a perfect smokey eye,” said Wolf of Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House Press Secretary. ” Maybe she’s born with it, maybe it’s lies.” And, Wolf on the media: “He has helped you sell your papers and your books and your TV. You helped create this monster and now you are profiting from him.”

But the WHCA dinner has always been a minefield. In 2006, Stephen Colbert sparked a controversy by speaking about then-President George W. Bush, all in the manner of the bloviating talk-show host he portrayed on Comedy Central’s “Colbert Report.” “I stand by this man,” Colbert told the audience. ” I stand by this man because he stands for things. Not only for things, he stands on things. Things like aircraft carriers, and rubble, and recently flooded city squares. And that sends a strong message: that no matter what happens to America, she will always rebound — with the most powerfully staged photo ops in the world.”

Rich Little, the affable comedian and impressionist, was tapped for the event in 2007.

Things seem to have gotten worse with Trump. In 2019, after the Wolf appearance stirred rebuke, the WHCA hired biographer Ron Chernow to give remarks. He may best be known as the author of a history of Alexander Hamilton that was used as source material for Lin-Manuel Miranda’s famous musical about the politician. The choice marked the first time since 2003 that a comedian was not utilized.

The WHCA has long managed seating arrangements at the White House during briefings and a “pool” feed that gives members details on the President’s movements and remarks so that they are always covered. But the Trump administration has taken over many of those duties, deciding for itself which outlets get entry to the White House and Air Force Once. In some cases, non-traditional media outlets with less credibility have been elevated to positions on par with those of NBC News and The New York Times, among others.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is facing allegations that he copied parts of his 1995 doctoral thesis at Oxford University without proper credit. The report comes as he’s seeking election to remain the country’s PM next month, when Canadian voters head to the polls on April 28.

The National Post reviewed Carney’s thesis, “The Dynamic Advantage of Competition,” with three university experts, who found at least 10 instances of apparent plagiarism. 

The experts told the National Post that Carney copied full quotes, paraphrased ideas, and slightly modified sentences from four different sources without giving proper credit.

CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER MARK CARNEY SAYS ‘OLD RELATIONSHIP’ WITH US ‘IS OVER’ AMID TENSION OVER TRUMP TARIFFS

“He’s just directly repeating without quotations. That’s plagiarism,” said Geoffrey Sigalet, a professor at the University of British Columbia who helps handle academic misconduct cases, told the National Post.

Carney’s campaign responded to the National Post with a statement from his former Oxford supervisor, Margaret Meyer, who dismissed the allegations. “I see no evidence of plagiarism in the thesis,” she said. “Mark’s work was thoroughly researched and approved by a faculty committee.”

Meyer also told the National Post that “it is typical that overlapping language appears” if sources are regularly referenced.

Oxford University defines plagiarism as “presenting work or ideas from another source as your own without full acknowledgment.” Another professor, speaking anonymously to the National Post, said Carney’s thesis appears to meet that definition.

Carney’s campaign spokesperson, Isabella Orozco-Madison, called the accusations an “irresponsible mischaracterization” of his work.

CANADA’S NEW PM AND TRUMP CRITIC MARK CARNEY ACCUSED OF BEING OUT OF TOUCH WITH THE ‘COMMON MAN’

One of the key examples from the National Post’s report shows Carney closely copying a passage from economist Michael E. Porter’s 1990 book, “The Competitive Advantage of Nations.” On page 206 of his thesis, Carney wrote: “First, government intervention can impede international competition and artificially support domestic profits.” This is nearly identical to Porter’s original wording.

Liberal Party leader Mark Carney gives a speech to his supporters during a rally at the Grand Quay of the Port of Montreal on Thursday. (Andrej Ivanov/Getty Images)

Carney also reportedly copied sections from Jeremy C. Stein’s 1989 article in The Quarterly Journal of Economics and H.S. Shin’s 1994 article in The RAND Journal of Economics, with only minor wording changes.

The possible plagiarism appears throughout the thesis. “It’s all over the dissertation, not just one part,” said Sigalet. Even small wording changes without proper citation are still considered plagiarism.

Oxford University warns that plagiarism is a serious offense that can lead to penalties, including expulsion. “Even when you reword something, you still need to cite the source,” Sigalet added.

Carney, a former Bank of Canada and Bank of England governor, has had a high-profile career, including top roles at Goldman Sachs and Brookfield Asset Management. He has faced criticism for his elite background and globalist tendencies.

Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada Mark Carney. (Andrej Ivanov/Getty Images)

However, plagiarism allegations have led to resignations and revoked degrees for politicians and academics in the past.

Last year, Harvard University’s president Claudine Gay stepped down amid plagiarism claims, though she denied wrongdoing.

Carney is an outspoken critic of President Trump amid ongoing tariff battles between Canada and the U.S.

The National Post contributed to this report.

Angry demonstrators demand the Israeli government secure the release of captives held in Gaza.

There have been more large protests in Israel, demanding that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu conclude a captives-for-prisoners exchange deal with Hamas.

There are about 58 captives still held in Gaza, 34 of whom the Israeli military says are dead.

Family members of the captives and those supporting them rallied, with tensions rising between them and police in Tel Aviv on Saturday.

Demonstrators condemned the government’s decision to return to war, and held aloft pictures of their family members in captivity. They said they were holding the Israeli government responsible for their lives.

Saturday’s protest comes as Hamas’s armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, released a video titled, Time is Running Out, purporting to show an Israeli captive in Gaza calling on the government to secure his release, the second such video shared by the group within days.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum campaign group identified the man as Elkana Bohbot, who was taken captive from the site of a music festival in southern Israel during Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack that led to Israel’s latest campaign against Gaza.

The footage lasts more than three minutes, showing Bohbot speaking in Hebrew and pleading for his freedom.