1. RON CHERNOW BRINGS LIGHT COMEDY TO WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS’ DINNER: Although Saturday’s White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner opted to not have a comedian, host Ron Chernow did manage to poke fun about the optics of this year’s event. USA Today: “‘They wanted to try "boring" at this year's dinner, and I said, "Oh, I can deliver on that big time!"' he began. ‘So here I am, your 20-minute sedative for the evening,’ He took some subtle jabs at President Donald Trump, first noting his absence from the annual bash thrown by the White House Correspondents' Association. This was the president's third time skipping the event. ‘At first I was puzzled by this news, but then I learned that a rumor was circulating in Washington that I was going to be reading aloud the redacted portions of the Mueller report and everything was explained,’ he said. Chernow made light of Trump's nickname for the media, saying he researched the night's audience by reading Henrik Ibsen's play An Enemy of the People.” 2. BURNING MAN AND GOVERNMENT IN STANDOFF OVER FESTIVAL’S FUTURE: The future of Burning Man might be at risk as organizers of the Nevada desert festival are facing off with the federal government. Problems, which concern event barriers, trash cans, lasers, and more, began when the event's organizer, Burning Man Project, applied for a permit from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (B.L.M.) to host the event in Black Rock Desert for 10 more years. ABC News: “B.L.M. wants 10 miles of concrete barriers installed on the event's perimeter for security, a requirement that organizers install dumpsters and hire companies to haul out the trash and authorities in place to conduct vehicle searches at the gate. … The government also has concerns about lights being used at night, including large work lights, high-intensity lasers, and search lights, which B.L.M. said can disrupt birds and other wildlife, and contribute to light pollution. As a result, the potential to ban or curtail some of the lighting is on the table. Burning Man Project isn't having it. ‘Back on Earth, Burning Man has a robust nightlife which, combined with the artists’ technical creativity and the darkness of the playa, heavily features light-based artwork,’ the organization said in its fact-checking statement. ‘The nighttime Black Rock City skyline has become a hallmark of the Burning Man experience, including innumerable LEDs, lasers, and searchlights throughout the city.’” 3. COUPLES ARE HOLDING MULTIPLE WEDDINGS TO ACCOMMODATE GUESTS: To accommodate wedding guests’ religious and cultural backgrounds, as well as financial situations, more couples are holding multiple wedding ceremonies. New York-based wedding planner Jove Meyer said 15 percent of couples he’s worked with in the past year have held more than one event. The New York Times: Nearly 60 percent of individuals these days are marrying someone with a different background, according to the WeddingWire, which tracks wedding trends and operates an online marketplace for the industry. ‘This means that it’s no longer considered over the top if a couple wants to host multiple celebrations,’ said Jeffra Trumpower, the creative director of WeddingWire. Many of these multiple celebrations do, in fact, qualify as over the top, with some costing well into six figures. The average cost was $50,000, according to the WeddingWire, a little more than the $38,700 national average for all weddings.” | 