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| A number of big issues are on the agenda as Congress returns from spring recess, including COVID relief and aid to Ukraine. Americans will be able to apply to sponsor Ukrainian refugees, starting today. The Supreme Court will hear a case about a high school football coach who lost his job after kneeling to pray at the 50-yard-line. And French President Emmanuel Macron fended off right-wing populist Marine Le Pen to win a second term. |
| I'm Nicole with Monday's news. |
| 🔵 U.S. officials promised more military aid in a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv late Sunday night. Follow live Ukraine updates here. |
| ⚫ Wildfires in Nebraska have killed an ex-fire chief and injured at least 15 firefighters. |
| 🏆 "Comedy survives in every moment": Jon Stewart became the 23rd recipient of the Mark Twain Price for American Humor. |
| 👉 Leaked audio consists of Kevin McCarthy saying former President Donald Trump should resign over the Jan. 6. insurrection. |
| 🎡 Will Disney leave Florida? How the company might respond over lawmakers' action to repeal its special legal status. |
| ✈ The first "plane swap" stunt was unsuccessful as the aircraft spiraled out of control in Arizona – but no injuries were reported. |
 | | Pilots train and test dive in San Luis Obispo in preparation for the Plane Swap live feat on April 24, 2022. The stunt was successful on Sunday night. | | Michael Clark / Red Bull Content Pool | |
| 💐 Coffee pods, a new mattress, hiking boots: Stock up on essentials or splurge on something for summer plans with these springtime deals. |
| 🎧 On today's 5 Things podcast, reporters Jessica Guynn and Jayme Fraser break down data that shows Asian women are shut out of most leadership roles at top companies. You can listen to the podcast every day on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or on your smart speaker. |
Congress returns to debate COVID relief, Ukraine aid |
| Spring break is over for Congress. Lawmakers return to Washington on Monday with several big issues on their plate. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said her chamber will take up President Joe Biden's request for an additional $800 million in military aid to Ukraine as soon as possible this week, although Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has said he wants to tie Ukraine aid to a stalled $10 billion COVID-19 relief package. That package got hung up before the spring recess when Republicans tried to add amendments related to Biden's decision to reverse Title 42, the Trump-era pandemic order that stopped migrants seeking asylum from crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. |
Biden's Ukrainian refugee program begins |
| Starting Monday, U.S. citizens and groups will be able to apply to sponsor Ukrainian refugees under the Uniting for Ukraine program. They can apply through an online portal that will be available on the Department of Homeland Security website. Ukrainians who are given permission to travel to the USA under the program will undergo a streamlined approval process that will allow them to live and work here for up to two years. To qualify, they must have been a resident of Ukraine as of Feb. 11 and have a U.S sponsor. They will be required to undergo a background check, pass biometric screenings, complete vaccinations and meet other public health requirements. Sponsors must undergo background screenings to make sure they are able to support the refugees and won't exploit or abuse them. |
 | | Refugees coming from Ukraine arrive at the North Railway Station in Bucharest, early March 4, 2022. | | MIHAI BARBU, AFP via Getty Images | |
Just for subscribers: |
| 🚨 A California woman's abduction was a lie. But the fear in her town was real. |
| 🦠 What is happening in Shanghai? Explaining the ongoing citywide COVID lockdowns. |
| 🍔 The meaning of a $0.99 meal: Inflation is making it harder to choose healthy foods. |
| 👃 Why does my dog smell like oranges? The latest on how COVID affects smell. |
| These articles are for USA TODAY subscribers. You can sign up here. |
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Supreme Court to hear case of praying coach who lost job after kneeling on field |
| The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments Monday in the case of a high school football coach who lost his job after kneeling at the 50-yard-line in prayer after his former team's football games . Joseph Kennedy claims that Bremerton High School in Washington violated his First Amendment rights by declining to renew his contract after the prayers. One of the issues the Supreme Court must unknot is whether Kennedy was praying as a private citizen or as an assistant coach and school employee. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit in San Francisco ruled last year that Kennedy was acting as a public employee and that his prayers, therefore, were not protected by the First Amendment. The Supreme Court ruled in 1962 that public schools could not offer prayers, even if participation by students is voluntary. A decision in Kennedy's case expected this summer. |
 | | Joe Kennedy, a former assistant football coach at Bremerton High School in Bremerton, Wash., poses for a photo March 9, 2022, at the school's football field. | | Ted S. Warren, AP | |
French President Emmanuel Macron wins second term |
| French President Emmanuel Macron comfortably won a second term Sunday , beating back a stronger-than-expected challenge from Marine Le Pen, a far-right populist who has attacked the European Union and NATO and expressed support for Russia. Le Pen quickly conceded defeat but still scored her best-ever electoral showing. Acknowledging that "numerous" voters cast ballots for him simply to keep out Le Pen, Macron pledged to reunite the country and work to assuage the anger of French voters that fed Le Pen's campaign. Five years ago, Macron defeated Le Pen with more than 66% of the vote. Macron, who built his own political party to run for president in 2017, won again despite a first term beset by protests against his economic policies, the COVID-19 pandemic and, most recently, the Russian invasion of Ukraine that roiled diplomatic relations across the globe. |
 | | French President Emmanuel Macron is pictured in Paris after winning re-election, defeating far-right candidate Marine Le Pen for a second five-year term as president. | | Jeff J Mitchell, Getty Images | |
ICYMI: Some of our top stories yesterday |
| 🟠 Democrats in Nevada hope a pending Supreme Court decision on abortion will help them win a Senate seat. |
| 🏛 Amazon's helix-shaped tower for its second headquarters was approved by a Virginia county. |
| 🐊 "Walkers beware!": Hot, hungry alligators are taking lonely strolls in Florida. |
| 🚨 A TikTok art trend caused the fatal electrocution of a Wisconsin man and woman. |
Kansas legislature to discuss religious exemptions for childhood vaccine requirements |
| Kansas bills with language expanding religious exemptions for childhood vaccine requirements were passed by the state Senate in March and now face the House when the legislature reconvenes Monday. They are among the more than 520 vaccine-related bills introduced in statehouses nationwide since Jan. 1, and of those bills, 66 specifically relate to childhood vaccine requirements in 25 states. One pending Kansas bill would mandate that vaccine exemption requests be accepted without scrutiny if based on religion or personal beliefs. Currently, the state leaves it to day care centers and school districts to accept requests for religious exemptions. State Sen. Mark Steffen stands behind amendments he pushed nullifying Kansas' childhood vaccine requirements. The Republican, who said he is "not an anti-vaxxer in any shape or form," lamented mandates and suggested that individual rights supersede mandates designed to protect public health. |
📷 Photo of the Day: The second weekend of Coachella 2022 📷 |
 | | Rina Sawayama performs at the Coachella Music & Arts Festival at the Empire Polo Club on Saturday, April 23, 2022, in Indio, Calif. | | Amy Harris/Invision/AP | |
| Coachella brought more performances for the sunny musical bonanza. Harry Styles matched his Weekend 1 performance with another high-energy fun performance featuring special guest Lizzo. The pair partnered up to sing the One Direction hit '"What Makes You Beautiful" while wearing matching furry coats. Billie Eilish also returned for a second set, which was just as powerful as her first weekend performance. The 20-year-old is the youngest headliner in Coachella history. Hayley Williams of Paramore joined her on stage to sing an acoustic version of Paramore hit "Misery Business." |
| Click here to see some of the top photos from the second weekend of Coachella 2022. |
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