Election interference inquiry, Met Gala, NHL Playoffs: 5 things to know Monday

Panel weighing Trump election interference in Georgia to begin

Jury selection will begin Monday in Fulton County, Georgia, for a special grand jury to weigh evidence and testimony concerning election interference by former president Donald Trump. A major focus of the inquiry, which began last year, has been Trump's Jan. 2, 2021, telephone call to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, in which the former president urged Raffensperger to tilt the 2020 statewide vote in his favor. In addition to the Georgia probe, the New York attorney general is continuing to develop a civil case over Trump's financial practices, and a special House committee is investigating Trump's links to the Jan. 6 insurrection and the bid to void President Joe Biden's election victory.

• Jan. 6 probe: For the first time, committee alleges Trump, others engaged in criminal conspiracy

• Trump under the legal gun: Analysts doubt charges will hurt him with his base

Met Gala: Stars prepare for biggest night in fashion

Hollywood’s biggest stars are ready to dazzle on the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Monday at this year’s Met Gala. It’s the first time the museum has seen the in-person event at its traditional berth on the first Monday in May since 2019. The gala is an annual fundraiser for the Met’s Costume Institute and calls on designers to adorn stars, models and influencers according to a selected theme to match a wing of the museum's exhibit. The latest exhibit — “In America: An Anthology of Fashion” — has inspired this year’s theme of gilded glamour, referring to late 1800s America that was led by industrialization and innovation. Regina King, Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds and Lin-Manuel Miranda will serve as co-chairs of the event.

• 2022 Met Gala: Exhibit will highlight 8 top film directors

• Ryan Reynolds, Lin-Manuel Miranda to co-host 2022 Met Gala

More than 100 civilians expected to arrive in Zaporizhzhia, Zelenskyy says

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said more than 100 civilians, primarily women and children, were expected to arrive in the Ukrainian-controlled city of Zaporizhzhia on Monday. The expected arrival comes after a video posted online by Ukrainian forces showed elderly women and mothers with small children being helped as they climbed a pile of debris from the sprawling steel plant’s rubble in Mariupol. Over the weekend, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi promised military and financial support after leading a top-level meeting with Zelenskyy in Kyiv. Pelosi, the most senior American lawmaker to visit Ukraine since Russia’s war began said that the U.S. congressional delegation she led was proud to convey to Zelenskyy “the message of unity from the Congress of the United States, a message of appreciation from the American people for his leadership and admiration for the people of Ukraine for their courage.”

• 'We do not want to be involved': As horror unfolds in Ukraine, most of the world isn't punishing Putin

• A port city, a steel cage, a palace: The steps that made Putin 'the richest man in the world'

Hearings for NFL discrimination lawsuit to begin

Hearings for a lawsuit brought against the NFL for alleged racist hiring practices begin Monday. Brian Flores, who was fired from his role as head coach of the Miami Dolphins in January, brought forward the lawsuit, alleging that the league is “rife with racism” despite publicly condemning it. Two other coaches — Steve Wilks and Ray Horton — joined Flores in the lawsuit in April. In a letter from the NFL released Thursday, the league asked a Manhattan federal judge to dismiss the coaches’ claims or force them into arbitration, saying the claims lack legal merit. In the same letter, lawyers for Flores and the other coaches said they will oppose the NFL's plans to force arbitration or to dismiss the case. The lawsuit comes as the NFL wraps up their annual draft ahead of the 2022-2023 season.

• Ray Horton, Steve Wilks join Brian Flores' discrimination lawsuit against NFL

• Brian Flores says he declined to sign non-disclosure agreement when Dolphins fired him

NHL playoffs get underway

The NHL playoffs open Monday night with four first-round games, including the Tampa Bay Lightning’s bid to become the first team in 40 years to win three consecutive Stanley Cup titles. The Islanders, who won four in a row from 1980-83, are the last team to accomplish the feat. Monday’s games are Boston at Carolina, Tampa Bay at Toronto, St. Louis at Minnesota and Los Angeles at Edmonton. The remaining four series open Tuesday: Pittsburgh at New York Rangers, Washington at Florida, Nashville at Colorado and Dallas at Calgary. The Stanley Cup will be awarded no later than June 30.

• Predictions: Who will win the regular-season awards?

• NHL playoff schedule: Dates, times, television and results

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Met Gala, NHL Playoffs, Ukraine updates: 5 things to know Monday