Back-to-back, Jonathan Majors, and stray cats.

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Big Stories

Back-to-back champs

The UConn Huskies claimed their second consecutive national championship with a commanding 75-60 victory over Purdue on Monday.

• Following an impressive NCAA tournament run last year, where they won all six games by an average margin of 20.0 points, UConn was even more dominant this year with an average scoring margin of 23.3 points in their six victories.

• Despite initial success by Zach Edey against UConn's defense, where he scored 14 points in the game's early minutes, Purdue struggled as the game went on. The Boilermakers were the second-best three-point shooting team this year, but the Huskies held them to just 1 for 7 from behind the arc.

• UConn is the first back-to-back national champions since the Florida Gators in 2006 and 2007.

Student debt forgiveness for millions

The Biden administration announced new plans to cancel student debt for millions of Americans.

• The plan targets specific groups of borrowers, including those burdened by high-interest balances, long-time borrowers, and those facing economic hardship.

• The plan addresses "runaway interest" by allowing borrowers to cancel up to $20,000 in interest — low and middle-income borrowers enrolled in income-driven repayment plans will receive full interest forgiveness. Eligible borrowers for existing loan forgiveness programs don’t need to apply because their accounts will be automatically identified and credited. Long-term borrows carrying debt for more than 20 years will also receive relief.

• The plans will likely get help up in court. Last year the Supreme Court struck down a $20,000 relief plan. Despite anticipated legal challenges, the administration is moving forward with gathering feedback on the proposal.

NAIA bans transgender athletes from women’s sports

The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) has banned transgender athletes from participating in women's sports.

• Under the new policy, only athletes assigned female at birth are permitted to compete in women's sports. In contrast, all athletes can participate in NAIA-sponsored male sports, irrespective of their gender assigned at birth.

• Transgenders athletes who were assigned male at birth can participate in team activities but are barred from interscholastic competitions in women’s sports. NAIA President Jim Carr says the decision is all about keeping competition fair.

• The NAIA oversees approximately 83,000 student athletes across roughly 250 institutions not affiliated with the NCAA, and this policy applies solely to NAIA competitions.

Little Stories

• About 140 containers will be removed to lighten the Dali, the ship involved in the Key Bridge collapse. Seven containers have been offloaded onto a barge and taken to a land site — removing the remaining 130+ is expected to take two weeks. Once the Dali is refloated, tugs will transport it to the CSX terminal at the Port of Baltimore. (More)

• The Vatican declared gender-affirming surgery and surrogacy as “grave violations of human dignity,” equating them with abortion and euthanasia. The 20-page declaration, titled "Infinite Dignity," was approved by Pope Francis and issued by the Vatican’s doctrine office after five years of development. (More)

• A Southwest Airlines jet returned to Denver Sunday morning after the engine cover fell off and struck the wing flap during takeoff. The Boeing 737 landed safely. This is the second mishap for the airline this week, following a flight cancellation on Thursday due to an engine fire report. (More)

• Actor Jonathan Majors avoided jail time on Monday for assaulting his ex-girlfriend. Instead, he received a conditional discharge and was ordered to complete a yearlong counseling program. Majors must also adhere to a no-contact order with his former girlfriend, Grace Jabbari. (More)

• Tesla settled a lawsuit over a fatal crash involving its Autopilot system. The trial was set to begin Monday but was avoided through the settlement. Walter Huang died in the crash in 2018 while Autopilot was engaged. The terms of the settlement were not disclosed. (More)

Extra Credit

Stray cats in Mexico’s National Palace have protected status.

Explore the world’s best culinary experiences for 2024.

A British man ran the entire length of Africa in 352 days. 

What to do when an earthquake strikes.