MARIUPOL: Civilians have begun evacuating the Azovstal steel plant in Ukraine’s besieged port city of Mariupol, following a weeks-long standoff where Russian officials called for surrender there. In the last fragment of Ukrainian resistance in Mariupol, hundreds of civilians are sheltering at the plant despite food and water shortages. Russian and Ukrainian officials confirmed that some women and children were evacuated, but hundreds remained trapped and departures were later paused until today. CNN

PELOSI: In a surprise visit, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi led a congressional delegation to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv. Pelosi is now the most senior American lawmaker to travel to Ukraine since Russia’s invasion began. The delegation delivered a message of unwavering American support, and Zelensky emphasized his appreciation while reiterating the need for continued Western assistance. Zelensky presented Pelosi with Ukraine's Order of Princess Olga medal. Pelosi also met with President Andrzej Duda of Poland. AP

After a two-year pandemic hiatus, “Washington’s nerd prom” returned. President Biden addressed the White House Correspondents' Association dinner by poking fun at himself, his opponents and the media, while also emphasizing the importance of a free press. Headlined by “The Daily Show” host Trevor Noah, it was the first time a sitting president attended the annual gathering of journalists, political powerhouses and celebrities since Barack Obama in 2016. Biden acknowledged former President Donald Trump’s absences with a jab, joking, “It's understandable. We had a horrible plague followed by two years of COVID."  BIDEN'S BEST JOKES

If only he could read off a teleprompter all the time.

Today, votes will be tallied as another Amazon warehouse on Staten Island in New York City looks to unionize. Last month, over 8,300 warehouse workers voted to unionize at a larger facility down the street; this time, 1,500 workers were eligible to vote. The smaller effort could set more of a precedent than its larger counterpart. Another labor win could motivate workers in other Amazon facilities to launch similar efforts, but a decision against unionization could raise questions about whether the earlier victory was a fluke. Results of the vote are expected later this evening. AP

A report showed that Amazon is responsible for almost half of all warehouse injuries in the entire country. In response, the e-commerce giant invested $1 billion in a solution: robots. Innovations include a "bi-pedal walking robot" for assisting workers on the floor, a "tactile robotic arm" designed to work alongside box packers, and "wearable safety technology" that provides real-time safety alerts to employees. Sure, sci-fi-esque advancements like these seem like an answer to human error-related work injuries, but are they eliminating danger or just creating a different type of danger? Cheddar’s Alex Vuocolo took a deep dive into how robots will — or won’t — make Amazon a safer place to work. CHEDDAR

These robots may want to get Aflac. 

Former White House Coronavirus Response Task Force coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx warns that the U.S. South should prepare for a possible summer surge of Covid-19. Birx said America is due for a new wave following our January peak, citing that in other countries — like the current surge in South Africa — cases rise every four to six months. According to the CDC, the seven-day average of new U.S. cases has risen by 122% over the past month, now at 56,166 per day. THE HILL

Whaddaya think, Dr. Fauci? 

Yuga Labs, the creator of the popular Bored Apes Yacht Club collection of NFTs, raised about $320 million of cryptocurrency in one day during a sale of virtual land in its highly anticipated metaverse. Verified holders of ApeCoin bought 55,000 parcels of virtual land for around $5,800 each in Otherside, the project’s planned metaverse game and the latest extension of the Bored Ape franchise. Even before the metaverse’s opening, demand for its virtual land was staggering, causing the Ethereum blockchain to experience major disruptions, like inflated transaction fees. BLOOMBERG

“I just bought a parcel of virtual land with ApeCoin” makes total sense. 

NFL DRAFT: The NFL draft came to a close, with the takeaway that it was a forgetful one. The story of the draft was the lack of star quarterbacks, with only Pitt’s Kenny Pickett going in the first round. Football fans know it’s a quarterback-driven league, and it showed in the ratings: The NFL suffered a 20% drop in viewership, posting its least-watched first round since 2017. ABC and ESPN’s combined coverage reportedly averaged around 10 million viewers, down from 12.5 million last year. FRONT OFFICE SPORTS

We prefer our drafts in a pint glass.

                                                      
NBA/NHL PLAYOFFS: The second round of the NBA playoffs kicked off yesterday, with the Milwaukee Bucks handling the Boston Celtics and the Golden State Warriors losing Draymond Green but beating the Memphis Grizzlies anyway. The other matchups, which start tonight, include Miami vs. Philadelphia and Dallas vs. Phoenix. Also starting today: the NHL’s Stanley Cup playoffs. The favorites to win it all are the Colorado Avalanche followed by the Florida Panthers. CBS SPORTS

One of the biggest nights in fashion returns tonight. The 2022 Met Gala, a fundraiser at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, is a red-carpet extravaganza where celebrities flex outrageous outfits to fit this year’s theme, “In America: An Anthology of Fashion,” which focuses on inclusivity in fashion while paying homage to the earliest influencers of American design. The dress code is “Gilded Glamour and White Tie.” VOGUE

**googles Gilded Glamour**

Naomi Judd, one half of the Grammy-winning country duo The Judds, died Saturday. The Judds — Naomi and daughter Wynonna — are credited with helping transition the genre into the pop-music mainstream. They released 14 No. 1 songs in their three-decade career. Naomi’s daughters, Wynonna and actress-activist Ashley Judd, said in a statement they lost their mother “to the disease of mental illness.” The news comes just one day before the duo’s induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame; the daughters attended the Nashville ceremony Sunday night. Judd was 76. VARIETY

@cheddar: Soldiers from the U.S. Army Garrison in Italy presented a birthday cake to an Italian woman — to make up for one stolen from her nearly eight decades ago. INSTAGRAM