10 Things to Know for Monday, April 28, 2014

Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today:

1. TORNADOES RIP THROUGH CENTRAL, SOUTHERN U.S.  At least 16 people are dead in Arkansas and one in Oklahoma in a violent kick-start to the nation's twister season.  SEVERE WEATHER

2. U.S. TO LEVY NEW RUSSIA SANCTIONS  Obama says the United States will levy new sanctions on Russian individuals and companies in retaliation for Moscow's alleged provocations in Ukraine.  UNITED STATES-RUSSIA

3. EGYPT SENTENCES MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD SPIRITUAL LEADER, HUNDREDS TO DEATH  A court issues preliminary death sentences against 683 alleged supporters of the ousted president and his Islamist group.  EGYPT

4. PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOLS IN THE U.S. REACH A MILESTONE  Grades for U.S. graduation rates now in "B'' range as 80 percent of students, on average, receive diplomas.  HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION RATES

5. A NEW PHASE IN SEARCH FOR MISSING MALAYSIAN PLANE  After the initial area is completely combed without yielding a single clue, a second phase begins, expanding the underwater search.   MALAYSIA-PLANE

6. WHAT INVESTIGATORS ARE FOCUSING ON IN KOREA'S FERRY DISASTER  The official probe of the accident is now focusing on what the coast guard did after learning that the ship was sinking.   SKOREA-SHIP SINKING

7. WHO IS VOTING EARLY IN IRAQ  One million police and security personnel are casting their votes two days before the rest of the 22 million registered in the country's first national elections since the U.S. withdrawal.   IRAQ

8. NEW NBA COMMISSIONER FACES FIRST CRISIS  Adam Silver's priority is verifying that it is Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling's voice caught on tape making racist comments.   CLIPPERS-STERLING-SILVER

9. WHERE A NEW NYC TUNNEL IS LEADING  Nowhere, for the time being. The $185 million concrete access trench could connect to two new railway lines under the Hudson River, eventually.   TUNNEL TO NOWEHERE

10. VATICAN DECLARES JOHN PAUL II, JOHN XXIII SAINTS  In a rare celebration, two living popes lead the Catholic Church in canonizing two of its most-loved modern pontiffs.   VATICAN-POPES-SAINTS