Start your Monday smart: NATO, Japan, Chicago, Brexit, college scam, Final Four

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• We can almost smell the NCAA basketball glory. Regardless of the state of your brackets, the drive to the Final Four is reaching its climax. See who leads the men's and women's tournaments ahead of next week's finals.

• It's April Fools' Day -- your once-a-year chance to pull off the prank of the century.

• Japan names a new imperial epoch. Leaders are due to reveal the name of the country's next era as they prep for Emperor Akihito's abdication. He'll be the first Japanese monarch in 200 years to step down.

• Let the Brexit 'playoffs' begin. Parliament is expected to vote on a short list of options for how the UK could abandon the European Union, including perhaps one that combines a customs union pact with a second referendum. Minus a deal, Britain is set to crash out of the EU on April 12 with dire financial consequences forecast.

• A new month means new shows. Stream your way through April with Bear Grylls, "She-Ra," Brené Brown, "BlacKkKlansman" and many more.

• Trump hosts the NATO chief. Jens Stoltenberg visits the White House, then addresses Congress a day later ahead of the 70th anniversary of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Even as President Trump has slammed allies for spending too little on defense, the US military presence in Europe has grown.

• The Justice Department faces a Mueller report deadline. Six House committee chairs want Attorney General Bill Barr to make Robert Mueller's full report on the Russia investigation and its underlying evidence available to Congress. But Barr said he expects a redacted version of the report to be made public by "mid-April, if not sooner."

• Chicago mayor's race makes history. The Windy City will elect its first black woman mayor: Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle or ex-federal prosecutor Lori Lightfoot.

• It's World Autism Awareness Day. Blue lights shining from landmarks and front porches will mark the worldwide effort to better understand and appreciate people with autism spectrum disorder.

• The new Barbara Bush biography comes out. "The Matriarch" by Susan Page offers some revelations, including how the former first lady felt about the GOP under Trump.

• Accused college admissions scammers head to court. Three big names in the scandal alleged by the feds are due in court in Boston. Actresses Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin and the latter's fashion-designer husband, Mossimo Giannulli, are said to have paid bribes to get their children into top schools. Fifty people are implicated.

• The National Action Network hosts 2020 Democrats. The annual meeting of Al Sharpton's group is set to spotlight a throng of candidates vying for the White House. Also due to speak at the four-day convention are former President Barack Obama, ex-Attorney General Eric Holder and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

• Who will leap into Poppie's Pond? Pernilla Lindberg defends her crown at the ANA Inspiration at California's Mission Hills. Watch four days of play on the Golf Channel.

• The accused New Zealand gunman heads to court. Brenton Tarrant is expected to face more charges in connection with terrorist shootings at two Christchurch mosques that left 50 people dead. New Zealand has moved to ban assault rifles since the March 15 attacks.

• 'The world's greatest steeplechase.' Caution is not the name of this game. Check out the favorites and how to watch the Grand National horse race from Liverpool, England.

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