In this week's Sunday Sitdown, Grammy-nominated country music artist Eric Church joins Willie Geist to share the inspiration behind his new album "Evangeline vs. The Machine," the story behind his trademark sunglasses and the dose of reality he faced when he first arrived in country music city, Nashville, Tennessee. Meet the Press moderator Kristen Welker joins Sunday TODAY's Willie Geist to discuss the NBC News Stay Tuned poll that shows what voters think of President Donald Trump's first 100 days in office. A suspect has been arrested in the theft of a purse belonging to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Police said there is no sign that Noem was targeted because of her position in government while the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia said the suspect is in the country illegally. During the 2025 NFL Draft, all eyes were on quarterback Shedeur Sanders who was selected in the fifth round after three suspenseful days. With a total of 14 quarterbacks picked in this year's draft, many fans and analysts counted Shedeur, the son of NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, as a shoo-in for the first round. NBC's Ryan Chandler reports for Sunday TODAY. The death of Pope Francis has brought a rise in viewership of last month's best picture nominee "Conclave," a drama that brings to the life the centuries-old ritual by which the Catholic church selects a new pope. So how close is the film to what takes place behind locked doors of the Sistine Chapel? NBC's Molly Hunter reports from Vatican City in this week's Sunday Focus. The woolly mammoth may be headed for a comeback thanks to a scientific breakthrough at Colossal Biosciences where they claim to have isolated seven of the extinct species' genes and applied them to mice. NBC's Morgan Chesky reports in this week's Sunday Spotlight. Sunday TODAY's Willie Geist runs through the Highs and Lows of the week, including how Philadelphia Eagles center Cam Jurgens plans to spend his new $68 million contract, the humanoid robots attempting to run a half-marathon in China and more! Willie Geist wraps up Sunday TODAY by sharing mug shots sent in by viewers. This week, Willie gives a shout out to Annabel who was the youngest runner in the 2025 Boston Marathon and raised more than $20,000 for the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation! To share your photos, use #SundayTODAY on social media.

Pope Leo XIV returned to the balcony where he was introduced to the world, for a historic first Sunday address as the first American pontiff. The pope called for ceasefires in Gaza and Ukraine. In a meeting earlier with the College of Cardinals, Leo said he would follow Pope Francis' legacy of synodality, caring for the poor and rejected and dialogue with the modern world. NBC's Anne Thompson reports for Sunday TODAY. Russian President Vladimir Putin is calling for direct peace talks in the war he started with Ukraine more than three years ago. His proposal comes after world leaders met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and threatened Russia with sanctions. President Donald Trump welcomed the announcement, calling it "potentially a great day for Russia and Ukraine." NBC's Keir Simmons reports for TODAY. Negotiators for the U.S. and China met in Switzerland for a second day of de-escalating a trade war between the two countries. President Donald Trump said online that the meeting was "very good" and "great progress made!" NBC's Yamiche Alcindor reports for Sunday TODAY. Residents in the Southeast are bracing for potential aftershocks a day after a 4.1 magnitude earthquake outside of Knoxville, Tennessee rattled homes and business. The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority has announced Junior Alvarado, the jockey who rode Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty has been fined $62,000 for striking the horse too many times during the race. Sovereignty's owners say Alvarado will not run in the second leg of the triple crown, the Preakness Stakes. When Pope Leo XIV was announced as the new pope, Catholics in the United States and his hometown of Chicago celebrated having one of their own lead the church. After the announcement, there were hours of speculation in the city over which baseball team the new pope supported before his family confirmed he is White Sox loyal. NBC's Shaquille Brewster reports in this week's Sunday Focus on Pope Leo's journey from Chicago to the Vatican where he's become the new leader of the Catholic Church.