Devastation In Myanmar

Good Monday morning! Here are some of the subtle, but telling, ways the internet believes you can know someone is a good person. Have a great start to your week.

In Today’s Brief

• Miami: Bus shooting

• South Korea: Wildfire cause

• WHCA: Comedian nixed

• Panama Canal: Ports snag

• FA Cup: Semifinal draw

... and more

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Top Tips

1) Stunning scenes

A 7.7 magnitude earthquake rocked Myanmar on Saturday.

• The news: Close to 1.7K people have been reported dead in the Southeastern Asian country; about 3.4K people were reported injured. Thousands of buildings have been destroyed. Experts believe 18M people were impacted by the quake and the actualy death toll could be 10K or higher. At least 18 people died in Thailand where the quake caused damage in Bangkok, including a collapsed tower that was being built.

• Key context: Myanmar is one of the region's poorest countries and has been engulfed by civil war since 2021 after a military junta overthrew a democratically-elected government. The nation has limited resources and aid and rescue effortsfrom China, India, Russia and other nations have been slow to take effect. There are growing concerns about electricity, food and water shortages as the practical window to locate survivors closes.

• Big picture: Myanmar's resistance fighters said they would suspend all offensive military operations for two weeks to aid recovery efforts. The ruling junta recently pledged to hold elections by the end of the year, but the disaster could give it an opening to once again renege on its promise. President Donald Trump said the U.S. would send aid to Myanmar, but that process could be complicated by recent USAID cuts -- and, critics would argue, give the Chinese and the Kremlin the diplomatic leg up they warned the cuts would lead to.

2) ‘Not joking’

President Trump told NBC he is serious about potentially seeking an unconstitutional third term in office.

• What he said: Trump said while "it is far too early to think about it," he was "not joking" with past comments about a third term and that there are "methods which you could do it." The president said he likes working and, "a lot of people want me to do it."

• The law: "No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice," according to the 22nd Amendment. Any change to the Constitution requires a two-thirds vote of Congress or two-thirds of the states calling a constitutional convention; the new amendment would then need to be ratified by three-fourths of the states.

• Supposed loophole: NBC's Kristen Welker asked Trump about a scenario where Vice President J.D. Vance ran for president, won and then stepped aside for Trump. "That’s one (method)," the president said. But legal experts say that approach would also be unconstitutional.

• Go deeper: The 22nd Amendment allows for a president to serve two full terms if they served two years or less of another president's term -- i.e. why Lyndon B. Johnson was eligible to seek re-election in 1968 (he declined to) after replacing John F. Kennedy in 1963 and winning his own election in 1964. But the 12th Amendment says you must be eligible to run for president -- which Trump will not be in 2028 -- to run for vice president.

• Big picture: Trump is not eligible to run for president again. And any supposed methods to change that reality are almost assuredly impossible to achieve.

3) Stretch run

The NCAA men's Final Four is locked in while the women's tournament is halfway there.

• San Antonio-bound: All four regional No. 1 seeds made the men's Final Four for the second time in history. Auburn and Florida will meet in one national semifinal next Saturday at the Alamodome. Duke and Houston will meet in the other. Auburn and Houston have never won national titles; Duke last won in 2015 and Florida's last title came in 2007.

• The women's side: Reigning national champion South Carolina reached its fifth consecutive Final Four; it will seek its third national title in four years and fourth since 2017 next weekend in Tampa. UCLA advanced to the Final Four for the first time.

• Still to come: TCU and Texas will meet today in one women's regional final; the winner will play South Carolina in the Final Four on April 4. UConn and USC will meet in the other remaining regional final with the winner taking on UCLA.

Quick Tips

U.S. News

• A Miami-Dade Transit bus driver allegedly shot and killed two passengers. There was a confrontation around 3 a.m. and the deceased men died at a local hospital; the driver was detained by police (More)

• A U.S. Bank executive is believed to be dead after his small airplane crashed into a Minneapolis area home. The house was destroyed, but one person escaped the incident without injury; the exec was reportedly piloting the flight (More)

• The responsibility for the $600M East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment settlement will be determined in a federal trial starting today in Youngstown. Norfolk Southern is seeking to force two other companies to participate in compensation for the 2023 disaster (More) 

World News

• South Korean officials suspect a man's family grave rite sparked a massive wildfire. At least 26 people died in the historic blaze; thousands of buildings were destroyed, including an ancient temple (More)

• President Trump said he is "pissed off" at Russian President Vladimir Putin for criticizing the legitimacy of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as ceasefire talks sputter. The president also threatened to bomb Iran if it does not strike a nuclear deal; Tehran has rejected direct talks with Washington (More | More)

• French far-right leader Marine Le Pen could be banned from a 2027 presidential run today. A verdict on whether she and other National Rally members embezzled European parliament money is due; a conviction would disqualify her (More)

Political News

• The White House Correspondents' Association canceled plans for a comedian to headline its annual dinner, a long-standing tradition. The organization cited a desire to avoid "politics of division" at the event after tabbing Amber Ruffin to appear (More)

• New Mexico's Republican Party said it was targeted by an arson attack. The entryway to the party's Albuquerque headquarters was destroyed and the term "ICE=KKK" was spraypainted on the building; no one was injured in the incident (More)

• Senate Armed Services Committee leadership asked the Pentagon's inspector general to probe how a reporter ended up on an encrypted chat discussing air strikes against Yemen's Houthi rebels. President Trump has reportedly decided to retain embattled National Security Advisor Mike Waltz for now (More | More)

Business & Markets

• Major indexes closed lower on Friday amid renewed concerns about inflation and pending tariffs. The Dow Jones plummeted over 700 points (Dow -1.69%, Nasdaq -2.70%, S&P 500 -1.97%).

• A BlackRock-led group's deal to buy ports near the Panama Canal has been held up. CK Hutchison, a Hong Kong-based firm, will not sign the transfer deal this week amid pressure from the Chinese government, which said it will launch an antitrust investigation (More)

• Bar Louie filed for bankruptcy. The Texas-based restaurant chain has already closed 13 under-performing locations nationwide, about a quarter of its eateries; the reorganization is not expected to impact day-to-day operations further (More)

Entertainment & Sports

• The FA Cup semifinal draw is set. Manchester City and Nottingham Forest will meet in one semi at Wembley Stadium on April 26; Aston Villa will take on Crystal Palace in the other leg of the annual English professional soccer tournament (More)

• Actor Richard Chamberlain died at 90 due to complications from a stroke. The three-time Golden Globe winner was known for his work in Dr. Kildare, Shogun and The Thorn Birds, among other roles (More)

• ABC and parent company Disney face an FCC investigation regarding diversity, equity and inclusion practices. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr claimed potential "invidious forms of DEI discrimination" in a letter announcing the probe (More)

Quick Hitters

• Feel Good: A bookstore patron saw an author sitting alone, waiting to sign his work for someone. She posted the experience to TikTok, and the man's title has become a best-seller.

• Long Run: A historic White House tree will be cut down. President Trump said a magnolia tree -- believed to have been planted by President Andrew Jackson in 1829 -- has deteriorated and become a safety hazard.

• Go Deep: The Trump Administration has signaled a desire to eliminate FEMA. But would states be able to handle disaster responses on their own without the federal agency? 

• Take Note: A Waymo was recently involved in a fatal accident in San Francisco. But it was not the driverless taxi's fault -- and it rarely is after 50M miles on the road.

• Life Hack: Older people could soon be prescribed volunteering hours by their doctors. New research indicates working with non-profits can boost health and make people feel more active and fulfilled as they age.

Watch This

An unexpected history of slipping on banana peels.

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Looking Ahead …

The city of Venice, Italy, confirmed it will host the much-anticipated wedding of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and journalist Lauren Sanchez. The Venice mayor's office said the late-June event would not disrupt day-to-day life in the city.

Question of the Day

Friday’s results:

Trivia: Where was Jaws filmed?

The film was shot on Martha’s Vineyard.