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Chapter 1: What is the current situation in Myanmar after the earthquake?
Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Janine Herbst. In Myanmar, the state-run media says more than 1,600 people were killed after yesterday's earthquake in the center of the country. Thousands of others were injured. The U.S. Geological Survey says the quake was magnitude 7.7. Myanmar's military is now allowing international aid to help in the aftermath.
Michael Sullivan has more from neighboring Thailand.
Chapter 2: How is international aid being provided to Myanmar?
The first shipments of international aid arrived this morning at the airport in the former capital, Yangon. They came from neighboring China and from India, and included search and rescue and medical teams, as well as blankets and other provisions. But the epicenter of the quake was just outside Myanmar's second biggest city, Mandalay, some 360 miles to the north by road.
Chapter 3: What challenges are rescue workers facing in Myanmar and Thailand?
The airport there remains closed. Rescue workers say their efforts have been stymied by a lack of equipment and personnel, with some resorting to digging with their hands. In neighboring Thailand, rescue workers used heavy equipment to try to rescue dozens of construction workers trapped in the rubble after a 33-story skyscraper under construction collapsed.
For NPR News, I'm Michael Sullivan in Chiang Rai.
Chapter 4: Why are employees at the U.S. Institute of Peace being fired?
Employees at the U.S. Institute of Peace are being fired en masse. And Pierce Michelle Kellerman reports it's happening weeks after the Trump administration's government efficiency team took over the building that houses the nonprofit think tank.
Chapter 5: What actions is the Trump administration taking against the USIP?
Starting late Friday night, the USIP HR department told most employees their jobs have been terminated. The U.S. Institute of Peace is a think tank funded by Congress, but the workers are not federal employees. Though the institute owns its own building and has a large endowment funded in part by private donors, the Trump administration is trying to take it over.
The board members fired by Trump are suing the administration. Employees have until early April to turn in their badges and computers. They were notified over private email addresses. since they haven't had access to their official accounts since the Trump administration brought in a new president earlier this month. Michelle Kellerman, NPR News, Washington.
Chapter 6: What is the status of wildfires in the Carolinas?
Wildfires are burning across the Carolinas. In South Carolina, the state fire service says the Table Rock fire, just one week old, is now the largest in upstate history. But it's only one of the fires burning in that state. Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evatt.
We have three active fires going on in the state right now that fire, the Forestry Commission is still fighting.
Air crews have dropped hundreds of thousands of gallons of water on the fires, but so far there is no containment. 388 wildfires have burned more than 18,000 acres in the state just this month alone, and a statewide ban on burning is in effect. In western North Carolina, much of the area is blanketed by smoke as firefighters battle blazes in that state.
The flames are fueled by high winds, dry conditions, and downed trees. You're listening to NPR News. Well, it's down to the elite aid in college men's basketball. Play begins tonight. Pat Duggins of Alabama Public Radio reports Alabama is moving on after making NCAA history.
Alabama faces Duke following 25 successful three-point shots in its win over Brigham Young. That broke the previous NCAA record set by Loyola Marymount back in 1990. Alabama forward Mark Sears made 10 of those three-pointers, finishing the night with 34 points, and he gave credit to his team.
And, you know, that's just a show of trusting them that even though when I'm not at my highest peak, that they still trust me and want me to shoot the ball. So, you know, it's a big shout out to them.
Florida plays Texas Tech today. Houston, Auburn, Tennessee, and Michigan State face off tomorrow for a shot at the Final Four. For NPR News, I'm Pat Duggins in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
And in women's NCAA college basketball action, South Carolina defeated Maryland last night. And tomorrow, the Gamecocks play Duke with the winner advancing to the women's Final Four in Tampa. After nearly two years away, Alyssa Liu took home the gold in the world championship in figure skating, her first before a sold-out crowd in Boston yesterday.
It's the first time in nearly 20 years that an American woman has won the world championships. The 2025 world championships, though, didn't include the Russians, who do dominate the sport.
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