5 things to know for March 28: Myanmar quake, Stefanik nomination, Yemen group chat, Smithsonian, Collective bargaining
By Jade Walker, CNN
(CNN) — A large coin collection buried underground for over 50 years is going up for auction — and it’s expected to fetch more than $100 million. The Traveller Collection features coins that range in age from ancient to modern times and represent more than 100 territories around the globe. Among the collection’s highlights are a 100 ducat gold coin of Ferdinand III of Habsburg, which was minted in 1629, and a set of five Tomans, minted in Tehran and Isfahan in the late 18th and early 19th century.
Here’s what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On with Your Day.
1. Myanmar quake
A 7.7-magnitude earthquake rocked central Myanmar today, prompting panicked residents to run outside and away from swaying buildings. According to the United States Geological Survey, the powerful temblor struck at a depth of 6 miles near Sagaing city and was followed by several aftershocks, including one of 6.4-magnitude. The tremors were felt as far away as Bangkok, Thailand, where a high-rise building that was under construction collapsed, killing one person and injuring at least 50 others. Additional damage reports are still coming in. After more than four years of civil war, Myanmar is one of Asia’s poorest countries, and it is unclear how it will be able to respond to a major disaster on this scale.
2. Stefanik nomination
The White House has pulled Rep. Elise Stefanik’s nomination to be the next ambassador to the UN. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that the decision was made to help preserve the GOP’s razor-thin majority in the US House of Representatives. Currently, Republicans hold 218 seats to Democrats’ 213, and there are four vacancies. Multiple sources said some members of the House GOP leadership were stunned by the decision to drop the New York congresswoman and longtime ally of the president as they had already been preparing for a special election.
3. Yemen group chat
The top Democrat and the Republican chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee have formally requested an inquiry by the Pentagon’s acting inspector general into a group chat where senior national security officials shared plans about a US military attack in Yemen on Signal that inadvertently included a journalist. Since Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, published his articles revealing details of the highly sensitive strike plans, Democrats have been calling for accountability for the incident, which they argue endangered national security and US troops. Some Republicans have described the security breach as a “glitch” and a “mistake,” and want to move on without investigating or punishing the officials involved. On Thursday, a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to preserve all messages the officials sent on Signal between March 11 and March 15.
4. Smithsonian
President Trump is now targeting the Smithsonian Institution, which he claims advances “divisive narratives.” In an executive order signed on Thursday, Trump expressed his ire about exhibits featured in the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the National Museum of African American History and Culture and the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum. He put Vice President JD Vance in charge of overseeing efforts to “remove improper ideology” from all areas of the institution, including its museums, education and research centers and the National Zoo. He also ordered the interior secretary to determine whether public monuments, memorials, statues or markers have been removed or changed since 2020 to “perpetuate a false reconstruction of American history” and restore the original ones.
5. Collective bargaining
In an effort to continue reshaping the federal workforce, President Trump signed an executive order on Thursday to end collective bargaining for government employees whose work includes national security aspects. In response, the Office of Personnel Management issued guidance that said agencies no longer needed to collectively bargain with federal unions and may begin widespread job cuts. The American Federation of Government Employees condemned the move and vowed to take legal action. “President Trump’s latest executive order is a disgraceful and retaliatory attack on the rights of hundreds of thousands of patriotic American civil servants — nearly one-third of whom are veterans — simply because they are members of a union that stands up to his harmful policies,” AFGE National President Everett Kelley said. Earlier this month, the Department of Homeland Security also moved to end collective bargaining for tens of thousands of TSA workers at airports.
HAPPENING LATER
Vances’ Greenland trip grows more contentious
Second lady Usha Vance’s trip to Greenland today originally featured plans to visit cultural sites and attend one of the world’s major dog sled races. But when Greenlanders learned she was coming, they prepared to protest against President Trump’s comments about annexing the island by turning their backs on her motorcade. As outrage over her trip intensified, Vice President JD Vance made the 11th-hour decision to join her — only now they will visit the US Space Force outpost at Pituffik, where he is expected to criticize the Danish government.
BREAKFAST BROWSE
Parole denied for Selena’s killer
Yolanda Saldivar was convicted of killing the 23-year-old Tejano music legend in 1995 and sentenced to life in prison. Her case will be eligible for review again in 2030.
Get well soon, Your Majesty
King Charles III was hospitalized on Thursday after experiencing side effects from his cancer treatment. The 76-year-old British monarch apologized for having to cancel several events this week due to his health.
Feeling a bit distracted lately?
While a smartphone may constantly tempt you to email, chat, game, shop, doom-scroll, listen to podcasts and watch videos, there may be other factors to blame.
It’s a girl!
Actress Megan Fox and Bad Things singer Machine Gun Kelly announced the birth of their “little celestial seed” on Instagram Thursday. Although the couple both have children from previous relationships, this is their first child together.
Monsters aren’t real, kid. Let me show you …
A babysitter in Kansas was trying to reassure the child in her care that there was no monster under the bed. So, she bent down to look — and came face-to-face with an intruder.
QUIZ TIME
Actor Pedro Pascal said he felt “violated” when paparazzi photos revealed which secret about him?
A. His high school nickname
B. His highly-caffeinated coffee order
C. His habit of dipping French fries into milkshakes
D. His inability to throw a frisbee
TODAY’S NUMBER
26%
That’s how much China’s glacier area has shrunk since 1960 due to rapid global warming, with 7,000 small glaciers disappearing completely.
TODAY’S QUOTE
“I expected better from you. I really did.”
— MAGA voter Jennifer Piggott’s message to President Trump after DOGE eliminated her government job.
TODAY’S WEATHER
Check your local forecast here>>>
AND FINALLY …
“Things are always happening to me.”
Two Royal Air Force engineers were sentenced this week after vandalizing and stealing a statue of Paddington Bear.
The-CNN-Wire
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