🎧News Brief: Deadly Earthquake Rocks Southeast Asia; Trump Admin Asks Supreme Court to Let It Deport Venezuelan Immigrants

Dozens of people lose their lives after a devastating earthquake levels parts of Southeast Asia...

Rescuers work at the site of a high-rise building under construction that collapsed after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Bangkok, Thailand, on March 28, 2025. Sakchai Lalit/AP Photo

Good morning, and welcome to The Epoch Times News Brief for Saturday, March 29, 2025. I’m Bill Thomas, we have some urgent stories to share with you right now, and here’s what’s happening both nationally and around the world.

Dozens of people lose their lives after a devastating earthquake levels parts of Southeast Asia; the federal government appeals to the Supreme Court after using a wartime law to deport a large number of illegal immigrant gang members; and President Donald Trump signs a significant new order to crack down on the crime and homeless encampments which plague our nation’s capital.

Also, arson and vandalism grow as protesters increasingly target Tesla dealerships nationwide, and a White House adviser reveals how one particular agency’s cost-cutting measures could put additional money into the hands of millions of Social Security retirees.

We have a number of pressing stories to share with you today, and we begin in both Burma and Thailand with a devastating earthquake. The death toll caused by the natural disaster is climbing, hundreds are injured, and more now on our top story.

Deadly Earthquake Rocks Southeast Asia

A powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake has just killed at least 154 people and injured more than 700 others in the country of Burma, which is also known as Myanmar, and officials there say that those numbers are expected to rise dramatically.

The quake also led to the collapse of a high-rise building which was under construction in Bangkok, Thailand, which is roughly 800 miles to the southeast. Officials there say that at least 10 people have died as a result of the quake, with at least 100 others still missing.

The U.S. Geological Survey reports that the initial shaker, which struck at midday Friday, was soon followed by a 6.4 aftershock. They also say the epicenter of the earthquake was just over 6 miles below ground and was located close to Burma’s second largest city, Mandalay.

Photographs and video posted on social media showed widespread damage in Mandalay, including the destruction of one of the city’s largest monasteries and a collapsed 90-year-old bridge. One rescue official says it may be weeks before the full extent of the damage is known.

Burma is one of the world’s poorest countries and has been involved in a civil war since 2021. Meanwhile, Burma’s military government has declared a state of emergency in a number of regions. They say that humanitarian aid will be provided to the victims, that blood is in high demand, and that rescue operations are currently underway.

The earthquake also caused a great deal of panic in Bangkok, which is home to nearly 17 million people, many of whom live in high-rise apartments. Officials in Thailand say the tremor was felt in almost every region of the country, and Chinese media says that the seismic activity was felt in parts of China as well.

This is a developing story which we’ll all be watching closely in the coming days.

Another item we’re watching very closely this weekend involves the Trump administration asking our nation’s high court to allow them to continue using an 18th-century law to deport certain South American illegal immigrants, and more now on this developing story.

Trump Admin Asks Supreme Court to Let It Deport Venezuelan Illegal Immigrants Under Wartime Law

The administration’s lawyers are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene in a case involving President Donald Trump’s declaration of an invasion by a terrorist gang. They want the justices to put a hold on prior lower court orders and enable officials to resume deportations of illegal immigrants under a law called the Alien Enemies Act.

Earlier this week, an appeals court upheld a lower court order that prevents the administration from deporting members of the Tren de Aragua gang under Trump’s use of that act. The court says that officials must have another legitimate reason to deport the gang members, such as a removal order issued by an administrative judge.

The government’s lawyers say that the court order is forcing our nation to “harbor individuals whom national-security officials have identified as members of a foreign terrorist organization” and who are determined to harm Americans.

You may recall that the president recently directed officials to apprehend and deport members of the violent gang, saying that they’ve been involved in an ongoing invasion of the United States. Earlier this month, two airplanes carrying alleged gang members left for El Salvador before a federal judge ordered them to be returned.

That judge has just extended his temporary restraining order, which was set to expire today, until April 12. Lawyers for the detained Venezuelans are asking him to keep that order in place, arguing that Trump’s use of the act improperly overrides legal protections for noncitizens who are seeking humanitarian relief.

We’ll stick with the White House now and in an effort to clean up our nation’s capital, President Donald Trump comes up with a game plan, and D.C. is ready for a makeover. More now on what we’ve learned.

Trump Signs Order Cracking Down on Crime, Homeless Encampments in DC

The president has just signed an executive order to create a task force that will crack down on crime, implement a federal role in maintaining order and safety, and ensure that so-called “quality-of-life laws” are enforced in Washington, D.C.

The new unit will be composed of representatives from a number of different agencies. They include the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, the Department of the Interior, and the Department of Transportation. When necessary, the team will also be able to request help from local law enforcement.

According to the president’s executive order, our nation’s capital must be a place where “residents, commuters, and tourists feel safe at all hours, including on public transit.”

It goes on to say that the city’s highways, boulevards, and parks should be “clean, well-kept, and pleasant,” and that its “monuments, museums, and buildings should reflect and inspire awe and appreciation for our nation’s strength, greatness, and heritage.”

Washington’s crime and homelessness rates have been at high levels for decades, and last year on the campaign trail, the president pledged to combat the problem if he returned to the White House. At the time, he promised to take action to make D.C. the most beautiful capital anywhere in the world.

Earlier this month, he began by calling for the city’s mayor to clear out a number of “unsightly” homeless encampments, particularly the ones located near the White House and the State Department.

Another story making headlines right now concerns a nationwide arson and vandalism spree against Tesla dealerships and vehicles, highlighting political opposition to the company’s CEO, and more now on a story with international implications.

Violence Targeting Tesla Escalates in US, Canada

In both the United States and Canada, militant opponents of our federal government’s program cuts and workforce downsizing continue to target showrooms, dealerships, cars, and Cybertrucks associated with the electric vehicle company Tesla.

The FBI says that so far, confirmed incidents targeting Tesla vehicles have occurred in at least nine states, involving arson, gunfire, vandalism, and graffiti. They include one individual setting fire to a number of Tesla vehicles at a repair center in Las Vegas and in a separate incident, a suspect armed with an assault rifle tossing incendiary devices at a Tesla showroom in Oregon.

The U.S. attorney general now refers to these acts as “domestic terrorism,” and she says that the “era of committing crimes without consequence has ended.” She says that if they’re convicted, suspects could face up to 20 years in prison.

Meanwhile, a group called TeslaTakedown has sponsored a number of previous Tesla protests, and they’re asking people to join them today in what they’re calling a “Global Day of Action.”

The self-described grassroots group is urging its followers to dump their Tesla stock and “join the picket lines.” They say that the company’s CEO, Elon Musk, is “destroying our democracy,” that he’s using the fortune he built at Tesla to do it, and that they’re “taking action” at Tesla showrooms everywhere to stop his “illegal coup.”

Additionally, a large number of socially progressive customers are increasingly leaving the Tesla brand, triggering a significant drop in sales and stock market value globally.

For his part, Musk says that the “level of violence” against Tesla is “insane and deeply wrong.” He says that the company “just makes electric cars and has done nothing to deserve these evil attacks.” Meanwhile, so far, the Department of Government Efficiency he leads, also known as DOGE, says it has already saved U.S. taxpayers an estimated $130 billion.

Finally today, we stay with DOGE and more now on how some unexpected benefits from the agency’s cost-cutting efforts could actually wind up in the hands of America’s senior citizens, and more now on this very surprising development.

Musk Says Social Security Recipients to Receive More Money Under DOGE’s Cost-Cutting Work

Elon Musk says that a number of “legitimate recipients” of Social Security will likely receive “more money, not less,” as a result of the successful work of DOGE.

Musk, who serves as a special adviser to President Donald Trump, says that the work DOGE is doing will “help their benefits” and that eventually, his comments will prove to be true.

He went on to point out that as a special federal employee, he can only work on government business for 130 days each year; however, he believes DOGE will have successfully accomplished much of the work required to reduce our nation’s deficit by $1 trillion within that time frame.

Musk says that the agency’s goal is to reduce waste and fraud by $4 billion a day—“every day, seven days a week”—and that so far, they are succeeding, even though he’d prefer to move faster. He also says that despite doubters, his team feels confident they can trim 15 percent from our nation’s spending without affecting any critical government services.

Additionally, he calls DOGE’s efforts “the biggest revolution in government since the original revolution.” He went on to say that at the end of the day, our nation will be in “much better shape” because we’ll be “solvent.”

Meanwhile, DOGE continues to face a number of lawsuits that seek to impede the agency’s operations.

And now, it looks like our time is just about up, so we’re gonna call it a wrap for this, the final edition of The Epoch Times News Brief, and we hope you’ve enjoyed tuning in to this program as much as we’ve enjoyed presenting it to you each day for just over one year now.

Before we go and as we have done each day on this program, we wrap everything up with a very notable quote, and this one comes to us from Ernie Harwell, who said:

“It’s time to say goodbye, but I think goodbyes are sad and I'd much rather say hello. Hello to a new adventure.”

Harwell was an American sportscaster, known for his long career calling play-by-play of Major League Baseball games.

Coincidentally, it’s baseball season, so don’t forget to keep your eyes on the game.

For all of us here at The Epoch Times News Brief, I’m Bill Thomas.

The Epoch Times News Brief program has been expertly written each day by David Ross.

Thank you for having made us your one-stop source for a concise, accurate, and unbiased daily synopsis of many of the news stories you need to know about.

Enjoy the remainder of your day and just a reminder; it remains imperative, now more than ever, that we all continue to watch out for one another and have an absolutely superb day today. Bye for now.