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Hard Numbers: Baltimore Bridge collapse, Trump’s bond reduced and trial set, Ireland’s new Prime minister, Iran’s currency plummets, Ecuador mayor assassinated
A view of the Francis Scott Key Bridge after it collapsed, in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S., in this picture released on March 26, 2024.
20: The Francis Scott Key Bridge, a major interstate highway bridge in Baltimore, Maryland collapsed after being struck by a Singapore-flagged cargo ship early Tuesday morning. The ship hit one of the central pylons around 1:30 AM, causing the bridge to collapse in about 20 seconds. Search and rescue crews are currently in the Patapsco River looking for at least 20 people.
175 million: A New York appeals court threw former President Donald Trump a major financial bone on Monday, reducing the amount he must post as bond in his civil fraud case from roughly half a billion dollars to $175 million. This means the state will not be seizing Trump's assets — for now, at least, as the ex-president appeals. But Trump also got some bad news in a separate case on Monday. A judge rejected Trump's push for his Stormy Daniels hush money trial to be delayed. The trial is set to begin on April 15. It will make Trump, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee, the first ever former US president to face a criminal trial.
37: Simon Harris is set to become Ireland's youngest-ever prime minister after being elected unopposed as the leader of the Fine Gael party, succeeding Leo Varadkar, who stepped down unexpectedly last week. Harris, 37, is expected to be formally elected in April.
613,500: Iran's currency, the rial, plummeted to a historic low of 613,500 to the dollar amid the Persian New Year celebrations. The drop is the result of ongoing economic decline from sanctions and political unrest, which was exacerbated by the closure of most exchange shops due to the holidays — leading to a high demand for dollars and Euros with few shops open.
27: Brigitte García, Ecuador's youngest mayor at 27, and her press officer were found shot dead in San Vicente — where she was elected last year. García, a nurse and member of the Citizens' Revolution party, governed a region troubled by drug-related violence. No arrests have been made and the motive remains unclear. But her death adds to a growing list of political killings in Ecuador, including the assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio last year.