Firefighters, authorities continue search for survivors after Miami condo collapse
Rescue crews continue searching for survivors of theĀ collapse of a 12-story beachfront condominium in Surfside, Florida, near Miami. Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett confirmed at least one person died. Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said officials were able to account for 102 people thus far, but 99 were still unaccounted for.Ā It’s unclear whether those 99 people were in the building during the collapse.Ā In the aftermath of the building’s collapse, ten people were treated at the scene and two were brought to the hospital, one of whom died, Burkett said.Ā Ā Gov. Ron DeSantis visited the site and said engineers already had begun investigating the cause of the collapse. But he added that “we won’t have the answers immediately.”Ā The building was determined to be unstable a year ago, according to a researcher at Florida International University.Ā The structure, which was constructed in 1981 on reclaimed wetlands, has been sinking at an alarming rate since the 1990s, according to a 2020 study.Ā
- Collapsed Miami condo had been sinking into Earthas early as the 1990s, researchers say
Derek Chauvin to be sentenced Friday forĀ George Floyd’s murder
Derek Chauvin,Ā the ex-officer who murderedĀ George Floyd,Ā will face a Minnesota judgeĀ Friday and receive a sentence of up to 30 years in prison. ChauvinĀ has been in a maximum-security prison cellĀ since a jury found him guiltyĀ of second- and third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter on April 20.Ā Though heās a first-time offender, Hennepin County DistrictĀ Judge Peter CahillĀ found that Chauvin should face a higher sentence because his crimes involved abusingĀ his position andĀ killing Floyd in the presence of children,Ā amongĀ otherĀ aggravating factors.Ā Chauvin’sĀ defense attorneyĀ Eric Nelson has asked for probation or far less prison time.Ā Whatever the sentence, per Minnesota law, Chauvin will serveĀ two-thirds of it behind bars and the remainder under a type of supervised release that’s similar to parole.Ā
- Derek Chauvin faces up to 30 years in prisonĀ for murder of George Floyd
George Floyd's family looks back on the year since he was murdered by former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.
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Harris, tasked with stemming migrant flow, toĀ visit US-Mexico border
Vice President Kamala Harris will visitĀ the U.S.-Mexico border Friday, following months of pressure from Congress to visit the region. Harris, who was tasked with addressing the root causes of migration from Central America, will visit El Paso, Texas, alongside Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.Ā Harris has been criticized over the past several months by Republicans and some Democrats for not visiting theĀ border. The vice presidentĀ has said that she was tasked with dealing with the root causes of migration, rather than the situation at the border.Ā The visit comes days before former PresidentĀ Donald TrumpĀ also heads to the U.S.-Mexico border on June 30.Ā
- Biden administrationto give asylum-seekers, whose claims were denied or dismissed under a Trump administration policy,Ā another chance to apply
Vice President Kamala Harris' visit will come days before former President Donald Trump heads to the U.S.-Mexico border with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.
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Biden to meet with Afghan leaders amid Taliban resurgence
President Joe Biden will meet with Afghan leaders at the White House on Friday amid an ongoing U.S. military withdrawal as Afghanistan’s future remains in limbo.Ā The president’s meetingĀ with Afghan PresidentĀ Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah, head ofĀ the countryās High Council for National Reconciliation,Ā comes asĀ U.S.-backed peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban have stalled.Ā Meanwhile, the militant Islamic group hasĀ gained new territory at an alarming rate in recent weeks.Ā In announcing Friday’s meeting, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the Biden administration remains committed to working with the Afghan government “toĀ ensure the country never again becomes a safe haven for terrorist groupsĀ who pose a threat to the U.S. homeland.”Ā
- Biden administration will relocatethousands of Afghan interpretersĀ who worked with US military
Report on UFOs could be released by US government
A highlyanticipated report on UFOs could be released by top intelligence and military officialsĀ as early as Friday. The report, which was commissioned in the DecemberĀ COVID-19 relief package, is expected to add more details to sightings of objects in American skies with no explanation.Ā The report was originally scheduled to be released on June 1, but the law directing intelligence agencies and the Pentagon to create the study was technically not binding and thus allows the agencies flexibility in submitting the findings. While the release of the report reflects a growing consensus within government agencies, Capitol Hill and the public that UFOs are an area of serious public concern, it is unclear how much of the report will be made available due to national security concerns. Explanations of sightings of aerial phenomena most often include potential weather incidents, routine natural events or otherwise identifiable cases, like weather balloons or misfires in sensor systems and cameras.Ā
- Why are we so obsessed with UFOs?Hereās how aliens invaded (and conquered) pop culture
- Aliens watching us? Thousands of star systems can see Earth, new report says
The director of national intelligence and secretary of defense were tasked with creating the UFO report for Congress, expected in June.
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