US Domestic News Roundup: Americans' July Fourth festivities sparkle after last year's pandemic cancellations; Letter from Surfside: Tourists and locals united in mourning

Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava told reporters earlier on Sunday that rescue efforts would resume after the demolition, noting it was 11 days since the collapse. Celebrating nation's birth, Biden urges Americans to help end COVID-19 pandemic U.S. President Joe Biden celebrated the nation's 245th birthday on Sunday by opening the gates of the White House and calling on Americans to do their part to end the COVID-19 pandemic once and for all.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Americans' July Fourth festivities sparkle after last year's pandemic cancellations

Americans marked their nation's 245th birthday on Sunday with fireworks that may look brighter, hot dogs that may taste juicier and marching bands that may sound jauntier after the coronavirus pandemic forced the cancellation of nearly all celebrations last year. As always, fireworks displays are the highlight of the July Fourth holiday. Two of the biggest pyrotechnic shows in the country will blast off over the National Mall in Washington, and over a mile stretch of New York City's East River, separating Manhattan from the boroughs of Queens and Brooklyn.

Letter from Surfside: Tourists and locals united in mourning

Community solidarity will replace fireworks and flag-waving celebrations for the Fourth of July in a beachside Florida community where 124 people are missing and 24 confirmed dead after a condo tower collapsed. Miami Beach canceled its Independence Day celebrations scheduled for Sunday out of respect for victims of the June 24 collapse in Surfside. The city's annual Fire on the Fourth festival had been set to take place July Fourth at 72nd Street and Collins Avenue, about a mile south of where Champlain South Towers partially collapsed.

At Florida rally, Trump bashes New York charges against company, adviser

Former U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday condemned New York prosecutors for bringing charges against his namesake company and longtime financial adviser, using a campaign-style rally to air a host of grievances. "It's really called prosecutorial misconduct. It's a terrible, terrible thing," Trump told thousands of supporters gathered outdoors in Sarasota, Florida.

White House reaching out with assistance to latest ransomware victims

The White House said on Sunday it was reaching out to victims of a wide-ranging ransomware outbreak that is centered on a Florida-based information technology company and has had an impact on hundreds of businesses worldwide. Miami-based Kaseya has said that fewer than 60 of its customers had been "directly affected" by the attack.

Tropical storm Elsa likely to pass near Florida Keys on Tuesday: NHC

Tropical storm Elsa is expected to move across central and western Cuba later on Monday and pass near the Florida Keys early on Tuesday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said in its latest advisory. The system was located about 110 miles (180 km) east south-east of Cayo Largo, Cuba, with maximum sustained winds of 65 miles per hour (100 km/h), the Miami-based weather forecaster said on Monday.

Pro-Trump social media app hacked on launch day as half million sign up

A social media site launched on Sunday by Jason Miller, a senior adviser to former U.S. President Donald Trump, was briefly hacked, and more than 500,000 people have registered to use the site, Miller said. GETTR, a Twitter-style platform with posts and trending topics, has advertised itself on the Google and Apple app stores as "a non-bias social network for people all over the world."

Eleven arrested in armed militia group stand off with police near Boston

Eleven heavily armed, self-professed militia members were arrested near Boston Saturday, ending an overnight stand off that shut down a major U.S. Interstate at the start of the Independence holiday. The group, identified by multiple media outlets including WBZ Boston, a CBS affiliate, are members of the "Rise of the Moors", a group that does not recognize American laws, but professes to be peaceful.

Biden on Richardson's sprinting suspension: 'the rules are the rules'

U.S. President Joe Biden weighed in on the suspension of sprinter Sha'Carri Richardson over marijuana use, saying Saturday "the rules are the rules." The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) confirmed Richardson's suspension on Friday after the sprinter known for brightly-colored hair and record-breaking speed tested positive for cannabis during her 100 meter U.S. trials in June.

Collapsed Florida condo demolished ahead of storm, search to resume

The partially collapsed Miami-area condo where 24 people are confirmed dead was demolished on Sunday night, ahead of the possible arrival of Tropical Storm Elsa. Search-and-rescue efforts for 121 people missing have been suspended. Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava told reporters earlier on Sunday that rescue efforts would resume after the demolition, noting it was 11 days since the collapse.

Celebrating nation's birth, Biden urges Americans to help end COVID-19 pandemic

U.S. President Joe Biden celebrated the nation's 245th birthday on Sunday by opening the gates of the White House and calling on Americans to do their part to end the COVID-19 pandemic once and for all. "This year, the Fourth of July is a day of special celebration for we are emerging from the darkness of ... a year of pandemic and isolation, a year of pain, fear and heartbreaking loss," Biden told a White House party opened to around 1,000 people, including military families and workers involved in the COVID-19 response.