Reuters US Domestic News Summary

Another 117 people remained missing 11 days after the 12-story residential building collapsed in Surfside, Florida, prompting a search-and-rescue effort that has continued almost around the clock since then. 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.

Tropical storm Elsa makes landfall in Cuba, on track to Florida

Tropical storm Elsa made landfall near Cuba's Bay of Pigs on its south-central coast on Monday and started plowing through the island nation, on track to Florida after causing at least three deaths elsewhere in the Caribbean. Cuba's Meteorology Institute said Elsa, which had previously wreaked havoc in parts of Barbados, St. Lucia, Haiti, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic, was moving northwest at 22 km (14 miles) per hour, and that sustained winds were peaking near 95 mph (59 mph)

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.

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."

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.

Death toll in Florida building collapse rises to 28, with 117 still missing

The death toll from a collapsed Miami-area condominium rose to 28 on Monday with the discovery of an additional body, officials said, after the Sunday night demolition of the remainder of the building enabled rescuers to expand their search. Another 117 people remained missing 11 days after the 12-story residential building collapsed in Surfside, Florida, prompting a search-and-rescue effort that has continued almost around the clock since then.

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.

NTSB searches for Boeing plane off Hawaii in probe of emergency landing

The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board said it would scan the ocean floor on Monday to locate a Boeing 737-200 cargo plane that sank off Hawaii last week after the two-member crew made an emergency water landing. Investigators plan to use sonar technology to search for the decades-old plane and recover cockpit voice and flight data recorders, the NTSB said in a statement.