Biden orders drone strikes

Hope is running out for the families of the Surfside building collapse victims.

More than 150 people remain unaccounted for in the Surfside building collapse; US airstrikes in Syria and Iraq are frustrating Democrats in Congress.   Tonight's Sentences was written by Gabby Birenbaum. TOP NEWS Hope is fading for families of the missing collapse victims     Joe Raedle/Getty Images The collapse of a high-rise condo building in Surfside, Florida, last Thursday has left at least nine dead and 152 missing. The lack of any live rescues over the weekend has worsened the odds of survival for any of the missing. [Intelligencer] The building's collapse left 55 of the complex's 136 units destroyed, and more than 80 rescuers at any given time are clearing debris and creating tunnels and trenches underneath the wreckage. [ABC News / Morgan Winsor]  Rescuers are now on their fifth day of the operation, and hope is fading as they begin to find human remains and have stopped hearing any noises that could indicate the presence of survivors. [NYT] The condo towers' residents mirror the makeup of Surfside and neighboring Miami, with a mix of Colombians, Venezuelans, Uruguayans, Paraguayans, and Orthodox Jews. The local synagogue and Catholic Church are holding vigils for their missing worshippers. [CNN / Faith Karimi] Victims' families were allowed to visit the site on Sunday, yelling out the names of their unaccounted-for loved ones and wearing T-shirts with their pictures. They are staying in Miami's Grand Beach Hotel, where they have met with politicians and shared their grief with one another. [Miami Herald / Monique O. Madan, Samantha J. Gross, Alex Harris, and Joey Flechas] Though the exact cause of the collapse is unknown, in 2018, a town inspector told residents that the building was in "very good shape" and that they were in no danger despite an engineer's report that discovered serious structural problems that required immediate attention. [NPR / Matthew S. Schwartz] The US conducts airstrikes in Iraq and Syria The US military launched airstrikes on three targets on Sunday — two in Syria and one in Iraq — against what they say were Iran-backed militia facilities in the area. [AP] An Iraqi militia alliance said the drone strike killed four of their members and threatened to retaliate, an escalation of the conflict after the US reported five drone attacks against its regional facilities and personnel since April. [BBC] The attacks targeted weapons facilities used to control drones that the Iran-backed militias have used against the US, the Defense Department's press secretary said. [USA Today / Tom Vanden Brook] The airstrikes were ordered by President Joe Biden, and were commended in a press release from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, though she issued a bit of a warning as well by saying Congress was looking forward to "receiving and reviewing the formal notification of this operation under the War Powers Act." [CNN / Barbara Starr] Military officials categorized the strike as defensive, but some Democrats in Congress, who just led a repeal of the congressional authorization for the Iraq War, called on the administration to brief Congress. [NYT / Eric Schmitt] MISCELLANEOUS Derek Chauvin was sentenced to 22.5 years in prison for the murder of George Floyd. [Vox / Fabiola Cineas] The Supreme Court declined to hear a case regarding the rights of transgender students to use the bathroom that aligns with their gender identity, a victory for the student in the case, who won his appeal. [Washington Post / Robert Barnes] Cities around the world held Pride parades and marches this weekend after taking last year off for the coronavirus. [Guardian / Arnel Hecimovic] Serena Williams said she will not compete in the Tokyo Olympics this year. [AP / Howard Fendrich] Support our journalism Reader contributions help keep Vox and newsletters like Sentences free for all. Support our work from as little as $3. Contribute VERBATIM "I can tell you that hope is somewhat diminishing, as you can imagine. There's a lot of frustration. I'd say it's turning into a little bit of anger, because they haven't found people yet." [Rabbi Sholom D. Lipskar on the mood in his synagogue, some of whose members are still missing in the Surfside collapse] LISTEN TO THIS     Wrinkles have been the bane of aging women's skin since forever. A fear of growing older and physical signs of aging is at the core of a $200 billion anti-aging skin care industry, but there's hope that this may start to change. Vox senior correspondent Anna North explains what's behind a growing movement to love the skin we're in, no matter what age. [Spotify / Anna North] Read more from Vox Why does it cost so much to build things in America?   Air travel will suck this summer. Blame the airlines' shortsighted layoffs.   What the American dream looks like for immigrants   Is the teen girl the most powerful force in pop culture?   Why some biologists and ecologists think social media is a risk to humanity     This email was sent to edwardlorilla1986.paxforex@blogger.com. Manage your email preferences, or unsubscribe to stop receiving all emails from Vox. If you value Vox's unique explanatory journalism, support our work with a one-time or recurring contribution.   View our Privacy Notice and our Terms of Service.   Vox Media, 1201 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20036. Copyright © 2021. All rights reserved.