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Here's the biggest news you missed this weekend

Editors  |  Paste BN

150 still missing, 9 confirmed dead in Surfside condo collapse

A team of Israeli search-and-rescue specialists has joined efforts to find survivors and recover bodies from the Surfside, Florida, condo collapse, where authorities say more than 150 people remain missing and nine are confirmed dead. Families are growing increasingly anguished at the slow pace of recovery, and authorities have been DNA-testing relatives to help make IDs. Since a wing of the residential building collapsed Thursday, fires and flooding have hampered search-and-rescue efforts. Rescue teams from across Florida, and from Mexico, have also joined the effort. 

More: An October 2018 inspection report found "abundant" cracking and spalling of the columns, beams and walls in the garage under the tower that collapsed, documents released late Friday show. Engineers noted design flaws and failing waterproofing that would lead to "exponential damage" about 990 days before much of the Champlain Towers South condominium complex collapsed.

US military airstrikes target militias backed by Iran in Syria, Iraq

The U.S. military launched airstrikes against Iranian-backed militias in Syria in retaliation for drone attacks, the Pentagon announced Sunday evening. The strikes targeted sites that been used to launch drone attacks on U.S. personnel and facilities in Iraq, Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said in a statement. "Specifically, the U.S. strikes targeted operational and weapons storage facilities at two locations in Syria and one location in Iraq, both of which lie close to the border between those countries," Kirby said. President Joe Biden ordered a similar retaliatory strike in February. That was the first attack ordered by Biden and came in response to rocket attacks on a base in northern Iraq that killed a contractor and wounded U.S. and allied troops.

Biden walks back veto threat of fragile infrastructure deal

President Joe Biden on Saturday walked back a threat to veto his bipartisan infrastructure deal amid intense pushback from Republicans. Biden said he "understandably upset some Republicans" when he said he would only sign the $1.2 trillion infrastructure deal into law if Congress also passes a multitrillion-dollar package focused on "human infrastructure" outlined in his American Families Plan. To appease Republican senators, Biden's bipartisan infrastructure deal includes only spending on physical infrastructure such as roads, bridges, rail, broadband internet, water and sewer pipes, and electric vehicles. "The bottom line is this: I gave my word to support the infrastructure plan, and that’s what I intend to do," Biden said.

US gymnastics trials: Women's Olympic team selected Sunday

The Tokyo Olympics are less than a month away, and the USA locked in its team for one of the most popular sports on Sunday night. Simone Biles and the rest of the women's gymnastics field closed out the U.S. Olympic team trials in St. Louis with their second day of competition. Five first-time Olympians will be heading to Tokyo as part of the 2021 U.S. women's Olympic gymnastics team. Simone Biles will lead Sunisa Lee, Jordan Chiles and Grace McCallum in the team competition at the games. Jade Carey and MyKayla Skinner will join as individual competitors. Four alternates will also travel to Japan. The men's team was announced Saturday: Brody Malone, Yul Moldauer, Shane Wiskus, Sam Mikulak and Alec Yoder will represent the U.S. in Tokyo. 

Real Quick

Chauvin sentenced to 22 1/2 years for the murder of George Floyd

Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was sentenced Friday to 270 months, or 22 1/2 years, in prison for the murder of George Floyd last year. Chauvin, 45, is expected to serve about 15 years behind bars. While his sentencing may provide some closure, it's not the end of the legal battle: An appeal in the case is a virtual certainty. The three other fired officers involved in his death won't stand trial until March. All four men have also been indicted on federal charges of violating Floyd's civil rights. Floyd family members, attorneys and activists said they were not satisfied with the sentence but hoped an ongoing federal indictment would put Chauvin away for life. Many called on lawmakers to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act.

Coronavirus circulated before Wuhan seafood market: Report

The virus that causes COVID-19 did not originate at a Wuhan seafood market, confirmed a new study of deleted gene sequences from the virus' earliest days. The sequences had been posted to a website run by the National Institutes of Health, but were removed for unknown reasons. The new report, which has not yet been peer reviewed, does not suggest an answer to the question of whether the SARS-CoV-2 virus jumped directly from animals to people or was accidentally leaked from a research lab. "These sequences are informative for understanding early SARS-CoV-2 spread in Wuhan," said Jesse Bloom, the article's author. "They're not transformative, but they fill in some really important gaps."

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This is a compilation of stories from across the Paste BN Network. Contributing: Associated Press.

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