New details about disrepair, concrete damage at Miami condo: 5 Things podcast

On today's episode of the 5 Things podcast: A nine-page report obtained from a family member of a missing Miami condo resident outlines five areas an engineering team had recommended for repair. Plus, Life and Entertainment fellow Jenna Ryu tells us how Bill Cosby's release is demoralizing for sexual abuse survivors, Tropical Storm Elsa is on the move, federal executions have been stopped and job growth continues to fluctuate.

Hit play on the player above to hear the podcast and follow along with the transcript below. This transcript was automatically generated, and then edited for clarity in its current form. There may be some differences between the audio and the text.

Taylor Wilson:

Good morning. I'm Taylor Wilson, and this is 5 Things you need to know Friday, the 2nd of July 2021. Today, a new development on the conditions at the Miami condo building before it collapsed, plus how news of Bill Cosby's release from prison can be triggering for survivors, and more.

Here are some of the top headlines:

1. The Boy Scouts of America more than doubled its initial compensation offer to scouts who were sexually abused. The new total is $850 million and comes more than a year after the non-profit group filed for bankruptcy facing nearly 300 abuse lawsuits.

2. India has hit 400,000 deaths from coronavirus. Half of them came in the past two months alone as the Delta variant of COVID-19 infected hundreds of thousands of people a day.

3. And long-time college football coach Mark Richt has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. Richt is best known for his 15 seasons as head coach at the University of Georgia.

Taylor Wilson:

Rescue efforts have resumed at the site of the collapsed condo building in South Florida. They were suspended earlier Thursday due to concerns about the stability of the remaining part of the building. Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava.

Daniella Levine Cava:

We were forced to halt operations on the collapse in the early hours of the morning due to structural concerns about the standing structure. The only reason for this pause is concerns about the standing structure. We've already informed the families this morning, who were waiting and waiting about this development, and we have worked to answer all the questions that they have about the operation.

Taylor Wilson:

Work stopped around 2:00 AM Thursday morning and resumed a little before 5:00 in the afternoon. Onsite engineers spotted one column that had shifted six to 12 inches and three cracks that were expanding. Plans are also underway for the likely demolition of the remaining part of the building. FEMA Search and Rescue structure specialist Scott Nacheman said his team and local officials are looking at different ways to demolish the structure, but that it will likely take several weeks to create a demolition timeline. Six bodies were found in the rubble on Wednesday before the rescue halt, including two children aged four and 10. The death toll is now at 18, though there are 145 people missing. It's been eight days since the collapse and no survivor has been found in the rubble since the first 24 hours. Meanwhile, documents obtained exclusively by USA TODAY are revealing new clues about Champlain Towers South's dramatic state of disrepair, which may have been one of the causes of the collapse.

Taylor Wilson:

The nine-page report obtained from a family member of a missing resident in the building suggests that information was reported incrementally instead of comprehensively to building owners, making it harder to recognize the severity of the problems. The 2018 report outlined five areas an engineering team had recommended for repair. They included issues with the wall and edge of the swimming pool, a deteriorated stair column, core areas of the building structural concrete slab, holes cut to investigate problems over the garage, and demolition of deteriorated concrete in balcony areas. But of those only two actual repairs were done. In a report late last year, the engineering team reported potentially deep deterioration of concrete near the pool area, but said that full restoration and repair work could not be performed because the pool was supposed to remain in service for the duration of their work and because necessary concrete excavation could affect the stability of other concrete constructions. A commercial pool contractor who inspected the pool area on June 22nd, less than two days before the collapse, noted cracking concrete and severely corroded rebar under the pool, along with standing water in the pool equipment room. Experts though caution that it's unlikely these reports' findings reveal the root cause of the collapse, which is still unknown.

Taylor Wilson:

As we mentioned this week, Bill Cosby, the former comedian and actor, has been released from prison. He was serving time for drugging and raping Andrea Constand in 2004, but Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturned that conviction and Cosby walked free on Wednesday. That news can be extremely triggering for survivors of sexual abuse, as Life and Entertainment fellow Jenna Ryu explains.

Jenna Ryu:

So the experts that Sarah and I spoke with were saying how the fact that this high profile case was overturned on a technicality can be really demoralizing for survivors of sexual assault or sexual violence. It already takes so much for survivors to come forward and go through the criminal justice system. So when they see a case like this, where Bill Cosby was already deemed guilty at some point and it's overturned on a technicality, it can even bring back triggers of their own sexual assault or sexual harassment experiences and kind of bring back that trauma. It takes a lot already to come forward. It's very difficult mentally. There's a lot on the line that you're sacrificing, whether it's your reputation, your wellbeing, et cetera. So seeing a case like this become overturn and seeing Bill Cosby being released without serving the full sentence that he was supposed to can kind of discourage people from speaking out about their own experience, getting help, coming forward with their own story.

Jenna Ryu:

It's going to be different for everyone, but for some people it might be best to limit your news consumption. So just turn off your phone, mute your notifications, stay away from social media as needed. It's also okay to ask your loved ones like, "Hey, I'd really appreciate it if you didn't mention the news to me. I already know it's a lot, but I'd rather not talk about it." But for other people, it can help to talk about it with their family and friends. So just stay grounded in the support that you already have. Some physical things you can do in the moment, yoga, breathing exercises, gardening, any hobbies that can distract you temporarily, as well as eating well, making sure you get enough sleep just because taking care of yourself is so important, especially during these times where it can be really triggering to hear this news.

Taylor Wilson:

For more, head to the Life section on usatoday.com. If you're a survivor of sexual assault, there's support out there. You can call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800.656.HOPE or online at rainn.org.

Taylor Wilson:

Tropical storm Elsa is on the move. It's moving west into the Caribbean and could turn into the first hurricane of 2021. It'll slam parts of the Caribbean Friday with heavy rain and wind, and Elsa may target the United States early next week. AccuWeather's Bernie Rayno has more.

Bernie Rayno:

We're going to start getting a turn more toward the north as we get in the Sunday and Monday, so that it appears as though Elsa is going to be a Caribbean system. It should move south of Puerto Rico and Hispaniola as we move toward the weekend. And then the possibility of a turn to the north. Now, the closer the system gets to Hispaniola... You have to remember, Hispaniola is a very rugged island, very rugged island. So the closer it gets to Hispaniola, Hispaniola could really weaken it. So that's going to be a tricky call. I don't see a lot of winds here in the Caribbean, and I don't see a lot of dry air. So it seems to me with the exception of land interaction, everything is prime for this to strengthen a little bit before that turn toward the north.

Bernie Rayno:

All right. The biggest impacts are going to be Lesser Antilles, Hispaniola, probably Puerto Rico then Cuban, and we'll see about Florida. Again, that won't be until early next week. The biggest thing is going to be the rain. Some of that is going to be heavy, and also there's going to be gusty winds. But again, that main... I want to see what happens to Elsa as it gets south of Hispaniola over the weekend, whether it weakens or not.

Taylor Wilson:

The storm may present new challenges for rescue workers at the Miami condo collapse if it hits South Florida.

Taylor Wilson:

Federal executions have at least temporarily been stopped. Attorney General Merrick Garland ordered the moratorium on Thursday to allow for a Justice Department review of death penalty policy. Garland wrote in a memorandum, "The Department of Justice must ensure that everyone in the federal criminal justice system is not only afforded the rights guaranteed by the constitution and laws of the United States, but is also treated fairly and humanely. That obligation has special force in capital cases." The move comes after the Justice Department in 2019 ordered a revival of federal executions after a 17-year hiatus. That led to 13 executions between July 2020 and January of this year. Those 13 people under the Trump administration outnumbered any presidency since Franklin D. Roosevelt, who was president for much longer, four terms from 1933 to 1945. The recent execution spree was criticized by death penalty experts and advocates who say it highlights inequalities and a justice system that continues to disproportionately work against Black prisoners. Garland has tapped Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco to lead the review.

Taylor Wilson:

Economists expect that Friday's June jobs report will show nearly 700,000 new jobs added last month, and the unemployment rate likely fell slightly to 5.7%. That's compared to nearly 15% during strict pandemic shutdowns in April of 2020, but job growth has been up and down in recent months and has often fallen short of economists' expectations. That's key since the Federal Reserve will likely keep its support for the economy through low interest rates as long as it looks like the job market needs help. Economists say Friday's unemployment number will decide the trajectory of when the Fed is actually going to adjust its prices. Thanks for listening to 5 Things. You can find us wherever you get your pods, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts, where it really helps us if you can take a quick second and drop us five stars and a review. Thanks as always to Shannon Green and Claire Thornton for their work on the show. 5 Things is part of the USA TODAY Network.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Miami condo damage, what Cosby's release means: 5 Things podcast