Five years ago today, the Champlain Towers South condominium building crumbled, killing 98 in Surfside.

The big picture: The tragedy forever changed Miami. To this day, the empty lot at 87th Street and Collins Avenue is a reminder of the lives lost on June 24, 2021 — ranging in age from 1 to 92.

• The collapse of the 40-year-old condo building led to a federal safety investigation, a $1 billion court settlement and a flurry of new building safety laws.
• For families of the victims, it sparked a yearslong fight to build a memorial to their loved ones and to limit development on the collapse site.

The latest: Five years later, construction on the beachfront memorial has yet to begin — despite expectations that it would break ground earlier this year.

• Surfside leaders reduced the project budget by about $2 million, requiring the town to modify its scope, the Miami Herald reported.

Meanwhile, the developer planning luxury condominiums on the collapse site has been unable to sell a single unit over a year after launching sales, per the Wall Street Journal.

• Damac, the firm that paid $120 million for the site as part of a court-ordered sale to compensate victims, paused construction in February due to an insurance hang-up, the Journal reports.

Zoom in: The National Institute of Standards and Technology, which released the results of a technical investigation of the collapse Monday, found that the 13-story condo building had begun to fail weeks before the June 2021 collapse.

• Investigators found that connections between the building's garage columns and the pool deck started to fail around early June.
• They concluded that the building's design did not meet code and its construction did not follow the design, the Associated Press reports.

Honoring the 98: Surfside marked the anniversary with a torch lighting ceremony at 1:15am Wednesday — the time of the collapse.

• It will also hold a ceremony at 10am on 88th Street and Collins Avenue.

More watch parties

When Brazil and Scotland meet in Miami for the World Cup, both teams will count on scores of adoring fans who have flooded the city leading up to Wednesday's match.

Why it matters: Unlike Scotland's Tartan Army, most of whom are visiting Miami from abroad, Brazil's fanbase includes 70,000 immigrants in South Florida's tri-county area.

What they're saying: Nick Barbosa, a Brazilian living in Fort Lauderdale, tells Axios that "there's a lot" of Brazilians across South Florida, specifically around Delray Beach and Deerfield Beach.

• For soccer fans whose teams are not in contention, Brazil has also become a "default" team to root for, Barbosa says.
• "It's awesome to see so many people rally around us; they just like the style of football that we play."

The intrigue: There is a sense of camaraderie between Scottish and Brazilian fans, who have been seen partying together in Miami.

• Barbosa showed up Monday to the Tartan Army takeover outside the Marlins game to witness the Scottish brand of partying firsthand.
• "They've been so friendly, so nice."

Where to watch: South Florida has many Brazilian spots to choose from, along with other local bars and restaurants hosting watch parties.

• 🆓 Free watch party at Miami Beach Bandshell. Doors open at 4pm.
• 🆓 Free watch party at Fogo de Chão pop-up at Wynwood Marketplace. The Brazilian steakhouse is closing out its programming with a daylong tailgate and watch party beginning at 11am.

Tell a fan

👍 Rep. Frederica Wilson endorsed Miami-Dade Commissioner Oliver Gilbert to succeed her in Florida's 24th congressional district. (WLRN)

🙁 The Hard Rock Cafe at Bayside Marketplace will close in August after more than 30 years, resulting in overr 100 jobs lost. (South Florida Business Journal)

🤑 A Fisher Island home sold for $10.5 million, marking the largest of five condo contracts exceeding $4 million signed in Miami-Dade County last week. (The Real Deal)

🏈 🤝 ⚽️ Football legend Michael Irvin and soccer legend Carlos Valderrama will make an appearance at La Sandwicherie in Wynwood as part of a Hard Rock Bet sandwich giveaway. (12pm-6pm).

A profound identity crisis has gripped America ahead of its 250th birthday: Citizens are less proud, less religiously unified and losing faith that the American Dream still works.

• A new survey from the nonpartisan Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) finds that Americans are retreating into ideological camps, viewing the opposing side not as a political rival, but as threats to democracy itself.

The big picture: 51% of Americans say they are extremely or very proud of being American, down sharply from 82% in 2013.

• Less than half of Democrats believe that being born in America (42%), believing in God (41%) or being Christian (29%) are important to national identity.
• Majorities of Republicans say being born in America, believing in God and being Christian are important to being truly American.
• Americans are also split on the American Dream, with less than half believing that hard work gets you ahead. Among 18- to 29-year-olds, belief in the American Dream has fallen from 50% in 2024 to 36% today.

The bottom line: Only 18% of Americans are extremely or very proud of the way democracy is working in America today.

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Development never stops in the Magic City.

• Here's the latest news on new and completed projects.

E11even condo tower: The downtown nightclub's first-ever branded tower completed the first of two towers, having sold nearly all of its units, the Real Deal reported.

• The 65-story, 457-unit building across the street from the popular nightlife destination features a "straight out of Las Vegas" vibe, with a day club, a pool deck, a casino-style sports lounge and a luxury spa, per the outlet.
• Developers expect the second tower to be done next spring.

The Residences Claude Pepper: The $200 million affordable and workforce housing project in the Allapattah broke ground this week, the South Florida Business Journal reported.

• The 15-story, 428-apartment project is part of the county's partnership with Related Urban Development Group to replace older public housing with new affordable housing.
• It's set to be completed in 2028.

Helen and Jacob Shaham Academic Medical Center: Florida International University broke ground on a $158 million medical center that will anchor the university's growing clinical enterprise.

• The seven-story facility will feature academic learning spaces and outpatient multi-specialty services. It is set to open in 2028, according to a news release.

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