Reuters US Domestic News Summary

Stefanik, a 36-year-old congresswoman from New York state, rose to prominence https://www.reuters.com/world/us/loyalty-trump-catapults-elise-stefanik-into-republican-stardom-2021-05-11 with her fierce defense of Trump during his first impeachment trial, while Cheney https://www.reuters.com/world/us/liz-cheney-vote-us-house-republicans-reach-watershed-over-trump-2021-05-12 angered her Republican colleagues by rejecting what she called Trump's "big lie" about his November loss to Democratic President Joe Biden. U.S. restaurant association to nix indoor mask suggestion per CDC The U.S. National Restaurant Association will remove a suggestion from its operating guidance for restaurants that says fully vaccinated people should still wear masks indoors, following new advice from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Thursday.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Go maskless? Some Americans skeptical of new guidelines, other say it's high time

New U.S. guidance allowing people to go without masks in most places provided one more topic of disagreement among Americans who have found little common ground throughout the pandemic. Some cited caution and confusion, while others who have rarely worn masks rolled their eyes at the advice from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Thursday that fully vaccinated people do not need to wear masks outdoors and can mostly avoid wearing them indoors. The looser mask guidance does not apply to situations such as public transportation and prisons.

Trump-backed Stefanik wins vote to join House Republican leadership

Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives elected Donald Trump's candidate Elise Stefanik to their leadership, succeeding Liz Cheney, who they ousted earlier this week for criticizing the former president's continued false claims of election fraud. Stefanik, a 36-year-old congresswoman from New York state, rose to prominence https://www.reuters.com/world/us/loyalty-trump-catapults-elise-stefanik-into-republican-stardom-2021-05-11 with her fierce defense of Trump during his first impeachment trial, while Cheney https://www.reuters.com/world/us/liz-cheney-vote-us-house-republicans-reach-watershed-over-trump-2021-05-12 angered her Republican colleagues by rejecting what she called Trump's "big lie" about his November loss to Democratic President Joe Biden.

U.S. restaurant association to nix indoor mask suggestion per CDC

The U.S. National Restaurant Association will remove a suggestion from its operating guidance for restaurants that says fully vaccinated people should still wear masks indoors, following new advice from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Thursday. "We still have a lot of questions for the CDC about how we need to implement their latest guidance," Larry Lynch, the NRA's Senior Vice President of Science and Industry, said in a statement sent to Reuters.

U.S. federal parks, buildings will not require masks for vaccinated -U.S. official

New guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released this week means that fully vaccinated staff, contractors and visitors no longer need masks in federal buildings or on federal lands, according to an official with the Office of Management and Budget familiar with the situation. The shift could affect hundreds of millions of visitors who go to U.S. national parks every year, from California's redwood forest to the seacoast in Acadia, Maine, as well as the country's millions of federal workers and contractors.

Walmart says fully vaccinated employees can go without masks starting Tuesday

Walmart said on Friday that fully vaccinated employees will not need to wear a mask at work starting Tuesday, following the latest guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The world's largest retailer said in an internal memo to U.S. stores, Sam's Clubs and supply chain facilities that unvaccinated workers must still wear face coverings. Vaccinated customers and Sam's Club members will be allowed to shop without a mask starting Friday.

Ohio city reaches $10 million settlement over police killing of Andre Hill

The city of Columbus, Ohio said on Friday that it reached a $10 million settlement with the family of Andre Hill, an unarmed Black man fatally shot in December by a police officer who was subsequently fired and indicted. Hill, 47, was shot and killed by Adam Coy, a 44-year-old white man, on Dec. 22. Coy, a 19-year-veteran of the Columbus police force, was responding to a non-emergency nuisance call about car noise.

'U.S. Welcome Patrol': how some border agents are struggling with Biden's policy shift

Some U.S. border patrol agents are so frustrated with President Joe Biden's more liberal border policies that they are considering early retirement, while other disgruntled colleagues are buying unofficial coins that say 'U.S. Welcome Patrol.' Interviews with a dozen current and former agents highlight growing dissatisfaction among some rank and file members of the agency over Biden's swift reversal of some of former President Donald Trump's hardline immigration policies. Since Biden took office, border apprehensions have risen sharply.

U.S. judge puts ruling overturning eviction ban on hold

A federal judge on Friday agreed to put on hold her May 5 ruling invalidating the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) nationwide moratorium on residential evictions pending the Justice Department's appeal. U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich's ruling said the CDC's action was supported by data analyses "that estimate that as many as 433,000 cases of COVID-19 and thousands of deaths could be attributed to the lifting of state-based eviction" bans.

Biden appoints Neera Tanden, former pick for budget director, as senior adviser

President Joe Biden has appointed Neera Tanden, who withdrew from consideration to lead the White House Office of Management and Budget after strong opposition from Republicans, to be a senior adviser, the White House said on Friday. Tanden, a former adviser to President Barack Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, has been serving as president of the Center for American Progress (CAP), a left-leaning think tank.

Factbox-How U.S. states and cities are responding to new federal mask guidance

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said fully vaccinated people do not need to wear masks outdoors and can mostly avoid wearing them indoors. Here is a snapshot of how states and cities that set mask rules around America have responded.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)