Vox Sentences - The end of mask mandates?

Mask mandates are ending for most of the US with some exceptions; the US bans Russian oil imports.

Tonight's Sentences was written by Jariel Arvin.

Mask mandates end for most of the US

Bersebach/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images

• With Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations declining, mask mandates are ending in much of the US. While some welcome the change, other parents and experts are concerned masks are coming off too soon. [NYT / Alyssa Lukpat]
• Most US school districts are dropping their mandates following new guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which say that Americans who are not at high risk of illness and living in areas where hospitals are not in danger of becoming overwhelmed by patients can remove their masks. [AP / Philip Marcelo and Dave Collins]
• But restrictions aren’t ending for everyone. Public health experts still recommend masks for those under 5 since coronavirus vaccines haven’t been authorized for small children. Parents with schoolchildren are advised to consider vaccination rates among students in their area and the broader school community. [LA Times / Rong-Gong Lin II, Luke Money]
• Since Covid-19 is likely to be around in the future, experts recommend resuming universal masking as soon as case counts begin rising.  [Washington Post / Julia Raifman and Eleanor Murray]
• As masking is phased out, the federal government hopes to expand access to anti-Covid pills. The Biden administration has begun to roll out a program in which patients experiencing coronavirus symptoms can get tested and be prescribed a course of anti-Covid pills immediately if needed. [NPR / Pien Huang]

US announces ban on Russian oil over the invasion of Ukraine

• Tuesday, President Joe Biden announced a US ban on Russian oil imports in response to the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine. While the ban on new oil contracts is immediate, existing agreements will be settled in 45 days. [CNBC / Kevin Breuninger and Thomas Franck]
• The dramatic decision comes as the US intensifies pressure on the Russian economy and as Congress made plans to pass a similar ban, with or without Biden’s cooperation. [CNN]
• About 40 percent of the European Union’s natural gas consumption is provided by Russia, meaning it can’t realistically follow America's lead, but the European Commission presented a plan Tuesday that could reduce its dependence on Russian gas by two-thirds this year. [BBC / Matt McGrath]
• Under the commission’s plan, the bloc would get its gas supply from other countries in the short term, while investing more in renewables and energy-saving measures to reach complete independence by 2030. [Politico / Zia Weise and Zosia Wanat]
• Reducing reliance on Russian energy is likely to have negative economic effects. Uncertainty around sanctions on Russia’s energy sector pushed the average price of gasoline in the US to a near record-high $4.17 per gallon on Tuesday (in 2008, the price topped $5.00 in 2022 dollars). [AP / Zeke Miller, Mike Balsamo, and Josh Boak]
• The White House is weighing several options to lower gas prices, including a pause on federal gas taxes, releasing additional US oil reserves, and reviving its push for clean energy. But these changes could take months or years to have an effect. [Washington Post / Jeff Stein, Tyler Pager, and Anna Phillips]

A DC jury has found Guy Reffitt, the first January 6 rioter to go to trial, guilty of all five charges he faced in connection with the insurrection. [CNN / Katelyn Polantz and Hannah Rabinowitz]

• Scientists expect the joro spider — a species native to East Asia measuring up to 3 inches long — will spread throughout the US East Coast. [Guardian / Maya Yang]
• The NFL has suspended Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley for at least the 2022 season for betting on games. [ESPN / Michael Rothstein]
• On Tuesday, Florida lawmakers passed the law activists dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill prohibiting classroom discussions of sexual orientation and gender identity from kindergarten through the third grade. [BBC / Shrai Popat and Holly Honderich]

“It’s a dire situation and won’t improve anytime soon. The high prices are likely to stick around for not days or weeks, like they did in 2008, but months.”

[Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, describes the future outlook for gas prices]

Gas prices hit a record high in the United States today. Then the White House put an embargo on Russian oil. The Atlantic’s Robinson Meyer explains. [Spotify]

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