MASK MANDATE OVERTURNED
A federal judge in Florida vacated the national mask mandate covering airlines and other public transportation, and some airlines and airports quickly followed suit. U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle, an appointee of former President Donald Trump, accused the CDC of overstepping its authority in implementing the mandate. Following the ruling, the TSA, United Airlines, Delta Airlines, Alaska Airlines and Los Angeles International were among those entities no longer requiring passengers to wear masks. New York City’s MTA is still requiring masks on mass transit, but “will review the Florida court order.” AP
UKRAINE: RUSSIA PUMMELS EAST
Ukrainian officials said Russia’s attack on eastern Ukraine has begun, as Russia bombarded the entire 300-mile front line in the Donbas and Kharkiv regions. Civilian evacuation efforts are underway at several locations. Russian forces continue to close in on the port city of Mariupol, despite the refusal from outnumbered Ukrainian fighters to lay down their weapons at a steel plant. Meanwhile, the head of Russia’s central bank provided a bleak outlook on the economy. Calls for President Joe Biden to visit Ukraine upticked after Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky encouraged him to do so, but the White House said there are currently no plans for Biden to travel there. CNN
ALL-AMERICAN INFRASTRUCTURE
The Biden administration announced that any material purchased for projects funded by his flagship trillion-dollar infrastructure bill must be produced in America — with exceptions. Whether it’s for a bridge or a highway, most steel and iron construction materials must be produced in the U.S. to support American manufacturing. The requirement can be waived for a few reasons, including if materials are insufficient in quality, or if buying American increases the price by more than 25%. The move hopes to create jobs, ease supply chain pressure and reduce American reliance on other nations. AP
INFOWARS BANKRUPTCY
Three websites owned by far-right radio host Alex Jones, including Infowars, have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Jones, who initially called the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting a hoax, is awaiting trial after relatives of some of the shooting victims sued him for defamation, saying they have been subjected to harassment and death threats from Jones’ followers. A judge found Jones liable for damages, though by filing for bankruptcy, Jones puts pending civil litigation on hold to reorganize finances. In the bankruptcy filing, Infowars says it has assets of $0 to $50,000 — and liabilities of $1,000,001 to $10 million. CBS NEWS
RONALDO’S SON DIES
Soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo announced that his newborn son has died. Details were not disclosed. Ronaldo and his partner Georgina Rodriguez announced in late 2021 they were expecting twins. "Only the birth of our baby girl gives us the strength to live this moment with some hope and happiness," Ronaldo wrote on social media. He has four other children as old as 11 years old. The 37-year-old Portuguese forward, who currently plays for Manchester United, has been among the most high-profile international athletes for the last two decades. ESPN
STABLECOIN’S MOMENT
Stablecoins (dollar-backed digital assets that help facilitate crypto trades) are having a coming-of-age moment. Wall Street investment firms BlackRock and Fidelity are sinking money into stablecoins such as USDC. At the same time, the threat of fraud still looms large. Over the weekend, Ethereum-based stablecoin BEAN was robbed of at least $80 million worth of crypto. Cheddar’s Alex Vuocolo breaks down why big-name financial firms are getting into stablecoins, even as security issues continue to plague the space. CHEDDAR
NEW KENDRICK LAMAR RELEASE
Kendrick Lamar announced he will release a new album, the first since he debuted the Pulitzer-winning “DAMN.” in 2017. Kendrick’s fifth album, titled “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers,” will arrive May 13. The rapper made the announcement on Twitter in response to a speculative tweet saying that he retired. He said nothing in response; instead, he just posted a link to his website. There, fans can click on a small graphic to access a letter announcing the details of Kendrick’s new release. OKLAMA
ELECTRIC MUSTANGS SOLD OUT
The 2022 Ford Mustang Mach-E is no longer available for retail purchase in the United States. Ford cited high demand for its new electric Mustang. Also, companies like Ford are dealing with low semiconductor supplies. The shortage — Congress is currently working on a billion-dollar fix — forced Ford to halt production at eight factories, including the Mach-E plant, in the U.S. and Mexico earlier this year. Ford plans to triple Mach-E production in Mexico by 2023. ELECTREK
VERIZON MINIMUM WAGE
Verizon is raising its minimum wage to $20 an hour. The increase applies to new and existing customer service, retail and inside sales employees. In some parts of the U.S., Verizon is also offering a sign-on bonus for retail specialists and assistant managers. The announcement is another attempt by corporations to incentivize a workforce that has considerable leverage due to the major labor shortage. Verizon joins corporations such as Walmart, Walgreens and Chipotle in raising minimum wages in recent months. BLOOMBERG
LEFTOVERS: MEXICAN PIZZA
Taco Bell announced it is bringing back its Mexican Pizza. The beloved menu item will return for good starting May 19. If you’re just not into fine dining and are unaware what Taco Bell’s Mexican Pizza is — it’s a hard-shelled tortilla sandwich filled with ground beef (or beans as a vegetarian option) and pizza sauce. On top of the tortilla are more pizza sauce, cheese and diced tomatoes. The item was a casualty to cost-cutting in November 2020 when the pandemic was plaguing all businesses, including fast-food giants like Taco Bell. An online petition asking for its return garnered nearly 200,000 signatures. Is it gross? Is it delicious? Is it both? For $4.49, you decide. TACO BELL
CHEDDAR EXPLAINS:
The Science Behind the World's Fastest Shoe
Nike introduced the Vaporfly, designed to literally make its athletes faster, in the 2016 Olympics. To not wear the Vaporfly has become a disadvantage. So how exactly does this shoe increase speeds, and should it even be allowed in competition? Cheddar’s John Tejada explains. YOUTUBE
