Biden officials fall behind blue states on masks

The federal government has fallen behind many states over decisions to rescind mask mandates now that the omicron wave is subsiding, leaving an ideological gulf between Democratic governors and the Biden administration.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy set off a gubernatorial frenzy on Monday to lift mask mandates across a series of blue states, such as Illinois, New York, and Connecticut. In total, eight Democratic governors and one Republican, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, have lifted their states’ mask mandates in some capacity. Several have maintained their mask requirements for K-12 schools for now, with plans to lift them over the next month.