promoearn: Masks off

Thursday, May 13

President Joe Biden takes off his mask to speak about the COVID-19 pandemic during a prime-time address from the East Room of the White House, Thursday, March 11, 2021, in Washington.

CDC relaxes mask guidelines. An active-duty Marine Corps officer was charged in the Capitol attack. It's Thursday's news.

Masks can come off indoors if you're fully vaccinated, the CDC says. The first active-duty service member was charged in connection with the Capitol riot. And though the Colonial Pipeline is working again after a cyberattack, President Biden says it could "take some time" to replenish the gas supply but "don't panic."

👋 It's Laura. Today is Thursday, which is my Friday, which means it's time for a hike in the mountains! Hope you get into something fun this weekend!

🧠 But first, the future is here: Researchers implanted microchips into the brain of a man who was paralyzed from the neck down, and now he can write with his mind. He can also probably text faster than I can.

The Short List is a snappy USA TODAY news roundup. Subscribe to the newsletter here or text messages here.

Ready to ditch the masks?

Before we all forget what the bottom half of everyone's face looks like, the CDC on Thursday eased indoor mask-wearing guidance for fully vaccinated people. The new guidance still calls for masks in crowded indoor settings such as buses, planes, hospitals, prisons and homeless shelters, but it would ease restrictions for reopening workplaces and schools. The CDC no longer recommends that fully vaccinated people wear masks outdoors in crowds. The CDC and the Biden administration have faced pressure to ease restrictions on fully vaccinated people – people who are two weeks past their last required COVID-19 vaccine dose – in part to highlight the benefits of getting the shot.

•	The CDC says many of us can take off our masks. Here's why some of us don't want to.

Israel, Hamas escalate heavy fighting

Dozens have died this week in the Gaza Strip in the most severe outbreak of violence since a war in 2014, and there's no resolution in sight. Gaza residents braced for more devastation Thursday. Militants fire one barrage of rockets after another, and Israel carries out waves of bone-rattling airstrikes, sending plumes of smoke rising into the air. Since the rockets began Monday, Israel has toppled three high-rise buildings that it said housed Hamas facilities after warning civilians to evacuate. The death toll in Gaza rose to 53 Palestinians, including 14 children and three women, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. At least 320 have been wounded, including 86 children and 39 women.

•	Delta, United, American Airlines flights to Israel suspended amid clash with Hamas, Palestinians.

End of Ramadan: In the embattled Gaza Strip, the Eid al-Fitr call to prayer echoed over pulverized buildings and heaps of rubble as Israeli warplanes pound the territory. Hamas, the Islamic militant group ruling Gaza, urged the faithful to mark communal prayers inside their homes or the nearest mosques and avoid being out in the open. Eid al-Fitr, Arabic for "festival of the breaking of the fast," marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

•	This is America: A personal reflection on another pandemic Ramadan.

People gather for Eid al-Fitr prayers at the Dome of the Rock Mosque in the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in the Old City of Jerusalem on May 13.

Mahmoud Illean, AP

What everyone's talking about

•	Rep. Liz Cheney says she'll 'absolutely' run for reelection in 'Today' interview.
•	'I don't want to be doing this': Prince Harry compares royal life to 'The Truman Show' and 'being in a zoo.'
•	Ellen DeGeneres still doesn't 'understand' toxic workplace claims after confirming her show is ending.
•	'I don't care that I'm overpaying': Houses are selling over asking price. Here's how to win a real estate bidding war.

'Don't panic' at the pump

President Joe Biden has one message for drivers: "Don't panic." Biden said Thursday the Colonial Pipeline's vital fuel-shipping system is operating at full capacity after hackers seized control and triggered panic-buying of gasoline throughout the southeastern USA. The president warned that replenishing gas supply would "take some time." "This is not like flicking on a light switch," Biden said, noting the 5,500-mile pipeline had never been shut down before. Expect fuel shortages to improve regionally this weekend and into next week.

•	Colonial Pipeline reportedly pays $5M in cryptocurrency to hackers to end ransomware cyberattack.
•	Where can you find gas? Is it safe to take a road trip? Your questions about gas shortage answered.

A pump is closed at a QuickTrip on May 11 in Atlanta.

Megan Varner, Getty Images

Active-duty Marine Corps officer charged in Capitol attack

Among several dozen people with ties to the military facing charges related to the attack Jan. 6 on the U.S. Capitol, a Marine Corps officer was arrested Thursday, making him the first service member on active duty charged for his role in the riot. Maj. Christopher Warnagiris, 40, who's stationed at the Marine Corps Base in Quantico, Virginia, is accused of forcing his way inside the Capitol by pushing through a line of police officers guarding the building. He faces several charges, including assaulting, resisting or impeding officers, obstruction of law enforcement and obstruction of justice. The Justice Department said it has charged four guardsmen and reservists and about 40 veterans in the attack on the Capitol.

•	'A normal tourist day': Diverging views on Capitol riot on display before Congress.

Maj. Christopher Warnagiris was arrested on May 13, 2021 for his alleged role in the deadly attack on the Capitol.

Justice Department

Real quick

•	A new pandemic low: US unemployment claims drop to 473,000.
•	Anti-Asian attack in NYC: Woman arrested in assault with hammer on two women who were wearing masks.
•	Joel Greenberg likely to plead guilty Monday, could be witness against Rep. Matt Gaetz.
•	Former MLB star Alex Rodriguez reaches agreement to be part owner of the NBA Minnesota Timberwolves.

Minneapolis officers' trial postponed

Citing the need to put some distance between the trial of three former Minneapolis police officers and Derek Chauvin's trial because of the high-profile nature of the case, Judge Peter Cahill ruled that their trial will be postponed to March 2022. The three officers, Thomas Lane, J. Kueng and Tou Thao, were scheduled to face trial Aug. 23 on charges they aided and abetted in the death of George Floyd. The officers' co-defendant, Chauvin, was convicted of murder and manslaughter counts. All four officers also face federal charges that they violated Floyd's civil rights during his arrest May 25, 2020.

•	'A harder case to prove': What Chauvin's guilty verdict means for three other officers charged in Floyd's death.
•	The pandemic forced judges to let livestream cameras into court. The Chauvin trial showed it could work. Will it last?

Former Minneapolis police officers, from left, J. Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao are scheduled to stand trial in March 2022 in the death of George Floyd.

A break from the news

•	🧖‍♀️ What is gua sha? Everything you need to know about the skin care trend.
•	📚 Get practical: The 20 best gifts that college students actually need!
•	🍻 Have we gone too far!? The makers of a new pickle-flavored hard seltzer, 'Afternoon Dillight,' say it's 'a really big dill.' Let us know if you try it!

This is a compilation of stories from across the USA TODAY Network. Want this news roundup in your inbox every night? Sign up for The Short List newsletter here.