New metrics from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate that about 28% of people in the United States live in a county where they need to wear masks indoors, a significant drop from previous metrics that advised 99% of people in the US to keep their masks on.

Previously, the CDC pointed to levels of coronavirus transmission within communities as a key metric for restrictions, recommending that people in areas with high or substantial levels of transmission -- about 99% of the population -- should wear masks indoors.

The CDC's "Covid-19 community level" metrics are now based on three pieces of data in a community: new Covid-19 hospitalizations, hospital capacity and new Covid-19 cases. Under the updated guidance, more than 70% of the US population is in a location with low or medium Covid-19 community levels. For those areas, there is no recommendation for indoor masking unless you are at potential "increased risk" for Covid-19 and if so, the CDC recommends to talk to your health care provider about wearing a mask.

To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy

The US is planning to impose sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin as soon as Friday, according to two people familiar with the decision.

The Russian leader will become the highest-profile target in the effort to impose costs on the Russian economy and Putin's inner circle in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Additional Russian officials are likely to be included, one of the sources said.

To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy

President Joe Biden has selected Ketanji Brown Jackson as his nominee to the Supreme Court, according to a source who has been notified about the decision, setting in motion a historic confirmation process for the first Black woman to sit on the highest court in the nation.

To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy

US intelligence officials are concerned that Kyiv could fall under Russian control within days, according to two sources familiar with the latest intelligence.

The sources said the initial US assessment from before the invasion that anticipated the Ukrainian capital would be overrun within one to four days of a Russian attack, remains the current expectation.

Russian forces have moved to within 20 miles of Kyiv, senior administration officials told lawmakers on Capitol Hill, Thursday night.

To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said late Thursday that according to preliminary figures, at least 137 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed since the Russian invasion began early on Thursday, and 316 soldiers have been wounded. 

In a video message posted on his Facebook account, Zelensky said other states were "afraid" to support Ukraine's accession to NATO. 

To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy