Mask mandates are beginning to fall in states across the country, particularly when it comes to schools. Democratic governors in Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey and Oregon are lifting statewide rules leaving the final say to school districts on how to proceed. Some still want more guidance from the CDC, but the trend is shifting away from the mandates. Laura Meckler, national education writer at The Washington Post, joins us for more.

Next, the Biden administration wants more students to become butchers. It’s an effort to scale up local and regional meat processing to foster competition in the industry. Training workers would help address labor shortages, but some say it could be a difficult sell getting students into an industry with so much manual labor done mostly by immigrants at the moment. Ximena, Bustillo, reporter at Politico, joins us for more on these agricultural programs.

Finally, some states are putting forth proposals that would accept Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies as acceptable tax payments bringing them closer to the mainstream. Proposals in Wyoming and Arizona are in the early stages and could be a benefit for retailers, but there will most likely be some legal hurdles. Ben Schreckinger, national political correspondent at Politico, joins us for how states are considering accepting digital currency.

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