National

MyPillow counter-sued Dominion Voting Systems for more than $1.6 billion on Monday, alleging that the voting machine company's defamation lawsuit against MyPillow and its pro-Trump CEO aims to suppress free speech and has caused "grave" reputational harm.

Why it matters: Lindell is one of many Trump allies to face a multibillion-dollar defamation lawsuit for spreading false claims about the election, including that Dominion's voting machines flipped votes from Trump to Biden.

Pro-Trump lawyer Sidney Powell, who is also facing a $1.3 billion lawsuit from Dominion, has argued that "no reasonable person" would conclude that her accusations of Dominion's election-rigging scheme "were truly statements of fact."

Lindell, meanwhile, has not renounced his baseless claims, saying he looks forward to the discovery of evidence as part of Dominion's lawsuit.

What they're saying: “In making these statements, Lindell spoke for himself, not MyPillow,” the lawsuit says. "MyPillow has not engaged in discussion about the 2020 election."

"However, as an American company supporting American constitutional values, MyPillow unreservedly supports Lindell’s right to exercise his First Amendment freedoms concerning the matters of critical public concern, like election matters."

The other side: "This is a meritless retaliatory lawsuit, filed by MyPillow to try to distract from the harm it caused to Dominion,” a lawyer for Dominion told the Wall Street Journal.

MyPillow counter-sues Dominion in response to defamation lawsuit

MyPillow claimed Dominion aims to suppress free speech and has caused "grave" reputational harm.

Lindell speaks to pro-Trump protesters during the "Million MAGA March" in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 12, 2020. Photo: Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Electoral fraud

MyPillow <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="counter-sued" data-vars-click-url="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/20618921-mypillowcomplaint" data-vars-content-id="17f8d01d-486c-4102-8086-779082bbbbdd" data-vars-headline="MyPillow counter-sues Dominion in response to defamation lawsuit" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/20618921-mypillowcomplaint" target="_blank">counter-sued</a> Dominion Voting Systems for more than $1.6 billion on Monday, alleging that the voting machine company&#x27;s defamation lawsuit against MyPillow and its pro-Trump CEO aims to suppress free speech and has caused &quot;grave&quot; reputational harm.Why it matters: Lindell is one of many Trump allies to face a multibillion-dollar defamation lawsuit for spreading false claims about the election, including that Dominion&#x27;s voting machines flipped votes from Trump to Biden.

President Biden has made the COVID-19 crisis and a post-Trump return to national unity and traditional democratic ideals his top priorities. From vaccinations to stimulus to schools, Biden is seeking bipartisan compromise while showing a willingness to use executive authority and bare Democratic majorities in the U.S. House and Senate to implement his policies. Republican leaders are navigating deep party divisions over if and how to move beyond former President Trump.

Politics & Policy

After a record economic expansion, the coronavirus pandemic sent the U.S. economy into a recession as unemployment soared to staggering heights. The country now faces urgent questions about how much stimulus is needed for reeling consumers and businesses, and what a recovery might look like.

Economy & Business

54% of Americans in the latest AP-NORC poll say the U.S. is heading in the right direction, marking the highest level of public optimism the poll has recorded since 2017.

The big picture: 71% of Americans approve of President Biden's handling of the coronavirus pandemic, bringing his overall approval rating to 63% after four months in office, according to the poll.

By the numbers: Despite his widespread popularity, approval of Biden's performance is still starkly divided along partisan lines.

57% of Americans approve of Biden’s handling of the economy, which breaks down to 91% of Democrats and just 19% of Republicans.

Of all the issues polled, Biden's immigration policies received the lowest overall marks at 43% approval. That includes 70% of Democrats and just 11% of Republicans.

There also remains a partisan gap with respect to views on pandemic risk. 69% of Democrats are still somewhat worried about getting infected with COVID-19, compared to 33% of Republicans.

Where it stands: The overall positive picture comes as coronavirus cases plummet across the country and the U.S. economy continues to reopen thanks to a successful vaccine rollout.

The Biden administration could face some headwinds in the coming months as the rate of vaccinations slows down and employers struggle to add more jobs.

And after passing his signature $1.9 trillion COVID relief package in March, Biden may have more difficulty getting Congress to approve his multi-trillion dollar infrastructure plan.

Methodology: The nationwide poll was conducted April 29-May 3, 2021 using the AmeriSpeak® Panel, the probability-based panel of NORC at the University of Chicago. Online and telephone interviews using landlines and cell phones were conducted with 1,842 adults. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3.2 percentage points.

Poll: More Americans say U.S. is on right track than any time since 2017

Biden's approval rating sits at 63% four months after taking office.

Photo illustration of Joseph Biden smiling with an upwards trending line and stars

Photo illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios. Photo: Kyle Rivas/Stringer via Getty Images

Biden approval rating

54% of Americans in the latest <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="AP-NORC poll" data-vars-click-url="https://apnorc.org/projects/biden-continues-to-hold-on-to-high-approval-ratings/" data-vars-content-id="5ad0bee8-91e4-4c50-badf-fa806bccc77e" data-vars-headline="Poll: More Americans say U.S. is on right track than any time since 2017" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://apnorc.org/projects/biden-continues-to-hold-on-to-high-approval-ratings/" target="_blank">AP-NORC poll</a> say the U.S. is heading in the right direction, marking the highest level of public optimism the poll has recorded since 2017.The big picture: 71% of Americans approve of President Biden&#x27;s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, bringing his overall approval rating to 63% after four months in office, according to the poll.

President Biden will nominate Coast Guard Vice Adm. Linda Fagan for vice commandant, which would make her the first female four-star admiral in Coast Guard history, the White House announced Monday.

Why it matters: On the campaign trail in 2019, both Biden and then-candidate Kamala Harris signed a pledge to ensure at least 50%of their national security Senate-confirmed positions would be women, according to Defense News.

Since taking office, President Biden has already nominated several women for top Pentagon positions, including Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks.

Biden last week announced plans to nominate six more women for key national security and law enforcement posts. One of them is Christine Wormuth, who would be the first female secretary of the Army if confirmed.

Background: Fagan, currently the Coast Guard commander for the Pacific Area, has served on all seven continents, according to her bio. If confirmed, she would replace Adm. Charles Ray as the Coast Guard's No. 2 officer.

Biden to nominate Coast Guard's first woman four-star admiral

Linda Fagan would be the Coast Guard's second highest-ranking officer if confirmed.

Photo:  Paul Marotta/Getty Images for Allied Integrated Marketing

Coast Guard Rear Admiral Linda Fagan at a movie screening on Jan. 28, 2016 in Boston, Mass. Photo: Paul Marotta/Getty Images for Allied Integrated Marketing

Coast Guard

President Biden will nominate Coast Guard Vice Adm. Linda Fagan for vice commandant, which would make her the first female four-star admiral in Coast Guard history, the White House announced Monday.Why it matters: On the campaign trail in 2019, both Biden and then-candidate Kamala Harris signed a pledge to ensure at least 50%of their national security Senate-confirmed positions would be women, according to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Defense News" data-vars-click-url="https://www.defensenews.com/pentagon/2020/11/24/bidens-gender-parity-pledge-could-be-watershed-moment-for-women-in-national-security/" data-vars-content-id="d2af091b-c342-4cf7-bb54-2c5b0646cce9" data-vars-headline="Biden to nominate Coast Guard&#x27;s first woman four-star admiral" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.defensenews.com/pentagon/2020/11/24/bidens-gender-parity-pledge-could-be-watershed-moment-for-women-in-national-security/" target="_blank">Defense News</a>.

A growing list of large retailers has begun to ease mask requirements for fully vaccinated customers, after the CDC issued guidance last week saying vaccinated people can do most activities without wearing a mask or physically distancing.

Driving the news: Target and CVS Pharmacy on Monday were among the latest to update policies to allow fully vaccinated guests in their stores without face coverings, unless it is required by local law. 

CVS will still require employees to wear masks while at work.

Worth noting: Target is also "providing paid time to U.S. hourly team members when they get their vaccines" as well as offering free Lyft rides, up to $15 each way, for their workers to drive to and from their vaccine appointments.

State of play: Face coverings will become optional for vaccinated Walmart employees starting Tuesday. The retailer, which was among the first to remove its mask requirement for customers, announced it will offer workers a $75 bonus if they show their completed vaccine cards to a store leader.

Walmart will let employees work without a mask if they answer “yes” to being inoculated during a daily health assessment, since "integrity" is one of their core values. 

Some stores, including Gap, Home Depot, Walgreens, Ulta Beauty, Carl's Jr., Ikea, JCPenny and Apple still require masks, according to Business Insider.

Starbucks, Costco, Trader Joe’s and Publix have already removed their mask mandates, CNBC notes. 

Go Deeper: How retailers are responding to the latest CDC guidance

Target, CVS and other stores ease mask requirements after CDC guidance

The CDC issued guidance last week  saying vaccinated people can do most activities without wearing a mask.

Illustration of a face mask flying away from a grocery bag

Face masks

Coronavirus

Retail

Axios Pro: Deals

A growing list of large retailers has begun to ease mask requirements for fully vaccinated customers, after the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="CDC issued guidance last week" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/cdc-mask-guidance-vaccinated-4129e50f-c6ed-4d8f-badb-fb7c94fc14a9.html" data-vars-content-id="d302efc5-714c-4393-a5d4-54fbf7450780" data-vars-headline="Target, CVS and other stores ease mask requirements after CDC guidance" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/cdc-mask-guidance-vaccinated-4129e50f-c6ed-4d8f-badb-fb7c94fc14a9.html" target="_self">CDC issued guidance last week</a> saying vaccinated people can do most activities without wearing a mask or physically distancing.Driving the news: <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Target" data-vars-click-url="https://corporate.target.com/about/purpose-history/our-commitments/target-coronavirus-hub" data-vars-content-id="d302efc5-714c-4393-a5d4-54fbf7450780" data-vars-headline="Target, CVS and other stores ease mask requirements after CDC guidance" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://corporate.target.com/about/purpose-history/our-commitments/target-coronavirus-hub" target="_blank">Target</a> and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="CVS Pharmacy" data-vars-click-url="https://cvshealth.com/news-and-insights/press-releases/cvs-pharmacy-updates-face-covering-policy" data-vars-content-id="d302efc5-714c-4393-a5d4-54fbf7450780" data-vars-headline="Target, CVS and other stores ease mask requirements after CDC guidance" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://cvshealth.com/news-and-insights/press-releases/cvs-pharmacy-updates-face-covering-policy" target="_blank">CVS Pharmacy</a> on Monday were among the latest to update policies to allow fully vaccinated guests in their stores without face coverings, unless it is required by local law.

The U.S. faces a range of health care flashpoints — unaffordable drugs, opioids, vaping — as we debate whether to adopt universal care. For now, the Affordable Care Act is the law of the land, but Republicans want to issue it a final death blow.

Health

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster has pledged to sign legislation passed recently by state lawmakers that would allow execution by firing squad as an option for prisoners on death row if lethal injections are not available. 

Why it matters: While the U.S. has been shifting away generally from capital punishment — Virginia recently became the first southern state to outlaw it — South Carolina is moving in the opposite direction. 

The bill was approved by the state House this week and now returns to the state Senate. It is likely to become law in the next few days, the New York Times reports. 

It has been 10 years since South Carolina last executed an inmate on death row, and lawmakers argue this is because pharmaceutical companies have refused to sell states the drugs to carry out lethal injections, per NYT.

The bill would also bring back the electric chair as an option if the state cannot obtain lethal injections. 

There are currently 37 people on South Carolina's death row, three of whom have run out of appeals. Legal proceedings are expected to delay any immediate executions.

What they're saying: State Sen. Richard A. Harpootlian (D), who introduced the measure, believes a firing squad is more humane than current practices. He argued against electrocution saying, “It’s an extraordinarily gruesome, horrendous process where they essentially catch on fire and don’t die immediately,” per NYT.

Similar arguments have been made against lethal injections, which appear to be the most humane alternative yet could cause the inmate to suffer for an extended period of time.

In 2018, four prisoners in Tennessee asked a federal judge to allow them to choose a firing squad because “the firing squad significantly reduces a substantial risk of unnecessary and severe pain.”

The big picture: Only 24 states have a death penalty law in place. Fewer than 50 death sentences have been imposed each year for the past six years.

South Carolina House votes to allow execution by firing squad

While the U.S. has been shifting away from capital punishment, South Carolina could be fourth state to allow firing squads for executions.

Gov. Henry McMaster. Photo: Sean Rayford/Getty Images 

Death penalty

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster has <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="pledged to sign legislation" data-vars-click-url="https://twitter.com/henrymcmaster/status/1390077318870323205?s=20" data-vars-content-id="eacd2605-c7ff-482c-9ad6-8f32d9b36119" data-vars-headline="South Carolina House votes to allow execution by firing squad" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://twitter.com/henrymcmaster/status/1390077318870323205?s=20" target="_blank">pledged to sign legislation</a> passed recently by state lawmakers that would allow execution by firing squad as an option for prisoners on death row if lethal injections are not available. Why it matters: While the U.S. has been shifting away generally from capital punishment — Virginia recently became the first southern state <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="to outlaw it" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/death-penalty-virginia-end-222b356b-4971-4e71-8a48-7e3f7c0d58ef.html" data-vars-content-id="eacd2605-c7ff-482c-9ad6-8f32d9b36119" data-vars-headline="South Carolina House votes to allow execution by firing squad" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/death-penalty-virginia-end-222b356b-4971-4e71-8a48-7e3f7c0d58ef.html" target="_self">to outlaw it</a> — South Carolina is moving in the opposite direction.

Maria Arias

Stories

Target, CVS and other stores ease mask requirements after CDC guidance

Poll: More Americans say U.S. is on right track than any time since 2017

South Carolina House votes to allow execution by firing squad

MyPillow counter-sues Dominion in response to defamation lawsuit

Biden to nominate Coast Guard's first woman four-star admiral