America has a new divide:

• Many joyfully embraced this first full day of new mask freedom. But plenty are sticking with a practice that's now 2+ years old.

Airlines and many airports dropped their mask rules, AP reports.

• Many big cities kept mask requirements on mass transit, including New York, Chicago and L.A. Others ditched the rules, such as D.C., Atlanta and Kansas City.
• Amtrak and Uber dropped their rules. Uber said passengers can return to the front seat.

Many parents fear for their kids who are too young for vaccines.

• "Here we are, trapped in the sky with our 8-month-old unmasked baby," tweeted Brooke Tansley of Nashville, who was on a plane when the rules changed mid-flight.

Between the lines: "For many flight attendants, the lifting of the mandate brought relief," The New York Times reports. "Flight crews have faced a surge in threats and violence ... over the past two years."

The bottom line: President Biden said that it's "up to them" for people to decide whether to wear masks.

Reality check: Maybe don’t throw away those masks. America entered last summer with similar hope and optimism — which was then dashed by the Delta variant.

Warner Bros. Discovery has suspended external marketing for CNN+ and has laid off CNN's longtime CFO as it weighs what to do next, Axios Media Trends author Sara Fischer reports.

• Why it matters: Inside CNN, executives think the launch has been successful. Discovery executives disagree.

Around $300 million has been spent and hundreds of jobs have been created.

• What to watch: Sources say a plan is being considered to replace Chris Cuomo's 9 p.m. ET show with a live newscast.

Go deeper.

1. Ohio history teacher Kurt Russell was named National Teacher of the Year. Russell has spent the last 25 years teaching history and African American history at Oberlin High School outside Cleveland, AP reports.
2. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) said the state legislature will consider terminating the special status of a municipal district operated by Walt Disney Co., The Wall Street Journal reports (paywall).
3. Russian troops captured the Ukrainian city of Kreminna, the first in its new offensive in the Donbas region. Go deeper.

Cattle ranchers who can show that their ecological practices will restore bird populations will soon qualify to add the National Audubon Society label "bird-friendly beef."

• Why it matters: This is an alternative to making war on ranchers and encouraging people to boycott red meat, Axios What's Next co-author Jennifer A. Kingson reports.

The Conservation Ranching Initiative is a "market-based conservation approach [that] offers incentives for good grassland stewardship through a certification label on beef products."

• Consumers can then show their support.

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