Walmart

As several states relax mask mandates, U.S. companies are easing up their own rules.

Investigators said inspections of trash compactors from Walmart stores over the last six years found dozens of items classified as either hazardous waste or customer records with personal information.

Tuesday's verdict comes as CVS, Walgreens and Walmart face thousands of lawsuits filed by communities across the U.S. The companies say they did nothing wrong dispensing huge quantities of opioids.

Officials are looking into four confirmed cases of the dangerous bacteria discovered in the sprays. Two deaths associated with the bacteria are being investigated.

As a result, approximately 1.5 million part-time and full-time Walmart and Sam's Club workers in the U.S. will be able to earn college degrees or learn trade skills without the burden of debt.

Customers don't have to wear masks, effective immediately. Starting Tuesday, fully vaccinated employees don't either. Everyone's on an honor system and won't have to provide proof.

The giant retailer shipped billions of opioid pills to pharmacies nationwide. An NPR investigation found employees warned company executives their stores were being used by "pill mill" doctors.

"You have a group of 650 people whose wealth has gone up a trillion dollars since mid-March," says Chuck Collins of the Institute for Policy Studies. He recommends taxing a portion of those gains.

Damages could total in the billions. "Walmart had the responsibility and the means to help prevent the diversion of prescription opioids. Instead, for years, it did the opposite," the government said.

Walmart is returning guns and ammunition back to display shelves after earlier citing "isolated civil unrest" as the reason for temporarily taking them out of view as a safety precaution.