The ongoing battle among local, state and federal officials over COVID precautions in schools continues. The US Department of Education has now launched a civil rights investigation into five GOP-led states that have banned mask mandates in schools.

• Plus, the return of evictions in America.
• And, Amazon steps into the live audio business.

Guests: Axios' Ben Montgomery, Linh Ta, Felix Salmon, and Sara Fischer.

Credits: Axios Today is produced in partnership with Pushkin Industries. The team includes Hope King, Sara Kehaulani Goo, Dan Bobkoff, Alexandra Botti, Nuria Marquez Martinez, Sabeena Singhani, and Ben O'Brien. Music is composed by Evan Viola. You can reach us at podcasts@axios.com. You can text questions, comments and story ideas to Niala as a text or voice memo to 202-918-4893.

Go deeper:

• Florida school districts face mask free-for-all after judge strikes down DeSantis' ban
• U.S. Education Department launches probe into Iowa's mask mandate ban
• The return of evictions
• Scoop: Amazon quietly building live audio business