White House faces tough choice on appealing mask mandate for travel

The White House is facing a politically charged decision on whether to appeal a Trump-appointed judge’s decision to block a federal requirement to wear masks on public transportation.

Officials have stressed throughout the pandemic that health experts will guide decision-making on how to address the virus. But as the White House has in recent weeks sought to move toward more of a sense of normalcy, appealing the ruling could be politically unpopular and undercut those efforts.