As of Friday, June 18, 2021, Montana reports 113,167 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 75 new cases reported in the last day: 20 new cases in Yellowstone County, 8 new cases in Flathead County, 7 new cases in Cascade County, 7 new cases in Mineral County, 7 new cases in Missoula County, and more new cases in 12 more Montana counties. The number of active coronavirus cases in Montana is 509. Currently, 53 people are being treated in Montana hospitals for COVID-19. The most active cases are in Yellowstone, Cascade and Flathead Counties. 1,651 people have died in Montana of COVID-19. Nationwide, more than 601,000 Americans have died of COVID-19, which means about one in every 550 people in the US has died from the virus. There have been 33,500,000 cases of coronavirus in the US, and counting.

President Joe Biden marked 300 million COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in his first 150 days in office on Friday. President Biden started June by touting incentives like free child care and the complimentary beer to try to persuade more Americans to get vaccinated.

Saturday, June 19th is the nation’s first Juneteenth National Independence Day, a legal public holiday, recently established with a vote of Congress on Wednesday. Congress overwhelmingly voted to establish the holiday.

A Colorado baker who was the subject of a 2018 US Supreme Court case for refusing to bake a cake for a same-sex wedding has violated state discrimination laws in another case, a Denver district court has found. A judge on Tuesday found that Masterpiece Cakeshop illegally refused to bake a cake to celebrate a trans woman’s birthday and identity, saying the refusal violated the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act.

A full fishing closure has been reinstated for a portion of the lower Ruby River in Montana due to low flows and high water temperatures. The closure extends about 14 miles, from the Duncan District Road crossing downstream to the confluence with the Beaverhead River. This is the second time this year a fishing closure has been implemented in this section of the Ruby River.