As of Thursday, March 3, 2022, Montana reports 268,950 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 425 new cases of coronavirus infection reported since yesterday: 227 new cases in Flathead County, 29 new cases in Glacier County, 27 new cases in Cascade County, 25 new cases in Missoula County, 23 new cases in Yellowstone County, and more new cases in 26 more Montana counties. The number of active coronavirus cases in Montana is 1,792. Of Montana’s 56 counties, 47 report active cases. Currently, 93 people are being treated in Montana hospitals for COVID-19. 3,203 people have died in Montana of COVID-19. Twelve more people’s deaths have been reported since yesterday. Nationwide, more than 953,000 Americans have died of COVID-19. There have been 79,000,000 cases of coronavirus in the US, and counting.

Montana’s lone Congressman, Republican Matt Rosendale, was one of only 3 U.S. House members to vote against supporting the people of Ukraine on Wednesday. The bill in Congress demanded an immediate cease-fire and withdrawal of Russian forces from Ukraine and backed additional sanctions against Russia, while calling for “coordination with United States allies and partners to fully isolate the Putin regime economically for its unprovoked aggression against Ukraine.”

Montana will receive $80 million as part of a multi-state settlement with Johnson & Johnson and three other major drug companies over their role in the national opioid epidemic. The settlement money will be used for opioid abatement, which could include programs like opioid use disorder treatment, providing Narcan to emergency or first responders, and funding drug treatment courts for defendants with opioid-related substance abuse problems or history.

For the first time in 17 years Montana State University’s men’s tennis team has cracked the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s national rankings, breaking in at No. 65. The ranking marks MSU’s first appearance in the national poll since 2005, when the Bobcats were ranked for three straight weeks.