As of Thursday, June 24, 2021, Montana reported 113,471 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 73 new cases reported in the last day: 25 new cases in Yellowstone County, 9 new cases in Missoula County, 7 new cases in Cascade County, 6 new cases in Gallatin County, 6 new cases in Lewis & Clark County, and more new cases in 11 more Montana counties. The number of active coronavirus cases in Montana is 455. Currently, 52 people are being treated in Montana hospitals for COVID-19. The most active cases are in Yellowstone, Cascade, Flathead, and Missoula Counties. 1,661 people have died in Montana of COVID-19. Four more deaths have been reported in the last day. Nationwide, more than 603,000 Americans have died of COVID-19. There have been 33,600,000 cases of coronavirus in the US, and counting.

Average life expectancy in the United States plummeted in 2020, and the decline was particularly sharp among Hispanic and Black Americans. Health experts anticipated life expectancy would drop during the pandemic, but how much it did came as a surprise. Also, the U.S. birth rate fell 4 percent last year, the largest single-year decrease in nearly 50 years.

California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom will face a recall election, marking just the second time in state history that a special election will be held to recall a sitting governor. The recall drive has been fueled by anger over the restrictions Newsom put in place to curb the spread of Covid-19 throughout last year and during an alarming surge in cases in California during the winter holiday months.

Glacier National Park is taking public comment on its new telecommunications plan that calls for improved radio and cell service within the park’s boundaries. The park’s plan would allow commercial telecommunications infrastructure to be built in four developed areas of the park: around Lake McDonald Lodge, the Many Glacier/Swiftcurrent area, Two Medicine and Rising Sun.