As of Thursday, December 9, 2021, Montana reports 193,543 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 275 new cases of coronavirus infection reported since yesterday: 41 new cases in Gallatin County, 33 new cases in Cascade County, 30 new cases in Lake County, 29 new cases in Lewis & Clark County, and more new cases in 27 more Montana counties. The number of active coronavirus cases in Montana is 2,888. Currently, 172 people are being treated in Montana hospitals for COVID-19. 2,788 people have died in Montana of COVID-19. Seven more people’s death have been reported since yesterday. Nationwide, more than 792,000 Americans have died of COVID-19. There have been 49,600,000 cases of coronavirus in the US, and counting.

Starbucks workers in Buffalo, New York, won their unionization vote Thursday, becoming the first company-owned U.S. location to successfully organize under the coffee chain, while two other New York locations were also voting Thursday to unionize. Starbucks workers in Elmwood, New York declared unionizing a victory for the workers after a months-long battle for the right to hold independent votes.

Four more Montana county school superintendents have written a letter of concern regarding state Superintendent of Public Instruction Elsie Arntzen, a day after eight school superintendents from all of Montana’s AA school districts made public a letter they wrote to Arntzen to express their disappointment with her leadership. The four county superintendents represent Missoula County, Butte-Silver Bow County, Wheatland County and Sweet Grass County.

In a vote Wednesday night in Washington, D.C., Montana’s Republican Congressman Matt Rosendale voted to cut Medicare payments to rural health providers by 9 percent starting on January 1st. Rosendale voted against Senate Bill 610, which prevents severe end-of-year cuts to Medicare that would gut rural health care. The legislation also protects Medicare payment rates for physicians and professionals. The House did pass the bill, which advances to the Senate.