As of Thursday, December 23, 2021, Montana reports 195,669 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 264 new cases of coronavirus infection reported since yesterday: 66 new cases in Gallatin County, 27 new cases in Lewis & Clark County, 25 new cases in Missoula County, 22 new cases in Cascade County, 22 new cases in Flathead County, 22 new cases in Yellowstone County, and more new cases in 34 more Montana counties. The number of active coronavirus cases in Montana is 1,652. Currently, 113 people are being treated in Montana hospitals for COVID-19. 2,895 people have died in Montana of COVID-19. Five more people’s deaths have been reported since yesterday. Nationwide, more than 810,000 Americans have died of COVID-19. There have been 51,500,000 cases of coronavirus in the US, and counting.

Year-end accounts of the U.S. economy are very strong. Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal report that the U.S. economic output has jumped more than 7% in the last three months of 2021. Overall growth for 2021 should be about 6%, and economists predict growth of around 4% in 2022—the highest numbers the U.S. has seen in decades.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid are stopping a Montana state requirement that people covered by Medicaid expansion pay additional monthly premiums beyond what’s authorized by the federal government. CMS gave Montana a year to wind down the additional premiums created by Republicans in a 2019 state law, saying the additional premiums reduce the ability for people earning lower incomes to gain health care coverage.

For the 66th year, NORAD will track Santa as he travels the world to deliver Christmas gifts. The North American Aerospace Defense Command Santa tracker has been a tradition since 1955 when a local newspaper ad told kids they could call Santa directly, but the number was misprinted. Instead of reaching the man in red, kids called the NORAD crew commander on duty, U.S. Air Force Colonel Harry Shoup, at the Continental Air Defense Command Operations Center, the predecessor to NORAD. Shoup quickly realized the mistake and assigned a duty officer to continue taking the calls and assuring the kids that they reached Santa. A holiday tradition was born.
NORAD has carried on the tradition each year since, reporting on Santa’s location on Christmas Eve to millions of kids around the world. You can visit NoradSanta.org to track Santa’s trip around the globe. Merry Christmas Eve, everyone!