“Kristi Noem’s devotion to keeping her state open has made her a celebrity in the Republican Party … One of the things happening in South Dakota is an infection rate that’s among the worst in the nation, at about 8,000 cases per 100,000 people … In Vermont, another small, rural state with a Republican governor, Gov. Phil Scott has embraced safety measures, and the differences are pretty stark. Like South Dakota, Vermont has fewer than 1 million residents, most of whom don’t live in cities. It has about 500 cases per 100,000 people. That’s the lowest rate in the nation.” Two Rural States With GOP Governors And Very Different COVID-19 Results.

+ Washington state, where the virus first reared its spiked head, is now seeing record hospitalizations.

+ Family members film PSA urging people to stay home after 15 of them get COVID-19 following birthday party.