Axios: “Alabama’s Republican Gov. Kay Ivey issued a statewide mask mandate on Wednesday as coronavirus cases continued to soar across the South, saying at a press conference: “We’re pleading with the people of Alabama to wear a mask.” The big picture: Montana is now the 26th state, in addition to the District of Columbia, that has issued some form of mask mandate as new infections surge across the country.

• Florida is the new domestic epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic, and it’s on track to keep getting worse. The state has not issued a mask mandate, but some cities have.

Why it matters: Face masks are essential to slowing the coronavirus’ spread, but they have become politicized in recent months…”