I wouldn't say the media killed 250k because that's still using their deranged counting system. The real number is closer to the 2020 excess mortality compared to 2019, adjusted for change in population size and risk. However, that would also include increases in mortality due to less access for other medical treatments, suicides, etc. So the best comparators might be Florida and Montana, who I assume did not do anything to induce mortality in other areas.