Ok, then the more accurate question would be: where did the media get the 65,000 number? And what does the 37,000 number in the link I posted in the OP mean, compared to what the media has been reporting all week? What am I missing?

https://abcnews.go.com/US/coronavirus-live-updates-us-surpasses-65000-covid-19/story?id=70467380

The states report to CDC and other federal agencies. The missing piece is where do the high numbers come from? Projected?

Their aren't any high numbers.
Their are the numbers being compiled in real time and the government numbers that lag behind because the government can't tie their shoes in real time.
The "high numbers" come from good old fashioned research done by those compiling data.

The site I read provides links to the state data they use to assimilate numbers.
One of the things you're "missing" could be the result of no uniform process for reporting data.
Every state has their own system.
Based on what metric, who knows.

I take that to mean that there is a lag in their official numbers to be counted. Some previously considered to be covid may not be in the end. Some may be counted as covid that were not originally. I keep hearing that there is money involved, and an incentive to log covid deaths. That may be. But, I take it that’s why they are going through everything to be as accurate as possible.

My mom was tested this week. She came back negative. I guess they could have told us she was positive, as I wouldn’t have any way to prove otherwise. I suspect the vast majority are just trying to do their jobs, and not participate in a vast conspiracy of revising upwards. But maybe so. Maybe our health care folks are as corrupt as our politicians.

Revised Corona deaths as of yesterday 37,308, per the CDC.

https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/covid19/index.htm

I thought the death toll was over 60,000.

High numbers? The real numbers are the government numbers as that is the only source. Deaths are reported through the government agencies.

I don't know what point you are trying to make but by all means, keep trying.
Government = federal, you know, that place in D.C. that accepts no responsibility and repeatedly tells the states it's all on them.
State, local = where the numbers actually come from and are reported each day, or each week, or even a month after they happen because, well, you get what you pay for.
Which part of this are you having trouble understanding?

If you actually go to the John Hopkins site or to the world-o-meter site they both very clearly state where all their data comes from. The CDC site also very clearly states in the footnotes that their data lags 1-8 weeks. Basically you have state and local governments posting the COVID-19 deaths on websites. John Hopkins and World-o-meter are hoovering that up and compiling it; they very clearly outline how they do that. The CDC on the other hand has to wait for each state and local government to file and then submit paperwork through the usual channels which are full of bureaucratic red tape that takes a bunch of time.

The government should take control of the media reporting to make sure everyone has the same numbers.