California

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Gov. Gavin Newsom lifted stay-at-home orders across the state Monday in response to improving coronavirus conditions, a surprising move hailed by beleaguered businesses but that prompted caution from local health officials concerned the public may let down its guard.

“We’re seeing a flattening of the curve — everything that should be up is up, everything that should be down is down — case rates, positivity rates, hospitalizations, ICUs,” Newsom said at a virtual news conference.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — California on Monday became the first state to record more than 3 million known coronavirus infections.

The grim milestone, as tallied by Johns Hopkins University, wasn’t entirely unexpected in a state with 40 million residents but its speed stunning. The state only reached 2 million reported cases on Dec. 24.

The first coronavirus case in California was confirmed last Jan. 25. It took 292 days to get to 1 million infections on Nov. 11 and 44 days to top 2 million.

SAN DIEGO (AP) — President-elect Joe Biden’s decision to immediately ask Congress to offer legal status to an estimated 11 million people in the country has surprised advocates given how the issue has long divided Democrats and Republicans, even within their own parties.

Biden will announce legislation his first day in office to provide a path to citizenship for millions of immigrants in the United States illegally, according to four people briefed on his plans.

New Delhi, Jan 16 (PTI) WhatsApp has decided to delay the rollout of its new policy update to May 15 after massive criticism from users globally, including India, over concerns that data was being shared with its parent company Facebook.

The move assumes significance for users in India given that the country is among the biggest markets for WhatsApp with over 400 million users.

In a blog post, WhatsApp said it is moving back the date on which people will be asked to review and accept the terms.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — More Californians than ever are dying from the coronavirus -- a knee-bucking 525 every day — and with the number expected to keep climbing state officials said Friday they are sending more refrigerated trailers to act as makeshift morgues for overwhelmed county coroner’s offices.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The coronavirus death toll in California reached 30,000 on Monday, another staggering milestone as the nation’s most populous state endures the worst surge of the nearly yearlong pandemic.

Newly confirmed infections are rising at a dizzying rate of more than a quarter-million a week and during the weekend a record 1,163 deaths were reported. Los Angeles County is one of the epicenters and health officials there are telling residents to wear a mask even when at home if they go outside regularly and live with someone elderly or otherwise at high risk.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — California health authorities reported Saturday a record one-day total of 695 coronavirus deaths as many hospitals strain under unprecedented caseloads.

California’s death toll since the start of the pandemic rose to 29,233, according to the state Department of Public Health’s website.

Meanwhile, hospitalizations are nearly 22,000, and state models project the number could reach 30,000 by Feb 1.

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Supporters of President Donald Trump clashed with counter-protesters in San Diego on Saturday, prompting police to declare the gathering an unlawful assembly because of acts of violence.

Officers were hit with rocks, bottles and eggs, police said, and the crowd directed pepper spray at them.

KSWB-TV tweeted video of counter demonstrators, most of them dressed in black and waving an antifa flag, throwing a folding chair and spraying a chemical irritant at a smaller group of people participating in the march on the Pacific Beach boardwalk.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles will continue using a coronavirus test that federal regulators warned may produce false results while Congress, which has used the same test, is seeking an alternative.

Los Angeles, Jan 8 (PTI) Hollywood star George Clooney has condemned the attack on the Capitol Hill in the US by thousands of supporters of Donald Trump saying that the president's name will now forever be associated with "insurrection".

According to The Hollywood Reporter, during an appearance on the The Business weekly podcast, "The Midnight Sky" star said it was "devastating" to watch the people's house being "desecrated".