Inland Empire

California Republicans on Wednesday seized on a bungled Democratic attempt to link the proposed recall of Gov. Gavin Newsom to the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, depicting it as a dangerous act of desperation by the Democrats and fresh evidence that the governor needs to go.

California lifted a stay-at-home order in the 13-county Sacramento region on Tuesday as hospital conditions improved, a rare turn of good news as the state pushes through what Gov. Gavin Newsom called “its most intense surge” of the coronavirus. The order imposed Dec. 10 banned gatherings outside a household and shuttered or restricted many businesses. With virus cases and hospitalizations more stable now, the region can resume outdoor dining and worship services, reopen hair and nail salons and other businesses, and increase capacity at retailers Gatherings of up to three households are allowed.

Los Angeles County will stop using Curative COVID-19 tests at pop-up testing sites after a U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory to patients and health care providers that the test could produce false negatives.

Several gorillas at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park have tested positive for the coronavirus in what is believed to be the first known cases among such primates in the United States and possibly the world.

As demonstrators swarmed the U.S. Capitol, Congress was forced to abruptly halt deliberations Wednesday over Republican challenges to Joe Biden’s presidential victory.