California

Los Angeles County is seeing "an explosive and very deadly surge," with an average of two COVID-19 deaths every hour, according to the county health department.

No-one was inside the building, which local media reported was owned by the Arizona Pipeline Company, but one firefighter suffered minor burn injuries.

San Diego Superior Court Judge Joel R. Wohlfeil ruled Wednesday that the two strip clubs had "done nothing to contribute to the spread of COVID."

"This stoppage in work force comes at a very crucial time during our COVID surge," said a memo sent to the nursing staff at HCA Healthcare's Riverside Community Hospital.

California health officials confirmed upwards of 53,000 infections on Tuesday, establishing a new daily record for the state as well as the country.

According to data from the county's department of health, there were at least 11,194 new COVID-19 cases reported on Tuesday. The county also reported 86 new deaths related to the novel virus.

The 43-year-old victim was found unconscious and lying on the ground at a restaurant in Watsonville with a severe head injury. Jose Figueroa Gonzalez, 30, has since been charged with manslaughter stemming from the physical altercation.

"Where we strip the devil of his hold, power and authority over peoples' lives," said a San Diego pastor after his church rebranded as a "family friendly" strip club.

In a video of the incident, posted on Twitter, the person filming is heard saying, "They're definitely adopting the Antifa model."

Court documents say the officer from Santa Ana Police Department picked up bribes while on duty, wearing his uniform and driving a marked police car.

Recent analysis shows that bigger wealthier businesses received far more PPP funds than smaller companies to help retain staff during the coronavirus pandemic.

Newsom called for a "focus on public health" when asked about the petition, which campaigners say has more than 800,000 signatures.

Some 2,500 nurses plan to walkout from Christmas Eve to January 3 amid anger over staffing rates and coronavirus safeguards, including PPE.

"These blanket lockdowns are not grounded in science," Ivanka Trump responded to video of the California restaurant standoff.

The actor protested California's pandemic guidelines by organizing a mass sing-along.

Some experts predict the state's total number of COVID-19 deaths could exceed 50,000 by early April.

The video of Nick the Greek owner Anton Van Happen asking health inspectors if they are going to pay his rent has been viewed a million times.

Adults with positive COVID-19 test results were twice as likely to have reported dining at a restaurant than were those with negative results, according to the CDC.

Brandy Vaughan, 45, was found dead on December 7 by her 9-year-old son in the family's California home.

Officers responded to a welfare check at the La Mesa home, 9 miles east of San Diego, after a family member raised concerns.

California's DoJ is seeking details on Amazon's coronavirus prevention efforts, and data on infections and deaths.

Organisers say they have collected more than half the signatures needed to get the recall on the ballot.

Reaction to the man's broadside was mixed, with some shoppers offering fist-bumps and others called for him to hush.

Elon Musk's decision to leave California for Texas is the latest departure in the stampede of major companies out of the Golden State. Many companies, including Musk's Tesla, a maker of electric cars, cite high taxes, crushing regulations and deteriorating quality of life as the reasons for leaving.

The two "states" are the latest to file an amicus brief in support of the Supreme Court lawsuit seeking to overturn the election's results in four states.

The state's total death count is projected to reach nearly 25,000 on January 1, even with "rapid vaccine rollout," according to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation.

A state of emergency was declared in Fresno, where intensive care unit beds were reported to be running out across the California county.

The aircraft carrier has been joined by other ships in an attempt to trace the individual, who was spotted in the water at about 7.30 a.m. Thursday.

Scientists do not yet know what causes the syndrome, which results in various body parts becoming inflamed, including the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, skin, eyes or the gastrointestinal organs.

Newsom's Plumpjack Group was singled out for receiving relief loans from the Small Business Administration's Paycheck Protection Program.