Gov. Jay Inslee has issued new guidance for continuing religious gatherings as various Washington state counties move ahead with phased reopening.

As of Wednesday afternoon, 24 counties have been approved to move into the second phase of reopening, which allows certain establishments to resume in-person services with social distancing precautions in place.

State officials are still urging faith-based organizations to continue hosting remote services to the extent possible, citing the potential for the coronavirus to spread to dozens within a single service.

The city attorney of Los Angeles announced Wednesday that his office is suing Wellness Matrix Group for allegedly engaging in a "fraudulent scheme" related to the COVID-19 pandemic that was both "sophisticated" and "wide ranging."

A group of House Democrats introduced a bill Wednesday that would push back major deadlines for the 2020 census as requested by the U.S. Census Bureau because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The U.S. death toll from COVID-19 has reached a somber milestone: As of Wednesday afternoon, the highly infectious viral disease has taken more than 100,000 lives nationwide.