The pandemic fueled the Newsom recall. Will vaccines help him survive?

California’s coronavirus rates are now among the nation's lowest and schools are starting to reopen with vaccinated teachers. It's good news for the state — and several weeks too late for Gov. Gavin Newsom.

The effort to oust the California Democrat coincided with the pandemic's most dire phase here. Fortuitous timing allowed recall proponents to gather hundreds of thousands of signatures as businesses and schools were closed, pandemic fatigue was deep and Californians were dying in record numbers from Covid-19.