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The U.S. and U.K. will help Australia acquire nuclear-powered submarines as part of a historic trilateral security partnership announced Wednesday afternoon by the leaders of the three countries.

Why it matters: The partnership, known as AUKUS, is a major strategic pact that will bind the U.S. and U.K. to Australia's security for generations — and a warning to China as the Biden administration continues to lay the groundwork for countering Beijing in the Indo-Pacific and beyond.

President Biden on Wednesday expressed "great confidence" in Joint Chiefs Chairman Mark Milley after a new book said the general secretly assured his Chinese counterpart that President Trump had no plans to launch an attack.

The big picture: Details emerged that Milley told his Chinese counterpart that if Trump did decide to attack, Milley would give him a heads-up, Axios' Jonathan Swan reports.

FBI director Christopher Wray on Wednesday apologized to U.S. gymnasts abused by Olympic Team USA gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar for agency's mishandling of the investigation.

Driving the news: Wray made the comments after four gymnasts — McKayla Maroney, Simone Biles, Aly Raisman and Maggie Nichols — testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee and detailed how the FBI mishandled their reports.

A spokesperson for Joint Chiefs Chairman Mark Milley confirmed on Wednesday that "in order to maintain strategic stability" in the final days of Donald Trump's presidency, Milley reassured his Chinese counterpart that the U.S. would not launch a surprise attack.

Driving the news: Newly released excerpts from "Peril" by Bob Woodward and Robert Costa — detailing secret moves by the nation's highest-ranking military officers to manage national security risks that Milley perceived Trump posed in the final days of his presidency — are driving questions about whether Milley went too far, Axios' Jonathan Swan writes.

The number of states where at least 35% of residents are obese has nearly doubled since 2018, according to data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Driving the news: Obesity rates in 16 states have now reached levels considered high by the CDC. That is up from 12 states in 2019 and nine in 2018.

Republican lawmakers in more than half of U.S. states have weakened state or local officials' authority to implement policies to protect the public against the coronavirus and other infectious diseases, AP and Kaiser Health News report.

The big picture: Since the coronavirus pandemic began, lawmakers in all 50 states have introduced bills to curb state and local officials' public health authority, a KHN review found.

After about six months of training and preparation, the Inspiration4 crew is set to launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Wednesday evening.

Why it matters: This first all-civilian flight to orbit will act as a proof of concept for SpaceX and the broader private spaceflight industry, which wants to send many more people to space in the coming years and decades.

When Joint Chiefs Chairman Mark Milley goes before Congress on Sept. 28, he may face some of the most hostile questioning of any modern four-star general.

Driving the news: Newly released excerpts from "Peril" by Bob Woodward and Robert Costa — detailing secret moves by the nation's highest-ranking military officers to manage national security risks that he perceived Donald Trump posed in the final days of his presidency — are driving questions about whether Milley went too far. 

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) defeated a Republican-backed effort to remove him, AP projected on Tuesday night.

Why it matters, via Axios' Margaret Talev: Tuesday's results highlight the limits of Republicans trying to use Trump tactics in a deeply Democratic state.

Recent data suggests that Moderna's coronavirus vaccine may maintain a higher effectiveness over time than Pfizer's.

Why it matters: The effectiveness gap could always disappear with more data, and both vaccines remain very effective against severe disease. But if the gap does hold up, it raises questions about whether the two vaccines should be treated the same way policy-wise.

North Korea fired "two ballistic missiles" into the sea from off its east coast on Wednesday, South Korea's military said, per Yonhap news agency.

Why it matters: The launch further escalates tensions in the region, two days after Pyongyang claimed to have fired new long-range cruise missiles that it described as "a strategic weapon of great significance."

Southwest Louisiana faces a "high risk" of flash flooding from Tropical Depression Nicholas on Wednesday morning, the National Weather Service warned.

Why it matters: Such "high risk" outlooks are rarely issued anywhere in the U.S. There's also a medium risk of flash-flooding in New Orleans, which is still reeling from Hurricane Ida striking the state last month.

The Department of Justice submitted an emergency motion late Tuesday seeking a temporary restraining order or preliminary injunction on Texas' ban on abortions after six weeks.

Why it matters: The action marks an escalation by the Biden administration in its challenge on the constitutionality of the GOP-led state's restrictive new law, after the DOJ filed a lawsuit last week following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision, in a 5-4 vote, to allow the ban to remain in place.

Facing scrutiny from a Senate panel Tuesday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken admitted that he doesn't know if the U.S. mistakenly targeted an aid worker in a drone strike in Kabul that reportedly killed 10 Afghan civilians.

Driving the news: The U.S. is still investigating the strike, and maintains it "was taken to prevent an imminent threat to the airport," Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby said in a statement Tuesday. "We do work very hard to avoid civilian casualties, and we would be deeply saddened by any loss of innocent life.”

Some Senate Democrats are urging President Biden to reappoint Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell for a second term, suggesting that replacing him could erode the independence of the institution.

Why it matters: Public support from centrist Democrats has the potential to cinch reappointment for a figure credited with helping the country navigate the huge economic hit of the coronavirus pandemic. Powell's just completing what some termed a summer audition.

The Biden administration plans to unveil a private refugee sponsorship program next year, allowing private organizations and groups to financially support refugees — including Afghans.

Why it matters: U.S. companies and individuals have already expressed an eagerness to donate, volunteer and help rescue vulnerable Afghans. The administration's new plan will build on that, creating a whole new way for Americans to help address a burgeoning refugee crisis, Axios has learned.