Axios

President Biden on Wednesday signed an executive order making sexual harassment an offense under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

Driving the news: The order will also strengthen the military’s response to domestic violence and the wrongful broadcast or distribution of intimate visual images, the White House said.

The man believed to have sold a gun to Malik Faisal Akram, the British national who held four people hostage in a Texas synagogue earlier this month, was charged with a federal firearm crime Tuesday, the Justice Department announced Wednesday.

Why it matters: It was previously unknown how Akram had procured the gun he used to carry out his act.

Anti-Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) hate crimes in San Francisco jumped 567% from 2020 to 2021, according to preliminary data released by the city's police department.

Why it matters: Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders make up over 36% of San Francisco's population, but the city and its surrounding region have seen some of the most violent attacks in the U.S. during the two-yearlong rise in anti-Asian hate.

The Biden administration on Wednesday announced the cancelation of two mine leases near Minnesota's Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness that had been renewed under former President Trump.

Why it matters: The announcement comes on the heels of a legal opinion from the Interior Department’s Office of Solicitor, which ruled that the leases, held by Twin Metals Minnesota, were "improperly renewed" by the Trump administration.

As nuclear negotiations in Vienna get closer to a decision point, the U.S. and Israel held strategic talks on Iran Wednesday led by their respective national security advisers, Israeli and U.S. officials tell me.

Why it matters: At a time when the White House’s attention is largely focused on Ukraine, the talks show Iran is still a high priority and the Biden administration thinks it's important to spend time on consultations with Israel.

Two highly accomplished Black female judges — Ketanji Brown Jackson, a judge on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals; and Leondra Kruger, a justice on the California Supreme Court — are seen as the early front-runners to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer.

The big picture: Jackson is a powerful federal judge with a record that progressives feel they can trust. Kruger was a highly regarded litigator and has carved out a reputation for working well with conservative judges.

It takes a U.S. president an average of 70 days from the date a Supreme Court seat is vacated to nominate a replacement, according to data from the Supreme Court Historical Society.

Why it matters: With news outlets reporting liberal Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer's plans to retire, Democrats will be looking to confirm President Biden's nominee with enough time to refocus the national political debate ahead of the midterms.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer responded Wednesday to reports that Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer will retire, commending his time on the bench and promising to confirm President Biden's nominated replacement "with all deliberate speed."

Why it matters: The opportunity to appoint a new Supreme Court justice will be one of the longest-lasting pieces of Biden's legacy and could energize Democrats ahead of the midterms.

Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer will retire, NBC news first reported and multiple outlets confirmed on Wednesday, giving President Biden his first — and maybe only — chance to put a stamp on the high court.

What’s next: Appointing a new Supreme Court justice will be one of the longest-lasting pieces of Biden’s legacy — and could give Democrats a jolt of energy ahead of next year's midterms.

School districts and officials nationwide are begging parents to step in, loosening requirements for substitute teachers and, in one case, asking the National Guard for help as last-ditch efforts to stay open amid the latest COVID-19 surge.

Why it matters: Substitute teachers have emerged as a vital part of schools' reopening efforts, but they are in short supply after years of being overlooked and undervalued.

Pope Francis called on parents not to condemn their children if they are gay, while speaking at his general audience session on Wednesday.

Why it matters: It's the latest display of outreach by Francis to LGBTQ people, who have traditionally been marginalized by the church.

President Biden will meet the heads of corporate giants including GM and Ford on Wednesday, part of the White House bid to salvage even a slimmed-down version of Democrats social spending and climate bill.

Driving the news: GM CEO Mary Barra and Ford CEO Jim Farley will attend, along with heads of Microsoft, Salesforce, TIAA, Siemens and other companies.

The overwhelming majority of secondary school principals experienced frequent stress last school year, according to a RAND Corporation report out Wednesday.

The big picture: The stress levels among female principals and principals of color were especially stark, with nearly 40% in these groups reporting constant job-related stress, compared to about 24% of male principals and 26% of white principals.

Third Way, the center-left think tank, is urging fellow Democrats to respond to the Capitol riot with "the size, scope, and seriousness of a presidential campaign," co-founder Matt Bennett tells me.

Driving the news: "For the first time in U.S. history, a party must mount two parallel presidential campaigns: one to win the election, and the other to prevent its theft," Bennett said, calling this "a Paul Revere moment."

Continued turmoil in Haiti is causing a growing number of Haitians to try to make it to American shores — and some advocates say the Biden administration isn't supporting this community in its time of crisis.

The big picture: Haitian-American activists in South Florida told Axios Today they feel like President Biden has gone back on campaign promises he made to the community to stand up for them.

The House has introduced its own version of a sprawling $250 billion tech bill that the Biden administration is counting on to address supply chain and chip shortage problems and strengthen U.S. technology and research.

Why it matters: Having made little headway with other key initiatives like the Build Back Better plan, Democrats are looking to iron out differences over this technology spending measure and rake up a legislative win. But they have a long way to go.

The San José City Council voted Tuesday night to require gun owners to carry liability insurance and pay an annual $25 fee per household.

Why it matters: The city in Silicon Valley, California, is the first in the U.S. to vote in favor of adopting a law "requiring gun owners to have insurance coverage for their firearms, and use fees paid by gun owners to invest in evidence-based initiatives to reduce gun harm," per a statement from San José Mayor Sam Liccardo.

LGBTQ+ Afghans have been threatened, attacked and "faced an increasingly desperate situation and grave threats to their safety" since the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan last August, per a report published Wednesday.

Details: "We spoke with LGBT Afghans who have survived gang rape, mob attacks, or have been hunted by their own family members who joined the Taliban, and they have no hope that state institutions will protect them," per a statement from study co-author J. Lester Feder.

Indigenous leaders in Canada's western province of British Columbia said Tuesday they believe they've found 93 unmarked graves near a former boarding school.

The big picture: Hundreds of mass graves have been found at the grounds of former residential schools for Indigenous children since last May, when the remains of 215 children were uncovered at one such site in B.C.

The progressive group that helped Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez stage her improbable 2018 win is narrowing its focus as it tries to elect more Democrats to pass the remaining progressive elements of President Biden's agenda.

Why it matters: The entire landscape for Justice Democrats has changed during the past two weeks.

Bashing Republican Gov. Mike DeWine for his work to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 has become a litmus test for Republican Senate candidates in Ohio vying for Donald Trump's endorsement.

Why it matters: The intra-party attacks underscore how opposition to masking and COVID mandates has snowballed into a powerful political force, not just at the federal level but also in state races.

Reps. Richard Hudson (R-N.C.) and Darin LaHood (R-Ill.) are both telling colleagues they plan to run for chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee for the 2024 cycle, people familiar with the matter tell Axios.

Why it matters: Republicans are confident they'll win the House majority back this fall, and the early jockeying to lead the caucus' fundraising apparatus is just another indicator of their optimism.

President Biden's advisers are crafting a plan to accelerate bringing potentially thousands of Afghans to the U.S. from Qatar, according to a source with direct knowledge of the administration's internal deliberations on the subject.

Why it matters: As U.S. military leaders plan for a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine, the administration is still struggling to handle the aftereffects of its chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal. One challenge: how to care for tens of thousands of displaced Afghans — many of whom helped the U.S. fight its longest war.

Federal prosecutors are looking into fake Electoral College certificates from 2020 that declared former President Trump the winner in states that President Biden actually won, deputy attorney general Lisa Monaco told CNN in an interview.

Catch up fast: In the weeks following the 2020 election, Trump allies in Georgia, Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Nevada and New Mexico sent fake electoral certificates to the National Archives, according to CNN.