Biden to sign order aiming for half of new vehicles to be electric by 2030  —  President Joe Biden is expected to sign an executive order Thursday setting a national goal for electric and other zero-emissions vehicles to make up half of new cars and trucks sold by 2030, senior Biden administration officials said.

In String of Wins, ‘Biden Democrats’ See a Reality Check for the Left  —  Progressives are holding their own with moderates in fights over policy.  But off-year elections suggest they need a new strategy for critiquing President Biden without seeming disloyal.

A Texas GOP leader railed against vaccines and masks.  Then he died of covid.  —  A leader of the Texas Republican Party hopped on Facebook in May to post about a “mask burning” party 900 miles away in Cincinnati.  —  “I wished I lived in the area!” wrote H Scott Apley.

CNN's Cuomo Conundrum: A Star Anchor With a Brother in Trouble  —  Chris Cuomo, the top-rated host, left some colleagues confused after he did not acknowledge the calls for Gov. Andrew Cuomo's resignation during his Tuesday show.  —  Earlier this year, CNN executives floated an idea to their star anchor Chris Cuomo.

Lawyer: Capitol Cop Who Shot Ashli Babbitt ‘Ambushed’ Her on Jan. 6 Without Warning  —  Officer identified as Lt. Michael Byrd, top, in House chamber before the Ashli Babbitt slaying in the hall.  A Capitol Police officer says Byrd wasn't following firearms training.  (See photo detail below.)

What Mike Fanone Can't Forget  —  It wasn't a cop bar; that was the point.  They weren't there to meet other cops.  They were there to meet girls.  The three police officers took seats at the wine bar in D.C.'s trendy Navy Yard neighborhood—exposed concrete walls, leather banquettes …

As Florida hospitals fill, DeSantis tries changing the subject … It was on Tuesday afternoon when President Joe Biden sent a not-so-subtle shot across the bow of two prominent Republican governors, noting that Florida and Texas alone account for one third of the nation's new COVID-19 cases.

Donald Trump wants his supporters to carry “Trump Cards.”  — Donald Trump wants his supporters to carry “Trump Cards.”  — The Trump camp sent an email on August 4 asking supporters to choose their favorite design.  — The cards come emblazoned with gold lettering and bear the former president's signature.

EXCLUSIVE U.S. developing plan to require foreign visitors to be vaccinated -official  —  The Biden administration is developing a plan to require nearly all foreign visitors to the United States to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as part of eventually lifting travel restrictions that bar …

They Were Accused of Wearing Blackface.  Now They're Suing Their College.  —  Last winter, students at California Lutheran University received a message from their president with disturbing news.  —  “Two racist incidents involving social-media posts by Cal Lutheran students occurred in the last week …

Biden's lawless eviction ban deals another blow to rule of law  —  A U.S. president, under severe pressure from his party's base, repeatedly denies he has the legal authority to take unilateral action his base wants him to.  Eventually, he flip-flops, taking the exact executive action …

Florida COVID update: Another hospitalization record is set  —  Florida reported 16,935 new COVID cases, 140 deaths and more than 12,000 people hospitalized in the state as of Tuesday, the third day in a row of record-breaking COVID hospitalizations as Florida hospitals temporarily suspend elective surgeries …

Mike Richards in Advanced Negotiations to Become Permanent Host of ‘Jeopardy!’  (EXCLUSIVE) … “Jeopardy!” executive producer Mike Richards is in advanced negotiations with Sony Pictures Television to become permanent host of the venerable quiz show, taking the reins of the syndicated powerhouse …

Majority of likely voters would remove Newsom from governor's office, poll finds  —  More than half of likely voters in California say they would vote to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom next month, according to a statewide survey released Wednesday.  —  The poll, conducted by SurveyUSA …

Scoop: Inside a Kamala Harris crisis dinner  —  A group of the Democratic Party's most influential women met for dinner at a home in the nation's capital last month to game out how to defend Vice President Kamala Harris and her chief of staff, Tina Flournoy, against a torrent of bad press.

Covid has shown up western democracy's childish tendencies  —  Governments are too easily sidetracked by instant gratification to see where real interests lie  —  Democracy's ultimate boast is that societies do best when people take responsibility for their lives.  Covid-19 has been putting that theory to the test.

Alarmed Louisiana Residents Turn to Vaccines in ‘Darkest Days’ of Pandemic  —  Louisiana is leading the nation in an explosion of new cases.  Hospitals are overflowing and admitting more young people than before.  But the crisis is also driving some to get vaccinated.

Mark Meadows Timeline: The Chief of Staff and Schemes to Overturn 2020 Election  —  Former White House chief of staff, Mark Meadows, was directly involved at major intersections of President Donald Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.  What follows is a detailed timeline of all the publicly available information.

Defense Secretary Austin expected to make Covid-19 vaccine mandatory for active duty troops  —  Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is expected to seek authorization to make Covid-19 vaccines mandatory for all active duty troops as soon as this week, following President Joe Biden's directive …

Feds Arrest ‘George Washington’ In Jan. 6 Case Using Phone Tracking, Facial Recognition  —  The FBI arrested Missouri's Isaac Yoder, who admitted to entering the U.S. Capitol during the deadly insurrection while wearing colonial attire.  —  Federal agents arrested a man on Wednesday who stormed …

Biden to offer temporary ‘safe haven’ to Hong Kong residents in U.S.  —  The United States on Thursday plans to offer a temporary “safe haven” to thousands of Hong Kong residents, a senior administration official told Reuters, allowing them to extend their stay in the country in response …

Vaccine Hesitancy Among Fox News Viewers Hits All-Time Low After Network Promotes The Jab, Poll Finds  —  The percentage of Fox News viewers who say they are hesitant to get the coronavirus vaccine dropped to an all-time low after the network's top personalities promoted the jab, a Morning Consult poll published Wednesday found.