The House will continue consideration of Homeland Security appropriations.  The Senate will consider an excise tax and a motion to proceed on the farm bill.

Coast Guard Reauthorization Approved by House Panel. The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee approved by voice vote an amended Coast Guard reauthorization bill (HR 5887) that would require a report to Congress on a business-case analysis for reactivating and extending the usage of the Coast Guard's Polar Sea icebreaker ship before another one is commissioned. Congressional Quarterly

NOAA Administrator Dr. Lubchenco Names New Deputy Under Secretary for Operations. It gives me great pleasure to announce Rear Admiral David Titley as the next Deputy Under Secretary for Operations (DUS/O) at NOAA. As NOAA's Chief Operating Officer, Dr. Titley will be responsible for managing operations across NOAA's entire portfolio and will serve as one of my key advisors on NOAA program and policy issues. Dr. Titley brings to this position a wealth of knowledge and experience in leading large, complex organizations and directing major operations around the world. A naval officer since 1980, Rear Admiral Titley's distinguished career has included seven deployments to the Mediterranean Sea, Indian Ocean, and Western Pacific region and multiple commands (Fleet Numerical Meteorological and Oceanographic Center, Naval Oceanography Operations Command, and Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command). Shore tours include serving on the staff of the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy and as the senior military assistant to the director of Net Assessment in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. NOAA

White House Outlines Objections to House Homeland Security Spending Bill. The Obama administration continued its trend of issuing veto threats for House spending bills, saying on Wednesday that it opposes the top-line funding level in the fiscal 2013 Homeland Security appropriations measure along with several specific provisions. A statement from the White House focused on the fact that the measure (HR 5855), which the House began considering Wednesday, goes below the spending levels set by last year's debt agreement (PL-112-25) - a complaint the administration has reiterated about all House appropriation bills this year. Congressional Quarterly

Arctic Ice Melt is Setting Stage for Severe Winters. The dramatic melt-off of Arctic sea ice due to climate change is hitting closer to home than millions of Americans might think. That's because melting Arctic sea ice can trigger a domino effect leading to increased odds of severe winter weather outbreaks in the Northern Hemisphere's middle latitudes -- think the "Snowmageddon" storm that hamstrung Washington, D.C., during February 2010. Science Daily

Bering Sea Ice Remains Extensive, Sets Another Record. Melt season has ramped up across the Arctic Ocean, with the polar pack losing an area almost the size of Alaska during the month of May, according to the latest analysis posted by the National Snow and Ice Data Center. "After reaching near-average levels in late April, sea ice extent declined rapidly during the early part of May," the NSIDC said. "The rest of the month saw a slower rate of decline." Alaska Dispatch

Inuit Celebrate Federal Reversal on Sale of Narwhal Tusks. Inuit hunters are celebrating the near-total reversal of a federal decision to block the export of narwhal tusks - an about-face that some Nunavut officials call a victory for traditional knowledge. "Inuit know the population of narwhals has been increasing over the years," said James Eetoolook of Nunavut Tunngavik Inc., which administers the Nunavut land claim. "Some of the (scientific) surveys were not accurate." The Canadian Press