The Senate will continue to work on legislation to reauthorize the Export-Import Bank. The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security is expected to mark up its appropriations bill. The House will consider several legislative items under suspension of the rules.

Putin Steps Down as United Russia Head. President-elect Vladimir Putin announced Tuesday that he is stepping down from the helm of the ruling United Russia party in favor of his protégé, President Dmitry Medvedev. The move marks the latest in a string of attempts by Putin to distance himself from a political party that is rapidly losing support and credibility. Putin, who has headed the party since he became prime minister in 2008, asked the party's top brass Tuesday to call a congress in late May to formalize the reshuffle. The Moscow News  

Do We Know Enough to Ensure Safe Arctic Drilling? [Opinion] For the oil and gas industry, the Arctic Ocean is the final frontier. Beneath the ocean floor lies an estimated 90 billion barrels of recoverable oil - about 13 per cent of the global total. As the sea ice retreats and traditional sources of hydrocarbons dwindle, the pressure to drill is becoming irresistible. It now seems inevitable that this harsh environment will be opened up to oil and gas production, which poses a big question: how much scientific research is "enough" to ensure safe drilling in the Arctic Ocean? New Scientist 

S. Korean Icebreaker to Explore Arctic Ocean. South Korea's first icebreaker will explore Canada's Arctic Ocean to check offshore permafrost regions and the sea-floor for gas hydrate reserves, the government said Tuesday. The Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs said it reached an understanding with Canada to conduct joint research in the Beaufort Sea within the North American country's exclusive economic zone (EEZ). The sea is a marginal body of water in the Arctic Ocean that lies north of the Northwest Territories and west of Canada's Arctic Islands. Yonhap News

Canadian Effort Pinpoints 142 Polluted Sites Across Country. The Canadian government has identified 142 contaminated sites where pollutants need to be contained or eliminated because of a long-term or immediate threat to human health or the environment. That's according to a CBC News analysis of information compiled by the Treasury Board, one of the departments responsible for maintaining an inventory of sites. Much of the data is available online, but CBC News obtained additional information. The 142 sites are only those that have reached step eight in a long process that federal departments and agencies must follow to assess and develop plans to clean up or contain damage posed by contaminants. Alaska Dispatch

The Arctic Imperative Summit, August 24-28, 2012. The summit will be hosted by Alaska Dispatch and will bring together leading voices in this conversation, including residents from the small villages that comprise Alaska's coastal communities, state, national and international leaders, the heads of shipping and industry, as well as international policymakers and the news media. The goal of the summit is to sharpen the focus on the policy and investment needs of Alaska's Arctic through a series of high level meetings, presentations, investor roundtables and original research. Click here.