With the rapid and exponential advancement of modern technology, there is a corresponding increase in demand for the foundational raw materials that enable such progress. Contemporary innovations, including electric vehicles,...more
On August 13, 2025, President Trump signed an Executive Order (EO) that is poised to dramatically reshape the regulatory landscape for the U.S. commercial space industry. Titled “Enabling Competition in the Commercial Space...more
There have been more changes to the National Environmental Policy Act (“NEPA”) and its implementing regulations in the past nine months than perhaps at any point since NEPA was signed into law by President Nixon on January 1,...more
On August 1, 2025, the Senate approved Brian Nesvik, President Trump’s nominee for Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service). The Service shares responsibility for administering the Endangered Species Act of...more
As part of our ongoing monitoring of international and domestic legal developments, this article provides an update on the International Seabed Authority’s (“ISA”) Council Part II of the 30th Session and the National Oceanic...more
Good Afternoon! It’s been a busy couple of weeks in the orbit of Washington. President Trump nominated a new NASA Administrator, and the “Big Beautiful Bill” gave Space Force a big budget bump. Meanwhile, scientists and the...more
Hurricane season is officially underway, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is predicting an above-normal season. Hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, and the agency is estimating...more
On May 15, 2025, the FERC’s Office of Energy Policy and Innovation, in coordination with the Office of Electric Reliability, released their 2025 Summer Energy Market and Electric Reliability Assessment, highlighting key...more
As global demand for critical minerals intensifies — driven by the energy transition, technological innovation, and geopolitical competition — deep-sea mining has emerged as a potential frontier in resource development. At...more
President Donald Trump on April 24, 2025, issued an executive order, "Unleashing America's Offshore Critical Minerals and Resources" (the EO), that aims to promote the development of offshore critical minerals in the oceans...more
The Trump administration is moving to effectively eliminate a crucial protection in the half-century-old federal Endangered Species Act by redefining a single word: harm. A proposed rule, issued this Wednesday from the U.S....more
On April 17, 2025, the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration published a notice of proposed rulemaking to rescind the definition of “harm” under the Endangered Species Act...more
Space has become central to protecting U.S. national security interests as Americans increasingly rely on space-based services to support everyday life. As a result, the U.S. government has bolstered investment in the space...more
The 18th annual edition of the “NRD State Guide” has now been published . For nearly two decades, this Guide has provided companies, private practitioners, government officials, and researchers with a comprehensive overview...more
Good Afternoon! It has been another busy two weeks in space law and policy! SpaceX delivered a new crew (including the first Space Force Guardian in orbit) and two empty seats to the ISS. Meanwhile, back on earth, the U.S....more
June 2024 broke global records as the hottest month according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA’s) 175-year dataset. It was also the 13th month in a row of record-high temperatures, tying the...more
Good Afternoon! This is Akin’s biweekly policy newsletter on space policy and regulatory developments, providing information on major space headlines and forthcoming space-related events and hearings...more
Good morning! This is Akin’s newsletter on climate change policy and regulatory developments, providing information on major climate policy headlines from the past week and forthcoming climate-related events and hearings...more
In continuing with the Biden-Harris Administration's goal to combat plastic pollution, on July 19, 2024, the Interagency Policy Committee on Plastic Pollution and a Circular Economy (IPC)1 released a new joint strategy to...more
Severe convective storms (SCSs) occur during all seasons in the United States. According to Aon, severe convective storms have accounted for 70% of global insurance losses in recent years, and there continues to be a rise in...more
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is pressing ahead with its plan to ban Fast Ferries between the Massachusetts mainland and Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket between November 1st and May 30. I first wrote...more
Plans to build the largest new reservoir in California in 50 years have taken a significant step forward following a judge’s decision last Friday to dismiss a lawsuit filed by environmental groups challenging the adequacy of...more
Hurricane season is upon us once again, and if early forecasts are correct, it looks to be a doozy. The National Oceanographic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released their early forecast in May with predictions of eight...more
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Monday finalized tougher methane reporting standards that could increase the number of oil and gas companies that must pay fees for excess methane emissions....more
Introduction: Understanding the 2024 Hurricane Season Forecast - A much-anticipated time of year across the Atlantic coastline of North America and the Caribbean is hurricane season, which officially begins on June 1st...more