Worldwide: Government, Public Sector

If you have been following water infrastructure construction news over the past year, you have certainly been keeping up to date on the tariffs implemented by President Donald Trump and wondering how these tariffs have affected, and will affect, the price of water infrastructure projects throughout the United States.

The Department of Defense has proposed sweeping new rules that would extend foreign ownership screening requirements beyond classified contractors to the entire defense supply chain. Under this framework, contractors and subcontractors holding DoD contracts valued above $5 million would face mandatory disclosure and mitigation obligations, fundamentally reshaping how the Pentagon manages national security risks across its industrial base.

Our Legislative & Public Policy team is pleased to provide the June 2026 edition of Capital Snapshot, which includes a monthly summary of the issues, events, and timelines driving federal policy and political decisions. This month’s edition of the Capital Snapshot contains a review of the landscape of the 119th Congress, including upcoming congressional schedules and key dates, and recently announced retirements, resignations, vacancies, and special elections

After decades of advocacy, Leonard Peltier was granted clemency on the final day of the Biden administration. The effort required an extraordinary coalition spanning Native American communities, civil rights organizations, a rock legend from the E Street Band, and even a phone call to the Vatican at three o'clock in the morning. Kevin Sharp, who served as Peltier's attorney, takes you inside this remarkable journey.

The Food and Agriculture Organization's Development Law Service is hosting a webinar to explore the emerging legal concept of Rights of Nature and its intersection with critical areas including water resources, Indigenous Peoples' rights, biodiversity, and sustainable food systems. Legal experts will provide analytical insights through case studies and examine how this evolving framework connects to FAO's mandate for environmental protection and land tenure.

A controversial legislative effort to grant coral reefs and watersheds “legal personhood” in Hawaii has been voted down by the state legislature.

Global reliance on critical minerals for emerging technologies has created a competition between nations to secure reliable supply chains for continued innovation pertinent to national security. This is necessary from a national security perspective for both partners in this agreement.

The Department of Defense has proposed sweeping new rules that would extend foreign ownership screening requirements beyond classified contractors to the entire defense supply chain. Under this framework, contractors and subcontractors holding DoD contracts valued above $5 million would face mandatory disclosure and mitigation obligations, fundamentally reshaping how the Pentagon manages national security risks across its industrial base.

On May 20, 2026, the Justice Department unsealed a superseding indictment against Cuba’s Raúl Castro and five co-defendants for the 1996 shoot-down of two unarmed civilian aircraft over international waters...

On May 20, 2026, the Justice Department unsealed a superseding indictment against Cuba’s Raúl Castro and five co-defendants for the 1996 shoot-down of two unarmed civilian aircraft over international waters...

The Sanctions Update is compiled by Steptoe’s International Trade and Regulatory Compliance team and Steptoe’s Strategic Risk team.

Former Treasury official Anna Morris discusses the evolution of US counterterrorism and sanctions policy, examining what strategies have succeeded and failed in the war on terror. The conversation explores how sanctions continue to shape American foreign policy objectives and the changing landscape of terrorist financing enforcement.