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Soldier Field (CHICAGO) —As the American and German players filed out of their locker rooms toward the buses following Saturday’s exhibition match, the air of excitement was impossible to ignore. Next stop for both teams?The 2026 FIFA World Cup. For the United States men’s national team, this moment has been eight years in the making. The USA was awarded co-hosting rights, along with neighbors Canada and Mexico, just months after the Stars and Stripes’ epic failure to qualify for the 2018 tournament. A new generation of players responded by reaching Qatar 2022, where they fielded the youngest lineup in the competition and still reached the knockout stage. Now in their prime and employed by some of soccer's marquee clubs, they’re aiming to make history on home soil. "Excited to get going, man," heart and soul U.S. midfielder Tyler Adams told the gaggle of reporters after Mauricio Pochettino’s team lost 2-1 to the four-time world champions on Leroy Sané’s second-half goal. "Now it's down to business." Or, more accurately: the business of winning games. And that begins when USA next take the pitch for the real deal on Friday against Paraguay in its World Cup opening match in Los Angeles. Pochettino’s team performed wellagainst Germany in both sides’ final pre-World Cup warm-up. They outshot and out-possessed FIFA’s 10th ranked team, and even dominated the star-studded Die Mannschaft for long stretches — a feat made more impressive considering they trailed less than two minutes after kickoff on Kai Havertz's goal. "We can take a lot of positives," said veteran left back Antonee "Jedi" Robinson, whose stunning volley pulled the hosts level before halftime. "Conceding that early, we could have easily crumbled, and it could have been a very, very bad day to be going into the tournament with. "But we fought back, and at times played some really good football, and looked good, looked competitive…we've still got time to shore up a few mistakes that we've made going into the first game." Mistakes are often fatal at the highest level. And as encouraging as the Americans' response and overall performance was,they still lost the game. Winning is a habit. At the World Cup, there is no such thing as a moral victory. The U.S. players know that as well as anyone. Opening the tournament with a victory over the Paraguayans on Friday is imperative, even though the new 48-team format is more forgiving than the previous editions; 32 countries will now qualify for the knockout stage,including eight third-place finishers across the 12 four-team groups. As one of the dozen No. 1 seeds — a privilege automatically afforded to the three hosts — the U.S. has a manageable path to the second round, with Australia and Türkiye rounding out Group D. Those games won’t be easy, but the U.S. is favored to advance. After that, though, a true world power could await. Christian Pulisic and the USA in action against Germany. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) "We’re gonna face teams like this in the World Cup," star forward Christian Pulisic said after the Germany match. "We have to be ready to compete with some of the best, and yeah, we've had good performances, but we still want to win these games." Being able to focus solely on the World Cup now should help. The U.S. delegation flew directly to Irvine, California on Saturday night and will remain there until jetting to Seattle ahead of playing Australia on June 19. The first and final group game against Türkiye will then be back in Los Angeles. That’s a far cry from the USA’s recent itinerary. Pochettino’s 26-man roster was introduced in New York City on May 26. Over the next 11 days, they traveled to Atlanta, Charlotte, back to Atlanta, Chicago and finally onto Irvine. "It'll be nice to just get in one place and be able to settle in, try and minimize the travel as much as possible," Adams said. "We've been in a million different places, a million different facilities, in and out." Now that they’re on the ground, what’s the plan? "Watch the film, obviously, and get the little details right," Pulisic said. "[We’ll] keep working as a team, and we think that we can do it when it really matters." USA Starting XI Player Ratings vs. Germany: Americans Lose Final World Cup Tune-Up Lalas: Matt Freese Needs To 'Step Up His Game' After 'Letdown' vs. Germany 4 Takeaways From USA's 2-1 Loss To Germany In World Cup Send-Off

'Fox & Friends' hosts dissect the Los Angeles mayoral primary results. They express concern that, despite rising crime, homelessness and educational failures, voters are not electing change. Spencer Pratt's journeyfrom reality television villainto Los Angeles mayoral contender has taken another unexpected turn as the former reality star appears positioned to face incumbent Mayor Karen Bass in a runoff election. Bass, who has served as mayor since 2022 and faced scrutiny over her handling of the devastating LA fires, advanced to a runoff after no candidate secured more than 50% of the vote in Tuesday's primary. The top two vote-getters will now compete in November. Pratt, who is best known for starring on MTV's "The Hills" and has never previously run for political office, is running in second place ahead of LA Councilmember Nithya Raman. SPENCER PRATT SURGES TO RUNOFF IN LA MAYOR'S RACE AFTER ANGRY VOTERS SEND MESSAGE TO KAREN BASS "God wanted five more months of me exposing all the failures of our mayor," Pratt said while speaking with reporters outside his election watch party on Tuesday night. Former reality TV star Spencer Pratt appears poised to challenge incumbent Mayor Karen Bass in the November runoff.(HIGHFIVE/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images;Ronaldo Bolaños / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) "So, it's going to be a fun ride," he continued. "I hope she's ready." When asked if he was ready, Pratt responded, "I mean, I was born for this, clearly." Pratt's mayoral bid was initially met with widespread skepticism, with many observers viewing the TV personality as a long-shot celebrity candidate. LA BUSINESS LEADER SAYS CRIME, WILDFIRE FALLOUT FUELING PRATT SURGE AS VOTERS SEEK CHANGE: 'PEOPLE ARE ANGRY' However, as hiscampaign gained traction online, attracted support from high-profile figures and tapped into voter frustration over issues such as public safety, homelessness and wildfire recovery, perceptions began to shift, and national media outlets started treating his candidacy as a serious political effort. In recent weeks, Pratt's unlikely candidacy has continued to gain traction due to several viral campaign ads andwidely praised debate performanceagainst Bass and Raman. From reality television fame and viral social media stardom to his surprisingly competitive mayoral campaign, Pratt has reinvented himself more than once. Now, as he looks poised for a showdown with Bass for the leadership of LA, here's what to know about Pratt. SPENCER PRATT'S SISTER NOW BACKS HIS LA MAYOR CAMPAIGN, MONTHS AFTER SAYING HE DOESN'T BELONG IN THE GOVERNMENT As a lifelong Angeleno, Pratt has argued that his experiences growing up in the city have shaped his understanding of its most pressing challenges.(Gilbert Flores/Penske Media via Getty Images) Throughout his campaign, Pratt has highlighted his LA roots, arguing that he has firsthand knowledge of the challenges facing the city and its residents. Born and raised in LA, Pratt is the son of dentist William "Skip" Pratt and Janet Pratt. He grew up alongside younger sister Stephanie Pratt, who also found fame on "The Hills," and has an older half-sister, Kristin, from his mother's previous marriage. SPENCER PRATT FACES HARSH FAMILY OPPOSITION IN LA MAYORAL BID DESPITE GROWING COMMUNITY SUPPORT Pratt attended the Crossroads School for Arts & Sciences in Santa Monica, a private high school known for its many famous alumni, includingGwyneth Paltrow, Kate Hudson, Jack Black and others. "The Hills" stars Brody Jenner and Whitney Port also attended Crossroads alongside Pratt and Stephanie. In February, Stephanie slammed Pratt's mayoral run, claiming a vote for him was a "vote for stupidity." Last week, Stephanie revealed that she was now supporting her brother’s campaign. "I admit I was the first person to tell people that they were idiots if they voted for my brother," Stephanie toldVanity Fairin an email related to a profile on him. "Wow, was I wrong? He has spent every day since the fires finding the facts, the mistakes, the negligence and uncovering the truth that they never wanted us to know." Supporters, including Pratt's lifelong friend and "The Hills" co-star Brody Jenner, have pointed to his political science degree from USC.(Kevin Mazur/WireImage) Long before launching a mayoral campaign, Pratt earned a bachelor's degree in political science from theUniversity of Southern California(USC) in LA. After graduating from high school, Pratt enrolled as a political science major at USC in 2003. Pratt left college to pursue television projects which led to his career in reality TV. In 2011, he enrolled again at USC to finish his degree and graduated in 2014. Pratt's supporters, including Brody, have previously pointed to Pratt's degree when critics dismissed him as "just a reality star." Pratt rose to fame after he began dating Heidi Montag and joined "The Hills."(Michael Tran/WireImage) Pratt's reality television career began in 2005 with Fox's short-lived series "The Princes of Malibu," a series he co-created and executive produced that followed Brody and his brother Brandon Jenner's lives in Malibu. Brody and Brandon's mother, songwriter and actress Linda Thompson, and their stepfather at the time, Grammy Award-winning musician David Foster, also starred. In May, Foster and his wifeKatharine McPheehosted an exclusive, star-studded fundraiser at their Brentwood Park home for Pratt's mayoral run. Pratt also made appearances in "The Princes of Malibu," which was canceled after one season. He later became a household name after he began dating "The Hills" star Heidi Montag in 2006. At the time, Montag was starring alongside Port, Lauren Conrad and Audrina Patridge in the show, which premiered in May 2006. Pratt joined "The Hills" during its second season in 2007, where the couple's relationship quickly became central to the show’sdrama. Pratt, who has previously spoken out about how he carefully cultivated his "villainous" TV persona for attention, quickly became a disruptive presence, oftenclashing with Conrad and theexisting friend group. While appearing on the show, Pratt and Montag teamed up to become the reality TV power couple known as "Speidi." The duo established themselves as fixtures of the tabloid era known for staging paparazzi photos, fueling feuds and embracing the attention that came with being reality television’s most famous pair. Pratt and Montag teamed up to become the cultural phenomenon known as "Speidi."(Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic) By the late 2000s, the couple's fame reached its peak. Pratt and Montag married in 2008 and held a televised ceremony the following year that aired on "The Hills." After "The Hills" ended in 2010, the duo faced financial hardship as their income began to dwindle, and they struggled to maintain their celebrity status. After blowing through their $10 million reality TV fortune, the couple downsized significantly and moved in with Pratt's parents at one point as they tried to rebuild their lives. The two continued to pursue opportunities in reality television, appearing on shows including "I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!," "Marriage Boot Camp" and the U.K.'s "Celebrity Big Brother." Pratt and Montag made their full-time return to reality TV when they starred in "The Hills" revival series "The Hills: New Beginnings" from 2019 to 2021. The couple's first son, Gunner, who they welcomed in 2017, appeared on the show, reflecting a reinvention that saw Pratt and Montag move away from their former reality TV personas and toward a more grounded, family-oriented life. SPENCER PRATT SHARES HEARTBREAKING MOTHER'S DAY TRIBUTE TO HEIDI MONTAG FROM THEIR FIRE-DESTROYED LA HOME In 2022, Montag gave birth to their second son, Ryker. Pratt announced his candidacy for mayor of Los Angeles at a rally in Pacific Palisades on the one-year anniversary of the Palisades Fire, which destroyed thousands of homes, including his own.(Backgrid) In January 2025, Pratt and Montag lost their Pacific Palisades home in the devastating California fires, which destroyed more than 16,200 buildings. Days after the fire, Pratt asked fans of the couple for their help. CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES: HEIDI MONTAG SKYROCKETS TO NO. 1 ON ITUNES AFTER LOSING PACIFIC PALISADES HOME In an effort to support the pair, fans catapulted Montag's 2010 debut album, "Superficial," which was initially a commercial flop, to thetop of the iTunes charts,where it secured the No. 1 spot for both song and album. The experience marked a personal turning point, shifting public perception of Pratt and Montag from former tabloid fixtures to a family navigating real hardship. The tragedy also transformed Pratt into one of Bass' most vocal critics and ultimately helped propel him into politics. SPENCER PRATT ENLISTS SEN. RICK SCOTT FOR FEDERAL INVESTIGATION INTO CALIFORNIA WILDFIRE RESPONSE Following the fires, Pratt, whose parents also lost their home, led a social media crusade against California leadership he hasaccused of mismanagement, corruptionand "criminal negligence" in their response to the disaster. In August 2025, Pratt traveled to Washington, D.C., tomeet with federal officials, including former U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi. Pratt has highlighted his status as an outsider challenging the status quo.(Roy Rochlin/Getty Images) SPENCER PRATT ANNOUNCES LA MAYOR RUN ON ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF PALISADES FIRE THAT DESTROYED HIS HOME Pratt announced that he wasrunning for mayor of LAat a "They Let Us Burn!" protest in the Pacific Palisades near the remains of his home Jan. 7, the one-year anniversary of the LA fires. From the start of his campaign, Pratt has positioned himself as anoutsider candidate challenging city halland establishment politicians. "The system in Los Angeles isn’t struggling; it’s fundamentally broken," Pratt said while announcing his mayoral run, according to US Weekly. "It is a machine designed to protect the people at the top and the friends they exchange favors with while the rest of us drown in toxic smoke and ash," he continued. "Business as usual is a death sentence for Los Angeles, and I’m done waiting for someone to take real action. That's why I am running for mayor. "But let me be clear. This just isn't a campaign," Pratt added, via the BBC. "This is a mission, and we are going to expose the system. "We are going into every dark corner of LA politics and disinfecting the city with our light." WHY SPENCER PRATT’S LOS ANGELES CAMPAIGN HAS AMERICA PAYING ATTENTION Pratt's campaign has turned into a national political spectacle.(Highfive/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images) Despite lacking traditional political experience, Pratt emerged as one of the most talked-about candidates in the race. The former reality star's mayoral bid has attracted national attention, earning coverage from major political and entertainment outlets as he emerged as an unexpectedly competitive challenger to Bass. THE CELEB ENDORSEMENTS BOOSTING SPENCER PRATT'S CHANCES OF BECOMING THE NEXT LA MAYOR Pratt's celebrity status, viral social media strategy and outsider message have helped turn what was expected to be a relatively routine LA mayoral race into a national political spectacle. His campaign has also gained additional attention as celebrities have spoken out about their views on his candidacy. In the months since Pratt launched his campaign, his run for mayor has become a Hollywood flashpoint, as celebrities rally behind the former reality star while others openly push back. Paris Hilton, Dennis Quaid, Joe Rogan, James Woods, Jamie Kennedy, Billy Bush, Adam Carolla and Joanna Krupa are among Pratt's supporters, as well as several of his former "The Hills" co-stars: Brody, Audrina Patridge and Kristin Cavallari. Oscar-winning producer Brian Grazer attendedFoster and McPhee's fundraiserfor Pratt while Los Angeles Lakers owner Jeanie Buss donated the maximum allowed amount to his campaign. Celebrities who have expressed opposition to Pratt's run includeJimmy Kimmel, Drew Carey, Jane Fonda, Chelsea Handler, Lisa Rinna and Yvette Nicole Brown. The candidate has emphasized his focus on quality of life issues in LA.(MEGA/GC Images) Pratt has centered his mayoral campaign on a series of quality-of-life issues that he argues have been neglected by city leaders. Pratt has emphasized issues such ashomelessness, public safety, wildfire responseand infrastructure. Public safetyhas emerged as one of the cornerstones of Pratt's platform. He has called for increased funding for the Los Angeles Police Department and stronger enforcement against crimes. SPENCER PRATT SEIZES ON HOMELESSNESS REMARKS BY KAREN BASS, BLASTS DEMOCRAT FOR FAILURES Pratt has also focused heavily on homelessness. The candidate has criticized the city's handling of the homelessness crisis and advocated for a more effective approach to addressing encampments and connecting people with services. He also made disaster readiness a key campaign issue, calling for stronger emergency planning, infrastructure improvements andwildfire preventionefforts across Los Angeles. In addition, Pratt has highlightedinfrastructure concerns, including road conditions, traffic congestion and city maintenance. SPENCER PRATT REVEALS THE ONE MAJOR ISSUE MADE HIM DECIDE TO RUN AS A REPUBLICAN Pratt has rejected political labels and emphasized that the mayor's race is nonpartisan.(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times) Though Pratt is a registered Republican, he is running as an independent in the nonpartisan race and has attempted to distance himself from party politics. He has often described himself as a "community advocate" focused on local issues rather than national ideology. During an appearance onNBC News,Pratt rejected being labeled a "MAGA" candidate by Raman. He emphasized that LA mayoral elections are officially nonpartisan and that a mayor is "supposed to represent all Angelenos." TRUMP SAYS HE HOPES SPENCER PRATT DOES WELL IN LA MAYORAL RACE, BLASTS CALIFORNIA'S 'RIGGED' ELECTIONS Pratt also noted that many members of his family and people he meets on the campaign trail are Democrats. "I do not represent a party. I don’t have a campaign manager. I don’t have campaign consults. There’s no political party backing me," he said. After President Donald Trump praised Pratt last month, the former reality star explained that he wasnot seeking endorsements from politicians. "I don’t need anyone’s endorsement but mothers’. That’s who’s getting me elected," he told NBC News. "My race is a local race. I don’t care what’s going on in the national politics, in other states. I am running for a local position." Pratt has leveraged his social media following to promote his campaign directly to voters.(Getty Images; Spencer Pratt) CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER Social media has been central to Pratt's public image long before he entered politics. After "The Hills" ended, he successfully reinvented himself online in 2016 when he began cultivating a widespread following on Snapchat, sharing content about his daily life and his obsession with hummingbirds and crystals. He later became one of the platform's top personalities, winning Snapchatter of the Year at the 10th Annual Shorty Awards in 2018. Over the past decade, Pratt has continued to build his social media following across Snapchat, TikTok,Instagramand X. LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS By the time he launched his mayoral run, Pratt already had a built-in audience that he leveraged to promote his campaign directly to voters without relying solely on traditional advertising or media appearances. Instead of running traditional television or radio ads, Pratt'scampaign strategyhas focused entirely on social media and viral AI-generated videos. Pratt frequently posts videos discussing local issues, responding to critics and sharing campaign updates. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP He has also appeared in a series of campaign videos that were widely shared and made national headlines. Pratt's videos include aspoof on "The Fresh Princeof Bel-Air," a wildfire-themed spot tied to the loss of his Pacific Palisades home, and a homelessness-focused clip that highlighted conditions on city streets. In addition, Pratt has reposted grassroots, viral AI-generated videos created by social media users, including one by filmmaker Charlie Curran that depicted LA as a dystopian city in decline, with the former reality star cast asa Batman-like figure stepping into restore order. Ashley Hume is an entertainment writer for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to ashley.hume@fox.com and on Twitter: @ashleyhume

$250 million investment for clean technologies, will reduce 600 tons of emissions each year DIAMOND BAR, Calif.,June 5, 2026/PRNewswire/ -- Today, the South Coast Air Quality Management District's (South Coast AQMD) Governing Board approved nearly $250 million in funding through the INVEST CLEAN*program that will fund zero-emission goods movement projects in Southern California and Mojave Desert. The locomotive awards represent the largest funding commitment ever made for zero-emission switcher locomotives. These locomotive projects will produce the largest number of battery-electric switcher locomotives ever in the United States and the San Pedro Bay ports will have the largest number of battery electric switcher locomotives of any port. "This is a landmark investment that demonstrates our commitment towards advancing a cleaner goods movement sector," said Michael Cacciotti, South Coast AQMD Governing Board Chair. "In addition to accelerating the transition to zero-emission technologies, these projects will significantly improve air quality in communities and create jobs throughout the United States." The funding will support the deployment of at least 31 battery-electric switcher locomotives, 247 heavy duty truck charging connections, and 67 zero-emission cargo handling equipment across Southern California. The approved projects are expected to achieve significant annual emissions reductions, including approximately: In addition to reducing emissions locally, the projects are expected to support manufacturing, construction, and technology jobs throughout the United States as companies build and deploy next-generation clean transportation equipment and infrastructure. APPROVED PROJECTS Battery-Electric Switcher Locomotives Battery Electric Cargo Handling Equipment Charging Infrastructure** Deployment The University of California, Irvine will track and quantify emissions reductions to ensure accountability and measure long-term environmental benefits. BACKGROUND INVEST CLEAN aims to modernize Southern California's goods movement system by advancing zero-emission technologies across Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino Counties. The initiative is expected to create more than 44,000 green jobs nationwide and significantly reduce smog-forming and diesel pollution—supporting cleaner air and healthier communities. For more information about the awarded projects, visitExecute Contracts to Implement INVEST CLEAN Program. For additional details about the program, please visitwww.investclean.org. South Coast AQMD is the regulatory agency responsible for improving air quality for large areas of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, including the Coachella Valley. For news, air quality alerts, event updates and more, please visit us atwww.aqmd.gov, download our award-winning app, or follow us onFacebook,X(formerly known as Twitter) andInstagram. *This project has been funded wholly or in part by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under assistance agreement #5E97T15501 to South Coast Air Quality Management District. The contents of this document do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, nor does the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency endorse trade names or recommend the use of commercial products mentioned in this document, as well as any images, video, text, or other content created by generative artificial intelligence tools, nor does any such content necessarily reflect the views and policies of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. **Recommended awards is a subset of charging infrastructure applications, an additional awards will be made for the category once the remaining applications are deemed complete SOURCE SOUTH COAST AQMD

Il Prime Day di Amazon (dal 23 al 26 giugno), le promozioni di metà anno di Tik Tok (attese tra giugno e luglio) nonché più in generale l’arrivo anticipato della peak season stanno spingendo verso l’alto i noli container per le spedizioni via mare dall’Asia verso il Mediterraneo e non solo. L’ultimo aggiornamento del Drewry World Container Index mostra infatti una fiammata del 23%, con una tariffa media per l’invio di un box da 40 piedi di 3.433 dollari. A contribuire all’incremento sono gli aumenti registrati su tutte le rotte con origine in Cina. Sulla Shanghai – Genova i noli nel dettaglio hanno registrato nell’ultima settimana un aumento del 20% a 5.089 dollari, collocandosi su un livello superiore del 25% a quello di un anno prima. Più alta (+25%) la salita di quelli per spedizioni dirette dal porto cinese a Rotterdam, che tuttavia si fermano a 3.579 dollari, comunque il 26% in più rispetto alla stessa settimana del 2025. Secondo gli analisti, a spingere le tariffe sono l’anticipo delle spedizioni (in vista dell’atteso adeguamento dei costi del bunker fuel previsto dal 1° luglio), così l’avvenuta implementazione di aumenti di tipo fak (Freight All Kinds rates) e dei Peak Season Surcharges sul corridoio Asia – Europa. Incrementi di livello pari o superiori si riscontrano anche nelle tratte transpacifiche, trainati in particolari dalle spedizioni anticipate (in vista delle possibili modifiche ai dazi statunitensi attese per luglio) così dei Mondiali Fifa in programma durante l’estate negli Usa. In particolare per le spedizioni da Shanghai verso Los Angeles la crescita è stata del 31% per box a 4.565 dollari, mentre in direzione di New York questa è stata del 20%, per un costo finale del trasporto pari a 5.505 dollari. Molto meno mossi invece gli andamenti dei prezzi del trasporto riscontrati sulle tratte transatlantiche, con i noli delle spedizioni Rotterdam – New York in aumento del 5% a 2.560 dollari e quelli in direzione inversa quasi stabili (-1%) a 966 dollari. Quanto alle prossime settimane, Drewry ha spiegato di attendersi ulteriori rialzi per entrambi i corridoi di export dalla Cina, verso America ed Europa. ISCRIVITI ALLA NEWSLETTER QUOTIDIANA GRATUITA DI SHIPPING ITALY SHIPPING ITALY E’ ANCHE SU WHATSAPP: BASTA CLICCARE QUI PER ISCRIVERSI AL CANALE ED ESSERE SEMPRE AGGIORNATI

Covenant Logistics, one of the largest trucking companies in the US with a fleet of over 2,600 tractors, completed a two-week evaluation of the Tesla Semi in California — including a loaded run over the notorious Grapevine pass on I-5. The company’s VP of Sustainability and Innovation, Matt McLelland, said the driver “was amazed at the performance of the Tesla Semi and felt a level of confidence that was hard to match in a diesel truck.” McLelland shared the results in aLinkedIn poston Sunday, revealing that Covenant had been testing the 500-mile long-range Tesla Semi with one of its larger customers in California for the past two weeks. The evaluation culminated in one of the most demanding real-world tests you could design for any truck: a loaded run over the Tejon Pass on I-5 between Santa Clarita and the San Joaquin Valley — commonly known as “the Grapevine.” The Grapevine sits at an elevation of 4,160 feet and represents the highest point on I-5 in California. It’s a critical freight corridor for trucks hauling cargo from the ports in Oakland, Los Angeles, and Long Beach. The northbound descent from Tejon Summit drops 2,613 feet over 11.6 miles, with the steepest section — the Grapevine Hill — running about 6% grade for 5 miles. If you ever go through it, you will see plenty of semi trucks in the right lane slowly climbing the hill while getting passed by lighter vehicles. McLelland described the challenge in both directions. Running northbound with a loaded trailer, losing momentum on a steep grade means speed drops fast and recovering is difficult. Running southbound requires constant attention to braking and heat management — though as McLelland pointed out, “that isn’t a problem for an EV when you’ve got regenerative braking doing most of the work.” That last point is significant. Regenerative braking on steep descents is one of the Tesla Semi’s structural advantages over diesel, the truck recovers energy instead of burning through brake pads, and there’s no risk of brake fade on long downhill stretches. For a fleet operator running the Grapevine regularly, that’s a real operational benefit. McLelland teased that a full summary of the evaluation is “coming soon.” Covenant is the latest in a growing list of major fleet operators to put the Tesla Semi through structured evaluations sinceTesla started volume production at its Nevada Gigafactory on April 29— and the feedback has been consistently positive. ArcBest logged 4,494 miles over three weeks andaveraged 1.55 kWh per mileon typical dispatch lanes. DHL Supply Chain completed a 3,000-mile trial out of Livermore, California, averaging 1.72 kWh per mile at full load, and has sincetaken delivery of its first Semi. CEVA Logistics ran a West Coast trial and reported avoiding 4.38 metric tons of CO₂ emissions.MDB Transportationand AiLO Logistics both launched three-week pilots in late April focused on port drayage operations. The consistency across different operators, routes, and cargo types is what makes this accumulating evidence compelling. These aren’t marketing partnerships — they’re procurement evaluations. Covenant Logistics Group (CVLG) reported $1.16 billion in revenue for 2025 and operates one of the larger truckload fleets in the country. A positive evaluation from a fleet of this scale carries weight in the industry. I’m looking forward to the full report here, but routes with elevation are certainly a great use case for electric trucks. Fleet adoption of new truck technology often stalls not on economics but on driver resistance. If drivers actively prefer operating the Tesla Semi over a diesel equivalent, particularly on demanding routes like the Grapevine, that removes one of the biggest friction points in transitioning a commercial fleet. Electrical trucks are much nicer for drivers. Less noise, less vibration, less toxic exhaust fumes, etc. All of that helps with fatigue and reducing long term career/life shortening health issues. Performance and torque are basically excellent in exactly the areas where diesel struggles the most (low speed, up hill, down hill). This shouldn't be news to people who follow the news around electrical trucks. The economics are basically there as well. Especially now that diesel prices are going through the roof. What resistance are we talking here about exactly? Is that a real thing? I think so far the economics in the US are a bit murky with a lot of complex incentives, tariffs, and poor availability of electrical trucks. But that should be changing rapidly. Truckers and trucking companies will figure out what works and what doesn't. Economic Darwinism will do the rest. Fleet adoption of new truck technology often stalls not on economics but on driver resistance. If drivers actively prefer operating the Tesla Semi over a diesel equivalent, particularly on demanding routes like the Grapevine, that removes one of the biggest friction points in transitioning a commercial fleet. We’ve now seen structured evaluations from ArcBest, DHL, CEVA, MDB, AiLO, and now Covenant — all with positive results. That’s a broad cross-section of the industry: long-haul, regional, and port drayage operations. TheTesla Semi’s total cost of ownership advantage over dieselis becoming harder to dismiss as more real-world data rolls in. The remaining question is production. Tesla’s Nevada factory is ramping, and the company has already landed a60-truck order from port drayage fleets. McLelland’s promise of a detailed summary “coming soon” should add even more data to the picture. At some point, the bottleneck shifts from “does the truck work” to “can Tesla build them fast enough”, and based on what fleet operators are saying, we might already be there. If you’re a fleet operator evaluating electric trucks, locking in low energy costs is critical to maximizing your savings. With electricity rates climbing nearly 10% last year, home solar protects you against future rate increases. And with lease and PPA options, you can go solar with zero upfront cost and start saving immediately. If you want to find the best deal, check outEnergySage. It’s a free service with hundreds of pre-vetted installers competing for your business, so you save 20 to 30% compared to going it alone. No sales calls until you pick an installer.Get your free quotes here. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links.More.

A spingerli verso l’alto sono la ripresa della domanda e l’introduzione di incrementi Fak I noli container dall’Asia all’Europa hanno vissuto un’altra settimana di crescita, per effetto combinato di una ripresa della domanda che sta portando a una peak season anticipata e dell’introduzione di incrementi del tipo Freight All Kinds. Lo rivela l’ultimo aggiornamento del Drewry Container Index, che stima una salita dei prezzi delle spedizioni via mare su questi corridoi anche i prossimi sette giorni. A contribuire alla crescita, saranno anche i limitati blank sailing annunciati dai carrier, al momento solo tre, a indicare una certa fiducia delle compagnie nella persistenza della domanda. Nel dettaglio, sono aumentati del 10%, sfondando la soglia dei 4mila dollari (precisamente toccando i 4.082 dollari), i costi delle spedizioni sulla tratta Shanghai – Genova dei box da 40 piedi, ora superiori del 44% a quelli di un anno prima. Ancora più spinto (+15%) l’incremento sulla rotta Shanghai – Rotterdam, con tariffe però a 2.773 dollari (il 37% in più rispetto alla stessa settimana del 2025). Questi due trend hanno caratterizzato l’ultima settimana, per il resto attraversata da movimenti più contenuti dei noli. In lieve salita (+3%) risultano quelli transatlantici in direzione ovest (con i costi di spedizione di un container da Rotterdam a New York a 2.453 dollari; in calo del 3% quelli per la tratta inversa), così come quelli per le vie transpacifiche. Nel dettaglio, sale del 2% il nolo della Shanghai – New York, che tocca quindi i 4.317 dollari restando comunque inferiore del 5% a quelli di un anno fa, mentre cresce dell’1% a 3.385 dollari quello per trasporti dallo scalo cinese a Los Angeles, risultando più alto del 6% rispetto al 2025. Nel complesso, ha concluso la sua analisi Drewry, i mercati del trasporto container si stanno consolidando,” poiché quest’anno la peak season sta arrivando prima del solito”. Le compagnie “stanno spingendo al rialzo le tariffe attraverso l’aumento dei livelli di Fak e Pss, riducendo al contempo l’offerta tramite cancellazioni di partenze e una gestione selettiva della capacità”. Nel frattempo, la crisi in Medio Oriente “ha turbato il sentiment globale del settore marittimo, con i supplementi per il carburante e l’aumento dei costi del bunker che aggiungono ulteriore incertezza e pressione al rialzo sui costi lungo tutte le rotte”. ISCRIVITI ALLA NEWSLETTER QUOTIDIANA GRATUITA DI SHIPPING ITALY SHIPPING ITALY E’ ANCHE SU WHATSAPP: BASTA CLICCARE QUI PER ISCRIVERSI AL CANALE ED ESSERE SEMPRE AGGIORNATI

I noli per il trasporto via mare di container dalla Cina all’Italia, cresciuti modestamente nelle ultime settimane nonostante la crisi mediorientale, sono schizzati verso l’alto negli ultimi sette giorni, registrando un aumento del 20% che li ha spinti a quota 3.701 dollari per un box da 40 piedi per la tratta Shanghai – Genova (il 35% in più rispetto a un anno fa). Più limitato, ma comunque a doppia cifra (+11%), l’incremento registrato sulla Shanghai – Rotterdam, dove il costo della spedizione ha toccato i 2.413 dollari (+19% sullo stesso periodo del 2025). Lo rivelano gli ultimi dati diffusi da Drewry con il suo Container Index settimanale. In particolare rispetto al corridoio Asia- Europa, la società di analisi ha detto di attendersi una peak season anticipata dato che alti livelli di prenotazioni, spazio in stiva più contratto e le disruption relative al conflitto in Medio Oriente “stanno spingendo i caricatori a spostare le merci prima del solito”. Con la ripresa della domanda, gli analisti hanno aggiunto di aspettarsi ulteriori incrementi nelle prossime settimane. Non è stato molto diverso l’andamento sulle tratte transpacifiche in uscita dalla Cina, dove hanno prodotto i loro effetti gli Emergency Fuel Surcharges (Efs) e i Peak Season Surcharges (Pss) introdotti dai carrier. In particolare sulla Shanghai – Los Angeles l’aumento è stato del 10% a 3.357 dollari, mentre dal porto cinese verso New York questo è stato del 14% a 4.252 dollari. Si tratta dell’importo più alto toccato per singola tratta nell’ultima settimana, ma è da notare che su questo corridoio il costo è ad oggi ancora inferiore (-2%) a quello raggiunto un anno fa. Sostanzialmente stabili, in leggero aumento, infine le tratte transatlantiche: la Rotterdam – New York registra un incremento del costo delle spedizioni del 2% a 2.388 dollari, mentre quella in direzione inversa sale dell’1% a 1.030 dollari. Nel complesso, dati anche alcuni contenuti incrementi sulle tratte di backhaul, l’indice composito di Drewry rileva per l’ultima settimana una crescita media dei noli del 12% a un valore finale d2.553 dollari. ISCRIVITI ALLA NEWSLETTER QUOTIDIANA GRATUITA DI SHIPPING ITALY SHIPPING ITALY E’ ANCHE SU WHATSAPP: BASTA CLICCARE QUI PER ISCRIVERSI AL CANALE ED ESSERE SEMPRE AGGIORNATI

Save Share The United States-Israel war on Iran has disrupted global supplies of energy, fertilisers, medicines and even helium, devastating economies around the world. Now it’s also threatening whales off the coast of South Africa. Fighting involving the Houthis had already turned vessels away from the Red Sea and Suez Canal since 2023. Now the rival restrictions on transit through the Strait of Hormuz, imposed by Iran and the US, have amplified that shift. But the rising volume of shipping traffic near South Africa’s coast has “substantially increased” the risks of whales being struck, researchers have warned. That’s according to a study presented this month at a meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC), which noted that South Africa’s southwestern coast is increasingly busy, affecting the area’s significant populations of whales. Traffic in the Red Sea area was initially disrupted back in November 2023, when Houthi rebels began targeting vessels sailing the area in solidarity with Palestinians amid Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. More recently, the attacks on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, which is currently blocked by Iran, have also caused shipping companies to reroute vessels from the Middle East to go around South Africa’s Cape of Good Hope. The disruptions have almost doubled the traffic in the area. At least 89 commercial vessels sailed around Southern Africa between March 1 and April 24, according to the International Monetary Fund’s PortWatch Monitor. In the same period in 2023, there were only 44 vessels. South Africa’s waters are home to more than 40 whale species. The Cape of Good Hope, the country’s southernmost tip, is known to host populations of southern right whales, humpback whales, and Bryde’s whales. There are also Orcas or killer whales, sperm whales, Minke whales, and dolphins in the area. Large super-pods of humpback whales feed in the area and travel from there on an annual migration to Antarctica. Authorities say they are the largest groups of humpbacks known on Earth. Some studies put their total numbers at between 11,000 and 13,000. Many species were threatened by commercial whaling in the 20th century. Although the southern right and humpback whales have recovered, others, such as the Antarctic Blue, Fin, and Sei whales, are still listed on the South African Red List as Endangered or Critically Endangered. Whales are directly affected by the increased traffic, as it increases their chances of being struck by a moving vehicle. “There have been videos of people on cargo vessels that were going through high densities of humpback whales,” researcher Els Vermeulen of the University of Pretoria told the AFP news agency. Vermeulen, who led the study presented at the IWC meeting, said in such cases, whales are not often aware of the danger, and could be distracted by feeding. “Obviously, their social media post was all about, ‘Wow, look how many nice whales we see,'” Vermeulen said. “My heart stopped – you know that they’re striking a couple of whales.” Fast traffic, which poses the greatest risks, has quadrupled, she added. Whales don’t yet know how to adapt to ships, Chris Johnson, the global lead of the World Wildlife Fund’s Protecting Whales and Dolphins Initiative, said. “You assume that, if you hear a loud noise, you leave. But that’s not the case with some species,” he said. For example, when Blue whales in Los Angeles hear a ship approaching, they just sink below the surface, he added. Whales are also at risk because of their behavioural changes, which some experts have attributed to climate change and other factors. The humpbacks in South Africa, for example, only started feeding off the west coast, which is growing increasingly busy, in 2011, said Ken Findlay, a blue economy consultant who contributed to the report. It has, researchers say, because of increased human activity. Vermeulen and her team had previously conducted a study on deaths among southern right whales (SRW) in the Western Cape Coast area back in November 2022, after observing increasing human activity in the area, such as fishing. They solely used data collated by government agencies. The results, published in the IWC Journal of Cetacean Research and Management, found that between 1999 and 2019, there were 11 fatal ship strikes out of a total of 97 deaths. There were another 16 ship strikes that did not clearly lead to death. While entanglement in fishing gear was the biggest cause of death, the researchers concluded that deaths from ship strikes are likely undercounted – whales hit by ships in the open seas often sink to the bottom of the ocean. Some suggestions from the report presented by Vermeulen’s team to the whaling commission proposed that even small shifts of the traffic lanes away from the coast of South Africa could reduce the risk of strikes to some whale species by 20 to 50 percent. Whale populations in other parts are also at risk and need protection. One company, the Swiss-based MSC, has already begun re-directing its ships to protect critical whale habitats, notably around Greece (Hellenic Trench) to protect sperm whales and off Sri Lanka to protect blue whales. Experts say measures like speed reduction programmes, which significantly lower the risk of lethal collisions and reduce underwater ocean noise, can help. Researchers are similarly testing if ships could be alerted to the presence of whale super pods via radio messaging or specially-designed apps. South Africa’s Environment Ministry told AFP that “all available solutions and mitigation measures will be examined” to protect the whales in the Cape of Good Hope. “Once the scientific studies and assessments have been completed, the maritime authorities will be on the front line, alongside the (ministry) to chart the way forward,” it said.

By:Carolyn KelloggMay 12, 2026 Photo courtesy of CK Aweekly seriesexploring the media “input” of a group of people — HILOBROW’s friends and contributors — whose “output” we admire. Carolyn has been a valued HILOBROW contributor since 2010. Her first post was on the topic ofRAYMOND CHANDLER. Her most recent contributions to this publication include:MAD MAX|IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE. * Albuquerque… HILOBROW:What forms of media do you “take in” the most regularly/frequently, during a typical day or week? CAROLYN KELLOGG:I am addicted to Clay Pigeon’s morning show on WFMU. It is a true radio show, driven by his own eclectic tastes, played live (although I’m catching it a bit later from the west coast). Despite the fact that the show is calledWake ‘n Bake, it’s not stoner-y, unless you count some of the 1970s bangers he mixes in. He’s the best kind of morning host, playing songs that have some momentum to start the day; a recent playlist included Lambchop, Dr. John, XTC and AFI. He also does expertly produced, silly running skits, and offbeat call-in segments that make it feel like not just a morning show but a meta-morning show. Rock on. HILOBROW:What are your reading habits? CAROLYN KELLOGG:As a longtime book critic, I have a fairly established set of habits for reading books for review. I like to finish about a week before my review is due, so it’s fresh in my mind. I read sitting in a good chair with good light and leave my phone elsewhere. If I have a long day of reading, I may move from one chair to another (woohoo!). I can read a book in a day if necessary, but I prefer to do so over a couple of days, to get some air around it in my brain. That said, I don’t like to read any other books while I’m in the midst of a book and its review (magazines and the internet are OK). Extracurricularly, I’ve been reading a lot of history books, particularly about Los Angeles and the American west. I finishedBefore L.A.: Race, Space and Municipal Power in Los Angeles, 1781–1894by David Samuel Torres-Rouff and just startedAmerica, América: A New History of the New Worldby Greg Grandin. Because history can be slow going (Grandin excepted), I try to have an additional, lighter book to turn to, pulling something unread off my shelves. Recently that’s includedCase Historiesby Kate Atkinson, which I expected to love but was kind of meh on, andGolden Daysby Carolyn See, which I expected to be meh on but loved. HILOBROW:What’s the best movie you’ve seen recently? CAROLYN KELLOGG:When I was in college, one of my roommates had the movie poster ofAguirre: Wrath of Godon his wall, burning Klaus Kinski’s face and Werner Herzog’s name into my brain. Nevertheless — or, rather, because of that — I’ve avoided much of their shared output. I’ve seen many Herzog films, but post-Kinski. I finally fixed that not withAguirre, butFitzcarraldo. Holy cow!Fitzcarraldois amazing! I know it’s hardly revelatory to discover a 1982 film in 2026, but I think it’s so good that I’d like to see it displaceApocalypse Nowon many best-of lists. It’s a brilliant late-20th-century film about a man’s folly and colonialism in a jungle where they don’t belong.Fitzcarraldo, though, also has complex ideas about art and commerce, which get as muddy as the struggling actors and extras trying to drag that steamship over the hill. I thinkFitzcarraldowasn’t recognized as the masterpiece it is when it came out. I wonder if film critics and audiences were burned out on epic grand cinema; maybe they thought more films were coming, one every three years, brilliant directors and actors driven to the brink to tell a devastating story on screen. Not so much. InFitzcarraldo, set around 1900 in Peru, Kinski’s character wants to move a steamship across a mountain to create a new way to reach a remote region. For him the goal is an opera house; for some of his backers, rubber plants. None of that is explained with much clarity — we’re dropped in the middle of a jungle with Kinski and his girlfriend Claudia Cardinale rushing to catch an opera, then socializing with the local wealthy and dissolute expats of the region. He eventually gets a boat, a huge boat, repairs it and takes it down the river, into dangerous territory. Everyone knows the project is filled with folly, but as long as there’s some money it in, or its promise, or just for a change of scene, they’re willing to go along with this crazy plan. In some ways, that is filmmaking, and maybe other ventures too; of course, when people on shore might be trying to kill you, the stakes are higher. And that’s before you even get to the mad part about moving the boat over the mountain. That sequence was shot without special effects. It is jawdropping. The film’s production was famously troubled — there are books and movies — but I haven’t explored that. I was so blown away byFitzcarraldothat I just wanted to sit with it as a work of art for a while. And start by watching it again. * MEDIA DIET series:MATTHEW BATTLES |ADRIENNE CREW|HOLLY INTERLANDI|CAROLYN KELLOGG|MARK KINGWELL|ADAM McGOVERN| CHARLIE MITCHELL | TOM NEALON |ANNIE NOCENTI| GARY PANTER |LYNN PERIL|JONATHAN PINCHERA| HEATHER QUINLAN |NICHOLAS ROMBES|CARLO ROTELLA|LUCY SANTE| SETH |MIKE WATT| JUDITH ZISSMAN |& more to come!Visit theSERIES INDEX.

Sign up forExecutive Dysfunction, a newsletter that highlights one under-the-radar story each week about how Trump is changing the law—or how the law is pushing back. You’ll also receive updates on the latest from Slate’s Jurisprudence team. While John Lewis was beaten in Selma, while Freedom Riders died registering voters in Mississippi, and while President Lyndon Johnson muscled the Voting Rights Act through Congress, the boy who would grow up to eviscerate it rode bikes through tree-lined streets steps from the shore and was cosseted in private schools in a town built for white residents only. Now that Chief Justice John Roberts has completed his decadeslong effort to undo the most successful civil rights legislation in American history, a simple question remains: Why? Is he a racist? What would lead a privileged graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School to dedicate so much of his life’s work to rolling back the victories of the Civil Rights Movement? Maybe it’s as simple as this: Roberts was raised in the 1960s amid lily-white affluence in a tiny Indiana beach town where property deeds long forbade selling homes to Black or Jewish people. As a kid, he spent little time around Black people. From childhood to adulthood, he never lived anywhere, or close to anyone, who compelled him to feel empathy for the reality that experiencing freedom, like voting, wasn’t as easy for some Americans as it was for him. The chief justice has seemingly worn blinders for life. Roberts was also a determined striver. For him, an education was always about getting the best job. This combination of isolation and ambition appears to have made him ready to embrace a trendy revanchist argument in early 1970s Republican circles: Any effort to combat racial discrimination wasitselfracial discrimination. The rising legal right wing battled civil rights by conjuring, and defending, a colorblind, race-neutral Constitution despite the country’s continuing struggle against anti-Black racism. It posited an America that never existed in place of the one that does. Back in the late 1970s and early ’80s, when this idea was nothing but the sound of calculated white resentment, a well-off young man willing to embrace such a grievance could find the doors of power swinging open wide. Thanks to Roberts, this benighted nonsense is now the law of the land. Any effort to understand Roberts’ dangerous combination of doggedness and blithe indifference must begin in ritzy Long Beach, Indiana, a wealthy enclave on the shores of Lake Michigan, home to some of the Chicago area’s wealthiest executives. His father, who helped manage the new Burns Harbor plant for Bethlehem Steel, chose to move his family half an hour northeast along the dunes rather than west where more Black Midwesterners lived. Deep into the 20thcentury, Long Beach advertised itself as a vacationland within a “highly restricted home community” where “all residents are Caucasian gentiles.” During his 2005 confirmation hearings to become chief justice, Roberts described an idyllic heartland childhood lifted from a John Cougar Mellencamp song, all “endless fields” that were “punctuated by an isolated silo or a barn.” That was the same day Roberts unveiled another bit of brilliant PR, claiming that he would be a humble judge, comparing the job with that of a baseball umpire. A young man from Indiana could really go places if he appeared right out of central casting and could rebrand colorblind racism as just calling balls and strikes. Maybe Roberts glimpsed farmland from the back seat on a drive to his exclusive prep school, but he wouldn’t have seen a barn or a John Deere combine next door to his parents’ lovely five-bedroom mock-Tudor home. There were no silos at La Lumiere, the private Catholic high school Roberts attended, an enclave within an enclave, located on a former lakefront estate. That institution was established in the early 1960s, just after the U.S. Supreme Court, under Chief Justice Earl Warren, began insisting on the enforcement of the desegregation mandate ofBrown v. Board. There would be no Black students at La Lumiere until 1970, just three years before Roberts graduated. “No one ever called me the N-word,” one Black alum, Paris Barclay (a classmate of Roberts’ who went on to direct the TV seriesSons of Anarchy),toldthe Los Angeles Times. “They were a little too sophisticated for that.” While the nation tore itself apart over civil rights and Vietnam, Roberts studied Latin and played football in a high school class of 20, working special summer jobs at Bethlehem reserved for the sons of executives that paid between $12 and $16 an hour, the equivalent of $88 to $117 an hour today. Then, at Harvard, he seemed to sidestep the debates overRoe v. Wade—although the Harvard Law Review on which Roberts worked included an article about Philip Kurland’sthen-outlier claimthat Richard Nixon should have been immune from prosecution for the crimes of Watergate, another position Roberts would make the law of the land when given the chance in response to the degradations of another criminal president five decades later. Some fellow students knew Roberts’ politics but insisted that he didn’t engage in debates about these momentous battles. “He really was very good at being thoughtful and careful and not particularly conspicuous,” said Laurence Tribe, who taught Roberts constitutional law at Harvard. “He was very lawyerly, even as a law student.” This was the moment, however, when right-wing legal circles hit upon a way to translate white resentment over affirmative action in higher education and against the landmark Voting Rights Act—little more than a decade old—into a more genteel critique over the fairness of special preferences for anyone. This strategy embraced the words of Justice John Marshall Harlan’s famous dissent inPlessy v. Ferguson—“The law takes man as man and has no regard for his color”—but twisted those words to produce the opposite result. In courtrooms, this played out in the form of trying to block consideration of the racial effects of a policy rather than focusing solely on proving an invidious racist intent. And by forcing advocates to prove something much harder—to see into a person’s heart rather than the real-life results of an action or law—the right-wing legal movement worked to apply the brakes to meaningful redress of policies that discriminated against Black people. These efforts were prominent during Roberts’ years at Harvard. In 1976, during the summer of his college graduation, the Supreme Court, helmed by Nixon appointee Warren Burger, found inWashington v. Davisthat D.C.’s police officer test—which measured standards of little relevance to the job but which was failed by Black applicants at a higher rate than white applicants—was perfectly constitutional and race-neutral. Then, in 1978, while Roberts was in law school, in a 5–4 decision inRegents of the University of California v. Bakke, the Burger court narrowly approved affirmative action in college admissions by shifting it from an effort to help the historically disadvantaged gain some measure of redress and justice to one designed to improve white institutions through the introduction of racial diversity. Tribe said that these issues “no doubt were very much in the air” when Roberts was at Harvard Law. Yet he says he still struggles to understand how Roberts could confuse the difference from using race to segregate with using it to integrate. “I only wish I had a plausible explanation,” he said. Soon after law school, Roberts took a prestigious job at the Supreme Court, working for the most right-wing justice there: William Rehnquist, who would later be appointed chief justice. Between 1958 and 1964, Rehnquist had led a brigade of white Arizona Republicans in a project called Operation Eagle Eye, which used “voter caging” tactics to harass and intimidate minority voters at the polls. But as a Nixon appointee to the nation’s highest court, Rehnquist had changed his tactics and gussied up his once explicit racism in the fancy new duds of colorblindness, the same approach he had advised Barry Goldwater to take to justify voting against the Civil Rights Act of 1964 during his failed presidential campaign. Rehnquist’s chambers, Ari Berman noted, “functioned as a federalist society before there was a Federalist Society,” as the justice and his clerks hammered out “states’ rights” positions that were proxies for defending racist policies. “Rehnquist reinforced John’s preexisting philosophies,” said Paul Smith, now a prominent liberal Supreme Court litigator who clerked that same year for Justice Lewis Powell. “John was not a believer in the courts giving rights to minorities and the downtrodden.” Roberts leveraged the connections from his clerkship into a job in President Ronald Reagan’s Department of Justice, submitting his application on Supreme Court letterhead and dropping Rehnquist’s name as a reference. Rehnquist himself called Ken Starr, the new chief of staff for the new attorney general, to help get Roberts hired as a special assistant to the AG. At the DOJ, Roberts would join a young crew of future master litigators, justices, and movement builders inside the Reagan administration, including Starr—who would later be the special prosecutor of Democratic President Bill Clinton—and Samuel Alito, who would later join Roberts on the Supreme Court. Roberts, scarcely beyond his mid-20s, having never lived anywhere other than Indiana, Cambridge, and his fancy summer jobs, was handed the voting rights portfolio, even though he had zero experience working on voting rights issues. He had staged for a justice hostile to Black voting, who had joined an opinion of the Burger court limiting the reach of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act to intent—a ruling Congress was working to undo as Roberts was clerking across First Street for Rehnquist. That was the battle Roberts was tasked to staff and helm for the right-wing Republicans: the war over questions of “intent” vs. “effect” during the 1980–82 congressional effort to reauthorize the act. Congress was determined to overturn the court’s ruling in that case,Mobile v. Bolden, which had struck a severe blow to the Carter administration’s ability to enforce the VRA. By blocking the use of racially disparate effects of election changes and requiring proof of racist intent, the decision had shut down virtually all VRA enforcement. This was hardly colorblind or race-neutral. It devastated the act. The new DOJ brigade wanted it to stay that way. Civil rights activists, Democrats, and some moderate Republicans aimed to make it clear that Congress supported the effects test as proof of VRA violations. Roberts, according to his friend and DOJ colleague Bruce Fein, led the way. He fought determinedly for months but lost decisively in Congress. Ultimately, Reagan signed a reauthorized VRA, overturningBoldenby embracing the effects test for Section 2 and extending the legislation’s preclearance requirements in Sections 4 and 5 to 2007. The act would be reauthorized again by Congress, nearly unanimously and a year early, in 2006 for another 25 years, through the early 2030s. But Roberts played the long game. He never yielded. And in the meantime, with substantial investment by “conservative” and libertarian demi-billionaires and billionaires, leaders in the right-wing legal movement realized that they could achieve their goals more easily by capturing the Supreme Court than by winning public opinion and controlling Congress. By 2005–06, Roberts and Alito were seated on the highest court in the land. And slowly, this blinkered insistence on a colorblind Constitution—in defiance of an America that was anything but colorblind and over anti-Black racism—would take hold. In 2007, after Louisville and Seattle worked to voluntarily desegregate public schools, for example, Roberts said no, effectively rewriting decades of equal protection law in the process. “The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race,” he declared in a simplistic tautology, “is to stop discriminating on the basis of race.” Then, in 2013, he would take his first crack at the Voting Rights Act, freezing the Section 5 preclearance formula and snuffing out its most important enforcement mechanism. Here, Roberts discarded the nearly unanimous work of Congress anchoring it to his personal declaration of racial progress and simply refused to engage with a more-than-12,000-page report that detailed a litany of modern-day voting rights abuses that would dilute or inhibit Black voters. The federal judge who wrote the lower-court decision inShelby Countysummarized example after example in his decision, reeling off stories of canceled elections, precincts shifted at the last moment, voting halls relocated to buildings that had been the sites of racial violence. Judge David Tatel did this, he said, because he had no faith that Roberts would read the congressional report himself or know any of this otherwise. Tatel is legally blind and seemingly feared that the justice would act with factual blindness. He was horribly, sadly, right. Roberts, instead, pushed his own theories—and created his own supposed doctrine—even over the basic facts with which the case began.Shelby Countystarted when white officials in Calera, Alabama, redistricted the only Black council member’s seat without bothering to preclear the map. The Bush Department of Justice used Section 5 to require a new election on the constitutionality map. Yet Roberts looked at this situation and saw not that Section 5 continued to work, but that things had changed sufficiently that it was no longer needed. The justice bent the law to meet his will, even though the Supreme Court is supposed to defer to the factual findings of lower-court judges unless those findings are clearly erroneous. Now, with the edict inCallais, the Republican appointees to the Roberts court have effectively won the fight that Roberts decisively lost in 1982, scribbling over Section 2 to install the intent test that Congress after Congress brushed aside. And just as the days afterShelby Countymade Roberts’ folly clear—when states rushed to enact new barriers to the ballot box as soon as they were freed from preclearance—Louisiana, Alabama, Tennessee, and other legislatures are currently rushing to draw new maps that erase minority-majority districts and replace them with lines favoring white Republicans. As those GOP legislators ripped up Black districts, and the Roberts court’s hyperpartisan ruling faces a growing backlash, Roberts now has the audacity to give speeches claiming that it is wrong to view justices as “political actors.” The young man who grew up in a town made safe for whites only, who attended an almost entirely white private high school, has helped birth an illegitimate ruling that will significantly bleach out Congress. And the young man who learned the power of race neutrality in part from a Supreme Court justice who personally tried to intimidate Black voters has helped dress this faux–intellectual theory into legalese that has destroyed the legislation that had finally brought the promise of a thriving multiracial democracy into view, with growing representation of Black Americans. Back in 2005, when Roberts rhapsodized about Indiana farmland and an endless horizon punctuated only by silos and barns, he was substituting a humble, real-life Midwest upbringing for his own. This mythic America is not where he actually grew up, but the whites-only town with the whites-only country club he golfed at is where his vision seems to still begin andend. Sign up for Slate’s legal newsletter.

Il World Container Index segnala un raffreddamento delle tariffe nonostante le tensioni geopolitiche Bruxelles – Nel mercato del trasporto containerizzato, l’equilibrio tra domanda e offerta continua a determinare l’andamento dei noli più delle tensioni internazionali. È quanto emerge dagli ultimi dati diffusi da Drewry, che fotografano un contesto di debolezza diffusa. Secondo l’aggiornamento del World Container Index al 30 aprile 2026, l’indice composito è sceso dell’1% a 2.216 dollari per container da 40 piedi, segnando la terza flessione settimanale consecutiva. Il calo riflette soprattutto un eccesso di capacità disponibile, che limita il potere tariffario delle compagnie, nonostante le tensioni nello Stretto di Hormuz e l’aumento dei costi del carburante. Sulle rotte Asia-Europa i segnali restano deboli: le tariffe da Shanghai verso Genova e Rotterdam sono diminuite dell’1%, con andamenti annui divergenti tra le due destinazioni. In risposta, le compagnie stanno riducendo l’offerta, con tagli programmati della capacità a maggio, nel tentativo di riequilibrare il mercato e favorire una possibile stabilizzazione nel breve termine. Diversa la situazione sulla direttrice transpacifica, dove i noli verso New York sono scesi leggermente mentre quelli verso Los Angeles sono rimasti stabili. In questo contesto, operatori come Msc Mediterranean Shipping Company e Cma Cgm hanno introdotto nuovi sovrapprezzi, puntando a sostenere i ricavi unitari più che a riflettere una reale ripresa della domanda. Il contrasto tra tariffe spot in calo e aumento degli extra costi evidenzia un mercato ancora fragile, in cui i caricatori mantengono un forte potere negoziale grazie all’ampia disponibilità di stiva. Alcune rotte di ritorno, come quella da Rotterdam a Shanghai, mostrano invece lievi rialzi, segno di dinamiche commerciali differenziate. Nel quadro generale, la situazione resta condizionata dall’ingresso di nuove navi sul mercato, che continua a esercitare pressione sui noli e obbliga le compagnie a intervenire su capacità e strategie tariffarie per mantenere l’equilibrio economico.

The good news:Nikola Jokićfinally got to play with an All-Star. Jamal Murraywas brilliant in the regular season and, at long last, we witnessed the first Jokić teammate to be named to either All-Star, All-NBA or All-Defense in the Serbian’s 11-year career. So here is the bad news: It’s time to trade Murray. Because at this point, I don’t see another way out of this mess for Jokić. After winning the title in 2023, the Nuggets have fallen out of contention with a fading and increasingly expensive roster that is set to go deep into the tax. After Thursday’s disappointingfirst-round exitto theTimberwolves, Jokić told reporters, “I still want to be a Nugget forever.” He conceded that the Nuggets were “far away” from contention and, when asked about whether changes needed to be made, he said, "That's not my decision, to be honest. Definitely, if we were in Serbia, we would all get fired." Now,Denvermight have no choice but to deal Jokić’s co-pilot, Murray, while it still can get something of value in return. A year ago, I argued thatJokić had every right to ask for a trade out of Denverbecause of the continued lack of star support around him. He didn’t ask out, and he still probably won’t. But he should have, if nothing else, to sound the alarms for the organization. As far as putting pressure on the front office, the “we would all get fired” line is likely as far as Jokić will go. This time last year,Nuggetspresident Josh Kroenke made the decision to fire head coach Michael Malone and general manager Calvin Booth days before the end of the season. Instead of looking outside the organization, Kroenke promoted from within ranks, calling it an“unorthodox”setup with Ben Tenzer and Jonathan Wallace heading up the front office and longtime assistant David Adelman taking over on the sidelines. Unorthodox and ultimately unsuccessful — again. The Thunder ousted the Nuggets in the second round last year and, unfortunately for Jokić, yet another magnificent season has been wasted in 2025-26. Even the short-handed Minnesota Timberwolves, withoutAnthony Edwards,Donte DiVincenzoandAyo Dosunmufor the end of the series, were able to thwart the Nuggets in the first round. Clearly, the Nuggets aren’t close to returning to the top of the West.Oklahoma Citylooks as dominant as ever. TheVictor Wembanyama takeoverhas arrived.The Los Angeles LakershaveLuka Dončić. As is, the Western Conference is leaving Jokić and the Nuggets in the dust. It’s not Jokić’s fault. Four-time Defensive Player of the YearRudy Goberthad him in fits at times in this series, but he still averaged 25.8 points, 13.2 rebounds and 9.5 assists. He struggled with his shot (just 47.5% effective field goal percentage), but a low-grade Jokić should still be enough to survive the Timberwolves’ B-Team — if any of his teammates stepped up. That’s the issue. Denver’s supporting cast is still a massive problem and it’s deteriorating fast. Let’s start withAaron Gordon. The body of Jokić’s top frontcourt mate, now on the wrong side of 30, has betrayed him. He played just 36 games this season and missed half the series against Minnesota with calf issues. Since last postseason when he pulled his hamstring in the playoffs, Gordon has been a shell of himself, unable to consistently offer the dynamic, above-the-rim presence that complemented Jokić’s game so well. With only 75 starts in the last two seasons, the team is stuck owing Gordon $110 million over the next three seasons. Cam Johnsonwas supposed to help matters. After the second-round exit against the Thunder, the organization sentMichael Porter Jr.anda 2032 first-round pick toBrooklynfor the sweet-shooting Johnson. The hope was that Johnson could provide Porter’s elite floor-spacing and cutting at a fraction of the cost. Instead, Porter enjoyed a breakout season, averaging 24.2 points and 7.1 rebounds, while Johnson faltered throughout the season in his place. With long-term savings from the Porter trade, the team signedChristian Braunto a frothy $125 million extension that will kick in next season, hoping that his 2024-25 breakout season was a sign of things to come. Instead, Braun, like Gordon, endured an injury-riddled campaign, averaging just 12.0 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists with almost no floor-spacing in just 44 games. At his 2025-26 salary of just under $5 million, that’s not a problem. But starting next year, his salary soars to $21 million and will increase to $28 million by 2030-31 when Jokić is 36 years old. Denver’s only compelling young player,Peyton Watson, will be a restricted free agent. But even he has health questions after playing just 54 games this season and missing the entire first round of the playoffs with a devastating hamstring injury. Watson’s contract will likely be too expensive for Kroenke’s taste. As is, the Nuggets are projected to go deep into the tax with Braun’s big extension kicking in next season. According to Spotrac.com data, the Nuggets face a $16 million tax bill even without Watson and their 2026 first-round pick on the books. After a breakout season, Watson should command something in the neighborhood of Braun’s extension. It’s doubtful the organization will open up its wallet even more after the first-round out and bring back this underwhelming group. To put it in perspective, we can consult the advanced metrics fromdunksandthrees.comand quantify the Nuggets’ personnel around Jokić. This season, there were 85 players not named “Nikola Jokić” who registered at least five estimated wins added. Do you know how many of those 85 were on the Nuggets’ roster? Just one. Jamal Murray. Victor Wembanyama had not one, not two, but four teammates who eclipsed that mark. Same withShai Gilgeous-Alexander. Luka Dončić had two:LeBron JamesandAustin Reaves. But Jokić, who delivered 17.2 eWins this season, saw his third-best teammate, Johnson, clock in at merely 4.4 eWins. Gordon limped to a 3.7 eWin figure, just ahead of Watson at 3.3. With the bulk of the roster holding negative trade value, it’ll be almost impossible for the Nuggets to upgrade without moving Murray at the peak of his powers. Murray carries a steep salary at $50 million next season, $53.8 million in 2027-28 and $57.5 million, but there may be no better time to sell than now while he’s coming off an All-NBA level campaign. The Nuggets may have to break up Murray’s salary into multiple pieces to help shore up their woeful defense, which ranked 21st in the NBA in the regular season and made Dosunmu (43 points in Game 4) andTerrence Shannon Jr.(21 points in clinching Game 6) look like stars. Look at the books. How else would they upgrade the roster in a meaningful way? It won’t be painless. The easiest thing to do would be to run it back with this group. But doing so would risk Murray getting hurt or regressing to pre-2025-26 levels, which would prove disastrous at his cap number. Gordon, Braun and Johnson certainly aren’t bringing in real talent. Here are three trade ideas that can allow the Nuggets to use Murray for potential upgrades: Nuggets receive: Collin Murray-Boyles RJ Barrett Jakob Poeltl Raptors receive: Jamal Murray Zeke Nnaji This is a bet on CMB being the nextDraymond Green, a defensive mastermind who could flourish next to Jokić’s other-wordly playmaking abilities. Trading for a 20-year-old next to Jokić would be a timeline risk, but the blossoming South Carolina product could instantly step in as Denver’s best defensive player and provide much-needed athleticism. Balancing the defensive end of the floor has to be a priority while getting 80% of Murray’s offensive exploits with fellow Canadian guard Barrett. For the Raptors, the team would be loading up on star power in an open Eastern Conference. Murray is a clear upgrade on Barrett and would be coming home to Ontario where he grew up. It’d be tough to part ways with CMB, but flipping the ninth overall pick in the 2025 draft for an All-NBA talent in his prime would be a haul for the aspiring East contender. To make contracts work, Poeltl and Nnaji would be included. Jonas Valančiūnas’ 2026-27 salary is not guaranteed, paving the way for Poeltl to step in as Jokić’s backup. Nuggets receive: Kevin Durant 2029 first-round pick (via PHX) Rockets receive: Jamal Murray Kevin Durant never made sense on a roster withoutFred VanVleet(ACL) andSteven Adams(ankle) healthy, and the Durant experiment inHoustonmay very well be over before it ever really began. (We’ll see how things go against the Lakers from here.) At his age, Durant isn’t a massive upgrade defensively over Murray, but he helps lengthen the Nuggets, who are severely lacking in the athleticism department, especially with Gordon constantly lumbering. By many measures, Durant was better than Murray this season and the 37-year-old’s contract ($6 million less than Murray next season) will also help Denver shave its payroll and provide flexibility as the team desperately tries to navigate the apron world. To mitigate the risk of a Durant injury, the Nuggets will receive the 2029 first-round pick (via Phoenix) and help grease Denver’s ability to pivot. Durant holds a player option for $46 million in 2027-28, which even if he picks it up, Denver would be off of his money a year before Murray’s contract expires. On the Houston side, the Rockets get significantly younger and don’t have to pretzel themselves into win-now mode with Durant as he approaches 40. At 29, Murray is a much more polished and proven playoff scorer compared toJalen Green, who was moved along withDillon Brooksand the rights toKhaman Maluach, for Durant last summer. Nuggets receive: Ausar Thompson Duncan Robinson Caris Levert Pistons receive: Jamal Murray DEN’s 2026 first-round pick Denver needs an athletic defender.Detroitneeds an elite shot creator. It’s hard to find contenders with such compatible needs. Thompson may be untouchable, but the Nuggets have to at least make the call if the Pistons are embarrassed by theOrlando Magicwith a first-round out. That’s a big if. Still just 23 years old, Thompson received the third-most votes in a runaway Defensive Player of the Year vote, which may overstate his immediate value a tad, but if there’s a target for Denver, it’s that guy. Thompson would be a monster athlete and rim finisher who would be tailor-made for Jokić’s virtuoso passing abilities. You thought Gordon in the dunker spot next to Jokić was a devastating threat? Ausar could be even more electric in that role. Of course, he’ll need to dramatically improve his outside shooting to maximize his potential, but Gordon was able to do that when he caught passes from Jokić. We’ll see what happens in the Orlando series, but it’s easy to see that Detroit’s half-court offense needs a massive upgrade in the shot-creation department and few players would shore up that department better than Murray in his prime. The Pistons’ core will get more expensive onceJalen Duren’s extension kicks in, but there are serious questions about whether Duren and Thompson can coexist in the half-court in the playoffs.

LOS ANGELES, April 30, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- EASYLONGER, a leading manufacturer of portable CPAP battery backup and power solutions for sleep apnea patients, recently announced the launch of the ES960 PRO, a next-generation portable power station engineered around the specific needs of CPAP users. Built with automotive-grade LiFePO4 (lithium iron phosphate) cells, 297.6 watt-hours of usable energy, multi-port output, and pass-through UPS capability, the ES960 PRO addresses one of the most overlooked health risks faced by cpap machine users today: power loss during sleep. A Reliability Crisis No One Talks About For the estimated 30 million Americans diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea, missing a single night of CPAP therapy isn't a minor inconvenience — it's a measurable health risk. Studies have linked CPAP interruption to elevated blood pressure, daytime cognitive impairment, and increased cardiovascular strain. Yet most CPAP users have no plan for power outages, hurricanes, storms, RV travel, or off-grid camping. Leaving them without critical cpap backup power supply. EASYLONGER's customer research, drawn from years of direct user interactions, reveals that a substantial share of CPAP users have experienced therapy disruption due to power loss at least 3 times one year. The ES960 PRO CPAP battery backup is built specifically to eliminate that risk. Built for People Who Can't Afford to Lose a Night The ES960 PRO delivers 297.6 watt-hours of usable energy through an advanced LiFePO4 (lithium iron phosphate) battery pack — chosen for its superior safety profile and 3,000+ charge cycle lifespan, roughly 6–10 times longer than the standard NMC lithium-ion cells (typically rated for 300–500 cycles) found in most portable CPAP battery backup units on the market today. For a typical user running a ResMed AirSense 11 (13W without humidifier), this translates to approximately 17 hours of runtime per charge — over two full nights of therapy without any external power source. The EASYLONGER ES960 PRO cpap battery backup power supply is compatible with all major CPAP brands, including ResMed (AirSense 10/11, AirMini ), Philips (DreamStation), Fisher & Paykel, and BMC Luna G3, with included DC cables for direct connection — no AC wall adapter, no extension cords snaking across the floor, no more sleeping within a few feet of an outlet just to keep therapy running. This direct DC connection bypasses the inefficient AC-to-DC conversion that wastes 25–30% of battery capacity in conventional power stations — meaning more hours of therapy from the same battery. For extended off-grid use, the ES960 PRO cpap power bank supports solar charging via EASYLONGER's optional ESP110 110W foldable solar panel, making multi-week camping trips entirely viable for CPAP users. From a standard wall outlet, the unit fully recharges in approximately 5 hours via its 72W adapter, while USB-C input (up to 60W) provides a convenient top-up option on the road. The ES960 PRO is housed in a compact, ergonomic enclosure with a foldable carrying handle that tucks flush when not in use — ready to slip into a backpack, RV cabinet, or bedside drawer. Splash- and dust-resistant construction handles the realities of outdoor use, and on-board expansion ports allow capacity to be extended for users who need multi-week off-grid runtime. "Most battery backup products treat sleep apnea like an afterthought. We started this company because no CPAP user should have to choose between travel, camping, or peace of mind during a storm. The ES960 PRO exists because sleep apnea patients deserve a battery designed around their lives — not adapted from generic camping gear."— Brooks Anderson, Founder of EASYLONGER Customer feedback echoes that mission. EASYLONGER customers describe the product less as a piece of camping gear and more as a guarantor of uninterrupted therapy: "We had a severe windstorm and a multi-day power outage in mid-December. I'd bought the ES960 for my wife's CPAP just to try it out. She slept soundly all night and woke up refreshed — I bought a second one the next morning. What's a good night of sleep worth to you? To me, it's priceless."— Verified ES960 customer-From EASYLONGER CPAP battery (storm-zone household) Why the ES960 PRO Is Different From a Generic Power Station While many portable power stations on the market are designed for general electronics — phones, tablets, drones — the ES960 PRO cpap backup battery is engineered from the ground up for CPAP therapy. The differences matter: For users who plan to keep the battery beside their bed nightly, these features are not optional — they are the difference between a tool that protects therapy and one that sits in a closet unused. Powering Real Lives, Not Spec Sheets EASYLONGER designed the ES960 PRO around the actual rhythms of CPAP users' lives: Direct-to-Consumer Pricing With a 2-Year Warranty Available through EASYLONGER's official website ateasylonger.com, the ES960 PRO ships free within the United States. All ES960 PRO units purchased directly fromeasylonger.comqualify for a 2-year warranty through the brand's online registration program. The product is also eligible for purchase with HSA and FSA funds in many cases, as CPAP-related accessories often qualify under qualified medical expense guidelines. Customers should consult their plan administrator for confirmation. About EASYLONGEREASYLONGER is a manufacturer of portable power solutions designed specifically for the sleep apnea community. Founded by Brooks Anderson around the conviction that no CPAP user should ever lose therapy due to a power outage, EASYLONGER's product line spans TSA-approved travel batteries, mid-capacity camping units, and high-capacity home UPS systems — all engineered around the specific voltage, runtime, and reliability requirements of CPAP machines. The company supports customers through direct email at support@easylonger.com. Beyond product sales, EASYLONGER maintains an active educational platform covering CPAP therapy basics, sleep apnea research, runtime calculators, and setup tutorials athttps://www.easylonger.com/blogs. Social channels:Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/easylongerInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/easylonger_GlobalYouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@easyLongerTikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@easylonger Media ContactBrooks AndersonFounder, EASYLONGEREmail: media@easylonger.comWebsite: https://www.easylonger.com Photos accompanying this announcement are available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/79a2681e-a9c2-4658-8b48-b29de007a610 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/06294d19-9eaf-4c81-9bc5-c84c1ec22fa5 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a430b5b9-bde2-4a3a-8681-a6448c023d30 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c3aab14d-aea1-4e13-ace2-5b2ecb6f1394 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2fc99ccf-6856-4819-abbb-a65da0dc5eed https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a811ca1b-c133-4893-a7c5-31f911a574c5 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d8bf7674-9c4f-4f05-9674-d271c24dcbc1

The Maritime and Port Authority ofSingapore(MPA) is making moves to improve shipping sustainability. The entity recently entered a partnership with United Nations Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and renewed an agreement with the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach for a green and digital shipping corridor. The UNCTAD partnership will allow MPASingaporeto make a significant contribution to accelerating the transition toward more sustainable, resilient and inclusive global maritime transport—no small feat since many ports are reliant on fossil fuels.Related StoriesLogisticsIndonesia Shuts Down Malacca Strait Toll Talk, Distancing From HormuzLogistics'Pressures Are Indeed Mounting' from Iran War, Says Port of Long Beach CEO The second-busiest port in the world,Singaporehas the potential to play a significant role in shaping practical, scalable solutions for improving the sustainability of global maritime trade. Under the agreement, MPA Singapore will join UNCTAD in promoting cleaner fuels and digital technologies across ports and shipping networks. The effort will focus on solutions that can be adapted elsewhere in the world, such as sustainable finance, digital innovation and workforce development. The initiative will also support developing countries through outreach such as training, advisory services and institutional strengthening. Along with environmental sustainability, the effort aims to also fortify the ports in preparation for potential disruptions, allowing them to better anticipate and react to shipping challenges such as those experienced during the pandemic and more recently due to the Iran conflict’s impact on the Strait of Hormuz. “This partnership brings together Singapore’s operational excellence andUNCTAD’s global development expertise,” said Pedro Manuel Moreno, acting secretary-general of UNCTAD. “It will help accelerate a maritime transition that is not only greener and more efficient, but also resilient and inclusive—while contributing to global discussions at the UN Global Supply Chain Forum 2026.” MPA Singapore also renewed its memorandum of understanding on the green and digital shipping corridor with the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. First signed in 2023 and renewed for another three years with this latest commitment, the agreement solidifies the ports’ commitment to decarbonization and digitization along the trans-Pacific route, one of the world’s busiest container lanes. Since signing the initial agreement, the three ports have achieved several milestones, including completion of a baseline study in 2024, onboarding of industry partners to explore the potential for pilot trials, and the establishment of work streams to promote pilot initiatives in alternative fuels, digitization and energy efficiency. “The Singapore-Los Angeles-Long Beach Green and Digital Shipping Corridor has made good progress, transitioning from intent to implementation,” said Ang Wee Keong, chief executive of MPA. “The renewal of our partnership paves the way towards more sustainable shipping along the trans-Pacific route. This gives industry greater confidence to plan investments and diversify energy options for greener shipping.” The three ports also have accelerated their alternative fuels bunkering capabilities over the past three years. MPA completed methanol bunkering trials in 2023 and subsequently awarded three methanol bunkering supply licenses, while the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports have commissioned a clean fuels study and are preparing for a methanol pilot in 2026. These advancements will prepare the three ports for green fuel trials in the next phase of their partnership. The ports also have conducted port-to-port data exchange testing and started pilot collaborations with Mitsui O.S.K. Lines. By renewing the memorandum, the ports also agree to continue working to deploy low- and zero-emission fuels and digital solutions for shipping on the trans-Pacific corridor. That includes supporting fuel supply and infrastructure, developing pilot and demonstration projects, strengthening port-to-port data connectivity, and promoting interoperability, cybersecurity and common standards. “Decarbonizing goods movement between the largest ports in the United States and Asia requires international cooperation and that’s exactly what we’re doing through our work on the green and digital shipping corridor,” said Gene Seroka, executive director of thePort of Los Angeles. “We are committed to working toward the deployment of zero lifecycle carbon container ships on the corridor by 2030. This important corridor is the foundation upon which we’ll build the future of maritime shipping.” The memorandum was signed ahead of Singapore Maritime Week 2026, facilitated by C40 Cities, a global network of mayors working to advance city climate action around the world. “Seaports sit at the intersection of trade, geopolitics, climate and technology,” said Noel Hacegaba, CEO of thePort of Long Beach. “This convergence is what makes partnerships like the green and digital shipping corridor so impactful as a tool to decarbonize maritime shipping. We call it the ‘green print’ for decarbonizing the trans-Pacific route, the busiest trade route on Earth. It will be particularly important in the years ahead as we tackle our largest source of emissions, from cargo vessels, by accelerating the use of clean fuels such as methanol.” Receive Our Daily Newsletter & Special Offers