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The Washington Post News

06 Oct 2023

U.S. Interior Secretary Deputy Beaudreau Bids Farewell

Tommy Beaudreau - Credit: DOI

U.S. Deputy Interior Secretary Tommy Beaudreau is stepping down from his role at the end of October, the Interior Department said in a statement on Wednesday, without giving a reason for his departure or saying how the vacancy would be filled.The Washington Post reported earlier Beaudreau was leaving after two years in the number two spot and a total of 10 years at the agency to spend more time with family.Earlier this year, Beaudreau signed the final approval for a scaled-back version of ConocoPhillips' (COP.N) $7 billion Willow project to drill for oil and gas in Alaska…

21 Apr 2021

NY & NJ Missing the Boat on Mariner Vaccinations -Union Boss

© mandritoiu / Adobe Stock

The head of an American mariner union says state leaders in New York and New Jersey should recognize the essential role of U.S. seafarers by prioritizing them for COVID-19 vaccination.The Washington Post, in a recent front page Sunday Business story headlined Essential, Invisible, described how “states have been hit-or-miss on vaccines” for merchant mariners and that for most of the people who go to sea, the process can be described as  â€śyou’re on your own.” New York and New Jersey are two of the states where seafarers have not been prioritized…

18 Mar 2021

Fact Check: J.P. Morgan Did Not Sink the Titanic

© Archivist / Adobe Stock

A widely-shared meme has taken several facts about the Titanic out of context to make unsubstantiated claims that imply the ship’s sinking was a deliberate act. This is not true—experts widely agree the sinking of the Titanic was an accident. The meme was posted to Facebook on March 1 and has been shared more than 600 times (here). It consists of two images: one of the ship and a second of American financier John Pierpont (J.P.) Morgan. These sit alongside a wall of text that…

21 Oct 2020

Cruise Industry Compliance Tips: Facial Recognition Technology

© Pixelmania / Adobe Stock

In the past few years, the commercial use of facial recognition technology has advanced at an explosive rate, expanding into numerous industries and trades. For instance, facial biometrics is increasingly relied on by airlines and airports across the globe; a similar trend is starting to take hold in the maritime industry, particularly the cruise sector.While this expansion is occurring, states and cities across the country—as well as the federal government—are attempting to enact strict laws regulating the use of facial recognition technology by commercial entities.

20 May 2020

Israel Linked to Cyberattack on Iranian Port

© Erik_AJV / Adobe Stock

Israel appears to be behind a cyberattack earlier this month on computers at Iran’s Shahid Rajaee port that caused massive backups on waterways and roads leading to the facility, the Washington Post reported on Monday.Citing unnamed U.S. and foreign government officials, the Post said the May 9 disruption of Iranian computers was presumably in retaliation for an earlier attempted cyberattack on rural water distribution systems in Israel.The Israeli Embassy in Washington did not…

17 Mar 2020

COVID-19 and Supply Chain Implications for Ocean Shipping

© hanohiki / Adobe Stock

Only 10 days ago, reports indicated that China cargoes were returning to pre-coronavirus levels, and there appeared to be light at the end of the tunnel. Today, however, a barrage of new headlines has underscored the impact on the rapidly changing global supply chain, including in the United States. In addition to the aggressive spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), new economic developments indicate a decreased trend in global manufacturing. Changes in local economies negatively impacting employees reflect corresponding changes in consumer buying patterns.

25 Oct 2017

US Marine Sanctuary Oil Drilling Report Sent to Trump, Not Public

(Photo: David J. Ruck/NOAA)

U.S. Commerce Department Secretary Wilbur Ross sent a report to the White House on Wednesday containing recommendations on whether to change the boundaries of 11 marine sanctuaries to allow more oil and gas drilling, but the report was not made public. Commerce reviewed sanctuaries containing 425 million acres of coral reefs, marine mammal habitats and pristine beaches, as part of an administration strategy to open new areas to oil and gas drilling. The goal was to “put the energy needs of American families and businesses first,” according to the order Trump signed in April that triggered it.

16 Apr 2017

BP Oil Well Spills Out of Control in Alaska

The oil giant British Petroleum (BP) oil and gas well on Alaska’s Northern Slope that blew out on Friday continues to spill crude oil and gas uncontrollably. There have been no injuries or reports of damage to wildlife, but crews trying to secure the well have failed amid frigid winds gusting to 38 miles an hour. Well pressure was monitored throughout the night and excess pressure was bled off to keep it within a safe rang. There was no estimate about volumes of natural gas and oil released. The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (ADEC) said in a statement that asecond leak had been reduced but was still emitting gas. Washington Post quoted Brett Clanton…

25 Dec 2016

Arctic Discovery Shocks Scientists

A report from the Washington Post described how high Arctic temperatures had risen by about 36 degrees Fahrenheit last month, coinciding with record-low sea ice levels. Scientists have just discovered something int he Arctic that could totally change how they see the drastically changing temperatures in the region. This was a disturbing trend, as sea ice normally expands at this time of the year. But with a buoy recently reporting temperatures at the North Pole close to the freezing point of 32 degrees Fahrenheit, talk of an Arctic heatwave has experts concerned about the impact of climate change on the area. Climate change may be rearing its ugly head again in the North Pole, as an Arctic heatwave has caused temperatures to rise tens of degrees Fahrenheit warmer than average.

03 Oct 2016

Choke Points are Flash Points

Aircraft assigned to Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 9 fly in formation above USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) and the guided-missile destroyer USS Stockdale (DDG 106) during an air-and-sea-power demonstration. Providing a ready force supporting security and stability in the Indo-Asia-Pacific, John C. Stennis is operating as part of the Great Green Fleet on a regularly scheduled 7th Fleet deployment. (U.S. Navy photo by Tomas Compian)

The world is closely watching several contentious flash points that have potential to ignite. The behavior and rhetoric of China and Russia regarding vital shipping lanes in international waters have been alarming. Disputed sovereignty claims and efforts to enforce them have the maritime world on edge. China’s nine-dash line claims about owning the entire East and South China Sea have created a dilemma for themselves and the other nations in the region. The Philippines v. China case with the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague commenced on Jan.

09 Jun 2016

US Navy Admiral to Plead Guilty in Bribery Case

Robert Gilbeau (Photo: U.S. Navy)

A U.S. Navy rear admiral will plead guilty on Thursday to lying to federal investigators, making him the highest-ranking officer to be convicted in the expanding "Fat Leonard" bribery case, the Washington Post reported, citing his attorney. Robert Gilbeau, a special assistant to the chief of the Navy Supply Corps, was scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court in San Diego late Thursday afternoon, the Post reported, citing court records. This would bring to 14 the number of people charged in the Singapore-based case…

04 Apr 2015

Arctic Permafrost and Climate Gains

Carbon-rich Arctic soils are thawing, and that has the potential to undermine global climate policies, The Washington Post reports. Permafrost is basically soil that stays frozen all year long. Because it never melts, it holds thousands of years’ worth of dead plants and their carbon. About 24 percent of land in the Northern Hemisphere is covered with the stuff. Northern permafrost—ground frozen year-round—may contain more than twice as much carbon as there is in the atmosphere. And at least some of it could already be escaping to the atmosphere—as carbon dioxide or methane—as the Arctic warms. According to the National Academy of Sciences…

31 Mar 2015

WaPo: Two German CEOs Launching Own Mediterranean Rescue

 A young boy surrounded by adults after being rescued in June 2014 from a boat on the Mediterranean Sea. Photo: UNHCR/A. D’Amato

The Washington Post has a story today about two German men who are launching their own rescue mission to save migrants crossing the Mediterranean. Harald Höppner and Matthias Kuhnt are two CEOs of a mid-size company in eastern Germany. According to the Post, the two have invested $162,000 since October into a 21-meter vessel that they are going to use to conduct a three-month mission patrolling the area between Libya and Italy, where the dangerous migration that has cost thousands of lives in recent years is concentrated.

18 Mar 2015

US Urges Asia for a Joint Move in South China Sea

The commander of the U.S. Navy Seventh Fleet Vice Admiral Robert Thomas urged Southeast Asian nations to form a combined maritime force to patrol areas of the South China Sea where territorial tensions flare with China, reports Bloomberg. While reassuring allies in the region it will back them against China’s assertions to about four-fifths of the sea, Thomas said that countries could streamline cooperation on maritime security while respecting sovereignty and coastal space. China has ratcheted up pressure on some Association of Southeast Asian Nations members, and has accelerated reclamation work on reefs in the waters criss-crossed by claims from Vietnam, Taiwan, Brunei, the Philippines and Malaysia.

05 Feb 2015

Nicaragua Atlantic-to-Pacific Canal: Big Chinese Money?

In Nicaragua, a Chinese company is busy building what will become one of the world’s largest transoceanic canals. One of the largest engineering projects in history - They call it the Grand Inter-Oceanic Canal. Engineers say it will surpass the nearby Panama Canal in size and capacity. The canal would be three times as long as Panama’s and able to accommodate larger ships for the world’s cargo traffic. The new project is the largest in Latin America in 100 years. The $50 billion pharaonic project by a Chinese billionaire, Wang Jing, to cross Central America aims to unite the Atlantic and Pacific oceans by halving the Central American nation, has raised a firestorm of criticism even before it begins. And some in Nicaragua are gearing up for the fight of their lives to stop it.

24 Aug 2014

Imtech Marine Offers Mariners Local Newspapers on PressReader

Imtech Marine announced on Friday that the ship’s crews will have access to PressReader as a new value-added service to its satellite communications portfolio. Starting in August, Imtech Marine customers will be able to use PressReader for access to full content of more than 2,500 newspapers and magazines in 60 languages from more than 100 countries. These can be read on PressReader via a crew member’s PC, laptop and mobile devices on board vessels. PressReader and its cross-platform app give users access to thousands of global publications with just one subscription. “By adding PressReader to our connectivity portfolio we give a very useful tool for ship-owners to improve the crew morale.

07 Aug 2014

US Should Lift Crude Oil Export Ban - Washington Post

The United States should lift its nearly four-decade ban on crude oil exports to help encourage domestic production, the Washington Post said in an editorial on Thursday. Booming shale oil production has led to an intense debate over the moratorium, which was imposed by Congress in 1975 in the wake of the Arab oil embargo. Allowing crude oil exports would help address a mismatch between rising light crude output from U.S. shale formations and Gulf Coast refineries better suited to handle heavy crude, the Post argued in an editorial. "The export ban was a desperate ploy in the 1970s to control commodities markets amid spikes in oil prices induced by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries," the newspaper said. Earlier this summer, the U.S.

13 Jun 2014

U.S. EPA Chief: Carbon Rules To Lower Consumer Bills

Environmental Protection Agency chief Gina McCarthy said on Thursday that newly proposed rules to slash carbon emissions from U.S. power plants will cut electricity bills after 2030 by forcing power plants to become more efficient. Speaking at a forum on energy efficiency in Washington, which she likened to "preaching to the choir," McCarthy took issue with critics' claims that the EPA's clean power plan will cause consumer electricity prices to skyrocket, in part by forcing older coal-fired plants to close. The rule, subject to a 120-day comment period, will steer investment toward renewable energy  and energy  efficiency companies, she said.

24 Dec 2013

BP Asks: What's Going on in Government's GOM Settlement Facility?

Gulf of Mexico Map courtesy of BP

Below is an advertisement that that BP says it plans to run in The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and the Washington Post.

12 Sep 2012

'Costa Concordia' Disaster Lawsuits Filed in US Courts

Despite legal obstacles that might force them to sue in Italy litigants seek damages from Miami-based Carnival Corp. in US courts. The lawsuits filed in both federal and state courts contend that Carnival is the corporate parent of the Costa brand, which operated the vessel, and is ultimately responsible for any safety violations, negligence or recklessness that may have led to the Jan. 13 accident that claimed 32 lives, reports 'The Washington Post'. Investigators say the ship rammed a reef while passing too close to Giglio Island, off Italy’s Tuscan coast. “Costa Cruise Lines is the alter ego of Carnival,” said Edward Ricci, whose lawsuit seeks to represent Giglio Island tourist-related businesses that claim the disaster deterred visitors…

29 Jun 2012

Crisis Communications Network for Shipping

Navigate Response launched at London’s Baltic Exchange. The company’s round-the-clock services are tailored specifically for the global shipping industry and focus on managing clients’ messages across a range of communications channels including mainstream and social media. The new company is chaired by internationally renowned maritime expert, Richard Sayer, and led by Mark Clark, former head of public relations and media at the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency. The team includes leading maritime PR experts Mike Elsom and Bill Lines of sister company Navigate PR Ltd. Founded in 2004, Navigate PR provides comprehensive public relations services to a wealth of maritime businesses across a range of disciplines.

27 Apr 2012

Container Ship Owner Sues Pharmacists

The owners and operators of a container ship that slammed into the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge in 2007 and spilled thousands of gallons of oil into San Francisco Bay have sued the Northern California pharmacists they claim negligently dispensed prescription drugs to the pilot of the Cosco Busan, according to news in 'The Washington Post'. The ship’s owner, Regal Stone Ltd., and operator Fleet Management Ltd. Alleged in court papers filed in San Francisco Superior Court Friday that the pills “recklessly” provided by pharmacists at a Longs drug store in Petaluma, Calif. had so clouded pilot John Cota’s judgment and dulled his reflexes that they led to the crash.

02 Apr 2012

Carnival Cruise Ship Briefly Arrested in Lawsuit Case

U.S. marshals briefly seized 'Carnival Triumph' in Galveston in $10 million legal dispute over Consta Concordia disaster victim's claim. The Carnival Triumph was seized for several hours at its port in Galveston, where it was scheduled to leave with 2,700 passengers. Both sides said they reached a confidential deal that released the ship in time to leave for its five-day cruise to Mexico, according to 'The Washington Post'. An arrest warrant was issued  for the MS Carnival Triumph, the 2,758-passenger cruise liner based in Galveston, owned by the same company that owns the Costa Concordia, the  cruise ship that ran aground off the coast of central Italy in January killing some 30 people. U.S.