The Oregonian News

Senator Wesley Livsey Jones gave his name to the famous “Jones Act” governing U.S. domestic maritime trade. But what do really know about him? It turns out that he was much more than a leading merchant marine policy maker. (i)Jones had a long career in the U.S. House of Representatives before he was a Senator, was an effective legislator, an astute politician, one of the hardest working legislators of his era, and always viewed as honest and forthright. His many maritime legislative successes included the Merchant Marine Act…

The Port of Portland Commission today welcomed new commissioners Alice Cuprill-Comas and Gary Young. Both were earlier nominated by Gov. Kate Brown and confirmed the Oregon State Senate. Cuprill-Comas of Portland is a transactional lawyer, and is currently legal counsel at Oregon Health & Science University. A member of the Oregon, Washington and Texas State bars, she was in private practice for more than 15 years, most recently as a partner at Ater, Wynne, LLC in Portland. Cuprill-Comas was named a Rising Star by Oregon Super Lawyers in 2010. Energy Company, an alternative fuels company with international operations headquartered in Seattle.

Ocean cargo carriers prepare to bypass the Port of Portland because of a strike planned by marine terminal security guards. The diversions by the giant freighters are expected to snarl cargo, hurt importers and exporters and further damage Portland's reputation as an international freight hub. Port officials plan to hire workers to replace the 25 longshore union members during a strike. But three Port terminals where the guards work are expected to shut down anyway, because fellow longshore workers who handle cargo assert the right to honor picket lines, reports 'The Oregonian'. In Portland, a shutdown would freeze millions of dollars worth of goods and force shippers to truck containers to and from Tacoma and other alternate ports.

An independent review conducted and reported today by the Oregonian concludes that the government’s economic justifications for a controversial proposal to dredge the Columbia River are deeply flawed. The Corps of Engineers wants to spend $196 million to dredge more than 100 miles of the Columbia River. In a three-part series beginning today, the Oregonian will report that deficiencies in the analysis have significantly inflated the benefits to the region and an underestimated the costs to taxpayers. “The Corps of Engineers’ math does not add up,” said David Moryc, Lower Columbia River Coordinator for American Rivers. Since the Corps released their final Environmental Impact Statement in 1999…