Latest news with #RexRichardson
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Long Beach Mayor Says It Could Take Months to ‘Untangle the Backlog' at Nation's Busiest Port
With ongoing tariff uncertainty shaking up supply chains across the globe and impacts already being seen and felt at the country's busiest gateway, it will take 'weeks, if not months, to untangle the backlog and stabilize the system.' That's according to Mayor of Long Beach Rex Richardson, who convened with officials from the Port of Long Beach (POLB) to unveil a study on the gateway's economic impact. The assessment revealed that the San Pedro Bay port complex handled 9.6 million TEUs in 2024, contributing $300 billion to the United States' GDP and supporting 2.7 million jobs across the country, including 1.1 million in California. But recent tariff policy announcements have led to a 30-percent reduction in cargo volumes, impacting 100,000 jobs in California alone, according to Richardson. More from Sourcing Journal China Has 'Agreed to Open Up' Trade With US as Both Countries Suspend Aggressive Duties Temporary Tariff Truce to Trigger Import Surge of Chinese Goods Report: 70% of Small Businesses Believe US Headed Toward Recession 'There's no denying it; we've entered the reality of a new tariff era,' he said at a press conference on Monday. 'A reduction in trade in our ports doesn't just affect dock workers, truckers, local businesses—it threatens American jobs and economic security all across our country.' The SoCal city's mayor alluded to the administration's announcement that tariffs on China-made goods would be reduced from 145 percent to 30 percent, saying that stakeholders throughout the supply chain, from business owners to supply chain managers, are 'not going to celebrate' a conclusion to the crisis. 'This is still a crisis of our own making that we need to address through long-term, long-range, strategic and stable policy making,' he added. The mayor, who met with workers and business leaders earlier in the day to understand the impact of the tariffs and tariff threats, said, 'Damage is done.' 'We've seen ships that never sailed. We have containers that sit empty. We have American businesses and consumers that are preparing and beginning to pay the price for these policies. The rollback is a step that should be acknowledged, but recovery will not be immediate,' he added, estimating that it could be months before the system returns to normal. POLB executive director Mario Cordero illustrated the sobering scope of the issue. 'In 2024, we had record cargo at the Port of Long Beach—9.6 million, the best in our 113-year history. And… first quarter 2025, we moved the most container volume of any port of country.' During those high-volume, peak periods, one might see 20 vessels arrive at the port on a given day. 'The low point that we saw in the first week of May—that number was 14,' Cordero said. And on Friday, the Maritime Exchange (which monitors the flow of incoming and outbound cargo) reported zero container ships leaving China bound for U.S. ports. 'The ports in China are essentially 24/7, so to have a 12-hour period where there's no vessel departing from any Chinese port to the U.S.A., that should be concerning. That is a big red flag,' Cordero said. The U.S. and China have reached a ceasefire in the trade war for now, but that doesn't mean operations will rev back up immediately. 'If this gets resolved in a way that the shipper has confidence to not only book their cargo, but pay for the cargo to come out to the West Coast, at the very least, that takes two weeks right there,' he said. Sailing from any port in China to the West Coast takes an additional 14 days. Accounting for any complications that might take place at the port of origin adds still more time to the meter. 'I would say, in a good scenario, four weeks, in a bad scenario, six to eight weeks' until normal operations at the port resume in earnest, he projected. According to Richardson, the cancellation or pause of in-progress orders has disrupted the 'entire logistics and supply chain continuum.' 'That means fewer people being called into work. That means fewer shifts that they can count on, fewer people,' Richardson added. 'And it ripples not only from the docks but to the warehouses and to the trucks and to all of that. That creates an economic impact with Ground Zero here in the city of Long Beach.' Gary Herrera, president of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU, Local 13) underscored that point. 'The facts are the facts: the work was here two months ago, three months ago—we were breaking records,' he said, comparing that timeline to the reality that has solidified following Trump's reciprocal tariff announcements. For ILWU's registered dockworker workforce, work opportunity has dwindled from five to six days a week to two to four days. 'For our part-time workers, there's absolutely zero work opportunities for them,' he added. Cargo containers are sitting empty at the terminals and workers are not being hired to move them in the event that volumes begin to surge—a factor that could lead to future backlogs. And the instability caused by the administration's vacillating trade policy is radiating throughout the local logistics network. Weston LaBar, chair of the Long Beach Economic Partnership and chief strategy officer of Waterfront Logistics, which operates 600,000 square feet of warehousing space near the POLB, said the group has seen 'huge demand right now for bonded warehousing' from anxious companies grappling with the implications of the tariffs. But now, the group worries that working through the 'long and cumbersome process' of securing the bonds needed to operate the spaces from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will be for naught. 'Our biggest fear in that process is that we may get permits…right about the time they're not needed anymore.' 'If we permit our facility to be bonded, and there's no bonded cargo, not only did we miss out on helping the shippers coming into the nation that are trying to navigate the trade war, but then we have a whole bunch of space that we can't use,' he added. Meanwhile, Customs broker and freight forwarder Alba Wheels Up has already seen a 'huge' surge demand from shippers—and that was just based on 'whispers of the news last week' that the administration might be working on a trade deal that would lower the China tariff rate. 'Especially because we have this 90-day kind of reboot… they want to frontload and get as much inventory as they can at 30 percent,' he said. 'It's a little harder to make longer-term investments and sourcing decisions without the long-term certainty, but there is a short-term advantage,' he added. Long Beach also enjoys the shortest transit time of any American port from Asia—another advantage. Business may be ramping up at far-flung sourcing locales and ports, but Richardson said he believes the 90-day tariff pause is just that—a respite, not a solution or a guarantee that the supply chain will return to optimal health over the course of four weeks, or four months. Without an end to the trade war, uncertainty will still reign supreme. 'Last week, what we said was we're sounding the alarm. This is important. People count on the port and they don't know it. They just know they click and buy and it shows up. They have no idea how these decisions impact their ability to provide the basic needs for their family,' he said. 'And so the point of today is demonstrating the economic impact. This is real. These are real numbers,' he added. 'These are jobs, economic impact… we all should be concerned about trade policy and errors, because they will have an impact on your ability to procure goods, on how much those goods cost.'
Straits Times
06-05-2025
- Sport
- Straits Times
Long Beach Olympics? LA Games to put spotlight on vibrant coastal city
Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson poses for a picture at Alamitos Beach, the site of Olympic beach volleyball for the 2028 Los Angeles Games. PHOTO: REUTERS LONG BEACH – The Los Angeles Olympics in 2028 are set to showcase Long Beach, the vibrant coastal city in south-eastern Los Angeles County with a rich sports and cultural history, that will host 11 events. Beach volleyball, water polo, sailing and sport climbing are among the popular competitions that will take place in 'the LBC' and Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson said the city is ready for its moment in the global spotlight. 'Long Beach is a great American city, and many folks may not know about it,' he said. 'It's an opportunity to really come out of the shadows a bit. We're a top-40 city in the United States by population. We're larger than Miami. We're larger than St. Louis and New Orleans. 'We have a great, iconic coastline... and the beautiful nine miles of California coast.' Long Beach is likely familiar to music lovers around the world due to its frequent mention in the songs of hip-hop legend and Team USA hype man Snoop Dogg. The city has also punched above its weight when it comes to producing sports stars. Tennis icon Billie Jean King, three-time Olympic beach volleyball champion Misty May-Treanor and 2012 Olympic gold medalist and NBA star Russell Westbrook all hail from the city. Long Beach's Woodrow Wilson High School has had an alumni represented in every Summer Games the US has participated in since 1952. Long Beach State University, meanwhile, has consistently churned out Olympic volleyball, swimming and water polo standouts. The 2028 Games will mark the third time Long Beach has played a part in an Olympics. Marine Stadium was originally built to stage rowing events at the 1932 Games and will do so again nearly a century later with rowing and canoe sprint taking place at the first-ever manmade rowing course. Sailing will be held off Belmont Veterans Memorial Pier in Belmont Shore as the city's waterfront once again hosts the event after also doing so in 1984, the last time LA hosted the Games. Hosting large-scale events is nothing new to the city, Richardson added. The Long Beach Grand Prix, the city's beloved '200-mile-per-hour beach party', drew over 200,000 attendees for its 50th anniversary in April in the shadow of the Long Beach Convention Centre and Long Beach Arena, which will both be utilised in 2028. The 60th edition of the popular Congressional Cup regatta was held off Veteran Memorial Pier last weekend in Long Beach's signature sea breeze. 'These are iconic, historic, world-class venues, and we can't wait to put them on display for the entire world,' Richardson said. Olympic organisers LA28 have clustered venues together across the sprawling Los Angeles region and Richardson added that fans will have options when it comes to how they move between the six Olympic venues in Long Beach. 'You can Circuit,' he said, referring to the city's free electric vehicle service. 'Or walk or scooter or bike across all the venues on our nine miles of coastline. 'And while they're there, they'll see the investments that we made into our beach, into our coastline, some of the best beach concessions in America where you can have a hot dog or you can have a tomahawk steak and a martini. 'That's the experience that we've put together and developed here in Long Beach, and we can't wait to show it to the world.' REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Reuters
05-05-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Long Beach Olympics? LA Games to put spotlight on vibrant coastal city
LONG BEACH, California, May 5 (Reuters) - The Los Angeles Olympics in 2028 are set to showcase Long Beach, the vibrant coastal city in southeastern Los Angeles County with a rich sports and cultural history, that will host 11 events. Beach volleyball, water polo, sailing and sport climbing are among the popular competitions that will take place in "the LBC," and Los Angeles Mayor Rex Richardson said the city is ready for its moment in the global spotlight. "Long Beach is a great American city, and many folks may not know about it," Richardson told Reuters. "It's an opportunity to really come out of the shadows a bit. We're a top 40 city in the United States by population. We're larger than Miami. We're larger than St. Louis and New Orleans. "We are home to the largest port in the United States at the combined sea ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, and we have a great, iconic coastline with the Queen Mary and the beautiful nine miles of California coast." Long Beach is likely familiar to music lovers around the world due to its frequent mention in the songs of hip-hop legend and Team USA hype man Snoop Dogg as well as 90s ska-punk pioneers Sublime. The city has also punched above its weight when it comes to producing sports stars. Tennis icon Billie Jean King, three-time Olympic beach volleyball champion Misty May-Treanor and 2012 Olympic gold medalist and NBA star Russell Westbrook all hail from the city. Long Beach's Woodrow Wilson High School has had an alumni represented in every Summer Games the U.S. has participated in since 1952, and is believed to have produced more Olympians than any other high school in the country. Long Beach State University meanwhile has consistently churned out Olympic volleyball, swimming and water polo standouts. THE LBC The 2028 Games will mark the third time Long Beach has played a part in an Olympics. Marine Stadium was originally built to stage rowing events at the 1932 Games and will do so again nearly a century later with rowing and canoe sprint taking place at the first-ever manmade rowing course. Sailing will be held off Belmont Veterans Memorial Pier in Belmont Shore as the city's waterfront once again hosts the event after also doing so in 1984, the last time LA hosted the Games. Hosting large-scale events is nothing new to the city, Richardson said. The Long Beach Grand Prix, the city's beloved "200-mile-per-hour beach party," drew over 200,000 attendees for its 50th anniversary last month in the shadow of the Long Beach Convention Center and Long Beach Arena, which will both be utilized in 2028. The 60th edition of the popular Congressional Cup regatta was held off Veteran Memorial Pier last weekend in Long Beach's signature sea breeze. "These are iconic, historic, world-class venues, and we can't wait to put them on display for the entire world," Richardson said while overlooking the vast expanse of soft white sand that will comprise the beach volleyball courts. Olympic organizers LA28 have clustered venues together across the sprawling Los Angeles region and Richardson said fans will have options when it comes to how they move between the six Olympic venues in Long Beach. "You can Circuit," he said, referring to the city's free electric vehicle service. "Or walk or scooter or bike across all the venues on our nine miles of coastline. "And while they're there, they'll see the investments that we made into our beach, into our coastline, some of the best beach concessions in America where you can have a hot dog or you can have a tomahawk steak and a martini. "That's the experience that we've put together and developed here in Long Beach, and we can't wait to show it to the world."
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Long Beach offers free gun safes in effort to prevent gun-related deaths
The City of Long Beach will offer free gun storage safes to residents as part of an initiative to promote firearm safety and prevent gun-related injuries and deaths, officials announced Monday. Beginning April 28, the city's Department of Health and Human Services, in collaboration with its parks and recreation department, will distribute 200 gun safes on a first-come, first-served basis at locations across the city. The gun safes will be given away to any resident, no questions asked, officials said. Firearms are the leading cause of death among children in the United States, and officials say safe storage, in addition to responsible behavior and open conversation about firearms in homes, can greatly reduce the risk of unnecessary injuries and deaths. Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson said in a news release that nearly 4.6 million American children live in homes with unlocked and loaded guns. The gun safes, which weigh about 10 pounds and can hold two handguns, will be available at seven locations across the city during the following hours: Admiral Kidd Park (2125 Santa Fe Ave.), weekdays from 3 to 6 p.m. Cesar E. Chavez Park (401 Golden Ave.), weekdays from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Coolidge Park (352 E. Neece St.), weekdays 3 to 10 p.m. Houghton Park (6301 Myrtle Ave.), weekdays from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. MacArthur Park (1321 E. Anaheim St.), weekdays 3 to 6 p.m. Orizaba Park (1435 Orizaba Ave.) weekdays from 3 to 6 p.m. Ron Arias Health Equity Center (6335 Myrtle Ave.), Mondays through Thursdays from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dr. Anissa Davis, Long Beach City Health Officer, said using gun safes to store firearms reduces the risks of accidents, particularly among children, but also helps 'prevent unauthorized access, lowering the chances of firearm-related violence and suicide.' The program is made possible through a one-time approval of funds in the 2025 city budget. The effort is part of a broader violence prevention strategy in Long Beach, officials said. Because firearms are prohibited on all city facilities, anyone interested in receiving a free safe must leave their weapon at home. For more information about preventing firearms-related deaths and injuries, visit Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Yahoo
SSNs, credit card info among stolen data in Long Beach breach
The city of Long Beach is beginning to notify people whose data may have been improperly disclosed in the 2023 hack, officials announced Monday. The city's press release explained that the 'unauthorized actor' on the city's network was discovered on Nov. 14, 2023, and at the time, it impacted the city's website and networks. Beginning Monday, 'the City is notifying people whose personal information may have been accessed and/or acquired as a result of the incident,' the city's release said. 'While there is no indication that any information has been misused for the purpose of committing fraud or identity theft, the City is providing these notifications by law and out of an abundance of caution so that those impacted have the information, tools and resources to safeguard their personal information, should they feel it appropriate to do so,' added the release, which explained that the notifications will come by mail at the address on file in the city's records. The city's investigation was completed last month and 'determined that certain impacted files containing personal information may have been accessed and/or acquired by an unauthorized individual(s).' That information includes dates of birth, credit and/or debit card info, medical data and numbers for Social Security, driver's licenses and passports, though not everyone affected had all of these pieces of information stolen. 'Data security is of the utmost importance, and we are committed to protecting the data that our community entrust to us,' said Mayor Rex Richardson. 'This has proven to be an unprecedented event for our organization, and we continue to take this investigation and its findings seriously. We will continue to be as transparent as we can, and we appreciate the patience and understanding from our community.' The city has created a hotline for issues around the breach. For information, call 888-802-9667 between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. on weekdays. 'It is important to note that call center staff will not ask for, nor should people provide, a Social Security number or other personal information when calling the call center,' city officials added. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
