author

 
 

Meta

Laura Curtis
A ship sits under construction in a ship-building yard in Dalian, China, in 2017.
BUSINESS / Markets
Nov 9, 2025
Unions slam Trump for giving China a pass on shipbuilding
The union reaction came after Trump touted a trade truce between the world’s largest economies, but shows that the deal came at the expense of some blue-collar workers.
Workers at the Cosco Shipping Holding shipyard in Qidong, Jiangsu province, China, on Oct. 8, 2024
BUSINESS / Economy
Mar 24, 2025
Billion-dollar U.S. levies on Chinese ships risk ‘trade apocalypse’
The levies could theoretically generate between $40 billion and $52 billion for U.S. coffers.
A firefighting helicopter flies past downtown Los Angeles as it goes back and forth dropping water on the Eaton Fire near Altadina, California, on Monday. At least two rounds of vicious, dry Santa Ana winds are expected to blast through Southern California early this week, bringing powerful gusts that will challenge fire crews struggling to contain two destructive blazes and likely force thousands more residents to evacuate.
WORLD
Jan 14, 2025
Fire-scarred Los Angeles braces for more extreme winds
Extreme fire conditions are forecast across a wide region, whipping flames with gusts that could reach speeds similar to those that caused last week's fires.
A firefighting helicopter drops water as the Palisades fire nears the Mandeville Canyon neighborhood and Encino, California, on Saturday.
WORLD
Jan 13, 2025
Los Angeles faces little relief from fires as winds persist
In their battle against raging infernos, firefighters are being challenged by relentless wind that could continue for the rest of January.
A tug boat assists a container ship to its berth in Long Beach, California, on June 17.
BUSINESS / Economy
Aug 19, 2024
Busiest U.S. ports absorb import surge nearing pandemic-era frenzy
The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, which account for roughly a third of all U.S. container imports, had their third-strongest month ever in July.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jun 3, 2023
The Fed's fight against U.S. inflation faces a new challenge: A dry Panama Canal
A severe drought has caused water levels in Panama to drop far below normal, resulting in weight limits and rising surcharges for vessels traversing the canal.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Feb 27, 2023
Supply chains have healed, yet their mark on inflation will endure
Short-term prices for containers from Europe to the U.S. East Coast are still more than double what they were in late 2019, according to data from Freightos.

Longform

Bear attacks have dominated Japanese news headlines in recent months, with 13 people so far having been killed by the animals.
Japan’s bears have been on their killing spree for more than 100 years