Free Republic

The best time to repeal the Foreign Dredge Act was before the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed. The next best time to repeal it is right now. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge figures to snarl traffic around Baltimore, but the bigger problem might be the downed bridge's effect on maritime activity. Until the bridge's wreckage can be cleared away, the Port of Baltimore is cut off from the Chesapeake Bay, the Atlantic Ocean, and the global supply chains beyond. It remains unclear how long the port will be closed, but federal Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said...

Team Baltimore, Team Maryland, FBI investigating, Buttiboy coming to the rescue.

Rescue workers in Baltimore are working furiously in an attempt to save the lives of dozens of people who were plunged into the frigid waters of the Patapsco River when the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed after being hit by a container ship. Initial reports indicate that at least a dozen cars hit the 47 degree water in addition to a 20 or so construction workers who were working on the bridge at the time. The workers were pouring concrete on to the bridge at the time of crash. At the first press conference around 6:30 am, Baltimore Fire Chief...

The nautical definition of an “allision “ is “the running of one ship upon an object that is stationary., such as a bridge, oil rig, or anchored ship. The distinction between it and a ‘collision’ is that in the latter, both objects (then, generally ships) are moving. Under Maritime law, the moving ship is presumed at fault in an allision. Further, under the Jones Act, persons injured in an allision are automatically due compensation, as are their families, Given the accident today, I figured Freeper vocabulary needed expansion.

The morning silence shattered as the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore met its unexpected fate, crumbling into the sea in a breathtaking cascade of steel and concrete. The collision, captured in a chilling livestream, unfolded with surreal intensity as a towering cargo ship collided with one of the bridge's support beams. Smoke billowed from the vessel, mingling with the chaos as emergency responders raced against time to rescue 20 people plunged into the icy waters below. In the digital realm, the shocking footage spread like wildfire, triggering a wave of disbelief and concern across social media platforms. The Maryland...

The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland which crosses the Patapsco River has reportedly Collapsed within the last few minutes after being Struck by a Large Container Ship

All the other parents I told about my plan for “dead week” reacted in the same way. “What a great idea! “Dead week” in Juneau is the week before school starts, when there are no camps, and the district-sponsored after-school and summer program takes a break to prepare for the school year...I realized that for $299, I could take my first-grader on an Alaska cruise. I’d never been on a cruise and, as someone who has lived in Juneau through the cruise industry’s explosive growth, I have mixed feelings about it... I booked last minute and the total came out...

It’s not every day you find a government document calling for Cato Institute employees to be charged with treason, but as a new article in The Dispatch details, here we are: "In March 2020, a maritime shipping advisory panel offered a simple suggestion to the government: Charge all past and current members of two libertarian think tanks with treason. "It is certainly not the first time a bunch of libertarians angered members of a bureaucratic panel. But this backlash stemmed from criticism of the Jones Act, a century‐​old law that imposes requirements for shipping between American ports." Haley Byrd Wilt’s...

Shots were fired this week when a newly released US Maritime Administration (MARAD) document from 2020 showed that a Department of Transportation (DOT) advisory committee recommended that members of the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank that’s opposed to the Jones Act, be charged with treason. Treason is a federal crime punishable by death. MARAD did not take action on the recommendation but new threats to the Jones Act are emerging, which may sink the 102-year law. The documents were part of a freedom of information act (FOIA) request filed by Cato which included recommendations from a March 2020 meeting...

Source: Haley Nelson/Pittsburgh Post-GazettePeople are unhappy with current delays in our nation’s supply chain, but a man now sitting in a West Virginia jail could have made things a whole lot worse. Nathaniel Blayn Becker is charged in connection with three explosive devices placed aboard towboats and barges operating on the Ohio River around the Ohio-West Virginia border. Disabling even one of these vessels would have caused inevitable delays and stoppage of water traffic along the Ohio River. And the shock of such a terroristic action would have caused inevitable chaos throughout American waterways and ports. But Becker’s alleged criminal...

2020 is the 100th anniversary of an important U.S. law that becomes more vital each year: the Jones Act. As the United States fends off China's effort to become the world's dominant economic and military power, this law has become especially important. Yet despite the law’s significance, some Americans want to repeal it, effectively allowing China to expand their ocean dominance by moving into America's domestic waters. Last year the world learned that China's economy has surpassed Japan's to become #2 in the world, second only to the U.S.A. A major part of China’s growth has been its heavily-subsidized industry...

The Jones Act And Duncan Hunter – A Rebuttal September 9, 2018 by Salvatore R. Mercogliano (Editorial) Opponents of the American Maritime Industry and the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, known as the Jones Act, have new ammunition in their assault against this sector and legislation and it is Congressman Duncan Hunter. There is absolutely no defense for the actions taken by Congressman Hunter and he should be made accountable. However, his actions are not the responsibility of the American merchant marine or maritime sector.

Congressional leaders from both sides of the isle defended the Jones Act’s impact on hurricane relief efforts in Puerto Rico during a hearing this week exploring initial lessons learned from the 2017 hurricanes and key challenges and obstacles that may remain in the way of recovery. The House Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure held a hearing Wednesday on “Emergency Response and Recovery: Central Takeaways from the Unprecedented 2017 Hurricane Season” during which Congressman John Rutherford (R-FL) and Ranking Member Peter DeFazio (D-OR) highlighted the importance of the American maritime industry for Puerto Rico recovery and the capacity and capability of...

Is Temporary Jones Act Relief Possible for Reconstruction? HIGHLIGHTS: Four bills are currently pending in Congress to repeal or limit the reach of the Jones Act, including three that are focused upon relief efforts to assist Puerto Rico after the disastrous effects of Hurricane Maria. None of the bills appears likely to advance immediately, although two of the bills linked to Puerto Rico reconstruction may have appeal as part of a broader relief package for the Commonwealth. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) did grant a short-term waiver in the wake of Hurricane Maria to allow use of foreign...

Left-wing scholars, particularly in academe, make lots of attention getting assertions. Regrettably, they usually offer little in the way of illuminating evidence. "In the midst of almost unimaginable horror in Puerto Rico, a bright light has shone on one of America's most unjustifiable and economically backward laws, the previously obscure Jones Act," Brink Lindsay and Steven Teles wrote on October 2, 2017 for Washington Monthly. "First created in the aftermath of World War I to buffer the impact of post-war demobilization, the Jones Act requires that all ships that carry cargo within the United States be built in America, with...

Republican Sens. John McCain and Mike Lee introduced legislation Thursday to permanently exempt Puerto Rico from the Jones Act shipping law. The senators say the Trump administration's decision Thursday to grant a 10-day waiver of the Jones Act for Puerto Rico does not go far enough to help rebuilding efforts after Hurricane Maria and encourage long-term economic growth on the bankrupt island. "While I welcome the Trump administration's Jones Act waiver for Puerto Rico, this short-term, 10-day exemption is insufficient to help the people of Puerto Rico recover and rebuild from Hurricane Maria," said McCain, R-Ariz. "Our legislation would permanently...

Full title: U.S. Denies Request for Puerto Rico Jones Act Waiver as Senator McCain Applies Even More Pressure By Timothy Gardner WASHINGTON, Sept 26 (Reuters) – The Trump administration on Tuesday denied a request to waive shipping restrictions to help get fuel and supplies to storm-ravaged Puerto Rico, saying it would do nothing to address the island’s main impediment to shipping, damaged ports. The Jones Act limits shipping between coasts to U.S. flagged vessels. However, in the wake of brutal storms, the government has occasionally issued temporary waivers to allow the use of cheaper, tax free or more readily available...

The White House has approved a request to waive the Jones Act for Puerto Rico, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said Thursday. "At @ricardorossello request, @POTUS has authorized the Jones Act be waived for Puerto Rico. It will go into effect immediately," Sanders tweeted Thursday. Puerto Rico's governor, Ricardo Rossello, said he asked the White House on Wednesday to waive the Jones Act for Puerto Rico. "Jones Act waived for Puerto Rico. Thank you, @POTUS," the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration tweeted Thursday. Waiving the Jones Act will allow foreign ships to deliver supplies to Puerto Rico. The Jones...

Photo: Philly Shipyard The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) has awarded a total of $9.8 million to 18 U.S. small shipyards to help pay for industrial modernizations that will increase productivity and allow the country’s small shipyards to compete more effectively in the global marketplace. The funding was awarded through MARAD’s Small Shipyard Grant Program. “Small shipyards play a significant role in our country’s maritime sector, which contributes to our economy, security, and infrastructure,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao. “In addition, these grants will support local communities by creating jobs for working families.” Small shipyard facilities...

Jones Act ships under construction at Philly Shipyard, fomerly Aker Philadelphia Shipyard. File Photo Jones Act shipbuilder Philly Shipyard announced Friday that it has entered into a Letter of Intent (LOI) with a leading, blue chip Jones Act operating company for the construction and sale of up to four containerships with planned deliveries in 2020 and 2021. The identity of the operating company has yet not been disclosed, but Philly Shipyard indicated that the vessels would be based on a similar design to the two Aloha-class containerships it is currently building for Matson, Inc. Friday’s announcement follows news from last...