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A crane stands above the Ever Macro cargo container ship docked at the Port of Los Angeles on Sept. 13, 2025.The Iran war has caused shipping in the Middle East, Europe and Asia to back up. But the Port of L.
A., which mostly deals with trade from China, Japan and Vietnam, is not so far being affected. As cargo ship fuel cost rises, however, consumers will likely end up paying.A disruption in trade through the massive SoCal port would affect hundreds of thousands of jobs in the five-county Southern California region. Port of L.A. trade accounts for 17% of all waterborne container international trade into the U.S.The war is affecting shipping in the Middle East, Europe and Asia, but the Pacific Ocean trade to the U.S. is so lucrative that companies are making sure container ships are not delayed.after the U.S. and Israel began attacking Iran. And that’s slowed trade to countries in the region. It’s also caused the cost of fuel to spike, which will likely be passed on to consumers. In his monthly briefing Thursday, the leader of the massive Port of L.A. complex said the port shutdowns in the Persian Gulf and slowdowns in European and Asian ports caused by the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran are not rippling to Southern California. “We right now don't see any of that congestion happening, but it just may,” said Port of L.A. Executive Director Gene Seroka. “No one has the answer at this point in time of how long this war is going to continue and for what duration the Strait will remain closed.” Shipping across the Pacific Ocean to U.S. ports on the West Coast, Seroka said, is so lucrative that companies are making sure container ships are not delayed. Most of the trade through the port complex is with China, Japan and Vietnam. “I don't think you're going to see a significant impact on the West Coast,” said Ron Widdows, a former ocean carrier CEO who joined Seroka during the briefing. A crane stands above the Ever Macro cargo container ship docked at the Port of Los Angeles on Sept. 13, 2025.The war with Iran will mark its second week Saturday. The conflict’s economic upheaval has upended politics and economies in the Middle East. European and Asian countries are feeling the ripple effects as trade along the Strait of Hormuz has slowed.The war’s effects on rising prices at gasoline stations in the U.S. is also leading to price increases in cargo ship fuel, known as“Those bunker prices effectively doubling right now are passed on almost immediately, and in some cases with a 30-day notice, to shippers, they'll be passed on to the cost of those goods,” Seroka said. For now, container volume at the Port of L.A. is good, with 812,000 container units moving in and out of the L.A. port last month. “That's about 3% higher than last year and 11% above the five-year average for February, both positive signs,” Seroka said. A disruption in trade through the massive SoCal port would affect hundreds of thousands of jobs in the five-county Southern California region. Port of L.A. trade accounts for 17% of all waterborne container international trade into the U.S.When Andres Chait made his first public appearance as acting superintendent before a closed board meeting March 2, his name was printed on folded cardstock. By the board's meeting Tuesday, his nameplate matched the rest of the board’s.As the federal investigation related to Los Angeles Unified’s superintendent continues, the district’s acting leader and the elected board face key decisions about the district’s finances and negotiations with unions poised to strike.voted overwhelmingly in January to give their leaders the power to call a strike. The unions plan to hold a rally in downtown Los AngelesAs the federal investigation related to Los Angeles Unified’s superintendent continues, the district’s acting leader and the elected board face key decisions about the district’s finances and negotiations with unions poised to strike. This on top of the day-to-day tasks of running a school district that employs 83,000 people and enrolls more than 400,000 students across more than 1,000 schools. “This removal of Carvalho, which is understandable under the circumstances, comes at the very worst time for the system,” said Pedro Noguera, dean of USC’s Rossier School of Education.. The reason for the searches is unknown. A DOJ spokesperson said the agency has a court-authorized warrant but declined to provide additional details.Which means, for now, longtime administrator Andres Chait will continue leading the country’s second largest school district through a series of pressing challenges.This is not the first time in recent history an acting superintendent has led LAUSD.“The role of the acting superintendent, from my perspective, is not different from the actual superintendency,” Ekchian said. “The work needs to get done, and it doesn't stop.” When asked about the acting superintendent’s decision-making power compared to the permanent position, a district spokesperson wrote in a statement that “acting superintendent is a board-appointed position and carries all responsibilities and authority afforded the position of district superintendent.” Ekchian said the superintendent’s decisions are guided by the district’s existing strategic plan, consultation with other senior leaders and community partners. “If there's an urgent matter, like a fire or something that requires immediate decision-making, systems and structures are in place for organizations and departments to know what to do next with immediate guidance from the superintendent,” Ekchian said. ”All decisions aren't the same, and the urgency is dictated by the matter at hand.” Like Ekchian, Chait rose through the ranks from teacher to administrator at LAUSD over nearly three decades. The responsibilities of his most recent role, chief of school operations, included overseeing school safety, athletics and the district’s office of emergency management. The salary for the chief of school operations position isIn his first verbal statement to the public on Monday, March 2 before a closed board meeting, Chait said his priority as acting superintendent is “We remain committed to academic excellence and student wellbeing,” he said. “Our core values remain unchanged. I know transitions can create uncertainty, but our district is strong.” But contract negotiations with the district's largest unions, those that represent teachers and school support staff, have stalled. Members of bothAn IT worker and a gardener, both in positions targeted for reductions, were among the union members that addressed the LAUSD board.“ A strike is always the last resort,” said Maria Nichols, president of Associated Administrators of Los Angeles, the union representing principals, on Tuesday. “None of us — AALA/Teamsters, UTLA, SEIU — want to go on a strike and be disruptive for our students, our families, our school communities, especially at a time when LAUSD is already navigating uncertainty.” More than a hundred school support staff and other union members filled the chambers Tuesday as Nichols and other representatives addressed the board. Alex Orozco, UTLA’s secondary vice president, told the board that negotiations were “not anywhere close” to being settled. (The following day, the union announced the most recent step of negotiations, “fact-finding,” ended In past negotiations, the district’s superintendent has been a lightning rod for the union’s criticisms. In 2018, for example, UTLA“ The problem our members are facing, and students, is a systemic issue. It's not an individual,” said Max Arias, executive director of SEIU Local 99, in an interview with LAist. “We have to continue to attack the system, but I'm trying to hold out some hope that superintendent will, you know, understand what we need to get done.” At Tuesday’s board meeting, Chait described a first week on the job spent visiting with teachers, principals, students, support staff and labor partners. “As someone who's been a teacher, principal, held a number of roles in the district, I understand that you are indeed the backbone of this district,” Chait said. “The work simply just does not happen at schools or at offices without you. My commitment to you is to always come from a place of transparency, honesty and dialogue.”Part of the labor negotiation challenges are related to the district’s financial constraints. In February, a divided board voted toFor example, LAUSD hired more staff to support students during the pandemic, and now the federal relief dollars that initially funded those positions“There's no easy solutions,” he said, “and I think that's part of the reason why they've held off for a while on making tough decisions.”indicates that the district will continue to spend more money than it brings in over the next three years. Still to be determined are how the outstanding labor negotiations and thedetainment of children Thousands of students from schools across Los Angeles walked out Wednesday, Feb 4, 2026 in peaceful protest of the Trump Administration’s immigration policies.Chait, whose own family immigrated from Chile in 1983, said the district’s work to support immigrant families will not change during his tenure. “Please know we stand with you,” Chait said Tuesday. “We will support you. We will ensure that our campuses are safe, secure and welcoming environments for our students and staff.”explores the weird and secret bits of SoCal that would excite even the most jaded Angelenos. He also covers mental health.For the past year, a group of about a dozen veterans have met at the West Los Angeles VA campus to study the work of the Bard of Avon. The project is a partnership between the Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles and The Veterans Collective. The group is led by trained theater artist — and fellow veteran —Lyons is a longtime staple of L.A.’s theater community and is a member of the Antaeus Theatre Company. He said seeing this group express themselves through these timeless works has been inspiring. “Helping them grasp Shakespeare, not only intellectually but emotionally, has been one of the most uplifting experiences of my life,” Lyons said.For the past year, a group of about a dozen veterans have met at the West Los Angeles VA campus to study the work of the Bard of Avon. The project is a partnership between the Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles and The Veterans Collective. The group is led by trained theater artist — and fellow veteran — Lyons is a longtime staple of L.A.’s theater community and is a member of the Antaeus Theatre Company. He said seeing this group express themselves through these timeless works has been inspiring. “Helping them grasp Shakespeare, not only intellectually but emotionally, has been one of the most uplifting experiences of my life,” Lyons said. Ranging in age from their 30s to their 70s, the group includes veterans of the Vietnam War and most of its members live at the West LA VA Campus, Lyons said. The actor, who’s performed in more than half of Shakespeare’s plays, said part of his goal with the project was to demystify Shakespeare’s canon for veterans who might not have studied it since grade school. “Watching this group of men and women understand it and be able to connect with it in ways that they didn’t think possible was really, really inspiring,” Lyons said. The group will perform an original work called “Shakespeare Night Live” at 3 p.m. Sunday, March 15, at McCadden Place Theatre. The performance weaves through several Shakespearian monologues and scenes.If you're enjoying this article, you'll love our daily newsletter, The LA Report. Each weekday, catch up on the 5 most pressing stories to start your morning in 3 minutes or less.The war in Iran is rattling the aviation industry, from flight cancellations to rising costs for jet fuel. So if you're planning to travel this spring or summer, should you grab a ticket now, or wait?It's generally recommended to buy international flights further in advance than domestic trips. But in the current circumstances, Sean Cudahy, an aviation reporter at The Points Guy website says he would go ahead and book even domestic flights. His advice is a sign of how the Middle East conflict is rippling outward, affecting prices and itineraries around the world, beyond the thousands of travelers who were stuck after the war forced a barrage of flight cancellations.The war's effect on travel was sudden and striking, resulting in the cancellation of more than 46,000 flights in and out of the Middle East from Feb. 28 — when the U.S. and Israel began bombing Iran — to March 11, according to Cirium, the aviation analytics company. As they absorb higher fuel costs, airlines could adjust prices higher across the board, or they might tuck an increase into premium fares, where they'll be less noticeable, Cudahy of The Points Guy says.The war in Iran is rattling the aviation industry, from flight cancellations to rising costs for jet fuel. So if you're planning to travel this spring or summer, should you grab a ticket now, or wait? It's generally recommended to buy international flights further in advance than domestic trips. But in the current circumstances, Cudahy says he would go ahead and book even domestic flights. His advice is a sign of how the Middle East conflict is rippling outward, affecting prices and itineraries around the world, beyond the thousands of travelers who were stuck after the war forced a barrage of flight cancellations.The war's effect on travel was sudden and striking, resulting in the cancellation of more than 46,000 flights in and out of the Middle East from Feb. 28 — when the U.S. and Israel began bombing Iran — to March 11, according to Cirium, the aviation analytics company.But even airlines far from the Mideast are facing a sudden surge in a core expense: jet fuel. At the beginning of the year, a gallon of jet fuel cost $2.11; by March 10, the price rose to $3.40, according to thecame to a virtual halt, as Iran announced it would close the waterway that normally handles about 20% of the world's oil and liquified natural gas. Mideast refineries had been sending some 470,000 barrels of jet fuel each day through the strait to airports in Europe and elsewhere, says Rick Joswick, who heads the near-term oil analytics team at S&P Global. The price for a gallon of jet fuel soared close to $4 in the first week of the war, prompting United Airlines CEO Scott KirbyAs they absorb higher fuel costs, airlines could adjust prices higher across the board, or they might tuck an increase into premium fares, where they'll be less noticeable, Cudahy of The Points Guy says. "I do think that this is ultimately going to lead to higher fares for everyone," Cudahy says."The only question now is how significant and how long does it last?" Air travelers stranded by the Iran conflict are greeted in Athens, Greece, after arriving on a charter flight from Dubai on Saturday. The higher fuel prices reflect a genuine struggle to ensure the aviation industry has ample supplies, says Joswick. "It's not irrational. It's not some trader bidding up prices," he says. Comparing the situation to the COVID-19 pandemic, he adds,"The consumption of toilet paper didn't change. But you notice that all of the supermarkets ran out of toilet paper, right? Everyone wants to be sure that they have coverage of a critical need." Both Cudahy and Joswick compare the Iran conflict's ripple effects to Russia launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, which set off flight disruptions and higher fuel prices. As long as the Strait of Hormuz is closed, Joswick says, prices will keep rising.. But Joswick predicts that while such a move can help ensure adequate oil supplies, it might not bring a sharp drop in jet fuel prices. For one thing, he says, thefocuses on holding crude oil, not jet fuel. And he cites logistical challenges, such as California's reliance on jet fuel that it either produces or imports.If you're ready to take your chances and book a flight, Cudahy has some guidance.Instead, he recommends buying a regular, full-fare economy ticket:"If the price does eventually drop, you can then go back and change it and capture the lower price.""You can generally cancel it and get all your miles back later, if the price goes down," he says. Use services such as Google Flights to comparison shop and set up alerts for price changes. And if you book flights through a third-party site such as Expedia, be sure you understand its cancellation and change policies, in case they differ from the airlines. Because of the chance for renewed hostilities in and around Iran, Cudahy says he would try to avoid nearby airline hubs for the next couple of months."In the same way that we're seeing relatively long lines at gas stations with folks trying to get their tanks filled up before the price goes up even more than it already has, I would be thinking the same way when it comes to airfare right now," he says. While you might drive an extra mile or two to find cheaper gas, airlines and airports don't have that luxury when they buy jet fuel. "Prices are always set on the margin," Joswick says."That last airport that needs to buy jet fuel, they will pay whatever it takes to get that. And that price then becomes the standard for the whole industry."A recent county report found that many small businesses across L.A. County have lost revenue and customers since ICE raids ramped up last summer.: L.A. County Supervisor Hilda L. Solis introduced a motion in July to create the business fund to support economic recovery in response to the ICE raids. Grant funds can be used to pay for rent, payroll, equipment repairs, inventory and recovery expenses. "Every worker taken, every family destabilized, means that there are fewer employees available to help our small business owners, and we have fewer customers that are showing up because of that fear," Solis said at a press conference Thursday.from the Los Angeles County Department of Economic Opportunity and the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation found that many small businesses across the county have lost revenue and customers since ICE raids ramped up last summer.Applications are closed. Eligible businesses that were not selected are placed on a waitlist and notified if additional funding becomes available.
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