EPISODE · Oct 26, 2021 · 15 MIN
Stuck for days in L.A.'s biggest traffic jam
from Headlines From The Times · host Ronald D. White, Denise Guerra, Shannon Lin, Gustavo Arellano, Melissa Kaplan, Shani Hilton, Mario Diaz, Ashlea Brown, Lauren Raab
Hundreds of thousands of sailors worldwide are stuck on cargo ships far longer than they’d intended, with few chances to contact the outside. Usually ports offer opportunities for a break, but most of these sailors haven’t had access to COVID-19 vaccines, so they’re not allowed to set foot in the United States.Today, L.A. Times Business reporter Ronald D. White takes us to the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, the nation’s largest. A huge backlog of cargo ships is waiting offshore for a turn to unload merchandise. Meanwhile, the crews aboard are going nowhere fast — and there’s basically no internet access, no visitors, no nice restaurant food delivery. They’re trapped.More reading:They’ve been stuck for months on cargo ships now floating off Southern California. They’re desperateWhen will supply chains be back to normal? And how did things get so bad?A tangled supply chain means shipping delays. Do your holiday shopping now
What this episode covers
Sailors on cargo ships spend months at sea. Usually ports offer a break. But now there's a shipping bottleneck, and without access to COVID vaccines, the sailors aren't allowed ashore.
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Stuck for days in L.A.'s biggest traffic jam
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