Cargo and Containers

SUPPLY-CHAIN SECURITY5 Technologies Keeping Cargo Ships Safe in Turbulent Times
By Abigail Klein Leichman
Due to Houthi attacks on cargo ships in the Red Sea, worldwide shipping is in trouble and the global supply chain faltering. These technologies can help.
- Read more
SUPPLY-CHAIN SECURITY'Separate' They Stand: Despite Iran's Support, Houthi Rebels' Independence Gives Tehran Cover
By Michael Scollon
While the Huthis are using an arsenal of Iranian weapons to wreak havoc in the Red Sea and are considered part of Tehran’s “axis of resistance,” the Yemen-based rebel group does not necessarily follow Iran’s commands.
- Read more

RAIL SAFETYThe True Dangers of Long Trains
By Dan Schwartz and Topher Sanders, with additional reporting by Gabriel Sandoval and Danelle Morton
Trains are getting longer. Rail companies had recently adopted a moneymaking strategy to move cargo faster than ever, with fewer workers, on trains that are consistently longer than at any time in history. Railroads are getting richer, but these “monster trains” are jumping off of tracks across America and regulators are doing little to curb the risk.
- Read more
SUPPLY-CHAIN SECURITYRed Sea Attacks: Why Arab Nations Won't Join Naval Coalition
By Cathrin Schaer
The U.S. has announced a naval coalition to protect shipping from Houthi attacks, but only one Middle Eastern country has joined. Why have others — like Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Egypt — not done so? Each of these states has its own reasons, but analysts say that the one thing the three powers have in common is the fact that they don’t want to be seen as working in defense of Israel.
- Read more

MARITIME ACCIDENTSTitan Destroyed by “Catastrophic Implosion”
The U.S. Coast Guard announced Thursday afternoon that the Titan submersible was likely destroyed by a catastrophic implosion. The Titan joins a sad, and long, list of lethal maritime accidents.
- Read more
MARITIME CHALLENGESDecrease in Rainfall in Central America Could Cut Off the Panama Canal
By Dirk Kaufmann
To see the economic consequences of global warming look no further than the Panama Canal. There, water levels are down because of less rain in Central America. Experts fear ordinary consumers may end up paying the price.
- Read more

U.S. RAILThe True Dangers of Long Trains
By Dan Schwartz and Topher Sanders, with additional reporting by Gabriel Sandoval and Danelle Morton
Trains are getting longer. Railroads are getting richer. But these “monster trains” are jumping off of tracks across America and regulators are doing little to curb the risk.Some trains stretch for 2 or even 3 miles, sometimes without regard for the delicate physics of keeping heavy, often combustible tanker cars from jumping off the tracks.
- Read more
CHEMICAL SPILLSA Spill Outside Philadelphia Adds to the Growing List of Chemical Accidents This Year
By Max Graham
There have already been 50 chemical spills or fires in the U.S. this year, and it’s only March.
- Read more

EXTREMISMExtremists Co-opt Norfolk Southern Train Derailment in East Palestine, Ohio
In the aftermath of the February 3, 2023, freight train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, a range of misinformation and unfounded claims has emerged as extremists and conspiracy theorists leverage the event for their own political and ideological gain.
- Read more
RAIL SAFETYIn a Growing Petrochemical Hub, the East Palestine Derailment Triggers “an Uneasy Feeling”
By Eve Andrews
The Upper Ohio River Valley has been layered in industrial pollution for centuries, and residents are fed up.
- Read more

RAIL SECURITYCan You Tell Whether a “Bomb Train” Is Coming to Your Town? It’s Complicated.
By John McCracken
This information about trains carrying hazardous materials is out there, but it is not always readily accessible. With the derailment of the Norfolk Southern train receiving international attention, more railroad communities are now asking what is traveling through their backyard, and how to avoid the fate of East Palestine, Ohio.
- Read more
RAIL SAFETYOhio Chemical Spill Draws Focus on Railroad Dangers
By Alistair Walsh
The U.S. has one of the most extensive rail networks in the world, but diminishing safety standards puts people and the environment at risk. The latest accident has drawn sharp focus onto the safety standards of the highly profitable freight rail industry and its prolific lobbying against regulation.
- Read more

RAIL SAFETYThe Train Derailment in Ohio Was a Disaster Waiting to Happen
By John McCracken
The derailment of a freight train filled with volatile chemicals in rural Ohio earlier this month captured the headlines, but researchers and chemical spill experts say it’s a situation that plays out far too often across the country. Trains carry hazardous chemicals everyday. They’re also dangerously unregulated.
- Read more
HAZARDOUS MATERIALTrain Derailments Get More Headlines, but Truck Crashes Involving Hazardous Chemicals Are More Frequent and Deadly in U.S.
By Michael F. Gorman
Highway crash of hazmat-carrying trucks do not draw national attention the way train derailments do, or trigger a flood of calls for more trucking regulation like the U.S. is seeing for train regulation. Truck crashes tend to be local and less dramatic than a pile of derailed train cars on fire, even if they’re deadlier. Federal data shows that rail has had far fewer incidents, deaths and damage when moving hazardous materials in the U.S. than trucks.
- Read more
HAZARDOUS MATERIALSHow Dangerous Was the Ohio Chemical Train Derailment? An Environmental Engineer Assesses the Long-Term risks
By Andrew J. Whelton
Headaches and lingering chemical smells from a fiery train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, have left residents worried about their air and water – and misinformation on social media hasn’t helped. The slow release of information after the derailment has left many questions unanswered about the risks and longer-term impact.
- Read more

SUPPLY-CHAIN SECURITY5 Technologies Keeping Cargo Ships Safe in Turbulent Times

SUPPLY-CHAIN SECURITY'Separate' They Stand: Despite Iran's Support, Houthi Rebels' Independence Gives Tehran Cover

RAIL SAFETYThe True Dangers of Long Trains

SUPPLY-CHAIN SECURITYRed Sea Attacks: Why Arab Nations Won't Join Naval Coalition

MARITIME ACCIDENTSTitan Destroyed by “Catastrophic Implosion”

MARITIME CHALLENGESDecrease in Rainfall in Central America Could Cut Off the Panama Canal

U.S. RAILThe True Dangers of Long Trains

CHEMICAL SPILLSA Spill Outside Philadelphia Adds to the Growing List of Chemical Accidents This Year

EXTREMISMExtremists Co-opt Norfolk Southern Train Derailment in East Palestine, Ohio

RAIL SAFETYIn a Growing Petrochemical Hub, the East Palestine Derailment Triggers “an Uneasy Feeling”

RAIL SECURITYCan You Tell Whether a “Bomb Train” Is Coming to Your Town? It’s Complicated.

RAIL SAFETYOhio Chemical Spill Draws Focus on Railroad Dangers

RAIL SAFETYThe Train Derailment in Ohio Was a Disaster Waiting to Happen

HAZARDOUS MATERIALTrain Derailments Get More Headlines, but Truck Crashes Involving Hazardous Chemicals Are More Frequent and Deadly in U.S.

HAZARDOUS MATERIALSHow Dangerous Was the Ohio Chemical Train Derailment? An Environmental Engineer Assesses the Long-Term risks

More headlines

Free Subscription

The long view