U.S. Navy Medevacs Crewmember from U.S.-Flagged Cable Layer off Guam

Courtesy USN

Published Jan 15, 2026 5:50 PM by The Maritime Executive

 

On Tuesday, the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Navy teamed up to evacuate an ill crewmember from a U.S.-flagged cable layer off the coast of Guam. 

At about 1010 hours on Monday, the Coast Guard station at Guam received a distress call from the captain of the cable-layer Decisive. A 60-year-old crewmember had heart attack symptoms, and needed higher care. At the time, the ship was 400 nautical miles offshore - too far to reach with a helicopter for medevac. 

Decisive made way towards Guam to close the distance, and the Coast Guard checked in with the vessel's crew every four hours for a status update. On Tuesday morning, Decisive approached within helicopter range of Guam, and the Coast Guard dispatched a U.S. Navy Knighthawk helicopter aircrew to retrieve the mariner. 

The Knighthawk from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 25 arrived on scene at 1145 hours Tuesday and hoisted the mariner aboard. He was transferred to Naval Hospital Guam for further care. 

Decisive (ex name Tyco Decisive) is a U.S.-flagged cable layer built at Keppel in 2003. She is operated by a manager in Baltimore and crewed by the SIU. 

The medevac was the third in a matter of weeks for HSC-25, which works with the Coast Guard to provide SAR coverage on and around the island. Previously, the squadron medevaced a 27-year-old woman who had sustained spinal injuries in a fall, and a mariner who was experiencing serious abdominal pain aboard a foreign-flagged ship. 

Here’s How We Pressured an Airline to End Its Contract With ICE


ICE is not invulnerable. The Avelo Airlines win proves what happens when we refuse inevitability and fight together.

Op-Ed
By Umme Hoque & Daniel Hunter , 

Truthout

January 14, 2026

A rally near the Albany International Airport along Albany Shaker Road on July 26, 2025, in Colonie, New York. Protesters called on Albany County to drop Avelo Airlines from the airport roster because of its participation in ICE deportation flights.

Jim Franco / Albany Times Union via Getty Images

The same day that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent Jonathan Ross killed 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, a little-known airline named Avelo announced that it would no longer fly deportation flights. Though the announcement was overshadowed by the news in Minneapolis, it is a major victory: The biggest commercial carrier of kidnapped and detained souls is ending its estimated $150 million contract with ICE.

The campaign targeting Avelo was more than just a boycott. Like the historic grape boycott or the more recent Tesla Takedown movement, it required a mix of local and national organizing, direct action, and political pressure alongside the better-known boycott. Organizers targeted an ICE-enabling contractor with a public-facing brand, financial fragility, and political dependencies. This was not a symbolic protest — it was leverage. It sent a definitive signal to other commercial airlines to keep distance from ICE deportations and opened space for pressure on other ICE enablers.

Exposing a Hidden Pillar of Support

The campaign did not begin as a national strategy. It began the way many effective movements do: with people noticing something meant to remain unnoticed.


In Connecticut, word got out in March that Avelo — a commercial airline branded as a local carrier — had quietly signed a contract with the Department of Homeland Security and was scheduled to begin ICE deportation flights in May 2025. Avelo was headquartered in the state, received public subsidies, and now stood to profit from deportation — all without public debate, disclosure, or consent.

Related Stor

Activists Are Fighting Tax Subsidies for Airline Running ICE Deportation Flights
Connecticut activists are making big gains in their campaign against the airlines ICE is using to abduct people. By Umme Hoque , Truthout  May 15, 2025


“Avelo used to call itself New Haven’s hometown airline,” Anne Watkins, an organizer with the New Haven Immigrants Coalition, explained. “We don’t want a company that is profiting directly off of [deportation and detention] to be here in New Haven.”

Experts on civil resistance explain that defeating an authoritarian requires removing a regime’s “pillars of support.” An authoritarian leader can give orders — but they are only enacted if multiple institutions implement them. As noted in The Nation, “even the most despotic of regimes can’t rule without the backing or consent of powerful external institutions. Businesses are society’s most important non-state institutions, and most of the biggest ones in America are collaborating with Trump, making themselves a very steady pillar of support for his rule.”

This understanding led the campaign. It wasn’t a symbolic protest; it was built on the understanding that without the logistical support of Avelo, ICE deportations would be materially hampered.

Before flights started, the New Haven Immigrants Coalition launched a local campaign: protests, a demand for an end to public subsidies, and a boycott petition. Within days, tens of thousands had signed the petition, many outside the state.

Small, decentralized actions emerged, including protests in other cities, alongside social media pressure. The flight attendants’ union raised alarms about safety, stating: “Having an entire flight of people handcuffed and shackled would hinder any evacuation and risk injury or death.… We cannot do our jobs in these conditions.”

These efforts weren’t centrally coordinated. They didn’t yet add up to enough significant pressure to win. But they did the most important thing at that moment: raise awareness of a vulnerable target and begin assembling the people needed to win.


Identifying the Target’s Weaknesses

Deportation flights are rarely debated in city councils or mentioned in glossy corporate reports. They are subcontracted, routed through regional airports, and handled by companies designed to be forgettable — mostly private charter firms insulated from scrutiny. Deportation infrastructure depends on that invisibility.

Nikki Marín Baena — co-director of Siembra NC, a Latino base-building organization leading efforts to protect community members from ICE and build power in North Carolina, where Avelo also had multiple bases — told us: “These flights are purposely hidden and purposely in the shadows. It’s despicable that any U.S. corporation would seek to profit off our government’s immoral actions, and we needed to bring what they were doing — and why — more visibly into the light.” (We are connected to Baena because Umme Hoque leads national campaigns and trainings at Siembra NC.)

With Avelo now a target, campaigners began to home in on its vulnerabilities. Matthew Boulay, an activist in Oregon, put together a website and an ad hoc coalition (involving calls and shared spaces) for groups working to Stop Avelo. Siembra NC added this campaign to its many ICE defense campaigns and strategies, including leaning on the research firm LittleSis to identify Avelo’s weaknesses.

Avelo proved unique: a commercial airline with a recognizable brand dependent on ticket sales. Like many airlines, Avelo needed state and municipal subsidies and struggled to raise capital in a tight market.

That made it vulnerable to public pressure — even as it hoped deportation flights would, as CEO Andrew Levy explained, “provide us with the stability to continue expanding our core scheduled passenger service.”

Working with Mijente and the Coalition to Stop Avelo, Siembra NC’s national immigration defense network, Defend and Recruit, called on more groups around the country to join the campaign and take action. In this fast-moving phase, research, tactics, and approaches began to be shared across the movement.

Local demands were tailored based on how that location or group intersected with Avelo. In cities on flight routes — including Mesa, Arizona; Burbank, California; Baltimore, Maryland — the focus was airport and airport authorities. And if Avelo didn’t fly into a city, protests were held to make it clear it never could.


Deportation infrastructure is not sustained by ideology alone. It is sustained by contracts, zoning decisions, labor, reputational cover, and silence. Those can be undone.

Subsidies, previously framed as an economic opportunity, were recast as citizen investments in state violence and to be opposed in places like Delaware. Activists pushed elected officials to pass resolutions and legislation to refuse to fly the airline, their own form of boycott, and won in California. Connecticut moved from stopping subsidies to severing partnerships. In New York, pressure targeted both state policy and Jefferies Group, an investment firm raising money for Avelo.

The tactics varied but were based on a consistent theory: Deportation infrastructure is not sustained by ideology alone. It is sustained by contracts, zoning decisions, labor, reputational cover, and silence. Those can be undone.

Scale Without Flattening

Things started bubbling: Activists pulled together a nationwide week of protests in late May, with actions across 22 states. First-time activists joined with seasoned labor organizers. Faith leaders, activists, and frequent flyers played central roles.

Rev. Cathy Rion Starr from the Unitarian Universalists Association, which mobilized congregations nationwide, shared why: “As people of faith, we know that safety is created through care, not punishment — and that transformation happens in the community.”

An elected official in New Hampshire paid for protest billboards himself. Attorneys general released letters.

More national organizations began to join the campaign. Tristan Call, an international committee member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), saw opportunities to get involved. “We had DSA chapters in 44 of Avelo’s 51 key cities, many of whom were already looking for ways to get involved in defending their immigrant members and neighbors,” Call told Truthout. “So we saw the Avelo campaign as a tremendous opportunity both to bring the leverage of tens of thousands of DSA members to the fight against ICE’s corporate profiteers, and to train our members in how to run effective corporate boycott campaigns.”

By July, the fight notched its first win: Avelo stopped its West Coast flights. Nationwide, this small win barely registered outside of the movement. But it promoted momentum inside the movement’s orbit.

How national groups showed up really mattered. They amplified local fights, shared research and tools, and helped grow local pressure from everywhere at once. Groups like Jobs with Justice, the SEIU, and other worker bodies grew more involved with local leaders and workers. Pilot whistleblowers sharing inside intel and responses from the company and stakeholders helped all groups understand whether tactics were having an impact inside the company.

Rolling weeks of action augmented local pressure and strategies. While Indivisible chapters across the country had already been active, nationally it, too, joined the effort — adding to what was now a stampede of hundreds of cities finding ways to pressure and cause economic pain to Avelo.

No group controlled a brand, created a singular identity, or created a singular national approach; instead, they allowed multiple strategies and shared resources across the movement to pressure the target. Over a few months, at least 40 groups took action across the country, with hundreds of people joining protests. Tens of thousands boycotted Avelo.

Similar to the Tesla Takedown campaign, it was a generative combination of centralization and decentralization. The pressure proved too great for the airline.

In early January, Avelo quietly announced that it would shutter its operations at Mesa Gateway Airport in Phoenix, Arizona. It was getting out of the deportation business.

Why We Won

This was the mosquito strategy: many tiny bites until it was too painful to continue. Some city bites were quite painful, forcing Avelo to leave the West Coast entirely or to re-evaluate its own “hometown” brand. Others were less successful — but still part of the overall effect.

“From the tarmac to the ticket counter, our organizing created a sustained pressure campaign that Avelo could no longer ignore.”

This was a victory — and it should be named as one. As Boulay explained, “At a time when immigrant communities are under relentless attack, [this campaign] offers proof that resistance works. From the tarmac to the ticket counter, our organizing created a sustained pressure campaign that Avelo could no longer ignore.”

But no one mistakes this victory for an ending to our organizing. ICE’s aggression is escalating. People continue to be harmed and killed by immigration enforcement and policing.

Still, removing one company from ICE’s chain weakens the overall system. It adds to the win of the Spotify boycott: Spotify is no longer airing ICE recruitment ads, likely in part due to collective pressure.

The networks formed through this Avelo fight are now turning to new contractors, other state and municipal policies, and toward a national story that we can do better. One key strategy to reduce ICE’s power is to target ICE collaborators.

Organizers in Minneapolis have called for residents to stop giving ICE and other federal occupation forces food, shelter, and transportation. These include companies like Signature Aviation, Hilton, and Enterprise. Their first victory — coupled with — was getting a local Hilton to refuse service to the Department of Homeland Security and ICE.

As Adam Shah, director of national policy for Jobs with Justice, has stated, now is a choice point for these pillars:

From Avelo to Amazon, all corporations must weigh their options. Democracy or authoritarianism. Community or violence. If you are profiting from a partnership with ICE, then you are in opposition to democracy and will face an organized coalition of working people determined to win a future free from the exploitation of the deportation machine.

More than anything, this campaign proves the fragility of the system. ICE and the security forces of this current government are not invulnerable. This win proves what happens when we refuse inevitability and fight together. That lesson is dangerous to any system that survives on our silence and our resignation to the idea that we can’t change anything. Because we can and did — and there’s more to come.


This article is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), and you are free to share and republish under the terms of the license.

Umme Hoque
Umme is a writer, editor, and organizer leading campaigns and trainings at Defend and Recruit, a national network supporting the movement for immigrant defense. A Bangladeshi-Texan, she’s spent the past two decades fighting local and global campaigns with trade unions and worker bodies, immigrant rights and racial justice organizations, climate justice groups, and debtor unions. Her writing has appeared in Prism, In These Times, Filter, The Guardian, and The Progressive.

 

New action plan recommends steps to strengthen Maryland agriculture’s resilience to climate change

University of Maryland

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QUEENSTOWN, Md. — A new action plan from the University of Maryland’s Harry R. Hughes Center for Agro-Ecology offers a path forward for how Maryland’s farmers, agricultural leaders, and policymakers can strengthen the state’s agricultural resilience in the face of climate change.

The plan, Maryland Climate-Smart Agriculture: A Roadmap to Resilience, presents 13 key recommendations for supporting the long-term sustainability of Maryland agriculture. It was developed by the Hughes Center, a nonprofit affiliated with the University of Maryland (UMD), and the UMD College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (AGNR), in partnership with a cross-sector team and with funding from the State of Maryland.

The purpose of this Roadmap is to provide Maryland farmers, the agricultural community, and policymakers with scientific and real-world recommendations to help them respond effectively to climate change.
 

At the heart of the Roadmap is a call for Maryland to adopt a climate-smart agriculture approach, defined as a set of agricultural practices and technologies that aim to increase agricultural resiliency. A climate-smart agricultural approach continually evaluates best management practices with the best available science to respond to challenges. The report identifies three key components of this approach: 

1. Sustainably increase agricultural productivity and incomes; 

2. Increase the agricultural sector’s resilience in the face of climate-related risks; and 

3. Reduce or offset greenhouse gas emissions and increase carbon sequestration in agricultural lands.

 

This Roadmap draws on a scientific assessment conducted by a multidisciplinary team of scientists from UMD, the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES), and the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES), who assessed the current and future impacts of climate change on agriculture in Maryland. It also integrates extensive stakeholder and farmer input, ensuring that on-the-ground experiences inform the recommendations.

The 13 recommendations highlighted in the main report are distilled from these scientific findings and engagement efforts. The full scientific study, included as Appendix 1, provides dozens of detailed recommendations addressing different sectors of Maryland’s agriculture industry. The report is available at go.umd.edu/ClimateSmart.

About the Hughes Center: The Harry R. Hughes Center for Agro-Ecology is a nonprofit organization affiliated with the University of Maryland College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Founded in 1999, its mission is to provide leadership in promoting environmentally sound and economically viable agriculture and forestry as Maryland's preferred land use through research, outreach, and collaboration.

Partner Quotes:

"The Maryland Climate-Smart Agriculture: A Roadmap to Resilience report provides a crucial, evidence-based path forward for our state's agricultural sector. At its core, the report champions a climate-smart approach focused on sustainably boosting productivity while building resilience against climate risks. This is more than a study; it is a practical guide synthesizing the best available science with invaluable on-the-ground farmer expertise to secure the long-term sustainability and economic viability of Maryland agriculture." — Maryland Department of Agriculture Secretary Kevin Atticks

“The Maryland Climate-Smart Agriculture: A Roadmap to Resilience report is an impressive collaborative effort to identify climate impacts on agriculture and recommend actions to help the industry adapt. Many of the findings from this report are consistent with the prioritized actions identified in the Next Generation Adaptation Plan that will help Marylanders create a more resilient and sustainable future. The Department of Natural Resources is committed to supporting adaptation in the agricultural sector that improves the environment and supports economic viability.” — Maryland Department of Natural Resources Secretary Josh Kurtz

“Agriculture is the backbone of Maryland’s economy and the heart of our heritage, but it’s also on the front lines of the climate crisis. Building a resilient future is about protecting our natural resources and the people who steward them. This roadmap proves that when we lead with science and listen to our farmers, we can create a healthier future.” — Maryland Department of the Environment Secretary Serena McIlwain

“Maryland has much to be proud of in its response to climate change, and this report strengthens that progress. It highlights the importance of integrating agriculture into statewide climate planning to ensure the industry remains both economically viable and environmentally beneficial. The report provides valuable insight for farmers, policymakers, elected officials, scientists, and anyone in the public interested in how Maryland’s leading commercial industry — agriculture — can adapt and thrive in a changing climate.” — Mac Middleton, President, Harry R. Hughes Center for Agro-Ecology

“AGRIHOOD Baltimore is proud to support the Maryland Climate-Smart Agriculture: Roadmap to Resilience. This vital document provides the necessary framework to confront climate change head-on while simultaneously tackling food and economic inequity. For us, this Roadmap validates the critical connection: climate resilience is inextricably linked to food sovereignty and land access. By prioritizing equitable, sustainable practices, this plan empowers urban and diversified farmers, ensuring that climate action is not only effective for the environment but also for building lasting community wealth and securing a stable, healthier food supply for all Marylanders.” — Richard “Farmer Chippy” Francis, Director, Plantation Park Heights Urban Farm, also a member of the Roadmap’s Project Leadership Team

“Food production—on land and in water—is deeply tied to the health of the Bay. Regenerative agriculture not only nourishes people but also supports clean water, wildlife habitat, and climate resiliency. This report provides a roadmap on the opportunities to support farmers and other agricultural stakeholders across the state to continue to provide food in the face of our changing climate.” — Amy Jacobs, The Nature Conservancy, Maryland/DC Chesapeake Bay Agriculture Program Director, also a member of the Roadmap’s Project Leadership Team

“Our changing climate will continue to increase stressors on Maryland’s agricultural resources. The Hughes Center’s Roadmap to Resilience synthesizes expertise from scientists and farmers and provides concrete recommendations to help maintain productive agriculture in the face of these challenges. Climate-smart agriculture’s focus on sustainability offers approaches to reduce risk, increase soil health, and conserve water and nutrients — increasing their resilience and viability while protecting our natural resources, like the Chesapeake Bay.” — Chesapeake Bay Commission Maryland Director Maggie Woodward, also a member of the Roadmap’s Project Leadership Team

Supporting Quotes:

“Maryland Farm Bureau's mission is to strengthen and grow agriculture in the state, and the recommendations in the Roadmap to Resilience provide practical, science-based guidance that help farmers prepare for changing conditions and recognizes the realities Maryland farmers deal with every day. The report values stakeholder voices and incorporates farmer feedback to ensure solutions are grounded in real-world experience.” — Maryland Farm Bureau

“The Maryland Grain Producers Association appreciates the Maryland Climate-Smart Agriculture: Roadmap to Resilience for its farmer-informed, science-based recommendations that recognize both the productivity and resilience of Maryland’s grain sector. The report emphasizes the need for adaptive management, investment in research and flexible conservation programs that help farmers remain profitable while responding to changing weather, water, and pest pressures. With the right tools, data, and coordinated state support, Maryland grain farmers can continue to be leaders in stewardship and conservation.” — Maryland Grain Producers Association 

“Farmers are one of the few that must work, no matter the weather. They are some of the first to recognize the challenges that climate has on their crops or raising chickens. With this robust and in-depth research and recommendations, farmers will have additional understanding and tools to stay resilient in their livelihoods and continue to provide the food that all Marylanders need.” — Holly Porter, Executive Director, Delmarva Chicken Association

“The Harry R. Hughes Center for Agro-ecology protects both natural ecosystems and local farm economies through its excellent research, and Maryland Climate-Smart Agriculture: A Roadmap to Resilience is yet another example of their great work. This practical document includes workable solutions to guide Maryland agriculture into the future. Future Harvest appreciates the care taken to include local farmers in the research, and to support them with the result. We look forward to seeing the impact of these recommendations.” Grace Leatherman, Executive Director, Future Harvest

“The Rural Maryland Council commends the Hughes Center for Agro-Ecology for completing the Maryland Climate-Smart Agriculture: Roadmap to Resilience report to support Maryland farmers and agriculture. The identification of the 13 recommendations will prepare Maryland agriculture for future economic development and we look forward to assisting in their implementation.” — Rural Maryland Council

“MARBIDCO encourages Maryland farmers, agricultural service providers, the affected agencies and research institutions, and state and local policymakers to review the Hughes Center’s very comprehensive report, and to take appropriate action toward the implementation of its 13 recommendations.” — Maryland Agriculture & Resource-Based Industry Corporation (MARBIDCO)

“Maryland farmers are at the forefront of climate-smart regenerative farming. These practices not only improve water quality in the Chesapeake Bay, but enhance soil health and our land’s resilience to climate change, extreme weather, and flooding. This new report will well-equip Maryland to remain a leader in climate-smart agriculture, helping farmers adapt to changing environmental conditions while still getting healthy, local food on people’s plates.” — Dr. Alison Colden, Maryland Executive Director, Chesapeake Bay Foundation

“The rise in greenhouse gas emissions is affecting many sectors and communities, including Maryland’s agricultural community. This report clearly outlines the impacts climate change will have on farmers, while also highlighting the opportunities farmers have to help reduce and mitigate these effects. Supporting the agricultural community’s role is essential to our statewide efforts to address climate change.” — Kim Coble, Executive Director, Maryland League of Conservation Voters
 

Key Findings and Recommendations (more details found in the full roadmap):

1. ADOPT CLIMATE-SMART AGRICULTURE AND AGROFORESTRY STATEWIDE

• Build on the state’s current environmental efforts and prioritize climate-smart agricultural practices as an integral component of Maryland state agencies’ climate implementation plans. A climate-smart agriculture approach incorporates many of the tools, techniques, practices and programs that are already employed in the state’s existing efforts to address climate change. However, climate-smart agriculture is unique in that it continually considers the best available science to continue meeting productivity, adaptation and mitigation demands as the climate continues to change

2. EVALUATE AND SUPPORT ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT TO ACHIEVE CSA

• Support crop diversification, incorporate ecosystem services and encourage and support practices that increase resilience. Consider new crop species and new products adapted to future climate conditions and explore new opportunities for generating on-farm income. Researchers and state agencies should develop crop varieties that are drought- and heat-tolerant, as well as resistant to emerging diseases and pests. 

3. INTEGRATE THE AG SECTOR INTO STATE PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE STRATEGIES

• State agencies should develop a statewide plan that integrates Maryland’s goals for climate, land use, energy, water, agricultural production, and food systems in a strategic manner, accounting for the impacts and benefits, as well as potential unintended consequences, on all communities. The state should develop regional climate action plans to address the individual counties' vulnerabilities in their agricultural sectors to climate change and their specific needs.

4. BUILD AN EARLY WARNING SYSTEM OF CLIMATE IMPACTS ON AG

• Maryland State agencies should design and develop a climate early warning program to alert producers to conditions that will compromise or disrupt agricultural productivity.

5. CREATE A ONE-STOP SHOP OF CLIMATE ADAPTATION INFORMATION FOR FARMERS

• State agencies should collaborate to establish an accessible “one-stop shop” for farmers seeking information about local, state, and federal climate-smart agriculture, conservation programs, financing, and data resources, thereby reducing confusion and facilitating informed decision-making. MDA could own and run this effort or operate through an innovative public-private partnership.

6. EVALUATE & EXPAND TARGETED CSA AG EDUCATION & OUTREACH STRATEGIES 

• Recognizing that some communities will be disproportionately affected by climate change and various mitigation measures, targeted outreach to these diverse audiences will be crucial for supporting climate-smart agriculture policy and promoting the adoption of recommended climate-smart practices. Farmer and agricultural representative organizations, along with UMD and UMES Extension, as well as nonprofits that engage with farmers and agricultural communities, should assist agencies in effectively reaching farmers, including those who live in historically underserved communities.

7. PRIORITIZE & INVEST IN ACADEMIC, UNBIASED SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH

• Invest in long-term research and development on climate-smart adaptive measures to ensure agricultural productivity into the future. In addition to general support for investments in research at the state government level and within MDA, academic institutions, as well as nonprofit organizations and private companies, should also prioritize investments in research.

8. EVALUATE & UPDATE AG BMPS TO STRENGTHEN CAPACITY FOR ADAPTATION

• The state should continue to support and strengthen cost-share programs for BMPs and invest in research to ensure BMPs are appropriate and effective for future conditions. The Chesapeake Bay Program should systematically review current BMPs to assess their effectiveness under current and anticipated climate stressors. 

9. STRENGTHEN MONITORING TO INFORM DATA COLLECTION AND ADDRESS GAPS

• State agencies should support existing data collection, monitoring and predictive modeling tools, and develop new ones to fill in data and monitoring gaps that exist in the ag industry, and ensure that data is available to stakeholders in relevant and understandable formats.

10. EVALUATE, UPDATE AND FUND CONSERVATION PROGRAMS THAT SUPPORT AG

• Federal, state, and local governments; nonprofit organizations; and public or private partners that currently provide and administer conservation programs should ensure that these programs are fully funded and consider strengthening or expanding them. Conservation practices more resilient to climate change should be investigated and developed.

11. EVALUATE SUPPLY CHAIN AND INFRASTRUCTURE ADAPTATIONS

• Federal and state policymakers should invest in infrastructure needed to sustainably increase and diversify production, such as cold storage facilities, grain elevators, meat processing facilities, irrigation systems, and waste management infrastructure. 

12. CONSERVE AGRICULTURAL LAND FOR AGRICULTURAL USES

• Agricultural leaders or representatives must be included in discussions of research, policy, economics, land use, environmental and any other on-the-ground implications to ensure farmers have a voice in the long-term viability of our agricultural economy.

13. STRENGTHEN FARM INSURANCE, PROTECT AGAINST FUTURE CLIMATE CONDITIONS

• The state should monitor farm insurance availability and consider subsidizing insurance programs to ensure adequate coverage for all types of farmers, and not only those who grow major commodity crops. With support from Maryland’s congressional delegation, the USDA could help lead federal efforts to strengthen farmer insurance. 

 

Hapag’s Terminal Operator Takes Full Ownership of Port Everglades Facility

Port Everglades' Florida International Container Terminal (Hanseatic Global Terminals)

Published Jan 12, 2026 7:54 PM by The Maritime Executive

Hapag-Lloyd’s Hanseatic Global Terminals is continuing to execute on its growth strategy, with reports that it has taken full ownership of Port Everglades'Florida International Terminal. Major carriers have been working to build out their terminal operations in support of corporate goals and a positive business opportunity.

Hapag-Lloyd and Grupo Empresas Navieras, through its affiliate Agunsa Universales, have operated the terminal in Port Everglades for a decade. The companies reported they have reached an agreement regarding the capital structure of the operation. Hanseatic Global Terminals will become the sole owner of FIT. Agunsa USA, which is working to consolidate GEN's port, logistics, and towage operations, had previously owned approximately a third of the joint operation in Fort Lauderdale.

According to the companies, FIT is strategically located in South Florida, serving one of the largest consumer markets globally. The terminal specializes in container and general cargo handling and provides direct connectivity to major highways and rail networks, ensuring efficient inland and intermodal transportation and access to the region’s hinterland.

In 2024, the terminal announced a new 10-year lease with the port running to 2035 for the facility located on 46 acres in the Southport area of Port Everglades. As part of the concession, it reported plans to invest $25 million. The terminal has four berths with six ship-to-shore cranes. It handled over 330,000 in 2024 and over 2.8 million tonnes of cargo.

Established in 2023, Hanseatic Global Terminals operates as an independent entity within the Hapag-Lloyd Group, focusing on terminals and infrastructure. Hanseatic aims to grow from 21 port terminals to approximately 30 globally by 2030.

Baltimore’s Sparrows Point Container Terminal Receives Key Permits

Sparrows Point will double contaienr caapcity at the Port of Baltimore (Tradepoint Atlantic)

Published Jan 12, 2026 6:36 PM by The Maritime Executiv

Plans to develop a new container terminal as part of the redevelopment of the Sparrow’s Point region of Baltimore marked key steps with the US Army Corps of Engineers and federal authorities granting construction permits. The project is a joint venture with MSC’s Terminal Investment Limited (TIL), which calls for doubling Baltimore’s container capacity and further establishing the port as a critical gateway to the Mid-Atlantic and central United States.

The Army Corps announced late last week that it has issued its permit decision for the Sparrows Point Container Terminal after having completed its Final Environmental Impact Statement last fall. The Army Corps has authorized the construction of approximately 3,000 linear feet for the terminal’s wharf. The project will require mechanical dredging and placement of approximately 4.2 million cubic yards of material. In addition to the wharf, the project was also seeking permission to create a turning basin and to lower the depth to 52 feet to accommodate large containerships. 

The project requires Army Corps approval as USACE oversees harbor and river improvements, construction of structures on navigable waters, and ocean disposal of dredged material. It must also permit the maintenance dredging for the facility.

In December, the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council also announced the completion of federal permitting for the project. The Council was created a decade ago to improve the permitting process for infrastructure projects that require federal environmental review.

The Sparrows Point Container Terminal is a $1 project that will redevelop 330 acres at the former Bethlehem Steel Sparrows Point manufacturing plant. Tradepoint Atlantic acquired the site in 2014 for redevelopment into a multi-use facility. More than 50 companies are already located at Sparrows Point, and the area includes a marine terminal and rail link

Tradepoint Atlantic and TIL announced plans in October 2022 to develop the new container facility, saying it would be opened by 2028. The container facility will consist of 168 acres for the terminal and intermodal yard, with an additional 162 acres for support facilities. Plans call for up to nine ship-to-shore cranes as well as an intermodal rail facility.

The project has won key support as part of the overall plan to expand and improve operations in the Port of Baltimore. It will provide critical jobs and economic enhancement to the region.
 

Shanghai Exceeds 55 Million TEU in Container Throughput for 2025

Shanghai topped 55 million TEU for the first time (SIPG)

Published Jan 13, 2026 7:44 PM by The Maritime Executive

The Shanghai International Port Group is highlighting that its port operation has remained the world’s busiest container port for the 16th consecutive year. They also report completion of the 14th Five-Year Plan as it looks toward the future by taking more steps to build its role as a global container transshipment hub.

Releasing its final tally for 2025, SIPG says the Shanghai port overall handled 55.06 million TEU, which was a 6.9 percent increase in throughput. Over volume, however, lagged at 600 million tons, up just over 3 percent from the 580 million tons in 2024.

It reports that the Yangshan Deep Water Port accounted for just over half the port complex’s total volume, an increase of just over 10 percent for the port area’s throughput. Critically, it points out that the Yangshan Phase III Terminal surpassed 10 million TEU for the first time, highlighting its role as a core pillar of the port. Observers note that few ports around the world handle 10 million TEU in a year.

One of the key focuses for the port is growth in its role as an international transshipment hub. SPIG highlights its transshipment volume surpassed 7.9 million TEU, up 10.6 percent for the year. They said this is evidence of its reach and influence as a global hub. Efforts such as a water-to-water transshipment effort and increased efficiency helped it grow this operation.

The overall throughput they report “underscores the port’s resilience and stability as a critical node in the global supply chain.”

SPIG highlights a range of challenges that it had to address and manage in 2025. It points to “complex and volatile global trade conditions,” saying there were frequent geopolitical conflicts and an accelerated restructuring of global supply chains. SPIG points to deepening its strategic collaboration with shipping companies and improving resource utilization efficiency to help it manage the challenges. It also points to “extreme weather events” and surges in peak logistics periods.

Technology plays a critical role in the port’s ability to handle these massive volumes. It points to a rollout of automated terminals among the innovations. They are using digital twins and big data analytics to increase quay crane productivity. It also points to technologies such as smart yards and AI-based stowage models to significantly reduce the re-stowage rate. They call this movement “China speed.”

SPIG also highlights strong growth in its sea-rail inter-model volumes. They report it exceeded 1 million TEU for the first time, up just over 16 percent year-on-year.

Looking ahead, it says the operations will focus on strengthening hub resilience. One of the key goals is to increase the share of international transshipment cargo.

“SIPG will accelerate major infrastructure development, optimize port layout, and enhance container-handling capacity and vessel berthing efficiency. With a strategic focus on international transshipment, it will further expand global shipping networks and scopes of cabotage operations, and water-to-water transshipment, increasing the share of international transshipment cargo and consolidating its position as a core international transshipment hub in Northeast Asia,” the company writes in its report for 2025.

The volume growth came after a report that Shanghai, after 11 months, had already reached 50 million TEU. They said it was 26 days earlier than 2024, forecasting a new record for the full year. Shanghai had been expected to exceed 53 million TEU for the year.

The growth in volumes was not limited to just Shanghai. Last week, the operators of the Ningbo-Zhoushan port reported it had handled 43 million TEU in 2025. It continues to rival Singapore, which reported today that it had a throughput of 44.66 million TEU in 2025, up 8.6 percent. Singapore handled a total of 3.22 billion gross tonnage of vessel arrivals in 2025, which was up 3.5 percent year-on-year.

 

Rethinking restroom equity: how mixed-gender designs improve access in public venues

New study reveals how combining unisex and gender-specific restrooms can slash wait times and promote true inclusivity where it matters most

Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences

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New Management Science Study Key Takeaways:

• Introducing unisex restrooms alongside traditional gender-segregated facilities significantly reduces wait times and improves user satisfaction.
• A mixed restroom design approach outperforms fully unisex models by providing more options and addressing diverse user needs more effectively.
• Designing inclusive restrooms requires balancing efficiency, equity, and user experience, ensuring equitable access for all individuals.

BALTIMORE, MD, Jan. 13, 2026 – Next time you're at a concert, sports game, or crowded event, your restroom experience might be a lot better thanks to new research published in the INFORMS Journal Management Science. The study offers a game-changing approach to restroom inclusivity by combining unisex (all-gender) restrooms with traditional men's and women's facilities, making venues more efficient and welcoming for everyone.

"This isn't just about improving efficiency. It's about making sure everyone, regardless of their gender identity or presentation, feels welcome and supported when they walk into a restroom," said Setareh Farajollahzadeh of McGill University. "True inclusivity means providing equitable access for everyone, and our research shows a practical way to do that."

The researchers conducted a comprehensive analysis of restroom designs to determine how best to address the ongoing issue of restroom disparities in public venues. Through their study, they found that a balanced approach—providing both gender-segregated restrooms alongside unisex stalls—offered the most effective solution. This approach not only improved efficiency by offering more options to users but also significantly reduced average wait times for everyone.

The findings demonstrated that moderate flexibility, achieved by integrating unisex and traditional restrooms, outperformed designs relying exclusively on unisex facilities. By acknowledging and addressing diverse user needs, this approach promotes inclusivity and efficiency simultaneously.

“Designing restrooms that consider the needs of all users is crucial,” continued Farajollahzadeh, Assistant Professor of Operations Management in the Desautles Faculty of Management from McGill. “By combining unisex and traditional restrooms, we can create spaces that are both efficient and inclusive.”

Co-author Ming Hu at the University of Toronto, added, “This research serves as a crucial lesson for both policymakers and designers. True inclusivity requires balancing technical optimization with empathy and a deep understanding of human behavior.”

The findings of the study, “Potty Parity,” are especially relevant as venues around the world seek ways to enhance user experiences and make public spaces more accommodating. Whether at sports arenas, concert halls, or theme parks, restroom accessibility remains a critical issue impacting overall customer satisfaction and inclusivity.

A companion case of the study, published in INFORMS Journal Transactions on Education in September 2025, coauthored by Setareh Farajollahzadeh, Ming Hu, and Vahid Roshanaei, was awarded the first place in the 2024 INFORMS Case Competition.

“This isn’t just about efficiency; it’s about ensuring equitable access for all. The strategies we identify can be applied to a wide range of public venues, from stadiums to shopping malls, to make them more welcoming and accessible,” concluded Farajollahzadeh of McGill University.

Read the full study here.

About INFORMS and Management Science and Transactions on Education

INFORMS is the world’s largest association for professionals and students in operations research, AI, analytics, data science, and related disciplines, serving as a global authority in advancing cutting-edge practices and fostering an interdisciplinary community of innovation.  Transactions on Education, a leading INFORMS journal, publishes outstanding research with the mission of advancing O.R., management science, and analytics education at all levels worldwide. Learn more at www.informs.org or @informs.

 

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Contact:

Rebecca Seel

443-757-3578

rseel@informs.org

 

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Journal

Management Science

DOI

10.1287/mnsc.2021.04075 

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Potty Parity