America’s Inland Waterways Drive American Agricultural Dominance
By VOICES Staff. America’s barges quietly sustain farmers’ ability to compete, and dominate, in global markets — a reality underscored by a new 2026 federal study on the economic importance of inland waterways to U.S. agriculture. The report, prepared for the U.S. Department of Agriculture by the Department of Transportation’s Volpe Center, finds that the […]
Hackathon Delivers Next-Gen Ice Forecasting for the U.S. Coast Guard
By VOICES Staff. Winter on the Great Lakes is not simply a seasonal challenge. It is an operational test for one of the most economically vital corridors in the United States. Each year, ice cover threatens the flow of commerce across a multibillion-dollar shipping system that moves roughly 130 million tons of cargo — including […]
Investing in America’s Maritime Future: Crowley Awards 2025 Scholarships
In December 2025, Crowley awarded the Thomas B. Crowley Sr. Memorial Scholarship to outstanding American students pursuing careers that will sustain and strengthen the nation’s maritime workforce at our nation’s maritime academies. The scholarship, established in 1994 to honor the legacy of Thomas B. Crowley Sr., recognizes exceptional academic achievement and dedication to maritime careers. […]
WWII Merchant Mariners Recognized Nationwide During Veterans Day 2025
By VOICES Staff. Across the United States this Veterans Day, Americans honored the extraordinary service and sacrifice of our warfighters—especially the World War II merchant mariners who helped win the war at sea. From solemn national ceremonies in Washington, DC, to parade routes in New York City, to hometown remembrances, the 2025 commemorations underscored a […]
One loose wire caused ship blackout that toppled the Key Bridge, took six lives, NTSB says
By Christine Condon, Maryland Matters. November 18, 2025 A single loose wire caused the initial blackout aboard the massive container ship that slammed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26, 2024, toppling its spans and killing six highway construction workers. That was the focus of a daylong hearing Tuesday by the National Transportation […]
More Help Than Ever for Veterans — and More Need Than Ever, Leaders Say
By Michael Graham, InsideSources. Ask Vincent Morales, who served in both Afghanistan and Iraq, if America supports its veterans, and he’ll tell you, “Everybody loves a warrior when the enemy is at the gate.” But what about when that warrior comes home and needs healthcare, or housing, or help navigating the VA system? The good […]
Around the World, Nations Are Adopting Their Own Jones Acts
By VOICES Staff. A new study by Seafarers’ Rights International (SRI), commissioned by the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), finds that 105 nations now have cabotage laws — up from 91 in 2018 — covering 85 percent of the world’s coastlines. These are laws that reserve a nation’s domestic shipping routes for its own vessels, […]
Get a First Look at a New Book on PR for the American Maritime Industry
The following piece is an excerpt from the second edition of Making Waves: PR Strategies to Transform Your Maritime Business by Ben Pinnington, founder of Chicago-based maritime specialist international PR firm Polaris Media and VP of the Chicago Propeller Club. The second edition is scheduled for release on November 4, 2025, through Rethink Press. This […]
Jennifer Carpenter: America First Requires the Jones Act
By Jennifer Carpenter, President of the American Maritime Partnership. It comes as no surprise that President Donald Trump is building a legacy as a consequential maritime president. After all, there are few areas of our economy that are more America First than the U.S. maritime industry. We have been a maritime nation since our founding, […]
How This Shipyard is Training America’s Next Generation of Shipbuilders
By VOICES Staff. As the Trump administration’s focus on domestic energy production drives new opportunities in American shipbuilding, the Jones Act remains critical to workforce development initiatives across the maritime industry. Eastern Shipbuilding Group recently launched an innovative Marine Electrician Apprenticeship Program to grow Florida’s 65,900-strong maritime workforce—but warns that any Jones Act repeal would […]