The Jones Act DeskSHIPS, PORTS, AND THE LAW OF AMERICAN SHIPPING. · 2026-09-05

The Jones Act Desk: The Day

In this newscast

THE JONES ACTMexicali truck drivers block Nueva Gate over visa revocations tied to cabotage.
Presented by Eli Grant. Read the story on The Jones Act Desk →
PORTS AND LABORFederal board warns Coast Guard waterways program has 31% staffing deficit.
Presented by Ada Hale. Read the story on The Jones Act Desk →
SHIPBUILDINGJapan commits $1.37B in aid to shipbuilding over a decade.
Presented by Eli Grant. Read the story on The Jones Act Desk →
ENERGY AT SEANew Fortress Energy seeks San Juan Bay dredging for larger LNG vessels.
Presented by Ada Hale. Read the story on The Jones Act Desk →
PUERTO RICO AND THEVirginia Tech adhesive could help maintain aging Jones Act ships.
Presented by Eli Grant. Read the story on The Jones Act Desk →

The desk

Mara Quinn (Lead anchor, voiced Matilda) · Eli Grant (The desk, voiced Eric) · Ada Hale (The desk, voiced Alice)

How this was made

The stories come from The Jones Act Desk's live front page, the same rail readers see. An AI wrote the transcript and a validator held it to the contract: real headlines only, figures quoted verbatim from the coverage or not at all. Each anchor's lines were read in that anchor's own voice, and the newscast was rendered and gated before it published. The video above is the file the gate passed.

The transcript 7 turns
Mara QuinnWelcome to The Jones Act Desk, for Saturday, September fifth, two thousand twenty-six. With Eli Grant and Ada Hale, I'm Mara Quinn. We begin today with border blockades.
Eli GrantTruck drivers in Mexicali have blocked the Nueva Gate. They are protesting visa revocations tied to cabotage, pressuring both US and Mexican authorities.
Ada HaleA federal board warns the Coast Guard's Waterways Management program faces a significant staffing deficit. The program is short 31 percent of its billets.
Eli GrantJapan's government has pledged substantial aid to its shipbuilding industry. They commit 1.37 billion dollars over a decade to companies like Imabari Shipbuilding.
Ada HaleNew Fortress Energy is seeking dredging of its dock area in San Juan Bay. This would allow larger capacity LNG vessels at its natural gas terminal.
Eli GrantA new polymer adhesive from Virginia Tech could extend the life of aging US-flagged ships. It is four times stronger than duct tape.
Mara QuinnThat's all the time we have for today. Thank you for joining us on The Jones Act Desk.
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