Good morning and welcome to Monday Morning Coffee! Grab your cup and let’s get to your weekly briefing of what’s on the agenda for local government and business leaders. Get this in your inbox every Monday by signing up at lbpost.com/newsletters.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated with the news Monday morning that China and the U.S. have reached a temporary agreement on tariffs.

City meetings

Port officials and city leaders will participate in a press event this morning to try to answer a burning question: What’s going to happen to the Port of Long Beach?

At 11 a.m. Monday, officials will gather inside the lobby of the city’s harbor department, which includes administrative staff for the Port of Long Beach. According to a release, leaders will discuss the results of an economic study detailing the national, state and local effects of trade at the Port of Long Beach. 

Attendees will include Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson, Port of Long Beach CEO Mario Cordero, Port Manager of Economics and Funding Kimberly Ritter-Martinez and Long Beach Harbor Commission President Bonnie Lowenthal.

Their convening comes days after Congressmembers Robert Garcia and Nanette Barragán held a joint press conference Friday to lambast the Trump Administration’s 145% tariffs against Chinese goods, saying they will have destructive effects on the local and national economy. (On Monday, after this newsletter was published, the U.S. and China agreed to slash most of the tariffs for 90 days.)

Officials at the Port of Long Beach reported a 30% drop in container volume last week, along with at least 34 canceled ships through June. It’s a swift reversal for the busiest Port in the nation last month, and it has already led to reduced hours for workers and expected shortages at storefronts in the coming months. 

Outside City Hall Friday, congress members described shipping lines worldwide trembling and shared concerns as much about the message behind the tariffs as the actual revenue lost. 

“We are at the beginning of a serious supply chain crisis,” Garcia said.” Donald Trump has the ability to end this right now.”

Today’s event will also be livestreamed on the Port’s LinkedIn and YouTube pages. 

Some other meetings to keep track of:

At their regular Tuesday meeting, the Long Beach City Council will look to approve road closures for the 2025 Cali Vibes Music Festival and 2025 Vans Warped Tour Festival, a no-cost agreement with ASPCA to manage the Community Pet Medical Clinic Program through December, and changes to the city’s master fee list. 

The council is expected to also adopt a list of street improvements using a $13.3 million state grant. For the list of planned roadway improvements, click here. 

At their Wednesday meeting, the city’s Ethics Commission will hear two presentations: an update on results from the Long Beach Fraud Hotline and a staff report on the requirements and guidance to local candidates on the use of public service announcements during campaign season. 

Later on Wednesday, the Long Beach Pedestrian Safety Advisory Committee will continue their discussion of shifting, or reducing, the number of school crossing guards. And at 5 p.m., the Veterans Affairs Commission will hear a presentation on a proposed housing project for veterans at 1400 Cherry Ave. 

On Thursday, the Belmont Shore Parking and Business Improvement Area Advisory Commission will hear a presentation by Long Beach Transit on the sharp rise in bus boarding in 2025 and discuss whether to increase the parking meter rate to $2.25 per hour, at a three-hour maximum. 

Business events and information

  • The city of Long Beach Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine and Long Beach Fire Department’s Marine Safety Division will host a Water Safety Day on Saturday, May 24, 2025, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event is a free-to-the-public opportunity to educate the community on how to stay safe in and around the water by learning essential water-smart skills for the upcoming summer season. Participants should plan to bring a swimsuit and towel. Registration is free and can be completed at LBParks.org. Those who attend are also invited to stay for a free recreational swim following the event from 1 to 3 p.m.
  • The Department of Health and Human Services Office of Veterans Support, in collaboration with the USS Frank E. Evans Association, will honor veterans and commemorate Long Beach’s rich naval history with a ceremonial community event, Remembering USS Frank E. Evans and the Lost 74, on Tuesday, June 3, 2025. The event will honor the naval ship USS Frank E. Evans and the 74 sailors who perished at sea on June 3, 1969. The event will incorporate a single ceremony to honor the USS Frank E. Evans and the Lost 74, observe and pay tribute to Memorial Day, and celebrate the Navy’s history in Long Beach. The event will take place at 10 a.m. at the Navy Memorial in Shoreline Aquatic Park (200 Aquarium Way) where memorial markers for the Lost 74 are sited. For up-to-date information about this event, visit longbeach.gov/veterans.

ICYMI — California and national news

  • Some pointers on paying capital gains taxes from home sales (LA Times)
  • Big Bang fireworks show escapes cancellation; next year, it must be drones, Coastal Commission says (Long Beach Post)
  • Long Beach is getting 156 acres of new wetlands; work begins to convert oil field into public space (Long Beach Post)