The LA Times reports today that dockworkers from the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach (along with thousands of others from the West Coast’s 29 ports) took the day off to protest the Iraq War, a move that effectively shut down all port operations for the day. In related news, Bill O’Reilly says we didn’t “invade” Iraq—it landed on us.

And in further Sinclair resonance, Port Police in San Pedro broke ground on new facilities today:

The new $43 million, 51,000-square-foot headquarters will include updated dispatch, surveillance and emergency-operations centers, among other facilities, enabling the police agency to enhance its capability to serve the Port and adjacent communities.

It also will be constructed to meet a LEED “Gold” rating, the second-highest rating awarded by the U.S. Green Building Council, which awards points for sustainable design and construction elements. LEED features at the new Port Police headquarters will include photovoltaic solar panels for generating electricity, water-efficient landscaping and plumbing, an on-site storm-water management system, recycled construction waste and other environmentally friendly measures.

Tags: iraq, port of la, San Pedro, stirke, upton sinclair, War