The Brief

The biggest mobile network in the United States, Verizon, experienced a huge outage on Wednesday, leaving at least tens of thousands of customers without cell service for much of the day.

An update on Verizon's website today said the outage had been resolved. "We are sorry for what you experienced and will continue to work hard day and night to provide the outstanding network and service that people expect from Verizon," it said.

What happened?

It's still unclear. Verizon has not posted details nor an explanation of the cause of the outage on its website. In an email to NPR, a company spokesperson wrote that the problem stemmed from "a software issue" and that Verizon is conducting a full review.And while Verizon hasn't released a figure for how many customers were affected, the staff at the Downdetector website — where users go to report service outages — posted on Facebook that they received 2.3 million outage reports for Verizon throughout the day. (That doesn't necessarily translate to 2.3 million affected customers.)

Cell networks experience small outages fairly regularly, though, and sizable ones are not uncommon. Verizon had a disruption across several major cities in September 2024, and competitor AT&T was hit by a large outage in February 2024, affecting more than 125 million registered devices and customers in all 50 states.

Sanjoy Paul, a wireless network expert at Rice University, says telecommunications systems have become more complex over the past decade and a half as they've moved from physical infrastructure — wires and cables — and into the cloud.

"What used to be a completely hardware-dependent network transformed into a complete software-dependent network," he said. That shift has given operators more flexibility to add services or tweak products but, he said, it has come at the expense of reliability.

With a cloud and software-based networks, there are more opportunities for glitches and attacks, he said. Small issues with computer code buried inside these systems can have big consequences.

What have been some consequences of the outage?

Users had no connectivity for much of the day and were only able to access "SOS" mode during the outage.

Verizon, which has styled itself as America's best and most reliable network, has been in damage control mode. The company has issued instructions for customers to restart their devices to reconnect to the network if they are still having problems. It also pledged $20 credits as "a way of acknowledging your time and showing that this matters to us," according to their website.

The Federal Communications Commission said in a statement it was "continuing to actively investigate and monitor the situation to determine next steps."

Could it happen again?

Yep — to Verizon or any of its competitors.

Since the cause of this latest outage remains unclear, it's too early to say whether or not this exact thing could happen again. But Lee McKnight, an associate professor in the School of Information Studies at Syracuse University, told NPR's Morning Edition outages are "a fact of life these days for major telecommunications firms."

"Modern telecom networks are cloud networks. 5G networks are mainly, like, hundreds of different cloud services," he said. "The telecom companies haven't yet adjusted their training to that reality, that their staff have to be expert not just in cell towers and wireless, like we think about, but about cloud services, like AWS, or Microsoft, or Google."

At the end of the day, experts say, consumers should consider having a "Plan B" for connectivity. That may mean a land line for your house or getting a second phone on a different cell network.
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Despite recent Trump administration tariffs and trade policies, the Port of Long Beach set a record high for container volumes over the past year.

Noel Hacegaba, chief operating officer of the Port of Long Beach, said at the annual State of the Port address Thursday that the Long Beach port handled 9.9 million TEUs, or 9.9 million 20-foot equivalent containers.

“Along with our top imports like electronics, furniture and clothing came millions of Disney’s Ultimate Stitch interactive plush doll, the hottest toy from this past Christmas,” he said.

The port imported a record 4.8 million TEUs, Hacegaba said, as importers looked to get ahead of the tariffs. Export numbers were over 1 million TEUs, “not our highest ever, but still strong considering all the retaliatory tariffs imposed on U.S. exports,” Hacegaba said.

Changing trade patterns

The last year saw a global trade war after President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on nearly all imports — “the highest tariffs since the Great Depression” imposed on pretty much every U.S. trading partner, Hacegaba said. And while the tariffs did not affect overall container volumes, he said, they “reshape trade patterns.”

Six years ago, he said, about 70% of cargo volume was tied to China. That has now dropped to 60% with more cargo coming in from Vietnam, Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries.

Outlook for 2026

Hacebaga said this year’s key economic indicators show “signs of uncertainty, with unemployment rates higher than they were last year and inflation trending down. Consumer spending showed some signs of slowing down as lower-income groups cut back on spending on nonessential goods.”

“The only certainty is more uncertainty,” he also said, adding that the port is still projecting another 9 million TEUs this year, “making it one of our top five busiest years ever.”

You don't have to trudge to an Orange County government office in Santa Ana anymore to get vital records like birth certificates and marriage licenses and even passports: Orange County Clerk-Recorder Hugh Nguyen is bringing the office to you.

The Clerk-Recorder now has an office on wheels — a tricked out van — and is pulling into spots across Orange County to make it easier for residents to get key documents. You can check the website to see when the van will be near you, and make an appointment.

Nguyen said his office is trying to help people who can't afford to take a day off work or otherwise struggle to get in the door during typical government office hours.

"The van represents a practical shift in how we deliver public services," Nguyen said.

To that end, upcoming, off-hour pop-ups include:

Saturday, Jan. 24: Dedicated to passports, at Magnolia High School in Anaheim, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Details here about how to book an appointment.

Starting Satuday, Feb. 14: Valentine's Day kicks off a series of Saturday hours throughout 2026 for marriages, passports and renewal of vow. Start the process here. (This series of pop-ups is just one example of why Nguyen has been dubbed "Orange County's Master of Love," for his new and inventive ways to help people navigate marriage licenses!)

Saturday, Feb. 21: The van will be at the Irvine Pony baseball league's opening day, to help parents who need birth certificates for their children, and other services.

Saturday, March 28: Dedicated to passports, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Book appointments here.

There's also a "Where's the Clerk-Recorder van today" button to check for updates. You can also make a request to have the van come to your events, school or neighborhood using an online form.

Why it matters

Nguyen said the mobile van has arrived just in time — the clerk-recorder's office has never been busier. The request for birth certificates skyrocketed 36% in 2025 over 2024. He said he attributes the rise in part to the county's population growth and outreach efforts. (If you don't know where your birth certificate is, or your passport has expired, why not get it all squared away now, instead of frantically getting it all done before a big trip.)

He said demand for passports is high, too. The office is the state's first (and so far, only) designated passport acceptance facility, meaning it can accept new passport applications on behalf of the U.S. Department of State. (This office does not handle passport renewal applications — those go directly to the U.S. Department of State.)

The backstory

Nguyen said the office on wheels grew out of need to fill such growing demand for key documents — and the reality that many folks have trouble getting off work or making it down to the current locations in Santa Ana, Laguna Hills and Anaheim.

At one point, there was thought of opening a new office in the western part of the county, such as Garden Grove, to meet demands.

But Nguyen said he did the math and realized that a new office would cost about $1 million a year when calculating in staffing, leasing and more.

The van's price tag? About $200,000.

And he says he expects to have it for years. It only has about 250 miles on it so far after just a few months.

Why do I need the Clerk-Recorder anyway?

Here's a list of the services provided by the county's Clerk-Recorder Office. Basically, this is your go-to place for records, including birth certificates and death certificates, marriage license, fictitious business names, among other many things.

Southern California’s largest gas company wants to shut down all of its branch locations, which could affect how you pay your bill.

SoCalGas has 43 locations across the region where customers can ditch the service hotline and get help with their bills in person. Its offices span from Dinuba (near Fresno) all the way down to the border in El Centro.

The utility asked the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) for permission to close them last year. Now, the state agency wants your input.

Lower use

Chris Gilbride, a spokesperson for the utility, said in a statement the proposal is about adjusting to customer preferences and long-term affordability.

Bill payments make up nearly all transactions at SoCalGas offices, but those have declined significantly over the years, according to the application.

Most customers pay online, call in or go to one of 400 authorized payment locations, like grocery stores, all of which are cheaper to run. SoCalGas says these are reasonably comparable alternatives to the branches.

Those 43 locations cost nearly $19 million to operate in 2024. If the closures are approved, the utility says it’ll return those savings to customers.

How much that could be is unclear. The union representing branch employees, UWUA Local 132, says they were told there might not be any direct savings.

The commission has let other utilities, like Southern California Edison, close their branch offices in the past.

Access concerns

While a majority of customers don’t rely on in-person anymore, there are still some who do.

William Gilbertson, the local’s president and a lead  construction technician at SoCalGas, said that at authorized payment locations, you pay your bill and leave. Branch offices do more, like schedule service and answer questions about your bill.

“[During] Palisade Fire and the Eaton Fire, a lot of people went to our members to ask questions at the branch offices,” he said. “It was kind of like a lifeline for the community.”

He said the union has also heard about difficulties customers have had resolving serious issues in their accounts without an in-person location.

“ You can do [fraud verification] online, but you have to have a fax machine and you have to fill out all the paperwork,” he said. “So it’s kind of tough for someone that isn’t tech savvy to do that.”

Multiple unionized branch employees have written to the CPUC. They’re asking the commission to deny the proposal, saying they want to continue providing a needed service for their customers. Some don’t trust the internet, can’t use the customer service hotline or experience language barriers.

SoCalGas says it’ll work with local faith and community groups to make sure vulnerable people, such as those with low-come or a disability, are aware of the closures and alternate options.

The timing of branch closures would vary since the utility leases some buildings and owns others, but if it’s approved, SoCalGas is generally eyeing a 120-day timeline. Gilbertson expects a decision to come in June.

How to add your voice

Until then, you can add your thoughts anytime to the filing’s docket card.

The CPUC is also having public hearings. What you share at these meetings will be transcribed and put into the formal record so it can inform the agency’s ruling.

The first few will take place in person in L.A. and Orange counties. If you want to give public comment, you’ll sign up at the location’s Public Advisor’s Office table. Another pair of hearings will happen remotely, which take public comment over the phone.

Language interpreters and other accommodation are available if you contact the CPUC’s Public Advisor’s Office with at least five business days’ notice of the given hearing. Here are the dates and times for both formats: