The Port of Long Beach's $4.5 billion capital improvement program to expand and modernize its facilities is helping the port fend off competition from other North American ports and create up to 50,000 permanent jobs in Southern California, Executive Director Christopher Lytle said in his annual State-of-the-Port address Thursday. Long Beach, the second largest container port in the United States, is on track with investments after years of delay to resolve community concerns, "bu...