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(Here’s a personal list by Andy Synn identifying eagerly anticipated forthcoming 2018 albums.)
One week ago Islander published a list of upcoming albums expected to be released over the course of the next twelve months, and also solicited comments and recommendations from our readers concerning which albums (and EPs) they were most looking forward to.
Well, as successful as that endeavour was, now it’s my turn to talk up some of my most anticipated album scheduled for release in 2018.
Now, to be clear, the following list purposefully omits any albums which I’ve already heard (and which I will probably be reviewing very soon), such as the upcoming new releases by Ancst, Conjurer, Horizon Ablaze, and Neter.
It also doesn’t feature any of the really obvious names like At the Gates, Necrophobic, Dimmu Borgir, or The Crown… nor does it cover any of the recently-announced releases from Dagon, Sunlight’s Bane, or Acherontas, all of whom declared that they’d be putting out new material this year not long after Islander published his initial post last week.
And it doesn’t go into detail about any of the three releases – Beyond Grace, Twilight’s Embrace, and Apathy Noir – which I’m personally going to be involved in this year.
But what it does do is feature ten albums, most of which weren’t mentioned last week, which I am seriously looking forward to hearing this year.
photo by Marco Klein (synquadrat:design)
AGRYPNIE – ALBUM #5
Despite some recent upheavals in the band’s line-up, 2018 should still see the release of the long-awaited fifth Agrypnie album, the follow-up to 2013’s sublime Aetas Cineris (which you can read about here, and listen to below).
I’m expecting some seriously intense blastery, brilliantly moody melody, and artfully applied aggression… along with a heaping helping of brooding atmosphere… and a bevy of unpredictable twists and turns designed to expand the band’s already expansive “Post” Black Metal sound.
ENDOLITH – ALBUM #2
The bombastic metallic grooves and gloriously melodramatic melodies of Voyager, the debut album by Norwegian progronauts Endolith, quickly made it one of my favourite albums not just of 2016, but in recent memory, delivering a blast of humongous heaviness and refined emotional intelligence that sounded like a cross-pollination of Meshuggah, Arcturus, and Devin Townsend.
2018 will see the release of the group’s second full-length, which I have it on good authority is going to be a full-blown concept album, and I cannot wait to hear it.
While we wait though, you can find Voyager on Spotify, or give “Velocirapture” a listen below.
ERYN NON DAE – ABANDON OF THE SELF
It’s been over five years now since French complexicore cultivators Eryn Non Dae released their second album, Meliora, and the lengthy delay – with little to no communication from the band themselves – between then and now has felt positively interminable to anyone who is a fan of the group’s unique blend of calculated cathartic chaos and thrillingly dark, brooding atmosphere.
Still, I fully expect Abandon of the Self to be more than worth the wait, and look forward to sampling its many unorthodox, unpredictable delights when it’s released on March 9 by Debemur Morti.
INFESTUS – ALBUM #5
If, as they say, great suffering breeds great art, then the fifth Infestus album has the potential to be something truly great indeed, coming as it does hot on the heels of numerous injuries, delays, and setbacks which, at one point, seemed set to leave the entire project hanging precariously in limbo.
Thankfully band mainman Andras has persevered through the pain, and the album is now finally nearing completion, and I expect it to finally see the light of day sometime towards the end of the year.
For those of you unfamiliar with the band’s devilishly dark and immersive brand of atmospheric, riff-centric Black Metal, you can listen to their most recent album, the phenomenal The Reflecting Void, below:
THE KONSORTIUM – ALBUM #2
Mysterious Black/Thrash weirdniks The Konsortium haven’t been all that active in the years since the release of their self-titled debut in 2011, most likely due to the fact that all their members (even though I still don’t know who they all are) are busy with multiple other bands/projects which take up the lion’s share of their time and energy.
But last year the band’s facebook page suddenly began to show signs of life again, with the revelation that the group had reconvened to finally write and record their second album (and, in the process, ditching the creepy masked aesthetic which they’d previously used), which means 2018 should be the year we find out what these Norwegian oddballs have had brewing in their collective unconscious for the past few years!
LIGHT THIS CITY – ALBUM #5
The break-up of Light This City back in 2008, just after the release of their fantastic fourth album Stormchaser, was pretty heartbreaking for yours truly, as the band had rapidly risen to become one of my favourite acts in the nebulous sphere of “Melodeath”, and now it looked like I’d never get to see them live or hear any more music from them.
Thankfully the quintet must have felt like they still had more to say, and more to offer the Metal world, as they suddenly announced that they were reforming out of the blue last year, and were already working on a new album, to be released sometime in 2018 via Creator-Destructor Records.
So let’s celebrate this by jamming their best record – 2006’s blistering Facing the Thousand – while we wait, shall we?
MEPHORASH – SHEM HA MEPHORASH
The first two albums by Swedish occultist Mephorash may not have set the world on fire, but their third album, Rites of Nullification, was an absolute game-changer, and one which still gets regular rotation by me (and, if I’m not mistaken, by many others) today.
As you might expect then, I’ve been anticipating the follow-up for some time, and late last year we were given our first taste in the shape of “The Third Woe”, which you can check out below.
Considering how much of a major step up Rites… was, I can’t wait to hear how they’re going to follow it.
PHANTOM WINTER – INTO DARK SCIENCE
Sundown Pleasures, the second album by these German firebrands, was an ugly, uncompromising, and utterly irresistible blend of raw, rough-hewn riffs, sickening, sludge-soaked grooves, and savage socio-political polemic, showcasing a band more than willing to buck the trends and go against the grain wherever necessary, as long as it meant they were able to do things their own way, and on their own terms.
And I don’t expect that to change on Into Dark Science (although I do expect the promo to land in my inbox any day now).
TURBID NORTH – ALBUM #3
What more can I say about this band that I haven’t already? Eyes Alive was, without a doubt, one of the best (and most hideously underrated) gems of 2015, fusing the prodigious metallic might of Misery Index to a sense of monstrous groove reminiscent of classic Crowbar, and a knack for intricate, proggy melody that recalled Leviathan-era Mastodon, all delivered with a powerful, distinctive voice and a knack for big, bruising hooks.
It really was something special and, if the band can replicate that same mix of energy, extremity, and exceptional creativity, I can see their upcoming album being one of the year’s best.
WILD HUNT – AFTERDREAM OF THE REVELLER
After the unfortunate passing of the group’s guitarist Drew Cook in 2015, the future of Proggy Blackened Doomsters Wild Hunt seemed very much in doubt, and I don’t think anyone would have held it against them if they’d decided to hang up their spurs after the release of the Scroll and Urn EP.
However it seems that the band – original members Greg Brace and Harland Burkhart now joined by Avinash Mittur on the bass and Jamison Kester (also of Void Omnia) on guitar/vocals – weren’t quite done just yet, and earlier this year confirmed that their second full-length, Afterdream of the Reveller, was scheduled for release via Vendetta Records sometime during the first half of 2018.
I’m not entirely sure what to expect sound-wise at this point, as the band haven’t released any music from it yet, but if it’s anywhere near as good as Before the Plane of Angles (which you can check out below) then it’s bound to be one of the year’s best.
So there you have it, ten bands/albums which you may or may not have heard of before, but whom you’ll all definitely be hearing a lot more about here at NCS over the coming months.
Obviously there’s a lot of releases I had to cut in order to get the list down to a manageable size (the new Alkaloid, for example, which I fully expect to be mindblowing), but it definitely felt like these ten albums really deserved to be singled out, and I hope they all live up to my expectations!
Looking forward to the next Infestus album. Didn’t realise the troubles they’ve been going through. Glad it’s coming to fruition. Discovered them from one of your year end lists from 2014 that included The Reflecting Void. Amazing album.
Also, I too fully expect the new alkaloid to be mindblowing.
All the injuries and setbacks have been pretty damn crazy. But hopefully the final product will be more than worth it!
Wonderful news regarding The Konsortium. I was starting to fear that it was a “one and done” sort of side project. Thanks for telling me the contrary, Andy.
My pleasure. Very intrigued as to what album #2 is going to be like.
Destroyer 666 is what I’m looking forward to
You guys are dark, black metal and doom all the way. Must be that NW weather!! I just noticed a lot of funeral doom, doom , evil black metal, etc. Damn guys lighten up a bit! What about Thrash, Groove, death, (not deathcore)???
For one thing, I’m not from the NW, I’m from the UK.
For another, there’s not a single bit of Funeral Doom, heck there’s barely any Doom, at all here.
So… I don’t know, maybe you meant to post this somewhere else?
AHHH you’re British, that completely makes sense! Insecure douchebags that constantly have to shit on everyone because they feel insecure about their small penises and crooked teeth. It all makes sense now!!
Projection is a terrible thing.
Even worse if you have a crooked penis and small teeth
Or a crooked penis that also has small teeth.
Wait! Penises and crooked teeth? What did I miss?!?
Oh, I see now… just someone who wandered by for the first time and didn’t bother to read or think before commenting. Thankfully, a rare kind of visitation…
Didn’t know we had Agrypnie and Infestus in store, but I’m already smiling in high anticipation like a teenager in a brothel. And Alkaloid and other gems too. Man, we’re in for a ride.
I’m also excited to hear what Immortal has come up with, and to what extent Demonaz can pull off replacing Abbath.
I must admit, my feelings about a new Immortal album are extremely conflicted. I do hope it’s good though.
Not familiar with anything listed above, so now I have ever more things to investigate. Top of the list of my personal most anticipated new releases is Slugdge’s Esoteric Malacology.
Confession time… I’ve still not heard a single track by Slugdge. I keep saying I’ll check them out, as umpteen commenters and writers who I trust have ranted and raved about how good they are, but I keep getting distracted by other things.
Maybe I’ll review the new album…
They are most definitely worth checking out. And if you wait a bit, their newest single will be in a round-up later today…
Oh my, oh my, oh my….. a new Phantom Winter!…..
Indeed. I am stoked.
There’s an album “trailer” for it as well, which we’ve since added to this post.
The last one was awesome Andy, thanks loads for the post….. I am soooo excited, I feel like a small child in a sweet shop….. Ohh dear, I can’t say those kind of things anymore! Moderate at will 🙂
Whoa, never heard Light this City…They rule! Thanks for the heads up, now I’m really looking forward to their new album. While I wait I’m delving into the back catalog.
Eryn Non Dae and Turbid North sound right up my alley. Thanks!
Wild Hunt is incredible. Your list is amazing and i see many obscure favorites here, like Agrypnie.


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ECE2010 Poster Presentations Diabetes (103 abstracts)
Background and aims: Remission period in type 1 diabetes (T1D), also known as the honeymoon period has been acknowledged as an advantageous time for immune intervention. However, not all subjects will go through this remission phase. It was suspected that defects in regulatory T-cells number and activity are causally related to the development of T1D.
The aim of the study was to find specific T-cell assay that reflects remission period.
Materials and methods: Twenty-three patients with T1D were examined in dynamics during the first 3 years of the disease. Also 17 at-risk subjects and eight control subjects were examined.
The HLA-DR and DQ alleles were detected by SSPPCR method. CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD25, CD4+CD25+, CD38, LTDRB and CD20 cells were analyzed by flow cytometry.
Inclusion criteria for control subjects were random blood glucose <5.6 mmol/l, no history of any autoimmune disorder including T1D in the family and an absence of T1D-specific autoantibodies (aAbs). At-risk subjects had specific aAbs and were unrelated to the patients included in this study. T1D subjects were defined according to WHO criteria.
Results: A rising tendency of CD25+ (%) and CD4+CD25+ (%) T-cells between control and at-risk subjects was observed (P<0.1). Significant differences were found in content of CD38 and LTDRB cells (P<0.05) in those groups. Increased values of CD25+ and CD4+T-cells (P<0.05) were detected in the group of T1D patients with duration of diabetes <6 months. These values were associated with development of partial remission (HbA1c<7%; insulin requirement ≤0.4 units/kg per 24 h) and increased C-peptide levels (P<0.1). On the contrary, in longer standing T1D (>1 year) as compared with previous group in majority of the patients CD25+ and CD4+CD25+T-cells levels were reduced (P<0.05).
Conclusion: These results suggest that increased regulatory T-cells values seen in the recent onset T1D can be considered as a remission marker.

domain: biology


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EL CENTRO — Rows upon rows packed with care, to soldiers with love, soon will be there.
This was the mantra of the American Legion Boyce Aten Auxiliary Unit 25 as they packed dozens of school-child decorated US Post Office boxes, filled with treats, goodies, hygiene products, and other small gifts in care packages being sent off to military serving overseas for their Holiday Troops Packages Project (HTPP).
About a dozen volunteers packed the 100 care packages to be sent out to five soldiers from the Imperial Valley — from Calipatria, Imperial, and El Centro — to show a little love to them and their entire units/squadrons, or rather, their closest group of fellow soldiers.
The boxes were decorated by local students from four classes — kindergarten through 8th graders — in a mix of classes from T.L. Waggoner Elementary, Harding Elementary, De Anza Magnet, and Wilson Jr. High schools in El Centro and Imperial.
“Normally we pick one (soldier) but this year I reached out to the community and asked everyone locally if they had any (young soldiers) overseas,” said Tiffanie Macias, El Centro Legion Auxiliary vice president and HTPP coordinator.
The five local soldiers represent the US Navy (2), US Army (2), and US Air Force (1), Macias said, with no locals coming forward with adult children in the US Marine Corps or Coast Guard.
“Obviously, we have an amazing community because just from asking on my Facebook page alone, I’ve been able to get (donations for) the needs of everyone,” she said.
Macias said the shipping was $1,600 but she foot the bill by a mix of donations from the local El Centro US Post Office and individual donations from friends and family.
Macias said she had to fill each box’s shipping information individually, by hand, which took her about a day, but “obviously they’re worth it.”
“They do more than we do for our freedoms (so) we can’t complain,” she chuckled.
Macias has been coordinating the Holiday Troops Packages Project for the past four years, and though the Auxiliary had “adopt a troop” in years past and sent packages, it was never as large as 100 boxes, she said.
Auxiliary member and El Centro Elementary School District “lunch lady,” Verna WOW-Wright, said the school children enjoy decorating the boxes, and it also provides a moment for their teachers to promote supporting the troops to the youngsters.
The Legion Auxiliary also invited family members of the soldiers themselves to help ready the packages.
Calipatria resident Christina Castro, mother of local basketball star Izrael Castro, said the packages mean so much to the soldiers and their families.
“It’s a wonderful idea,” Castro said. “He gets so excited. I've never seen someone get so excited (over) the simplest things.”
Castro said she asks her 21-year-old son to record the unboxing of all of his care packages, which she views later. She said it’s entertaining how animated he gets when he opens his care packages.
“He reacts to things like Mexican candy, Flaming Hot Cheetos … he's like, ‘Ohhh! Ohhh!!’” the proud mother said. “They don't take those things for granted anymore like we do.”
Castro said her son Izrael Castro has been deployed overseas for three years in two different countries. To her, as a single mother of three adult children with two in the military, she appreciates the sending of care packages from locals “with all my heart.”
“I get messages from my son that break my heart sometimes because they miss being home,” Castro said. “They’re out there alone. It’s a whole different world out there.”
“To see that other people (in the community) pick up where I left off is a great feeling,” she said, “and I’m sure he’s feeling that support.”
“It's like a little piece of home,” Castro said. “No matter where he's at (it makes him feel) like he's not that far away.”
“I can’t even say thank you enough,” she said.

domain: news


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Our mission & vision is to support adults who have been bereaved by suicide by reducing isolation and stigma and promoting resilience and healing.
Plant a flower in your loved’s name and make them part of our memory meadow. Each flower planted helps us to grow new HUGG groups and support people bereaved by suicide.
It costs €1,000 to train a new HUGG Group Facilitator and thanks to your flower, we will be able to extend our services in 2022.
Each year in Ireland around 400 people (C.S.O. 2018) take their own life – each suicide has a devastating and lasting impact on their families, friends and communities.
In January 2016, 11-year-old Milly Tuomey died by suicide. Devastated by her sudden death, Milly’s mother Fiona searched for a suicide support group in Dublin to help her with her grief but could not find one. So, after much discussion, research and support HUGG was established in February 2017.
Coming to accept that this loss is permanent, is perhaps one of the most difficult things to do. You will not ‘get over’ this loss. But, with support and understanding you can grow around your loss.
Mission & Vision
OUR VISION IS: Hope and healing for anyone bereaved by suicide.
OUR MISSION IS: To offer hope and healing by providing information, telephone support and local peer support groups led by volunteers with lived experience.
To engage with suicide research, to better inform public policy and improve bereavement services.
To collaborate with professionals and organisations in the bereavement sector to advance best practice.
To raise public awareness about suicide bereavement and be a voice for those bereaved by suicide.
To advocate for change in how state institutions engage and support with those bereaved by suicide.
We Can Help
We provide a safe, confidential environment in which those bereaved by suicide can share their experiences and feelings, and thereby giving and gaining support from each other. The aftermath of a suicide is shocking, debilitating, surreal, life changing. But you can learn to live with this loss. It is not easy, but we are here to help.

domain: sociology


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Check out a new video from Jimmy Johnson.
After teaming up with producer Eric Dingus forIn God We Trust earlier in the year, OVO affiliate & PRIME member Jimmy Johnson came through with Red Ferrari, a 10 track project available for free download right here at HNHH. The opening track to the record, "I Wanna," makes a reappearance today as Jimmy unleashes the official visuals to the track. Depicting the emcee in front of a white backdrop, you can fine this one under "simple yet elegant."
Give the video a watch through and let us know if you're feeling it. Download Red Ferrari right here, right now.

domain: artistic


From: Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada
Last Known Status: Active
Latest First Reign News
Below is our complete First Reign news coverage, including columns and articles pertaining to the band. Some articles listed may be indirectly related, such as side projects of the band members, etc.
Vancouver metallers, Terror Syndrome, have confirmed that they will be headlining Vancouver's Brutalfest. They will be performing at two shows on Saturday, April 18th at the Maritime Labor Center in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Terror Syndrome explains, "We will first headline an All Ages show during the day starting at 2pm. Then we will headline a second show that will be 19+, starting at 7:30pm." More...
Canadian progressive melodic death metal band FIRST REIGN has signed with independent record label MILKWEED RECORDS. They will be releasing their debut "As the Dead Lead the Dead" shortly. The album features 6 songs, 30+ minutes of metal in the vein of fellow Canadians Into Eternity and metal pioneers Iron Maiden and Megadeth. You can check out some of their latest material on the band's MySpace page.


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Mr. David Chaytor (Bury, North): In view of the publication today of the White Paper on the Liabilities Management Authority, with the expected increase in cost of the management of our radioactive waste and the prospect that it opens up of the French state-owned nuclear company taking over the management of our nuclear liabilities, will my right hon. Friend find time in the very near future for a debate on the subject, in Government time, on the Floor of the House, so that all the implications of this crucial issue can be discussed?
Mr. Cook: My hon. Friend raises a very important issue. He will be aware that the Minister for Energy and Construction has nuclear liability very much at the front of his work programme, and I anticipate that he will make an announcement in the near future. As to when the House can debate these matters again, I cannot give a commitment before its rising for the summer recess. However, there are many ways in which my hon. Friend can pursue his well-founded and genuine concerns in the House.
[That this House notes the comments of the Right honourable Member for Greenwich and Woolwich, the Minister responsible for electoral law, that "Any provisions on European Parliament elections laid down by the Council (including amendments to the 1976 Act) need to be ratified with an Act of Parliament in the UK"; further notes that the UK is, therefore, free to adopt any electoral system of its choosing for future elections to the European Parliament; believes that, by removing the vital
I ask for the debate in Government time because 49 of the 53 hon. Members who have so far signed the early-day motion happen to be Labour Members. However, if such a debate is too embarrassing for the Government, I suggest an alternative one on the more innocuous subject of squatters' rights. In such a debate, the Deputy Prime Minister could explain whether he intends to stay in his RMT-owned flat, now that he has correctly resigned from that union on a point of principle.
Mr. Cook: My right hon. Friend has the security of a long-standing tenant, and the hon. Gentleman would not be helping himself and his constituency by suggesting that all secure tenancies involve squatters and squatters' rights.
On the early-day motion to which the hon. Gentleman refers, I fear that there are another 1,500 among which I have to choose. If I were to find a day for debating early-day motions, I might just be tempted to include a half-day on the hon. Gentleman's suggestionif he will agree that the other half-day can be spent debating an early-day motion drawing attention to the fact that the Conservative website has no entry under "policy".
Ms Julia Drown (South Swindon): Constituents, bus drivers and local police tell me of their serious concern about the increasing number of dangerous incidents involving airguns and replica guns. Will the Leader of the House find time for a debate on this issue? If we want to make communities safer, we must take further action to get these dangerous guns out of circulation.
Mr. Cook: I am well aware of the concerns expressed about incidents involving airguns. Indeed, my hon. Friend the Member for Sunderland, South (Mr. Mullin) has raised very real concerns, based on what happened to a constituent of his.
I shall certainly draw the attention of my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary to my hon. Friend's comments. Should the Home Office wish to introduce a measure, I would be happy to ensure that we provide time for it.
Mr. Patrick McLoughlin (West Derbyshire): I refer the Leader of the House to a point made by my right hon. Friend the shadow Leader of the House. Will the right hon. Gentleman reconsider the issue of questions to the Deputy Prime Minister? Since the reshuffle, the responsibilities of the Deputy Prime Minister and the number of questions put to him have increased massivelyat least I hope they have, given that
Mr. Cook: I am sure that my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister will be gratified at the excitement shown in the House about the importance of questioning him for longer, and I have already taken on board the point that was made. I shall happily look at the question rota, but before making a move I need to know that I will not be inundated at a subsequent Thursday business statement with complaints about where such time has been taken from.
Mr. Harry Barnes (North-East Derbyshire): Is there not an important tradition of liberal adult educationadvanced especially by organisations such as the Workers Educational Association and university extramural departmentsthat was influential in, for example, getting people into higher education before the days of excessive modules, tests and certification? That is exemplified by the life of Royden Harrison, whose obituary appeared in The Guardian this week. It was written by my former colleagues at Sheffield university, Michael Barratt-Brown and John Halstead, and should be read by all hon. Members. May we have a debate on how to build on, further and nurture the tradition that Royden exemplified?
Mr. Cook: I am happy to join my hon. Friend in paying tribute to Royden Harrison, who brought to his work an enormous conviction and a commitment to teaching as a vocation. That commitment and sense of vocation are important if we are to have a successful education system.
For four years, I was employed by the Workers Educational Association, so I am very susceptible to the suggestion that we should have a debate on its work and on the important contribution made by adult education. That contribution is especially notable in regard to people with ability who may not have succeeded first time around during their education in school. As a responsible Leader of the House, I fear I cannot indulge my wish for such a debate, but I fully endorse everything that my hon. Friend the Member for North-East Derbyshire (Mr. Barnes) said about the importance of education.
Andrew Selous (South-West Bedfordshire): Will the Leader of the House consider making time available to discuss the matter of enforcement in respect of the Child Support Agency? This is a serious issue for many hon. Members, and it is a matter of great concern that many mothers are unable to ensure payment from the fathers of their children. I know that the Select Committee on Work and Pensions is very concerned about that, and I believe that the matter should have an airing on the Floor of the House.
Mr. Cook: The hon. Gentleman will know that one of the first acts of this Government on taking office in 1997 was to reform the Child Support Act 1995, and ensure that we provided improvements. In my work in my constituency, I have noted a substantial decline in the number of people coming to me expressing concern by contrast with what happened in the period immediately
Dr. Nick Palmer (Broxtowe): There are still frequent reports that the US Government are considering military intervention in Iraq, with a view to replacing the Government there. My right hon. Friend will be aware that that development would be very controversial in this House. There is a possibility that it might happen during the summer recess. Will my right hon. Friend find time for a debate on the matter, so that hon. Members can give their views before the House rises?
Mr. Cook: Well, I cannot promise such a debate before the House rises. I said earlier that we already face a very congested period, and I think that I have clocked up enough bids for debate in the past 45 minutes to keep us here well into September. However, if any such action were to be taken during the recess, I should be very surprised if hon. Members did not demand that the House reconvene to consider it. At present, I do not anticipate that any such action will be taken. As I have said repeatedly to the House, no decision has been taken, and none may ever be taken.

domain: law


1) National: In the Public Interest executive director Donald Cohen has just published a book, Dismantling Democracy, that puts Trump in the context of a forty-year assault on government and shows progressives ways to fight back. “Progressives have won significant policy battles across the country in the past few years, such as minimum-wage increases and public investments in child care. But those victories have not translated into increased understanding of and support for the kind of basic public powers that they depended on,” Cohen writes. “The bottom line is that progressives are losing the larger war for the soul of the nation,” but he proposes ten ideas and strategies to regain the initiative.
2) National: In an excellent, fact-filled new study, the Prison Policy Initiative reports that in “20 years of net jail growth in this country, all of this growth is in the pretrial population. We need to reform policing, prosecution, money bail.” For-profit prison companies are counting on new prison construction to boost their bottom line growth. “Mass Incarceration: The Whole Pie 2018,” by Peter Wagner and Wendy Sawyer.
3) National: As Trump’s tariffs threaten to raise costs for infrastructure materials, “the dinner bell is ringing” for lobbyists pushing for exemptions vs. hanging tough. “Tariffs on imported aluminum and steel could drive up the cost of infrastructure investments, accentuating price pressures already brought on by a growing global economy.” The Wall Street Journal reports that “higher demand in the U.S., meanwhile, has propped up prices for concrete and other materials, making it more expensive to build roads, bridges, schools, health centers and other facilities when U.S. infrastructure is rapidly aging.” This will obviously affect the feasibility of many anticipated projects by raising costs and thus making it that much more difficult to find long-term adequate, sustainable funding sources—taxes and/or tolls. If a trade war develops and costs shoot up, will the private sector still be willing to pony up the $1.3 trillion in financing envisaged under the Trump plan?
4) National: Private, for-profit prison companies that force immigrant detainees to work for little or no money have some new supporters: eighteen Republican members of Congress. The lawmakers “sent a letter to Attorney General Jeff Sessions, the head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and the Department of Labor, calling for them to help private-prison company GEO Group defend itself in lawsuits by former detainees. (… ) GEO Group filed the congressmen’s letter with U.S. District Court in the Central District of California on March 12 as part of the Novoa v. GEO Group suit. It argues that immigrants should not be able to sue prison companies because they aren’t employees there, and that paying them $1 per day for their work is lawful. The letter also said that the allegedly forced labor saves the government money and improves detainees’ morale.”
Three of the lawmakers are from Georgia, which has a hideous history of chain gangs, convict leasing, cruelty, and forced labor (click on Georgia). [Read excerpts from I Am A Fugitive from a Georgia Chain Gang]
5) National: GEO Group releases its Proxy Statement in advance of its annual general meeting, which will be conducted via live audio webcast on Tuesday, April 24, 2018 at 9:00 a.m. (EDT). From 2015-2017 (table on p. 34) its current executive officers received $42,060,669 in compensation. From 2016 to 2017 the GEO executives’ compensation almost doubled, from $10,982,295 to $20,358,689. In the revolving door category, J. David Donahue, who served in the Indiana, Kentucky and U.S. Bureau of Prisons, received $4,098,123 in compensation from 2016 to 2017. The proxy statement reports—pursuant to regulations under Dodd-Frank—that “the total annual compensation for the year ended December 31, 2017 was $35,630 for our median employee and $9,664,433 for our CEO as reflected in the ‘Total’ column of the Summary Compensation Table. The ratio of our CEO’s pay to that of our median employee for 2017 was approximately 271 times.”
6) National: Capital and Main and the International Business Times report that “the missteps and errors of ICE and its contractors have led to concerns about the safety of immigrant detainees with mental health issues. (…) The investigation, which generated audio interviews of Stewart staff and detainees, along with recordings of Jimenez’s personal phone calls and official documents, revealed that CoreCivic, the for-profit prison company that operates Stewart for ICE, and ICE Health Services Corps, which provides health care at Stewart, cut corners and skirted federal detention rules.”
7) National: The U.S. Government Accountability Office issued a report on Thursday on U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)’s criteria for evaluating and approving ‘public private partnerships’ for land, sea, and air ports of entry, the number of which is increasing. GAO found that “as of November 2017, CBP had not developed an evaluation plan—which could include, among other things, measurable objectives, performance criteria, and data collection plans—to assess the overall performance of the [Reimbursable Services Program] and [Donations Acceptance Program], consistent with Office of Management and Budget guidance and leading practices. Given CBP’s staffing challenges and anticipated growth of the RSP and DAP, an evaluation plan could better position CBP to further integrate evaluation activities into program management.” It recommends that “CBP develop an evaluation plan to assess the overall performance of the [Reimbursable Services Program] and [Donations Acceptance Program]. DHS concurred with the recommendation.”
8) National: The West Virginia teachers strike continues to have ripple effects across the country as teachers may strike on April 2 in Oklahoma, and Arizona teachers are rising up. “We just had a Red for Ed rally at the Capitol on Wednesday morning, during our spring break. We were there to oppose SB 1467, a bill that would take funds away from public education and give it to private schools through school tuition organizations (STOs), which provide scholarships to a
ttend private schools.” Labor Notes interviewed Phoenix seventh-grade math and science teacher Rebecca Garelli, a leader in the group. Garelli reports that the right wing Goldwater Institute has been on their Facebook page monitoring the group. The institute, which has Grover Norquist on its board, is headed by someone named Victor Riches.
9) National: David Halperin reports that Bridgeport Education, a for-profit college operator, is trying to become a nonprofit. “As we wrote yesterday, legitimate non-profit colleges contract out some services to for-profit companies, and some such deals surely make economic sense. But we said that all such deals deserve proper scrutiny, and particularly should be reviewed in certain conditions: where the contracting with a single for-profit company extends to a wide range of operations, where there are business deals with insiders, and where companies with a history of deceptive practices and predatory abuses are involved. While we haven’t seen the details of the Bridgepoint restructuring yet, the company’s record provides no reason to optimistic about the public benefits of this deal.”
10) National/California: “I was a teacher at a [Los Angeles] charter school for a year. Here’s why you shouldn’t believe the hype that Betsy DeVos is trying to sell,” writes Florina Rodov. “If they are to continue, charter schools need to be better regulated so that they don’t become cesspools of corruption. Furthermore, it makes no sense to defund public schools, which 85-90% of kids attend, for the benefit of the 5 percent that attend charters, when only a handful perform better than public schools, while most do the same—or worse.”
11) National: The Project on Government Oversight (POGO) says hiring contractors to help ICE and the Customs and Border Patrol find new employees doesn’t make sense. “ICE and Border Patrol, both of which are part of the Department of Homeland Security, will pay the private companies a flat rate for every new employee hired, potentially incentivizing the companies to cut corners and not fully vet every candidate before they’re hired. As history has shown, this can have dangerous—even deadly—consequences.”
12) National: As the tension surrounding Trump administration firings intensifies, speculation is rife that Trump may replace Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin, who has opposed wholesale privatization of the $198.6 billion department, with Fox talk show personality Peter Hegseth. Hegseth, a veteran right winger with close ties to the Kochtopus, was passed over in 2017 in favor of Shulkin because of his inexperience at running such a large organization. The VA has almost 400,000 employees.
13) National: Ellen Brown ties together the need for public banking and resistance to efforts to privatize the U.S. Postal Service. “The need for postal banking is present and growing. According to the Campaign for Postal Banking, nearly 28 percent of U.S. households are underserved by traditional banks. Over 4 million workers without a bank account receive pay on a payroll card and spend $40-$50 per month on ATM fees just to access their pay. The average underserved household spends $2,412 annually—nearly 10 percent of gross income—in fees and interest for non-bank financial services. More than 30,000 post offices peppered across the country could service these needs.”
14) National: Lesley Stahl: “Perhaps you should visit public schools that have lost funding to charter schools and aren’t doing so well.” Betsy DeVos: “Perhaps I should.”
15) National: Two private, for-profit water companies plan to merge. SJW and its subsidiaries serve more than one million people in and around San Jose, Calif., and Canyon Lake, Texas. Connecticut Water and its subsidiaries provide water to more than 450,000 people in Connecticut and Maine and wastewater services to more than 10,000 people in Connecticut, according to the Wall Street Journal. “The new company would be the third-largest water and wastewater utility based on rate base and enterprise value. American Water Works Co. and Aqua America Inc. are the first- and second-largest. The combined company will be better positioned to expand its geographic reach by acquiring more municipal utilities and service contracts around the country, the people said.”
16) California: Clare Crawford, senior policy advisor with In the Public Interest, and Chris D. Funk, superintendent of the East Side Union High School District, highlight a major flaw in California’s charter school approval process. “California’s state board is approving charter schools that were denied by local decision makers at a high rate—71 percent—and a number of those schools have failed, just like Paramount. (…) State law must be reformed to return authority to local decision makers. There are a number of reforms being proposed that could help, including SB 1362proposed by Sen. Jim Beall, which would promote local control of charter schools. Parents, teachers, and democratically elected school boards should be able to decide what’s best for their students and communities.”
17) California: The Bellevue Union school board in Santa Rosa votes to close the Stony Point Academy charter school. The board “voted to shutter the school after listening to presentations by Superintendent David Alexander and the district’s new chief business officer, Chris Kim, who laid out a grim budget outlook for the school over the next two years. Kim projected the school would continue deficit spending even if it reached its targeted 42-student enrollment increase next year. ‘If SPA doesn’t meet its fund balance, it must be balanced by the district’s general fund,’ he said. (…) Critics assailed the previous superintendent and board members, who they claimed failed to properly plan for the growing school.”
18) California: A Sonora charter school is facing the
possible revocation or non-renewal of its charter due to poor performance. “According to 2016-17 state testing data for the nine K-8 elementary schools in the county, Foothill Leadership Academy has the second largest percentage of students falling below the English/language arts and math standard. And in February, the school’s checking account dipped to a balance of (negative) – $683.10.”
19) Connecticut: A proposal to build a charter school in Danbury has provoked heated debate. “City Councilman Irving Fox, a former chairman of the Danbury school board, strongly supports the plan and is a founding member of the proposed charter school. ‘While the school district has worked with the city, it has not been enough to keep up with the explosive growth we’re facing,’ he said. ‘Our students are in dire need of high-quality seats. The proposal would help satisfy this need … This community needs an infusion of resources that Danbury Prospect would bring.’ But critics are skeptical of that pitch. They argue that charter schools divert increasingly scarce state resources but serve only a sliver of students, while still sticking local districts with new transportation and special education costs.”
20) District of Columbia: Metro DC DSA rallied last Thursday to demand that “we abolish ICE and end deportation profiteering.”
21) District of Columbia: The DC school district will be taking over an all-girls charter school that had its license revoked for poor performance. The ACLU has sued the city over single-sex charter schools. “In the 2016-2017 school year, 9 percent of Excel students met or exceeded expectations in math, compared with 27 percent citywide. In English, 19 percent met or exceeded expectations, compared with 31 percent citywide.”
22) Florida: The fatal bridge collapse in Miami once again demonstrates the importance of contractor selection and strict and adequately funded contract compliance monitoring of infrastructure projects—public, private, or public-private. “The state transportation agency accused the university of violating terms of an agreement to manage the contract. The Florida Department of Transportation said that because of the unique design of the pedestrian bridge, FIU had been required to obtain an ‘independent, secondary design check.’ But the state document said FIU had selected a contractor that was not ‘pre-qualified for this service, which is required under FIU’s agreement with the state.
The state said the independent firm chosen by FIU was Louis Berger. The company said in a statement to The Washington Post that it was ‘not involved in the construction phase’ of the bridge and supports a vigorous investigation into the collapse. The company did not respond to follow-up questions about whether it has reviewed the project on paper or on-site, or about the assertion by the state of Florida that it was not certified to do either.”
23) Florida: Skepticism greets Mayor Curry’s assurances that he has not decided on privatizing the Jacksonville Electric Authority (JEA). “Mayor Lemny Curry has sent a letter to JEA employees attempting to rebut rumors he’s pushing privatization. Obviously this only works if people believe it,” says @NateMonroeTU.
24) Florida: An Escambia County Circuit Court jury finds an Ohio businessman guilty of selling marked-up goods and fraudulently billing Florida charter schools, including five in Pinellas and Hillsborough counties. “Escambia County Assistant State Attorney Russell Edgar said Kunkemoeller and Marcus May, the founder of Newpoint Education Partners, conspired to engage in a fraudulent billing and kickback scheme. Newpoint is a charter school management company that operated 15 schools in six Florida counties. Edgar said that May solicited Kunkemoeller to form two shell companies, School Warehouse and Red Ignition, to purchase furniture and equipment supplies and mark up the prices as high as 300 percent to sell to charter schools managed by Newpoint.”
25) Florida: Miami-Dade public schools superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho posts a quick rejoinder to Betsy DeVos: “In Miami @MDCPS, the graduation rate of 80.7 % increases to 84.7% if charter schools are removed from the calculation.”
26) Georgia: Let’s hear it for the “administrative state” and for public interest advocates. For the first time, the Georgia Division of Environmental Protection (EPD) “will check the addresses where water systems take their samples to be sure those sites are at the highest risk for lead contamination.” The steps grew out of a report last year done by Georgia Health News and WebMD.
27) Kentucky: Teachers aren’t just striking and raising demands for better wages and pensions, they’re running for office. “In Kentucky, 28 current or former educators are currently seeking seats in the legislature—a record number in that state. Many were motivated to run by a recent law allowing charter schools to operate in the state, as well as proposed changes to teachers’ pensions. ‘It just went through my soul that a governor would attack teachers,’ Cathy Carter, a teacher running for a Kentucky House seat, told the Associated Press. ‘I just didn’t understand it.’”
28) Louisiana: The state Supreme Court has upheld the state’s charter school funding plan. “The Iberville Parish School Board, the Louisiana Association of Educators and local chapters of the teacher’s union argued in lawsuits that funding the state-chartered schools through a formula meant to pay for local school districts violates the Louisiana Constitution. The formula divvies up both state and local tax dollars. ‘I’m disappointed in the court’s decision,’ Debbie Meaux, president of the Louisiana Association of Educators said in a statement. ‘This ruling solidifies the division of public schools into separate systems, creating greater inequities for our students.’”
29) Louisiana: The state is launching its first “toll feasible” infrastructure ‘public-private partnership.’ It has issued a Notice of Intent “to enter into a comprehensive agreement with a developer possessing the capability to design, build, finance, operate, and maintain the Belle Chasse Bridge & Tunnel Replacement Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Project.” Responses are due by April 4, and the state wants a contract execution date no later than October 2019.
30) Louisiana: A Shreveport charter sch
ool operator spent $13,000 on a trip by its management team to New Orleans during Mardi Gras. “Taxpayers also covered the cost of a one-night stay for Jennings at the Troubadour Hotel, which describes itself as a boutique hotel. Besides covering hotel costs, the school let every employee take a personal vehicle—a cost of nearly $4,000 for mileage—and even rented a car for one employee so she could drive to New Orleans. The school also rented a van to shuttle people between their hotels and the New Orleans charter school.” KTBS reports, “State education officials said in a letter to Linwood’s board that they were satisfied the trip was legitimate and looked no further. They didn’t respond to interview requests. The Ethics Board is investigating Moham’s allegations but no hearing date has been set.”
31) Missouri: Danny Wicentowski recapitulates the saga of efforts by right wing billionaire Rex Sinquefield and some St. Louis politicians to privatize Lambert International Airport under a federal pilot program. Resistance is continuing, and the airlines haven’t signed off on the deal.
32) New Jersey: A movement against immigrant detention is getting off the ground, focused on Essex County. “One possibility is to link the issue of how to replace the blood money in the ICE contract to the savings that could be made by replacing the county’s dozens of profitable contractors with direct government employment, a ‘deprivatization’ campaign that would strike at the heart of [County executive Joseph DiVincenzo’s] power base and link the interests of immigrants and government workers.”
33) New York: A City of Hudson councilor has requested that the city join the ALEC-affiliated American City County Exchange. The city council, which previously voted to join the National League of Cities, postponed a decision. “Roy Sjoberg of Hudson said the exchange is a ‘sinister organization’ that will focus on privatization of government services. American City County Exchange is associated with the American Legislative Exchange Council, a conservative organization that Sjoberg said is used to promote corporate interest. ‘This organization has an agenda so I just would ask you to pause before you join the organization,’ Sjoberg said.” Nick Wachinski, currently listed as the private chair of ACCE, is the former executive director of the American Bail Coalition and is now CEO of Lexington National Insurance Corporation, which underwrites bonds in criminal cases. Wachinski opposed bail reform in Maryland. Hudson has a long prison history, and is the location of Hudson Correctional Facility.
34) North Carolina: The Durham School Board has voted 7-0 to bring its custodians back in house after a long period of outsourcing. “The move means DPS will soon end a 13-year relationship with SSC Service Solutions, the company to which it had outsourced its custodial services. (…) Custodians complained that SSC Service Solutions and its subcontractor Premiere paid sub-par wages and did not provide paid sick time, paid leave or paid holidays. Life as a DPS employee should be much better, especially for custodians working full-time. The pay will be better and they will receive the same benefits as any other DPS employee, including North Carolina State Health Plan health insurance and NC Teachers’ and State Employees’ Retirement System retirement benefits.” The Durham Association of Educators (NEA) lobbied to have the custodians moved in-house.
35) Puerto Rico: Teachers are to go out on strike today against the privatization of the Commonwealth’s education system. “The strike is in response to the Puerto Rican House of Representatives passing an education reform bill [last] week that would introduce charter schools and private school vouchers and that would close hundreds of public schools. The government is trying to opportunistically push through this sweeping attack while Puerto Rico is still recovering from the destruction of Hurricane Maria.” The bill now goes to the Senate.
36) Wisconsin: In the face of fierce resistance, charter school activist Howard Fuller has backed off a plan to move his charter school into Milwaukee’s North Division High School. “Critics, including the [Milwaukee Teachers’ Education Association] and the advocacy group Schools and Communities United, had derided the proposal as a takeover plan and a threat to traditional public schools that are already diminished, they say, by Milwaukee’s ever-expanding taxpayer-funded school choice options. ‘Families, children and the community in Milwaukee have had more than enough of this 25-year private school experiment with black and brown children,’ MTEA Secretary Ingrid Walker-Henry told supporters at a rally outside North Division on Monday. ‘Whatever funding we have left is being funneled to private voucher and charter schools. And it’s past time to stop with the experimentation … and invest in public schools that meet the needs of all children in Milwaukee,’ she said.”
37) International: After a devastating parliamentary inquiry into GEO Group’s operation of Australia’s scandal-plagued Parklea prison, the New South Wales government says GEO’s contract will be cancelled. The Public Service Association has called on the state government to hand back the prison to public management, but the Daily Mail reports that “the prison management contract will instead be taken over by either G4S, Serco or joint venture partners MTC/Broadspectrum in March 2019.”
38) Revolving Door News: Two former top Democratic congressional staffers, Thomas O’Donnell and Christina Hamilton, have registered to lobby for CoreCivic for Gephardt Group Government Affairs on “ban the box” legislation.
39) Think Tanks: Vault Research has ranking of the “best” public sector consulting companies. Top 5: Booz Allen Hamilton, Deloitte, McKinsey, Accenture, PricewaterhouseCoopers.
1) National: A Senate panel heard testimony from five Trump cabinet members tryin
g to get the administration’s $1.5 trillion infrastructure plan unstuck in Congress. They didn’t make much progress, owing to the still unanswered question of where the money is going to come from, how much is needed, and what the balance of private and public money should be. “We can’t toll our way out of it,” Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) said “in an apparent reference to the administration’s suggestion to lift a ban on states’ ability to collect tolls on interstates.” Commerce Committee chair John Thune (R-SD) “conceded that a rebuilding effort could come in the form of several bills, a suggestion Speaker Ryan (R-WI) made last week about infrastructure legislation in the House. ‘I think because of the multiple committees of jurisdiction it inevitably probably will get spread out a little bit,’ Thune told reporters. ‘It could be individual bills that get marked up, reported and then married up on the floor.’” But with gridlock in Congress and a lack of regular order, this seems like wishful thinking.
Three hearings on infrastructure were held by Senate Commerce last week, one on administration perspectives, one on state and local transportation needs, and one on “Investing in Next Generation Broadband.”
2) Kentucky: Lawmakers introduce a school vouchers bill. “House Bill 134 and Senate Bill 36 would enable individuals and businesses to receive tax credits for donating funds to scholarships for middle- and low-income students to use at private schools or for other educational services.”
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I am looking at buying a parkerized 590A1, in particular, the 51668 for home defense. 3 more rounds for only 2 extra inches is really hard to beat! It has the 4-shell speedfeed stock. The 51663 is the same gun without the speedfeed. Anybody actually use the speedfeed and like it? Dislike it? Is an elastic sidesaddle just as good or even better? Seems like a $30 difference.


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The impact of geopolitical events on global trade and logistics cannot be understated. As the world navigates through unpredictable times, supply chains are being exposed to the weaknesses of a system that prioritizes efficiency over resilience. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated existing trends and has drastically impacted businesses worldwide. Therefore, it is more important than ever for companies to incorporate geopolitics into their supply chain analysis and planning.
Before COVID-19, there were four primary themes of geopolitical uncertainty: shifts in the international system’s structure and institutions, citizen dissatisfaction leading to the rise of populist politics, dramatic tech transformation, and climate change disrupting supply chains. However, the pandemic has added new complexities and uncertainties to the mix. As a result, businesses must engage in comprehensive risk analysis and stay informed of geopolitical developments to safeguard their supply chains.
The geopolitical landscape is undergoing a significant shift as the international system, with its key institutions, faces pressure from the rise of populism and the tendency towards self-reliance. The construct created to maintain stability and promote free trade is now under considerable scrutiny. Businesses must take into account the political nature of international relations and the politicization of trade when assessing their supply chain risks. In conclusion, companies must integrate geopolitics into their supply chain planning and analysis to effectively navigate the chaotic and unpredictable geopolitical landscape.
Geopolitical Competition and the Rise of Protectionism
The strategic competition between China and the United States has significant implications across the international system, ranging from norms and rules for international trade to domestic market dynamics. As the geopolitical landscape continues to fracture, bilateral and multilateral relationships are becoming increasingly politicized and unpredictable. This shift drives domestic market dynamics towards greater self-reliance, a trend inextricably interconnected with rising political tensions.
As a result, pre-existing trade tensions are intensifying, and tariff and non-tariff barriers are being imposed or threatened. Governments are increasingly focused on ensuring the stability and continuity of domestic industries in distress, resulting in an increased interest in strategic self-sufficiency, on-shore or near-shoring, and stockpiling. This shift from liberalism to protectionist tendencies is compounded by the changes brought about by COVID-19, with growing concern around vulnerabilities associated with over-reliance on key trading partners.
The anxiety around vulnerabilities includes concerns around the slowdown or shutdown of key suppliers and critical operations, delays in getting inbound and outbound raw materials to production sites and finished goods to market, and challenges around insolvency for upstream partners and key customers. To mitigate risks, companies must focus on the adequacy of their contingency plans and the long-term sustainability of their current strategies, taking into account geopolitical trends that could disrupt their supply chains. In conclusion, shifts in international relations and the rise of protectionism are challenging businesses worldwide to adapt their supply chain strategies to navigate the unpredictable and volatile geopolitical landscape
Impact of Political Trends on Global Trade and Logistics
With growing discontent fueled by populism, political and economic policies are being swayed by an inward-looking approach rather than international engagement and cooperation. Leaders who tap into this political trend actively promote anti-pluralism, making international cooperation less likely. This shift in approach has detrimental effects on global trade and logistics.
These political trends cause major unpredictability in social and economic policies, leading to rapid changes in the conditions for doing business. There is a tendency to prioritise domestic markets based on internal political logic instead of global economic logic. Even democratic institutions, such as free media and independent judiciary, suffer as countries veer towards extreme left or right policies to appeal to their domestic power base.
The COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated the trend, deepening inequality and poverty and breeding mistrust, disillusionment, and alienation from the system. Moving forward, this trend is expected to intensify around the world, with decisions about global trade and logistics being undergirded more by political than economic considerations. As business leaders continue to navigate these uncertain times, they will need to remain aware of the potential impacts and prepare accordingly.
Technological Transformation in Global Trade and Logistics
The rapid advancement of digitisation technology has brought about a revolution in global trade and logistics. E-commerce, process automation, data collection, and artificial intelligence are providing businesses with new ways to engage with customers through increased efficiencies and value-creation opportunities. Meanwhile, technology is also enhancing customs controls, reducing compliance risk, and ensuring the safety and security of global trade.
However, while technological transformation offers many benefits, it also brings uncertainty. There are concerns about job security, national security, and commercial governance with the emergence of technology divisions between China and the US. These divisions threaten the interoperability of technology systems and information flows across borders and may end up dividing businesses between two technology hemispheres.
As businesses continue to navigate this unparalleled technological change, optimising all modules of their supply chains through digitisation becomes non-negotiable. Existing digital infrastructure needs to cope with severe business disruptions, and businesses must uplift capabilities to meet demand while ensuring flexibility in digital investments. This adaptability is crucial should there be an increasing need for businesses to bridge technology divides.
Climate Change and Supply Chains: Preparing for the Future
Climate change poses an existential threat to global trade and logistics, with extreme weather events like the 2020 bushfires causing physical risks to operations. Furthermore, resource scarcity with the lack of access to safe water supply and the rise in socio-political risks like mass migration, displacement, health crises, and unrest are major concerns that will impact global trade and logistics systems.
Supply chains are particularly vulnerable to climate change-induced disruption. Extreme weather events can shut down critical supply routes, leading to increases in transportation and insurance costs. Changing consumer preferences are fast driving sustainable goods demand, and companies failing to address these expectations may suffer. The impact of carbon pricing schemes could drive business costs higher, but it may push such businesses towards green investments and technology.
It remains crucial for businesses to consider the risks posed by climate change and implement strategies to manage the impacts of such risks on global trade and logistics systems. These strategies include embracing more sustainable goods and services, outsourcing critical supply chain management, and developing business continuity plans that are flexible enough to adapt to new scenarios. Business leaders must remain vigilant to ensure continued access to critical resources and be proactive in protecting supply chains to ensure they remain resilient to disruptions stemming from climate change.
Strategic Thinking in Global Trade: Navigating Risk and Embracing Opportunity
Navigating the risks and opportunities in global trade and logistics demands strategic thinking and the ability to be proactive in mitigating risks while embracing new opportunities. Businesses need to take a geopolitical perspective of the world to ensure they are not overly impacted by the risks posed by current and upcoming geopolitical trends.
COVID-19 has already demonstrated the substantial knock-on effects of supply chain disruptions, and this underscores the importance of future-proofing supply chains. Businesses need to work towards developing a more sustainable and resilient supply chain by addressing shutdowns of key suppliers, counterparty risk and solvency concerns with upstream suppliers, and ensuring the adequacy of contingency plans.
In the post-COVID-19 era, businesses should focus on local and regional value chains and a more robust symbiosis between domestic and international market opportunities. As businesses embrace the opportunities of the future, they should remain cognizant of geopolitical risks and consider them in planning for the recovery process.

domain: economics


Leaders of the Minneapolis Coalition of Black Churches sharply criticized Congressman Martin Sabo this week for supporting as his successor his longtime aide Mike Erlandson against DFL-endorsed candidate Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison. If Ellison wins election in November, he will be the first African American member of Congress from Minnesota.
“Hypocrisy,” was how Bill English and Randy Staten both characterized Sabo’s support for Erlandson over Ellison, who was endorsed in May by delegates to the Fifth Congressional District Convention. Sabo emphatically promoted Erlandson in a recent letter to public officials and news organizations, which also appears on “Erlandson’s website”:http://mikeerlandson.org.
Without naming Ellison or other candidates poised to run in the DFL primary election in September, Sabo praised Erlandson’s “passion, values, experience and determination.”
Asked by Insight News to clarify the differences he sees between Ellison and Erlandson, Sabo declined to mention Ellison by name and reiterated much of his original statement.
He added praise for Erlandson’s experience with bureaucracies, coalitions and national issues. And Sabo said, “Of the four DFL candidates, Mike is the one who best understands the social, political and economic needs of this diverse district and its residents – urban and suburban.”
Asked about Sabo’s letter, DFL Chairman Brian Melendez vowed support for Ellison, saying “The DFL Party stands behind Keith Ellison, and is dedicated to getting him elected in November.”
Directly responding to Sabo, Melendez said, “The delegates, who took Rep. Sabo’s advice into consideration, overwhelmingly endorsed Keith Ellison, whose dedication and vision will serve this diverse and passionate district well.”
English and Staten, co-chairmen of the Minneapolis Coalition of Black Churches and African American Leadership Summit, both noted that in Sabo’s 27 years in the House of Representatives, he argued forcefully against the idea of running against an endorsed candidate, and so did Erlandson, who is the former DFL Party chairman.
Staten was Minnesota’s first black legislator, representing North Minneapolis from 1980-1986, and may run for the seat again. He said that, 25 years ago, “We fought to make this party representative.” He called Sabo’s promotion of Erlandson “the height of hypocrisy,” and said, “It also continues to raise questions why a lot of people of color tend to distrust the Democratic Party.”
English said, “The party has no control over its own philosophy, when people who have been party officials and congressional leaders say the endorsement process is best, yet they permit and indulge another process.” He added, “That’s why I support an open primary. Let the primary begin, and let the people participate in the endorsement process.”
In May, delegates to the Fifth Congressional District DFL Convention unanimously chose Ellison as the DFL candidate after three ballots. Erlandson and three others have said they will compete in the Sept. 12 primary election: former Minnesota Sen. Ember Reichcott Junge, Minneapolis City Council President Paul Ostrow and Seventh District resident Erik Thompson of Milan, MN.
In November the DFL primary winner will face Republican Alan Fine, Green Party Candidate Jay Pond and Tammy Lee of the Independence Party.


text:
CLØWD has announced details and a preview for their single, "RUDENESS RESORT", which will be released April 27th.
Limited edition TYPE A & B will include CD+DVD for 1944 yen, and regular edition will include CD only for 1296 yen.
[CD Track List]
- RUDENESS RESORT
- Marburg (TYPE A)
- Plastic Heart (TYPE B)
- GIFT (Regular Edition)
- RUDENESS RESORT(KØULESS ver.) (Regular Edition)
- RUDENESS RESORT MUSIC VIDEO+BTS (TYPE A)
- "Namonaki Ashita Wa Nai" at TSUTAYA O-WEST LIVE scenes from 2016.1.7 (TYPE B)
The band has also shared a PV preview for this release, which can be viewed below.


text:
State superintendent talks budget, construction
BELLINGHAM — State Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal spoke Tuesday about the future of education in the state, including what his office is asking for in the next state budget.
Speaking at Options High School in Bellingham, Reykdal said he was going to request the Legislature re-examine parts of House Bill 2242 when it comes to levy funding.
House Bill 2242, passed earlier this year, was the state’s attempt to comply with a state Supreme Court order to fully fund basic education by this year.
The legislation reduces how much money local school districts can collect through property taxes while enacting a statewide property tax increase to be used solely for education.
Under the new legislation, when school districts seek local levies they will be restricted to asking for $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed property value or $2,500 per student — whichever is less — through local property taxes.
That money can now only be used for “enrichment” purposes, which according to the state is anything on top of “basic education.”
That means districts will now be looking at their local levy dollars to fill in gaps for things such as music and art and special education.
Reykdal also spoke about how his office is seeking money from the state Legislature to address capital needs, such as those faced by the Sedro-Woolley School District.
Results from the Nov. 6 general election show voters rejecting the district’s $44.5 million bond issuance proposal, which would have been used mainly to rebuild the aging Evergreen Elementary School.
It is the second time this year voters have rejected a proposal from the district to rebuild the school.
Bonds require a supermajority — 60 percent — to pass.
Reykdal said his office is looking to get legislation passed that would reduce that to a simple majority — 50 percent plus one.
“Politically, that may be tough for them,” Reykdal said. “We’re hearing that maybe they can do something less than 60 but more than 50, that’s for them to figure out. But we will say this is a democratic issue, a simple majority kind of concept.”
He also said his office intends to keep available “state match” dollars, which ease the burden on property owners when it comes to school construction projects.
Reykdal also said his office is looking at ways to help rural school districts that, although they may be able to pass a bond proposal, lack the tax base to pay for such projects.
“We really want a rural strategy,” he said. “A separate bucket of money for rural communities.”
Sedro-Woolley School District Superintendent Phil Brockman said those solutions would be welcome news for the district.
He said the community has always been supportive of the schools, but he couldn’t blame the community for balking at increased property taxes.
“We’re not the only ones in this position,” Brockman said. “We need help with our facilities, and I think the state can help us with that.”

domain: finance


The futuristic Toyota Mirai uses Toyota’s brand new Fuel Cell System (TFCS), which fuses fuel cell and established hybrid technologies.
The TFCS is more energy efficient than internal combustion engines, gives better environmental performance with no CO2 or other pollutants when the car is driven, and has the same convenience and autonomy as petrol-powered vehicles, with a refuelling time of around three minutes.
The system uses components Toyota has developed itself, including the Toyota FC (fuel cell) Stack, FC boost converter and high-pressure hydrogen tanks.
Toyota Fuel Cell Stack
The new Toyota FC stack has a maximum power output of 153bhp (114kW). The efficiency of its electricity generation has been improved by using 3D fine mesh flow channels – a world first – which ensure uniform generation on the cell surfaces. This has helped give the FC stack compact dimensions, a high level of performance and a world-leading power output density of 3.1kW/L, a figure 2.2 times greater than that achieved in Toyota’s hydrogen fuelled concept car, the FCHV-adv.
The amount of water on the fuel cell electrolyte membranes has a substantial influence on electricity generation efficiency. The amount of water is controlled using an internal circulation system to carry water produced in the electricity generation process. This makes the Toyota FC Stack a world-leading system that, unlike those used in all other previous Toyota fuel cell vehicles, doesn’t require a humidifier.
FC boost converter
A new, compact, high-efficiency, high-capacity converter has been developed to boost the power generated in the Toyota FS Stack to 650 volts. Increasing the voltage has made it possible to reduce the size of the electric motor and the number of fuel cells, leading to a smaller FC system that gives higher performance with reduced costs.
High-pressure hydrogen tanks
The fuel tanks have a three-layer structure made of carbon fibre-reinforced plastic and other materials, and they store hydrogen at very high pressure – 70MPa, or approximately 700bar. Compared to the tanks used on the previous Toyota FCHV-adv, storage has been increased by around 20 per cent, while weight and size have been reduced to a world-leading 5.7 weight-per cent5.
Click the following links to find out more about the Toyota Mirai.
Toyota Mirai fuel cell car: technical specs and release date
Toyota Mirai: Designed and equipped for safety
Toyota Mirai: Exterior and interior design
Toyota Mirai: Handling stability and outstanding quietness
Toyota Mirai technical specifications vs FCHV-adv


February 15, 2014 |
Deliberations resumed in Florida on Saturday morning in the murder trial of Michael Dunn amid speculation that the jury was having difficulty reaching a decision on the fate of the white software engineer accused of killing an unarmed black teenager during a dispute over loud music. Shortly after 9 a.m., Judge Russell L. Healey told a Jacksonville courtroom that the jurors had returned to the Duval County Courthouse and were resuming their work. “We'll be in recess until we hear something more from the jury,” Healey said in remarks televised from the courtroom.
February 14, 2014 |
The Florida jury weighing the fate of Michael Dunn, accused of shooting an unarmed teenager to death during a dispute over loud music, told officials Friday that it had hit a wall in its deliberations and then broken for the night. Deliberations were to resume Saturday morning. Jurors have deliberated for more than 181/2 hours since receiving the case Wednesday afternoon. On Friday, the jury asked the judge whether it could hand in a verdict on some charges even if it could not reach a unanimous agreement on one charge.
January 30, 2014 |
FLORENCE, Italy -- Lawyers for American student Amanda Knox warned jurors not to overlook mistakes made by investigators as deliberations began here Thursday in Knox's new appeal of her conviction for the 2007 murder of British student Meredith Kercher. “We are anxious about your verdict,” lawyer Luciano Ghirga told the judge and jurors moments before they filed out to consider the fate of Knox, 26, and her former boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito, 29. Prosecutors have called for sentences of 26 and 30 years for Sollecito and Knox, the exchange student from Seattle who shared a house in the Italian town of Perugia with Kercher, then 21, who was found partially naked in a pool of blood with her throat slashed.
January 30, 2014 |
More than two centuries ago, our Founding Fathers declared that all humans are born with the same inherent potential. Ever since, having the phrase "created equal" in our Declaration of Independence has been one the coolest things about being an American. Now, married Yale law professors Amy Chua and Jed Rubenfeld have stepped forward to say that being "created equal" doesn't matter. Instead, their controversial (and sometimes cringe-inducing) new book, "The Triple Package: How Three Unlikely Traits Explain the Rise and Fall of Cultural Groups in America," argues that our cultural background largely determines our fate and the fate of our progeny.
January 21, 2014 |
Bill Belichick has a right to his opinion. And the New England Patriots coach certainly has never cared what anyone else thinks of him. So he just came right out and said it Monday concerning the hit by Denver receiver Wes Welker that knocked New England cornerback Aqib Talib out of Sunday's AFC championship game, calling it “a deliberate play by the receiver to take out Aqib, no attempt to get open.” “I'll let the...
December 18, 2013 |
NEW YORK - Wine expert Michael Egan eyed the six bottles of purported 1966 Montrachet sitting at the front of the courtroom. "They wouldn't look out of place in the urology department at Mt. Sinai," Egan said as he noted the cloudy liquid's sickly ocher cast. And they probably wouldn't taste much better than a specimen, according to Egan and other aficionados who testified this week in the fraud trial of Rudy Kurniawan, a onetime boy wonder of the wine world who once enjoyed an enthusiastic following in Los Angeles for his sophisticated palate and eye-popping collection of exquisite reds and whites.


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Date: August 13, 2021
Location: Haworth Inc Showroom
Led by: José Leo Arango, Assoc. AIA | EYP Inc & Scott Archer, AIA, AICP, LEED AP ND | Beyer Blinder Belle
Session Downloads: 2021 CKLDP Session 07 Community Engagement
This session seeks to expand the dialogue surrounding architects’ roles and responsibilities in contributing to achieve and practice equitable community engagements. Through discussions and workshops, the scholars will expand preconceptions of how stakeholders can be included in the design and planning processes, explore new tools, refine communication skills, and examine how renowned professionals incorporate communities within the ethos of a professional practice.
An understanding of effective community engagement is critical for architectural and planning professionals. This program aims to explore the modes and methodologies of how architects engage with all communities to invite them into the design process for a more inclusive and equitable result. Led by Associate Professor Benjamin Stokes of The Playful City Lab based at American University and author of Locally Played: Real-World Games for Stronger Places and Communities, the scholars will analyze how the rules of game design can expand access and effectiveness of our engagement strategies. With a broadened understanding of tools for engagement, the scholars will participate in a workshop designed by Bernadette Costello of BCC Consulting to advance competence in proactive listening and change management. Through instruction and practice of new skills, the attendees will consider and appreciate their role in assisting community members through participation in the design process. Finally, Belinda Tato, founding partner of ecosistema urbano and Associate Professor in Practice of Landscape Architecture at Harvard University Graduate School of Design, will present and lead discussion on her award-winning design work that improves the self-organization of citizens, social interaction within communities, and their relationship with the environment. With professional project examples, the scholars will engage in conversation to envision how architects can support inclusive participation and equity in the communities in which we work.

domain: design


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34th Annual Juried Photography Contest: Dualities
The jurors are particularly interested in images that are twofold, consisting of two essential parts of the whole, pairs or elements that demonstrate similarities, the relationship of the contrast of differences between them and the reflection of a new perspective. The jurors are open to all photographic materials, the new and the old, the hand applied process to the digital medium, encouraging the use of any tools to best support the theme of Dualities.
Exhibition at Mills Pond House Gallery: Aug 8-30, 2015
Jurors: Melanie and Michelle Craven
Image requirements: HIGH QUALITY JPEG format, 300 DPI jpegs – sized at 1800 pixels on the longest side
Submission of digital photographs on CD by post. Selected artists will need to ship prints for the exhibition.


King Twit are Liverpool-based purveyors of lively and supremely catchy alternative-indie-folk.
The band formed in late 2011 and quickly to hit the road, blagging dates across Europe before returning to produce debut EP, Bicycle. Heavily indebted to the likes The Shins & Captain Beefheart, accompanied by a mix of up tempo scratchy guitars, snappy percussion, wonderful brass and an unmistakably distinctive vocal drawl, the EP is lively, infectious, endearingly likeable.
King Twit are currently in the midst of on an Irish tour (the full list of dates are here) you can also ‘name your price’ and get Bicycle from bandcamp.
Download: King Twit – Parking Space
Download: King Twit – Bicycle


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September 2015: After returning home from the Czech republic, I was shocked at the events taking place in Greece, Italy and Germany. One could see months ago that this migrant crisis was a complete chaos and not sustainable in the long run. Surely, I said to myself, Europe would have to secure the border soon, for no sane leaders would continue to allow millions of illegal migrants from very violent cultures to continue to just pour into Europe with little if any vetting. I was wrong.
Shortly after, my OpEd (the pinned tweet on my Twitter account) “The V4 nations are dealing with the refugee crisis properly”, appeared in the Pittsburgh Tribune Review. It layed out the dangers of Merkel’s policy and described the V4 plan to solve the crisis. Amazingly, almost a year later, the same article (with one minor change) could be written today. The point: nothing has really changed; the EU and Merkel have failed to secure the border in spite of the terror attacks in Western Europe, the rapes, the fake passports, and the team of smugglers and NGOs controlling the border in Italy. The migrants are still coming and very few have been deported as promised. We are back to square one, except 2,000,000 migrants have already arrived.
The question: Is it possible to solve the crisis with what Merkel describes as an “EU Solution”? With the current structure of the EU, I do not believe it is.
The members that comprise the EU – their values and culture – are too far apart to come up with an “EU solution”. Merkel and Hungary’s Viktor Orban are one example, and there are many more challenges ranging from vastly different economies to contrasting views on Islam and multiculturalism. However, the most glaring challenge is the vast gap that exists between the cultures and beliefs of the Mediterranean States and the V4-CEE nations that make up the central-eastern European region.
The Med Club is made up of Greece, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Malta and France. They demand entry for all that come and consider it immoral to secure the border. The Med Club cherishes multiculturalism and considers it intolerant to defend “European Culture”; they consider it “xenophobic” and a heresy to their God of Diversity. Their solution does not involve limits or reductions, but an endless redistribution scheme for the migrants to be shuffled to the other EU states.
The Visegrad 4 nations of Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, and Czech republic have a completely different vision. They view securing the border as a must first step to any solution that protects Europe and helps the true war refugees. They want hard limits, reductions, and have no desire for the way of life of France or Belgium. They consider their culture unique and priceless, and are willing to fight to preserve it. They see the results of the failed multiculturalism in Western Europe and do not think Muslim migrants are a fit for their peaceful and traditional societies. Their solution is to secure the border and to decide for themselves who and how many refugees they take. They view migrant quotas as an invitation for more to come and a distraction from the real solution: a secure border.
How can there be an “EU solution” if Italy refuses to secure their border and deny entry? The migrants view this as an invitation to keep coming. However, the V4 will never accept migrant quotas, nor should they. Where will all these migrants go? Italy and Merkel are relying on migrant quotas, while the V4 advocates securing the border to stop the inflow. Neither side will compromise. Something has to give.
The EU must be broken up, it cannot function with such deeply-held contrasting beliefs. This can be done peacefully. Both regions cannot afford not to trade with each other. In fact, the level of animosity could well be reduced if separated. Both could then live with their own visions as they see fit. The Mediterranean States could continue to welcome migrants, using a redistribution scheme between themselves, instead of trying to force their vision on others.
Obviously, there would be details to work out. Italy would have to consider if their Open Border philosophy is sustainable without having Eastern Europe to wave-through migrants to. Austria would close their border with Italy, thus overwhelming Italy with migrants. Faced with this reality, Renzi may have a change of attitude, or Italians may throw him out of office.
Unless the border is secured, there will be no EU solution. The migrant crisis can be solved, but only with the breakup of the EU into smaller, less intrusive regional alliances that better reflect the values and beliefs of their people. As the EU has proven, bigger is not always better. Let the nation states of Europe solve the problem, as the Balkan states and Macedonia did in Greece without the EU’s blessing; after all, who better to tackle the issue than the nation states – with much more at stake than some vain unelected bureaucrats in Brussels.
One must never fear change or controlling one’s own destiny. The price of EU Unity is not worth the loss of one’s culture and way of life. Onward V4!


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We all know that cannabis cultivation is not a walk in the park. In fact, cultivators know that when growing marijuana, it’s not something they put outside, wait for 6 months, and expect to see a bud. Veterans cultivators will advise you that you will tend to them outdoors as much as you tend to the indoors. In order for your cannabis garden to become successful, you should start with the basics by purchasing the best autoflowering cannabis seeds and sequential harvest autoflower needed.
Using autoflowering cannabis seeds has been proven beneficial by most cultivators, new and old. These seeds are known to be a great strain that does not rely on too much light. There’s no need to adjust the light schedule regardless of the stage of development the plant is on. They also flower automatically roughly in about 2-4 weeks a whole lot faster compared to other marijuana strains.
Autoflower cannabis plants are also small and short in stature making it easy for the growers to hide them from any unwanted attention. Growers can have the option to put them outdoors since they can blend with the rest of your plants or indoors, where they only need a small space to grow on.
Now that you know the basic information about autoflower cannabis plants, we’ll move on to the most crucial part of any cultivation process, the harvesting part. This is the part that all cultivators are waiting for, it’s like their judgment day.
Here are the steps you need to take note of when harvesting your autoflower cannabis plant.
How to Harvest Autoflower Cannabis Plants?
During the different stages of development, you have probably fed your plant with too many nutrients. And some of these nutrients may not have been used up by your plant that’s why flushing is important. The nutrients that have not been consumed may be stored in different parts of the plant and they may produce a harsh taste when you smoke the bud.
Flushing is using freshwater preferably distilled one to flush away all the nutrients in the soil. You can also halt on your nutrition feeding days or a week before you harvest. Wait until all the water you have used drains out of the container.
By flushing the plant, it improves the quality of the bud so flush the plant well. However, if flushing seems like a tedious task for you, go for organic or super soil for your cannabis plants.
Chop the Plant down
Some growers will prefer to harvest sequentially whenever they use autoflower plants. To start the harvest, remove the fan leaves only then remove the smaller leaves. Make sure you are using gloves so that the resin will not stick to your hands. Cut the stem one by one and never ever uproot the plant before you cut the stem.
There are two ways in trimming your plant but both methods will start from you sterilizing the sharpest pruning scissors you can find. The first way is for you to cut the leaves before drying the buds. This method is called wet trimming. The second method is for you to cut the leaves after they have been harvested and dried. This is known as dry trimming. However, most cultivators prefer to use the wet trimming method as the leaves are very difficult to cut after they have dried up.
The next step is optional and will completely depend on your preference. This is cutting your sugar leaves, the small leaves attached to the buds, you can easily see them as they are coated with crystals so we completely understand if you want to leave them on with the plant. The reason why we want you to remove them is that it will give off a harsh taste when smoked.
You can now go ahead and cut the stem in ways that will allow you to hang them to dry. The smaller the buds of your cannabis plants, the faster the time it will take for them to dry up. Place the colas and smaller buds on a clean parchment paper. Remember that these are sticky so make sure no dust comes close to them. Your final step is to dry and cure the buds.
Right Way of Sequential Harvest Autoflower
We have learned how to properly harvest the cannabis plant, the next step is making sure we get a good amount of harvest from the best autoflower cannabis seeds. This may be pretty easy for some. Here is a cost-effective method that we can use. Please be informed that this whole process will involve a dried marijuana flower
- Select a few branches, (3-4 branches will do) and place them inside a plastic bag.
- Hold them at the thick end of the branch
- Tie the ends of the plastic bag to ensure that no seeds will fall out.
- Go ahead and smash the branches onto something hard. You can do this up until 1 minute.
- After the continuous smashing for a minute, open the bag and collect the seeds.
- However, if you see seeds that are still stuck in the buds this may be an indication that the buds still have moisture on them and might need a little bit more drying. You can hang and dry them and repeat the whole process for getting the cannabis seeds.
Sequential harvest autoflower for some cultivators will always be the tricky part of the cultivation. Especially for new growers, the constant question of “When do I harvest the seeds and the plant itself?” will be stuck in their minds the entire process. A good thing is that the online world is already loaded with the information that you need.
One good thing to practice also is to make sure you know that cannabis strain that you are working on. If you have purchased your cannabis seed online, they will have a complete description and information about it. All you have to do is read and ask questions if you have some.

domain: hobby


Local Fine Gael T.D. Tom Hayes has welcomed the announcement that €456,276 has been awarded to Clonmel Council as part of the Active Travel Towns Programmes. This programme concerns the implementation of cycling and walking strategies across the country. These include cycle lanes and walkways, but also combine them with behavioural change initiatives in schools and workplaces.
“I am pleased to see that Clonmel has been selected for funding out of the 46 local authorities that applied. This funding will go towards a number of projects between the retail park on the Southside and two significant residential areas on the eastern side with nearly 2,000 households, local schools, churches, playing pitches and the railway station.
“What has been proposed is to provide a dedicated cycle track and pedestrian corridor along the N24 Clonmel Inner Relief Road to link the business areas to residential areas in the town. The project will be supported through widespread collaboration with community groups including schools, cycle clubs and employers.
“This programme is different in the sense that, for the first time, these projects are being incorporated into the town’s development strategy. This will combine infrastructure improvements with behavioural change measures to encourage people to use the public transport options on offer and to leave the car at home. I hope that this sort of approach receives the type of local support it needs to be successful” said Tom Hayes.


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The Style Gallery is a great new way for you to view, love, and share outfit photos. It’s meant to showcase
all the expressive, creative, and inspirational personalities of our community!
Show Me Some Blushin' Top
Bring it on home in this petal pink top! An obvious advocate for flattery to the point of blushing, this girly blouse boasts floral crocheted-lace shoulders, neckline pleats, and all the loveliness in the world.
Sweet Greeting Top
When styled in this black-and-white blouse, saying hello to a friend is something much sweeter. Its a word as pretty as the wildflowers printed upon this sheer shirt and as delicate as the pintucks bordering this button-ups placket. In this top, hello might even make your besties day!
Looks Like a Plan Top
Your pitch sure sounds stellar, but it doesnt stop there - you have the look together, too, in this soft green blouse. Characterized by a dipping neckline, raglan sleeves, and a curved hem, this casual-chic shirt is both a work wonder and a total head-turner while out for that celebratory ...
Wardrobe Remix Top
Worn with a sleek pencil skirt this time around and floral trousers the next, this feminine top is versatile, yet unique. In the palest beige hue, this blouse boasts a sheer lace panel that infuses delicate panache into your already-beautiful appearance!
Always Approachable Top in Navy
Between the smile on your face and this airy, navy tank on your frame, you can expect to be complimented on your cheerful demeanor. Its billowing chiffon fabric, pleated front, and ruffled accents highlight that special pep in your step!
Executive Presence Top
Combine your confidence with effortless style - such as this sleeveless black blouse - and youre guaranteed to make some professional waves! A lightweight chiffon piece with a gentle intermission hem, this semi-sheer shirt boasts a sheer lace yoke, a V-line bust, and a back keyhole that bring out the ...
Carefree to Join Me? Top
For an impromptu get-together, be ready and ravishing in seconds in this white top - effortlessly displaying elegance with an easygoing attitude. Made unique with crocheted trim, lace sleeves, and pintucking down the front, this light blouse is the essence of blitheness and beauty.
Breeze on Down the Road Top
Elegance is easy with this navy-blue blouse as the adorable root of your look! Vermillion vines swirl atop the cap-sleeved silhouette of this pleated, notch-necked top, bringing natural loveliness to an airy afternoon.
Happiest of Hours Top in Navy
The presentation is complete and the execs are impressed - now its time to celebrate the success in this navy top! With flexible fabric that effortlessly flows as you toast colleagues, this tie-neck blouse only emphasizes your carefree joy.
Pastry Picks Top in Floral
Your favorite treats are even sweeter when youre wearing this breezy top! Boasting muted hues, gold-buttoned sleeves, and a relaxed, V-neck silhouette, this floral blouse makes for a delightful day as you step out of the bakery with an armful of tasty pastries.
Posh and Prosperous Top
If happiness equals success and this navy-blue blouse brings pure bliss, get ready to be one chipper lady! Delight in the pink-and-amber floral print, tabbed short sleeves, and half-buttoned silhouette of this sheer blouse, and prepare to flourish with fashionableness.
Always Approachable Top in Beige
Between the smile on your face and this airy, ModCloth-exclusive tank on your frame, you can expect to be complimented on your cheerful demeanor. The billowing chiffon fabric, pleated front, and ruffled accents of this beige top highlight that special pep in your step!
Bebop Dots Top
Jazz up an evening ensemble by incorporating this white polka-dotted top! Distinguished by its breezy design and speckled by black spots, this sheer blouse flaunts a trio of bust ruffles, 3/4-length sleeves, and tons of snazzy potential.
First Day Fab Top
Make a notable impression right off the bat by arriving at the office in this embroidered tank. Intricate florals in a vibrant blue hue illustrate the neutral mesh overlay of this delicate top, proving that getting down to business can be posh and pretty, too!
Envision the Excitement Top
When you step out of the car wearing this floral blouse, your besties will squeal with excitement! Place your bet on whether theyll compliment the citrus-and-white color scheme, tulip-style short sleeves, or subtle crocheted trim of this top first, then celebrate reuniting with a group hug!
Blossom Bazaar Top
Amidst all the blooming booths and budding kiosks, the most beautiful flowers in the market are those printed on your white top! Splashed with vibrant color, strewn with a bubbled texture, and complete with cuffed sleeves, this shell shines with unmatched magnificence.
Polished Apprentice Top
Your role as right-hand lady means you never know what youll be doing next. In this white top, youre prim and prepped for anything! Arranged with organized eyelets and a tailored fit, this cotton shell sure does look swell from office to gallery - and even on a coffee run. ...
Remarkable fashion & decor, inspired by our community, & delivered with uncommon care.
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