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* Senators decline to defend electoral college ploy on TV * Democrats and GOP leaders to block gambit aimed at party base * Trump pressed Georgia Republican to overturn Biden victoryAll 12 Republican senators who have pledged not to ratify the electoral college results on Wednesday, and thereby refuse to confirm Joe Bidens resounding victory over Donald Trump in the presidential election, declined to defend their move on television, a CNN host said on Sunday.It all recalls what Ulysses S Grant once wrote in 1861, Jake Tapper said on State of the Union, before quoting a letter the union general wrote at the outset of a civil war he won before becoming president himself: There are [but] two parties now: traitors and patriots.How would you describe the parties today? Tapper asked.The attempt to overturn Trumps defeat seems doomed, a piece of political theatre mounted by party grandees eager to court supporters loyal to the president before, in some cases, mounting their own runs for the White House.Nonetheless on Saturday Ted Cruz of Texas and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin led 11 senators and senators-elect in calling for an emergency 10-day audit of results in states where the president claims electoral fraud, despite failing to provide evidence and repeatedly losing in court.The senators followed Josh Hawley of Missouri like Cruz thought likely to run for president in 2024 in pledging to object to the electoral college result. A majority of House Republicans are also expected to object, after staging a Saturday call with Trump to plan their own moves.Democrats control the House and senior Senate Republicans are opposed to the attempt to disenfranchise millions many of them African Americans in swing states seemingly guaranteeing the attempt will fail. Nonetheless, Vice-President Mike Pence, who will preside over the ratification, welcomed the move by Cruz and others.A spokesman for Biden, Michael Gwin, said: This stunt wont change the fact that President-elect Biden will be sworn in on 20 January, and these baseless claims have already been examined and dismissed by Trumps own attorney general, dozens of courts, and election officials from both parties.Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican nominee now a senator from Utah, said: The egregious ploy to reject electors may enhance the political ambition of some, but dangerously threatens our democratic republic.More Americans participated in this election than ever before, and they made their choice. President Trumps lawyers made their case before scores of courts; in every instance, they failed.Adding to this ill-conceived endeavour by some in Congress is the presidents call for his supporters to come to the Capitol on the day when this matter is to be debated and decided. This has the predictable potential to lead to disruption, and worse.Encouraged by Trump, far-right groups including the Proud Boys are expected to gather in Washington on Wednesday.On Sunday Romney and fellow Republicans Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), Susan Collins (Maine) and Bill Cassidy (Louisiana) was part of a bipartisan group of 10 senators who rejected attempts to overturn the election. On Saturday Pat Toomey, a Republican from Pennsylvania, a battleground state, also registered his opposition.Hawley responded by decrying shameless personal attacks.Georgia, where Trump refuses to accept defeat, goes to the polls in vital Senate runoffs on Tuesday. Stacey Abrams, a former gubernatorial candidate there, told ABCs This Week: Its always dangerous to undermine the integrity of elections without evidence.The Democrat lost her 2018 race to Brian Kemp, a Republican who ran his own election as secretary of state. Abrams refused to concede. Asked about Republican claims Trumps objection is no different, she said: Well, its not simply different circumstances. Its apples and bowling balls.I pointed out that there were a series of actions taken that impeded the ability of voters to cast their ballots. And in almost every one of those circumstances the courts agreed, as did the state legislature.By contrast, she said, President Trump has lost every single one of his challenges in the state of Georgia and he has no evidence.The Washington Post reported that it had obtained a tape of an extraordinary hour-long call on Saturday, in which Trump pressed Georgia secretary of state Brad Raffensperger to overturn Bidens victory.The people of Georgia are angry, the people in the country are angry, Trump said. And theres nothing wrong with saying, you know, um, that youve recalculated.Raffensperger said: Well, Mr President, the challenge that you have is, the data you have is wrong.Trump said: So look. All I want to do is this. I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have. Because we won the state.Trump acknowledged the call, tweeting that Raffensperger was unwilling, or unable, to answer questions such as the ballots under table scam, ballot destruction, out of state voters, dead voters, and more. He has no clue!Last week, Ben Sasse of Nebraska issued a stinging rebuke of Hawley, saying: Adults dont point a loaded gun at the heart of legitimate self-government.We have a deep cancer in American politics, Sasse added. Both Republicans and Democrats are growing more distrustful of the basic processes and procedures.The senators who followed Hawley made the same point, pointing to polling. On Sunday, Johnson said they were acting to protect democracy.Such arguments are in bad faith blame for public distrust weighs heaviest by far on the White House and its allies. To Johnsons insistence that tens of millions believe the election was stolen, NBC Meet the Press host Chuck Todd suggested he look in the mirror if he wanted to work out why.Todd then cut Johnson short, saying: You dont get to make these allegations that havent been proven true.On CNN, Tapper played remarks by Hawley from January, during Trumps impeachment.The consequences to the republic of overturning an election because you dont like the result, Hawley said, and because you believe that that election was somehow corrupted, when in fact, the evidence shows that it was not thats an interesting approach. I think its crazy, frankly.

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Saturday On JP Roofing FAN N'ATION (Jan 2) - PROMO - Yahoo News

Global Roofing Materials Market 2020 by Manufacturers, Type and Application, Forecast to 2025 contains an extremely knowledgeable and in-depth evaluation of the present industrial conditions along with market size, estimated from 2020 to 2025. The report encompasses several factors such as global manufacturers, market size, and market factors that affect global contributions. The report discusses factors related to current industry conditions, levels of growth of the industry, demands, business-oriented approaches used by the manufacturers of the Roofing Materials industry in brief about distinct tactics and futuristic prospects. The research throws light on an in-depth competitive landscape, defined growth opportunities, market share coupled with product type and applications, key companies responsible for the production.

The study report analyzes the past market condition and forecasts potential prospects based on comprehensive analysis. The report provides the extensive market share, growth, trends, and forecasts for the 20202025 period. It then studies recent trends, development status, market dynamics (drivers, restraints, and opportunities), supply chain, and competitive landscape. The research report concentrates on leading global players in the global Roofing Materials market report, which includes details such as company profiles, product picture, and specification, creation of R&D, production capability cost, revenue, and contact information. The report is divided into major categories comprising product, distribution channel, application, and end-users.

NOTE: Our analysts monitoring the situation across the globe explains that the market will generate remunerative prospects for producers post COVID-19 crisis. The report aims to provide an additional illustration of the latest scenario, economic slowdown, and COVID-19 impact on the overall industry.

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Report Synopsis:

Inputs from industry experts have been collected to deliver detailed market analysis. The report encapsulates factors such as market outline, type-based analysis of global Roofing Materials market, application analysis, and end-use. The market analysis report offers market share, demand, and supply ratio, supply chain analysis, and import/export details.

List of top key-players/leading manufacturers of the market: Braas Monier Building Group, Eagle Roofing Products, Owens Corning, Etex, CertainTeed, GAF Materials, Johns Manville, Atlas Roofing, American Hydrotech, IKO Industries, Zappone Manufacturing, Euroshield

The most important types of products covered in this report are: Asphalt Shingles, Clay Tile, Metal roofing, Wood Shingles, Other

The most widely used downstream fields covered in this report are: Residential Construction, Commercial Construction, etc.

Regional Overview:

Experts have offered details on the current and the forecast demand made by the main regions. The report also offers information on the unexplored areas in these regions to help the producers to plan promotional strategies and create demand for their new and updated products. Moreover, global Roofing Materials market size, share, supply, demand, consumption, price, import, export, type, and application segment information by region has been included in the report.

It also provides market size and forecast estimates from the year 2020 to 2025 with respect to major regions, namely; North America (United States, Canada and Mexico), Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy), Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia), South America (Brazil, Argentina, etc.), Middle East & Africa (Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)

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Global Roofing Materials Market share, size 2020| emerging rapidly with latest trends, growth, revenue, demand and forecast to 2025 - The Courier

Sydney Kurle | Dec 29, 2020

The Washington State Department of Commerce (Commerce) announced today they will invest $97 million in affordable housing projects. With a combination of federal and state funding, the states Housing Trust Fund grants and loans will create and preserve 1,685 units of housing statewide for low-income households, people experiencing homelessness, and others in need.

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Stable and affordable housing is a foundation for health and well-being and financial stability. However, a Harvard study reports that in 2020 nearly half of all US renters were paying more than 30% of their income in rent, and nearly a third paying more than half. This trend has held true in Washington as its estimated by Commerce that even before the pandemic 129,000 Washingtonians were at risk of homelessness due to a lack of affordable housing.

Washingtons affordable housing crisis has deepened with the economic blows of the pandemic, said Governor Jay Inslee. These important investments, serving thousands of Washingtonians, represent tremendous collaboration between our states Housing Trust Fund, other federal, state and local agencies, along with private business and charitable organizations, to bring every available resource to bear in addressing this growing need throughout our state.

The $97 million will help fund an estimated 1,404 multifamily rental units, 121 homes for first time home buyers, 86 units of modular housing, and 74 units in cottage-style communities. The $97 million breaks down into $85.3 million of funding coming from the states Housing Trust Fund, with $11.7 million provided through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) HOME and National Housing Trust Fund programs.

One project granted funds will provide 361 units of affordable housing in rural areas of Washington. Funds were also granted to a program that will provide 168 units of dedicated housing to people with chronic mental illness and who need permanent supportive housing.

Equity in community development is one of our top priorities, said Commerce Director Lisa Brown. The pandemic is being experienced very differently throughout our state, with more families struggling to find and keep affordable housing, many for the first time.

The Department of Commerce says theyre also focused on projects for communities that are disproportionately likely to experience housing instability. As such, they have funded a project by Sacred Medicine House in King County, serving urban indigenous people who make up an estimated 15% of the homeless population in the community but represent just 1% of the population. This project will create 120 units of affordable housing.

Another project that is focused on equity is a project by Elizabeth Thomas Homes, which will create affordable housing for working families in a south Seattle community where 82% of residents identify as people of color. Seattle has a history of rising rents and gentrification and this project hopes to allow families to not be priced out of their communities.

This record-setting annual investment from the Housing Trust Fund is targeted to strengthen community capacity all over the state and maximize financial impact. Every state dollar invested will leverage $5 on average from other public and private funding sources, Brown noted.

Since its creation in 1986, Washingtons Housing Trust Fund has invested $1.3 billion to help build and preserve 55,000 units of affordable housing across the state.

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Department of Commerce invests $97 million in affordable housing projects - State of Reform - State of Reform

Market Research Future (MRFR) asserts that themodular construction market2020 can reach a size of USD 154.8 Million by 2023-end. MRFR also expects the market to procure a growth rate of 5.95% between 2015 and 2023 (assessment period). We will provide covid-19 impact analysis with the report, offering an in-depth review following the coronavirus disease outbreak.

COVID-19 Analysis

The COVID-19 impact analysis by MRFR suggests that the pandemic has triggered a short-term and long-term impact on the construction industry. While countries are struggling to find a COVID-19 breakthrough to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus, a number of construction sites have been closed off with construction projects now on hold. Also, various hard-hit regions have suspended almost all the construction activities, and the projects that are continuing can observe delays on account of the collapsing supply chains that have affected the supply of raw materials. Contingency schemes along with government backing are being offered to ensure a smooth run for various aspects of the construction industry, which includes the modular construction market.

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Going forward, the COVID-19 outbreak has managed to boost the value of AI and IoT, for building modular buildings across the globe. Modular buildings are being designed in such a way so that IoT devices can be easily integrated, which produce massive amounts of data and can use that data to optimize the modular building. This has worked in favor of the services as well as business models in the lockdown period, which is particularly beneficial for the ageing population; especially post SARS-CoV-2.

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Primary Inducers and Main Restraints

In May 2020, P McVey Mobile Buildings supplied close to 40 modular buildings to various hospitals in Enniskillen (Ireland) during the COVID-19 crisis. The facilities provided by the company include temporary buildings for storage, sleeping, toilets and showers as well as additional offices. The COVID-19 impact has been so profound that facilities for health service staff has become inadequate, which drives the need for new modular infrastructure. In light of such a situation, various companies are looking for opportunities that can benefit people in need and the market as well.

The growth of the modular construction market is also stimulated by the widespread demand for low-priced housing combined with the rising investments in the development of commercial and healthcare infrastructure. The global market can also be bolstered by the renewed appetite of the building and construction industry for better efficiency, workplace safety and productivity and the need to reduce the cost as well as time while building structures.

Market Segmentation

Material, construction, product and application are the main segments based on which the market study has been performed in the report.

The materials listed are concrete, steel, plastic, wood, and others. The market is dominated by the concrete segment, having seized the largest share of 33.70% in 2016, and value of USD 35.1 Million. The segment can also expand at the highest expansion rate of 7.19% over the coming years. The demand for concrete is quite high as it offers excellent stability and strength to modular buildings and is therefore, a common material generally used in modular construction.

Construction-wise market review comprises re-locatable modular concrete and commercial permanent modular.

The products assessed in the market study are roofs & floors, walls, columns & beams and more. Since roof and floors are one of the most essential aspects of modular construction, the segment clinched the top spot in 2016 with a share of 41.00% and held a valuation of USD 42.6 Million. It is also projected to obtain the fastest CAGR of 6.69% between 2015 and 2023.

The applications of modular construction include residential, industrial and commercial. Residential was in the lead with the highest share of 47.00% in the year 2016, and was valued at USD 48.9 Million. It is the fastest expanding segment in the global market, thanks to the expanding worldwide population as well as urbanization.

Regional Insight

APAC or Asia Pacific, North America, the Middle East and Africa or MEA and Europe are the top markets for modular construction considered in the analysis by MRFR.

APAC is at the top of its game, having claimed the largest share of 46.30% and holding a value of USD 48.2 million in 2016. The rapid surge in industrialization, rising number of urbanized people and the increasing financial status are some of the prime growth boosters in the regional market. China ranks among the top markets in the region, backed by the government backed policies that aim to exempt sales tax for ordinary housing and reduce the down payment on second house loans. The growth in sustainable and eco-friendly construction along with strong government support also foster the growth of the market in the region.

In 2016, the second most profitable market belonged to North America, with a share of 27.6% and value of USD 28.7 million. The modular construction market here is vastly fortified by the increasing prevalence of green building construction and high spending on commercial real estate. The U.S. happens to be the highest gaining market in the region, as a result of the exceptional growth of the construction industry and the rapid advancements in residential and commercial structures.

As one of the strongest contenders in the global market, Europe is all set to earn a growth rate of 4.90% in the approaching years. Frequent modification of existing buildings, mounting concerns with regard to the environment and the surging interest in affordable and energy saving construction are some of the main factors backing the regional market growth.

Notable Competitors

Notable competitors in the worldwide market for modular construction are L&T (India), ACS Group (Spain), Komatsu Ltd (Japan), Kiewit Corporation (U.S.), Skanska AB (Sweden), Taisei Corporation (Japan), System House R & C Co. Ltd (Japan), Balfour Beatty Plc. (U.K.), Bouygues Construction (France), Red Sea Housing Services (Saudi Arabia), to name a few.

Also Read:https://marketresearchnews774828036.wordpress.com/2020/10/27/modular-construction-market-subjected-to-expand-moderately-by-2023/

Latest News

May 2020

With the reopening of the construction sites along with the Urban Splash modular factory, Urban Splash has successfully supplied close to ten modular homes in Birmingham in a matter of four days.

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At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.

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Modular Construction Market Subjected to Expand Moderately by 2023 - Farming Sector

The Global Multifamily Modular and Prefabricated Housing Construction Market provides up-to-date information on current and future industry trends, enabling readers to identify products and services to increase revenue growth and profitability. This research report provides in-depth study of all key factors affecting global and regional markets, including drivers, imprisonment, threats, challenges, opportunities and industry-specific trends. This report cites worldwide trust and specimens with leading players downstream and upstream analysis.

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This market research report on analyzes the growth prospects for the key vendors operating in this market space including Guerdon Modular Buildings,ATCO,Laing O?Rourke,Red Sea International Company,VINCI Construction Grands Projets,Bouygues Construction,Skanska AB,KLEUSBERG GmbH & Co. KG,Algeco,Katerra,Lendlease Corporation,Blokable, Inc.,ConXtech, Inc.,Cover Construction (Ross) Ltd.,nHouse Ltd.,Connect Homes,Blu Homes, Inc.,PopUp House,Cube Haus,Kiss House,Plant Prefab,Inc.,Blokable,Revolution Precrafted Properties Limited

Technological advancements in the Multifamily Modular and Prefabricated Housing Construction Market has witnessed continuous growth in the past few years and is projected to grow even further during the forecast period. In addition to the complete assessment of the market, the report presents Future trend, Current Growth Factors, attentive opinions, facts, historical data, and statistically supported and industry validated market data.

Asia Pacific is the most advanced market for Multifamily Modular and Prefabricated Housing Construction. This growth is largely driven by factors such as population perspective improvement and increased awareness. In addition, Latin Americas value-based healthcare services market will expand to a significant CAGR. Brazil and Mexico are leading the value-based health care services market in the region because of the favorable businesses that governments are promoting. Moreover, as research and development develops, market growth in Latin America will accelerate.

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This report provides an effective business outlook, different case studies from various top-level industry experts, business owners, and policymakers have been included to get a clear vision about business methodologies to the readers. SWOT and Porters Five model have been used for analyzing the Global Multifamily Modular and Prefabricated Housing Construction Market on the basis of strengths, challenges and Global opportunities in front of the businesses.

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Big Boom in Multifamily Modular and Prefabricated Housing Construction Market over 2020-2027 with Top Vendors Like ATCO, Skanska AB, Algeco, Katerra,...

If youve been living with roommates during the pandemic, 2020 might have felt like you were already living in a tiny house, just one you shared with other people you may have come to not like as much. Maybe you began to seriously fantasize about living in a tiny house on your own. The experience isnt always as idyllic as tiny-house shows portray it. But if 200 square feet may not be the ideal amount of living space for everyone, its still true that smaller homes are a viable part of the solution for the challenges of affordable housing and homelessness. Here are a few of the ways that the field advanced this year.

In March, just outside Austin, giant 3D printers squirted out a concrete-like mixture to form the walls of six tiny homes in a small community designed for people who used to be chronically homeless. Icon, the company that designed the technology, is also working with a nonprofit to build a 3D-printed neighborhood for people living in extreme poverty in Mexico. (These houses are roomier than many tiny homes, at 500 square feet.) Ultimately, Icon projects that the tech could cut costs in half and make the homes twice as fast to build as standard construction. Mighty Buildings, another startup, created an innovative process that makes it possible to 3D print more of the shell of a tiny home, including the roof.

While an increasing number of cities allow homeowners to build tiny homes in backyards or convert garages, a handful of cities are taking the next step: allowing people to legally live in tiny homes on wheels. The wheeled version is far cheaper than building on a foundation, making the houses more accessible to more people; a standard ADU (accessible dwelling unit) in some cities can cost $250,000 to build, while a tiny house on wheels can cost as little as $50,000. Because the homes can easily fit in existing backyards, its a simple and quick way to add more housing in areas where a low supply of apartments has driven up rent. San Jose, California, is one of the latest cities to write a new ordinance allowing the homes. In one program in the city, students who are struggling with homelessness are learning how to build the homes themselves and then living in them.

As designers and entrepreneurs focus more on the challenge of affordable housing, the number of new solutions continues to grow, both in innovative business models and in the designs of homes themselves. Some companies are working on making accessory dwelling units more affordable, such as United Dwelling, an L.A.-based startup that converts garages into apartments for free, and then splits rent with the homeowner. Oby, a new worker-owned coop in the Bay Area, signs contracts with homeowners to rent out backyards in 99-year leases, creating new backyard cottages that will be permanently affordable for low-income workers.

[Photo: Connect Homes]Many architects are redesigning tiny dwellings for people experiencing homelessness or for use in disaster relief. A company called Connect Homes, for example, builds tiny modular shelters in factories, designed to be affordable and easy to deliver on the back of a truck.Like other tiny homes, they can stand in as emergency housing until permanent supportive housing is built. One website that launched this year, the Rapid Shelter Innovation Showcase, includes dozens of other recent designs for emergency shelters, including Boxabl, a 375-square-foot prefab house designed to unfold when it arrives on a site. As COVID-19s economic impact continues to put more Americans at risk of losing housingor in need of cheaper housingtiny houses are likely to continue to grow as part of the solution.

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How the idea of the tiny house evolved in 2020 - Fast Company

Colin Nagy, head of strategy at FFNY, a global advertising agency, writes this opinion column for Skift on hospitality and business travel. On Experience dissects customer-centric experiences and innovation across the luxury sector, hotels, aviation, and beyond. He also covers the convergence of conservation and hospitality. You can read all of his writing here.

I dont need to rehash the implications of the past year for travel. This has been endlessly documented. But I saw a lot of reasons to be incredibly optimistic about the future. Every year, I select the best things I see on the road and also outline the friction points and things that need to be improved. Ive curtailed my normal nit-pickings this year, focusing instead on the bright rays of creativity under duress. Many brands, properties, and teams used the pandemic as a forcing factor to get better, to try out new things, and to iterate. So, heres a rundown of the great things I witnessed. Onwards!

I moved my longstanding, million-mile allegiance to American Airlines over to Delta. The reason? The brand stood above the pack in terms of its approach to Covid. Planes on every flight were spotless, cleaning protocols were well communicated and their middle seat open social spacing strategy put the consumer first. It is no wonder their net promoter score surged to levels never seen for a U.S. domestic airline. As they roll out new lounges, new partnerships, and new tech, it is a brand with clear, strong leadership that has also read the sea change of culture: consumers are much more in charge now, and Delta knows that they need us, the traveling public. Other carriers will learn this one way or the other.

I flew on Emirates both pre and post-pandemic this year. But since this column will focus on the latter, the carrier stood out to me as being an outward manifestation of just how well Dubai handled the crisis. Emirates was operationally sound, did a great job with cleaning and safety, and managed to still pull off high touch service despite constraints. The end to end experience on the ground, in the lounges, and onboard reflected what I imagine to be a ton of logistical work and having to rewrite procedures. As Dubai stands to be an important logistical hub for the distribution of the vaccine, it is comforting to see excellence in a very important part of the world.

The Four Seasons, with their health and wellness program, Lead with Care, has been the standout luxury hotel chain. Throughout my stays at properties in Surfside, Miami, Mexico City, Denver, Las Vegas, Austin, and others, the brand was remarkably consistent, which is not an easy thing to do. Even better, everything felt natural: there was a level of finesse in messaging and approach that was exactly the right tone. This came as a welcome contrast to some luxury properties sending me a pre-arrival note that read as if I was about to storm the beaches at Normandy. Plus, when I had a family medical issue in Mexico City (unrelated to Covid), the team treated us as one of their own family, showing the empathy and professionalism that comes from a strong service culture. While many luxury brands have lost their luster and lost their way this year, Four Seasons has shown to have a strong core brand and is weathering the crisis thanks to great people. This is not an easy feat.

Ive long noted that there is a gap in the market between the price point of an Aman and say, the Ritz Carlton in terms of ADR. AubergeResorts Collection is quickly executing in this gap. The brand makes smaller, beautiful properties unique to their location with super high touch hospitality that feels more like youre staying in an elegant friends home. Under the leadership of CEO Craig Reid, their US properties saw a surge in interest as many people curbed their long-haul travel, and it served as a great introduction to the portfolio. The brand is set to open a slate of new properties next year: Bishops Lodge in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Matteis Tavern in Los Olivos, California, Stanly Ranch in Napa, California, among others. In my opinion, they are nicely positioned to win over a new luxury traveler that wants sensibility, personality but also super creative flourishes when it comes to service.

Ed Mady, the regional director of West Coast USA for Dorchester Collection, who oversees the Beverly Hills hotel and the Bel Air, stood out to me as the hotelier with the best grasp on building a strong culture. Hes weathered a tone-deaf boycott of the properties as well as a global pandemic, still managing to deliver incredible warmth and service from teams serving a well-heeled clientele. Mady is an elegant diplomat, a connector, and an astute observer of how luxury is changing. Staff, many of whom have been with the hotels for over two decades, told me that they felt the brand had their backs and did a great job communicating throughout crises. Mady has also been making use of what he calls the Self Determination theory that gives employees autonomy and a well-defined path forward through the industry. This means cross-training, and having the ability to have nonlinear progressions. Finally, as I wrote earlier this year, Mady and the team made the employee entrance to the Beverly Hills hotel as glamorous as the guest entrance. This is a perfect example of treating employees well, and in turn, having satisfied guests as the result.

Im excited to see what has been an incredible feat of logistics, vision, and mastering complexity: the opening of Airelles in Versailles. I spoke to Jacques Silvant, chief operating officer of Airelles, in the early days of Covid who told me about the sheer ambition of what they are trying to do: open a new property on the grounds of Chteau de Versailles with views over the Orangerie, the Pice dEau des Suisses and The Palace. And while a lot of the narrative is about simplification and the impending sea change for luxury, theres something to be said about ambition, and setting impossibly high standards in one of the most difficult and highly regulated places in the world. Im excited to see the craft and approach materialize when it opens in 2021.

Im also curious to see some of the re-work of Claridges in London. It is a true London icon that played an important role in housing frontline workers in the pandemic. Co-owner Paddy McKillen has been overseeing a huge makeover to the property adding a super-luxe suite that encompasses the entire roof of the property, as well as spas, pools, a fitness club, a cinema, a subterranean boutique-shopping mall, and three new floors of rooms. And doing all of this while preserving the architecture and infrastructure considerations of one of the most important properties in London.

Austin is booming when it comes to hotel concepts. Theres Auberges entry, the Commodore Perry, set on a private stretch of land that feels a million miles removed from its surroundings.

A washroom at the Commodore Perry estate.

Theres the Hotel Magdalena, while has taken the early Bunkhouse approach and aesthetic and scaled it to a larger footprint (and done it beautifully), theres the Proper Hotel, which is a very well-executed version of the brands ambitions: pairing Kelly Wearstlers design eye with what they see as a new, stylish tech audience downtown.

Then theres the Carpenter, which was a nicely executed, open-air hotel set around an old Union Hall near Zilker Park. Austin is growing, and the innovation first sparked by Liz Lambert with her South Congress properties continues to grow. It is an amazing city for hospitality at the moment.

Slow, steady, and patient ownership is a welcome feature in a world of capital wanting a quick return. I was impressed by the remodeling of The Breakers. They take a generational approach to the property and as other iconic luxury properties are being bought, sold, or melted into new concepts, the resort has a strong backbone. It is still owned by the Kenan family, direct descendants of Henry Flagler. As patient capital, they do things correctly, over time. Something is comforting about a place I went with my family as a child, being artfully and tastefully evolved, but without losing sight of the core of what it is. The balance of modernity and preservation represents the best of the long game when it comes to stewardship of hotels.

One of my favorite general managers in the world, Marcel Thoma, recently moved on from the Upper House, taking the helm of the Mandarin Oriental Marrakech. Thoma blends a highly personalized approach to hospitality (theres no one better at knowing what guests want either explicitly or implicitly) with finding the pulse of culture in a city. Im excited to watch what he builds in such an interesting place, which is a mix of cultures and references. Mandarin Oriental is lucky to have him.

Anthony Marazita at Amangiri stood out to me as being the best in the game with food and beverage this year. Not only is he able to cater to highly discerning guests and their super-specific whims and dietary restrictions (you should see how long the tickets are we get here, he playfully told me), but he has done something meaningful in using ingredients from native cultures surrounding the property. Over years, hes cultivated relationships with local tribes, built trust to learn from these cultures and become a customer of their special grains, seeds, and recipes.

Amangiri is a luxury resort in Canyon Point, Utah. The resort is located in the middle of a protected valley and a 25-minute drive from the nearest town.

And it isnt a cynical nod to where theyve come from. It is clear that Marazita has done the time to build symbiotic relationships. Some tribes even save him some of their most sacred seeds. What hes doing with the native American elements in his cooking is unique, and Ive never seen it executed at this level, coupled with a deep level of respect and reverence.

Surprisingly, my travel wasnt curtailed this year. I traveled safely and responsibly, logging over 120 nights in hotels since the beginning of the pandemic. I need to support the industry I care about so much. The hotel that stood out to me the most this year was The Lowell. It is what I was looking for in a very stressful year: a beautiful, elegant, discrete property with warm, high touch service and the best lighting Ive seen in any hotel in the world. Theres a crackling fire in the lobby, down the hall from my favorite room in any hotel: the Club Room. Plus, the team at Majorelle did outdoor dining which the restaurant was shut down due to city ordinance without missing a beat, presided by Charles Masson. The hotel is always well recognized in the world of hospitality, frequently getting the best hotel in New York, but even in a difficult situation, the team rose to the level. A truly memorable stay for me.

I met with a lot of incredible hoteliers this year: Ashraf Amaani at the Mandarin Oriental Dubai who manages to bring cool people and the most interesting culture and weave it with the beating heart of the hotel; Ana Aguilar of Auberge, who oversees rooms at the Commodore Perry in Austin; Natasha Dodd of the Four Seasons Surf Club; Natascha Seifritz at the Austin Proper Hotel; as well as the ever-elegant Ernesto Floro and Heiko Huenstle of the Lowell. All of them are at the top of their respective roles and give me hope for the recovery of the industry post-Covid.

Constraint builds innovation. And in Covid, thankfully there were interesting things that came out of chaos. I was inspired by what the Newt Hotel in the English countryside did: they tapped their gardens to create The Mobile Newt a home delivery service bringing quality estate produce and healthy treats from Somerset to locked-down locals and Londoners.

I was also very happy to see Peninsula Time, the concept pioneered by the Los Angeles managing director Offer Nissenbaum, being rolled out across the portfolio. Beginning January 2021, guests at all Peninsula properties can arrange to have their room ready as early as 6:00 am on their arrival date and check out as late as 10:00 pm on their departure date at no extra charge.

Ive long been a fan of Kevin Wendle and his hotel Escencia. Theyve rolled out new duplex suites with private, indoor fitness studios allowing fitness-focused guests to have a private way to get their workout in. Luxurious? Yes. Is there a huge audience for this type of thing among their clientele? Also yes.

I had the good fortune of speaking with the dean of Ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne, Ines Blal about hospitality education, how the curriculum is evolving, modern luxury versus the table stakes that wont change. Im pleased to say that she is on the cutting edge of what is required to create the next generation of hoteliers and creating meaningful experiences in a post-Covid world. Any notions I had about hospitality education being old-school and stodgy were quickly erased as we delved into a tech-centric conversation of balancing data, UX, strategy, and empathy with timeless notions of service. A refreshing and optimistic conversation, indeed.

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Photo Credit: Outdoor pool at Four Seasons Surfside in Miami. Christian Horan / Four Seasons

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The Biggest Innovators in Travel and Hospitality: Covid Edition - Skift

This craftsman style 3 level home located on a corner lot in the highly desirable Josephine Crossing community checks all the boxes. With a spacious open concept main level living room, kitchen with all new appliances, and dining area that has LVP flooring throughout, a cozy gas fireplace, and lots of natural light. The upper level offers 2 ensuite bedrooms and a welcoming loft library or home office. The refreshing master suite has a jetted tub, tiled shower, and walk-in closet. The lower level has a 3rd bedroom, full bathroom, and large family room. An oversized 2 car garage provides ample storage, and your cost-effective HOA will care of snow removal, lawn care, trash, and water. So you will have more time to enjoy the parks, playgrounds, walking paths, and explore Norm's Island on the Yellowstone River.

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Homes Recently Listed in the Billings Area - Statesville Record & Landmark

CHICAGO (CBS) There will be large concerts or events this New Years Eve, but help was on the way for Chicagos independent performance venues.

With no events since March, many of those venues have closed or are barely hanging on.

As CBS 2s Tara Molina reported Thursday evening, the owners of the venues the latter category still have to put money into the waiting game as just keeping venues maintained is costing thousands of dollars a month. But Molina is told new grant money will help them stick around until they can open again.

The Patio Theater has been in operation since 1927 at 6008 W. Irving Park Rd. in the Portage Park neighborhood. Its centennial isnt too many years off.

(The) Patio Theater is a treasure, said Chris Bauman.

It is a treasure that Bauman restored as a music venue, because he couldnt stand to see it go. But holding onto history in 2020

This has been a very long 10 months now. Closed down, Bauman said. Weve still had to pay mortgage, utilities, insurance. Weve just been doing the best we can to stay afloat and be able to open our doors again.

Now, a light at the end of the tunnel.

Patio Theater is one of 100 venues awarded $10,000 through the citys Performance Venue Relief Program. And theres even more help on the horizon. Bauman was one of thousands of venue owners across the country pushing for The Save our Stages Act, just passed as part of the latest COVID-19 relief legislation signed into law, setting $15 billion dollars aside to help venues like the Patio Theater.

Its going to allow us to get caught up, Bauman said.

But after 10 months without a penny, no way to open for many more, a question lingers. Will it be enough?

To be determined, I think, Bauman said. But I will tell you its enough, for now, to get us open again.

The Small Business Administration will decide how to divvy up the Save our Stages relief money, with operators applying for those grants, like they have for SBA loans. The city grants were funded through an arts foundation and the CARES act.

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Theater Operators Hope Hospitality Grants Are Enough To Reopen Next Year: This Has Been A Very Long 10 Months - CBS Chicago

So that was 2020. I made all sorts of resolutions such as I shall stop worrying, I shall look on the sunny side of the street, I shall answer the phone and the door, I shall not hide from people at the store, I shall not follow people home from the store just to see where they live, and I will not complain about Dr. leaving things open like doors, cabinets, drawers, and cookie jars. I shall suffer in silence.

But come March 16th I pretty much just quarantined with gusto, had anxiety over a November wedding in New Orleans, hurt my back, fractured my toe, slammed cabinets and doors and drawers shut, hired a housekeeper out of necessity which I swore Id never do, and bought an artificial pre-lit gold tree which I swore Id never do also. Dont tell my children about the tree.

This Christmas, although different, wound up being the easiest one for me, especially those where I helped my Daddy flock the tree on the patio with the explosive Electrolux bags. Thanks to my fractured toe and the mysterious back/leg electrocution issues, I was sent to sick bay, but the realization that Dr. would have to do all of that alone sent me practically into a coma so I took out a loan at Community Bank and bought brand new Christmas garland, or as my children and I call it, Garland LeMaire. Ive been using the same cheap garland for almost twenty years now. If you look at it wrong it disintegrates, and the old-fashioned C7 and C9 colored lights that are hotter than the fires of hell, I presume, were donated to Gordons Disposal Company. Our entire yard was nothing but one big booby trap and fire hazard. Even Santa premiered in the attic window timely on account of having a bridge with a railing built over the duct work so Dr. wouldnt procrastinate. He normally puts him in the window maybe on Christmas Eve Eve and come Easter hes still waving at everyone on Main Street. This year Santa was actually centered and not leaning. Every single thing you see in my yard if you so happened to have made a pass was done by Dr. I might have to fracture my little toe every year around December 1st but Ill pass on the electric shock thingy.

This year ends with lots of uncertainty and anger and a lack of freedom, but most of all, we end it with loss, whether it was COVID or not. Sharon Morgan was like a mother to us. Minos Derouen lived life to its fullest. Harry Delahoussaye reminded me of my father. Doyle Copell had a contagious enthusiasm for all things. Mac Stearns was wise and wonderful. I had unforgettable telephone chats with Donna Robinson, and she loved anything pink. Dr. Gerald Elias was caring and dedicated. Dot Escuriex was one of a kind. Alberta Nereaux was our first Queen Sugar. Joyce Lopresto was our Grande Dame, and Liam McDuff broke our hearts into a million pieces. They were loved, and they left their mark.

The fires lit, the house is cozy, the gumbos simmering, and once again, Bing is dreaming of a White Christmas. I try to do better than my best in times of turmoil because Mama once said at an unsettled time in my life, You dont know how to do it? Watch me, Ill show you how to do it, and she did. She also said, You need more juice in your gumbo, as she plucked the bowl out of my hands. There! Its better now!

PHYLLIS BELANGER MATA was born at the old Dauterive Hospital and grew up on Wayne Street. She is a 1974 graduate of Mt. Carmel Academy and is a chili dog without the wiener aficionado.

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Across the Bayou: Out with the old, in with the new - The Daily Iberian