Experience & Insights
Articles and analysis from Diakon Partners. Read the perspectives below.
Michael Taylor brings more than four decades of experience in public policy, legislative strategy, regulatory affairs, international trade, and strategic consulting.
His work spans transportation and logistics, manufacturing, energy, infrastructure, sustainability, and emerging technology. His prior roles include Senior Vice President at Avenir LNG and Vice President of International Affairs and Trade at the Plastics Industry Association.
That experience informs Diakon Partners’ work across congressional and agency engagement, stakeholder coordination, and organizational strategy.
Election 2026 · Congressional transition
Organizations may enter January with the same policy priorities but a different set of decision-makers, less continuity of institutional knowledge, and new expectations about what government should deliver.
What congressional turnover could mean for businesses, associations, and nonprofits—and what leaders should assess now.
Read the article →Diakon Partners was pleased to support the Customized Logistics and Delivery Association (CLDA)’s recent advocacy engagement in Washington, helping facilitate discussions between industry stakeholders and policymakers on issues affecting customized logistics, final-mile delivery, and supply chain operations.
Meaningful policy development depends on informed dialogue. Bringing operational perspectives directly into the policymaking process helps identify challenges, opportunities, and practical solutions before decisions are finalized.
Thank you to CLDA leadership, participating and supporting members Openforce, GigSafe and SCI LLC, and congressional offices for a productive series of conversations.
Trade, Manufacturing & Supply Chains
Additionally, Caterpillar, Hewlett Packard Enterprise and others announced workforce and facility investments this week.
Read full story ↗Transportation, Mobility & Logistics
UPS has opened a larger air cargo and package terminal in the Philippines to better connect Asia with its global network.
Read full story ↗Infrastructure, Energy & Economic Development
Vulnerability disclosures and hacking campaigns haven’t made much of a dent in the amount of important infrastructure left online, a new report found.
Read full story ↗Emerging Technology & Governance
Kodiak AI and cross-border carrier Charger Logistics are hauling CPG and food and beverage freight between Dallas and Laredo, Texas, with driverless operations planned after the safety case.
Read full story ↗Sustainability & Operational Resilience
Amid rising scrutiny over their massive production footprints, Adidas, H&M and others have unveiled the Apparel Recovery Coalition to support circular pathways and textile waste management.
Read full story ↗Trade, Manufacturing & Supply Chains
Additionally, Cleveland-Cliffs provided an update on its Butler Works expansion in Pennsylvania, Xingyu announced its first U.S. facility in North Carolina and Re:Build is tripling production in South Carolina.
Read full story ↗Transportation, Mobility & Logistics
A Texas-based cross-border carrier is facing a lawsuit for age discrimination, including a 65-year-old age ceiling.
Read full story ↗Infrastructure, Energy & Economic Development
Separately, American Electric Power expects to spend about $4 billion on a 702-MW Bloom Energy fuel cell project in Wyoming that is under contract to Google.
Read full story ↗Emerging Technology & Governance
Nippon Express and Japan Airlines' weekly circuit connects Los Angeles with key hubs in Asia for AI and semiconductor cargo.
Read full story ↗Sustainability & Operational Resilience
The company bought the massive Rialto, California, facility out of bankruptcy in 2024 and planned to overhaul the site. But a slow ramp-up in feedstock continues to cause challenges in the Los Angeles area.
Read full story ↗Trade, Manufacturing & Supply Chains
Avid Medical, Bristol Meyers Squibb, Dreyer’s, MasterBrand Cabinets, Wonder Group and Carry-On Trailer were among dozens of companies that announced facility closures or changes last month.
Read full story ↗Transportation, Mobility & Logistics
NRF says the extended peak shipping season is winding down, with most holiday merchandise already in and U.S. container imports expected to ease through year-end.
Read full story ↗Infrastructure, Energy & Economic Development
The formal executive order allowing red dye diesel use over the road has been published.
Read full story ↗Emerging Technology & Governance
The multiyear agreement aims to expand capacity for TSMC's advanced packaging and support growing demand for artificial intelligence and high-performance computing technologies.
Read full story ↗Infrastructure, Energy & Economic Development
The infrastructure supported an international hacking campaign that targeted critical infrastructure, including a South Carolina-based power company.
Read full story ↗Stories rotate every 10 seconds. Pause to read, use the arrows, or swipe left or right. Full stories open on the source website in a new tab.
New perspectives
Perspectives on independent work, artificial intelligence, and preparing people for a changing economy.
Clearer classification standards can support legitimate businesses and give enforcement agencies better evidence to address abuse.
Read the article →
How changing technology affects jobs, skills, and workforce policy. Current evidence and practical guidance for employers and policymakers.
Read the article →Preparing people for changing careers and work arrangements.
Published perspectives
Articles and analysis from Diakon Partners. Read the perspectives below.
How air cargo leaders can reassess projects when assistance changes or arrives too late
Updated October 18, 2026
Read the articleHow to add electrical demand without weakening the cargo service it must support
Updated October 18, 2026
Read the articleHow to identify the constraint before committing the capital
Updated October 18, 2026
Read the articleHow to sequence power and fuel investments around a workable terminal operation
Updated October 18, 2026
Read the articleHow to assess obligations and fuel choices without losing operational discipline
Updated October 18, 2026
Read the articleHow to protect cargo flow when connected systems or supplier access fail
Updated October 18, 2026
Read the articleHow to manage cyber exposure across cargo systems and operating partners
Updated October 18, 2026
Read the articleHow to test the use case before scaling the technology
Updated October 18, 2026
Read the articleHow to turn trade and routing changes into shipment-level decisions
Updated October 18, 2026
Read the articleWhat fuel investment support changes and what buyers still need to verify
Updated October 18, 2026
Read the articleHow to turn incomplete information into a better verification decision
Updated October 18, 2026
Read the articleHow tariffs shape fleet procurement, replacement costs, parts, and electrification planning.
Originally published September 12, 2025 · Updated October 17, 2026
Read the article
Lessons from other technologies on balancing innovation, oversight, and enforceable rules.
Originally published August 29, 2025 · Updated October 17, 2026 · Also published by RegulatingAI, a Diakon Partners client.
Read the articleCurrent analysis of port modernization, energy, maritime policy, and cyber resilience.
Updated October 18, 2026
Read the articleHow training, retention, and changing operating models affect air cargo capacity.
Updated October 18, 2026
Read the articleUpdated data and a practical watchlist for capacity, clearance, ground performance, customer commitments, and margin.
Updated October 17, 2026
Read the articlePractical decisions on packaging, sourcing, waste trade, and investment while treaty negotiations continue.
Rewritten October 17, 2026
Read the articleWhat U.S. AI policy changes mean for freight forwarders and air cargo.
Originally published July 29, 2025 · Updated October 17, 2026
Read the articleWhat emerging air-mobility services mean for cargo operations, client commitments, and investment decisions.
Over the Horizon series · Updated October 17, 2026
Read the articleHow FTZs and bonded warehousing can support flexibility—and the customs and cost checks leaders need.
Originally published August 14, 2025 · Updated October 17, 2026
Read the articleExtreme weather, infrastructure stress, and air cargo continuity.
Updated October 18, 2026
Read the articleUpdated October 17, 2026. Read the revised cross-industry lessons, policy references, and practical governance priorities on the article’s own page.
Updated October 18, 2026
How to turn incomplete information into a better verification decision. This current edition replaces the earlier discussion with sourced analysis and practical operating guidance.
Updated October 18, 2026
Practical analysis for port authorities, terminals, carriers, manufacturers, and inland logistics partners. The current editions focus on dependable cargo flow, workable energy investments, applicable policy, and tested cyber resilience.
Updated October 18, 2026. Practical guidance on qualified staffing, shift coverage, training, automation, and measuring usable capacity.
Originally published August 28, 2025 · Updated October 17, 2026
Current air cargo data, policy developments, and a practical watchlist connecting signals and patterns to capacity, clearance, ground performance, customer commitments, and margin.
Originally published September 5, 2025 · Completely rewritten October 17, 2026
The treaty remains unfinished. Separate negotiating proposals from applicable rules and scheduled changes, then assess packaging, sourcing, producer responsibility, waste movements, and investment decisions.
Updated October 17, 2026. Read the full analysis, policy guide, and illustrations on the article’s own page.
Updated October 18, 2026
How to identify the constraint before committing the capital. This current edition replaces the earlier discussion with sourced analysis and practical operating guidance.
Updated October 17, 2026. A client-focused assessment of airspace, infrastructure, operating authority, and the cargo business case.
Updated October 17, 2026. Read the revised analysis of customs procedures, tariff exposure, and logistics planning on the article’s own page.
Updated October 18, 2026
How to assess obligations and fuel choices without losing operational discipline. This current edition replaces the earlier discussion with sourced analysis and practical operating guidance.
Updated October 18, 2026
How to sequence power and fuel investments around a workable terminal operation. This current edition replaces the earlier discussion with sourced analysis and practical operating guidance.
Updated October 18, 2026. Qualify alternate gateways, protect shipment integrity, set decision deadlines, and test recovery capability. The revised article replaces the earlier discussion and its unsupported disruption and policy claims.
Updated October 18, 2026
How to protect cargo flow when connected systems or supplier access fail. This current edition replaces the earlier discussion with sourced analysis and practical operating guidance.
