U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken references Carmel in a nice shout out at the U.S. Conference of Mayors U.S. Conference of Mayors 91st Winter Meeting in Washington, D.C. Carmel received praised for its roundabouts that secretary Blinken suggests not only make the streets safer but are also good for the environment, with cars emitting fewer tons of carbon emissions every year thanks to the elimination of stop signs and traffic signals. The nation’s top diplomat may be able to pronounce the names of unpronounceable world leaders, but he did mess up on the correct pronunciation of Carmel.