Wednesday, July 3, 2019

Trump describes homelessness in cities as 'phenomena that started two years ago' - The Hill

President Trump lamented the state of American cities in an interview Monday night, describing homelessness as "a phenomena that started two years ago" that is causing public health hazards....
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/451313-trump-describes-homelessness-in-cities-as-phenomena-that-started-two

Is Germany's health care system a model for the U.S.? - NBC News

Germany has the oldest health care system in the world. And it's working.
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/germany-s-health-care-system-model-u-s-n1024491

An Amazon engineer made an AI-powered cat flap to stop his cat from bringing home dead animals - The Verge

Pete Buttigieg's Quotes About Mike Pence Bring Up This Big Question - Elite Daily

We're barely into the 2020 election cycle, but Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Indiana is clearly a rising star. You may not have been very familiar with the Indiana mayor, but now that he's running for president in 2020 he's definitely taking up some space in the spotlight.…
https://www.elitedaily.com/p/these-pete-buttigieg-quotes-about-mike-pence-bring-up-this-big-question-17143519

Canadian artist fired after viral Trump cartoon - NBC News

"This is a false narrative which has emerged carelessly and recklessly on social media," Brunswick News Inc. said on the termination of Michael de Adder.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/canadian-artist-fired-after-viral-trump-cartoon-n1025071

World's Largest Solar Power Plant Switched On - Forbes

The Noor Abu Dhabi plant has become the world's largest operational solar project, but probably not for too long.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnparnell/2019/06/29/worlds-largest-solar-power-plant-switched-on/#e723719161af

How healthy is the U.S. economy? Here’s what 7 key indicators reveal. - The Washington Post

The U.S. economy is in an odd place. Jobs are plentiful and the stock market is at record levels, but businesses leaders are worried enough about the future to pull back on spending.....
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/06/28/how-healthy-is-us-economy-heres-what-key-indicators-reveal/

House Ethics Committee investigating complaint that Rep. Gaetz tried to threaten Cohen - CNN Politics

The House Ethics Committee announced Friday it was investigating a complaint that Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz tried to threaten Michael Cohen ahead of his congressional testimony.
https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/28/politics/matt-gaetz-michael-cohen-complaint/index.html

Far-right supporter confesses to killing German pro-immigration politician because of his views - CNN

A far-right supporter has confessed to the killing of the German pro-immigration politician Walter Lübcke, according to a German security source.
https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/26/europe/germany-lubcke-murder-confession-grm-intl/index.html

Mother allegedly beaten to unconsciousness by boy who told son to 'go back' to Mexico - The Hill

A New Jersey mother was recently hospitalized after she said she was beaten to unconsciousness by a 13-year-old who also allegedly attacked her son and had told him to go back to Mexico....
https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/450484-mother-allegedly-beaten-to-unconsciousness-by-boy-who-told-son

Former Trump FEMA chief repaid taxpayers only 2 percent of $151k spent on personal travel - POLITICO

A Homeland Security Department probe found Brock Long spent $151,000 using government-funded cars for routine weekend travel to his home.
https://www.politico.com/story/2019/06/26/brock-long-fema-personal-travel-1553951

How a trivial cell phone hack is ruining lives - Engadget

On a Tuesday night in May, Sean Coonce was reading the news in bed when his phone dropped service. He chalked it up to tech being tech and went to sleep.When he woke up, his Gmail account had been stolen and by Wednesday evening he was out $100,000.....
https://www.engadget.com/2019/06/28/cell-phone-hack-is-ruining-lives-identity-theft/


Tuesday, July 2, 2019

Barr’s old GOP predecessor paints an ominous portrait of what lies ahead - The Washington Post: Analysis

In a new piece in the Atlantic, Donald Ayer suggests Barr is up to more than just protecting Trump.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/07/01/william-barrs-old-gop-predecessor-paints-an-ominous-portrait-what-lies-ahead/

How Fox News changed their tune about North Korea meeting - CNN Politics

Following President Trump's North Korea meeting with Kim Jong Un, Fox News hosts and commentators have changed their tune from when Obama had suggested being open to such a meeting.
https://www.cnn.com/videos/media/2019/07/01/fox-news-obama-north-korea-trump-comparison-newday-vpx.cnn/video/playlists/this-week-in-politics/

Tucker: Democrats have officially gone insane

https://youtu.be/ddKQIUsmJpU


House Democrats request White House communications sent via personal email - The Washington Post

The Oversight Committee has asked for copies of all official-business transmissions sent by personal email or encrypted message in violation of federal record-keeping laws.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/house-democrats-request-white-house-communications-sent-via-personal-email/2019/07/01/b541fb1a-9c2a-11e9-a1fc-7337aeb9179e_story.html

Trump told the troops he gave them their first raise in years. He didn't - CNN Politics: Fact check

During a speech to US troops at the Osan Air Base in South Korea on Sunday, President Donald Trump said that he had given them their first pay increase in almost a decade.
https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/01/politics/trump-didnt-give-troops-first-raise/index.html

Voters say the economy is good. They don’t say the same about Trump’s policies - The Washington Post: Opinion

Why Trump is ignoring a historic economic number and celebrating an iffy one - The Washington Post: Analysis

The economic expansion is the longest in history. Much of it, though, wasn't on Trump's watch.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/07/01/why-trump-is-ignoring-historic-economic-number-celebrating-an-iffy-one/

The return of the detective-president - Daily Kos: Cartoon

Conditions at Immigrant Detention Centers Are So Horrific, Agents Predicted Riots - Truthdig: Report

A 30-Year-Old Father Died After Being Detained For Weeks By ICE - BuzzFeed News

The Honduran man had previously been sent back to Mexico under a Trump administration program requiring Central American immigrants to wait outside the US.
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/hamedaleaziz/immigrant-father-dies-ice-custody-honduras-mexico

Historical Fiction at the Supreme Court - The Atlantic

The justices misrepresented the "pedigree" of the citizenship question on the census.
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/07/citizenship-questions-are-not-historically-normal/593014/

Secret Border Patrol group under fire for targeting migrants, Ocasio-Cortez - POLITICO

House Democrats are visiting the border and plan to confront CBP officials.
https://www.politico.com/story/2019/07/01/secret-border-patrol-facebook-group-1392083

Trump’s latest Fourth of July celebration demand is something else - ThinkProgress.org

President Donald Trump is hosting his own Fourth of July celebration at the Lincoln Memorial this year, complete with a VIP section for which taxpayers will foot the bill. The latest wrinkle, according to The Washington Post: Trump has insisted on having tanks and other armed military vehicles present for the celebration. ....
https://thinkprogress.org/trump-tanks-fourth-of-july-celebration-af0677c162ac/

Donald Trump Resurrects Lie That China Is Paying His Tariffs - HuffPost

President Donald Trump boasted Sunday that the U.S. is "winning" the trade war with China -- and revived his lie that China pays the tariffs he has imposed on imported Chinese products." We're winning and we're winning big because we have created an economy that is second to none," he said at a news conference in South Korea. ....
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-lie-china-tariffs-trade-war-g-20-summit_n_5d1985aee4b07f6ca57f9231

“I Thought We Were Going to Be Executed”: Police Held Family at Gunpoint...

An African-American family is suing the city of Phoenix, Arizona, after police held them at gunpoint because their 4-year-old daughter had allegedly taken a doll from a Family Dollar store. In a video that has since gone viral, officers point guns and yell at the family, and one officer even threatens to shoot the 4-year-old girl’s father, Dravon Ames, in the face. The girl’s mother, Iesha Harper, is heard saying she is unable to hold her hands up because she is holding a child and that she is pregnant. Phoenix’s mayor and police chief have both apologized for what happened, and criticized how the police officers handled the situation. Activists in Phoenix say this is just the latest incident in a police department plagued by issues of police violence and killings. Last year, the city had 44 police shootings, nearly double that of the previous year, and led the nation in police shootings among cities of its size. We speak with Dravon Ames and Iesha Harper, as well as a family spokesperson, Rev. Jarrett Maupin. On Monday, the couple filed a $10 million lawsuit against the city. ....
https://youtu.be/nLTZ_eRk3AQ
Interview:

‘Horses**t’: Susan Rice Throws Down On Trump’s Claim About Obama And North Korea - HuffPost

President Donald Trump over the weekend claimed he accomplished what former President Barack Obama could not when he met with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. But some of Obama's closest advisers said that's just not true ― and former national security adviser Susan Rice flat-out called the claim "horseshit."....
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/susan-rice-donald-trump-north-korea_n_5d1964f2e4b082e5536b70d0



Bill Barr gets a surprisingly harsh dressing-down from one of his long-time colleagues - Raw Story

A former colleague blasted Attorney General William Barr for misleading the public about special counsel Robert Mueller's findings to help complete his lifetime goal of establishing a presidency with "unchecked" executive power. ....
https://www.rawstory.com/2019/07/bill-barr-gets-a-surprisingly-harsh-dressing-down-from-one-of-his-long-time-colleagues/

Disturbingly hilarious Daily Show video exposes the similarities between Fox News and North Korean propaganda - Raw Story

North Korea's state-controlled media has praised the weekend meeting between dictator Kim Jong-un and President Donald Trump as a "historic" event. But North Korea's propaganda outlets are not the only ones offering effusive praise for the meeting. Many of Trump's conservative allies in the media have hailed the meeting as well. ....
https://www.rawstory.com/2019/07/disturbingly-hilarious-daily-show-video-exposes-the-similarities-between-fox-news-and-north-korean-propaganda/

Farmers and Crops on a Collision Course with Climate Change (Union of Concerned Scientists, Got Science? podcast #60)

A conversation with Dr. Marcia DeLonge about the wide-ranging impacts of global warming on our agriculture system.

In this episode Marcia talks about:
  • Climate change and farms 
  • Soil health 
  • How farmers can adapt to severe changes in climate 
Timing and cues:
  • Opener (0:00-0:31) 
  • Intro (0:31-2:33) 
  • Interview part 1 (2:33-14:30) 
  • Break (14:30-15:07) 
  • Interview part 2 (15:07-23:33) 
  • Science FTW Throw (23:33-23:53) 
  • Science FTW (23:53-27:37) 
  • Outro (27:37-28:40)
Interview: 

'I could have shot you in front of your fucking kids': how cops dehumanize black people

Why would anyone treat someone this way? Research gives a grim answer: some police literally think of blacks as subhuman....
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/jun/28/i-could-have-shot-you-in-front-of-your-fucking-kids-how-cops-dehumanize-black-people

Spike In Autism May Be Linked To Preservative In Processed Foods, Study Suggests - Forbes

While prior studies have suggested the role of genetic factors and environmental influence in ASD, this is the first study to note a molecular link from elevated levels of PPA, overproduction of glial cells, disruption of neural connections and autism spectrum disorder.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/robertglatter/2019/06/28/spike-in-autism-may-be-linked-to-preservative-in-processed-foods-study-suggests/#125443769ae4

Friends of Trump accuser go public with recollections of her description of assault - The Washington Post

Two friends of magazine columnist E. Jean Carroll spoke on the record this week about their memories of her telling them about the alleged incident.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/friends-of-trump-accuser-go-public-with-recollections-of-her-description-of-assault/2019/06/28/73b6ca62-9915-11e9-830a-21b9b36b64ad_story.html

The Supreme Court rewrote FOIA into the Freedom FROM Information Act - USA TODAY

This Supreme Court decision doesn't help those on food stamps. All it does is protect the interests of the federal government and business.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2019/06/27/loss-foia-scotus-government-keep-food-stamp-data-secret-column/1559162001/

Minneapolis suburb drops Pledge of Allegiance from meetings to be 'more inclusive' - The Hill

Leaders of a Minneapolis suburb voted unanimously this month to drop recitations of the Pledge of Allegiance from city council meetings in an effort to promote inclusivity.
https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/450768-minneapolis-suburb-drops-pledge-of-allegiance-from-meetings-to

Betsy DeVos scraps Obama-era rule on for-profit colleges -CNN Politics

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is rescinding an Obama-era rule that was created to protect students from abusive for-profit colleges.
https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/28/politics/betsy-devos-for-profit-college-rule/index.html

Pharmacare in Canada remains an idealistic pitch, without a realistic plan: Opinion - CBC News

As a public policy, the key to national pharmacare will be integration, as evidenced by other countries with a universal health care system. The reality is that Canada doesn't have one national health care system, but a patchwork of different private-public mixes.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/opinion/pharmacare-report-1.5189656

Detecting deepfakes by looking closely reveals a way to protect against them - The Conversation US

Research has found ways to detect deepfakes through flaws that can't be fixed easily by the fakers.
https://theconversation.com/detecting-deepfakes-by-looking-closely-reveals-a-way-to-protect-against-them-119218

Liberals add far-right extremist groups to list of outlawed terror networks - CBC News

The Liberal government has added two international neo-Nazi groups to Canada's list of outlawed terrorist organizations — part of a series of new measures to combat online hate.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/goodale-terrorism-right-wing-extremism-1.5190685

Facts on Warren's Wealth Tax Plan - FactCheck.org

In her campaign speeches, Sen. Elizabeth Warren likes to say, "I've got a plan for that." She has lots of plans, but there is one on which many of the others hinge: her plan for an "Ultra-Millionaire Tax," an annual wealth tax on all assets over $50 million. Warren, one of two dozen Democrats running for president, is counting on the revenue she projects it will raise to fund a host of her other priorities on child care, education and more. But how would it work exactly? ....
https://www.factcheck.org/2019/06/facts-on-warrens-wealth-tax-plan/

U.S. 'gag rule' linked to 40% jump in abortions in parts of Africa - Business Insider

A decades-old U.S. government policy reinstated by President Donald Trump in 2017 that restricts international aid to NGOs that support abortion is linked to a 40% rise in abortions in some parts of sub-Saharan African, a study showed on Thursday. .
https://www.businessinsider.com/us-gag-rule-linked-to-40-jump-in-abortions-in-parts-of-africa-2019-6

Monday, July 1, 2019

Trump tries to persuade supporters that no deal on China is a win - POLITICO

The president is running for reelection with a major unfulfilled campaign promise — a trade deal with China.
https://www.politico.com/story/2019/06/29/g20-trump-xi-jinping-china-trade-1390734

Harris surges to third place in national poll after debate - POLITICO

Harris' surge came largely at former Vice President Joe Biden's expense.
https://www.politico.com/story/2019/06/30/kamala-harris-democratic-debates-1390740

Christian Actor vs. David Smalley (David Smalley, Dogma Debate podcast #411)

He seems to be changing his mind during the show, and applying logic and reason to his answers. Do we finally have an on-air de-conversion?
Interview:
https://www.spreaker.com/user/smalleyandhyso/411-christian-actor-vs-david-smalley

50 Years Since Stonewall: The Moment's Mark On LGBTQ History (On Point)

It’s been fifty years since patrons of the Stonewall Inn fought back against a police raid and called for gay rights. We’ll consider the meaning of Stonewall and the state of the LGBTQ movement now. How much has changed?
Interview:
https://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2019/06/28/50-years-stonewall-lgbtq-history

Boeing's 737 Max Software Outsourced to $9-an-Hour Engineers - Bloomberg

It remains the mystery at the heart of Boeing Co.’s 737 Max crisis: how a company renowned for meticulous design made seemingly basic software mistakes leading to a pair of deadly crashes. Longtime Boeing engineers say the effort was complicated by a push to outsource work to lower-paid contractors.....
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-06-28/boeing-s-737-max-software-outsourced-to-9-an-hour-engineers


The Largest Doctors' Group in the Country Is Heading to Court to Stop an Anti-Abortion Law - Mother Jones

On Tuesday, the American Medical Association (AMA) sued the state of North Dakota, alleging that the state's anti-abortion law passed earlier this year should be struck down because it forces doctors "to provide patients with false, misleading, non-medical information about reproductive health." ....
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2019/06/ama-doctors-abortion-compelled-speech-law-north-dakota-lawsuit/

Trump Is Planning Another Tax Cut for the 1%—Without Congress’s Approval - Vanity Fair

The White House is reportedly working on a tax break from which 86% of the benefits would go to the 1%. And it may bypass Congress to get it done.
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2019/06/trump-capital-gains-tax-cut

Canada now leads the world in refugee resettlement, surpassing the U.S. - Pew Research Center

Canada resettled more refugees than the United States in 2018, the first time the U.S. did not lead the world on this measure since the adoption of the Refugee Act in 1980, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of new data from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).....
https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/06/19/canada-now-leads-the-world-in-refugee-resettlement-surpassing-the-u-s/

Most Americans say the legacy of slavery still affects black people in the U.S. today - Pew Research Center

A U.S. House of Representatives committee plans to hold a hearing this week on the topic of reparations for slavery, the first hearing on the topic in more than a decade. The legacy of slavery still resonates for many Americans, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted earlier this year, with 63% believing it affects the position of black people in American society today either a great deal or a fair amount. ....
https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/06/17/most-americans-say-the-legacy-of-slavery-still-affects-black-people-in-the-u-s-today/

Sugar is Not a Treat | Jody Stanislaw | TEDxSunValley

https://youtu.be/tic7X3ET4gE

'Satirical' Story Gets Serious Treatment Online - FactCheck.org

A bogus story fueling theories that Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama will be arrested has been shared over 100,000 times on Facebook, but it started out as satire.
https://www.factcheck.org/2019/06/satirical-story-gets-serious-treatment-online/

Trump is doing all the wrong things on immigration - CNN

As long as demand for immigration persists, enforcement-only attempts to limit illegal immigration will be only partially effective, Jeffrey Miron and Laura Nicolae write. If the Trump administration truly wants to reduce illegal immigration, they need to think back to basic economic supply and demand.
https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/26/opinions/trump-doing-all-the-wrong-things-on-immigration-miron-nicolae/index.html

Ted Cruz humiliates himself with absurd question to Google exec

https://youtu.be/ag5Ahc4zhkw


How a Top Chicken Company Cut Off Black Farmers, One by One - ProPublica

The Trump administration has weakened legal protections for farmers and eased off enforcing rules on powerful meat companies.
https://www.propublica.org/article/how-a-top-chicken-company-cut-off-black-farmers-one-by-one

Sunday, June 30, 2019

What Does the Mueller Report Really Say? (Sam Harris, Making Sense podcast #157)

In this episode of the podcast, Sam Harris speaks with Benjamin Wittes about both volumes of the Mueller Report. Benjamin Wittes is a legal journalist who focuses on issues of national security and law. He is a Senior Fellow in Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution, where he is the Research Director in Public Law. Benjamin is also the cofounder of Lawfare, a blog devoted to discussion of U.S. national security choices, and a cohost of the Rational Security podcast. His books include The Future of Violence: Robots and Germs, Hackers and Drones—Confronting A New Age of Threat (coauthored with Gabriella Blum), Detention and Denial: The Case for Candor after Guantánamo, and Law and the Long War: The Future of Justice in the Age of Terror.
Interview:

“Girlfriend, you are so on.” (Debate recap special!) (Pod Save America podcast)

Twenty Democratic candidates debate over the course of two nights in Miami, and Jon, Jon, Tommy, and Dan break down who helped themselves, who didn’t, and what comes next.
Interview:
https://crooked.com/podcast/girlfriend-you-are-so-on-debate-recap-special/

The End of Democracy (Opening Arguments podcast OA292)

Today’s rapid response episode breaks down the latest decisions from the Roberts court, including the ostensible “win” in Dep’t of Commerce v. Ross (the citizenship question case), and the crushing loss in Rucho v. Common Cause (the gerrymandering cases). Oh, and along the way we’ll also discuss the opioid crisis and the news that Robert Mueller will testify before the House Judiciary Committee. It’s going to be a long and wild ride, so strap in!

We begin by taking a quick trip to Yodel Mountain to discuss the significance and substance of the Congressional subpoena issued to Robert Mueller. What does it all mean? Listen and find out!

Then, it’s time to break down the theory and developments in State of Oklahoma v. Purdue Pharma, et al., CJ-2017-816, the case that’s at the forefront of the efforts to hold pharmaceutical companies responsible for their role in causing the opioid crisis in this country. Find out what a “public nuisance” is, whether manufacturing and selling opioids is one, why this case is important, and much, much more!

After all that, it’s time for the main event: breaking down the Supreme Court’s decisions in Ross and Rucho. Find out why Andrew thinks that John Roberts wrote the Ross opinion going the other way until the evidence broke regarding Thomas Hofeller, and how that means the entirety of the new game is: Shame Justice Roberts. (Oh, and also you’ll learn along the way that our democracy is screwed.)

After all that, it’s time for an all-new, all-awesome Thomas Takes The Bar Exam about strict liability and de-fanged venomous snakes. What madness transpires? Listen and find out, and then play along with #TTTBE on social media!
Interview:
https://openargs.com/oa292-the-end-of-democracy/

The Darker Side Of The Creation Museum (Hemant Mehta and Jessica Bluemke, The Friendly Athiest podast #276)

Please support the show at www.patreon.com/friendlyatheistpodcast Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics.
— This Christian writer thinks LGBTQ people get recognized 163 days a year. (0:29)
— A former staffer at Answers in Genesis has a lot of harsh words about her old employer… (6:22) 
— … so does a former staffer at Liberty University. (16:13)
— Speaking of which, Jerry Falwell, Jr. thinks only business owners can have strong opinions about this administration’s handling of refugees. (20:00)
— A church’s Pride flag in a Chicago neighborhood was vandalized. (23:20)
— Surveys show we are becoming a less LGBTQ-friendly society. (25:16)
— An Alabama woman was shot and lost her pregnancy. Now she’s being charged with manslaughter. (32:28)
— An Alabama car dealership wants to give people a Bible, gun, and flag with every purchase. (36:04) 
— A Florida library was forced to cancel its Pride Prom because of Christian bigots. (38:58)
— Tennessee will block people with online ordinations from officiating weddings. (45:38)
— West Virginia’s top Republican can’t decide when bigotry is okay. (54:03)
— Our president is a sexual predator. (57:35)
Interview:
https://soundcloud.com/friendly-atheist-podcast/ep-276-the-darker-side-of-the-creation-museum

Democratic Debates Tackle Age, Race And A Tilt To The Left (Diane Rehm, On My Mind)

Twenty Democrats seeking their party’s presidential nomination took to the debate stage this week. Over two nights, we heard from the crowded field on health care and immigration, as well as gun control and how to make the economy “work for all Americans.”

Diane discusses who stood out, the state of the race, and what the debates revealed about the future of the Democratic party.
Interview:
https://dianerehm.org/shows/2019-06-28/democratic-debates-tackle-age-race-and-a-tilt-to-the-left

Talk Heathen 03.25 with Jamie Boone & Matt Dillahunty

0:02:10 Josh: MO: Atheist: Black Holes Are Real But Crocoduck Is Cool
0:11:28 Juan: Los Angeles. CA: Theist: Finding Faith
0:41:16 Anthony: FL: Theist: Atheist and Theist Marriages, and Morals
1:07:45 Steve: AR: Atheist: The Relevant Story and a Weak Ass Pathetic God
1:27:34 Otangelo: Brazil: 6th-time caller: Theist: Onto the Path of Self-Deception
1:46:22 Nat: Houston, TX: Theist: He Wants Evidence That There is No God
2:01:02 Dave: PA: 2nd-time caller: Theist: To Be Less Courteous to Repeat Callers
2:14:54 Jeremiah: TX: Atheist: A Theory to Explain Belief in God/s
Interview:
https://youtu.be/QraLgPprJ6w







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