Thursday Open Thread

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92 Responses to Thursday Open Thread

    • eliihass says:

      For all the murders and glaring injustices they’ve willfully participated in, overlooked and actively covered up and dismissed in Chicago …and with a brazen conman and treasonous buffoon with the nuclear codes in hand and selling state secrets in return for loans for family businesses, calling the shots from America’s top perch, this is the hill these evil, soulless police and their cheer-leading folk are choosing to die on.. A bloody actor and a victimless incident …is their line in the sand..

      God bless America..

    • eliihass says:

      Sorry Sis, but I’ll take Pete any day over the ‘black’ folks currently in the running..

      I live in bloody California …I know what I know …no matter the amount of now ongoing serious revisionism and reinvention …or the glossing over and now convenient and rather brazen attempts at rewriting stuff and recasting folk who were propped up through the ladder up the next and to the next elective office by a corrupt, self-serving party Poobah cum sugar daddy (a crook only smarter … but character-wise, no better than the treasonous conman currently squatting in the People’s House) …politicians who did nothing but preen and jump from one elected office to the next …and doing precious nothing in each position even when they were in a position to… using each spot instead purely as stepping stones to the next political high spot.. But now suddenly want to pretend to care or have done stuff for folks.. Puleeze..

      I’ve been trying to bite my tongue really hard, because I don’t want to do what some of the rabid supporters of these candidates I disdain are now furiously doing to any and every Democrat that poses a threat to their pick’s candidacy and Oval Office ambitions..

      I’m trying really hard not to chime in because I do not wish to arm or feed the right-wingers …or inadvertently contribute to the current preemptive attempts to clear the field for any folks’ preferred candidate(s) …An effort that risks doing irreparable damage in the short and long-term to the party …a looming inevitability that threatens to destroy the Democratic party’s chances at taking back the White House in 2020, if we aren’t careful..

      Some folks never recover or forgive the primary cycle battle wounds …let’s remember this even as we all selectively ‘vet’ other candidates …while kid-gloving others..

    • eliihass says:

      This woman was betrayed and humiliated by a loathsome cheating weasel of a husband..

      Her young kids no doubt are now and forever, negatively impacted forever by the break-up of their parents.. And worse still, the devasting public betrayal and humiliation of their mother.. Who no matter how many billions she’s now worth as a divorcée, has to a great extent, been wounded and forever scarred by all of this..

      More importantly, while the cheating weasel is strutting about and being catered to because, richest man …and folks are telling his wife how wonderful it is that she’s now really rich herself, this is often the origins of the why and how kids end up spiraling out of control …and even years later, end up committing suicide..

      But in our hollow, shallow, depraved society, somehow, money is all that matters..

    • Ametia says:

      LOL This mofo right, here. They have NO ORIGINALITY. why? Easier to STEAL & PILLAGE from black people.

      Next the media will highlight his donation amounts at $5 million and declare him a winner too! or why not jack it up to $12, after the airing of this segment of “the View” and call it a tie. GTFOH

  1. rikyrah says:

    Indiana school district turns unused cafeteria food into take-home meals for kids
    POSTED 9:53 AM, APRIL 3, 2019,
    BY TRIBUNE MEDIA WIRE

    ELKHART, Ind. – An Indiana school district has partnered with a non-profit organization for a pilot program to make sure kids get enough to eat at home, WSBT reports.

    Students at Elkhart Community Schools get breakfast and lunch at school, but sometimes they may be without food at home on the weekends.

    The district has partnered with the non-profit organization Cultivate to provide weekend food to a group of students at the elementary school by using unused cafeteria food.

    “Mostly, we rescue food that’s been made but never served by catering companies, large food service businesses, like the school system,” Jim Conklin with Cultivate told WSBT. “You don’t always think of a school.”

    “Over-preparing is just part of what happens,” said Conklin. “We take well-prepared food, combine it with other food and make individual frozen meals out if it.”

    “At Elkhart Community Schools, we were wasting a lot of food,” said Natalie Bickel, student services. “There wasn’t anything to do with the food. So they came to the school three times a week and rescued the food.”

    According to WSBT, 20 students will receive a backpack with eight individual frozen meals every Friday until the end of the school year.

  2. rikyrah says:

    Rigged Shows How an Organized, Well-Funded System of Voter Suppression Doesn’t Bode Well for Black Folks—or Democracy
    Angela Helm
    Today 10:30am

    You know how the extrajudicial killings of Trayvon Martin, Mike Brown, and Philando Castile moved so many of us to action—whether it was creating art, taking to the streets, or being more involved civically? Right. Well, there was another turning point in American history that spurned some to action as well, even though to most, that “incident” was a good thing, a beautiful thing, even.

    The 2008 presidential election of Barack Hussein Obama struck fear into the hearts of small men, and, according to a new film, Rigged: The Voter Suppression Playbook, supercharged efforts to make it that much harder for those who elected Obama to vote, ostensibly ensuring that something like that never happened again.

    Error loading player:
    Network error
    “Basically, Obama won with 25 percent of his plurality coming from younger and nonwhite voters,” Tim Smith, co-executive producer of Rigged, told The Root. “With the growing demographic of nonwhite voters in America, I think in five years, more whites will be dying than are being born, and traditionally whites have voted for Republicans. And so [the GOP] basically had two choices in 2008: the first was to appeal to a larger demographic on social issues and legislation, and the other was to keep them from voting in large numbers. They obviously chose the latter, which is what our film is all about.”

    Narrated by outspoken actor Jeffrey Wright, Rigged follows the recent trajectory of voter suppression in the United States, and outlines a voter suppression playbook, which outlines at least 10 ways certain players are putting forth a concerted, well-funded effort to disenfranchise voters and maintain power— from purging voter rolls, to Voter ID laws, to “cracking and packing” congressional districts to consolidate power for one group or break up power for another.

  3. rikyrah says:

    Say goodbye to sleep, AMC is showing all 22 Marvel movies in an insane 59-hour marathon
    Oliver Whitney
    Tuesday 10:44am

    Now that spring has finally arrived, many of us are rejoicing over the warmer temperatures and the glorious gift of leaving work when the sun is still out. But soon, a select brave (er, insane) few will venture out of the daylight and into darkness to complete an honorable (again, insane) mission: watching every Marvel movie back-to-back for a whole two and a half days.

    AMC knows MCU fans care little about maintaining healthy vitamin D levels or normal sleep patterns, and are practically incapable of seeing a Marvel movie too many times. (Never forget the fan who saw Infinity War 100 times in the theater). Such has been proven by previous AMC Marvel marathons before — one nearly sucked the last remnants of sanity from The A.V. Club’s own Alex McLevy — but now the theater chain is getting truly fucking bonkers. Starting on April 23, AMC will show all 22 MCU movies in a massive Marvel movie marathon that asks the true diehards to prove their fandom once and for all by sacrificing sleep and body hygiene.

    If you’re worried about feeding yourself and staying properly hydrated during such an endeavor, thankfully the Alamo Drafthouse has you covered. If you’re lucky enough to live near an Alamo location, the chain is also hosting a marathon of every MCU movie.

    Both marathons will kick off with 2008’s Iron Man, leading up to Captain Marvel, and of course ending with Avengers: Endgame. That’s a whopping 59 hours and 7 minutes in total, according to Slash Film, which is a fuckton of Marvel to put into your eyeballs in one sitting. That also means you’ll need to sit through 56 hours of movies before you even get to the final three-hour Thanos showdown. So please, begin stocking up on Red Bull and deodorant now and planning which movies (Thor: The Dark World, obviously) you’ll be taking some quick naps during.

  4. rikyrah says:

    So, she got $30 billion instead of $60 billion…how ever will she survive?

    BREAKING NEWS: Jeff Bezos settles his divorce with wife MacKenzie but keeps 75 percent of their Amazon stock instead of losing half
    By JENNIFER SMITH FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

    PUBLISHED: 13:27 EDT, 4 April 2019 | UPDATED: 13:31 EDT, 4 April 2019

    Jeff Bezos and his wife MacKenzie have settled their divorce – and the richest man in the world got off lightly.

    On Thursday, the Amazon founder tweeted the news as did his wife. She revealed that she will keep a quarter of the Amazon stock they owned together which amounts to around 20million shares, instead of half.

    At $1,813 a share, her stake in the company is worth $32billion – half of the $70billion she was entitled to.

    She will hand over her stakes in The Washington Post and Blue Origin as part of their deal and give her ex-husband voting control of her Amazon shares.

    There was no mention of how they will divide their sprawling property portfolio or other investments.

    • eliihass says:

      He did get off easy …except of course like the 2nd Mrs Murdoch she settled for much less than she was entitled to, but made sure to lock-up the entire empire forever, for her children and her children only..

      If that’s what Mackenzie did … secure the family business for the future for her kids and her kids only – then absolutely …good for her.. if she simply settled for less and walked away leaving the cheating bastard with more money and power than he deserves, then she’s a better woman than I am..

  5. Ametia says:

    Jeff Bezos, in divorce settlement, retains 75 percent of the couple’s Amazon stock and all voting power

    In a tweet Thursday, MacKenzie Bezos said that her divorce from Jeff Bezos was finalized and that she would give her ex-husband voting control of her Amazon shares. She added that he would retain his full stake in Blue Origin and The Washington Post.

    Read more
    https://s2.washingtonpost.com/128c88f/5ca63e66e6e81b3bdd946373/YXdhcmVvZjQxMUBnbWFpbC5jb20%3D/2/10/3a569220054ddfca9b49a25bb24a75b5

  6. rikyrah says:

    Manu Raju
    ‏Verified account
    @mkraju
    Follow Follow @mkraju
    More Manu Raju Retweeted Manu Raju
    I asked if she were concerned Dem probes are playing into GOP argument of overreach, Pelosi says: “No. I’m not. I salute my chairmen. They’ve been very thoughtful, evidence-based in what they are doing. They are honoring the Constitution of the United States, Article 1.”

  7. rikyrah says:

    Tax law compels IRS to give Trump taxes to Ways and Means chair
    Rep. Judy Chu of the House Ways and Means Committee, talks with Rachel Maddow about the precedent for the IRS providing tax returns of presidents to the chairman of the House Ways and Means committee in accordance with longstanding tax law, and why Donald Trump does not have a say in the matter.

  8. rikyrah says:

    Ways and Means chair directs IRS to turn over Trump tax returns
    Rachel Maddow reports on the increased scrutiny of Donald Trump’s finances since Democrats took control of the House, and reviews the history of the tax law that compels the IRS to provide requested tax returns of any American, including the president, for Congressional oversight.

  9. Imagine how @PeteButtigieg will respond to police violence on Black people?

    Maya Angelou: When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.

    https://twitter.com/Shaker_aphra/status/1113494815193354242

  10. rikyrah says:

    Barr’s rosy report spin frustrates Mueller investigators: NYT
    Rachel Maddow shares new reporting from the New York Times that some of Robert Mueller’s investigators have expressed frustration that Attorney General William Barr has mischaracterized their work to present it as more flattering to Donald Trump than it is. Neal Katyal, former acting-U.S. solicitor general, joins for analysis.

    • Ametia says:

      yeah, saw him on the view this morning. Talmbout how he can speak to the working class folks. He can speak to the folks in PA & OH.

      BTW, WORKING CLASS MEANS WHITE FOLKS to Timmy Ryan.

      Fuck him! black folks work too

      SSDD-Same shit, different day,

  11. Ametia says:

    REPEAT, REPEAT, REPEAT, Ms, Abrans, Folks aren’t getting it.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjgZzgpYNQc

    • majiir says:

      Stacey Abrams seems to have had parents like my parents. They drilled it into my head over and over again: “People can take a whole lot of things away from you, but they cannot steal your knowledge.” That Abrams is so smart and speaks her mind has a lot of people on both sides of the political aisle worried. I’m not worried because the truth is the truth, no matter who doesn’t want to believe it. Ms. Abrams speaks the truth.

    • eliihass says:

      “..I’m a black woman with natural hair and a sturdy built… I don’t pretend you don’t see me..”

      Notice how condescendingly patronizing the table is to her.. And she sees and knows it too..

      They want to assign and hold her down in the back job they want for her.. and it’s certainly, not president.. not even the

      She’s not the version of ‘black’ they prefer..

      And you have right-wing dum-dum and gaslighter extraordinaire Elise Jordan, MSNBC in-house republican spokesperson Kasie Hunt, white supremacist ‘Democrat’ Claire McCaskill etc., all doing their patronizing white supremacist jig..

  12. rikyrah says:

    The New York Times is very concerned about “who shapes the public’s initial understanding” of the Mueller report. I’d say the public’s understanding was shaped in part by the New York Times running a banner headline about what Mueller found, without reading Mueller’s report. pic.twitter.com/zYed2uabXc
    — Michael David Smith (@MichaelDavSmith) April 4, 2019

    KAPOW!!!!

    • Ametia says:

      THIS:
      This is the kind of paternalistic white supremacy that doesn’t even require open hostility, although plenty often accompanies it. The logic goes this way: Everyone is better off, even minorities, when white people are in charge and calling the shots.

      This is part of what drew so many white voters to Trump, whether they admit it or not: He promised to destroy, erase or replace everything President Obama had done, thereby fixing the glitch in the narrative that the only true and good leaders of America were white leaders. In the white supremacist imagination, even this horrendous white leader is better than the most educated, articulate and erudite black man.

  13. rikyrah says:

    John Dean (@JohnWDean) Tweeted:
    Increasingly, it is appearing that AG Barr has falsely framed the narrative of Mueller’s Rpt and Trump is probably up to his neck in both collusion and obstruction, but b/c he is POTUS was cut a lot of slack? Sooner or later the truth will surface. https://t.co/KXtwnadCyO https://twitter.com/JohnWDean/status/1113684062940434432?s=17

  14. rikyrah says:

    Folks were like….how come Mueller’s people are leaving…

    People…not an accident.
    Being no longer employees of the Justice Department means THAT THEY CAN TALK TO WHOMEVER THEY WANT.

    They let Barr get out on this branch, and now, they’re going to saw it all off.

    Folks, including Barr, don’t get it.
    Things have changed since he was last cleaning up GOP Messes and doing GOP coverups.
    NOBODY believed his azz going in. He didn’t understand that he had no goddamn credibility.
    The MSM, DESPERATE since the beginning of this wretched Administration, has been trying to normalize them. And, were just longing for REGULAR Republicans to attach themselves too…it’s why they wanted Ain’t Shyt Kelly to be their REGULAR Republican.

    So, here comes Barr…and, any other time, a muthaphucka who auditioned for the job by admitting that he would commit OBSTRUCTION would be disqualified. But, not with them….they glossed it all over…

    And, NOW, they had their REGULAR Republican…so, of course, when Barr attempted his coverup they were only too eager to go along.

    But, the entire atmosphere has changed.
    Nobody believes anything that comes forth from this Administration, unless you are part of the crazyfication factor.

    And, you can’t tell people that they can’t judge until we see the Mueller Report….
    AND THEN TRY AND HIDE THE MUELLER REPORT….

    UH UH
    NOPE

    And, the polls bear this out. Only the Crazyfication Factor is satisfied with Barr’s attempted coverup. Folks want to know what’s in that report. Period.

    So, I don’t give a phuck who in the MSM winds up looking that the idiots that they were….and, they should reminded of it ALWAYS.

    • Ametia says:

      TELL.IT. On Point, Rilyrah

      Only, there aren’t any REGULAR REPUBLICANS. They’re all one and the same.

    • BEAT THEIR ASS, RIKYRAH!

    • Liza says:

      Hell, yeah. Trump et al thought they could manage perceptions, get a head start and kill the impact of Mueller’s work before anyone knew what was in it. Trump just can’t seem to remove himself from his Klan rally tactics and keeps assuming that most of us are suckers who want to believe anything he says.

      And Barr is just another fat f-ck willing to carry Trump’s slop jar for God knows what reason. I’m guessing it has something to do with loyalty to the party, but he’s just another clown so disconnected from reality that he thinks he can fix all this and the GOP can move on to 2020 and get Trump re-elected.

      Can’t wait for Barr’s branch to snap off. The movie script is writing itself.

    • majiir says:

      Girl, you’re giving the media a beating it sorely needs. None of the so-called journalists have read the report written by Mueller, but it didn’t stop them from using running lying @ss headlines and writing articles stating that the report had totally exonerated DJT. A blind pig would know that something was wrong because of the many indictments Mueller handed down and the convictions his team won against those that worked for/with DJT. There is no way I’m believing DJT knew nothing about what they were doing, especially since he’s been repeatedly described as a ”hands on” business person. Until I read the report for myself, I’m not believing a d@mn thing DJT, pundits, politicians, etc, are saying. They’re pretending they know stuff when none of them have read the actual report Mueller wrote. Barr is under fire because he decided to engage in a cover up in PUBLIC and to treat us as if we’re dummies. I want the Dems to roast his behind to a crisp in a 450 degree oven and make him know that they know what he did, and why he did it. I do NOT like @ssholes.

  15. rikyrah says:

    ReclaimingMyTime (@MonieTalks_1) Tweeted:
    Man, the parallels between Sam Cooke and Nipsey..

    Cooke was first major Black artist who created his own independent record label, advocated entrepreneurship. Nipsey’s message much the same. Both murdered at 33.

    We are still asking, what’s going on?
    I’ve been uneasy all week. https://twitter.com/MonieTalks_1/status/1113800284856307712?s=17

    • Liza says:

      To this day I cannot read about what really happened to Sam Cooke. It’s one of the few things I’ve been curious about but haven’t researched.

      He’s my favorite singer of all time. If I had three minutes left to live, I would ask them to play “Bring it on home to me” or “That’s where it’s at”. He was an extraordinarily talented man. We only got a glimpse into his genius.

  16. rikyrah says:

    Uh huh
    Uh huh 😒😒

    Samuel Sinyangwe (@samswey) Tweeted:
    South Bend’s first black police chief secretly recorded the other officers saying racist things and confronted them about it and the officers complain to the FBI who investigates and tells Buttigieg. Chief gets demoted and the racist officers get $500k. WTF. https://t.co/9sSdftMfJj https://twitter.com/samswey/status/1113645324206141440?s=17

  17. rikyrah says:

    Anyone watch Masterpiece Theater’s Mrs. Wilson? I really enjoyed it. That story was wild! Can’t wait to see the next episode.

    • Ametia says:

      Yes; I watched Mrs. Wilson. It’s wild and is based on a true story. PBS is re-airing par 1 & 2 this week, and will likely again on Sunday, leading up to the new episode

      So to count, there are 2 Ms. Wilson and a mistress with a child. who stalked Alex Wilson.

    • Ametia says:

      I believe more women will surface. Remember he worked for Secret Service during WW!!

      And s MI6 boss Coleman, telling Alison Wilson to let it go, the questions…. UH HUH

  18. rikyrah says:

    Anyone else watch This is Us
    My favorite part of the season finale:

    I absolutely loved Deja completely gathering up Randall. She was like..I don’t know what’s wrong, but, I don’t care…and, you are NOT messing up our happy home. So, whatever you gotta do to get it right..just get it done. Only Deja could have given Randall that speech, and gotten him to see which way was up.

  19. rikyrah says:

    Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) Tweeted:
    I’ll be *shocked* if Nadler et al don’t have Barr on the phone for the summaries included in the Mueller document.

    They were written to be publicly releasable, meaning no grand jury info and no classified.

    No excuses, Barr. Cough ’em up. https://twitter.com/TheRickWilson/status/1113654707703173120?s=17

  20. rikyrah says:

    Thread

    The Hoarse Whisperer (@HoarseWisperer) Tweeted:
    I imagine William Barr will get the worst sleep of his life tonight.

    He’s now wholly implicated as corruptly obstructing justice.

    If I’m him, I’m thinking I can either cut and run – let the summaries fly and abandon obstructing full release – or go all-in on full cover-up.

    1/ https://twitter.com/HoarseWisperer/status/1113670576332267520?s=17

  21. rikyrah says:

    skeptical brotha 🌈 (@skepticalbrotha) Tweeted:
    i know the IRS is independent. i believe that the person heading that agency is about to be fired if they attempt to comply with the law and turn over any tax information related to Trump. https://twitter.com/skepticalbrotha/status/1113667193701638144?s=17

  22. rikyrah says:

    Amene (@Ange_Amene) Tweeted:
    Nightly reminder

    Bernie Sanders is NOT a better choice, nominee or candidate than Donald Trump.

    Bernie Sanders & Sonald Trump both benefited from Russian interference and trashing Hillary Clinton. https://twitter.com/Ange_Amene/status/1113638912998535168?s=17

  23. rikyrah says:

    Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) Tweeted:
    Fmr. Assistant FBI Director Frank Figliuzzi: “If this is indeed the first leakage we’re seeing from the special counsel’s team, we need to stand up and pay attention to that … That tells us they are not happy with what the attorney general is doing.” @allinwithchris https://twitter.com/kylegriffin1/status/1113597138720690176?s=17

  24. rikyrah says:

    Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) Tweeted:
    Dear @realDonaldTrump: Since you believe #WindmillsCauseCancer, will people who live near windmills be viewed as having a preexisting condition? This is very important because you and @GOP are suing in court to eliminate the law that protects preexisting conditions coverage. https://t.co/S2fFcLzbQO https://twitter.com/tedlieu/status/1113777002799075331?s=17

  25. rikyrah says:

    Scott Dworkin (@funder) Tweeted:
    Sarah Sanders says Democrats are “playing a very dangerous game,” by investigating White House security clearance abuses. I think the actual “very dangerous game” is giving security clearances to people who shouldn’t have them. https://twitter.com/funder/status/1113156158272024576?s=17

  26. rikyrah says:

    Neera Tanden (@neeratanden) Tweeted:
    A country where a president can avoid any accountability because his appointed AG neutralized a report and then hid it from the public is not a functioning democracy. https://twitter.com/neeratanden/status/1113759486748106752?s=17

    • eliihass says:

      Katty Kay …Mika and Joe’s pal, is another gaslighter extraordinaire and fierce protector of white supremacy..

      She’s helped ruin the BBC for me and for a lot of those who previously relied on the BBC for marginally decent coverage..

      Dick Cheney’s token self-loathing black ..the gawd-awful Ron Christie is now BBC’s go-to pundit, thanks to Katty Kay.. ugh..

  27. rikyrah says:

    Scott Dworkin (@funder) Tweeted:
    BREAKING: Investigators from Mueller’s team have told associates that AG Barr lied about their findings, and said the information in Mueller’s report is much more troubling for Trump than Barr indicates in his letter. https://twitter.com/funder/status/1113593377440903170?s=17

  28. rikyrah says:

    Kim Wexler’s Ponytail (@MadisonKittay) Tweeted:
    Lawrence O’Donnell dragging @BernieSanders for not releasing his tax returns, after Dana Milbank did it on CNN this afternoon, is like cool, cool water to me. Y’all wanted Bernie to be treated like a front-runner? THAT’S how a front-runner gets treated.

    #VettingBernie https://twitter.com/MadisonKittay/status/1113638077535277056?s=17

  29. rikyrah says:

    Scott Dworkin (@funder) Tweeted:
    AG Barr buried summaries written by Mueller’s team meant for public release. We need to see those immediately, in addition to the full report. We also need to see all communications between AG Barr and the White House around the time of Barr’s letter. This is a massive cover up. https://twitter.com/funder/status/1113685188024905729?s=17

  30. rikyrah says:

    Scott Dworkin (@funder) Tweeted:
    “Jared Kushner is a billionaire. He has lawyers look at every single doc he’s ever filled out. So when you submit paperwork that leaves out of 100 foreign contacts & meetings—it’s clear there’s something sinister there.” Scott Dworkin on MSNBC https://t.co/0PZ8KQlsBz https://twitter.com/funder/status/1113623471836270594?s=17

  31. rikyrah says:

    Tom Watson (@tomwatson) Tweeted:
    Holy crap – “a group called the ‘Progressive International’ was announced at a convention last year held by the Sanders Institute, a think tank founded by the presidential contender’s wife and son.” Haven’t we had enough foreign interference in US elections? https://t.co/YfKAlHWgWb https://twitter.com/tomwatson/status/1113789741965762561?s=17

  32. rikyrah says:

    Good Morning, Everyone 😄 😄😄

  33. Ametia says:

    Word of the Day : April 4, 2019

    Rowel : verb ROWL

    Definition
    1 : to goad with or as if with a pointed disk at the end of a spur
    2 : vex, trouble

    https://www.merriam-webster.com/word-of-the-day/rowel-2019-04-04?pronunciation&lang=en_us&dir=r&file=rowel001&utm_campaign=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_source=wotd&utm_content=pron

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