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Monday News: “Bukele, Abrego Garcia, and Red Lines”; “Trump says CBS and ’60 Minutes’ should ‘pay a big price’ for going after him”; “Cody Balmer’s Social Media Reveals Anti-Joe Biden Posts”; “Fury and fear drive thousands in Hampton Roads to protest Trump administration”

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lowkell
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by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Monday, April 14.

Video: At Town Hall, Rep. Suhas Subramanyamn (D-VA10) Says “things are NOT going well,” but “when we have actually put pressure on the administration, we have gotten some results”

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lowkell
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See below for video and a few highlights from Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA10)’s latest town hall, Saturday afternoon in Fairfax County. As CSPAN describes it:

“Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA) held a town hall at Bull Run Elementary School in Fairfax County where he answered questions from constituents on a variety of topics. He addressed federal funding cuts by the Trump administration as well as concerns over the Democratic Party’s plan to fight back against the president’s policies. He responded to contentious statements made by some attendees about his vote supporting the Laken Riley Act and his stance on the separation of church and state”

First, an excellent answer by Rep. Subramanyam on putting pressure on Trump:

“If you look at stuff that happens, stuff will happen and then three or four weeks later either the administration will admit it was a mistake or backed down a little bit and maybe reinstate some people. I’m not saying things are going well. Things are NOT going well. But I will say when we have actually put pressure on the administration, we have gotten some results – not enough, but we’ve gotten some results.  I think that the energy is seen and heard, even in the halls of Capitol Hill…What I’d like to see in the House of Representatives is, we have slim margins, Republicans, even with the special election wins, only have a couple votes on us and they have at least three or four members in districts Donald Trump didn’t win. I would like to see them start to pull on our side. Right now there is no sort of incentive in their minds or really in the minds of any Republican to divert from the president. In fact, the incentive is to celebrate the president. We have a bill to put him on Mt. Rushmore. We have a bill to rename Dulles Airport Trump Airport – that’s a real bill…the birthday parade…We have a bill to make his birthday a federal holiday. These are real bills. The intent of them is to pander to the president and be in his good graces. I think the more pressure we put, the more they may feel like that’s not a good idea. And in the meantime, we have to use every tool at our disposal. We can’t be fearful. We can’t back down from a fight. I was a little disappointed by the CR and what the Senate did there. We have to use every bit of leverage we have to put them in a difficult spot. Maybe I fell short on some votes, but every committee hearing I have seen, done, and been in, I bring up all of the stuff we are talking about, even if it is not the subject of the hearing. Because I think it is important we continue to put pressure on. I know it is frustrating. I’m with you, but we have to keep fighting even if we don’t win every single fight.”

With regard to the Laken Riley Act, here’s what Rep. Subramanyman had to say:

“I want to tell you the difference between the Laken Riley Act and what is happening. Because at least the Laken Riley Act does give an immigration judge the ability to hear and let the person know what is going on. They are at least charged with a crime and at least know what the crime is and they at least have the opportunity to have a deportation proceeding. What is actually happening right now is there are people being picked up without even being told why they are being picked up. And they are being sent to El Salvador out of our jurisdiction where — the administration is telling people we can’t get them back…that’s completely different…

The concern that I have right now is two things. Even if you disagree with someone’s stance on an issue, to call them a threat to foreign affairs and our country because you disagree what they are saying, it is not right to detain somebody based on that issue. The people detained had green cards, they were here legally, a lot of people had TPS status for instance. And so, they are very different situations. We can still beat for the rule of law… for making sure there are consequences for crimes, but not do what is happening now, where there is absolutely no communication. We had a third grader in New York that was picked up and it detained and put in a prison, had no idea what was going on, he did nothing wrong. That is not that. I disagree with a lot of your premises, actually. We will agree to disagree on that. But I just don’t think that what is going on today in our country is anywhere near the goal of trying to at least make sure our communities are safe.”

I don’t really follow this. In fact, the criticism of the Laken Riley Act by other Democratic members of Congress from Virginia was basically – as Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA11) said, for instance – that “This bill denies due process, authorizing the mass detention of people who have been merely accused, not convicted, of even minor crimes.” Which is exactly correct! And as Rep. Jennifer McClellan (D-VA04) said:

“…congressional Republicans seek to exploit Laken Riley’s tragic death as a means to pass this overreaching anti-immigrant legislation. Under current law, any undocumented immigrant arrested or convicted of a felony can be detained without bail and deported. This bill goes even farther to mandate detention and deportation of any undocumented immigrant merely charged with or arrested for certain crimes, even if charges are dropped or they are found not guilty. This bill clearly oversteps and undermines due process, paving the way for immigrants to be deported without regard to innocence or guilt.” 

Bingo! So yeah, I agree with Reps. Connolly, McClellan, etc. – and not with Rep. Subramanyam – on this one.

Also interesting: Rep. Subramanyam was asked about taking money from AIPAC. He responded, “I have zero money taken from…AIPAC has not sent me any money…I’ve gotten far more money from people who oppose Israel…my vote is not bought in any sort of way, I vote based on my community, based on the facts, based on what’s best for our country…”  That’s fine, but I checked Open Secrets, and they *do* list AIPAC as Rep. Subramanyam’s top contributor in 2023-2024, so…not sure what’s going on here. I also checked the FEC database, and AIPAC *is* listed there (e.g., $3,300 on 10/16/24, $1,000 on 11/5/24, $1,000 on 11/13/24, $1,250 on 9/18/24, $1,250 on 9/25/24, etc. Again…not sure, maybe Rep. Subramanyam is referring to something else, but it sure *look like” he got money from AIPAC (for the record, I strongly support Israel’s right to live in peace and security, but I’m not a fan of AIPAC, as I see them as having moved hard right over the years, allying with anti-democracy/hard-right politicians like Netanyahu, Trump, etc.). [UPDATE: maybe the contributions were “earmarked” through AIPAC, whatever that means exactly?]

Another interesting exchange was after a constitutent asked Rep. Subramanyam about fighting back *hard* against Trump:

“You are a first-time congressperson. You have a potential very nice political career ahead of you. What are you going to do with it? Are you going to make sure you keep it, above all else, or are you going to do whatever it takes, even if it means your career?” [APPLAUSE]

Rep. Subramanyam responded:

“I appreciate that. I do think we need to look at more creative ways…of how we’re going to push back and how we’re going to get things done. One of the reasons, for instance, DOGE has been an initiative, and maybe more popular, is that we could have done more to make the federal government work better for people. The federal government takes on a very difficult task. But there is more we could have done and more we can do still. That’s one example. But to your point, I feel like I’m playing with house money. There’s not very many Suhas Subramanyams in Congress. I feel like I’m lucky to even be here. And so I have tried to use the platform in a way I would have wanted somebody representing me to use it, which is to allow every citizen to have a voice and allow people to share their stories in a way where people around the country will listen…If there are things I can do better, please let me know…As soon as I start voting for self preservation, just get me out of here…”

Good to hear that he’s not about “self preservation,” although a lot of politicans *say* that, but then don’t follow through. Hopefully Rep. Subramanyam really means it. As for Democrats needing to push back hard against Trump, I was chatting recently with someone I respect greatly, a super-smart former Democratic Congressional staffer, and the individual was NOT impressed with Democrats’ pushback against Trump so far, didn’t think it’s been focused and forceful enough, with a clear enough message, etc. I agree. For instance, why on earth did a lot of Senate Democrats vote to confirm many of Trump’s dreadful Cabinet picks? Why are they not using EVERY legislative/procedure tool at their disposal to slow down/stop Trump’s agenda? Remember how Mitch McConnell acted when Barack Obama was president? I’m thinking something like *that*, except in this case there would actually be good reason to do so, unlike McConnell wanting Obama to “fail” simply for cynical, calculated political reasons…

Sunday News: “Trump DOJ Flips Off SCOTUS in Brazen Update on Deported Dad”; “Team Trump Is Gaming Out How to Ship U.S. Citizens to El Salvador”; “Economic Outlook Dives Just Three Months Into Trump’s Term”; “The Trump Tariffs Just Got Even Worse”

By
lowkell
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2

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Sunday, April 13.

Sam Shirazi Interviews Chaz Nuttycombe, Who Flat-Out Predicts, “the Virginia governor race is not going to be competitive this year” – and That Dems Could Get to 71/100 House of Delegates Seats

By
lowkell
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2

Sam Shirazi’s latest podcast, this time with Chaz Nuttycombe of State Navigate, is very  interesting and entertaining, largely because Chaz doesn’t pull any punches, really cuts loose on how he feels about the upcoming 2025 Virginia elections. So definitely check it out and see what you agree or disagree with! For my part, here’s what jumped out, along with my reactions (in parentheses/green/italics).

  • “We are going to be launching our forecast for Virginia 2025 with the House of Delegates and Governor and Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General at our June 29th fundraiser in Montpelier, Virginia.”  (Definitely worth checking out, especially since it will be post-primaries and much closer to the November elections than we are now…so hopefully we’ll know a lot more about where the economy’s heading, get some public polling on the races and on Trump’s approval/disapproval, etc.)
  • “…ever since Virginia has been a two-party state and, you know, black voters have, have truly had the right to vote, in Virginia, we have elected the party opposite of the White House. This is a tradition that’s gone on for, what, 50 years now or just over 50, right?” (Correct, except for 2013, when Barack Obama was in the White House but Democrats swept – by small margins – the governor/LG/AG races.)
  • “…the night of the Wisconsin Supreme Court election, that was the final test and straw for me to be comfortable in saying that the Virginia governor race is not going to be competitive this year. We can maybe quibble about margin, which margin is important because, Spanberger winning by as much as Harris won by, or maybe even a little bit less on a good night for the GOP, versus Spanberger winning by double digits very much makes a difference. And, what the House [of Delegates] looks like and and whether, you know, Miyares wins and whether Republicans can retain the lieutenant governor office.” (I largely agree, with the standard disclaimer I always include at this point that we actually have free-and-fair elections. Also, I mean, this is HIGHLY unlikely, but if the economy were booming and Trump’s approval rating doing great in Virginia by the fall, then Republicans would be in much better shape. But again, that’s HIGHLY unlikely to be the case; more likely, we’ll be having MAJOR economic problems and Trump’s approval ratings will be in the 30%s or low 40%s in Virginia by then…)
  • “…there has to be like some big scandal or oppo dump in like early September for Abigail Spanberger to not be the next governor of Virginia. Point blank period.” (Yep, pretty much. But let’s not get overconfident or take ANYTHING for granted at this point. Let’s also try to run up the score as much as possible – to pick up as many House of Delegates seats as possible, to win the LG and AG races, and to send a RESOUNDING message across the country regarding what Virginia thinks about Trump, DOGE, etc.)
  • “I think also…that Winsome Sears has a laughable campaign… The fact that they fired Poolhouse, which you know was the architect for branding of the Youngkin campaign, is, is insane… Sears is just, she’s got two left feet and is trying to dance. and it’s…a sight to behold. And I think that’s something that’s really hurting her…we will see if Sears keeps stepping on her toes or whether she does some public speaking coaches or classes or whatever, because I think she has a public speaking issue.” (Harsh, but it’s hard to argue with any of this. Just on pure candidate quality, Spanberger is super-strong and Sears is super-weak, albeit perhaps not as weak as Amanda Chase or Dave LaRock would have been. But still…yeah, the 2025 Winsome Sears campaign is looking like a massive notch below the 2021 Glenn Youngkin campaign, while the 2025 Abigail Spanberger campaign is likely to be a notch or two above the 2021 Terry McAuliffe campaign.)
  • “I think that the the ceiling for the Democrats [pickup in the House of Delegates] could be 20 seats…, if there’s a recession, yeah, this this could be, like a 2009 situation [which was a Republican landslide]…., no hard forecast, just like in terms of where I think things are, it could be anywhere from R plus two in the House [of Delegates] to, you know, Democrats getting to 71 [House of Delegates seats].” (I mean, a Democratic pickup of 20 seats in the House of Delegates might seem outlandish at first blush, but IF Spanberger wins by 15 points or whatever; IF Democrats have strong (or at least credible) candidates in all the competitive or potentially competitive districts; and IF Trump’s approval rating is down the toilet bowl, then…sure, who knows, I could certainly see Democrats getting from 51 now to 60 or more House of Delegates seats. Something to shot for, anyway, and it certainly would be incredible if this actually happened. No wonder why House GOP Leader Todd Gilbert is looking for the exits! LOL)

So what jumped out at you?  You can weigh in, if you want, in the comments section, or on social media!

Episode 7: Chaz Nuttycombe Interview by Sam Shirazi

Read on Substack

Saturday News: Trump “Working For Putin’s Victory”; Rubio “Zoomed Right Past McCarthyism”; “Judges, Attorneys Face Trump’s Salvadoran Black Hole”; “Staffers Walk Out of RFK Jr.’s Slur-Ridden Speech About Deep State”; Trump Wants to Gut NOAA, NASA, Head Start, etc.

By
lowkell
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8

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Saturday, April 12. In short, the news is bad…worse…and worst. Gotta love this “Golden Age” Glenn Youngkin promised at Trump’s inauguration, huh?

More than 25 Virginians Travel to Washington to Ask Their Members of Congress Not to Cut Medicaid and SNAP to Fund Tax Giveaways for the Ultra-Wealthy

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Blue Virginia
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0

From the Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis:

Unemployment Claims Spike in Northern Virginia as Youngkin and Sears Back Trump’s Attacks on Virginia’s Workforce

By
lowkell
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3

See below for a press release from DPVA, and note that this situation is only going to get worse…and worse…and worse.

Unemployment Claims Spike in Northern Virginia as Youngkin and Sears Back Trump’s Attacks on Virginia’s Workforce

New reporting from Arlington Now details a surge in unemployment claims across Northern Virginia following Donald Trump’s attacks on Virginia’s workforce and economy that Glenn Youngkin and Winsome Earle-Sears have dismissed and laughed off.

The report also details how local officials want the Youngkin-Sears Administration to stand up to Trump’s attacks on Virginia workers. This comes after they defended and doubled down on their support for Trump’s threats to the livelihoods of thousands of Virginians.

ARL Now: Northern Va. unemployment claims jumped 7.1% in February, new data reveals

  • “Unemployment claims in Northern Virginia rose 7.1% between January and February, new data shows — offering a first glimpse of the impacts of mass federal layoffs.”
  • “A total of 53,394 people in the region were counted as unemployed and looking for work in February as sweeping job cuts began going into effect.”
  • “That’s 3,561 more people than the month before. It’s also an 18.6% increase from that time a year ago, according to preliminary figures that the Bureau of Labor Statistics released yesterday.”
  • “Federal workforce cuts and questions about the broader economy ‘are going to be long-term, fundamental and challenging,’ said Mark Carrier, board chair of the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce.”
  • “‘Hotel revenues in our region are starting to feel the impact,’ he said. ‘We’re highly sensitive to demand change.’”
  • “Shawn Townsend, president/CEO of the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington, said the hospitality picture is grim.”
  • “‘I haven’t seen so much doom and gloom [before],’ he said, pointing to data showing nearly half of DC diners are eating out less.”
  • “Fairfax County Supervisor James Walkinshaw, who serves on the COG board, pressed business leaders to put pressure on Gov. Glenn Youngkin to talk to President Trump and convince him to slow down the downsizing efforts.”
  • “‘This is a president who can be swayed by the last person who walks into the Oval Office,’ Walkinshaw said.”
  • “Arlington County Board members on April 9 were briefed on new projections suggesting the growth of jobs in the county will not be as robust as once expected.”
  • “The decline in the total number of jobs represents the ‘most significant change’ in data from three years ago, said Nicole Boling, an associate planner and demographer from the Department of Community Planning, Housing and Development.”

###

WINSOME, LOSE SOME: Trump’s Tariffs Raise Prices for Virginians, Throw Economy into Chaos, Sears Thinks “That’s Good”

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lowkell
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0

From DPVA:

WINSOME, LOSE SOME: Trump’s Tariffs Raise Prices for Virginians, Throw Economy into Chaos, Sears Thinks “That’s Good”

VIRGINIA – It’s been another week of losses for Winsome Earle-Sears as her comments calling Trump’s tariffs that are raising prices for Virginians “good” were exposed after her campaign refused to answer questions from the media about Trump’s reckless tariffs.

🏆SETTLING THIS WEEK’S SCORE 🏆

Winsome’s Wins:

  • “I think that’s good”: After her campaign refused to answer questions from the media about Trump’s reckless tariffs, new audio exposed Sears saying she thinks this massive tax on Virginia families and businesses is “good” and a “benefit.” The comments were revealed as Trump’s tariffs are causing chaos for Virginia businesses and families, and raising prices for Virginians – although per Sears’ comments, that’s her idea of a “good” thing.
  • Winner, Winner: With Amanda Chase and Dave LaRock failing to make the ballot, Sears secured the GOP nomination for governor, but all the reasons they challenged her like her flailing campaign, failure to unite the party, and the many Republicans who dislike her are not going away anytime soon.
Winsome’s Losses:
  • Sears Silent (Again): After headlining an anti-choice rally and refusing to answer questions last week, Winsome Earle-Sears still hasn’t answered why she wants to leave the door open to extreme restrictions on access to birth control and emergency contraception.

And with Winsome, it’s Virginians who stand to lose the most:

  • With Winsome Earle-Sears focused on an extreme agenda backing ongoing attacks on Virginia jobs and workers, defunding public schools, and ripping away reproductive rights, Virginians stand to lose the most.

ICYMI: Everytown for Gun Safety Endorses Spanberger for Governor, Rallies in Alexandria for Safer Virginia Communities

By
lowkell
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0

Good stuff from Abigail Spanberger’s campaign. In stark contrast, Winsome Earle-Sears is 100% pro-gun, even featured a photo of herself with an assault weapon in her 2021 campaign, and if anything would sign repeals of gun laws already on the books. Huge contrast between the two candidates on this issue!

ICYMI: Everytown for Gun Safety Endorses Spanberger for Governor, Rallies in Alexandria for Safer Virginia Communities

Spanberger — A Former Federal Law Enforcement Officer — Stood with Local Sheriffs, Advocates in Support of Commonsense Gun Violence Prevention Legislation

Alexandria Sheriff Sean Casey: “At a Time When Chaos and Division Is Far Too Common in Our Politics, It’s Rare to Find a Person Who Both Understands the Challenges Facing Our Communities, but Also has Earned the Trust Needed to Take Meaningful Action”

DOWNLOADABLE PHOTOS: In Alexandria, Spanberger Outlines Vision for Protecting Virginia’s Kids, Families, & Law Enforcement

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — At a rally in Alexandria alongside hundreds of Virginians, Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund yesterday announced its endorsement of Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger to serve as the next Governor of Virginia.

Spanberger, a former Moms Demand Action volunteer, and Moms Demand Action Executive Director Angela Ferrell-Zabala celebrated the endorsement alongside local law enforcement officers, Moms Demand Action volunteers, Virginia students, Virginia elected officials, and community members. Addressing the large crowd, Spanberger spoke about how her background as a former federal law enforcement officer, her role as a parent of three kids, and her record of passing commonsense legislation in the U.S. House informs her commitment to bringing people together to build a safer Virginia.

“Advocates for safety in our General Assembly have passed legislation to strengthen Virginia’s safe storage laws, prevent the sale of large-capacity magazines, and crack down on ghost guns. As Governor, I will sign legislation into law to make progress on these issues and keep Virginia families safe,” said Spanberger. “I will not veto commonsense proposals, like our current governor has done. Because to prevent heartbreaking disasters, firearms must be secured when near minors to save lives. And if we are serious about stopping violent criminals, we must prevent them from manufacturing and distributing illegal, untraceable firearms.”

Spanberger continued, “In the years since I put on that first red shirt and began standing with moms in the community, I remain inspired by the tenacity, the resolve, and the focus of so many Virginians who remain committed to ensuring that our Commonwealth is a safer, stronger place for our families. As I stand here today, I see Virginia parents, I see Virginia community members, and I see Virginia leaders who are committed to putting in the hard work to put an end to gun violence in our communities.”

“Former federal law enforcement officer, Moms Demand Action volunteer, and now Virginia’s next governor — Abigail Spanberger is the leader this moment demands,” said Ferrell-Zabala. “Our movement is ready to go all in to elect Abigail so that Virginia becomes a Commonwealth where gun safety is about common sense, not partisan politics.”

During the rally, City of Alexandria Sheriff Sean Casey announced his endorsement of Spanberger to serve as Virginia’s next Governor. Casey, a lifelong Alexandria resident, was elected as Alexandria’s sheriff in November 2021.

“As a law enforcement officer, there’s nothing more important than developing trust with the people that you serve. And I can tell you that trust plays an important role in keeping Virginians, our community members, our sheriff’s deputies, and our police officers alike safe from gun violence. And trust is built on transparency. It’s built on accountability. And most importantly, it’s built on listening to the people that we serve, like you all right here today,” said Sheriff Casey. “At a time when chaos and division is far too common in our politics, it’s rare to find a person who both understands the challenges facing our communities, but also has earned the trust needed to take meaningful action. And I believe Abigail Spanberger is one of those leaders.”

Fairfax County Sheriff Stacey Kincaid — an early endorser of Spanberger to serve as Governor — also spoke at the rally.

“Abigail knows firsthand what is at stake when we talk about the safety of our kids and our communities, not only in Fairfax, but across the Commonwealth of Virginia. I know from my own experience with Abigail that she will listen to the needs of law enforcement,” said Sheriff Kincaid. “She will always push to make sure that our deputies and police officers have the resources we need to protect our communities, keep guns out of the hands of those who are prohibited by law from owning them, and make sure that Virginia’s families feel safe. Nothing could be more important, and there is no better person for this job than Abigail Spanberger.”

Earlier on Thursday, Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund also announced a $1 million investment in support of Spanberger’s campaign.

“As a former CIA officer and federal law enforcement officer who was also a Moms Demand Action volunteer, Abigail Spanberger understands that commonsense laws to keep guns out of dangerous hands are crucial to ensuring public safety,” said John Feinblatt, President, Everytown for Gun Safety. “Everytown is incredibly proud to support Abigail Spanberger, who has a long record of fighting tooth and nail to protect Virginia families.”

BACKGROUND

Spanberger knows firsthand the responsibility that comes with owning a firearm.

As a former federal law enforcement officer, Spanberger carried a gun and high-capacity magazines marked ‘for law enforcement use only’ every day for her job. While serving as a federal agent, she worked narcotics trafficking and money laundering cases, executed search warrants, and arrested criminals.

Friday News: “The Confrontation Between Trump and the Supreme Court Has Arrived”; “Fund managers quietly fear Trump doesn’t have a tariff plan and that he ‘might be insane’”; “House passes bill that could make it harder for married women to vote”; Trump Persecutes “Perceived Foes”

By
lowkell
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15

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Friday, April 11.

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