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Investigative Journalism since 2014 | Chat: @GeorgeChat | All: https://linktr.ee/georgenews | Repost ≠ Endorsement | Support: https://georgenews.support
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Sent: Monday, May 12, 2025 11:20 PM
To: DL WHO Wranglers
Subject: Travel pool report 2 - AF1 lands at Mildenhall
AF1 landed at Royal Air Force Mildenhall at 11:18 pm GMT. (JBA wheels up: 11:39 amlocal.) Uneventful flight and no visits from POTUS or staff. Fox News on the TV.
Refueling scheduled for 90 minutes to before continuing to Saudi Arabia.
Early in the flight, after lunch was served, Sean Hannity briefly appeared in the press cabin and exchanged pleasantries. Hannity is interviewing Trump for Fox News segments.
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Sent: Friday, May 9, 2025, 2:38 PM
To: DL WHO Wranglers
Subject: In-Town Pool Note #3: Stephen Miller Gaggle
White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller gaggled at the sticks.
[…]
Asked about becoming the national security advisor, Miller replied, “I am very thrilled with the job that I currently have. My focus right now is, I'm supporting Secretary Rubio Marco,” who he called a “close friend” and “truly one of the all stars in this government.”
Asked about suspending the writ of habeas corpus as part of deportation efforts, Miller said the administration was exploring the idea:
“The Constitution is clear, and that of course, is the supreme law of the land, that the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus could be suspended in time of invasion. So that's an option we're actively looking at. A lot of it depends on whether the courts do the right thing or not.”
Asked about Border Czar Tom Homan’s prior comments concerning Eric Adams’ compliance with ICE operations, Miller replied:
“All I would say to that is, this administration is going to pursue immigration enforcement and cooperation in every city, and anyone who doesn't comply with the laws…will face the appropriate legal consequences. That applies to Eric Adams, and that applies to every other mayor in this country. The law is the law is the law.”
Miller touched on South Africa, saying that “what’s happening in South Africa fits the textbook definition of why the refugee program was created. This is persecution based on a protected characteristic, in this case, race. This is race based persecution.”
“The US Refugee Program has been a catastrophic failure,” he said of past administrations’ application of the program. Trump’s changes, he continued, are “an example of the president returning the refugee program to what it was intended to do.”
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MUST WATCH: Will Cain, from FOX's 'The Will Cain Show', exposes how deeply the Biden Administration had invested in DEI
"The Trump Administration is ENDING THIS NONSENSE" —White House
BREAKING 🚨 President Trump’s administration has terminated Harvard’s $2.2 billion in NIH funding.
Читать полностью…
Passing along this statement from the White House:
“Given the President’s press engagement in the Oval, the Press Briefing by the Press Secretary will take place on a later day.”
BREAKING: 5 INDIAN FIGHTER JETS HAVE BEEN SHOT DOWN
Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif claims in an interview with that Pakistan has shot down FIVE Indian jets!
Have you ever heard of the Cobb County GOP chairmanship race? Probably not, unless you’re deeply involved in local Georgia politics. But trust us, this is a story that deserves your attention.
Sophia Farooq, one of the candidates, has been making waves, endorsed by Veterans for America First as a "MAGA candidate." On the surface, she seems like a conservative dream, but our investigation reveals a much more complex picture.
Who is Sophia Farooq? Why is her online presence so limited? What’s the truth behind her claims of executive roles at Delta and Walmart? And what about her ties to controversial financial institutions and her family’s deep connections to extremist ideologies?
In this thread continuation, we’ll uncover the truth about Sophia Farooq, her background, and the web of influence that surrounds her. It’s a story of predatory lending, global finance, and ideological extremism that could have far-reaching implications for our political system.
Let’s dive in.
The Candidate with No Footprint
Sophia Farooq’s candidacy raised eyebrows from the start. For someone running for a high-profile position like the Cobb County GOP chair, her online presence was surprisingly sparse. No LinkedIn profile, no social media accounts—nothing that could verify her claimed executive roles at Delta Airlines and Walmart.
Our team dug deeper, and what we found was alarming. Farooq’s employment history led us to Skylight Financial, where she served as Vice President of Marketing. Skylight, later acquired by Netspend, was embroiled in controversy for its predatory lending practices, targeting minorities and lower-income groups with high-interest loans and high-interest credit cards. Both companies faced sanctions from the Federal Trade Commission for their unethical practices.
As noted earlier in our group investigation thread, “Concerns were raised about Sophia Farooq's background, prompting a deeper investigation. Initial findings revealed an unusually limited online presence, particularly odd given her public claims.”
But that’s just the beginning.
Family Ties to Extremism
Sophia Farooq’s family background is equally concerning. Her grandfather, Abul A'la Maududi, was not just any Islamic scholar; he was the founder of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), a group designated as a terrorist organization in several countries, including the UAE. JI was instrumental in recruiting figures like Osama bin Laden into the Mujahideen and acted as a CIA liaison during the U.S.-backed operations in Afghanistan.
Her father, Dr. Syed Ahmad Farooq (who lost his medical license), was the first elected secretary of the organization now known as ICNA (The Islamic Circle of North America), which is connected to JI and promotes a rigid interpretation of Islam. Her uncles are also prominent figures: one leads a publishing house distributing JI-aligned works, and was also a distinguished guest of the Al Khidmat Foundation. Another is a public figure in Pakistan with ties to human rights activism but critical of some JI teachings.
Maududi’s ideology is starkly outlined in his own words:
“Wherever you are, in whichever country you live, you must strive to change the wrong basis of government, and seize all powers to the rule and make laws from those who do not fear God... The name of this striving is Jihad.”
Financial and Political Networks
Farooq’s connections extend beyond her family. Her campaign and supporters include major corporations such as the law firm of Rod Rosenstein, Christopher Wray, and Gina Haspel (King & Spalding) and Lockheed Martin, as well as figures tied to global finance and technology, such as APAX Partners, ThoughtWorks, and Grameen Bank.
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Sent: Monday, May 5, 2025, 2:17 PM
To: DL WHO Wranglers
Subject: In-town report #3 Oval quotes
Following POTUS’ brief opening remarks on the 2027 NFL Draft, several officials took turns speaking from a podium next to the Resolute Desk.
“We believe in investing in sports,” Mayor Muriel Bowser said. “Bringing this event to the nation’s capital” will boost the local economy.
“The draft has really become one of the great sports entertainment events,” NFL Commissioner Goodell said. Goodell said he expects more than 1 million people will attend the 2027 draft.
Trump said the draft will be "top of the line."
Trump then took several questions. The event was live-streamed by the White House. Please check quotes against transcript. Here are highlights:
On tariffs on foreign films: "Our film industry has been decimated," Trump said. "Hollywood doesn't do very much" he said, adding, "a lot of it has been taken to other countries."
On ending Russia's war in Ukraine: "We're in a good position to settle. They want to settle. Ukraine wants to settle," Trump said.
On President Putin's announcement of a three-day ceasefire: "It doesn't sound like much but it's a lot if you knew where we started from."
On the controversy over a social media picture depicting Trump dressed as the Pope: "I had nothing to do with it. I had no idea where it came from. Maybe it was AI."
On the administration's plans to give undocumented immigrants money to self-deport: "We're going to get them a beautiful flight back to where they came from." Trump also said some could later be let back into the U.S.
Trump also said, "We're being obstructed" by the courts on immigration policy. "It's very unfair."
"The courts have all of a sudden, out of nowhere, they've said maybe you're going to have to have trials," Trump said. "We're going to have 5 million trials?"
On reopening Alcatraz: "We're going to look at it," Trump said. He called the former prison-turned-national park a "big hulk" that was "rusting and rotting."
Trump was asked if he supported Israel's decision to expand the war in Gaza.
"We're going to help the people of Gaza get some food," Trump said. Hamas is "making it impossible."
The pool was ushered out of the Oval Office at 2:05 pm
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POTUS on hosting the 2027 NFL Draft in DC: "Every year, hundreds of young football players have their dreams come true as the NFL teams across the land select the best young players in America to join their ranks. Hundreds of thousands of football fans will travel all across our country to cheer them on."
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Well she so afraid of the cartels she can't walk so you know that's the reason. And I think she's a lovely woman. The president of Mexico is a lovely woman but she is so afraid of the carets that she can't even think straight.
Reporter: Sir on Friday you told Kristen Welker that maybe a little girl this Christmas doesn't need 35 dolls, maybe they just get along with three? What do you tell the girls whose parents ...
Trump: All I'm saying is that a young lady ... doesn't need 37 dolls. She can be very happy with two or three or four or five. Let's not waste a lot of time ..
Reporter: What do you tell a girl whose parents who can't afford any?
Reporter: Who are you considering to be your more permanent national security adviser?
Trump: Well I have a lot of people that want the job, I can tell you. A lot of people say it really works in with what Marco is doing, but we have a lot of people. I'm going to be naming somebody.
Reporter: What the timeline on that?
Trump: I would say within six months.
Reporter: Would you like Rubio to be permanent?
Trump: He would do the job permanently. But I think -- you know it's an appropriate job.
Reporter: Are you considering Stephen Miller?
Trump: Stephen Miller is at the top of the totem pole. I mean, I think he's sort of indirectly already has that job. Because he has a lot to say about a lot of things. He's a very valued person in the administration, Stephen.
—END—
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--BEGIN TRANSCRIPT--
POTUS: We have a lot of good news to report and you'll be hearing about it...we've got some good things coming out of the many war zones that were created by Biden and a group of incompetent people ... we'll talk about that later or tomorrow.
Q: Any plans to speak with Xi this week?
A: No ... but China and our people are talking about different things.
Q: Why did you decide to move Waltz out of NSA job?
A: I think moving him was an upgrade [for him]
Q: Was appointing Waltz as NSA a mistake?
A: No, it's irrelevant, it's not a big deal, he was fine and where he is he'll do a good job.
Q: What made you lose confidence in him?
A: I didn't lose confidence in him...he's going to the United Nations ... personally, if I had a choice I'd rather have that job [UN ambassador] than the other [NSA].
Q: Any trade deals coming this week?
A: It could very well be.
Q: Could you tell us more about them?
A: Nobody understands, we're negotiating with many countries but at the end of this I'll set my own deals because I set the deal, they don't set the deal, I set the deal. They've been ripping us for years, I set the deal. Every country, almost without fail, friend and foe, has been ripping us off for years, so we're meeting with almost all of them — including China — and at the end I'm setting the deal. You keep saying ... this is not like a big deal that's gonna be signed — in some cases we'll sign them but we don't have to sign them. I'll be setting the deal, I'll be setting the tariff.
You keep asking the same question: 'When will you agree?' It's up to me, it's not up to them, it's up to me. Now they don't have to deal with us, which is ok because under Biden we were losing $5 billion dollars a day, think of it, $5 billion dollars a day. Now we're not dealing with China at all because the tariff is so high that they basically can't deal, and because of that we're saving billions of dollars.
And I'm not saying this to be a wise guy with you, to be mean, I don't want to be mean to you, you're a good professional, but you do keep asking me that same question.
It's not like we're going to sit down in an ivory room, and we're just ... there'll be some of that, very little ... at some point in the next two weeks or three weeks, I'm gonna be setting the deal. I'm gonna that such and such a country has had a tremendous trade surplus with us...they've taken advantage of us in various ways and we fully understand what they were doing, we were being led by people who were not very smart, they were able to be taken advantage of, but I can't be taken advantage of, so at a certain point I'll be just setting a certain tariff number.
Q: On PEPFAR, there's waiver in place but people are saying they're still not getting medicines.
A: Well, that shouldn't be happening, but the other thing, other countries should be helping, and I'm a big fan of getting that solved, but you know we're the only country — where is France, where is Germany? Where are these other countries? Nobody does anything but the United States and we spend billions and billions of dollars, so they should be helping also and we did a waiver, you know that, right?
Q: Right, but they're still not —
A: I can't help that, because if we did a waiver than you have to get your people to act properly ... the waiver, but I do ask why are we the only country doing it?
Q: What's your timeline for the rest of judicial nominations?
A: Which nominations?
Q: The future judicial nominations for federal judge positions
A: Oh, we're putting them in rapidly and trying to get very good ones but we need judges that are not going to be demanding trials for every single illegal immigrant, we have millions of people that have come here illegally and we can't have a trial for every single person, that would be millions of trials.
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Sent: Tuesday, May 13, 2025 12:58 AM
To: DL WHO Wranglers
Subject: Travel pool 3 - AF1 departing Mildenhall
AF1 is rolling from Royal Air Force Mildenhall at 12:57 am GMT.
We will now make the roughly 7 hour flight to King Khalid International Airport.
In the event President Trump gaggles, audio will be piped back to the White House briefing room, per aides. It was unclear whether that would be streamed on the WH YouTube page.
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Sent: Monday, May 12, 2025, 11:43 AM
To: DL WHO Wranglers
Subject: In-town pool report #5b - additional quotes from press conference
Here are some additional quotes from this morning's press conference, which ended at 10:54am, and was live-streamed to the public. POTUS took about ten questions from reporters before he signed his executive order that aims to lower drug prices.
On tariffs: Trump said that tariffs on Chinese imports are not expected to go back to 145% even if the U.S. and China are at an impasse after the 90-day pause. “No, but they would go up substantially higher” than the 30% rate during the pause, he said. “At 145%, you’re really decoupling, because nobody’s going to buy; but [the duties] got very high because of additional tariffs that were applied because of fentanyl and other things,” he said when asked if the US tariffs would return to 145%. “But no. But they’d go substantially higher.”
On his Middle East trip: Trump said he would consider flying to Turkey for the potential meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday. “I was thinking about actually flying over there,” he added. “There’s a possibility of it, I guess,” adding that he would go “if I thought it would be helpful.”
Trump also said he “may very well relieve” sanctions on Syria. “We’re going to have to make a decision on the sanctions, which we may very well relieve,” Trump said. “We may take them off of Syria because we want to give them a fresh start.”
On the Qatari aircraft: POTUS was asked about his plan to accept a luxury plane from the Qatari royal family, which he described as a “contribution” that the U.S. can’t turn down: “I think it’s a great gesture from Qatar. I appreciate it very much. I would never be one to turn down that kind of an offer. I mean, I could be a stupid person say, ‘No, we don’t want a free, very expensive airplane.’ But it was, I thought it was a great gesture.” Trump added that the plane will “go directly” to his presidential library after he leaves office: “I wouldn’t be using it."
On hostages: Trump said he’s hoping for more hostage releases from Hamas on his Middle East trip, after Hamas announced it would be releasing Edan Alexander. “We hope that we’re going to have other hostages released, too,” Trump said, adding that he believes about 20 living hostages are still being held by Hamas.
On South African refugees: Asked about granting an expedited path to refugee status for white South Africans while not allowing refugees from other countries, Trump replied in part: "Because they're being killed. And we don't want to see people be killed ... it's a genocide that's taking place. Farmers are being killed. They happen to be white."
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How is this still possible?
AG Pam Bondi please confirm you are aware of this personnel decision.
https://joehoft.com/huge-jim-comeys-daughter-prosecutor-in-epstein-and-maxwell-cases-now-prosecutor-on-p-diddy-case/
BREAKING: President Trump to build a national center for homeless veterans using funds that were previously spent on illegal immigrants.
The executive order is another fulfilled promise of the president.
"The new National Center for Warrior Independence will help them and other veterans like them rebuild their lives," the Trump White House said.
"The Center will promote self-sufficiency through housing, substance abuse treatment, and support for productive work for the veterans housed there."
"President Trump strongly believes that every veteran deserves our gratitude, and that the federal government should treat veterans like the heroes they are."
Trump has directed that a campus be established in Los Angeles, where approximately 3,000 homeless veterans live.
The goal is to house 6,000+ homeless veterans by 2028.
May 7, 2025
First Lady Melania Trump’s Statement on the Presidential Proclamation Honoring National Foster Care Month
First Lady Melania Trump issued a statement supporting President Donald J. Trump’s official Proclamation designating May 2025, as National Foster Care Month. The date of the Proclamation is notable because May 7, 2025, also marks the anniversary of the First Lady’s Be Best initiative, which was launched in 2018.
“I am proud of the work I have done to support the foster care community during the past several years, and I am pleased to join my husband in honoring the families, caregivers, and advocates who provide shelter, stability, and inspiration to our children. I acknowledge the tireless dedication of our American foster families who play a critical role in helping children realize their full potential.”
First Lady Melania Trump’s Be Best initiative supports children’s well-being, including individuals within the foster care community, through her Fostering the Future platform.
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Grameen Bank, led by Mohammed Yunus, who has connections to Farooq’s grandfather, is implicated in microfinance and high-interest lending. Yunus has been involved in political influence, and funding protest movements like Black Lives Matter. Then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also pressured the Bangladeshi government into closing down an investigation into Grameen Bank. It’s also notable that not long after the investigation was shuttered, the Clinton Foundation then received a generous donation from Dr. Yunus.
APAX Partners, a UK-based private equity firm that shares executive leadership with Grameen America, is linked to election infrastructure, including NGP VAN, used by Democrats, and even Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, suggesting a broad influence network spanning finance, politics, and technology.
The Bigger Picture
The story of Sophia Farooq is not just about one candidate; it’s about a larger strategy to infiltrate and influence American political systems at the local and national levels. From predatory lending to extremist ideologies, from global finance to local politics, the connections are vast and troubling.
Read more here (link to Proton Drive PDF)
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https://x.com/TheGeorgeHQ/status/1919547565433147488
For over four decades, I’ve dedicated my life to serving this great nation, from the battlefields of Afghanistan and Iraq to the halls of Washington. Whether in uniform, in government, or as a private citizen, my commitment to America and its people has never wavered.
I’ve faced challenges, taken hits, and become stronger, always driven by a deep love for this country and its values. This love for our nation, for its people, and for its values is what fuels my commitment. If called upon, I’ll protect our nation’s security and ensure our enemies know we mean business. But no matter where I stand, inside or outside government, I’ll keep fighting for the America we all cherish. That’s my promise, and I’m not done yet.
POTUS on paying illegals to self-deport: "We're going to pay each one a certain amount of money and we're going to get them a beautiful flight back to where they came from... It's called self-deportation... You're talking about so many millions of people."
Читать полностью…
Sent: Monday, May 5, 2025 1:44 PM
To: DL WHO Wranglers
Subject: In-town note #2 -- Oval event underway
Pool entered the Oval Office at 1:40 pm.
President Trump was joined in the Oval by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and Washington Commanders owner Josh Harris and D.C. Mayor Bowser, among other officials.
In opening remarks Trump announced that Washington, D.C. will host the 2027 NFL Draft.
"It's a very important announcement," Trump said.
"It's going to be beautiful," Trump said of the draft.
This event is being live-streamed by the White House.
More to come.
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The people elected me in a landslide ... we won every swing state...by big numbers...not only swing state but the popular vote by millions of votes...they elected me, this was the number one issue, and now we have judges that are radicalized and they're crazy because ... if you believe this, they want us to have a trial for every person that came illegally into our country. So they come into our country illegally and we're supposed to take weeks, I guess, and months to have a trial, you want every criminal, and we have murderers that are all over the country? I don't think the Supreme Court will stand for that, I can't believe it, because you know what? If they do, we're not gonna have a country.
Q: How will you make sure the judges you appoint are different than that?
A: All you can do is do the best you can, you know you try to appoint the best people to being judges or anything else that you appoint, but so far you know we're very disappointed with the decisions that come out, mostly from people appointed by others than me, but it's so hard to believe that you have a murderer, you know we have 11,888 or whatever the number is, we have thousands of murderers in this country, we're getting them out and they say 'we don't want them out, we want them to stay in our country until we have a trial, trials take years, they take years, it's so crazy, we won't have a country left, we can't have that happen.
Reporter: Is there any update on ...
Trump: Who are you with?
Reporter: The Wall Street Journal.
Trump. That's what I (thought). You people treat us so badly. The Wall Street Journal has truly gone to hell. Go ahead. It's a rotten newspaper.
Reporter: Are there any updates ...
Trump: Did you hear me what I said? It's a rotten newspaper.
Reporter: I heard.
Reporter: Are there any updates in talks with Vladimir Putin?
Trump: I wouldn't tell The Wall Street Journal because I'd be wasting my time. There are talks but I don't want to talk to the Wall Street Journal. Look, Wall Street Journal is China oriented and they're really bad for this country.
Reporter: You say you want a fair deal with China, what does a fair deal look like?
Trump: Well you know I want a fair deal with China but China has been ripping us off for many years. So maybe some things should be thought about, you know, a little bit of retribution. China's been ripping us off for many years. Ever since they started. To me I think it was the worst thing that Richard Nixon ever did. He's the one that got it started. And they're taking advantage of (us).
Reporter: Is there a number you want to see?
Trump: No
Reporter: Mexico's president is claiming that you offered to send U.S. troops into Mexico and she said she didn't want them in Mexico. Is that true? Can you tell us about those conversations?
Trump: So Mexico is saying that I offered to send U.S. troops into Mexico to take care of the cartels? She wants to know is that true? Do you think I'm going to answer that question?
Reporter: Thats's why I'm asking. We'll see.
Trump: I will answer it. It's true.
Reporter: And why did you do that?
Trump: Because they should be -- they are horrible people that have been killing people left and right and have been -- they've made a fortune on selling drugs and destroying our people. We lost 300,00 people last year to fentanyl and drugs. They are bad news. Yeah, that's true. If Mexico wanted help with the cartels we would be honored to go in and do it. I told her that. I would be honored to go in and do it. The cartels are trying to destroy our country. They're evil. You know, we had 300,000 people die last year from fentanyl and all that. We had hundreds -- we had millions of people brought into this country that shouldn't be here. The cartels brought them in. So if she said that I offered to do that, she's 100 percent (right.)
Reporter: And are disappointed that she denied that request?
Sent: Sunday, May 4, 2025, 7:43 PM
To: DL WHO Wranglers
Subject: Travel note 10: Wheels down JBA + GAGGLE!!
Air Force One was wheels down at 1934 ET.
Approximately 15 minutes into the flight from PBI to JBA, Karoline Leavitt came back to the press section of the plane to inform us that POTUS wished to gaggle with us and gave us a five minute warning.
Your traveling press pool, plus a White House stenographer and the White House Communications Agency TV crew, immediately attempted to squeeze into the available space without displacing members of the president's Secret Service detail and while maintaining a semblance of personal space for all and giving both still and television cameras appropriate sight lines. In this we were more or less successful, in no large part thanks to our Air Force-trained flight crew's skilled hands keeping turbulence to a minimum.
After we were in position, POTUS emerged from behind the sliding wooden door separating the main staff cabin from the middle section of the plane, traversed that middle section, and found himself face to face with your pool. He remained for approximately 12 minutes, during which he took questions on trade talks with China and other countries, why he removed Mike Waltz from the National Security Adviser role, problems with the PEPFAR program, his future judicial nominations, whether he offered to send troops into Mexico and other topics.
Your pooler and co-pooler (the WSJ's Alex Leary) have compiled this very, very rough transcript which I am including below to serve your reporting needs.
Although we both endeavored to be accurate in our auditory review of the recording and fleet of finger in transcribing the questions and the president's remarks, in the interests of accuracy I would beseech you to check quotes against the TV pool feed or the official White House transcript if/when it becomes available.
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