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Man Indicted In Arizona Tesla Dealership Fire

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An Arizona man could face multiple decades in prison and more than $1 million in fines for allegedly torching a Tesla Cybertruck in Arizona.

Ian William Moses, 35, of Mesa, was indicted this week on five felony counts ofย malicious damageย to property used in interstate commerce. Authorities have alleged that Moses used gasoline and a starter log to try to set the dealership and three Tesla vehicles on fire on April 28, amid a wave of retaliation against tech billionaire and Tesla CEOย Elon Muskโ€™sย involvement in the Trump administration.

The Department of Justice, in a news release announcing the federal juryโ€™s indictment of Moses, shared photos of a burned-out Cybertruck that exploded during the attack.

According to local media reports, the suspect spray-painted graffiti on the side of the building that misspelled the word โ€œTHIEF.โ€

Mesa Police arrested Moses less than a mile away from the Tesla dealership shortly after the fire started, and he was wearing the same clothes as the person seen in surveillance footage pouring gasoline on the building. Officers also allegedly found a hand-drawn map in Mosesโ€™s pocket that had the letter โ€œTโ€ marking the dealershipโ€™s location.

โ€œThere is nothing American about burning down someone elseโ€™s business because you disagree with them politically,โ€ Timothy Courchaine, the interim federal prosecutor for Arizona, said in a statement. โ€œThese ongoing attacks against Tesla are not protests, they are acts of violence that have no place in Arizona or anywhere else. If someone targets Tesla with violence, they will be found and confronted with the full force of the law.โ€

If convicted, each count carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

Attorney Generalย Pam Bondiย said in a statement on Mosesโ€™s indictment that there would be โ€œno negotiatingโ€ on the charges.

โ€œIf you engage in domestic terrorism, this Department of Justice will find you, follow the facts, and prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law,โ€ Bondi said.

Capitol Police Arrest Democrat House Staffer

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Police image via Pixabay free images

On Monday, capitol police arrested a Congressional staffer for Rep.ย Joe Morelleโ€™sย (D-NY) office.

The staffer was identified in a statement as 38-year oldย Michael Hopkins and he was arrested for allegedly carrying ammunition, including a high-capacity magazine, into the Cannon House Office Building.

Chad Pergram, senior congressional correspondent for Fox News.ย posted a statement from Capitol police to X,ย formally Twitter:

At approximately 8:45 a.m., a House staffer entered the Cannon House Office Building and put his bag through screening. USCP officers noticed what appeared to be ammunition on the x-ray screen. After a hand search of the bag, officers found four ammunition magazines and eleven rounds of ammunition. The staffer told the officers that he forgot the ammunition was in the bag. 38-year-old Michael Hopkins was arrested, and he is facing charges for unlawful possession of ammunition, including one charge for possession of a high-capacity magazine.

Fox5 Washington reported that Hopkins โ€œhas been a guestโ€ฆseveral times over the years,โ€ as a Democratic strategist on their show The Hill, and posted video of the staffer on-air.

Morelleโ€™s office also released a statement, saying theyโ€™re fully cooperating with the investigation:

This morning, our office was informed that a member of our staff was arrested by Capitol Police. We are currently gathering more information regarding the circumstances of the arrest. Our office is fully committed to cooperating with the investigation. As Ranking Member of the Committee on House Administration, Congressman Morelle is devoted to ensuring a safe and secure workplace for all.

Intelligence Director Calls On Justice Department To Prosecute Obama Officials

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The White House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard is pushing the Justice Department to investigate and prosecute Obama administration officials linked to the debunked report alleging the 2016 Trump campaign engaged in Russian collusion.

More details are coming out concerning alleged efforts by former President Barack Obama and his teamโ€™s efforts to drum up intelligence to create a narrative of Russian interference in the 2016 election, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said on Sunday. (RELATED: Report: Obama Admin. โ€˜Manufacturedโ€™ Intelligence To Establish Russian Collusion Narrative)

Gabbard appeared on Sunday Morning Futures on Fox News, where she alleged a massive cover-up by intelligence officials in the Obama administration.

โ€œThere was direct intent to cover up the truth about what occurred and who was responsible, and the broad network of how this seditious conspiracy was concocted and who exactly was responsible for carrying it out,โ€ Gabbard claimed.

โ€œSo at the end of the day, we need to look at Pam Bondi?โ€ host Maria Bartiromo asked. โ€œIs that the person who, at the end of the day, is gonna bring us accountability. Pam Bondi?โ€

Gabbard confirmed took the rare step of publicly calling on fellow administration officials to take action.

โ€œAttorney General Pam Bondi, FBI director Kash Patel,โ€ the director responded. โ€œIt is their responsibility to gather all of the evidence, both that we have released, the facts that have already been known previously, the information that will continue to come out, and move forward with this prosecution and these indictments.โ€

Gabbard told Bartiromo that her team released 100 documents on Friday.

They โ€œprovide evidence of how this treasonous conspiracy was directed by President Obama just weeks before he was due to leave office after President Trump had already gotten elected,โ€ she noted. Gabbard also said they were referring all the records to the Department of Justice and FBI for a criminal referral.

โ€œSo the effect of what President Obama and his senior national security team did was subvert the will of the American people, undermining our democratic republic, and enacting what would be essentially a years-long coup against President Trump, who was duly elected by the American people,โ€ Gabbard declared.

Pressed on whether she expects future indictments and prosecutions, Gabbard replied, โ€œIโ€™m not a lawyer. In my view, we have the evidence to be able to move forward and bring about justice, yes, to prosecute and indict those responsible.โ€

In aย threadย posted to X on Friday, Gabbard shared clips of documents and contended that Obama directed his top intelligence officials to โ€œcreateโ€ a new intelligence assessment in December 2016 that contradicted prior analyses, after which they โ€œleaned on their allies in the media to advance their falsehoodsโ€ and push the narrative that Russia โ€œintervened to hack the election in Trumpโ€™s favor.โ€

Watch:

Trump Files Motion To Halt Hush Money Case Sentencing

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Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Time is running out…

On Monday, President-elect Donald Trump’s legal team filed a motion urging Judge Juan Merchan to hold off on sentencing him on Jan. 10 in his New York criminal conviction.

Last week, the New York judge announced sentencing wouldย move forward this Fridayย despite his imminent return to the White House

Trumpโ€™s attorneys told Merchan they are appealing his recent rulings upholding the juryโ€™s guilty verdict and argued the judge must pause the case in the meantime. 

โ€œBy virtue of President Trumpโ€™s filing of appellate proceedings raising his claims of Presidential immunity, all proceedings in this Court are automatically stayed by operation of federal constitutional law,โ€ Trumpโ€™s attorneys wrote in the new filing, which was made public Monday. 

โ€œIn the alternative, even if such a stay were discretionary, the Court should grant such a stay. The Court should vacate the sentencing hearing scheduled for January 10, 2025, and suspend all further deadlines in the case until President Trumpโ€™s immunity appeals are fully and finally resolved, which should result in a dismissal of this case, which should have never been brought in the first place,โ€ they continued. 

They asked Merchan to notify the parties by 2 p.m. EST Monday whether he will cancel the sentencing and said they would be filing two appeals Monday in state court. 

โ€œThe Supreme Courtโ€™s historic decision on Immunity, the state constitution of New York, and other established legal precedent mandate that this meritless hoax be immediately dismissed,โ€ Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung, who is set to become White House communications director, said in a statement.ย 

A New York jury found Trump guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records in connection with a hush money payment made to adult film performer Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 presidential election so she would keep an alleged affair secret.  

It is the only one of Trumpโ€™s criminal prosecutions to have reached trial.

Trumpโ€™s sentencing in New York comes after the judge rejected two of his attempts to dismiss the case.

In scheduling Fridayโ€™s sentencing, Merchan rejected a proposal to delay the proceeding until after Trumpโ€™s White House term, calling it โ€œless desirableโ€ and citing a need for finality in the case.

Former Congressman Madison Cawthorn Arrested

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Former Congressman Madison Cawthorn was briefly arrested this week in Cape Coral, Florida โ€” yet the setback may not slow what many believe is a mounting effort to reenter national politics.

Authorities took Cawthorn into custody on a warrant stemming from an August 19 citation for driving without a valid license in Naples. He was released shortly thereafter on a $2,000 bond and is expected to appear in court to resolve the matter. Supporters have dismissed the incident as a minor technicality, unlikely to derail his ambitions.


From Conservative Trailblazer to Political Lightning Rod

Cawthorn burst onto the national stage in 2020 as one of the youngest Republicans ever elected to Congress, winning his North Carolina seat at just 25 years old. He quickly became a symbol of youthful conservative energy and unapologetic defiance of the Washington establishment.

But his meteoric rise ran into turbulence during his lone term. In early 2022, he alleged that some D.C. elites had invited him to a cocaine-fueled โ€œorgy,โ€ a claim that drew sharp criticism from GOP leadership. Weeks later, police body camera footage showed him being pulled over while driving a car he mistakenly believed he owned, and he was also cited for bringing a firearm through airport security โ€” his second such incident in less than a year.

Republican leadership, once supportive, gradually distanced themselves. The controversies overshadowed his legislative work and contributed to his loss in the 2022 Republican primary.


Florida Could Offer a Second Act

Now, Cawthorn may be plotting a political revival โ€” this time from Floridaโ€™s 19th Congressional District, where Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) is expected to step down to run for governor. Axios recently reported that Cawthorn has been exploring a run to fill the soon-to-be-open seat, potentially offering him a clean slate and new political base in one of the countryโ€™s most Republican-leaning regions.

If he enters the race, Cawthorn could return to Washington older, more seasoned, and still armed with the anti-establishment instincts that made him a grassroots favorite. For many conservatives, his resilience โ€” and willingness to challenge entrenched power โ€” could be the very qualities the GOP needs in its next generation of leadership. for the second time in nine months.

Congresswoman Indicted Following ICE Facility Encounter

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A federal grand jury has indicted U.S. Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.) on two felony counts and one misdemeanor charge related to a physical altercation with federal officers outside a Newark immigration detention facility.

The incident occurred on May 9 at Delaney Hall, during what was described as a congressional oversight visit. McIver was joined by several Democratic colleagues and Newark Mayor Ras Baraka.

According to the U.S. Attorneyโ€™s Office for the District of New Jersey, McIver allegedly struck two federal officers โ€” once with her forearm and again while attempting to block the arrest of Mayor Baraka. Baraka had entered a restricted area without authorization. He was briefly detained for trespassing, but the charges were later dropped.

As The Washington Post reports:

Video released by the Department of Homeland Security showed McIver rushing after the agents as they tried to arrest Baraka outside the facilityโ€™s gates and shouting to protesters outside to โ€œsurround the mayor.โ€ At one point, McIverโ€™s elbows appear to make contact with a masked officer amid the crush of the crowd.

The two other members of Congress have not been charged.

Habba and McIver havepublicly said that prosecutors tried to reach a resolution with McIver without pressing charges but were not successful, though neither provided details.

โ€œThe Justice Department and Alina Habba wanted me to admit to doing something that I did not do, and I was not going to do that,โ€ McIver said on CNN last month. โ€œI came here to do my job and conduct an oversight visit, and they wanted me to say something differently, and Iโ€™m not doing that.โ€

Federal prosecutors claim McIverโ€™s actions constituted assault and obstruction of federal officers in the performance of their duties.

McIver has denied the allegations, claiming the charges are politically motivated and amount to intimidation over her work on immigration oversight. Her attorney, Paul J. Fishman, called the case โ€œpolitical retaliation against a dedicated public servant who refuses to shy away from her oversight responsibilitiesโ€ and vowed to prove her innocence in court.

Fishman previously served as U.S. attorney for the District of New Jersey from 2009 to 2017.

The case is unusual. Criminal indictments of sitting members of Congress are rare โ€” especially ones that donโ€™t involve financial misconduct or corruption. This case centers instead on conduct during an official visit tied to immigration enforcement.

Legal experts say the indictment could reignite debate over how much leeway lawmakers have in conducting oversight of federal agencies, particularly those involving immigration detention practices.

An arraignment date for McIver has not yet been set. If convicted, she faces up to eight years in prison for each felony count, and up to one year for the misdemeanor.

Illegal Immigrant Suspect Charged In Boulder Terror Attack

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Suspect Mohamed Sabry Soliman is now facing murder, assault and other charges following what the FBI calledย aย “targeted terror attack”ย in Boulder, Colorado, over the weekend.ย 

The violence Sunday against a pro-Israel group advocating for Hamas to release Israeli hostages left eight people, ages 52 to 88, with injuries, including one in critical condition, according to the FBI. Police responded to the area after receiving reports of a man with a weapon setting people on fire. 

Soliman wasย chargedย with murder in the first degree โ€“ deliberation with intent; murder in the first degree โ€“ extreme indifference; crimes against at-risk adults/elderly; 1st degree assault โ€“ non-family; 1st degree assault โ€“ heat of passion;ย criminal attempt to commit class one and class two felonies; and use of explosives or incendiary devices during felony.

The suspect in the firebombing attack targeting a pro-Israel demonstration in Colorado is believed to be an illegal alien from Egpyt who overstayed his visa after it expired.

Several people wereย injuredย Sunday afternoon at a Boulder, Colorado, rally in support of the Israelis taken hostage by Hamas terrorists after a man set people on fire whileย yellingย โ€œfree Palestineโ€ and โ€œend zionist.โ€ Police arrived at the scene and found that victims had โ€œinjuries consistent with burns and other injuries.โ€

The FBIย saidย that six people were taken to the hospital with injuries, and that a witness said the suspect in the attack โ€œused a makeshift flame thrower and threw an incendiary device into the crowd.โ€

As of Monday morning, there have been no fatalities confirmed by either the FBI or Boulder Police Department. Soliman was booked into the Boulder County Jail on Sunday evening and remains held on a $10 million bond.ย 

Authorities are now investigating the firebombing attack against the pro-Israel demonstration as an act of ideologically motivated terrorism.

โ€œWe are investigating this incident as an act of terror, and targeted violence. All of the necessary assets will be dedicated to this investigation,โ€ FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said in a statement online. โ€œIf you have any investigative tips please contact the FBI. And if you aided or abetted this attack, we will find you. You cannot hide.โ€

โ€œThis act of terror is being investigated as an act of ideologically motivated violence based on the early information, the evidence, and witness accounts,โ€ Bongino added in a subsequent post.

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard added that her agency is investigating the case.

โ€œNational Counterterrorism Center is working with the FBI and local law enforcement on the ground investigating the targeted terror attack against a weekly meeting of Jewish community members who had just gathered in Boulder, CO to raise awareness of the hostages kidnapped during Hamasโ€™ attack on Israel on Oct. 7.โ€

White House Deputy Chief of Staffย Stephen Millerย slammed the Biden administration in a post calling for โ€œsuicidal migrationโ€ to be reversed after Soliman’s visa status was revealed.

Secret Service Employee Fired Over Charlie Kirk Comments

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A U.S. Secret Service employee has been placed on immediate administrative leave after reportedly celebrating the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk in a social media post, Fox News Digital confirmed Friday.

“The U.S. Secret Service will not tolerate behavior that violates our code of conduct. This employee was immediately put on administrative leave, and an investigation has begun,” a Secret Service spokesperson told Fox News when asked about the employment status of Anthony Pough.

Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

According to Real Clear Politics, Pough had posted on Facebook celebrating Kirkโ€™s death, accusing the conservative leader of spreading โ€œracism.โ€

“If you are Mourning [sic] this guy .. delete me. He spewed hate and racism on his show,” Pough wrote, according to the outlet. He also referenced the recent Evergreen High School shooting in Colorado that left two students injured, writing, “Especially when we should be mourning the innocent children killed in Colorado.”

Pough further claimed that Kirkโ€™s death was โ€œkarma,โ€ writing, “At the end of the day, you answer to GOD and speak things into existence. You can only circumvent karma, she doesnt [sic] leave.”

Kirk was attending a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday afternoon when a single shot rang out and struck Kirk in the neck. He was transported to a local hospital and was pronounced dead just hours later. 

Real Clear Politics reported that Pough was in โ€œPhase 2โ€ of his career with the Secret Service, a stage where agents are focused on protective assignments. He had not yet been assigned to any regular detail protecting former President Donald Trump. According to the agencyโ€™s website, Phase 3 typically involves post-protective field, protection, or headquarters assignments.

Kirk was shot Wednesday afternoon while attending a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University. He was struck once in the neck and later pronounced dead at a local hospital. He is survived by his wife, Erika, and their two young children, ages 1 and 3. The couple married in 2021. (RELATED: MSNBC Fires Analyst Matthew Dowd For โ€˜Unacceptableโ€™ Charlie Kirk Comments)

Kirk leaves behind his wife, Erika Kirk, as well as their two children, ages 1 and 3. The Kirks married in 2021.

Vice President JD Vance and second lady Usha Vance accompanied Kirk’s casket back to Arizona, where he resided with his family, on Thursday via Air Force Two. 

READ NEXT: Report: Homeland Security Confirms Probe Into Immigration Status Of Boston Lawmaker

House Democrats Release Emails Linking Epstein and Trump in Ongoing Oversight Probe

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By The White House - https://www.flickr.com/photos/202101414@N05/54581054338/, Public Domain,

Democrats on the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday released a new batch of emails connected to Jeffrey Epstein that reference President Donald Trump.

The correspondence, which includes messages between Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, and author Michael Wolff, was reportedly obtained from Epsteinโ€™s estate as part of an ongoing congressional review of more than 23,000 documents.

By Ralph Alswang, White House photographer – https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/clinton-epstein-maxwell/, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=143417695

In a 2011 email to Maxwell, Epstein wrote that Mr. Trump โ€œspent hours at my houseโ€ with one of Epsteinโ€™s alleged victims, whose name was redacted. โ€œI want you to realize that that dog that hasnโ€™t barked is Trump. [Victim 1] spent hours at my house with him, he has never once been mentioned,โ€ Epstein wrote. Maxwell responded, โ€œI have been thinking about thatโ€ฆโ€

Another message, dated January 31, 2019, appears to show Epstein corresponding with Wolff about Mr. Trump and Mar-a-Lago. โ€œTrump said he asked me to resign, never a member ever. of course he knew about the girls as he asked ghislaine to stop,โ€ Epstein wrote.

A third exchange between Epstein and Wolff, dated December 15, 2015, discusses how then-candidate Trump might respond to media questions about his connection to Epstein. Wolff wrote, โ€œI hear CNN planning to ask Trump tonight about his relationship with youโ€”either on air or in scrum afterwards.โ€ Epstein replied, โ€œif we were able to craft an answer for him, what do you think it should be?โ€ Wolff responded, โ€œI think you should let him hang himself. If he says he hasnโ€™t been on the plane or to the house, then that gives you a valuable PR and political currency… Of course, it is possible that, when asked, heโ€™ll say Jeffrey is a great guy and has gotten a raw deal and is a victim of political correctness, which is to be outlawed in a Trump regime.โ€

Mr. Trump announced his first presidential campaign in June 2015. Wolff later wrote Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House, published in 2018.

Epstein and Mr. Trump were social acquaintances in New York and Florida from the late 1980s through the early 2000s. The President has said he cut ties with Epstein in 2004, long before Epsteinโ€™s 2019 arrest on federal sex trafficking charges. Mr. Trump has not been accused of wrongdoing.

Epstein died by suicide in a Manhattan federal jail in 2019 while awaiting trial. Maxwell was later convicted of conspiring in Epsteinโ€™s sex trafficking operation and is serving a 20-year sentence.

Rep. Robert Garcia of California, the top Democrat on the Oversight Committee, said in a statement that the Justice Department should release its full Epstein files โ€œimmediately.โ€

He added, โ€œThe more Donald Trump tries to cover up the Epstein files, the more we uncover. These latest emails and correspondence raise glaring questions about what else the White House is hiding and the nature of the relationship between Epstein and the President.โ€

The email release coincides with a broader congressional push for transparency in the Epstein case. Lawmakers are reviewing materials from Epsteinโ€™s estate and have sought information from former officials, including past attorneys general and FBI directors. The committee has also questioned Alex Acosta, the former U.S. attorney who oversaw Epsteinโ€™s controversial plea deal in Florida and later served as Labor Secretary under Mr. Trump. Acosta resigned in 2019 amid scrutiny over his handling of the Epstein case.

The House returned to session Wednesday for the first time since mid-September, with Democrats expected to advance a discharge petition to compel the Justice Department to make public its Epstein investigation files. A vote on the measure is not expected until next month.

Trump Secures Key Border Patrol Endorsement At Arizona Rally

Former President Donald Trump received a significant endorsement from the Border Patrol union during a campaign rally in Arizona, a crucial swing state. The endorsement could prove pivotal as immigration remains a top concern for voters.

The rally, held on Sunday, was marked by Trumpโ€™s promise to increase border security. He announced plans to hire 10,000 additional border agents, provide a 10% pay raise and introduce a $10,000 signing and retention bonus. โ€œThey deserve it,โ€ Trump said, highlighting what he described as unfair treatment of agents.

The Washington Times further reports on border security personnel throwing their support behind the only candidate they believe will secure the border:

Paul Perez, president of the union representing 16,000 Border Patrol agents, said the former president has been aย trueย ally.

โ€œAmerica, I have a message for you: If we allow โ€˜Border Czarโ€™ Harris to win this election, every city, every community in this great country is going to go to hell,โ€ Mr. Perez said, lamenting that millions of unvetted migrants who have entered the country illegally under the Biden-Harris administration.

โ€œOnly one man can fix that. That isย Donald J. Trump,โ€ he said.

โ€œHe has always stood with the men and women who protect this border, who put their lives on the line for the country,โ€ he said.

Illegal immigration has consistently ranked as a key issue, with a study in June revealing that half of the jobs created under President Bidenโ€™s economic policies went to undocumented workers rather than American citizens.

Trumpโ€™s endorsement by the Border Patrol union comes as Democrats face increasing pressure over their handling of the border crisis. Matt Corridoni, spokesperson for the Harris campaign, criticized the endorsement, pointing to what he called Trumpโ€™s broken promises. โ€œTrump told us Mexico would pay for his failed border wall. That was a lie,โ€ Corridoni stated, adding that Trump killed a bipartisan border bill that could have strengthened border security.

Corridoni also defended Vice President Kamala Harrisโ€™s record, stating, โ€œThereโ€™s only one candidate focused on tackling issues for the American people, has taken on transnational gangs, and is focused on keeping our communities safeโ€”Vice President Kamala Harris.โ€

Despite these efforts, Democrats have faced challenges in managing immigration. Harris, in her role as “border czar,” has been criticized for the influx of nearly 10 million undocumented migrants during her tenure. The situation worsened when Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas confirmed on Oct. 2 that DHS may not have sufficient funds to provide assistance through the end of the hurricane season, after spending $1 billion on immigration-related costs.

As Election Day rapidly approaches, immigration is likely to remain a central issue, with both parties vying for voters concerned about border security.

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