Insight Spotlight

Newsletter Index

This newsletter aims to provide insight into what Democrats are doing to help build a better future for everyone. This page will feature local party news, and highlights from WisDems and other media sources. We’ll also feature locally written essays and letters to the editor from time to time.

PLEASE SEND any ideas for “Insight Spotlight” to Mary Vitcenda, Editor, at mev1972@hotmail.com.

NOTE: Locally written items in this newsletter reflect the thoughts and opinions of their authors. They are not formal positions or statements from the Sawyer County LCO Democratic party.

Perry Govier Perry Govier

Issue 2

Dec. 26, 2023

Quote to Note

Fear never builds the future, but hope does. And building the future is what America does, what we’ve always done.
Joe Biden
(21:59 in transcript)

Kindness is (Still) a Show of Strength

By Steven Beschloss
Dec. 22, 2023
(including reprint of 2021 essay)
Excerpts

 

President Biden and his beloved dog Champ in the Oval Office in 2021. White House photo 

The toxicity of the body politic—particularly fueled by the GOP’s leading presidential candidate—can undermine our belief in the basic decency of people. Donald Trump’s use of dehumanizing language like “vermin” to describe political opponents or Hitlerian concepts like “poisoning the blood of the country” to describe immigrants can make us doubt that America and its leaders are capable of better.

 That’s why I offer this uplifting reminder of positive leadership, originally published June 21, 2021, two days after the death of the Biden family dog, Champ. This essay remains one of my favorites, and I hope you find it inspiriting, whether it’s the first time you’re reading it or a repeat experience.

 Even as we must aggressively confront the worst among us who are drawn to cruelty and dictatorship, we can and must continue to appeal to our better angels. In the year ahead, I hope voters will back more caring leaders capable of kindness, compassion and empathy. Read the full essay.

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Ten Topics and Myriad Questions
for Tom Tiffany
Part 2: Covid

By Jim Bootz, Vice Chair, Sawyer County LCO Democrats

When the pandemic struck, Tiffany had some very specific ideas of his own about how it should and should not be handled. In 2020, Tiffany introduced his first bill in the US House, in which he proposed pulling federal funding from schools that didn't open for in-person classes by September 8th of that year. That alone prompted the first question I wished to ask him on the topic, "Did you, at any time, even briefly consider a different approach, in which Congress would provide the funding necessary for schools to re-open safely?"

One media outlet did ask him if he thought rushing to open schools would cause a second wave of the virus. His response was, "I think its clear children aren't affected by this and we should work to get them back at school." How is it clear, Tom? What specific information do you have, or level of expertise do you possess, in the realm of public health and in particular communicable diseases, to support that? Even if it were true that children couldn't catch COVID or die from it--and it obviously isn't--do you understand how the lives of teachers, staff, their family members, and the family members of all of those schoolchildren would be put at risk?

The rationalization Tiffany offered was, "It's so important to get kids back to school this fall, we saw them lose nearly a semester's worth of learning with many kids home, some of them without any broadband connection." I'd like to hear from Tom what he's done to help expand broadband access to all of Wisconsin, or at least all of his district. He could have voted for that, but he chose to vote "no" on the bill that brought over $1 billion in broadband expansion funds to Wisconsin.

There's a theme that seems to run through Republican approaches to governing these days. The governors of Florida and Texas have, with the enthusiastic help of their Republican-dominated state houses, used their offices to wage a culture war and to pass laws that seem to have just one purpose, to stifle the constituencies that don't vote for them. Tiffany's almost gleeful threat to punish schools is consistent with the animosity towards educators frequently demonstrated by Republicans. And this leads me to ask Tiffany, "Do you feel it's the role of an elected official to punish constituents with whom he disagrees politically? Do you feel that punishing anyone is part of holding elected office? Do you see it as the role of a congressman to serve only those who voted for him?"

If Tom were to answer that last question with a "no," I would then want to know why he continues to use his town halls and emails to traffic in conspiracy theories and groundless accusations. While there's clearly an appetite among Republican voters for that sort of thing, those who don't share it have to endure having their intelligence insulted repeatedly by Rep. Tiffany. Does he have anything else to offer the people of CD-7, or is it all just red meat for angry right-wingers?

And finally, even if it were accepted as a norm that members of Congress use their votes to reward certain constituency groups and harm others, can Tiffany justify his punishing votes when they end up punishing many of his strongest supporters? He voted against the American Rescue Plan Act and against the Restaurant Revitalization Fund which would have provided restaurants with funding equal to their pandemic-related revenue loss when it was so badly needed. What, in Tom's mind, was more important than to help small businesses in his district who were struggling to stay afloat through no fault of their own? Was there some higher principle he was serving, and could he please share with us what that was?

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Joan Cervenka, right, treasurer, Sawyer County LCO Democrats, presents a donation to Joey Johnson, Executive Director, Hayward Senior Resource Center

In Case You Missed It
Local Edition

Sawyer County LCO website
Dec. 11, 2023
Excerpt

Meals on Wheels and related non-profit food programs in Sawyer County recently received a boost thanks to the Democratic Party of Sawyer County and LCO Reservation. The party presented $500 to five area sites offering food-related services to seniors and others in need—$100 each. Full story and more photos

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In Case You Missed It
State Edition

Recent News Releases from WisDems

DPW on Supreme Court Taking Up Abortion Medication Case

Dec. 14, 2023
Excerpt

“Make no mistake: as Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans push this country toward a national abortion ban and the Supreme Court hears this case, Wisconsinites’ freedoms are under threat. If the Supreme Court restricts access to mifepristone—a safe and effective abortion medication—it will be an alarming step towards Trump and Republicans’ ultimate goal of stripping away Wisconsinites’ reproductive rights after Trump-appointed justices helped overturn Roe. Read full news release.

DPW on Falling Inflation

Dec. 12, 2023
Excerpt

Today’s CPI report is yet another clear example that Bidenomics is working for Wisconsin families. Under the Biden-Harris Administration’s leadership, inflation continues to fall, wages are rising, thousands of new jobs are pouring back into our state, and hardworking Wisconsinites are reaping the benefits.

MAGA Republicans like Donald Trump, on the other hand, continue to push failed trickle-down policies that would roll back President Biden’s transformative progress for America’s middle class. As the GOP continues to put the pocketbooks of the ultra-wealthy and big corporations ahead of Wisconsin families, President Biden, Vice President Harris, and Democrats remain focused on building our economy from the bottom up and the middle out. Read full news release.

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Gov. Evers Statement on Wisconsin Supreme Court Ruling

Dec. 22, 2023
Excerpt

MADISON, Nov. 27, 2023—Gov. and First Lady Kathy Evers today shared a video message encouraging Wisconsinites to take care of their mental health during the holiday season.

Earlier this year, in recognition of the troubling statistics seen over the past few years regarding mental health and the growing demand for mental and behavioral health services providers have seen across the state, Gov. Evers declared 2023 the Year of Mental Health, calling mental and behavioral health a “burgeoning crisis” affecting the state and Wisconsin’s kids, families, and workforce. See full press release.

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In Case You Missed It
National Edition

Excerpt

In 2023, President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda Delivered Results for American Families

White House Briefing Room, Dec. 22, 2023:

During his first two years in office President Biden worked with Congressional Democrats to pass historic laws that form the basis of his Investing in America agenda — a key pillar of Bidenomics. The American Rescue Plan, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the CHIPS and Science Act, and Inflation Reduction Act are transforming lives across the country by lowering costs, creating good-paying jobs, revitalizing American manufacturing, and empowering workers.

This year, the President and the entire Biden-Harris Administration have worked every day to quickly and effectively implement these laws and invest in communities that have too often been left behind. And we are showing Americans how President Biden’s agenda is benefitting their communities: we deployed Cabinet and Administration Officials across over 40 states through four Investing in America tours, holding hundreds of events to highlight the impact of the President’s agenda. And we launched a new website — invest.gov — where Americans can see how President Biden’s actions are reaching their own communities. Read full statement.

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In Case You Missed It
National Edition

Liz Cheney: We’re seeing ‘a sort of a sleepwalking into dictatorship’

‘CBS Sunday Morning’ interview
Dec. 3, 2023
Excerpts

Liz Cheney on '“CBS Sunday Morning”

From interview

John Dickerson: “If a person is a member of Congress and they’ve sworn an oath to defend the Constitution—can they defend the Constitution and also endorse Donald Trump?”

Liz Cheney: “No. They’re inconsistent.”

John Dickerson: “So they’re breaking with their oath by saying they would like hm to be the next president?”

Liz Cheney: “In my view fundamentally there is a choice to be made. You can’t both be for Donald Trump and for the Constitution. You have to choose.”

 Liz Cheney’s statement from Jan. 6 committee

“Tonight I say this to my Republican colleagues: You are defending the indefensible. There will come a day when Donald Trump is gone. But your dishonor will remain.”

From interview

John Dickerson: “You say Donald Trump if he is re-elected, it will be the end of the Republic. What do you mean?”

Liz Cheney: “He’s told us what he will do. People who say, well, if he’s elected, it’s not that dangerous because we have all these checks and balances, don’t fully understand the extent to which Republicans in Congress today have been co-opted. One of the things we see happening today is a sort of a sleepwalking into a dictatorship in the United States. . . . The things he has said and done in some ways are so outrageous that we have become numb to them.

What I believe is the cause of our time is that we not become numb—that we understand the warning signs, that we understand the danger, and that we ignore partisan politics to stop him.” Watch full interview.

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Compare and Contrast

Christmas Greetings from President Biden and the Twice Impeached, Multiply Indicted Former Guy

Sources: Twitter and Truth Social, via MeidasTouch TV
Dec. 24, 2023

Communiques from President Biden and Donald Trump during the Christmas holiday speak volumes about what kind of people they are.

President Biden

Excerpt: “This Christmas Even, Jill and I got to speak with some excited young Americans who happened to be very curious about the whereabouts of one Santa Claus.”

Donald Trump

Excerpt: “Merry Christmas to all, including Crooked Joe Biden’s ONLY HOPE, Deranged Jack Smith. . . MAY THEY ROT IN HELL. AGAIN, MERRY CHRISTMAS!”

President Biden

Donald Trump

Read More
Mary Vitcenda Mary Vitcenda

Issue 1

Dec. 12, 2023

Quote to Note

‘No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.’
Winston Churchill

Barack Obama on Telling Our Story

Appearance on Pod Save America, Nov. 6, 2023
Excerpts

Jon Favreau: In this media environment, what story would you tell about why democracy is a better choice than what the demagogues and authoritarians are selling?

 Barack Obama: . . . I think the starting point is to talk about the things that are uppermost on people’s minds to give you a permission structure to get to democracy. . . And speak about those squarely. And that’s the gateway that then gets to where we want to be . . .

 . . . I think the argument we can tap into right now is remembering, reminding people that we’ve been through stuff like this before. . . And the good news is that because we had this system of being able to persuade each other about the better angels of our nature, in fits and starts, we got better. We got kinder. We got more tolerant. It’s never been perfect. It’s always been messy. But there was a pathway for us to express our better selves. And that was true not just for Democrats. It was true for Republicans, too . . .

 . . . What I’m always trying to look for is a way to get to the point where somebody who otherwise wouldn’t listen and is fearful and is angry and suspicious can stop because they feel as if I saw them for a second. And I understood their lives. And in that moment, maybe then I can persuade them that this precious thing we have, which is our ability to sort things out, and exercise forbearance towards each other. And understanding and just getting along and listening—if I can get to that moment, then I think we’ll be OK . . .

 . . . There are times when there’s room for a prophetic voice. Just radical truth telling. And not only is that sometimes satisfying, but our own base sometimes needs to hear that. But you have to pick and choose your spots, and you always have to . . . give people an opening. You have to give them an invitation—there’s gotta be room for them in that truth that you’re speaking. I’m telling you something that maybe you don’t want to hear, but I bet you can understand it and be a part of us addressing the truth. See full interview.

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Ten Topics and Myriad Questions
for Tom Tiffany
Part 1: Race and U.S. History

By Jim Bootz, Vice Chair, Sawyer County LCO Democrats

I'm not sure how I got on Tom Tiffany's call list, but I received my first invitation to one of his town halls in a voicemail message that mentioned Critical Race Theory (CRT) as being its theme. I wondered, "What does Tom Tiffany know about Critical Race Theory?" Perhaps he'd bring along a distinguished scholar as an authoritative source on the subject. And does he know that it's not taught in any primary schools in the nation, as it's a graduate level college course?  No matter, it was too late. The message was received shortly before the meeting started. It was over before I knew about it.

 I was also led to wonder why he thought the topic was worthy of a town hall meeting. I found that, in his 2021 Wisconsin GOP convention speech, he called CRT "flat out racism." Could he cite any part of the curriculum that would lead a reasonable person to think that? This statement suggested a troubling pattern with Tom. He voted against removing Confederate memorials from the U.S. Capitol. He voted against recognizing Juneteenth as a national holiday. And he opposes teaching U.S. history that includes anything regarding race that he fears would portray all white people as being bad, such as slavery.

 People who were willing to tear our nation apart to preserve their supposed right to own other human beings were the root cause for the Civil War, as well as the lasting turmoil that was left in its wake. Can you tell that story without mentioning race? I can't say, having been white my entire life, that I've ever felt ashamed of my race while I was studying U.S. history. I've been disgusted at the white people who seemed to have no qualms about kidnapping massive numbers of people from another continent—and of another race—and bringing them here to be treated as farm animals.

 But I do have the utmost admiration for those white people who fought to put an end to that. So, the first question that I'd wanted to ask Tom Tiffany, if I'd attended a town hall meeting and been free to ask, came out this way: "If the year were 1861 and you were standing in line to sign up to fight in the Civil War, which side would you be joining and, most importantly, why?"

 But that's barely scratching the surface. It conjures up so many more questions. Why did Tiffany feel comfortable with his uninformed bashing of Critical Race Theory? Does he see his constituency as being white enough that he doesn't have to worry about treading on any toes up here? It would be great to know what specific historical facts and events would make Tom feel ashamed of being white. I can't say I understand it, but could he tell us if his desire to filter out unsightly American history extends to mention of other races, too? What else would Tom remove from history books if he could? Would the Trail of Tears or Wounded Knee or "Let them eat grass" make the cut?

 But finally, what kind of person wants to edit out anything from our nation's history? What kind of person seeks to keep a nation uninformed about their own past? Someone who doesn't trust democracy? Someone who prefers an uninformed and compliant populace? What is Tiffany's objective? Does he want to promote white grievance while denying that members of any other race should ever have one?

 As you can see, I've blown right past my 10 questions, and I'm afraid I'm likely to continue expanding this list. So, let's make this "Ten Topics and Myriad Questions for Tom Tiffany" instead. This first topic has been Race and U.S. History. There are so many more questions for Tom, and I'll continue to raise them with topics that will include COVID Response, Elections, Women's Health, Mass Shootings, and Representative Democracy, Trust, and the Truth. As for getting an answer to any of these questions from Tiffany, I'll leave that challenge with the reader.

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More Toxicity from Tom

Sources: WisDems Message Monday; Kirk Bangstad newsletter

TOP MESSAGE: Tom Tiffany is an ultra-MAGA Republican who will stop at nothing to force his radical agenda on Wisconsin. By far the most conservative member of the Wisconsin congressional delegation, Tiffany wants to take away millions of Wisconsinites’ hard-earned Social Security and Medicare benefits and slash veterans’ benefits and health care. He’s even voted to take away Wisconsinites’ freedoms and to undermine the will of the people by overturning the 2020 election.

*Tom Tiffany has spent years spreading Donald Trump’s false election conspiracy theories.

 ·         *Tom Tiffany voted to overturn President Biden’s victory in Pennsylvania and Arizona and said that he would have voted to overturn Wisconsin’s election results if a vote had been held.

*As recently as April 2023, Tom Tiffany refused to acknowledge that President Biden won the 2020 election.

*Latest news: Tom Tiffany voted against expelling Geoge Santos from Congress, despite egregious behavior condemned by Republicans and Democrats alike. Bad behavior begets more bad behavior.

*Tom Tiffany is an anti-abortion extremist who co-sponsored a national abortion ban that doesn’t include exceptions for rape or incest.

*Tom Tiffany has backed legislation that would slash veterans’ benefits and health care and spearheaded efforts to cut Social Security and Medicare.

·         *Tom Tiffany helped write a plan that would raise the age of eligibility for Medicare and Social Security, privatize Social Security, and turn Medicare into a voucher system. Tiffany said separately that he supports raising the retirement age.

·         *Tom Tiffany voted against the bipartisan PACT Act, which was the most significant expansion of veterans’ health care in 30 years, extending benefits to more than 3.5 million combat veterans exposed to toxins during their military service.

*Tom Tiffany voted against the American Rescue Plan, which delivered direct relief to the American people and helped rescue the American economy after the devastation of COVID-19.
         *The American Rescue Plan has been hard at work to support the economy in Tiffany’s own district.

·      *One example: Rice Lake received a $3.1 million grant through the Neighborhood Investment Program, funded by the American Rescue Plan, to reconstruct the city’s main street. The road repairs will help revitalize the city’s downtown district, improve pedestrian safety, and attract new investments to the region. See our story on Gov. Evers cutting the ribbon Nov. 17 to open Rice Lake’s new Main Street.  

·*Tom Tiffany voted against the Inflation Reduction Act, and in so doing voted against lowering prescription drug prices, lowering health care costs, combating climate change, and a fairer tax system.

*Tom Tiffany voted against the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which delivers critical funding to Wisconsin infrastructure projects while creating good-paying jobs statewide, including in his own district.

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In Case You Missed It
State Edition

Weekly newsletter from Ben Wikler, Wisconsin Democratic Party Chair

Excerpts



Get Ready for Upcoming Elections

Nov. 27, 2023
On December 1, candidates for local offices [began] gathering signatures to ensure that they’ll be on the ballot come this spring. Those signatures are due on January 2. Primaries are coming on February 13. And the general election for local offices will take place this coming April 2.

It’s coming soon. And here’s the bad news: that April 2 local election is on the same day, and the same ballot, as the GOP presidential preference primary. Expect high MAGA turnout. 

So many offices will be on the ballot this spring. More than 1,600 county supervisors. Dozens of mayors, from Kenosha to Wausau to Superior, and everything in between, and hundreds of common council and township board members. More than 50 circuit court judgeships. Two Court of Appeals judgeships. School boards from Eau Claire to Milwaukee. And much more. 

These offices are critical for local governance and the direct effect they have on the lives of Wisconsinites. 

And many are critical for another reason as well: they directly affect how the November elections will be administered and adjudicated. 

Never forget: Four of the last six presidential elections in Wisconsin have come down to less than one percentage point.

So . . . let’s get back to work—to win local races that can safeguard the future of American democracy in the tipping-point state. 

Dec. 8, 2023

Moore, WisDems Promote Medicaid Expansion In Face of GOP Attacks on Health Care

Dec. 8, 2023

On Dec. 7, Rep. Gwen Moore, State Rep. Kalan Haywood, and WisDems Chair Ben Wikler held a press call highlighting how North Carolina’s recent expansion of Medicaid has left Wisconsin as one of just 10 states to have not implemented Medicaid expansion under the ACA. 

 Despite broad public support for expanding Medicaid, Wisconsin Republicans have refused to lift a finger to address the skyrocketing costs of health care, rejecting every attempt to expand BadgerCare for over a decade. . . .

. . .Not only is Wisconsin behind the times on Medicaid expansion, but Trump and Wisconsin Republicans continue to remain dedicated to their years-long plot to “terminate” the ACA. If Trump gets his way, 228,000 Wisconsin seniors and people with disabilities could receive worse care. That’s the MAGA vision for Wisconsin—letting our vulnerable communities pay the price while the GOP sides with insurance companies and Big Pharma.

Medicaid expansion and protecting the ACA remain priorities for President Biden and Wisconsin Democrats, who will continue to fight to lower costs for seniors, vulnerable communities, and hard-working Wisconsin families.

In solidarity, Ben

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Gov. Evers, First Lady Encourage Wisconsinites to Take Care of Mental Health During Holiday Season

Press Release
Excerpt

MADISON, Nov. 27, 2023—Gov. and First Lady Kathy Evers today shared a video message encouraging Wisconsinites to take care of their mental health during the holiday season.

Earlier this year, in recognition of the troubling statistics seen over the past few years regarding mental health and the growing demand for mental and behavioral health services providers have seen across the state, Gov. Evers declared 2023 the Year of Mental Health, calling mental and behavioral health a “burgeoning crisis” affecting the state and Wisconsin’s kids, families, and workforce. See full press release.

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In Case You Missed It
National Edition

Excerpts

Biden-Harris Administration Announces New Actions to Lower Health Care and Prescription Drug Costs

White House Briefing Room, Dec. 7, 2023:

President Biden believes that health care should be a right, not a privilege. For too long, corporate special interests and trickle-down economics have allowed Big Pharma to make record profits, while millions of Americans struggle to afford health care and prescription drugs to treat common and chronic conditions. As part of the President’s Bidenomics agenda, the Biden-Harris Administration is cracking down on price gouging and taking on special interests to lower costs for consumers and ensure every American has access to high-quality, affordable health care.


Today, the Biden-Harris Administration is announcing new actions to promote competition in health care and support lowering prescription drug costs for American families, including the release of a proposed framework for agencies on the exercise of march-in rights on taxpayer-funded drugs and other inventions, which specifies that price can be a factor in considering whether a drug is accessible to the public. The Administration believes taxpayer-funded medications should be reasonably available and affordable.

These actions build on the steps the Administration has already taken to lower health care costs, including capping the cost of insulin at $35 per product per month for seniors, finally allowing Medicare to negotiate lower prescription drug prices, requiring drug companies to pay rebates to Medicare if they raise prices faster than inflation, and locking in $800 per year in health insurance savings for 15 million Americans under President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act. See full fact sheet.

President Biden Launches New White House Supply Chain Council with Aim to Reduce Inflation

UPI News
Nov. 27, 2023

President Joe Biden on Nov. 27 announced dozens of new policy initiatives designed to strengthen the U.S. supply chain while lowering prices for inflation-weary American consumers.

Speaking at the first meeting of his new White House Council on Supply Chain Resilience, the president launched 30 new policy initiatives ranging across the the nation's economic sectors deemed critical to the United States' economic and national security. See full UPI story. | See White House Briefing Room fact sheet.  

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Compare and Contrast

Adapted from WisDems Message Monday
Nov. 27, 2023

Trump Renews Call to ‘Terminate’ Affordable Care Act

Donald Trump is running on an agenda to make America sicker, doubling down on his push to terminate the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that has provided hundreds of thousands of Wisconsinites with lifesaving health care over a decade. Here’s where Trump and President Biden stand on affordable health care.

Donald Trump
Trump’s latest campaign promise is to rip away affordable health care access from millions of Americans.

President Biden
The President has used his time in office to lower costs and expand access to health care—including by bolstering the ACA to reduce premiums and capping the price of insulin at $35 for seniors.

Donald Trump
Trump was one vote away from gutting the ACA in his first term, and he’s now campaigning to try again. Reminder: Republicans tried multiple times to repeal the ACA after it was passed. They have never come up with an alternative.

President Biden
The contrast is clear: While President Biden and Vice President Harris work to lower health care costs for families, Trump and MAGA Republicans are hellbent on siding with insurance companies and making health care costs more expensive for hardworking Americans and seniors.  

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