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☆ CNBC's Inside India newsletter: Will AI make or break India?
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Ganesh Rao | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

But one that could foreshadow India's growth story. Can Teleperformance's stock plunge be the canary in the coal mine for what is likely to happen to India because of AI? But it's likely to be a blip for India's growth trajectory, given the macro forces at play. Besides creating jobs that are less likely to be immediately disrupted by AI, India could also be a net beneficiary of artificial intelligence. The Indian stock market indexes, Sensex and Nifty 50 , are heading for a positive week again — up by 1% and 1.2%, respectively.

Persons: Findlay Kember, Klarna, ChatGPT, K Krithivasan, Krithivasan, Narendra Modi, It's, Shilan Shah, Goldman Sachs, Vinay Dwivedi, Ashok Gulati, Nomura, League Pickleball, Karine Jean, Pierre, Jerome Powell, Raghuram Rajan, Ashish Jain, CNBC's Ayushi Jindal Organizations: AFP, Getty, India's Tata Consultancy Services, Financial Times, TCS, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, University of Oxford, Capital Economics, Investment, Nomura, Qualcomm, Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing, UPI, India, Commission, Agricultural, United Pickleball Association, Global Sports, PPA, League, Washington Post, White, U.S ., Federal, CNBC, Reserve Bank of India, University of Chicago Booth School of Business Locations: Swedish, Paris, India, Chennai, U.S, Europe, China, Singapore, South Korea, Canada, United States

☆ Professional pickleball signs first international deal, looks to grow the sport in India
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Jessica Golden | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The United Pickleball Association and Global Sports announced a deal on Thursday to bring the PPA Tour and Major League Pickleball to the world's most populous country. It's the first international deal and major announcement for the United Pickleball Association, which was created after a merger between Major League Pickleball and the Professional Pickleball Association last February. The PPA Tour and Major League Pickleball retained their own distinct brands after the merger. "The PPA Tour India and MLP India will create a pathway for players to compete on pickleball's biggest stage and reach the top of the sport. The deal will also launch PPA Tour India, offering ranking points to players at events around the country.

Persons: Jose A, Iglesias, League Pickleball, Major League Pickleball, Connor Pardoe, Shashank Khaitan Organizations: El, El Nuevo Herald, Tribune, Service, Getty, United Pickleball Association, Global Sports, PPA, League, Major League, Professional Pickleball Association, MLP, India, MLP India, APP, Global Locations: Miami, El Nuevo, India, Asia, Australia, United Kingdom, Spain, Sweden, pickleball

☆ British investment bank says buy defense stocks, brace for $100 oil and 10% stock market correction
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( Yun Li | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Oil prices were slightly lower Monday as Israel, aided by the U.S., fended off Iran's aerial barrage. The investment bank believes aerospace and defense stocks could outperform in the short run in light of growing geopolitical risks. The biggest ETF in the industry is the iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF (ITA) , with about $5 billion in assets under management. Invesco Aerospace & Defense ETF (PPA ) and SPDR S & P Aerospace & Defense ETF (XAR) are two other popular offerings. To be sure, Liberum thinks the stock market could quickly reverse any losses as soon as the tensions in the Middle East ease.

Persons: Israel retaliating, Liberum, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Liberum, U.S ., Federal Reserve, West Texas Intermediate, May, U.S . Aerospace & Defense ETF, ITA, Invesco Aerospace & Defense ETF, P Aerospace & Defense ETF Locations: Iran, Israel, Damascus, Syria, U.S

☆ Major League Pickleball and PPA Tour complete long-awaited merger
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Jessica Golden | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Major League Pickleball and the Professional Pickleball Association have completed their long-awaited merger agreement and infused new capital into the sport, the leagues announced Thursday. The agreement comes after months of drama, hostility and negotiations between the competing pickleball leagues as they now join forces to determine the future of professional pickleball. "Today is an exciting day for everyone involved or interested in the world of pickleball," said PPA Tour founder and CEO Connor Pardoe. The merger will bring together more than 150 professional pickleball players, including many top-ranked players in the world. The PPA Tour features individual bracket-style tour, while MLP is a team-based format.

Persons: Lacy Schneemann, Major League Pickleball, Al Tylis, Tom Dundon, Connor Pardoe, haven't, Bruce Popko, Steve Kuhn, Julian DePietro, Brooks Wiley Organizations: Florida, League Pickleball, BLQK, Major League, Professional Pickleball Association, PPA, MLP, SC Holdings, D.C, Pickleball Team, CNBC, CNBC PRO Locations: Columbus , Ohio

☆ Electricity demand from data centers, AI and crypto could double in 2 years. How to play it
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Pia Singh | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The firm pointed to recent data from the International Energy Agency, which forecasted that electricity consumption from data centers, artificial intelligence and the cryptocurrency sector could double by 2026. "The latest IEA electricity forecasts paint an even more alarming outlook for data center consumption," analyst Hiral Patel wrote in a Monday note. Barclays said it is looking at three investment areas that are a key part of the trend: data center operators, data center suppliers and data center grid infrastructure builders. After successfully using lithium-ion batteries at a Dublin data center , Microsoft wants to expand grid-interactive battery storage in other areas. That includes nine data centers in Ireland, which is a data center hotspot in Europe that's also under increased risk given its soaring electricity consumption, Barclays said.

Persons: Hiral Patel, Morgan Stanley's, Europe that's, Stifel Nicolaus, Eaton Organizations: Barclays, International Energy Agency, CNBC, Microsoft, Electricity, Constellation, Digital Realty Trust, Digital, European Union, Blackstone, Digital Realty, Devices, AMD, Tech Locations: Japan, U.S, Dublin, Ireland, Europe, European, Frankfurt, Paris, Virginia

☆ Pro pickleball players band together as chaos, a merger and pay cuts grip the sport
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-15 | by ( Jessica Golden | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Major League Pickleball finals at Pickle & Chill on October 16, 2022 in Columbus, Ohio. Emilee Chinn | Getty ImagesDozens of professional pickleball players have formed a collective to voice their concerns about recent pay cuts and the future of the sport. In a letter obtained by CNBC, the collective shared their dissatisfaction with how they have been treated by Major League Pickleball and the Pro Pickleball Association Tour. The MLP and the PPA Tour are currently negotiating a proposed merger. CNBC spoke with multiple players who say they feel like they've been unfairly treated or received threats for not agreeing to the proposed pay cuts.

Persons: Emilee Chinn, Major League Pickleball, they've, LeBron James, Tom Brady, Kevin Durant, Patrick Mahomes, Julio DePietro, Steve Kuhn, Brooks Wiley, DePietro, Connor Pardoe, Jillian Braverman, Braverman, It's, Ritchie Tuazon Organizations: League Pickleball, Getty, CNBC, Major League, Pro Pickleball, MLP, PPA, Florida, NYSE, PPA Tour, MLP Challenger, California BLQK Bears Locations: Columbus , Ohio, Pardoe, California

☆ Major League Pickleball asks players to take 40% pay cut on the back of rapid growth
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Jessica Golden | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Major League Pickleball is requesting that players consent to compensation reductions of 40% in return for a reduction of work obligations, according an email sent to players that was obtained by CNBC. It comes as professional pickleball has seen rapid growth in nearly every category and as Major League Pickleball and Professional Pickleball Association are on the cusp of signing an on-again, off-again, on-again merger agreement. The MLP email notes the PPA has also been communicating with its players and has made similar requests for player compensation reductions. Reactions have been mixed among professional pickleball players. Two-time Major League Pickleball champion Thomas Wilson, however, said players are paid "more than fairly even with the cuts."

Persons: Thomas Wilson, League Pickleball, Brooks Wiley, Steve Kuhn, Dink Pickleball, pickleball, Jillian Braverman, Wilson, Laura Vossberg Gainor Organizations: MLP Mesa Premier League, USA, League, CNBC, MLP, PPA, Professional Pickleball, Twitter Locations: Mesa , Arizona

☆ Here’s what's worrying analysts going into Disney’s earnings report
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Brian Evans | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Analysts are eyeing updates on Disney's direct-to-consumer business and ESPN ahead of fiscal fourth-quarter results Wednesday, as the company pivots further into streaming. The analyst has a buy rating on Disney stock with a $125 per share price target, down from $128. Here's what other analysts on Wall Street are saying ahead of Disney's results. MoffettNathanson - buy rating MoffettNathanson has a buy rating on Disney stock and a $115 per share price target. Wells Fargo - overweight rating Wells Fargo analyst Steven Cahall rates the stock overweight with a $110 per share price target.

Persons: Disney, Goldman Sachs, Brett Feldman, Jason Bazinet, Morgan Stanley, Ben Swinburne, Michael Nathanson, Nathanson, Wells, Steven Cahall, Cahall, Michael Bloom Organizations: ESPN, Disney, DIS, Hulu, Comcast, Citi, Press, Sports, CNBC

REUTERS/Sergio Perez Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Nov 7 (Reuters) - European Union (EU) energy ministers last month struck a deal to reform the bloc's power market. German power market forwards for 2024 and 2025LIGHT-TOUCH REFORMEuropean power prices have fallen a long way from their 2022 peaks, when the region was still reeling from the reduction in Russian gas supplies. EU member states were deeply split on proposals for more fundamental reform of Europe's power market to allow for a complete break of the gas-power price linkage. The hard-won compromise keeps the existing market mechanism, which its supporters claim is more efficient than other models in a liberalised electricity market. The bloc's power prices have historically been twice those of the U.S., but are now three or four times higher.

Persons: Sergio Perez, Teresa Ribera, Bernard Respaut, Mats Gustavsson, Boliden, Gustavsson, Respaut, Jan Harvey Organizations: REUTERS, Union, Spain's Energy, Producers, European Copper Institute, EU, Alcoa, PPA, European Commission, Metals, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Alcobendas, Madrid, Spain, Ukraine, San, EU, U.S, Ireland, Europe

☆ Higher rates are killing the clean energy stocks — BofA says these are worth buying
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Brian Evans | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

There's still value to be found among renewable energy stocks despite a rout, according to Bank of America. Leading renewable stock NextEra Energy Partners trimmed its growth forecast earlier this week, sparking a sell-off in the cleantech sector that has lasted for several days. Its stock tumbled about 27% so far this week, while its parent NextEra Energy is down 15% during the same period. BofA analyst Julien Dumoulin-Smith said the event has caused a "collapse in confidence" in NextEra and stoked fears that higher rates will dampen demand for renewable energy projects. ConEd stock has slipped about 12% from the start of the year, while shares of Array are down nearly 2%.

Persons: Julien Dumoulin, Smith, BofA, ConEd, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Bank of America, Energy Partners, Energy, PPA, Utilities, NextEra Energy, Technologies, Consolidated Edison, NXT, ConEd Locations: NextEra, Dumoulin

Carvana PPA Tour Courtesy: Carvana PPA TourProfessional Pickleball is getting a dedicated home: The Tennis Channel. "It's going to create so much more access for people," PPA Tour owner Tom Dundon told CNBC. The pair will also create pickleballtv, a 24/7 standalone free, ad-supported streaming channel featuring matches as well as entertainment surrounding the sport. Dundon added it's a 50-50 partnership between the two entities, noting the PPA Tour will put the capital in and Tennis Channel will bring its production and media expertise. He foresees the joint venture propelling further media rights deals with the help of Tennis Channel executives that are familiar with TV carriage negotiations and building up streaming platforms.

Persons: Pickleball, Tom Dundon, Sinclair, Dundon, Read, Ken Solomon Organizations: Tennis Channel, PPA, Tennis, CNBC, Disney, ESPN, Paramount, CBS, Prime, Fox, Apple, Major League Soccer, MLS Locations: U.S, Pickleball.com

☆ Major League Pickleball merger with PPA is back on after a falling out threatened the deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Jessica Golden | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Lacy Schneemann of the Florida Smash returns a shot during a group play Major League Pickleball match against BLQK at Pickle & Chill on October 15, 2022 in Columbus, Ohio. After weeks of drama in professional pickleball, the PPA Tour and Major League Pickleball have again agreed to merge, the leagues said Wednesday. "As professional pickleball continues to rapidly grow, we could not be more excited to provide both players and fans with the clarity and consistency of a unified professional pickleball organization," Major League Pickleball founder Steve Kuhn said in a statement. On the professional level, Major League Pickleball teams values have skyrocketed, with some teams going for $10 million. Major League Pickleball owners include many high profile athletes from LeBron James and Kevin Durant to Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes.

Persons: Lacy Schneemann, League Pickleball, Tom Dundon, pickleball, Steve Kuhn, Kuhn, Dundon, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes Organizations: Florida, League Pickleball, BLQK, PPA, League, SC Holdings, MLP, pickleball, Major League Pickleball Locations: Columbus , Ohio

☆ Mega pickleball merger between Major League Pickleball and PPA is in jeopardy
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Jessica Golden | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The Professional Pickleball Association and Major League Pickleball are now at odds after announcing in November that they would join forces and merge team competition leagues. The PPA told CNBC that MLP has not yet signed the partnership deal they verbally agreed to 10 months ago. "I don't know what Steve Kuhn's intentions were the entire time," Connor Pardoe, PPA Tour CEO told CNBC. Kuhn told CNBC that there are "numerous misrepresentations of reality" taking place, without providing specifics. He said if the PPA is willing to pay their players more, he's willing to talk about aligning with the league.

Persons: There's, Major League Pickleball, Tom Dundon, Steve Kuhn, Steve, Connor Pardoe, Pardoe, Kuhn, we'll, Julio DePietro, Zubin Mehta Organizations: Seattle Pioneers, Los Angeles Mad, Premier League, Professional Pickleball Association, Major League, PPA, CNBC, MLP Locations: San, San Clemente , California

☆ A startup using AI to help with clean energy procurement just raised $5.75 million from Coatue. Check out the 8-slide pitch deck Verse used to secure the cash.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Tasmin Lockwood | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Verse, a startup using AI and optimization for clean energy procurement, just raised $5.75 million. A startup using generative AI to help businesses buy renewable electricity has just secured a $5.75 million seed round from growth investor Coatue. Switching to renewable energy is fundamental in decarbonization as energy makes up the bulk of annual carbon emissions; two-thirds of energy still comes from fossil fuels. Many do this by purchasing renewable energy credits, which certifies that they have paid for green energy, but they have faced controversy for double counting. Clean energy procurement lacks dedicated tools and comes with "massive" overheads, which is exactly what Verse wants to change, cofounder and CEO Seyed Madaeni told Insider.

Persons: Seyed Madaeni, Madaeni, Rangwalla, Climeworks, Matt Rogers Organizations: Microsoft, Meta, Google, Excel, MCJ, Firstminute, Collaborative Fund, Incite.org Locations: San Francisco

☆ Amazon Prime signs on to stream professional pickleball tournaments
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Jessica Golden | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Amazon's Prime Video streaming platform announced on Tuesday it's signed a multiyear deal with the Professional Pickleball Association for global streaming rights to four live PPA Tour events per year, including the 2023-2024 PPA Tour World Championship Series. "When something has an explosion in growth, naturally it catches our eye," Charlie Neiman, head of sports partnerships at Amazon Prime Video, told CNBC. Connor Pardoe, CEO and cofounder of the Pro Pickleball Association, called the deal "monumental" for the burgeoning league. "We're always looking at content and making sure our offerings on Prime Video reflect our customers interests," he said. Earlier this month, the PPA Tour announced that ESPN will cover eight of the league's tournaments.

☆ Microsoft agrees to buy electricity generated from Sam Altman-backed fusion company Helion in 2028
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Catherine Clifford | In Catclifford | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

Photo courtesy HelionMicrosoft said Wednesday it has signed a power purchase agreement with nuclear fusion startup Helion Energy to buy electricity from it in 2028. "This is the first time that I know of that a company has a power purchase agreement signed," Holland told CNBC. The potential of fusion is "unbelievably huge," Altman told CNBC. As of Tuesday, this is still his largest investment ever, Altman told CNBC. Carbon-free energy includes hydro, nuclear and renewables for Microsoft, a Microsoft spokesperson told CNBC.

☆ Solar stocks Sunrun and Sunnova Energy are at attractive entry points after SVB crisis, Wells Fargo says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The Silicon Valley Bank crisis is creating attractive entry points in residential solar stocks Sunrun and Sunnova Energy International , according to Wells Fargo. "Weakness in resi-solar driven by the SVB crisis is a buying opportunity," analyst Michael Blum said to clients in a note. While fears of contagion risk have caused regional banks to pull back, the greater likelihood of a pause in interest rate hikes from the Federal Reserve is a boon for solar stocks. According to the analyst, a 50 basis point reduction to a long-term discount rate of 7% to 8% would mean greater upside for Sunrun and Sunnova. His Sunnova target of $23 points to a 42.4% advance as well.

Summary Customs delays, tariff uncertainty and soaring global demand have hiked solar costs and delayed projects as the U.S. weans itself off Chinese dependence. The Biden administration's Uyghur Forced Labor Protection Act (UFLPA) prevents the import of goods produced using forced labour in China’s Xinjiang Province, including much of the polysilicon used in solar panels. UFLPA checks have blocked panel imports at the U.S. border, delaying projects and driving up project costs. CHART: Solar manufacturing capacity by country, regionSource: International Energy Agency's Report on Solar PV Global Supply Chains, August 2022The UFLPA requires visibility into labour practices along the solar value chain. Lightsource bp has contracted for more than 20 million solar panels through 2028 and is considering imports from Southeast Asia, Turkey and India, Smith said.

☆ Explainer: Europe gets ready to revamp its electricity market
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Kate Abnett | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

STOCKHOLM, Feb 27 (Reuters) - European Union energy ministers meet on Monday to debate upcoming power market reforms. Currently, power prices in Europe are set by the running cost of the plant that supplies the final chunk of power needed to meet overall demand. Often, that is a gas plant, so gas price spikes can send electricity prices soaring. They say Europe's existing power market is functioning well, and has fostered years of lower power prices, supported renewable energy and helped avoid energy shortages. The Commission initially pitched the reform as a chance to "decouple" gas and power prices in Europe, suggesting a redesign of the current system of setting power prices.

☆ Know what's in your ETFs: Balloon incidents put focus on aerospace and defense stocks
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Jesse Pound | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The flurry of unidentified objects that have been shot down over North America this month could bring yet another boost to aerospace and defense stocks, but investors looking to use ETFs should be aware of some key differences between the largest funds. While defense stocks have outperformed the broader market over the past year, in part due to the war in Ukraine, the latest shoot downs don't appear to have significantly moved the sector. The biggest fund on the market is the iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF (ITA) , with about $5 billion in assets under management. Another market-cap weighted fund is the Invesco Aerospace & Defense ETF (PPA) . The third fund on the market is the SPDR S & P Aerospace & Defense ETF (XAR) .

☆ U.S. solar prices still soaring as projects stalled
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jan 30 (Reuters) - U.S. solar energy contract prices have soared by a third over the past year as project developers have struggled to get imported panels, according to a report published late on Monday. But wind energy prices fell a little in recent months, thanks to major new federal subsidies. Wind PPA prices were 1.9% lower in the fourth quarter than in the third - their first decline since early 2021. The spike in solar prices resulted from the seizure by U.S. customs officials of hundreds of shipments of solar energy components at U.S. ports since June. Clark added, however, that demand was still strong for solar projects and that prices might stabilize in the second half of 2023.

☆ EU's planned reforms aim to better protect power bills from market swings
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Kate Abnett | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Christian CharisiusBRUSSELS, Jan 23 (Reuters) - European Union proposals to overhaul its electricity market will attempt to better protect consumer energy bills from short-term swings in fossil fuel prices, the European Commission said on Monday. "We need to make the electricity market design fit for the future, allowing it to deliver the benefits of affordable clean energy to everyone," EU energy commissioner Kadri Simson said. The EU proposal will aim to expand Europe's use of long-term contracts that provide power plants with a fixed price for their electricity - "contracts for difference" (CfD) and power purchase agreements (PPA), the Commission said. Expanding these types of contracts would create a buffer between energy consumers and volatile prices in short-term energy markets, yielding more stable energy bills for households and companies, it said. EU countries and lawmakers will negotiate the final power market reforms.

☆ After a Bumpy Year, Renewable Energy Looks Poised for Boom Times
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( Dieter Holger | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +9 min

The future has never been brighter for renewable energy, as some of the snags that kept wind and solar production from going full throttle this year seem poised to ease. What is more, by early 2025, the IEA said it expects renewable energy to be the largest source of electricity in the global power mix, surpassing coal. Driving the IEA’s rosier outlook: First is the global energy crisis caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that led European nations to try to build more renewable energy capacity within their borders to improve their energy security and replace Russian fuel imports. But the climate-and-spending bill’s support for growth of the solar industry should reverse the recent spikes in PPA costs, he said. GridsLong waits for permits and permissions to build new grid infrastructure remain a challenge to getting more renewable energy.

☆ Major League Pickleball merges with PPA's week-old VIBE League
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Jessica Golden | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Major League Pickleball and the Professional Pickleball Association's new VIBE Pickleball League have agreed to merge, the organizations said Wednesday. The combined league will continue to operate under the Major League Pickleball brand name and format as the rapidly growing sport surges in popularity. Last week, the PPA announced the creation of the VIBE Pickleball League with Mark Cuban as its first team owner. VIBE said it would be team focused and co-ed, similar to what Major League Pickleball has been doing. Milwaukee Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry and entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk have both made investments in Major League Pickleball.

☆ Massachusetts wind power project 'no longer viable' without contract adjustments, says developer
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Emma Newburger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The developer for a major offshore wind power project in Massachusetts has asked state regulators to pause review of the contract for one month, saying that global price hikes, inflation and supply chain shortages are disrupting the plan. The Commonwealth Wind project, which would supply 1,200 megawatts of offshore wind power starting in 2028, "is no longer viable and would not be able to move forward" without amendments to the power purchase agreement (PPA), according to a motion recently filed by the developer. The rising cost of the project comes as the U.S. aggressively ramps up its offshore wind industry. The Biden administration has set a target for permitting 30 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2030, enough to supply 10 million homes with clean energy while creating new domestic jobs. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management is also set to hold its first-ever offshore wind lease sale on the West Coast in December, and to date has held 10 lease sales and issued 27 active commercial wind leases in the Atlantic Ocean from Massachusetts to North Carolina.

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