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In 2023, Texas led the nation in solar installations on its power grid, surpassing California for its second consecutive year. Explosive power demand poses a challenge to the Biden administration's goal of converting the U.S. power grid to 100% clean electricity by 2035. Nextracker is a leading U.S. solar firm, building systems that allow panels to track to the position of the sun, improving the efficiency of solar power plants. Shugar pointed to the massive number of renewable projects in the U.S. seeking connection to the power grid. But as energy demand increases, the value of each additional hour should rise, eventually making longer duration batteries more cost effective, he said.

Persons: Brandon Bell, Andrés Gluski, Joseph Rand, We've, Kelley, Wells, Goldman Sachs, Biden, Ryan Sweezey, Wood Mackenzie, Richard Kinder, Kinder Morgan, Kinder, Amin Nasser, Nasser, Shugar, Lawrence, Lazard, Nextracker's Shugar, Lawrence Berkeley, Amol Phadke, Rand, Sweezey, Reid Ramdathsingh, Ramdathsingh, Fluence, John Zahurancik, Zahurancik, it's, Zahuranick Organizations: Getty, Renewables, Energy Information Administration, Department of Energy, Big Tech, Microsoft, AES Corporation, Google, AES, Meta, UBS, Solar, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, U.S, Tech, North America, DOE, CNBC, University of California Berkeley's Goldman School of Public, Goldman School, Lawrence, Rystad Energy, Siemens Locations: Ector County , Texas, Texas, California, United States, U.S, Wells Fargo, Saudi, Houston, Lawrence Berkeley, Fluence's Americas

"Consumers need to understand that the cavalry isn't coming anytime soon, so the best thing you can do is take things into your own hands when it comes to lowering credit card interest rates," said Matt Schulz, chief credit analyst at LendingTree. But that hasn't deterred credit card issuers from offering generous terms on balance transfer cards, Rossman said. But right now, it's kind of a Goldilocks environment for credit card issuers." It's also an ideal time for consumers to take advantage of all the options credit card issuers are offering. A balance transfer credit card moves your outstanding debt from one or more credit cards onto a new card, typically with a lower interest rate.

Persons: Matt Schulz, Michele Raneri, APRs aren't, Schulz, Ted Rossman, Rossman, It's Organizations: Federal Reserve, TransUnion, CNBC, Finance, Treasury Department, Federal Reserve Bank of New Locations: U.S, Federal Reserve Bank of New York

CNN —Israeli troops have used a medieval-style catapult to toss fireballs across the border into Lebanon, as fighting ramps up between Israel and the Iran-backed Islamist group Hezbollah. The trebuchet, a rotating arm with a sling attached to launch a projectile, has rarely been used since the 16th century. Kan said the trebuchet was probably used to burn shrubbery, making it easier for Israeli forces to identify militants attempting to reach the border. More than 53,000 Israelis have been evacuated from the north since hostilities began in October, the IDF told CNN. In Lebanon, more than 94,000 people have been displaced from the border area, according to the country’s health ministry.

Persons: Kan, Hernán Cortés, Israel, Hassan Nasrallah Organizations: CNN, Hezbollah, Israel Defense Forces, Aztecs, IDF Locations: Lebanon, Israel, Iran, Lebanese, Syrian, Spanish, Tenochtitlán, Mexico, Cross, Gaza

Thomas received 103 gifts with a total value of more than $2.4 million between 2004 and 2023, the judicial reform group Fix the Court said in a report Thursday. Fix the Court's analysis found that Alito accepted 16 gifts worth a combined $170,095. Counting those gifts, Thomas' total two-decade haul is valued at nearly $4.2 million. The value and number of gifts Thomas received also eclipsed those accepted by eight retired or dead Supreme Court justices whose tenures overlapped his service on the court, which began in 1991. Antonin Scalia, a conservative justice who died in 2016 while on the court, accepted 67 gifts worth about $210,000 during his tenure, which began in 1986.

Persons: Clarence Thomas, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch's, Chip Somodevilla, Thomas, Alito, Harlan Crow, Sandra Day O'Connor, Antonin Scalia, William Rehnquist Organizations: Supreme, Getty, Congressional Locations: Washington ,, Grove

CNN —Mexicans headed to the polls on Sunday to vote in a historic election expected to return the country’s first woman president. More than 98 million voters are registered to cast a ballot in Mexico, and 1.4 million Mexicans are eligible to vote abroad. Mexico's opposition presidential candidate Xochitl Gálvez outside a polling station in Mexico City on June 2, 2024. Outside polling stations, voters told CNN that public security was one of their main concerns. Jorge Luis Plata/ReutersUS officials are closely monitoring the presidential election as it comes at a critical time for the Biden administration.

Persons: Claudia Sheinbaum, Xochitl, Jorge Álvarez Máynez, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, Sheinbaum, ” Gálvez, Luis Cortes, ”, Jorge Luis Plata, Biden, CNN’s Michelle Velez, Priscilla Alvarez Organizations: CNN, Morena, PAN, ’ Movement, Reuters, Electoral Institute, coy, Republicans, Biden, Homeland Security Locations: Mexico, Mexico City, Yucatán, San Bartolome Quialana

Rent costs across U.S. continue to fluctuate, but there are some major areas where prices are trending up year-over-year. California is the only state with two metro areas in the top five. The rise in rent for one-bedroom apartments in California's Stockton metro area was similar, going from $1,161 in 2023 to $1,175 in 2024 — a 1.2% increase. It is important to note that the Census Bureau defines the Albuquerque, New Mexico metro area to be part of the core-based statistical area of Albuquerque-Santa-Fe-Las Vegas, New Mexico combined statistical area, falling under the southwest and western regions of the United States. Despite the nationwide median rent trending down year-over-year, the following metro areas in the western U.S. have seen the highest increases in rent for 1-bedroom apartments, similar to several areas in the Northeast.

Organizations: U.S, CNBC, Census, Thousand, Venture, Stockton , California metros, Thousand Oaks Locations: California, Oxnard, Stockton , California, Ventura, Los Angeles, California's Stockton, Albuquerque, New Mexico, Santa, Las Vegas , New Mexico, United States, U.S

According to a May Zumper report, the national median rent for a one-bedroom apartment is $1,487. The New York-Newark-Jersey City metro area saw the average rent for a one-bedroom apartment go from $1,991 in 2023 to $2,008 in 2024, an increase of only $17 or 0.9%. Connecticut has the most metro areas with the biggest rent increase for one-bedroom apartments — four out of the top five. This includes one statistical area that covers part of northeastern Connecticut and a swath of Massachusetts including Worcester. Connecticut is also the only state in the Northeast region to have multiple metro areas in the top 20.

Organizations: CNBC, Census, New York City Locations: United States, New York, Los Angeles, Newark, Jersey City, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Worcester . Connecticut, New York City, Boston, Providence , Rhode Island

☆ Brazil’s floods smashed through barriers designed to keep them out, trapping water in for weeks — and exposing social woes
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-19 | by ( Vasco Cotovio | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

“It’s heartbreaking.”The picture is a little different in Porto Alegre, the state capital of Rio Grande do Sul. Maxar Technologies Satellite images of the cities of Porto Alegre and Canoas before and after the floods. Maxar Technologies Satellite images of the cities of Porto Alegre and Canoas before and after the floods. “Floods, not with this volume but with considerable volumes of water, have taken place in Porto Alegre in the last few years,” Cortês explains. One volunteer was Fabiano Saldanha, a 48-year-old businessman from Porto Alegre, who used his jet ski to rescue people trapped in their homes.

Persons: Karine Pitana, there’s, ”, she’s, “, Pitana Flores da Silva, Karine Pitana Flores da Silva, She’s, we’re, Pitana, —, Renan Mattos, That’s, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Jairo Jorge da Silva, “ We’ve, Pedro Cortês, University of São Paulo, Cortês, Nelson Almeida, ” Cortês, Rio Grande do Sul wasn’t, Fabiano Saldanha, ” Saldanha, Saldanha, Carlos Macedo, ‘, ’ ”, ” Pitana, CNN “, Lula, ” CNN’s Mary Gilbert Organizations: CNN, Bank, Rio Grande do Sul Public Safety, Police, Reuters, ”, Globo, Environmental, University of São, CNN Brasil, Authorities, AFP, Getty, Research, Porto Alegre, Civil Defense, IMF, World Bank Locations: Canoas, Brazil, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre’s, Suriname, Northern Porto Alegre, Chicago, Dallas, “

☆ The Dow just hit 40,000. Here's a look at how it got here
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Fred Imbert | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The Dow first closed above 20,000 in early 2017, as investors began pricing in lower corporate taxes in the U.S. under former President Donald Trump. However, the Dow struggled in 2018 after the excitement around lower taxes faded, with trade tensions between China and the U.S. rising and the Federal Reserve raising interest rates. In 2019, the stock market recovered as the Fed pivoted away from raising rates. By early 2020, the Dow was nearing 30,000 — reaching a high of 29,551.42 on Feb. 12, 2020. The Dow tumbled 38% from its February 2020 intraday peak to a low of 18,213.65 in March 2020.

Persons: It's, Donald Trump, Dow, — CNBC's Gabriel Cortés Organizations: Dow, Federal Reserve, Fed Locations: U.S, China

☆ Interest rates are staying high—how to make them work in your favor
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Gabriel Cortés | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

If you were hoping interest rates might come down this spring, you're likely going to have to wait a little bit longer. After more than a decade of near-zero interest rates, savers are now in an environment where they're being rewarded for keeping deposits in the bank. And with interest rates staying at their decades-long high for longer, savers have an extended window to take advantage of everything banks are offering. "We did a study recently and found that very few people are earning even 4% on their savings," Rossman says. Now is a great time to shop around for the most favorable terms and lock in those interest rates while they're here, Rossman says.

Persons: That's, Ted Rossman, Rossman Organizations: U.S . Federal Reserve, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Locations: U.S

"It is becoming clearer and clearer that the Fed isn't going to lower interest rates anytime soon," said Matt Schulz, chief credit analyst at LendingTree. "If Americans want lower interest rates, they're going to have to do it themselves." What determines your credit card rateSince most credit cards have a variable rate, there's a direct connection to the Fed's benchmark. It's also an ideal time for consumers to take advantage of all the options credit card issuers are offering. A balance transfer credit card moves your outstanding debt from one or more credit cards onto a new card, typically with a lower interest rate.

Persons: —, Matt Schulz, Michele Raneri, aren't, Schulz, Ted Rossman, Rossman, It's Organizations: Federal Reserve, TransUnion, Finance, Treasury Department Locations: U.S

☆ Caitlin Clark put on 8 pounds of muscle to 'take her game to the next level.' Here's how she did it, according to the trainer who helped her.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-05 | by ( Meredith Cash | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Advertisement"That hindered me at points last year; people were physical with me," Clark told Haley Jones on the "Sometimes I Hoop" podcast. AdvertisementSummer 2022 "was the first summer where we actually had a full summer of training," Alexander said. Alexander told the New York Times she saw that video and told Clark: "I don't think you were running fast enough." The final piece of the puzzle for Clark or any other player, Alexander said, is their commitment to doing their "best every single day." AP Photo/Michael Conroy"I think that's really showed throughout conference play especially, but obviously earlier in the year too," Clark told Jones.

Persons: Caitlin Clark, Lindsay Alexander, —, She's, Achilles, she's, Clark, Haley Jones, Alexander, Charlie Neibergall, Clark hasn't, David Berding, Iowa's, Charlie Neibergall Alexander, we're, Lisa Bluder, That's, Ronald Cortes, Michael Conroy, Jones, it's, It's Organizations: Iowa Hawkeyes, Service, Hawkeyes, Maryland Terrapins, AP, US, New York Times, Iowa State Cyclones, National Locations: Hungary

☆ Forest Fires Spread in Mexico, at Least Four Dead
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-27 | by ( March | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: 1 min

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - A wave of wildfires in Mexico has claimed at least four lives, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador told reporters on Wednesday. The reported deaths all come from Mexico state, the country's most populous which rings the capital, the president said. There are currently 116 forest fires burning across the nation. Around 400 fires have been documented in Mexico through March 15, torching a total of more than 13,000 hectares (32,000 acres), with some of the blazes reported as far south as Chiapas state, on the border with Guatemala. According to official data, the causes include both intentionally set fires as well as those caused by agricultural activities.

Persons: Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Raul Cortes Fernandez, Bill Berkrot Organizations: MEXICO CITY Locations: MEXICO, Mexico, torching, Chiapas, Guatemala

☆ The Fed hasn't touched interest rates since July, but they're still moving. What that looks like for credit cards, mortgages and savings accounts
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-20 | by ( Gabriel Cortés | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

It's one of the silver linings to the current rate environment, said Ted Rossman, chief credit card analyst at Bankrate. Credit cardsThe flip side to the positive environment for savers is the expensive credit card market: Consumers carrying balances on their cards face historically high rates. "The Fed is not going to come to your rescue on credit card rates," Rossman said. The Fed is not going to come to your rescue on credit card rates. Mortgage ratesWhile savings and credit card rates are very sensitive to maneuvers from the Federal Reserve, the area that might see the most movement is housing.

Persons: Ted Rossman, There's, Rossman, they've, they'd, Bankrate Rossman Organizations: Hinterhaus, Getty, U.S . Federal Deposit Insurance Corp, Federal Reserve

TULTEPEC, Mexico (AP) — Every year, in the first week of March, hundreds of giant paper-mache bulls stuffed with fireworks are erected in the front yards of the Mexican town of Tultepec. Unlike past occasions, the nighttime lighting of the bulls didn’t take place in the streets of Tultepec, but rather in an open field nearby. One of the best-known workshops is the family-run business, Los Chavitos, which has been producing cardboard figures for fireworks for 15 years. Their figures range from very small bulls to giant ones, to figures of saints and imaginary animals known as alebrijes. The shop also produces “Judas” figures of villains and politicians that are traditionally burned during Easter Week in Mexico.

Persons: nipped, John of God, —, Tultepec, ” Francisco Cortes Urbán, Cortes, St, John, ” Organizations: — Locations: TULTEPEC, Mexico, Tultepec, Pamplona, Spain, St, Mexico City

This confidence is echoed by other recent metrics, including a survey by Morgan Stanley showing that consumer sentiment hit a five-month high in January. Economists who spoke to CNBC Make It say it's likely the cumulative effect of wage growth, low unemployment and slowing inflation. "But with slowing inflation and strong wage growth, adjusted-for-inflation incomes are increasing, giving consumers more buying power," he says. Wages increased 5% in January 2024, a three-month moving average of nominal wage growth for individuals, as measured by the Atlanta Fed's Wage Growth Tracker. Wage growth, slowing inflation and low unemployment are the main factors for improved optimism among Americans, Ernest says.

Persons: Morgan Stanley, what's, Robert Johnson, Here's, Gus Faucher, Johnson, Jonathan Ernest, Ernest Organizations: of Michigan, Consumers, New York Federal Reserve, CNBC, Creighton University's Heider College of Business, PNC Financial Services Group, U.S . Department of, Treasury, Federal Reserve, Stock, Case Western Reserve University Locations: New, Atlanta

☆ At Least a Dozen Dead in Northern Mexico Shootout Near Texas Border
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: 1 min

MONTERREY, Mexico (Reuters) - At least 12 people were killed in a shootout with security forces in northern Mexico near the border with the United States, Mexican authorities said on Sunday night. Tamaulipas state's security agency said in a statement published on X that the soldiers were on patrol in the municipality of Miguel Aleman, along the Texas border, when they were attacked by "armed civilians." The agency did not respond to questions about whether any soldiers were killed or injured in the shootout. The state of Tamaulipas has various organized crime groups, whose main activities include human smuggling and drug trafficking, authorities say. (Reporting by Raul Cortes and Laura Gottesdiener; Editing by Aurora Ellis)

Persons: Miguel Aleman, Raul Cortes, Laura Gottesdiener, Aurora Ellis Locations: MONTERREY, Mexico, United States, Tamaulipas, Texas

☆ Are Amy and Johnny still together? They're 'Love Is Blind' season 6's strongest couple
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Caralynn Matassa | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Warning: Spoilers ahead for the first six episodes of "Love Is Blind" season six. AdvertisementJohnny McIntyre and Amy Cortés have one of the sweetest romances on "Love Is Blind" season six. Out of the five couples this season of "Love Is Blind" follows, Amy and Johnny seem to be one of the surest bets for success. AdvertisementAre Johnny and Amy from 'Love Is Blind' still together after the show? The next three episodes of "Love Is Blind" season six air on February 21.

Persons: Amy, Johnny, —, Johnny McIntyre, Amy Cortés, they're, there's, Johnny haven't, Johnny's Organizations: Service Locations: Dominican Republic

JPMorgan Chase , Wells Fargo and Bank of America reported a combined $2.2 billion in overdraft fees in 2023, roughly $700 million less than the previous year, according to regulatory filings. Overdraft fees are triggered when a customer attempts to spend more than the balance in their checking accounts. Banks say overdraft services are a lifeline that helps users avoid worse options like payday loans, while critics including President Biden say the fees exploit struggling Americans. But even before recent efforts by regulators, banks' haul from overdraft has been on the decline. Those who kept the fees, including JPMorgan, limited the types of transactions that trigger penalties, got rid of fees for bounced checks and introduced one-day grace periods and $50 cushions to reduce their frequency.

Persons: Michael Nagle, Wells, Banks, Biden, Sen, Elizabeth Warren, Jamie Dimon, Dimon, Ally, there's, Jennifer Tescher Organizations: JPMorgan Chase, Bloomberg, Getty, Bank of America, Consumer Financial, Bureau, Capital, Citigroup, JPMorgan, Financial Health Network Locations: New York, Wells Fargo, overdraft

As Dwight progressed through the Air Force, he was handpicked by President John F. Kennedy’s White House to join Chuck Yeager’s test pilot program at Edwards Air Force Base in California’s Mojave Desert. That fabled astronaut breeding ground, site of “The Right Stuff,” might have turned Dwight into one of the most famous Americans and the first Black man in space. Dwight astronaut future took a more drastic turn when Kennedy was assassinated on Nov. 22, 1963. “Everybody was wondering, ‘What’s going to happen with Dwight?’" says Dwight. To the Black astronauts who followed in his footsteps, Dwight braved their path.

Persons: Ed Dwight, he’d, ’ ” Dwight, Dwight, ”, “, ‘, John F, Chuck Yeager’s, Edwards, Kennedy, —, ” Dwight, Zoom, Guion, Bernard Harris, ” Harris, Ed, who’s, Lisa Cortés, Diego Hurtado de Mendoza, that’s, Eddie Dwight, Satchel Paige’s, Edward R, Murrow, James Webb, “ Yeager, Jimmy Stewart, Yaeger, ’ ” Yeager, Yeager, Tom Wolfe’s “, Bobby, Wolfe, ‘ What’s, ’, ” Kennedy, Bobby Kennedy, Patterson, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Barack Obama, it’s, Hurtado de Mendoza, isn’t, He’s, Chuck, Jake Coyle Organizations: Air Force, Edwards Air Force Base, NASA, Geographic, Disney, Century America, Negro Leagues, Kansas City Monarchs, Soviet Union, Sputnik, Mercury, U.S . Information Agency, Negro, Aerospace Research, House, Arizona State University, “ NASA, White, Congress, Civil Rights, Justice Department, Wright, IBM, Fine Arts, Sculpture, University of Denver, Orion Locations: Kansas, Korea, Hulu, Denver, Soviet, U.S, Edwards, Washington, Germany, Canada, Ohio

CNN —Chile has declared a state of emergency as it battles raging forest fires throughout the country that have killed at least 51 people – and authorities say the death toll is likely to rise. He added that the defense ministry would deploy more military units to affected areas, with all necessary resources made available. The declaration was made for the provinces of Marga Marga and Valparaíso, the presidential delegate of Valparaíso Sofía González Cortés said. The wildfires in Valparaíso have also damaged an estimated 1,100 homes, authorities said. At least six of those who died did so while being treated in hospitals for burns, according to authorities.

Persons: “, Gabriel Boric, Marga Marga, Valparaíso, González Cortés, Carolina Tohá, Tohá, Esteban Felix, Javier Torres, Toha Organizations: CNN, Chile, Marga, Firefighters, AFP, Getty Locations: Valparaíso, Chile’s, El

☆ Chile's Capital Faces Heat Wave, Experts Warn of More to Come
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Chile's capital and other regions are facing a heat wave, as meteorologists warn that extremely hot weather will become increasingly frequent in the country's austral summer. Over six million inhabitants of Chile's capital Santiago have been enduring days of hot, dry temperatures made worse by the surrounding mountains blocking fresh hair to the city. Scientists have warned that climate change and El Nino are major drivers of extreme heat. Amid the high temperatures in Santiago, many have escaped to the country's coastal areas, which are already filled with vacationers and summertime visitors from abroad. An Argentine tourist said he escaped to a Chilean coastal area to avoid the high temperatures that were also being recorded in parts of neighboring Argentina.

Persons: Marcela Rodriguez, Andres Moncada, El, Nicolas Cortes, Sandra Maler Organizations: Reuters, Ocean, El Nino Locations: SANTIAGO, Chile's, Santiago, Argentine, Chilean, Argentina

☆ How interest rates have changed over the last 12 months for mortgages, car loans, credit cards and more
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Gabriel Cortés | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

"Interest rates took the elevator going up; they're going to take the stairs coming down," McBride said. As the Fed goes into its first Federal Open Market Committee meeting of 2024, here's what that elevator ride up has looked like over the last 12 months in five major consumer categories: credit cards, savings accounts, certificates of deposit, auto loans and mortgages. Credit cardsNowhere has that express rate elevator been more obvious than with credit cards. Even as the Fed slowed the pace of increases over the last 12 months, the average APR for credit cards rose more than a full percentage point. He cautions, however, that buying a car is still a major expense, regardless of what interest rates are.

Persons: Greg McBride, McBride, they've, " McBride, They've, you've Organizations: U.S . Federal Reserve, Federal Reserve, Finance Locations: U.S

Psychology and RelationshipsHarvard psychologist: If you use any of these 7phrases, you 'may have low emotional intelligence'

Organizations: Harvard

☆ At Least 12 Dead in Suspected Attempt to Rescue Son of Mexican Cartel Hitman
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-21 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - At least 12 suspected criminals were killed on a highway near Hermosillo in the northern Mexican state of Sonora, a state official said Sunday, in what authorities called a foiled attempt to rescue the son of a cartel hitman. Another seven escaped and some are probably wounded, the Sonora's state attorney's office said in a statement. Two security officials were hospitalized after the crossfire but are now in stable condition, the statement added. The office said it suspected the group, armed with assault weapons, was attempting to rescue the son of Jesus Humberto Limon, a suspected hitman working for a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel led by the sons of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman. The suspected hitman's son, Carlos Humberto, had been detained minutes before for "crimes against health" in Camino del Seri, it said, without giving further details.

Persons: Jesus Humberto Limon, Joaquin, El, Guzman, Carlos Humberto, gunmakers, Raul Cortes, Sarah Morland, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: MEXICO CITY, Reuters, Kino, Security, AK Locations: MEXICO, Hermosillo, Mexican, Sonora, Sinaloa, Camino del, Bahia, U.S

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