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BERLIN (AP) — Germany's state-owned development bank has sold shares in the company that owns the national postal service for about 2.17 billion euros ($2.3 billion), reducing the government's stake and raising money to help finance improvements to the country's rail network. The sale cuts the state's stake in DHL to 16.5%, though it is still the largest single shareholder. The proceeds are to be used to strengthen the capital of Germany's main railway operator, the state-owned Deutsche Bahn, to help it upgrade railway infrastructure, the Finance Ministry said Wednesday. The government is turning to privatization proceeds to help finance improvements to the rail network after a court ruling forced it to plug a big hole in this year's budget and reconsider its wider financial plans. The maneuver ran afoul of Germany’s strict self-imposed limits on running up debt.

Organizations: BERLIN, —, Deutsche, DHL Group, DHL, Deutsche Bahn, Finance Ministry Locations: — Germany's, Germany's

It’s very much hand in hand,” said DeJoy, who acknowledged being impatient with the pace of change, including the rollout of electric vehicles. Those efficiency-driven changes will help the environment by reducing carbon emissions by eliminating wasteful activities, in addition to electric vehicles and other efforts. Last month, the Postal Service unveiled new EVs and charging stations at a new distribution center in Georgia, one of many updated sorting and delivery centers that are opening. The Postal Service plans to take delivery of 66,000 electric vehicles over five years. But not everyone is thrilled by the focus on electric vehicles.

Persons: General Louis DeJoy, Biden, ”, DeJoy, Jennifer Beiro, Craig Stevens, Sharp Organizations: U.S . Postal Service, Postal Service, Congress, Workers, Oshkosh Locations: Georgia, Ford, Oshkosh, Midwest, Portland , Maine

☆ Like Her Parents, Michele Norris Is a Person of Letters
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Elisabeth Egan | More About Elisabeth Egan | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

They read, simply, “Race. : “My beautiful Black boys deserve HOPE!” Eventually Norris created a website, The Race Card Project, where correspondents could share their stories. “The post office was full of people of color who were strivers like my parents,” Norris said. “They had stuff that didn’t get where it was supposed to go, and the post office would sell it if no one claimed it,” Norris said. “My parents would give us a small amount of money, which seemed like a lot of money to me.

Persons: Michele Norris, “, ”, ” Norris, Barbara Cooney’s, Norris, — Norris Locations: Starbucks, Bowie, Md, Minneapolis, Ames , Iowa

☆ Mail 3 Days a Week? Idea Meets Resistance in Britain
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Jenny Gross | More About Jenny Gross | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Britain’s postal service should consider cutting deliveries to five days a week, or even three, from six, the country’s regulator said on Wednesday, drawing resistance from lawmakers and businesses. The Royal Mail, like the U.S. Postal Service, has been increasingly plagued by service issues and financial pressures. Reducing delivery to just three days a week would save the Royal Mail up to 650 million pounds ($830 million) a year, the report found. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, whose Conservatives hold a majority, said on Wednesday that he remained “absolutely committed” to ensuring that the Royal Mail delivered six days a week.

Persons: “, Rishi Sunak Organizations: Royal, U.S . Postal Service, Ofcom, Royal Mail Locations: U.S, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Belgium

☆ Royal Mail is on the brink. Cutting letter deliveries to 3 days a week could save it
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

London CNN —Royal Mail could ditch its near-daily deliveries of letters as the centuries-old British institution attempts to modernize its service and plug a growing hole in its finances. Ofcom, the UK regulator overseeing the postal service, published proposals to rescue the beleaguered company Wednesday. It said Royal Mail could save as much as £650 million ($828 million) a year if it cut letter deliveries to three days a week from the current six. The number of letters sent via the Royal Mail network had halved since 2011, and financial losses have ballooned. Among its other proposals, Ofcom suggested that Royal Mail could save up to £200 million ($255 million) a year by cutting its letter deliveries down to five days a week, or by extending the time it takes to get mail to customers.

Persons: “ Something’s, ” Melanie Dawes, Kevin Hollinrake, Martin Seidenberg Organizations: London CNN — Royal, Ofcom, Royal Mail, BBC, United, Services, CNN, Royal, International Distribution Services Locations: ”

☆ Judge Blocks Republican-Backed North Carolina Provision on Same-Day Voter Registration
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

The legislation was among new Republican-backed restrictions across the country following the 2020 presidential election, when then-President Donald Trump falsely attributed his loss to fraud. North Carolina is expected to be a closely contested state in this year's presidential contest. Under the new law, a voter who uses same-day registration is sent a postcard to confirm their address. Young voters and minority voters, both groups that tend to vote Democratic, take advantage of same-day registration more frequently. Between 100,000 and 120,000 residents use same-day registration in presidential years, according to the state elections board.

Persons: Joseph Ax, Roy Cooper's, Donald Trump, Trump, Joe Biden, District Judge Thomas Schroeder, Tim Moore, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Democratic Party, Republican, Democratic, Young, District, State Board Locations: Carolina, North Carolina

Over 100,000 people have used such “same-day registration” in North Carolina during each of the last two presidential election years, so slight adjustments in the closely divided state could make a difference in this November's elections for president, governor and other statewide positions. Early in-person voting — and thus same-day registration — for the March 5 primaries begins Feb. 15. Giving people only one chance to verify by mail would be a “substantial burden on same-day registrants who cast a ballot,” Schroeder said. Schroeder acknowledged there are legitimate interests in using address verification to promote preserving the integrity of the election process and instilling voter confidence. But he wrote the plaintiffs have shown the “precise interests asserted in this case likely do not outweigh the substantial burden on the rights of same-day registrants who cast a ballot.”In 2020, about 2,150 same-day registration applicants in North Carolina failed the address verification.

Persons: District Judge Thomas Schroeder, Roy Cooper's, Schroeder, George W, Bush, ” Schroeder, Tim Moore, Grey Mills, “, mailer, ” Organizations: —, North, District, Republican, Assembly, Democratic Gov, Democratic, . Postal Service, Grey, State Board, Democratic National Committee, Democratic Party Locations: RALEIGH, N.C, North Carolina, U.S

☆ Putin Says Past U.S. Elections Were Rigged
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

(Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin, running for a new six-year term in an election that his opponents say is a parody of democracy, said on Tuesday that past U.S. elections had been rigged by postal voting. "In the United States, previous elections were falsified through postal voting ... they bought ballots for $10, filled them out, and threw them into mailboxes without any supervision from observers, and that's it," Putin said, without providing evidence. Putin's opponents say the March election in Russia is no real contest as the president wields unchallenged power and his main rival, Alexei Navalny, is serving more than 30 years in jail on charges that Navalny says were trumped up. They say the use of electronic voting creates scope for authorities to manipulate the vote in Putin's favour without detection. (Writing by Maxim Rodionov; Editing by Mark Trevelyan and Kevin Liffey)

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin, Alexei Navalny, Navalny, Maxim Rodionov, Mark Trevelyan, Kevin Liffey Organizations: Reuters Locations: United States, Russia

Read said the Post Office has drastically changed over the past few years and has earmarked around a billion pounds ($1.3 billion) for compensation. He also confirmed it would not pursue any further prosecutions and that it is actively looking to replace the much-altered Horizon system in its branches. The Post Office maintained that Horizon was reliable and accused branch managers of dishonesty. The number of victims is not fully known, and it emerged Tuesday that hundreds more may have been financially affected by the faulty computer system. A group of postal workers took legal action against the Post Office in 2016.

Persons: Paul Patterson, “, ”, Patterson, Nick Read, Read, Rishi Sunak, Mr, Bates, Alan Bates, Toby Jones, “ It’s, Jo Hamilton, Neil Hudgell Organizations: Fujitsu, Fujitsu Ltd, Post, Post Office, Parliament's Business, Trade, Court, ITV Locations: Europe, Japan, London

☆ Fujitsu admits it should compensate postal workers whose lives were ruined by its faulty software
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

London CNN —Japanese technology company Fujitsu has a “moral obligation” to compensate the victims of Britain’s Post Office scandal, the boss of its European arm said Tuesday. “We did have bugs and errors in the system and we did help the Post Office in their prosecutions of the sub-postmasters,” Peter Patterson, Fujitsu’s director for Europe, said Tuesday. “I think there is a moral obligation for the company to contribute,” Patterson told UK lawmakers during a public hearing. Nick Read, CEO of the Post Office, who also addressed lawmakers Tuesday, said he was “committed” to abandoning Horizon. The corporation still uses the IT system, but in a newer iteration than the one involved in the scandal.

Persons: —, “, ” Peter Patterson, ” Patterson, Patterson, ”, Rishi Sunak, Nick Read, ” Read Organizations: London CNN, Fujitsu, Britain’s Post, Office, Post, CNN, Post Office, British Locations: Britain’s, Europe, ”

☆ Rare postage 'gem' featuring the world's first adhesive stamp to be auctioned for up to $2.5 million in New York
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-14 | by ( Nathan Rennolds | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The oldest piece of mail to use a pre-paid Penny Black stamp is set to be auctioned in New York. The British Penny Black was the first-ever adhesive postage stamp. The letter cover has a sale estimate of $1.5 million to $2.5 million, per Sotheby's. AdvertisementThe oldest surviving piece of mail to use a pre-paid postage stamp is set to be auctioned at Sotheby's in New York. The document, known as "The Genesis of Philately," is one of the earliest known examples of the Penny Black stamp.

Persons: Penny, British Penny Black, —, William H, Penny Black, William Mulready, Allen Kane, Sotheby's, William Blenkinsop Jr, Blenkinsop, Blenkinsop —, Richard Austin Organizations: Service, British Penny, Gross, Smithsonian National Postal Museum, CNN Locations: New York, British, Irish, Northumberland, England, London, Dalston , Carlisle

☆ What’s open and closed on MLK Day 2024
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-14 | by ( Ramishah Maruf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

However, the first national celebration of MLK Day didn’t take place until 1986 after years of advocacy. Here’s what’s open and closed on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day 2024. Bing Guan/Bloomberg/Getty ImagesMajor US retailers and grocers — such as Target, Walmart and Kroger — will be open on MLK Day. MLK Day is one of six free entrance days in 2024. FedEx will be open, though FedEx Express and FedEx Ground Economy will be operating on modified service.

Persons: Martin Luther King, Jr, John Conyers, King, Here’s, Bing Guan Organizations: New, New York CNN, MLK, Retail, Costco, Bloomberg, Getty, Major, Target, Walmart, Kroger, Sam’s, US National Parks, United States Postal Service, UPS, FedEx, FedEx Express, Nasdaq, New York Stock Exchange Locations: New York, New Hampshire

☆ UK postal scandal: How a software glitch and a centuries-old British company ruined peoples lives
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-13 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

The government — which owns the Post Office — has described the scandal as one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in British history. The software regularly showed that money — often many thousands of pounds — had gone missing from Post Office accounts. The Post Office has so far paid more than £138 million ($176 million) in compensation, a company spokesperson told CNN. “The Horizon system was a piece of machinery and software that wasn’t working correctly,” she said. “If the Post Office can do this to you, then God knows what any other brand is capable of,” she said.

Persons: —, Jo Hamilton, Hamilton, ”, Mr Bates, ’, Alan Bates, Rishi Sunak, ‘, Jonathan Wells, Wendy Buffrey’s Horizon, “, I’d, Buffrey, “ I’ve, Neil Hudgell, Martin Griffith, they’ve, Leon Neal, James Hartley, Siema Kamran, Kamran Ashraf, Ashraf, Kamran, ” Siema Kamran Organizations: London CNN, UK Post, Fujitsu, CNN, Post, ITV, Horizon, of Justice, Office, Cheltenham, Metropolitan Police, Getty, Post Office Locations: Britain, England, Hamilton, British, London, Buffrey, Bracknell , England, Freeths, Cheltenham

☆ I've made $27K renting my clothes to strangers. Here's how I started this side hustle that takes 1 hour a day.
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-08 | by ( Pooja Shah | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

I was shocked at how many dresses she had for the wedding and asked her how she did it. She told me she rented them on a platform called By Rotation , a website where you can rent out clothes and accessories. Over the past 18 months, I have made over £21,392, or nearly $27,000, by renting on By Rotation and Hurr. AdvertisementI reinvest some of my rental earnings to buy more inventoryI reinvest some of my rental income by buying a couple of dresses a month, building my inventory. Make your wardrobe work for you, but don't rent out items with sentimental attachments on the rare chance they get damaged.

Persons: —, Jessica Templeton, Jess, It's, Templeton, Jess Templeton, I'm, I've Organizations: Service, Business Locations: Buckinghamshire, England, London

☆ Australia to End Daily Letter Delivery as Postal Service Pivots to Parcels
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Dec. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Lewis JacksonSYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia Post will soon end daily letter deliveries as part of a series of postal reforms announced on Wednesday designed to modernise the government-owned postal service and help it turn a profit. Australia Post will also have an extra day to deliver regular mail. Australia Post delivered half a billion parcels last financial year, or roughly 20 per person. Losses in the letter business rose 50% to A$384 million. Australia Post has applied to the competition regulator to increase the basic letter postage rate to A$1.50 from A$1.20 from early near year.

Persons: Lewis Jackson SYDNEY, Paul Graham, eCommerce, Graham, Lewis Jackson, Jamie Freed Organizations: Australia Post, Australia Locations: Australia

☆ Elon Musk called Tesla's Sweden strike 'insane' — now it's spreading to Denmark
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Tom Carter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Tesla faces a wave of strikes in Sweden, with unions calling for better pay and benefits. Elon Musk called the strikes, which have disrupted deliveries, "insane" in a post on X. Now they are spreading to Denmark, with Danish dockworkers also refusing to unload Tesla's EVs. AdvertisementTesla is embroiled in a growing battle with unions in Europe after the wave of strikes impacting the company in Sweden spread to Denmark. AdvertisementNine other Swedish unions have joined the strike in solidarity, with dockworkers refusing to unload Tesla's cars at ports and electricians refusing to repair the company's charging stations .

Persons: Tesla, Elon Musk, Danish dockworkers, —, Jan Villadsen Organizations: Danish, Service, Reuters, Sweden's Transport Agency, Denmark aren't, United Auto Workers, UAW, Business Locations: Sweden, Denmark, Europe, Danish, Swedish, Sweden's

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — The labor conflict against Tesla in Sweden is spreading to neighboring Denmark where transport workers with the country’s largest trade union said Tuesday they will take action in solidarity with Swedish workers against the Texas-based automaker. Tesla is non-unionized globally, but the Swedish workers are demanding that the carmaker sign a collective bargaining agreement, which most employees in Sweden have. “Concretely, this means that dock workers and drivers will not receive and transport Tesla’s cars going to Sweden,” 3F said in a statement. Swedish mechanics stopped servicing Tesla cars and several unions, including postal workers, have joined in a wave of solidarity with IF Metall’s demands. Dockworkers at Sweden’s four largest ports also stopped the delivery of Tesla vehicles to put more pressure on the automaker.

Persons: Tesla, ”, ” Jakob Lykke, ” Lykke, Jan Villadsen, ” Villadsen, Dockworkers, Elon Musk Organizations: Tesla, The United Federation of Workers, IF Metall, IF Metall’s, Sweden’s Transport Agency Locations: COPENHAGEN, Denmark, Sweden, Texas, Esbjerg, Denmark’s, Danish, Swedish, Scandinavian

☆ Pension-eligible workers face complex Social Security rules that may reduce benefits. How to more accurately estimate retirement income
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( Lorie Konish | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Richard Stephen | Istock | Getty ImagesWhen Joyce Debnam's husband passed away, she began receiving $1,400 a month in Social Security survivor benefits. That life change prompted Debnam's Social Security benefits to be cut to just $174 a month. Moreover, the Social Security Administration notified her she had to return $5,000 in benefits she had been overpaid. Debnam is one of millions of workers who is affected by Social Security rules related to public workers and reductions in the benefits they are eligible to receive. "We recommend that people review their Social Security Statement at least once every year, which includes important information about WEP and GPO," a Social Security spokeswoman said in a statement.

Persons: Richard Stephen, Istock, Joyce Debnam's, Debnam, Mike Carey R, Mike Carey, Carey, Mark Warshawsky, Warshawsky Organizations: Social, United States Postal Service, Debnam's Social, Social Security Administration, Social Security, Congressional Research Service, GPO, Security, American Postal Workers Union, American Enterprise Institute Locations: Debnam, Suitland , Maryland, Ohio, Baton Rouge , Louisiana

☆ In Paris, a Fashion Store That Moonlights as a Small Hotel
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The British musician Yazmin Lacey, 35, sings in a mellow, textured voice, often just behind the beat. She’s been selling out dates for her first headlining tour, which began in Warsaw in November, in support of her debut LP, “Voice Notes.” (She plans to add U.S. dates in 2024.) Before “Voice Notes,” she released a trio of EPs (the first of which, “Black Moon,” appeared in 2017) while working full time with a youth support program in Nottingham. But with this LP, she’s made music her sole career. “Voice Notes” takes its title from the stream-of-consciousness audio messages Lacey leaves for her friends and the spontaneous melodies and ideas she records on her phone.

Persons: Yazmin Lacey, Lacey’s, She’s, Priscilla, Lacey, ”, she’s, Dave Okumu, Emily Lordi Locations: British, Antigua, Europe, Warsaw, East London, Nottingham, London, United States

☆ U.S. passport delays have eased — but aren’t yet back to normal
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Tooga | Digitalvision | Getty ImagesRecord passport demand fuels delaysJordan Siemens | Digitalvision | Getty ImagesPassport processing delays resulted from high demand for international travel as pandemic-era health fears and travel restrictions loosened. Before the pandemic, it took two to three weeks for expedited passports and six to eight weeks for routine passport processing, the State Department said. Passport demand generally fluctuates throughout the year. Andrea Comi | Moment | Getty ImagesA traditional passport — a passport book — costs $130. Expedited passport processing costs an extra $60.

Persons: It's, You've, Andrea Comi Organizations: Digitalvision, Getty, Siemens, State Department, Department, Travelers, United States Postal Service

☆ How a specialty vehicle manufacturer is electrifying firetrucks
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Robert Ferris | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Pierce has already delivered its Volterra electric firetruck to numerous fire departments across the country and has more on the way. Mail truck? Oshkosh makes them all, along with airport emergency vehicles, tow trucks, concrete mixers, truck-mounted cranes, military vehicles and others. The company makes an electric firetruck called the Volterra and is electrifying other vehicles in other departments. The postal truck is designed so that internal combustion versions can be retrofitted with battery electric technology.

Persons: Pierce Organizations: Oshkosh Corporation, The, Oshkosh, United States Postal Service Locations: North America, The Wisconsin, Oshkosh, Volterra

☆ Tesla scores court win in Sweden in month-long battle with unions
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

London CNN —Elon Musk has notched a victory against Swedish workers as a court ruled that Tesla can collect license plates for its cars from the country’s transport authority after postal workers refused to deliver them. Postal workers stopped delivering them to the company last week in sympathy with Tesla’s mechanics who began an ongoing strike in late October. Musk called the postal workers’ actions “insane” in a post on X last week. “Swedish wages and working conditions should apply to all workers in Sweden,” the body said in a statement on its website earlier this month. A company that comes to Sweden must adapt to what applies here.”Musk, the world’s richest man, has been vocal about his opposition to unions.

Persons: London CNN — Elon, Tesla, Musk, ” Tesla, dockworkers, ” Musk, — Olesya Dmitracova Organizations: London CNN, CNN, Sweden’s Transport Agency, Reuters, Transport Agency, Tesla, IF Metall, Swedish Trade Union Confederation, National Labor Relations Board, IG Metall Locations: Norrköping, Sweden’s, Sweden, Swedish, “, Tesla, Berlin, Germany

☆ Tesla Sues Swedish Transport Agency in Dispute Over License Plates
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Melissa Eddy | More About Melissa Eddy | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Tesla sued Sweden’s Transport Agency on Monday over a strike by postal workers that has blocked delivery of license plates for Tesla cars, the latest escalation of a widening battle between Sweden’s labor unions and the U.S. manufacturer of electric vehicles. A month ago, mechanics at seven Tesla-owned repair shops in Sweden walked off their jobs. Dockworkers, electricians, painters and postal employees have all joined the strike, refusing to provide the company with their services. Last week, some 50 metalworkers at a factory that produces aluminum parts for Tesla’s factory in Germany walked off the job. On Nov. 20, postal workers joined the action, refusing to deliver any mail or packages to Tesla’s facilities, including the license plates.

Persons: Tesla Organizations: Sweden’s Transport Agency, IF Metall Locations: U.S, Sweden, Tesla’s, Germany

Workers at state-owned postal company PostNord joined the strike on Nov. 20 and stopped distributing the license plates to Tesla. The state-run transport agency turned down Tesla's request to pick up the license plates itself and also declined to send them via distribution channels other than PostNord. Tesla sued both PostNord and the transport agency in two separate lawsuits, first reported by Swedish business daily Dagens Industri. It said the refusal to deliver license plates could affect "a large number of consumers who ordered a new car from Tesla". The transport agency confirmed to Reuters on Monday that Tesla had filed a lawsuit, believing the agency had not kept its obligations to deliver Tesla's license plates.

Persons: Yves Herman, PostNord, Tesla, Metall, carmaker, Seko, Marie Mannes, Louise Breusch Rasmussen, Terje Solsvik, Bernadette Baum Organizations: REUTERS, Swedish Transport Agency, U.S, Workers, Dagens, IF Metall, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Drogenbos, Belgium, Swedish, Sweden, U.S

☆ Tesla sues Sweden over blocked license plates, business daily DI reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The logo of a Tesla electric vehicle is placed on a car seen outside a dealership in Drogenbos, Belgium November 25, 2023. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Tesla Inc FollowCOPENHAGEN, Nov 27 (Reuters) - Tesla (TSLA.O) has filed a lawsuit against the Swedish government's Transport Agency over a workers' strike that has blocked the U.S. auto maker's requests for license plates for new vehicles, business daily Dagens Industri reported on Monday. IF Metall, Sweden's biggest manufacturing union, is locked in a fight with Tesla to get a collective bargaining agreement for its mechanics in Sweden. Members of other unions, including postal workers, dockworkers and cleaners have since joined in a sympathy action, resulting in Tesla not getting license plates distributed, among other things. The Swedish Transport Agency was not immediately available for comment.

Persons: Yves Herman, Tesla, Metall, Louise Breusch Rasmussen, Marie Mannes, Terje Solsvik Organizations: REUTERS, Swedish government's Transport Agency, Dagens, IF Metall, Swedish Transport Agency, Thomson Locations: Drogenbos, Belgium, Swedish, Sweden

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