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A wind-whipped storm tore through Northern California on Wednesday, knocking down trees, snarling highways and transit, and leaving tens of thousands of people without power. Days’ worth of rain fell on some places in just a few hours. It was the season’s first major atmospheric river, a type of storm that can deliver prodigious amounts of water in a narrow band from the Pacific Ocean. “This is a major storm the likes of which we haven’t seen in over a decade,” said Melanie Coon, a spokeswoman for Puget Sound Energy. Wind gusts in some places exceeded 90 miles per hour — equivalent to the winds of a hurricane.

Persons: ”, Melanie Coon Organizations: Puget Sound Energy Locations: Northern California, Pacific, Seattle, California, Oregon, San Francisco

☆ Inside Microsoft's struggles with Copilot
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-15 | by ( Ashley Stewart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +23 min

In September 2023, Microsoft's famously soft-spoken CEO, Satya Nadella, unveiled the company's flagship AI product, Copilot, with sweeping fanfare. Some of Microsoft's own employees and executives are privately concerned that Copilot won't be able to deliver on its ambitions. Copilot's struggles have created an opening for Microsoft's rivals, some of whom have seized on the opportunity to promote their own agendas. "Now, when Joe Blow logs into an account and kicks off Copilot, they can see everything," said one Microsoft employee familiar with customer complaints. As complaints and questions over Copilot mount, so does the pressure to justify Microsoft's unprecedented level of spending on AI.

Persons: Microsoft's, Satya Nadella, Gartner, Copilot, it'll, Copilot's, Marc Benioff, Benioff, Goldman Sachs, Marc Andreessen, Andreessen Horowitz, Ethan Miller, Jared Spataro, Spataro, —, Joe Blow, Joe, Nadella, Gary Marcus, Marcus, Wile, Coyote, Brontë, Judson Althoff, Jason Zander, Zander, We've, OpenAI, Tasos Katopodis, Steve Jobs Organizations: Microsoft, Venture, Getty, Goldman, BI, Fortune, Excel, Lumen Technologies, Honeywell, Gartner, Wall Street, Initiative, Department of Homeland Security, Employees, San Francisco, Software, Apple, Jobs Locations: Microsoft's, Copilot, New York City

Tracking Hurricane Rafael Leer en españolRafael was a Category 2 hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico Wednesday evening Eastern time, the National Hurricane Center said in its latest advisory. The hurricane had sustained wind speeds of 105 miles per hour. By The New York TimesRafael is the 17th named storm to form in the Atlantic in 2024. In late May, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted that there would be 17 to 25 named storms this year, an above-normal amount. Without El Niño this year, clouds are more likely to tower to the tall heights needed to sustain a powerful cyclone.

Persons: Leer, Rafael, The New York Times Rafael Organizations: National Hurricane Center, The New York Times, NOAA, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, Hurricanes Locations: Gulf, Mexico, United States

Tracking Tropical Storm Oscar Leer en españolOscar was a tropical storm in the North Atlantic Ocean Monday evening Eastern time, the National Hurricane Center said in its latest advisory. The tropical storm had sustained wind speeds of 40 miles per hour. By The New York TimesOscar is the 15th named storm to form in the Atlantic in 2024. In late May, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted that there would be 17 to 25 named storms this year, an above-normal amount. Without El Niño this year, clouds are more likely to tower to the tall heights needed to sustain a powerful cyclone.

Persons: Oscar Leer, Oscar, The New York Times Oscar Organizations: National Hurricane Center, The New York Times, NOAA, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, Hurricanes Locations: United States

☆ Inherited IRA rules are changing in 2025 — here's what beneficiaries need to know
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-17 | by ( Kate Dore | Cfp | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Jacob Wackerhausen | Istock | Getty ImagesWhat to know about the 10-year ruleBefore the Secure Act of 2019, heirs could "stretch" inherited IRA withdrawals over their lifetime, which helped reduce yearly taxes. But certain accounts inherited since 2020 are subject to the "10-year rule," meaning IRAs must be empty by the 10th year following the original account owner's death. The rule applies to heirs who are not a spouse, minor child, disabled, chronically ill or certain trusts. Since then, there's been confusion about whether the heirs subject to the 10-year rule needed to take yearly withdrawals, known as required minimum distributions, or RMDs. After years of waived penalties, the IRS in July confirmed certain heirs will need to begin yearly RMDs from inherited accounts starting in 2025.

Persons: Jacob Wackerhausen, there's, Dickson, Judson Meinhart Organizations: Istock, Vanguard, Modera Wealth Management Locations: Winston, Salem , North Carolina

The inmate’s attorneys call that a misdiagnosis – and also discredit shaken baby syndrome on its face, despite broad consensus among pediatricians it is legitimate. The shaken baby syndrome diagnosis from doctors and nurses, their emotional response to Nikki’s condition and Roberson’s odd reaction all stacked against the then-suspect, said Wharton. “There really is not a controversy in medicine about the existence of abusive head trauma. Just this month, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals ordered a new trial for a man sentenced to 35 years in prison after being convicted of injury to a child in a case that also relied on a shaken baby syndrome argument. Without shaken baby syndrome, he said, “there’s nothing that’s chargeable here.

Persons: West, Robert Roberson, Nikki Curtis, Roberson, Nikki, ” Roberson, John Grisham, Brian Wharton, Wharton, ”, “, Robert, pediatricians, Dr, Lee Savio Beers, Sandeep Narang, ” Narang, They’ve, Greg Abbott, Nikki Curtis Roberson, ’, Nikki’s, Janet Squires, Squires, ” Squires, Narang, Roberson’s, –, Larry Bowman, Nikki –, ‘, Sciences –, Kate Judson, it’s, ” Dr, Antoinette Laskey, Laskey, he’ll, he’s, I’ll, “ Unforgiveness, he's, Ashley Killough, CNN Wharton, Gretchen Sween, ” Wharton, We’re, LaMotte, Stephanie Becker Organizations: West Livingston CNN, CNN, American Academy of Pediatrics, US Centers for Disease Control, CDC, American Association of Pediatrics, AP, US Army, National Registry, Appeals, SBS, Board, Republican Gov, Integrity, Sciences, American Academy of Pediatrics ’, Child, Texas Department, Criminal, New York Times Locations: West Livingston CNN — Texas, Texas, United States, Roberson’s, Palestine , Texas, ”, Livingston , Texas, Anderson County, Dallas

☆ Why it’s OK to crave the taste of home when you travel
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-10 | by ( Maggie Hiufu Wong | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Enter, the American Bar. But, like the patrons of the American Bar before us, seeking out home comforts when abroad is still something we all do. The study was based on interviews with 330 people in the US, all questioned on how likely they’d be to try local foods when traveling. We learn to associate food with comfort – hence the term ‘comfort food,’” Brewer says. The American Bar at the Savoy has been a London hotspot since the late 1800s.

Persons: Richard D’Oyly Carte, Ernest Hemingway, Marilyn Monroe, “, ”, Andrea Di Chiara, couldn’t, Coke, Maggie Wong, Angel Gonzalez, ” Gonzalez, Judson Brewer, Brewer, Richard A, Brooks, ’ ” Brewer, Bridget Jones, Jungfraujoch, Kathrin Naegeli, Gonzalez, JACK HARDY, tellingly, Gerald Quadros, there’s, ” Brewer, we’re, ‘ I’d, ’ Organizations: CNN, American Bar, American, Future Market, Yorkshire teabags, California State University, Monterey Bay, Brown University, Getty, Jungfrau Railways, Noodle, Savoy, Langham Hotel, Random Locations: United States, Savoy, London, Hong Kong, Paris, Monterey, AFP, Europe, Swiss, Zurich, Denbighshire, Italy

☆ Tracking Hurricane Milton’s Storm Surge Risk Across Florida
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-08 | by ( William B. Davis | Judson Jones | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

Tracking Hurricane Milton’s Storm Surge Risk Across FloridaAs Hurricane Milton approaches landfall in Florida this week, the National Hurricane Center is releasing a series of data sets to help warn the public of the risks. Storm surge is one of the deadliest aspects of a strong hurricane as it approaches land. Depending on exactly where Milton makes landfall, storm surge will broadly fluctuate. The Florida Keys are forecast to experience strong winds and storm surge mostly below six feet. Wherever Milton makes landfall, storm surge will come ashore, especially just ahead and south of the storm’s center, similar again to what occurred during Ian.

Persons: Milton, Hurricane Helene, Milton ., Hurricane Ian, Robert Weisberg, —, Weisberg, Ian, ” Organizations: Hurricane, National Hurricane, University of South Locations: Florida, Milton, Tampa, Fort Myers, Naples, Tampa Bay ., Tampa Bay, University of South Florida, Clearwater

The lead detective in the case, Brian Wharton, accepted the shaken baby syndrome diagnosis, and Roberson was arrested before an autopsy was even completed. Shifting scienceThe concept of shaken baby syndrome began in the 1970s. Hundreds of possible shaken baby and abusive head trauma cases are reported to hospitals in the U.S. every year, according to a nonprofit advocacy group. A Mississippi man on death row for a shaken baby diagnosis was resentenced to life in prison in 2018 after evidence was re-examined. "The shaken baby concept did not add up," Sween said.

Persons: Robert Roberson, Lester Holt, Greg Abbott, I've, I'm, Roberson, Abbott, Holt, Nikki, Brian Wharton, Wharton, Kate Judson, Judson, Andie Asnes, Asnes, Robert Dunham, Phillips, Gretchen Sween, Sween, Robert Organizations: NBC News, Texas Gov, NBC, Texas, Criminal Appeals, Prosecutors, Center, Integrity, Forensic Sciences, American Academy of Pediatrics, Yale School of Medicine, Child, National Registry Locations: Texas, East Texas, Dallas, U.S, Mississippi

☆ Microsoft just punted on a big AI decision. It could be a bad sign.
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-26 | by ( Ashley Stewart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewMicrosoft has pressed pause on a major AI overhaul of its popular 365 software suite, according to people familiar with the matter. CEO Satya Nadella and his senior leadership team held executive reviews this summer to consider options that included repackaging new AI features into existing licenses or creating a more expensive bundle with AI capabilities. Other changes Microsoft is considering for its 365 software bundles is a new suite just for security features, the people also said. In recent months, some customers and investors have begun to question the value of generative AI technology, including Microsoft's Copilot AI assistant tool. That's in addition to the monthly cost of Microsoft's 365 software bundles.

Persons: —, Satya Nadella, OpenAI's, It's, Judson Althoff Organizations: Service, Business, Microsoft, Chief, Vodafone, Amgen, Microsoft's Productivity, Processes

Tracking Tropical Storm Helene Leer en españolHelene was a tropical storm in the Caribbean Sea early Wednesday Eastern time, the National Hurricane Center said in its latest advisory. The tropical storm had sustained wind speeds of 60 miles per hour. By The New York TimesHelene is the eighth named storm to form in the Atlantic in 2024. In late May, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted that there would be 17 to 25 named storms this year, an above-normal amount. Without El Niño this year, clouds are more likely to tower to the tall heights needed to sustain a powerful cyclone.

Persons: Helene Leer, Helene, The New York Times Helene Organizations: National Hurricane Center, The New York Times, NOAA, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, Hurricanes Locations: Caribbean, Fla, Fort Myers, St . Petersburg, United States

☆ Storm That Could Threaten Gulf Coast Takes Shape in the Caribbean
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-23 | by ( Judson Jones | More About Judson Jones | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The next storm that could threaten the United States was beginning to take shape Monday afternoon among a swirl of thunderstorms off the shores of Honduras in the western Caribbean Sea, with forecasters saying there is a strong likelihood that it becomes Helene, the next name in the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season storm list. Many of the forecast models that meteorologists use show the storm strengthening rapidly over the next few days before hitting somewhere along the central to eastern Gulf of Mexico coastline Thursday. This storm follows Francine, which spun across the western Gulf of Mexico this month. That storm struggled to organize and only slowly intensified into a weak Category 2 in the final few hours before making landfall in Louisiana and dropping a deluge of rainfall across New Orleans. If this storm system forms more quickly into a named storm across the Caribbean, it is more likely to become a hurricane or even a major hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico before it hits land.

Persons: Helene, Francine Organizations: National Hurricane Center, Nine Locations: United States, Honduras, Gulf of Mexico, Gulf, Mexico, Louisiana, New Orleans

Tracking Hurricane John Leer en españolJohn was a Category 3 hurricane over Mexico Monday evening Mexico Central Time, the National Hurricane Center said in its latest advisory. The hurricane had sustained wind speeds of 120 miles per hour. Storms that form in the Atlantic or the Pacific generally move west, meaning Atlantic storms pose a greater threat to North America. Occasionally, a storm can move farther north, as Hurricane Hilary did last year, bringing damaging winds and intense rain to Southern California. Hurricane season in the Eastern Pacific began on May 15, two weeks before the Atlantic season started.

Persons: Leer, español John, The New York Times John, Hilary, Niña Organizations: Mexico Monday, National Hurricane Center, The New York Times, NOAA, Southern California ., Eastern Pacific Locations: español, Mexico, Eastern, North America, Baja California, Southern California, Southern California . Hurricane

Tropical Storm Debby, which came ashore as a category 1 hurricane along the Florida coast early Monday, will move across the Southeast on Tuesday at roughly the speed of a human walking. Like Debby, both storms stalled over the region and became reminders that a hurricane’s hazards can persist and intensify for days after it makes landfall. Even small changes in the steering currents could result in Debby shifting and changing where the rain falls. The storm will most likely move slightly offshore, allowing some restrengthening before the storm turns north and moves back inland. Debby will funnel huge amounts of moisture northward and collide with cooler air moving into the region, allowing storms to form.

Persons: Debby, Alex Lamers, Hurricane Harvey, ”, Erica, William B, Alberto, Zack Taylor Organizations: Weather Prediction, Houston Metro, Weather, Atmospheric Administration, Iowa State University, Davis Locations: Georgia, South Carolina, Florida, Houston, Hurricane Florence, North Carolina, Savannah, Ga, Charleston, S.C, “ Charleston, Florence, Baltimore, Boston

☆ Here’s Where Debby’s Rains Are Going Next
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-04 | by ( Judson Jones | More About Judson Jones | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

As Tropical Storm Debby moves inland off the Gulf of Mexico this week, it is expected to bring intense rainfall and flooding across northern Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. The National Weather Service forecast a rare high risk of excessive rain for the region. Widespread flash flooding and river flooding are expected, with 10 to 20 inches of rainfall along the coast. The most intense rainfall is expected to spread over the area Monday night into Tuesday. “We’re going to be into a catastrophic rain situation,” Kevin Guthrie, the executive director of Florida’s Division of Emergency Management, said at a news conference on Sunday.

Persons: “ We’re, Kevin Guthrie Organizations: National Hurricane Center, National Weather Service, Florida’s, Emergency Management Locations: of Mexico, Florida , Georgia, South Carolina

Tracking Hurricane Debby Leer en españolDebby was a Category 1 hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico late Sunday Eastern time, the National Hurricane Center said in its latest advisory. The hurricane had sustained wind speeds of 75 miles per hour. Debby is the fourth named storm to form in the Atlantic in 2024. In late May, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted that there would be 17 to 25 named storms this year, an above-normal amount. Without El Niño this year, clouds are more likely to tower to the tall heights needed to sustain a powerful cyclone.

Persons: Leer, Debby Organizations: Sunday, National Hurricane Center, Fort Myers, Fort Myers Cedar Key, United States, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, Hurricanes Locations: Gulf of Mexico, Fort Myers Cedar, Fort Myers Cedar Key Tampa, United States

Florida prepares for potential damage. With heavy rainfall of up to 12 inches expected over the next seven days, Florida is bracing for the threat of flooding, along with gusty winds and erosion. Just after 11 a.m. on Friday, the National Weather Service issued a tropical storm warning, meaning tropical storm conditions are expected within 36 hours, for the southwest coast of the Florida peninsula, from East Cape Sable to Bonita Beach. Other areas of the southern and western coasts of the peninsula, as well as parts of the Florida Keys, were under a tropical storm watch, forecasters said. The governor’s order covers Orange County and Osceola County, and travel could be disrupted for the throngs of summer visitors who go to Orlando and the theme parks at Universal Studios Florida and Walt Disney World.

Persons: Ron DeSantis Organizations: Florida, National Weather Service, Universal Studios Florida, Walt Disney World Locations: Florida, East, Sable, Bonita Beach, Orange County, Osceola County, Orlando

☆ In ‘Twisters,’ Storm Chasers Want to Disrupt a Tornado. Is That Possible?
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-19 | by ( Judson Jones | Reto Sterchi | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Sean Waugh holds a laptop with green, red and yellow weather radar looping as his driver rumbles down an Oklahoma highway in their government-issued truck. A rectangular cage with metal mesh covers the truck in an attempt to protect the team from hail. Hanging off the front of the hail cage are weather instruments that look like the horn of a rhinoceros charging into a storm. The truck, called Probe One, points in one direction, and a companion, Probe Two, points in another. “Probe One, you want us to go?”“Yes, go now,” says Dr. Waugh, a researcher with the National Severe Storms Laboratory.

Persons: Sean Waugh, ”, Waugh, Reed Timmer Locations: Oklahoma

☆ Here Is Where It’s Going to Be Hottest on Tuesday
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-16 | by ( Judson Jones | More About Judson Jones | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Evenings may not offer much respite. Forecasters with the Weather Prediction Center warned that warm overnight lows in many areas Tuesday into Wednesday will provide little relief. From Tuesday into Wednesday, temperatures across the Northern Plains are expected to regulate back to normal and, even dip slightly below average in some areas. Portions of the Midwest will also be at risk of major-to-extreme heat on Tuesday, but showers and thunderstorms arriving ahead of cooler air could keep temperatures lower on Wednesday. In ensuing days, an air mass of unseasonably cooler air out of Canada will bring progressive relief as it sweeps through the eastern half of the U.S. Those milder temperatures should reach most in the South and along the East Coast by Thursday and Friday.

Organizations: Weather, U.S Locations: Canada, East Coast

On Today’s Episode:For First Time, NATO Accuses China of Supplying Russia’s Attacks on Ukraine, by David E. SangerBiden’s High-Stakes Moment: Tonight’s NATO News Conference, by Michael D. Shear, Katie Rogers, and Michael M. GrynbaumHospitals in Houston ‘Backed Up’ After Hurricane, as Millions in U.S. Swelter, by Isabelle Taft and Judson JonesFrance Is Busing Homeless Immigrants Out of Paris Before the Olympics, by Sarah Hurtes and Ségolène Le Stradic

Persons: David E, Sanger Biden’s, Michael D, Katie Rogers, Michael M, Isabelle Taft, Judson Jones, Sarah Hurtes, Le Stradic Organizations: NATO, Conference, Grynbaum Locations: China, Ukraine, Houston, Judson Jones France, Paris

☆ Hot Weather Bakes Millions in U.S., as Many in Houston Swelter Without Power
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-10 | by ( Isabelle Taft | Judson Jones | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

More than 1.3 million utility customers in the Houston area were still without power on Wednesday, two days after Hurricane Beryl swept destructively through the region. Hot, steamy weather on the heels of the storm left many people in the region to swelter without air conditioning. As many as 144 million people across the United States were under National Weather Service heat advisories on Wednesday, from the West and Pacific Northwest to Southeast Texas and many major cities on the East Coast. Large areas of California, Nevada, Arizona and Utah, and the corridor from Washington, D.C., to New Jersey were under excessive heat warnings, indicating “extremely dangerous heat conditions.” Forecasters expect dangerous conditions to persist in the West for several more days and to redevelop in the Southeast later in the week.

Persons: Hurricane Beryl, destructively Organizations: Hurricane, National Weather Service, West and, Washington , D.C Locations: Houston, United States, West and Pacific Northwest, Southeast Texas, East Coast ., California , Nevada , Arizona, Utah, Washington ,, New Jersey

Tropical Storm Beryl ripped a path of destruction through the heart of Houston on Monday, transforming roads into rivers, killing at least four people and knocking out power for more than two million customers across Texas. The storm, which made landfall early Monday as a Category 1 hurricane, weakened as it passed over the city and continued its swirling march north. But its relatively modest official strength undersold its power, local authorities said. As it churned through Houston, officials warned people to stay inside and away from windows, “as though there was a tornado coming your way,” Lina Hidalgo, the top official in Harris County, which includes Houston, cautioned residents. The center passed just to the west of the city, meaning Houston received some of the worst of the storm as it spun counterclockwise.

Persons: Beryl, ” Lina Hidalgo Organizations: Houston Locations: Houston, Texas, Harris County

☆ Live Updates: Hurricane Beryl Passes Cayman Islands on Way to Mexico
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-04 | by ( The New York Times | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +6 min

According to major forecasts, it looks like it’s going to be an above-average hurricane season. An average Atlantic hurricane season has 14 named storms, including seven hurricanes and three major hurricanes. In 2020, the May forecast was for 13 to 19 named storms, but an updated forecast for August was even higher, with 19 to 25 named storms. This region, from West Africa to Central America, is hotter this year than it was before the start of last year’s hurricane season, which produced 20 named storms. The possibility of a La Niña, combined with record sea surface temperatures this hurricane season, is expected to create a robust environment this year for storms to form and intensify.

Persons: Judson Jones, Rick Spinrad, Idalia, Zack Wittman, Alberto, William, Damon Winter, Brian McNoldy, ”, Phil Klotzbach, Benjamin Kirtman, Waters, Niño, El, Michelle L’Heureux Organizations: The New York Times, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, Hurricane Idalia, National Weather Service, New York Times NOAA, University of Miami, Colorado State University, El Locations: Florida’s Big Bend, America, Fort Myers Beach, Fla, West Africa, Central America, El

☆ Live Updates: Hurricane Beryl, a Category 4 Storm, Speeds Toward Jamaica
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-03 | by ( Judson Jones | The New York Times | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +6 min

According to major forecasts, it looks like it’s going to be an above-average hurricane season. Those could include four to seven major hurricanes — Category 3 or higher — with winds of at least 111 m.p.h. An average Atlantic hurricane season has 14 named storms, including seven hurricanes and three major hurricanes. In 2020, the May forecast was for 13 to 19 named storms, but an updated forecast for August was even higher, with 19 to 25 named storms. This region, from West Africa to Central America, is hotter this year than it was before the start of last year’s hurricane season, which produced 20 named storms.

☆ Why Beryl Is a Bad Sign for This Year’s Hurricane Season
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-01 | by ( Judson Jones | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Hurricane Beryl rapidly intensified from a tropical storm to a Category 4 hurricane in two days as it rushed toward the Caribbean this weekend, increasing its wind speed by 45 miles per hour daily. This quick escalation was a direct result of the above-average sea surface temperatures as well as a harbinger of what is to come this hurricane season. “This early-season storm activity is breaking records that were set in 1933 and 2005, two of the busiest Atlantic hurricane seasons on record,” said Philip Klotzbach, an expert in seasonal hurricane forecasts at Colorado State University. Last fall, a study in the journal Scientific Reports found that Atlantic hurricanes from 2001 to 2020 were twice as likely to grow from a weak storm into a hurricane of Category 3 or higher within 24 hours than they were from 1971 to 1990. The study added to a growing body of evidence that rapidly developing major hurricanes were becoming more likely.

Persons: ”, Philip Klotzbach Organizations: Colorado State University, Last Locations: Caribbean

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