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January 19, 2026
Religion
World

Over 160 Kidnapped in Attacks on Churches, Islamists Suspected.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Gunmen attacked two churches in Kaduna state, Nigeria, abducting dozens of Christians.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Armed assailants and churchgoers, with state police investigating the incident.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Sunday in Kurmin Wali, Kaduna state, approximately 500 miles northeast of Lagos.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The gunmen used sophisticated weapons in the attack,” according to state police.

🎯IMPACT: Over 160 churchgoers may have been abducted, highlighting a growing trend of targeting Christians in Nigeria.

IN FULL

Armed gunmen in the Kaduna state in Nigeria attacked two churches on Sunday and are believed to have abducted dozens of Christians. While Kaduna police say they are still trying to determine just how many people were taken, senior leaders at the churches claim more than 160 people were taken during the attack.

The churches targeted were located in a remote forest community called Kurmin Wali. Local officials stated that the gunmen—likely members of a radical Islamist group—used “sophisticated weapons.”

Kidnappings and deadly attacks on Christians and churches in Nigeria have seen a concerning rise in recent years. The National Pulse previously reported that last year, Islamists killed an estimated 7,087 Nigerian Christians. In response to the massacres, U.S. President Donald J. Trump announced the designation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) on October 31, 2025.

While Nigerian President Bola Tinubu—who is Muslim—has consistently denied that his government has allowed Islamist groups to carry out a genocide against the country’s Christian population, the main opposition party has demanded that he resign if the attacks continue.

Late last year, President Trump announced the U.S. was considering economic sanctions against Nigeria’s government and air strikes against Islamist groups in the country in response to what the American leader termed a “genocide.” On Christmas Day, the U.S. military carried out strikes against Islamic State-linked groups in Nigeria’s Sokoto state.

Image by Dotun55.

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By Popular Demand.
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36 minutes ago
News
Politics
World

Trump Escalates War on Narco-Fleets.

The United States military has intensified its campaign against drug trafficking in Latin America by striking a number of large refueling vessels used by smugglers off the Ecuadorian coast.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: The U.S. military has sunk six large fishing vessels accused of refueling drug-smuggling boats off the coast of Ecuador.
📰 DETAIL: United States Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) reported that the vessels were acting as refueling stations for smaller boats transporting drugs for the cartels. The large vessels have been linked to the refueling operations of the Los Choneros gang, a crime syndicate based in Ecuador, designated as a foreign terrorist organization. The strikes came on Tuesday night as part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to crack down on Latin American drug-smuggling networks. The strikes came ahead of Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s trip to Ecuador on Wednesday. The trip is expected to focus on facilitating military cooperation in South America to tackle drug-trafficking groups. U.S. officials have argued that targeting the larger refueling vessels is a more effective way of destroying the drug-trafficking networks, rather than focusing on the smaller boats importing drugs. “These interdictions cut off critical nodes in the narcotics logistics network,” read a statement from U.S. Southern Command. “Total systemic friction: The [Department of War], [SOUTHCOM], and the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition remain unwavering in their mission to defeat narco-terrorists in the Western Hemisphere and defend our homeland,” SOUTHCOM announced on X (formerly Twitter) earlier in September. “The Western Hemisphere is no longer a safe haven for narcoterrorism,” the Department of War added.
🎯 IMPACT: These recent strikes represent the culmination of two weeks of U.S. operations in the region. This comes approximately a month after Abelardo de la Espriella, the new President of Colombia, requested cooperation with the U.S. in conducting military operations against drug traffickers in Latin America. “Through the newly inaugurated… President El Tigre, Colombia has already requested that the Department of War join Colombia in its fight against narco-terrorism,” said Secretary of War Pete Hegseth at the time. This represents an escalation in the Trump administration’s crackdown on Latin American drug-trafficking, expanding its focus from drug boats to the wider infrastructure of the illegal drug trade.

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The United States military has intensified its campaign against drug trafficking in Latin America by striking a number of large refueling vessels used by smugglers off the Ecuadorian coast.

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By Popular Demand.
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1 hour ago
News
Politics
World

Trump Celebrates Populist Surge in German Election.

Germany’s Alternative for Germany (AfD) party surged to a historic victory in Saxony-Anhalt’s regional elections, drawing praise from President Donald J. Trump.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump praised Germany’s Alternative for Germany (AfD) after the populist-right party won a major victory in Sunday’s state elections in Saxony-Anhalt, attributing its surge to its stance on immigration.
📺 DETAIL: The AfD won 43.8 percent of the vote and 39 of the 83 seats in the state parliament, more than doubling its 2021 vote share and finishing well ahead of Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU), which received just 17.2 percent and 15 seats. The result was the AfD’s strongest showing in a German state election and left it only three seats short of an outright majority. AfD officials have pointed to public dissatisfaction with the political status quo, particularly over immigration, but the CDU and other establishment parties have maintained that they will not form a coalition with the AfD. The AfD’s regional branch has been classified as extremist by Germany’s domestic intelligence service, a controversial designation the establishment parties have cited in maintaining a political “firewall” against the AfD.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “Wow! The Populist Party in Germany just had a really big night… THEY ARE ON THE RISE, and not going to take it anymore! MGGA!!!” – President Donald J. Trump, writing on Truth Social
🎯 IMPACT:  The AfD’s 43.8 percent showing strengthens its position as a major force in German politics and increases pressure on Chancellor Merz and the CDU to respond to voter concerns over immigration, poor economic conditions, and dissatisfaction with the political establishment. Trump’s public praise also adds an international dimension to the result, potentially straining relations with Germany’s government but also highlighting the growing political influence of populist-right parties across Europe.

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Germany's Alternative for Germany (AfD) party surged to a historic victory in Saxony-Anhalt's regional elections, drawing praise from President Donald J. Trump.

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By Popular Demand.
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3 hours ago
Economy
News

Oil Back Above $100 a Barrel Following Fresh Iran Clashes.

The ongoing conflict between the U.S. and Iran has driven oil prices back above $100 per barrel, raising concerns over global energy supplies and inflationary pressures.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Oil prices rose above $100 per barrel for the first time since July following U.S. strikes on Iranian oil tankers on Tuesday, reportedly in response to missile attacks targeting a U.S. Navy warship. Iran retaliated by striking at a U.S. military base in Jordan, while Houthi forces backed by Tehran launched attacks on Saudi Arabian oil infrastructure.
📺 DETAIL: The Iran war has disrupted energy markets, with Brent crude briefly exceeding $100 per barrel after the exchanges before settling around $99.50. British and European Union gas prices have also risen sharply, reaching levels not seen since December 2022, as storage levels remain critically low. The situation has fueled fears of further supply disruptions as winter approaches.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “CENTCOM forces destroyed five Iranian crude oil carriers, Sept. 8, after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targeted a U.S. Navy warship with ballistic missiles twice over the past two days. The U.S. warship successfully evaded the attempted Iranian attacks and continued to patrol regional waters. No American personnel were harmed.” – U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) statement
🎯 IMPACT: Higher energy costs are exacerbating inflationary pressures worldwide, with British petrol and diesel prices jumping by over four pence (~5.5 cents) per liter since September, adding to household and business financial burdens. Continued instability in the Middle East could further drive up global fuel prices, complicating many countries’ economic recovery efforts amid a period of general inflation and cost-of-living pressures.
📺 FLASHBACK: This marks over six months of escalating U.S.-Iran clashes and geopolitical tension, with no signs of a diplomatic resolution in sight despite sporadic formal and informal ceasefires. Previous conflicts in the region have historically led to prolonged disruptions in global oil supply chains.

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The ongoing conflict between the U.S. and Iran has driven oil prices back above $100 per barrel, raising concerns over global energy supplies and inflationary pressures.

show more
By Popular Demand.
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3 hours ago
News
War

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Claim Capture of U.S. Submarine.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claims to have seized a cutting-edge U.S. “smart submarine,” raising tensions in the strategically critical Strait of Hormuz.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed Tuesday that it has captured a U.S. unmanned submarine near the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz, releasing photographs that appeared to show the advanced system. Iranian state-linked media identified the vehicle as a Dive-LD, an autonomous underwater drone manufactured by U.S. defense company Anduril Industries that was first delivered to the U.S. military in 2025.
📺 DETAIL: The system can reportedly operate for up to 10 days without returning to a ship or port and reach depths of approximately 19,700 feet, while also being equipped to map the seafloor and identify mines and other underwater hazards. The IRGC described the seizure as a “complex intelligence and operational action,” although the U.S. government had not publicly confirmed that Iranian forces captured the vehicle. An unnamed U.S. official later said an American military underwater drone had malfunctioned more than a day earlier, raising the possibility that the system was recovered by Iranian forces after becoming disabled. The drone may have been involved in U.S. efforts to clear mines from the Strait of Hormuz, where Iranian forces have deployed mines during the ongoing conflict. Iran also claimed Tuesday that its air defenses intercepted and destroyed a U.S.-made MQ-1 surveillance drone over the strait, though the Pentagon had not definitively confirmed that loss either.
🎯 IMPACT: The reported capture or loss of a U.S. underwater drone highlights the growing importance of unmanned systems in the escalating conflict around the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway for global energy supplies. If confirmed, the loss of advanced American surveillance and mine-detection equipment could provide Iran with valuable intelligence, while underscoring the operational risks facing U.S. forces attempting to keep the strategic passage open.

Image via Wikimedia Commons.

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Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claims to have seized a cutting-edge U.S. "smart submarine," raising tensions in the strategically critical Strait of Hormuz.

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By Popular Demand.
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4 hours ago
News
UK
War

UK Govt Plans to Mobilize Thousands of Veterans, Citing Russian Threat.

The United Kingdom will conduct a significant mobilization exercise involving thousands of veterans next year, with the government claiming it must test the military’s ability to respond to growing threats from Russia.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: The United Kingdom is planning to conduct a mobilization exercise next year, calling up thousands from its strategic reserve of military veterans.
📺 DETAIL: The mobilization exercise is being conducted in response to what the British government argues is a growing threat posed by Russia to the United Kingdom. It will test a system that has long-faced criticism from senior defense officials for being unable to effectively track, contact, mobilize, and equip former military personnel. The mobilization exercise will involve former members of the British Army, Royal Navy, and Royal Air Force (RAF). The British government is also expanding its mobilization powers under the new Armed Forces Bill, which raises the maximum call-up age from 55 to 65. The bill also lowers the threshold for mobilization to include “war-like preparations.” The personnel are part of the country’s approximately 95,000-strong strategic reserve of military veterans. Specifically, the exercise is aimed at improving Britain’s ability to respond to “national danger, great emergency or attack in the UK.” The strategic reserve is different from the country’s approximately 32,000 active reservists, who serve in the Armed Forces on a part-time basis.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “The strategic reserve is a real commitment for those that are in it and they will be exercised as part of our exercise program next year where we will go through measures to call out, use, equip, and all the rest of the procedures we’d have to go through to use the strategic reserve properly… “When I left the Army and found out I was in the strategic reserve, I just filed it away and never thought about it again. We are definitely no longer in that space.” – Louise Sandher-Jones, Armed Forces Minister and Labour Member of Parliament (MP) for North East Derbyshire.
🎯 IMPACT: The announcement of the exercise next year comes amid growing concerns about Britain’s ability to defend itself. This may be a response to warnings from the Trump administration that European countries must do more to protect themselves. At the headquarters of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in Brussels, Belgium, back in June, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth stated that rebuilding Europe’s defense capabilities would be a key element of “NATO 3.0.” “Defense budgets cratered, along with Europe’s belief in itself and its civilization. NATO lost its way… NATO 2.0 was an era of distraction, deindustrialization, and demilitarization. It was an era of freeriding, and those were lost years that we’re not going back to,” said the Secretary of War. The U.S. review into its defense posture in Europe officially began in late July.

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The United Kingdom will conduct a significant mobilization exercise involving thousands of veterans next year, with the government claiming it must test the military's ability to respond to growing threats from Russia.

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By Popular Demand.
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5 hours ago
Economy
News

Trump Hits Canada With Five Tariff Proclamations.

President Trump used Section 338 of the Tariff Act to counter Canada’s retaliatory tariffs and discriminatory trade practices against U.S. exports.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump signed five Proclamations on Tuesday under Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930 to impose import bans and adjust tariffs on Canadian goods in response to Canada’s new retaliatory tariffs on $20 billion of U.S. exports, including steel, dairy, and agricultural equipment. The measures include bans on Canadian alcohol and dairy products but remove certain items previously on the tariff list, such as rock salt and cement, to reduce strain on American importers who cannot easily replace their existing supplies with domestic products.
📍 WHEN & WHERE: The updated tariffs and bans will take effect on September 15, 2026, and September 29, 2026, respectively, impacting trade under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).
💬 KEY QUOTE: “President Trump is taking decisive action to address Canada’s additional and continued retaliation and discrimination against U.S. commerce to protect American farmers, manufacturers, and workers.” – White House statement
🎯 IMPACT: The measures aim to counteract Canada’s increased tariffs and protect key U.S. industries, while also incentivizing domestic production and job reshoring. They reinforce the Trump administration’s commitment to reciprocity and fair trade in accordance with its America First agenda.
📺 DETAIL: Canada’s retaliation follows its decision to break off trade talks and impose tariffs on U.S. exports. Under Section 338, the U.S. can exclude foreign products if discriminatory practices persist. The new bans and adjustments target Canadian goods while ensuring the public interest is served by replacing certain items with others more critical to trade balance efforts.
📈 DATA: Recent economic indicators show U.S. manufacturing activity expanding for eight consecutive months, with over $11 trillion invested in domestic industries since President Trump returned to office.

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President Trump used Section 338 of the Tariff Act to counter Canada’s retaliatory tariffs and discriminatory trade practices against U.S. exports.

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By Popular Demand.
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18 hours ago
Culture
News

Trump Admin Drafts Plan to Fund Traditional Families Raising Their Own Children Instead of Daycares.

A new Trump administration proposal aims to allow stay-at-home parents to receive childcare subsidies, altering a status quo in which the government only pays for families to send their children to daycares.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: The Trump administration is drafting a policy to allow stay-at-home parents to receive childcare assistance through the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF). This proposal would create a new category of “parent-based childcare,” enabling married couples who meet specific income and work requirements to qualify for subsidies.
📺 DETAIL: The plan would allow married parents, with one working full-time and the other staying home to care for their children, to access funds typically reserved for external childcare. Critics within the GOP establishment argue the policy resembles “socialism,” and could lead to fraud or misuse. However, proponents view it as a recognition of the value of parents, typically mothers, raising their own children in single-breadwinner families, rather than resorting to daycares. The proposal excludes unmarried couples and single parents, raising potential legal challenges over its marriage requirement.
🎯 IMPACT: If implemented, the policy could reshape federal childcare funding, potentially benefiting families who choose to have one parent stay home.
📺 FLASHBACK: The Child Care and Development Fund was established under President Bill Clinton in the 1990s to assist low- and moderate-income families with external childcare costs. The Trump administration’s proposal marks a significant shift in how these funds could be used.
📈 DATA: Federal data shows nearly one million families currently benefit from CCDF assistance, with demand routinely exceeding available funding. The average subsidy per child is roughly $9,000, though actual amounts vary widely by state and family circumstances.

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A new Trump administration proposal aims to allow stay-at-home parents to receive childcare subsidies, altering a status quo in which the government only pays for families to send their children to daycares.

show more
By Popular Demand.
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18 hours ago
Crime
Immigration
News

Migrant Trucker Gets Just 20 Days in Prison for Killing Father and Son.

A truck driver from Haiti who caused a fatal crash in Ohio, killing a father and son and severely injuring the mother, has received a 20-day jail sentence.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: A judge has issued a mere 20-day jail sentence to a migrant truck driver responsible for the death of a father and son.
📺 DETAIL: Yvio Michel, reportedly a migrant from Haiti working as a big-rig truck driver, caused a multi-vehicle crash in late February in Ohio. The crash killed 52-year-old Hurshel Gipson and his 11-year-old son, Michael Gipson. The crash also left 45-year-old Amanda Gipson, Hursel’s wife and Michael’s mother, severely injured. Other motorists sustained injuries as well. Michel failed to slow his tractor-trailer for halted traffic on the I-75 highway, smashing into multiple vehicles and trapping the Gipson family’s SUV between two rigs. Michel, who was seeking asylum in the U.S., pleaded no contest to charges of negligent homicide and vehicular manslaughter after prosecutors dropped three other charges. Judge Tammie K. Hursh at Lima Municipal Court in Ohio gave Michel two consecutive 10-day sentences. Specifically, Judge Hursh suspended 80 days of Michel’s 90-day sentence for the negligent homicide charge and suspended 170 days of his 180-day vehicular manslaughter charge. Michel was also given a two-year license suspension, along with six points and $1,000 in fines.
🎯 IMPACT: Michel will remain in local custody until September 21. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has since lodged a detainer against him, meaning that he will be taken into federal custody once he is released. The lenient sentence has sparked outrage from the public. The case provides context as to why the Trump administration is moving to crack down on migrants working as truck drivers, as well as seeking to deport Haitian asylum seekers.

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A truck driver from Haiti who caused a fatal crash in Ohio, killing a father and son and severely injuring the mother, has received a 20-day jail sentence.

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By Popular Demand.
The National Pulse Now has an on-site comments section for members. Sign up today and be part of the conversation in our community of almost 15,000.
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19 hours ago
News
War

Trump Boosts Veterans’ Support and Job Opportunities.

President Trump has signed an Executive Order to modernize data sharing between the Departments of War and Veterans Affairs, aiming to expedite access to benefits for U.S. veterans.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order on Tuesday to modernize data management and sharing between the Departments of War and Veterans Affairs (VA), expediting veterans’ access to benefits. The order mandates the use of secure digital tools, including artificial intelligence (AI), to streamline applications and ensure real-time sharing of military and medical records.
📺 DETAIL: The Executive Order addresses longstanding inefficiencies in transferring records, which currently take 90 to 180 days, delaying veterans’ access to healthcare, education, and job training. It also aims to improve the Transition Assistance Program by providing career guidance and connecting service members to specialists who can assist with benefit applications.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “Millions of brave men and women have served in our Armed Forces with courage, commitment, and sacrifice, guaranteeing our security, prosperity, and freedom. These veterans deserve the best available services in return. ” – White House statement
🎯 IMPACT: By modernizing outdated systems, the initiative should reduce delays in benefits processing and improve access to healthcare and career opportunities for veterans. It also emphasizes the use of emerging technologies to enhance efficiency while maintaining privacy protections.
📺 FLASHBACK: In his first term, President Trump implemented policies to reduce VA healthcare wait times, eliminate application backlogs, and provide mental health resources for transitioning veterans.

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President Trump has signed an Executive Order to modernize data sharing between the Departments of War and Veterans Affairs, aiming to expedite access to benefits for U.S. veterans.

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By Popular Demand.
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20 hours ago
News
TECH

Trump Admin to Invest $1.9 Billion in Restarting Shuttered Nuclear Plant to Power AI Boom.

The Energy Department’s loan aims to revive the Duane Arnold nuclear plant, marking a significant move in the U.S. nuclear energy sector.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: The U.S. Energy Department announced a $1.9 billion loan to assist in restarting the Duane Arnold nuclear power plant in Iowa, which ceased operations in 2020. This initiative is part of a broader effort to revive nuclear energy in the United States, in part to power the boom in artificial intelligence (AI) data centers.
📰 DETAIL: NextEra Energy, the company behind the project, plans to refurbish the plant’s reactor and aims to restart operations by 2029. The federal loan is expected to lower financing costs for NextEra, which has also secured a deal with Google to purchase a portion of the plant’s electricity for its data centers.
🎯 IMPACT: This move could bolster U.S. nuclear energy capabilities and contribute to energy security, while also supporting tech companies’ growing electricity needs.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “Duane Arnold is exactly the kind of investment that will help restore American nuclear leadership, strengthen our energy security, and deliver the affordable, reliable power Americans need to fuel our nation’s future,” said Greg Beard, director of the Energy Department’s loan office.
👀 FLASHBACK: The Duane Arnold plant originally came online in 1974 but was shut down in 2020 after storm damage. The decision to close was influenced by economic factors, including low natural gas prices and stagnant electricity demand at the time.

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The Energy Department's loan aims to revive the Duane Arnold nuclear plant, marking a significant move in the U.S. nuclear energy sector.

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By Popular Demand.
The National Pulse Now has an on-site comments section for members. Sign up today and be part of the conversation in our community of almost 15,000.
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