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Tuesday, August 12, 2025

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3 hours ago
News
War

Russia Breaks Through on Battlefield Ahead of Trump-Putin Alaska Summit.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Russian forces have achieved a significant breakthrough in eastern Ukraine, advancing past Ukrainian defensive lines near the frontline city of Pokrovsk.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Russian forces, Ukrainian forces, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald J. Trump are set to meet in Alaska soon.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The breakthrough occurred north of Pokrovsk, near Dobropillia, in the Donetsk region of Ukraine.

🎯IMPACT: The advance risks isolating Ukrainian forces and could have significant implications for the ongoing conflict and the upcoming Alaska summit.

IN FULL

Russian forces have achieved a significant breakthrough in eastern Ukraine, just days before a planned Alaskan summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald J. Trump. The advance took place in a critical area along the front line, north of the embattled city of Pokrovsk.

According to reports, Russian direct reconnaissance groups (DRGs) penetrated Ukrainian defensive positions east of Dobropillia, a vital logistics hub supplying the Ukrainian front. Deepstate Maps, an online real-time battlefield map aligned with the Ukrainian government, and several independent war mappers have confirmed the offensive. Russian troops are believed to have advanced as far as eight miles, one of the largest single-day advances in recent years.

As of the time of publication, there is no confirmation as to whether Russian troops have severed the strategically vital highway between Dobropillia and the fortress city of Kramatorsk, a key supply route for the Ukrainian military. The situation on the ground could change, with the potential for a broader Russian push that could see Ukrainian forces trapped in an encirclement across much of the Donbass front.

Many war mappers believe that Pokvosk, a vital logistics hub for the entire Donetsk front, is either already encircled or close to becoming encircled, with few major arteries in and out of the city either not directly under Russian control or within range of Russian bombardment. Notably, the coking coal mine that fueled much of Ukraine’s steel industry is also located at Pokrovsk, so its loss would also deal a major long-term blow to the Ukrainian economy.

These developments come ahead of a planned summit between U.S. President Donald J. Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. The two are expected to discuss possible ceasefire terms, including, according to President Trump, “some swapping, changes in land” between Ukraine and Russia.

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37 minutes ago
Health
News

Rabies Scare Hits U.S. Vacation Hub, Hundreds at Risk.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Health officials are attempting to contact hundreds of visitors to Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park after discovering a suspected bat colony in an attic above guest rooms at the Jackson Lake Lodge.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Wyoming Department of Health, the National Park Service, Grand Teton Lodge Company, and federal health officials.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The potential exposure dates back to May 2025 at the Jackson Lake Lodge in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming.

💬KEY QUOTE: “As a precaution, the affected rooms are closed while public health professionals conduct further assessments and provide recommendations for mitigation.” – National Park Service

🎯IMPACT: Over 200 guests may need rabies risk assessments, with state and federal health officials coordinating preventive treatment as needed.

IN FULL

Public health authorities are reaching out to guests who recently stayed at Jackson Lake Lodge in Wyoming‘s Grand Teton National Park after a suspected bat colony was discovered in the attic space above several guest rooms. Officials believe more than 200 individuals may have been exposed to bats that may be infected with the rabies virus since the lodge opened for the season in May 2025.

In a public statement, the National Park Service (NPS) noted: “[A]ffected rooms are closed while public health professionals conduct further assessments and provide recommendations for mitigation.”

The primary concern stems from the possibility of bat-related rabies exposure, which can occur through bites or scratches that are often so small they go unnoticed. According to Dr. Alexia Harrist, Wyoming’s state health officer, “rabies is almost always fatal once symptoms appear, but can be prevented with timely post-exposure vaccines.” She emphasized that individuals who may not be aware of contact with bats, such as children or those in deep sleep, are particularly vulnerable.

The Wyoming Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are overseeing the investigation and are coordinating with local health officials to identify and assist affected guests. “State public health officials are reaching out to these guests directly to assess if they had exposure to a bat while staying in any of these rooms and determine if they meet the risk criteria for receiving rabies preventive treatment,” the NPS stated, adding: “Individuals who meet the risk criteria for a rabies exposure will be connected with the appropriate provider in their home state for preventive treatment.”

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1 hour ago
TECH
UK

Court Upholds Online Censorship Law Challenged by Wikipedia.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: The High Court in England rejected the Wikimedia Foundation’s legal challenge against Britain’s so-called Online Safety Act.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The Wikimedia Foundation, the High Court, British government regulator Ofcom, and the Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The ruling was delivered in England in August 2025.

💬KEY QUOTE: “This does not give Ofcom and the Secretary of State a green light to implement a regime that would significantly impede Wikipedia’s operations.” – Justice Jeremy Johnson

🎯IMPACT: The decision raises concerns about free speech restrictions, with U.S. lawmakers warning of international implications.

IN FULL

The High Court in England has delivered a significant win for the UK government’s controversial Online Safety Act by dismissing a legal challenge brought by the Wikimedia Foundation. The decision upholds a law enabling sweeping government censorship online, sparking fresh concerns over the state of free speech in the United Kingdom.

The Wikimedia Foundation, which operates Wikipedia, argued that the legislation’s expansive regulatory powers threaten the site’s open, collaborative model. The risk of being designated a “Category 1” service was particularly concerning, as this official classification would require the site to implement strict identity verification for all users who edit or contribute to content. Wikimedia warned such a move would severely undermine its volunteer-driven approach, discourage British contributors, and reduce public access to its information.

While dismissing the lawsuit, Justice Jeremy Johnson claimed that his ruling does not give regulators unchecked power. He noted that Wikimedia retains the right to challenge any future decision by Ofcom, the British media regulator, if it “concludes that Wikipedia is a Category 1 service” impermissibly.

Across the Atlantic, American lawmakers have criticized the Online Safety Act, expressing alarm that it may inspire other governments to adopt similar measures that threaten online freedoms. Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) said that the law poses potential security risks, warning, “The cybersecurity of Americans’ communications and digital lives must be defended against foreign threats,” and that Britain’s censorship laws could compel U.S. officials to use “weakened encryption and storage in the UK.”

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2 hours ago
Lauren Gallagher
Immigration
News
UK

The British Government Lost Over 150,000 Migrants.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: The British government admitted losing track of over 150,000 migrants who entered on five-year social care visas.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Britain’s governing Labour Party, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, Care Minister Stephen Kinnock, missing migrants, and the formerly governing Conservative (Tory) Party.

📍WHEN & WHERE: United Kingdom, 2025.

💬KEY QUOTE: “[I]t is not possible to estimate the number or proportion of individuals who entered the UK on a social care work visa and who are still in the UK or working in the social care sector,” claimed Stephen Kinnock.

🎯IMPACT: The fiasco highlights the British government’s inability to monitor visa holders’ long-term residence or employment.

IN FULL

The British government has admitted that it has lost over 150,000 migrants who entered the United Kingdom on social care visas. Officials cannot confirm whether they remain employed in the care sector or even if they are still in the country.

Many of these migrants arrived during the “Boriswave,” when former Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his successor Rishi Sunak loosened already weak immigration controls after the Wuhan virus pandemic and greatly increased the annual influx of legal migrants.

Johnson’s 2022 reforms added social care staff, mostly intended to work in nursing homes, to a hugely expanded “skilled worker” route, leading to 154,402 five-year visas being issued. Current Care Minister Stephen Kinnock, of Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour Party, told Parliament his department “does not hold data that directly links visa status to ongoing employment in adult social care or residence in the United Kingdom over time.”

Kinnock claimed that “it is not possible to estimate the number or proportion of individuals who entered the UK on a social care work visa and who are still in the UK or working in the social care sector.”

The Labour-controlled Home Office, roughly equivalent to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), blamed the previous Conservative government for the fiasco, claiming Labour “inherited a data system which was not designed to monitor the long-term outcomes of health and care visa holders—including whether they remain in Britain or continue working in the social care sector.”

Public anger over mass migration and border control failures has sparked protests in Britain. Critics accuse both major parties of negligence, with voters turning to Nigel Farage’s Reform Party in growing numbers.

Picture by Simon Dawson / No 10 Downing Street.

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3 hours ago
Crime
Politics

House Democrat Promises to Block Trump’s War on D.C. Crime.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Democrat Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin plans to introduce a resolution to terminate President Donald J. Trump’s emergency powers over the Washington, D.C., police force.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), President Trump, House Democrats, D.C. Police Union, and the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC).

📍WHEN & WHERE: The resolution is expected to be introduced as early as Wednesday, with the House resuming legislative work in September.

💬KEY QUOTE: “This is Liberation Day in D.C. and we’re gonna take our capital back,” President Trump stated during a White House briefing.

🎯IMPACT: The resolution faces near-certain failure in the Republican-controlled House but could create political challenges for moderate Democrats.

IN FULL

Congressman Jamie Raskin (D-MD) is preparing to introduce a resolution to terminate President Donald J. Trump’s emergency powers over the Washington, D.C., police force. The powers invoked Monday morning, granted under the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, allow the President to assume control of the district’s law enforcement during emergencies.

Raskin, a vocal critic of Trump, told the media, “Of course, the President has a major political bone to pick with the people of Washington, D.C., who have voted 10-to-1 against him at every opportunity. So this is one more chance to exact revenge.”

President Trump invoked the Home Rule Act on Monday, citing “special conditions of an emergency nature.” The act permits federal control of D.C. police for 48 hours, extendable to 30 days with congressional notification. White House staff secretary Will Scharf confirmed that required notifications have been sent to relevant congressional committees.

Democratic leaders, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), criticized the move. Jeffries claimed, “Violent crime in Washington, D.C. is at a 30-year low. Donald Trump has no basis to take over the local police department, and zero credibility on the issue of law and order.”

Meanwhile, D.C. Police Union President Gregg Pemberton supported Trump’s decision, stating, “Crime is out of control, and our officers are stretched beyond their limits.” Notably, a police commander in D.C. is currently under investigation for doctoring crime data to fake reductions.

Raskin’s resolution is unlikely to pass in the Republican-majority House.

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4 hours ago
Crime
News

Judge Blocks Release of Epstein Grand Jury Documents.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: A federal judge denied a Department of Justice (DOJ) motion to unseal grand jury materials related to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell’s sex trafficking cases.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer, Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, and the DOJ.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The ruling was issued in federal court in August 2025.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The materials do not identify any person other than Epstein and Maxwell as having had sexual contact with a minor,” wrote Judge Engelmayer.

🎯IMPACT: The ruling maintains the confidentiality of grand jury materials while leaving questions about Epstein’s associates unanswered.

IN FULL

A federal judge has rejected a Department of Justice (DOJ) request to unseal grand jury materials in the sex trafficking cases involving deceased pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein and his right-hand woman, Ghislaine Maxwell. The decision by U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer found that the documents lacked significant undisclosed information about the crimes or the investigations.

Judge Engelmayer noted that the grand juries convened in these cases were not used for investigative purposes and did not hear testimony from victims, eyewitnesses, or suspects. Instead, their function was limited to returning indictments based on evidence presented by law enforcement witnesses over the course of a single day.

“The materials do not identify any person other than Epstein and Maxwell as having had sexual contact with a minor,” Engelmayer wrote. He added that the evidence presented to the grand juries is already largely a matter of public record, with only minor exceptions. The judge also ruled against unsealing additional exhibits that federal prosecutors had hoped to release, citing the lack of new information they would provide.

Prosecutors had argued for unsealing the materials due to public interest and had sought time to notify individuals whose names might be revealed. However, Judge Engelmayer emphasized that the materials would not shed any new light on key questions, including the origins of Epstein’s wealth, the circumstances of his death, or the government’s investigations into his activities.

Maxwell, who was convicted in 2021 of aiding Epstein in trafficking underage girls, is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence. She is appealing her conviction and has recently expressed willingness to participate in interviews with Congress and the DOJ in exchange for a pardon.

Epstein died in a federal jail cell in 2019 in unusual circumstances, in what was officially ruled a suicide. However, this is contested by his brother and many members of the public.

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5 hours ago
Crime
Immigration

Illegal Immigrant Sentenced to Life for Rape, Murder of Rachel Morin.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Illegal migrant Victor Martinez-Hernandez was sentenced to life in prison for the rape and murder of Rachel Morin.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Victor Martinez-Hernandez, Rachel Morin, Harford County State Attorney Alison Healey, and Rachel Morin’s family members.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The crime occurred in August 2023 on the Ma and Pa Trail in Bel Air, Maryland. Sentencing took place on August 11, 2025.

💬KEY QUOTE: “You are not a candidate for rehabilitation. There is simply no hope to rehabilitate you.” – Judge during sentencing.

🎯IMPACT: The case underscores the impact of illegal immigration and poor border security on public safety.

IN FULL

Victor Martinez-Hernandez, an illegal immigrant from El Salvador, has been sentenced to life in prison for the rape and murder of Rachel Morin, a 37-year-old mother of five. The crime occurred in August 2023 on the Ma and Pa Trail in Bel Air, Maryland. Martinez-Hernandez was found guilty of first-degree murder, first-degree rape, and kidnapping earlier this year.

During the sentencing hearing, Harford County State Attorney Alison Healey described Martinez-Hernandez as “completely and entirely unamenable to treatment or rehabilitation” while seeking the maximum sentence. The judge concurred, stating, “You are not a candidate for rehabilitation. There is simply no hope to rehabilitate you. You took a life that was not yours to take.”

Rachel Morin’s body was discovered in a tunnel drain along the hiking trail, with an autopsy revealing she died from strangulation and blunt-force trauma. Police reported that Martinez-Hernandez had been living illegally in the United States since February 2023, just months before the attack. He had also been linked to a previous murder in El Salvador through an INTERPOL warrant.

The case has sparked renewed criticism of U.S. immigration policies under former President Joe Biden. Harford County Sheriff Jeff Gahler stated, “The failure here, again, is the immigration system that allowed this person to enter our country illegally and remain in our country and commit crimes.”

Rachel’s mother, Patty Morin, has met with President Donald J. Trump and testified before Congress, emphasizing that her daughter’s death could have been prevented with proper border protocols and a simple DNA swab.

President Trump also weighed in during the murder trial, calling Martinez-Hernandez “an MS-13 Gang Member and Foreign Terrorist from El Salvador” and criticizing the former Biden-Harris government’s immigration policies. Trump pledged, “We will never forget Rachel Morin and are committed to protecting women like her across our Country.”

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5 hours ago
1A
Religion

Supreme Court Petitioned to Revisit Gay Marriage Decision.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Kim Davis, a former Kentucky clerk, has filed a petition to the Supreme Court arguing that her First Amendment rights protect her from liability for denying marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Kim Davis, her attorney Mathew Staver, and the Supreme Court of the United States.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Davis’s petition was filed last month, with the case potentially being heard by the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C.

💬KEY QUOTE: “If there ever was a case of exceptional importance… this should be it.” – Mathew Staver

🎯IMPACT: If accepted, this case could challenge the 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges ruling that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide.

IN FULL

Kim Davis, the former Kentucky clerk who became widely known in 2015 for refusing to issue same-sex marriage licenses due to her religious beliefs, has taken her case to the Supreme Court. Filed last month, her petition argues that the First Amendment’s protection of religious freedom should shield her from personal liability in denying the licenses.

Davis’s legal team, led by attorney Mathew Staver, founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel, is also challenging the Supreme Court’s 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges decision, which legalized same-sex marriage across the United States. In the petition, Staver described the ruling as “egregiously wrong” and referred to former Justice Anthony Kennedy‘s majority opinion as “legal fiction.”

“The mistake must be corrected,” Staver wrote, emphasizing the broad implications of the case. He continued, “If there ever was a case of exceptional importance, the first individual in the Republic’s history who was jailed for following her religious convictions regarding the historic definition of marriage, this should be it.”

“I’m hoping that we’ll obviously get justice in this case for Kim Davis, but that the religious accommodation that she obtained for all clerks in Kentucky is extended to everyone across the country, whether they’re a clerk or not,” Staver added.

Davis’s case not only seeks to clear her name but also aims to revisit and potentially overturn the landmark pro same-sex marriage ruling issued during the Obama-Biden administration. If the Supreme Court agrees to hear the case, it would mark the first significant challenge to the Obergefell decision.

The outcome could have far-reaching consequences for both religious liberty and the legal definition of marriage in the United States. Observers are now waiting to see if the Supreme Court will take up the case.

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6 hours ago
Breaking

BREAKING: Trump Delays China Tariff Hike Amid Ongoing Trade Talks.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump signed an executive order delaying the reimposition of high U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods for 90 days.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Trump, U.S. trade negotiators, and their Chinese counterparts.

📍WHEN & WHERE: August 11, 2025, in Washington D.C., following trade talks in Stockholm, Sweden, last month.

🎯IMPACT: The decision provides additional time for trade negotiations and avoids an immediate tariff hike.

IN FULL

President Donald J. Trump has signed an Executive Order that halts the reimposition of high U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods for another 90 days. The move comes as part of ongoing trade negotiations between the two nations.

The Executive Order was signed just hours before a midnight deadline which would have seen the tariffs snap back into effect. The decision follows the latest round of talks between American and Chinese trade negotiators, held in Stockholm, Sweden, late last month.

A White House official stated that “the delay was the expected outcome from the latest round of talks,” signaling progress in discussions aimed at resolving trade tensions between the two countries.

The National Pulse reported in June that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) had not lifted restrictions on rare earth minerals exports despite agreeing to do so in a tariff truce deal with President Trump. U.S. officials accused Beijing of violating a trade agreement reached in Geneva, Switzerland.

U.S. manufacturers have reported significant delays in securing rare earth shipments, with some suppliers demanding sensitive information, such as photos of end-user facilities, to complete applications.

This story is developing…

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6 hours ago
News

Trump Considers Downgrading Marijuana on Federal Drug List.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump announced that he is considering reclassifying marijuana as a less dangerous drug.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Trump, White House officials, and industry groups.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Monday at a White House press conference.

💬KEY QUOTE: “We’re looking at reclassification, and we’ll make a determination over, I’d say, the next few weeks.” – Donald Trump.

🎯IMPACT: Reclassification could reduce criminal penalties, open research opportunities, and provide tax breaks for marijuana businesses.

IN FULL

President Donald J. Trump stated on Monday that his administration is considering reclassifying marijuana to a less dangerous legal schedule under federal law. Speaking during a White House press conference, Trump said, “We’re looking at reclassification, and we’ll make a determination over, I’d say, the next few weeks.”

“We’re looking at reclassification,” Trump stated, while cautioning that “it’s early” and the issue is “very complicated.” He expressed concerns about marijuana’s effects on children, but said he had been hearing “great things” about its medical applications.

The Biden government had started the process to reclassify marijuana as a Schedule III drug in 2024, but did not finalize it. A Schedule III designation would reduce criminal penalties, encourage medical research, and allow pharmaceutical companies to participate in the legal marijuana market. It would also enable certain marijuana businesses to qualify for tax deductions.

Since 1971, marijuana has been federally classified as a Schedule I drug, alongside substances like heroin and LSD, which are considered to have a high potential for abuse. Schedule III drugs, on the other hand, include substances like ketamine, anabolic steroids, and Tylenol with codeine, which are deemed less dangerous under federal regulations.

Currently, businesses handling Schedule I or Schedule II substances are unable to claim ordinary business deductions or receive federal tax credits, a restriction that would be lifted for marijuana businesses under a Schedule III classification.

Several states have already legalized the selling of marijuana commercially, including California and New York. Canada legalized marijuana for recreational use in 2018, which led to an explosion of marijuana stores across the country. Use of the drug also increased, according to a 2023 report, which suggested that around 22 percent of the public aged over 15 used cannabis in the past year as of 2021.

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7 hours ago
News
TECH

AOL Finally Kills Off Its Dial-Up Internet Offering.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: AOL announced the discontinuation of its dial-up Internet service.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: AOL, now part of Yahoo, and its parent company, Apollo Global Management.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The service will end on September 30, 2023, as announced on AOL’s website.

💬KEY QUOTE: “AOL routinely evaluates its products and services and has decided to discontinue Dial-up Internet. This service will no longer be available in AOL plans,” the company stated.

🎯IMPACT: The move marks the end of an era for a service that was synonymous with early Internet usage in the 1990s.

IN FULL

One-time Internet giant AOL (formerly America Online) will shutter its dial-up Internet service at the end of next month. The company—now a property of Yahoo—whose CD trial discs, “You’ve got mail” greeting, and AOL web browser were ubiquitous for those who lived through the 1990s, made the announcement on its website, stating its dial-up offering will be discontinued on September 30.

“AOL routinely evaluates its products and services and has decided to discontinue Dial-up Internet. This service will no longer be available in AOL plans,” the company said. With cable, fiber-optic, satellite, and wireless Internet technologies now dominating global markets, it is unsurprising that AOL’s dial-up service is shutting down.

Dial-up Internet utilizes a modem connected to a telephone line, and when connecting, generates a familiar—at least for those born before the late-1980s—series of chirps, beeps, and buzzes long associated with the World Wide Web. Along with its dial-up service, AOL says it will also be ending the AOL Dialer software and AOL Shield browser.

Throughout the 1990s, AOL—then known as America Online—was notorious for its never-ending stream of free trial discs that arrived in American mailboxes. In 2006, the company rebranded as AOL, and in 2015, Verizon acquired it. Subsequently, Verizon sold AOL, along with Yahoo, to Apollo Global Management—a private equity firm—in 2021 for $5 billion.

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