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Thursday, April 23, 2026

Category: News
24 hours ago
Crime
TECH

Roblox Agrees to Pay $36 Million Over Child Grooming Concerns.

Roblox has reached settlements with the states of Alabama, West Virginia, and Nevada, committing to enacting new safety measures to protect children on the platform.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Roblox, the popular online game platform, has agreed to pay $35.78 million in settlements to Alabama, West Virginia, and Nevada following child safety concerns. They include commitments to provide safety features, such as mandatory age verification, content restrictions, and restricted chat access, as well as promote online safety and liaise with law enforcement. The settlements with Alabama and West Virginia were announced on Tuesday, while the settlement with Nevada was announced last Wednesday.
📺 DETAIL: California-based Roblox, with over 150 million daily active users, reached a $12.2 million settlement with Alabama, an $11.08 million settlement with West Virginia, and a $10 million settlement with Nevada. Roblox also agreed to spend $1.5 million on law enforcement liaison and $1 million on online safety awareness campaigns. Roblox is used by nearly half of the entire U.S. population of children under 16. Just over half of the platform’s user base is under 16, and a large share is under 13. Roblox has been accused on multiple occasions of exposing children to sexual predators and explicit content. Notably, the settlements impose content restrictions for under-16s and require age verification for chat access. Roblox will also use facial recognition and behavioral monitoring to verify users’ ages.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “This settlement sends a clear message to every platform operating in this space—you cannot turn a blind eye to the exploitation of children and expect to avoid consequences.” – Steve Marshall, Alabama Attorney General.
🎯 IMPACT: The settlements follow lawsuits against Roblox from other U.S. states, such as Florida and Iowa. On Monday last week, Roblox said it would introduce age-based accounts and stricter parental controls in response to mounting accusations that it is not taking the online safety of its young user base seriously enough.
📺 FLASHBACK: Roblox has faced criticism for years over its child safety practices. In March, a Roblox programmer was charged in Louisiana with 40 counts of child porn possession. In December, five men in New York were arrested for child exploitation after preying on minors via Roblox and Discord, a popular communication platform.

Image by Coolcaesar.

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Roblox has reached settlements with the states of Alabama, West Virginia, and Nevada, committing to enacting new safety measures to protect children on the platform.

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April 22, 2026
News
Politics

David Scott Becomes Fifth Sitting House Member to Die Since January 2025.

Representative David Scott (D-GA) has become the fifth House member to die in office since January 2025, raising concerns about the health and age of current lawmakers.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: U.S. Representative David Scott (D-GA) has died at the age of 80, becoming the fifth member of the House of Representatives to pass away while in office since January 2025.
📰 DETAIL: Scott had served in Congress for more than two decades, representing Georgia’s 13th District since 2003. He was known for his work on agricultural policy and food assistance programs, as well as for his role in the Blue Dog coalition. Before his time in Congress, he served in the Georgia state legislature, beginning his political career in the 1970s. At the time of his death, he was seeking a 13th term despite facing primary challengers and questions about his health. His death slightly widens the Republican majority in the House ahead of the midterms in November. The cause of death has not been publicly disclosed.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “We are all deeply saddened by the news of Rep. David Scott’s passing. For more than two decades, David faithfully served the people of Georgia’s 13th Congressional District and spent the majority of his life in service to others. We are lifting up David’s wife Alfredia, his two daughters, and his grandchildren in prayer as they mourn.” – House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA).
🎯 IMPACT: Scott’s death highlights ongoing concerns about the age and health of current lawmakers, as the number of deaths in office continues to rise. The worsening situation is likely to prompt discussions about the need for younger representation in Congress.

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Representative David Scott (D-GA) has become the fifth House member to die in office since January 2025, raising concerns about the health and age of current lawmakers.

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April 22, 2026
Immigration
World

European Union’s Migrant Population Surges to 64.2 Million.

New data has exposed the unprecedented growth of the European Union’s migrant population, with especially significant increases in Germany and Spain.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: A new report by the Center for Research and Analysis on Migration has revealed that the migrant population of the European Union (EU) reached a record 64.2 million in 2025. This is an increase from 40 million in 2010, greater than the entire population of Italy, and approaching the entire population of France. The report notes particularly significant increases in Germany and Spain, with the latter having Europe’s fastest-growing migrant population last year.
📺 DETAIL: Published by the Center for Research and Analysis on Migration, citing Eurostat and United Nations (UN) Refugee Agency data, the report released on Wednesday reveals that the EU’s migrant population has been swollen by around 25 million new arrivals over the last 15 years. Germany‘s migrant population rose from 10 million in 2018 to nearly 18 million by 2025, with 72 percent being of working age. Spain added around 700,000 migrants in 2025 alone, bringing its migrant population to 9.5 million.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “Germany remains the main destination ‌for ⁠migrants in Europe, both in absolute terms and, to a significant extent, relative to its population.” – Dr. Tommaso Frattini, one of the report’s authors.
🎯 IMPACT: The rapid increase in migrant populations across the EU has significant implications for integration, public finances, and social services. Notably, Socialist Party-led Spain is currently regularizing hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants, who will, in time, have access to the entire EU thanks to the Free Movement migration regime within the bloc.
📺 FLASHBACK: Mass migration into Europe has been raised by President Donald J. Trump’s administration as a serious concern. In February, the U.S. leader said of the continent’s immigration and energy crises, “If they don’t solve both of them fast, Europe is not the same place.”

Image by Mstyslav Chernov.

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New data has exposed the unprecedented growth of the European Union's migrant population, with especially significant increases in Germany and Spain.

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April 22, 2026
News

Brit Migrant Murderer Given Citizenship by Biden Found Dead in Jail.

An immigrant naturalized under the Biden government and accused of a triple homicide was discovered dead in his jail cell.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Olaolukitan Adon Abel, a 26-year-old naturalized immigrant and former United States Navy veteran, was found dead in his jail cell on Tuesday after being charged with murdering three people in Atlanta, Georgia, including a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) employee. Authorities are currently investigating the death, but do not suspect foul play.
📺 DETAIL: Abel, originally from the United Kingdom, was naturalized as a U.S. citizen uunder the Biden government in 2022. He was charged with the murder of Lauren Bullis, a 40-year-old auditor at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), 31-year-old Prianna Weathers, and 49-year-old homeless man Tony Matthews in the Atlanta metropolitan area in Georgia on April 13. Bullis was shot and stabbed to death while out walking her dog in Panthersville, Atlanta. Weathers was shot outside a fast-food restaurant in Decatur, Atlanta. Matthews died on Sunday after being shot near a shopping center in Brookhaven, Atlanta. Just over a week after the shootings on Tuesday evening, Abel was found unresponsive in his cell. Notably, he had prior convictions for battery against a police officer, obstruction, sexual battery, vandalism, and assault with a deadly weapon.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “A DHS employee, Lauren Bullis, was brutally shot and stabbed to death by Olaolukitan Adon Abel, a 26-year-old, born in the United Kingdom, who was naturalized by the Biden administration in 2022. These acts of pure evil have devastated our department and my prayers are with the families of the victims.” – Markwayne Mullin, Secretary for Homeland Security
🎯 IMPACT: Abel’s case raises questions about the vetting process for naturalization for immigrants. The Department of Justice (DOJ) under President Donald J. Trump issued a memo in July 2025 directing U.S. Attorneys to “prioritize and maximally pursue denaturalization proceedings” against naturalized immigrants involved in terrorism, espionage, and other serious criminal activities, and efforts to denaturalize immigrants who obtained citizenship via fraud have also intensified. Last month, Vice President J.D. Vance confirmed that Somalia-born Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN) is under investigation for immigration fraud.

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An immigrant naturalized under the Biden government and accused of a triple homicide was discovered dead in his jail cell.

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April 22, 2026
Immigration

U.N. Org Says Strict MAGA Border Policy Saves Lives.

United Nations (UN) data reveals a massive decline in migrant deaths along high-risk routes to the U.S. during 2025, attributed to stricter border policies under President Donald J. Trump.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Migrant deaths along high-risk routes to the U.S. dropped from 1,272 in 2024 to 408 in 2025, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The United Nations (UN) agency attributes the decrease to a decline in the number of people moving along dangerous illegal migration paths, coinciding with stricter border enforcement policies under President Donald J. Trump.
📺 DETAIL: The IOM, led by Joe Biden appointee Amy Pope, recorded significant drops in deaths across various regions, including a sharp decline in Caribbean migrants dying en route to the U.S. from 187 in 2024 to just five in 2025. Deaths in the Darien Gap, a notoriously perilous jungle route, also fell dramatically, from 174 in 2024 to just 10 in 2025. The fall suggests Trump’s policies have disincentivized travel along disrupted high-risk migration routes, saving over 1,000 lives compared to the prior year.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “Deaths recorded during migration decreased dramatically in 2025, from 1,272 in 2024 to 408 in 2025.” – International Organization for Migration report, April 21.
🎯 IMPACT: The data challenges the narrative promoted by pro-migration advocates who claim Biden’s border policies were more humane. Instead, it appears to prove that open-border policies of the sort practiced under Biden lead to increased migrant deaths by encouraging dangerous journeys, while “tough love” enforcement measures save lives by deterring them.
📺 FLASHBACK: During Biden’s term, relaxed border policies led to a surge in migrant deaths, with thousands perishing en route to the U.S. due to dangerous conditions, cartel exploitation, and treacherous terrain. The Darien Gap alone saw hundreds of fatalities annually under his administration. Similarly, migrant drownings fell in the Mediterranean and the Pacific when Italy and Australia enacted “stop the boats” policies intended to deny landing rights to migrants attempting to reach their countries by sea in the 2010s.

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United Nations (UN) data reveals a massive decline in migrant deaths along high-risk routes to the U.S. during 2025, attributed to stricter border policies under President Donald J. Trump.

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April 22, 2026
News

Trump’s DOJ Says Far-Left SPLC Funded Extremists, Including Organizers of 2017’s ‘Unite the Right’ Rally in Charlottesville.

The Department of Justice has indicted the Southern Poverty Law Center, accusing the nonprofit of secretly funding extremist groups it publicly claims to oppose.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: The Department of Justice announced an 11-count indictment against the far-left Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) for alleged fraud and money laundering, including payments to neo-Nazi and Ku Klux Klan members. The indictment claims the SPLC funneled over $3 million to individuals associated with extremist groups over the past decade.
📺 DETAIL: Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche stated that the SPLC, which promotes itself as a civil rights organization tracking hate groups, instead paid leaders of groups like the Ku Klux Klan, Aryan Nations, and others. One recipient allegedly received $270,000 over eight years. FBI Director Kash Patel described the scheme as a “multi-million dollar fraud” designed to stoke racial hatred while misleading donors.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “The SPLC was not dismantling these groups. It was instead manufacturing the extremism it purports to oppose by paying sources to stoke racial hatred.” – Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche
👞 THE KICKER: One alleged informant, identified as “F-37,” is described as having been in the leadership chat for the 2017 Unite the Right event in Charlottesville, making racist posts under SPLC supervision and helping coordinate transportation for the event that ended with the “fine people hoax” and the death of leftist activist Heather Heyer.
🕰️ HISTORY: The SPLC has long been a polarizing entity, with critics accusing it of labeling conservative organizations as hate groups while allegedly failing to maintain transparency in its own operations. Founded in 1971 in Montgomery, Alabama by civil rights lawyers Morris Dees and Joseph Levin Jr, it emerged in the aftermath of the civil rights movement with an initial focus on using litigation to target the Ku Klux Klan. In 2018, the SPLC was forced to pay anti-extremist activist Maajid Nawaz $3.4m after wrongly labeling him a far-right extremist.

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The Department of Justice has indicted the Southern Poverty Law Center, accusing the nonprofit of secretly funding extremist groups it publicly claims to oppose.

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April 22, 2026
Crime
Immigration

Pedophile Illegal Pleads Guilty to ‘Aggravated Crimes Against Nature.’

An illegal alien in Lake Charles, Louisiana, has admitted to repeated sexual abuse of a 12-year-old girl left in his care, resulting in her pregnancy.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Jose Lopez-Montoya, a 41-year-old illegal alien, pleaded guilty to aggravated crimes against nature by incest on Monday, after a 12-year-old girl in his care gave birth to his child in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
📺 DETAIL: In 2024, Lopez-Montoya was assigned as the guardian of a 12-year-old girl. In July 2024, the girl delivered a baby after being admitted to a hospital in Lake Charles. After the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office established that Lopez-Montoya was the girl’s guardian, he admitted to sexually abusing her over a two-year period and confirmed he is the father of the baby. His sentencing is scheduled for Tuesday, April 28.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “This was a very unfortunate situation. He was responsible for her well-being, and her mom and dad were not around, so this is a really disappointing situation. He’s a pretty sick individual.“ – Stitch Guillory, Calcasieu Parish Sheriff.
🎯 IMPACT: Lopez-Montoya faces a prison sentence ranging from 25 to 99 years. Notably, he had an active U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainer at the time of his arrest, suggesting the abuse might have been avoided if he had been swiftly detained and deported. American society.
📺 FLASHBACK: Multiple instances of illegal aliens harming children have occurred over the first few months of this year alone. In early March, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) rearrested an illegal immigrant accused of kidnapping a four-year-old girl from a Long Island laundromat after being released back into the community by a local judge. In early April, a teen boy in Greene County, Missouri, begged for his life before being killed by an illegal, who was charged with first-degree murder.

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An illegal alien in Lake Charles, Louisiana, has admitted to repeated sexual abuse of a 12-year-old girl left in his care, resulting in her pregnancy.

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April 21, 2026
Raheem J. Kassam
News

REVEALED: RNC Blew VA Referendum Due to Lavish Cornyn Spending and Misplaced Priorities.

Virginia voters have narrowly approved a Democrat-drawn mid-decade congressional gerrymander, handing Democrats up to four additional U.S. House seats. But how did Republicans lose, given the vote was so close, and given their massive funding advantage? We break it down here:

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Virginia voters narrowly approved a Democrat-drawn mid-decade congressional gerrymander by a margin of roughly 81,188 votes — 51.3 percent to 48.7 percent with more than 95 percent reporting at the time of publication. The constitutional amendment hands the Democrat-controlled General Assembly power to redraw Virginia’s congressional districts through October 31, 2030.
🗺️ THE MAP: HB 29 — passed by the legislature and signed by Governor Abigail Spanberger on February 20 — flips Virginia’s U.S. House delegation from 6-5 to 10-1. Net Democrat gain: up to four seats.
📊 COST PER VOTE: A snap analysis by The National Pulse shows the “Yes” (Democrat) side spent $62.3 million, divided by 1,545,736 votes (at the time of publication), which comes to around $40.30 per vote. Meanwhile, the Republican “No” side spent around $20 million, divided by 1,464,548 votes, for an average of $13.66 per vote. Democrats spent three times as much per head — and still only cleared 51.3 percent.
🪙 PENNY WISE: Closing the 81,188-vote gap at the “No” side’s own efficiency rate would have cost around $1.1 million — just over one percent of what the GOP burned on John Cornyn’s primary campaign against Ken Paxton in Texas last month. Even a generous real-world multiplier, accounting for diminishing campaign returns, lands at just $2 million to $4 million.
🏦 DRY POWDER: The Republican National Committee is sitting on roughly $109 million cash on hand — nearly $100 million more than the Democratic National Committee, which has just $15.9 million and is carrying $17.4 million in debt. Trump-aligned super PAC MAGA Inc. entered 2026 with more than $304 million in the bank, by itself. In fact, combining all the major Republican groups leaves the GOP with over $807M cash on hand in total. Which means they’d only have had to spend 0.25% of total funds to salvage Virginia.
💰 CORNYN CALCULUS: Republicans spent roughly $95.1 million on the Cornyn–Paxton primary in Texas. The “No” side in Virginia spent roughly $20 million. That is about five times more on a single Senate incumbent than on a referendum that could cost the party four House seats.
🏢 THE FIRM: Virginians for Fair Maps — the losing “No” campaign — was run by Mike Young, a partner at FP1 Strategies, which was founded by Chris LaCivita. LaCivita is simultaneously the senior campaign consultant for the Cornyn super PAC which has spent all that money attacking Ken Paxton, and pushing Trump to endorse Cornyn, who has repeatedly stabbed the President in the back. Ninety-five million dollars went one way. Twenty million went the other. And much of it through LaCivita’s own companies and partners.
💬 VA SOURCE: A Virginia source tells The National Pulse: “The money diverted to LaCivita’s groups and away from the Republican Party of Virginia/county parties was hard to accept. We had no money.”
🗣️ KEY QUOTE: Sean Davis of The Federalist on X tonight: “Good thing Republicans spent $100 million on John Cornyn.”
⚖️ “FAIRNESS” FARCE: The ballot asked voters a convoluted question: “Should the Constitution of Virginia be amended to allow the General Assembly to temporarily adopt new congressional districts to restore fairness in the upcoming elections, while ensuring Virginia’s standard redistricting process resumes for all future redistricting after the 2030 census?” On February 19, Tazewell Circuit Judge Jack Hurley ruled that the phrase was misleading and unconstitutional and blocked the referendum.
👨‍⚖️ SCOVA’D: The Supreme Court of Virginia had two chances to stop this — January and March — and twice punted past the election, writing that courts “generally should not prematurely enjoin an upcoming election.” The justices reserved the right to review the map de novo after the vote. Cold comfort: the seats are banked in November either way.
🧑‍⚖️ STILL IN COURT: Briefs are due to the Supreme Court of Virginia two days after tonight’s vote. The map could still be struck down — after the 2026 seats are already counted. Chaz Mizelle has an alternative idea, as we reported this morning.

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Virginia voters have narrowly approved a Democrat-drawn mid-decade congressional gerrymander, handing Democrats up to four additional U.S. House seats. But how did Republicans lose, given the vote was so close, and given their massive funding advantage? We break it down here:

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Editor’s Notes

Behind-the-scenes political intrigue exclusively for Pulse+ subscribers.

RAHEEM J. KASSAM Editor-in-Chief
There’s a lot to digest up there, but the long and short of it can be boiled down, once again, to some very simple things: GREED and CRONYISM
for exclusive members-only insights
There’s a lot to digest up there, but the long and short of it can be boiled down, once again, to some very simple things: GREED and CRONYISM show more
for exclusive members-only insights
April 21, 2026
Economy
News

Airfare Hikes Hit 25% Amid Iran War Fuel Crisis.

Airfares have surged due to disruptions related to the Iran war, with airlines calling for government action to mitigate operational and financial challenges ahead of the summer tourist season.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: The ongoing conflict with Iran has caused significant disruptions to air travel, leading to surging airfares as airlines face higher fuel costs and reroute flights. A report from consultancy Teneo highlights a 24 percent increase in the lowest-priced economy tickets compared to last year, with long-haul routes particularly affected.
📺 DETAIL: Airspace restrictions and disruptions to oil supplies have forced airlines to use longer routes, increasing fuel consumption. Jet fuel prices have surged from $85-$90 per barrel to $150-$200 per barrel, with fuel costs accounting for up to a quarter of airlines’ operating expenses. Flights between Europe and the Asia-Pacific region have seen the steepest price increases, with tickets from London to Melbourne up 76 percent and Hong Kong to London up 72 percent compared to last year. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) warned earlier this month that prolonged conflict in the Middle East could lead to hundreds of thousands of flight cancellations if jet fuel shortages persist.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “It is vital that the government takes the right actions now to ensure the continuation of supply, as well as supports the UK aviation industry, which has been impacted by record-high jet fuel prices.” – A spokesman for Airlines UK.
🎯 IMPACT: Airlines have warned that prolonged or worsening conflict could lead to further flight reductions and fare hikes. British airlines, represented by Airlines UK, have requested government support, including tax cuts, flexibility in operational rules, and prioritization of jet fuel production to stabilize the industry.

Image by Thomas Nugent.

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Airfares have surged due to disruptions related to the Iran war, with airlines calling for government action to mitigate operational and financial challenges ahead of the summer tourist season.

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April 21, 2026
Immigration
News

Tom Homan Says Deportations Will Rise Again, Contingent on Minnesota Cooperation.

White House Border Czar Tom Homan claims recent gains in Minnesota’s immigration enforcement, rejects claims the administration has surrendered, and predicts an increase in deportation numbers.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: White House Border Czar Tom Homan stated that deportation numbers will increase, rejecting claims that the administration surrendered to Democrats and pro-illegal immigrant activists in Minnesota in January. He highlighted the removal of over 4,000 migrants, primarily criminals, from the state, and increased cooperation with Minnesota county jails and the state prison system on immigration enforcement.
📺 DETAIL: In an interview on Monday, Homan explained that a recent dip in removals was tied to changes in how federal agents are deployed rather than a policy of reduced enforcement. “Minnesota, I see people say we surrendered. No, we didn’t,” he insisted, continuing: “We took over 4,000 people off the streets of that state, most of them criminals. Number two, we walked away with cooperation from just about every county jail and the state prison system, which means this: It’s safer for the officers. It’s safer for the community when we can arrest the public safety threat in the safety and security of the jail.” Homan added that “rather than sending a dozen people to go look for somebody,” creating a possible public safety threat, “now we’ve got one agent arresting one illegal alien in the county jail.”
🎯 IMPACT: While immigration detentions have dropped back significantly since the Minnesota operation was wound down, Homan argues increased cooperation between federal and local authorities in Minnesota will ultimately streamline immigration enforcement and see removals rise. Mass deportations were a key pillar of President Donald J. Trump’s 2024 election platform, and such a rise could reassure allies amid reports that the administration is scaling back its enforcement objectives and energize America First voters ahead of the midterms.

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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White House Border Czar Tom Homan claims recent gains in Minnesota's immigration enforcement, rejects claims the administration has surrendered, and predicts an increase in deportation numbers.

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