Thursday, September 18, 2025

Trump Says China Can Keep Harvesting Your Data For Now.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump signed an executive order extending the deadline for China’s ByteDance to sell TikTok to a U.S.-based buyer by another 90 days.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Trump, ByteDance, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The executive order was signed on Thursday, with the new deadline set for September 17, 2025.

💬KEY QUOTE: “I’ve just signed the Executive Order extending the Deadline for the TikTok closing for 90 days (September 17, 2025). Thank you for your attention to this matter!” – Donald Trump.

🎯IMPACT: The extension allows TikTok to continue operating in the U.S. while ByteDance seeks an American buyer.

IN FULL

President Donald J. Trump has extended the deadline for TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, to sell the short-form video app to an American owner by another 90 days. On Thursday, Trump signed an executive order granting this extension, allowing the Chinese company more time to sell its platform and continue operating in the United States.

“I’ve just signed the Executive Order extending the Deadline for the TikTok closing for 90 days (September 17, 2025). Thank you for your attention to this matter!” Trump announced on Truth Social. While aboard Air Force One on Wednesday morning, Trump expressed optimism that Chinese President Xi Jinping would be open to a deal involving the sale of TikTok. ByteDance, based in Beijing, has not yet commented on the matter.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated, “As he has said many times, President Trump does not want TikTok to go dark. This extension will last 90 days, which the administration will spend working to ensure this deal is closed so that the American people can continue to use TikTok with the assurance that their data is safe and secure.”

A law was initially passed under the Biden government banning TikTok unless ByteDance, which is tied to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), divests, citing national security concerns. Since Trump’s administration signaled it would allow the app to remain operational in the U.S., TikTok resumed functioning after briefly going offline. ByteDance has denied that TikTok poses security concerns and claims American data is not stored in China. However, it was fined hundreds of millions of dollars in Europe just last month, after regulators found that, despite denials, user data was indeed being held on Chinese servers. Last year, The National Pulse reported that a supposed “firewall” preventing U.S. data from being shared with China was proving ineffective.

The Supreme Court has upheld the Biden-era law requiring TikTok to be sold to an American owner. Under the new deadline set by Trump, ByteDance must finalize a sale to a U.S.-based buyer. Potential buyers have included Amazon, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, and others.

However, ByteDance has remained quiet on whether it will make a deal, with no real evidence that one was imminent prior to this extension or a previous extension.

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‘He’s Just a Stupid Person’ — Trump Slams Fed Chair Powell.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump slammed the Federal Reserve and its chairman, Jerome Powell, for their inaction on reducing interest rates ahead of the central bank’s June Federal Open Market Committee meeting on Wednesday.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Trump, Fed Chairman Powell, the Federal Reserve, and the Federal Open Market Committee.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Trump’s remarks were made on Wednesday, June 18, on the White House lawn.

💬KEY QUOTE: “I think he hates me… He should, he should. I call him every name in the book, trying to get him to do something,” President Trump responded when asked whether he expected Powell to reduce interest rates. The America First leader added: “He’s just a stupid person.”

🎯IMPACT: President Trump has been unyielding in his push for the central bank to cut interest rates, as other central banks are doing. However, in his Wednesday remarks, the America First leader appeared to back away from the possibility of replacing Powell as Federal Reserve chairman outright.

IN FULL

President Donald J. Trump hammered Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell on Wednesday while fielding questions on the White House lawn, repeating his “Too Late” nickname for the central bank chief. While over the past several months, President Trump has overtly pushed Powell and the Federal Reserve to reduce interest rates, the America First leader acknowledged that Powell was unlikely to do so at the conclusion of today’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting.

“[W]e have a man that just refuses to lower the Fed rate; just refuses to do it, and he’s not a smart person… I think he hates me, but that’s OK. He should, he should. I call him every name in the book, trying to get him to do something,” President Trump responded when asked whether he expected Powell to reduce interest rates. The America First leader added: “He’s just a stupid person.”

The Federal Reserve chairman has repeatedly claimed the central bank is hesitant to slash borrowing rates out of concern that President Trump’s tariff policies could reignite inflation. However, now several months removed from “Liberation Day” and the imposition of a global tariff, inflation continues to cool, with the current rate just fractions above the Federal Reserve’s two percent inflation target.

Trump stressed this very point, emphasizing that there is scant evidence that his tariffs have caused inflation. In fact, some data has shown the economy experiencing deflationary pressure.

In another twist in the ongoing feud between Trump and Powell, the President appeared to back off the idea of removing the central bank chief before his term expires in May next year. While the White House had indicated that it was preparing to replace Powell this coming Fall, President Trump on Wednesday told reporters that the Fed chairman only has about nine months or so left in his term and that he’d be replaced thereafter. Notably, Powell will continue to serve as a member of the Federal Reserve’s board of governors until 2028.<

The National Pulse reported yesterday that Powell and the Federal Reserve’s FOMC will conclude their June meeting this afternoon, and it is widely believed that the central bank will maintain interest rates at their current range between 4.25 and 4.5 percent.

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E. Jean Carroll Has a New Book Out, Entitled… ‘Not My Type.’

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: E. Jean Carroll has written a new book detailing her court battles with President Donald J. Trump, titled Not My Type: One Woman vs. a President.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: E. Jean Carroll, President Donald Trump, and attorneys Roberta Kaplan, Joe Tacopina, and Alina Habba.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The book was released on Tuesday, shortly after a court upheld a $5 million civil judgment against Trump.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The behind-the-scenes goings-on at those two trials were so funny and so hilarious.” – E. Jean Carroll.

🎯IMPACT: Carroll’s book offers a detailed and personal account of her legal battles with Trump, potentially reigniting public discussion on the cases.

IN FULL

E. Jean Carroll has released her new book, Not My Type: One Woman vs. a President, chronicling her experiences during two civil court trials involving President Donald J. Trump. The book takes its name from President Trump’s response to Carroll’s rape allegations, when he said, “I’ll say it with great respect: Number one, she’s not my type. Number two, it never happened.”

The book became available on Tuesday, just days after an appeals court upheld a $5 million civil judgment against Trump related to alleged sexual abuse in the mid-1990s and defamation. Jeffrey Epstein-linked Democrat megadonor Reid Hoffman initially bankrolled the case.

Speaking to MSNBC’s Morning Joe, Carroll said the “behind-the-scenes goings-on at those two trials were so funny and so hilarious,” despite their supposedly traumatic subject matter. She also revealed that the book was kept secret during its development, with her publisher locking copies in their offices to avoid leaks. “It was a top-secret job. I think we got away with it,” she said.

Carroll highlighted various figures involved in the legal proceedings, including Judge Lewis Kaplan, whom she described as “a steel rod of a man” with a sharp wit, and Trump’s attorneys Joe Tacopina and Alina Habba. Referring to her attorney, Roberta Kaplan, Carroll said she had “a lust for battle.” She noted the courtroom dynamics as a blend of “hijinks, humor, and dead serious days.”

Carroll dismissed accusations that her book is an attempt to profit from her legal battles with Trump. “I’m an old journalist,” she said, claiming there “was no way, no way I could help myself but to take note of what actually was going on.”

The book’s release will likely draw renewed attention to Carroll’s strange allegations. The 81-year-old advice columnist claimed Trump raped her in New York’s Bergdorf Goodman department store, in changing rooms that, by her own admission, are usually locked, on a floor that is usually bustling with staff and customers, but was on this occasion deserted. Bizarrely, jurors found Trump was not liable for rape, but was liable for sexual abuse and defamation.

Carroll has accused at least seven men and boys besides Trump of attacking her over the decades in separate incidents.

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BREAKING: Trump Says Iran Has Reached Out to Him, Wants to Negotiate.

President Donald J. Trump has said the Iranian leadership has reached out to his administration to negotiate an end to the Israel-Iran conflict. Speaking to the press at the unveiling of a new flagpole at the White House on Tuesday, President Trump said, “Iran’s got a lot of trouble, and they want to negotiate.”

“It’s very sad to watch this,” the President said of the conflict, noting that there are many Iranians in America who are “incredible people.”

With respect to the prospects of a peace deal, he said that “nothing’s too late,” but that he was upfront with the Iranians when they reached out to him that “it’s very late… to be talking,” and that he was disappointed they did not negotiate with him in earnest when he attempted to before the first Israeli strikes.

“We may meet,” Trump added. Still, he stressed that, “There’s a big difference between now and a week ago,” with the Iranian regime having sustained heavy damage and the possibility of a U.S. strike on Iran’s hardened nuclear facilities on the table.

This story is developing…

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President Donald J. Trump has said the Iranian leadership has reached out to his administration to negotiate an end to the Israel-Iran conflict. Speaking to the press at the unveiling of a new flagpole at the White House on Tuesday, President Trump said, "Iran's got a lot of trouble, and they want to negotiate." show more

This Bill Would Pay Back Troops Fired by Biden for Refusing Vax Mandate.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: Sen. Tim Sheehy (R-MT) has introduced a bill to provide back pay to troops impacted by former President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Sen. Tim Sheehy, former President Joe Biden, and affected U.S. service members.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The legislation was announced on Tuesday, June 17, 2025.

💬KEY QUOTE: “This unacceptable action by the last administration robbed servicemembers of the pay and benefits they rightfully earned in service to our country,” said Sen. Sheehy.

🎯IMPACT: The bill aims to restore pay and benefits to nearly 100,000 service members and their families affected by the mandate.

IN FULL

Sen. Tim Sheehy (R-MT) will introduce legislation on Tuesday that would, if passed and signed into law, provide back pay to the thousands of troops negatively affected by former President Joe Biden’s COVID military vaccine mandate. The legislation is designed to restore pay and benefits to thousands of U.S. service members discharged for noncompliance with the vaccination requirement under the former Biden government.

“This unacceptable action by the last administration robbed servicemembers of the pay and benefits they rightfully earned in service to our country,” Sheehy said in a statement. He added: “My legislation will right this wrong by building on President Trump’s Executive Order to reinstate those servicemembers, ensuring we fulfill our government’s sacred obligations to the men and women who put their lives on the line in defense of our freedoms.”

According to the Montana Republican, nearly 8,500 active-duty troops were dismissed for noncompliance with Biden’s mandate, while the Army Reserve and National Guard lost over 60,000 more. In total, around 100,000 servicemembers and their families were impacted, with many losing pay, benefits, and retirement credit.

Although Congress repealed the mandate in the fiscal year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and courts later ruled the mandate unconstitutional, many former troops are still struggling to reclaim lost compensation and recognition. Sheehy’s bill would allow those affected to opt into a claims process for back pay and entitlements under the Military Pay Act, with eligibility contingent on meeting specified criteria. The relief would be in addition to benefits granted under President Donald J. Trump’s executive order reinstating servicemembers discharged over the mandate.

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The Senate GOP Is Making Big Changes to Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill.’

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: Senate Republicans unveiled a new proposal for Medicaid reforms within President Donald J. Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill,” aiming to implement stricter eligibility and work requirements while limiting states’ use of health care provider taxes to qualify for additional funding.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), Senate Finance Committee members, and President Donald Trump.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The Senate Finance Committee revealed the proposal on Monday evening.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The things that we’re doing are going to strengthen it, improve it, and make it available to people for whom it was intended.” – John Thune.

🎯IMPACT: The reforms aim to reduce federal Medicaid spending by over $700 billion, with Senate Republicans arguing it will curb unnecessary spending while preserving benefits for vulnerable Americans.

IN FULL

Senate Republicans are pushing to enact more expansive Medicaid reforms in President Donald J. Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill,” surpassing the changes implemented in the House-passed version with further tightened eligibility and stricter work requirements. The Senate Finance Committee unveiled its proposed changes Monday evening, including measures to limit states’ use of health care provider taxes to secure additional federal funding.

The Senate’s proposal is projected to exceed the $700 billion in federal Medicaid spending reductions included in the House version of the reconciliation bill. Republican leaders have touted these reforms as the most significant reduction to mandatory spending in a budget bill in U.S. history.

“[T]his is a program that’s ripe for reform. The things that we’re doing are going to strengthen it, improve it, and make it available to people for whom it was intended,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) said in a recent interview, adding: “It shouldn’t be available for illegal immigrants. There are people who are ineligible. There are people, able-bodied males who are of working age; there ought to be a work requirement attached to it. These are all reforms to a program that was desperately in need of reform.”

The Senate plan targets provider taxes, reducing the cap states can impose on health care providers to receive federal Medicaid funding. Starting in 2027, the cap will gradually decrease to 3.5 percent by 2031. Additionally, the Senate proposal expands work requirements to include adults with children aged 14 or older, a step beyond the House version, which exempted adults with dependent children entirely.

However, not all Senate Republicans support the far-reaching reforms. Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) panned the proposal, arguing that the provider tax changes would essentially “defund rural hospitals” to pay for “Biden ‘Green New Deal’ subsidies.”

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Image by Gage Skidmore.

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Fed Chief Powell Likely Making ANOTHER Terrible Decision…

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: The Federal Reserve’s Federal Open Market Committee is expected to keep interest rates at their current levels when the central bank’s leadership meets on Wednesday, despite continued indicators that inflation has subsided.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The Federal Reserve, Fed Chairman Jerome Powell, the Federal Open Market Committee, President Donald J. Trump, and American borrowers and consumers.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Chairman Powell will announce the central bank’s policy on the federal funds rate on Wednesday, June 18, 2025.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Some members have been expressing concerns about slowing growth, although very slightly, and that should be debated heavily as a driver to cut rates sooner rather than continuing to pause,” contends financial analyst Brian Mulberry, a client portfolio manager at Zacks Investment Management.

🎯IMPACT: President Donald J. Trump has repeatedly called on Powell and the Fed to begin reducing interest rates to energize the United States economy. However, since December of last year, the central bank has opted to hold rates at their current range of 4.25 percent to 4.5 percent.

IN FULL

The Federal Reserve Bank’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) is widely expected to hold the federal funds rate steady, currently between 4.25 and 4.5 percent, following its June meeting, which ends on Wednesday. Currently, the CME Group’s FedWatch Tool indicates a 99.9 percent likelihood that the central bank will maintain current interest rates, despite mounting pressure from President Donald J. Trump to begin enacting cuts to borrowing costs.

Interest rates have remained unchanged since December last year, with the central bank claiming economic uncertainty related to the impact of President Trump’s tariff policies has forced them to hold off on a rate cut. However, thus far, Fed Chairman Jerome Powell’s concern that the tariffs could restart inflation has been largely unfounded. In fact, recent economic data has shown inflation significantly cooling, with the current rate hovering very close to the central bank’s two percent target. Additionally, some recent economic data suggests the American economy could even be facing deflationary pressures, which would generally push the Federal Reserve to cut rates.

In recent months, President Trump has blasted Chairman Powell, calling him a “loser” and arguing that the central bank chief “has always been ‘Too Late'” on adjusting rates to changing economic conditions. Notably, in April, Trump indicated he may soon move to dismiss Powell as Federal Reserve chairman, though that will likely be contingent on a pending court case.

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Here’s What VP Vance Had to Say About Trump and Iran…

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: Vice President J.D. Vance defended President Donald J. Trump’s position on Iran, emphasizing Trump’s consistent stance against Iran obtaining nuclear weapons.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Vice President Vance, President Trump, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and Iranian leadership.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Statements were made on Monday and Tuesday, with Trump addressing the issue on Truth Social and during a Situation Room meeting in Washington, D.C.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The President has shown remarkable restraint in keeping our military’s focus on protecting our troops and protecting our citizens.” – J.D. Vance

🎯IMPACT: The U.S. and Israel have aerial superiority over Iran, with the Trump administration underscoring its commitment to thwarting Iranian nuclear ambitions

IN FULL

Vice President J.D. Vance on Monday defended President Donald J. Trump’s position on Iran in response to “crazy” accusations circulating on social media. Writing on X, Vance stated, “Look, I’m seeing this from the inside, and am admittedly biased towards our president (and my friend), but there’s a lot of crazy stuff on social media, so I wanted to address some things directly on the Iran issue.”

Vance noted Trump “has been amazingly consistent, over 10 years, that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon,” adding that Trump has encouraged his foreign policy team to reach a deal with Iran to achieve this goal, emphasizing that “Iran cannot have uranium enrichment” and that the America First leader has made it clear this would happen “one of two ways—the easy way or the ‘other’ way.”

Addressing confusion over “civilian nuclear power” and “uranium enrichment,” Vance explained that these are distinct issues. He noted that Iran could pursue civilian nuclear power without enrichment, but has rejected this option. “Meanwhile, they’ve enriched uranium far above the level necessary for any civilian purpose,” he stressed, pointing to violations of non-proliferation obligations as identified by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Trump, on Tuesday, called for an “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER” from Iran on Truth Social, following Israel’s preemptive strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. “We know exactly where the so-called ‘Supreme Leader’ is hiding,” Trump wrote, referring to Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. “He is an easy target, but is safe there – We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now. But we don’t want missiles shot at civilians, or American soldiers. Our patience is wearing thin.”

The United States has been deploying assets to the Middle East and reportedly assisted Israel in shooting down incoming Iranian missiles. Trump has emphasized that the U.S. and Israel maintain “complete and total control of the skies over Iran.”

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Working Class Hero: Blue-Collar Wages Surging Under Trump.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: Blue-collar workers have experienced a 1.7 percent real wage increase in the first five months of President Donald J. Trump’s second term, the largest increase for any presidential administration in nearly 60 years.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Trump, blue-collar workers, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The wage growth occurred across the United States from December 2024 to May 2025.

💬KEY QUOTE: “We’ve seen real wages for hourly workers, non-supervisory workers, rise almost 2 percent in the first five months. … No president has done that before.” – Scott Bessent.

🎯IMPACT: Blue-collar workers are seeing significant wage growth, reversing decades of stagnation and decline under previous administrations.

IN FULL

Blue-collar workers saw real wage growth of 1.7 percent in the first five months of President Donald J. Trump’s second term, marking the largest increase for any administration in nearly 60 years. The wage growth sharply contrasts with the negative growth experienced under former President Joe Biden, according to the latest U.S. Department of the Treasury data.

Since Richard Nixon in 1969, Trump is the only president to record positive growth for blue-collar workers in the first five months of his term. During his first term, Trump also achieved a 1.3 percent increase. The current wage growth recovery follows a 1.7 percent decline during Biden’s initial months in office, when inflation outpaced earnings.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent highlighted the achievement, stating, “We’ve seen real wages for hourly workers, non-supervisory workers, rise almost two percent in the first five months. … No President has done that before.” He attributed the improvement to falling inflation, which has increased take-home pay, as well as Trump’s focus on manufacturing and efforts to remove illegal immigrants from the workforce. “Biden opened the border, and it was flooded,” Bessent said, adding: “And for working Americans, that’s a disaster because it’s pressure on their wages.”

Trump’s tariff policy has also been designed to make American workers more competitive relative to cheap labor overseas, causing several major companies to reshore production to the U.S.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics defines blue-collar workers as non-supervisory and production workers. Year-to-date wage growth for this group from December 2024 to May 2025 is more than double the 0.8 percent growth seen during Nixon’s administration. Comparatively, Barack Obama’s first term saw a 0.3 percent decline, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush each recorded a 0.6 percent decline, and Ronald Reagan saw a 0.9 percent decline. George H.W. Bush oversaw a 3.0 percent decline, while Jimmy Carter’s administration recorded zero growth.

Trump’s administration is also pushing for the passage of the “Big Beautiful Bill,” which it argues will further boost blue-collar wage growth. The bill includes measures such as eliminating federal income taxes not only on tips, but on overtime pay for over 80 million hourly workers, while providing tax incentives for manufacturers to build factories in the United States.

These initiatives are expected to create up to six million jobs in construction and manufacturing, reversing decades of offshoring.

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Trump: ‘We’ Control Iran’s Skies, ‘Easy Target’ Ayatollah Must Surrender.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump issued a warning to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, saying “we” control the Islamic Republic’s skies, describing the theocrat as an “easy target,” and demanding Tehran’s “unconditional surrender.”

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: U.S. President Donald Trump, Iranian leader Ali Khamenei, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Trump made the statements on June 17, 2025, aboard Air Force One and on Truth Social, following his early departure from the G7 summit in Canada.

💬KEY QUOTE: “He is an easy target, but is safe there – We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now. But we don’t want missiles shot at civilians, or American soldiers. Our patience is wearing thin.” – President Trump.

🎯IMPACT: The comments raise tensions in the already volatile conflict and signal that the Trump administration is increasingly considering direct intervention.

IN FULL

President Donald Trump spoke to reporters aboard Air Force One after leaving the G7 summit early to return to Washington on June 17, 2025. During the flight, Trump issued a stark warning to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, calling him an “easy target” and demanding Tehran’s “unconditional surrender” in its conflict with Israel.

Trump elaborated on his stance via Truth Social, stating, “We know exactly where the so-called ‘Supreme Leader’ is hiding. He is an easy target, but is safe there – We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now. But we don’t want missiles shot at civilians, or American soldiers. Our patience is wearing thin.”

In a subsequent post, Trump added, “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!” Previously, the President had published a post stating that “We now have complete and total control of the skies over Iran,” signalling he is ready to intervene directly in the conflict, rather than only supporting Israel defensively and logistically.

The strong language on Khamenei follows reports that Trump recently vetoed an Israeli plan to assassinate the 86-year-old mullah. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, addressing the reports of disagreement with Trump over the Ayatollah, stated on Monday, “I wouldn’t rush to conclusions.”

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Image via Wikimedia Commons.

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