Episode 218 – The Convoy Inquiry: a narrative is juiced
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the Emergencies Act inquiry and how the narrative of what happened is spinning out in to defend its use.
Sandy and Nora
Episode 217 – Who benefits from far-right hatred?
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the recent attack on a queer bar in Colorado Springs, and untangle the question: who benefits from far-right violence? Plus they discuss COP 27 and ask what it is.
Episode 216 – The trap of mask discourse
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the healthcare crisis and how focusing so closely on masks is letting people with power off the hook for their inaction. Plus, they talk about what comes after Doug Ford repealed his attack on workers bill and Remembrance Day at the Toronto Stock Exchange?
Gofundme for Hodan Hashi: https://www.gofundme.com/f/svxqk-funeral-fund
Episode 215 – Notwithstanding a labour struggle
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about labour’s struggle against the notwithstanding clause, even though Doug Ford lost and the bill has been repealed. Plus they talk the future of Twitter and give several Freeland Watch updates.
Episode 214 – Live show in Montreal – part 2
In this episode, Sandy and Nora take audience questions and talk about the suburbs, police, online harm, neoliberalism and mutual aid.
Episode 213 – Sandy and Nora Live in Montreal – Part 1
Listen to Sandy and Nora LIVE in Montreal, recorded on October 20 in front of a jam-packed audience. They talk about individualism and isolation, and how it’s destroying social cohesion.
Part one features Sandy and Nora’s conversation. Part two will feature the Q&A.
Episode 212 – The struggle from below
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about municipal elections in Vancouver and the struggle happening in Haiti. Plus, Chrystia Freeland says something racist, protecting Canada’s international brand.
Episode 211 – War and hockey
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about Hockey Canada, and what is not allowed to be said about war in Ukraine. Plus, the Liberals do something good for international students … but promise that it’s only a temporary measure.
Episode 210 – The struggle for freedom in Iran
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the protests in Iran and around the work opposing the oppressive regime in Iran, and also how all police, really, are morality police. Plus, they talk about the Quebec election and ask: where is Chrystia Freeland?
Episode 209 – Survival and nothingness
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about hurricane Fiona, it’s devastating impact and how we need to have pre-disaster networks to help us weather any storm. Plus, we talk about the BC NDP, the Quebec election and why nothingness is critical to our happiness.
Episode 208 – Cops and extra-judicial killings
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about what happens when police kill suspects rather than taking them into custody. They also look at amber alerts, and ask: why are we OK with police having direct access to our phones?
Episode 207 – Poli-evre After
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the coronation of Pierre Poilievre and the election win of King Charles the Third. Wait, no, reverse that.
Episode 206 – Searching for power in stories of harassment
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about harassment, the far right and what is to be done all about it.
Episode 205 – Canada’s news crisis
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about how Canada’s news ecosystem is incapable of challenging power, and as a result what we learn from the news isn’t the whole story. Plus, Elizabeth May gets a two-minute mention.
The Pope, hockey and Canada’s foundation of sexualized violence
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about institutionalized sexual violence, from the Papal visit to Hockey Canada. Plus, they talk about the climate crisis and why we need to think through clandestine approaches to getting us ready for several weather.
In this episode, Sandy mentions that Trump is speaking at the Capitol this week. She misspoke and meant to say “capital” aka Washington DC.
Episode 203 – Freedom of speech for who?
In this episode, Sandy and Nora deconstruct freedom of speech in Canada and argue that we should all be concerned that it’s under tremendous attack.
For more information about the image, check this out: https://dangerousminds.net/comments/disaster_capitalism_paintings_of_chase_bank_burning
Episode 202 – Telecomaggedon
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about how incredible it is that a single communications company is responsible for basically everything. They also talk about Yesterday’s Man Patrick Brown.
Episode 201 – Why are we all falling apart?
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about how everything is going — people aren’t seemingly doing too well. They talk about the need for the left to get its shit together, to focus less on internal issues and start or continue doing anything.
Episode 200 – When the US falls, what happens to Canada?
In this episode, Sandy and Nora argue that the reluctance of anyone in power to discuss the fall of the American empire is going to come back to bite us all on the ass someday soon.
Episode 199 – Naming and blaming those responsible
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the refusal of people in power to accept blame and instead, externalize their guilt however they can. Plus, we talk about how everything in society feels to be hanging by a thread.
Episode 198 – Cops don’t know their own law
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about a new Toronto Star investigation that has found that the Charter of Rights and Freedoms is regularly being violated by Canadian police.
Episode 197 – An Onterrible Election
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about what has just happened in Ontario, why voter turnout was so low and what we need to do to resist austerity. Plus, what are the lessons in other parts of Canada?
Episode 196 – Resisting goldfish takes on white supremacy
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the Buffalo shooting and how Canadians journalists have oriented around it. They call out journalists for not going deep enough into the issues and how liberal politics interact with the far right to make everything worse.
Episode 195 – The fight for abortion
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the fight for abortion in the US and what Canadian activists need to be watching for. Plus, they talk about lies and the Conservative leadership race.
Episode 194 – The Mayest of Days
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the rise in radical worker action across North America. Plus, they revisit the Disability Filibuster — this time, raising concerns about what we’ve already seen under expanded MAID.
Listen to Sandy and Nora on MAID last year: https://sandyandnora.com/episode-138-dignity-in-life-versus-dignity-in-death/
Image credit: CUPE
Episode 193 – Hurt vs. harm: curating our organizing spaces
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about organizing and relationships: are we striving too much to curate the perfect organizing spaces? Do we have the collective skills to ensure the level of accountability we wish we could see in organizing? Plus, we talk about Rich Chiarelli, the asshole and France’s new/old president.
Please check out: Anti-war workshop recording:
https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?ref=watch_permalink&v=1041515076791089
Document for anti-war coalition agendas:
Document for anti-war coalition committees:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Wbh6hoQRu1YnDw0awCKbAq7xXbWteD–PR0Hu-T8V6E/edit?fbclid=IwAR0BeJohWeuG9pi_Gv1mvO1VflKQSitF5ZtLLcUV5HnpDL-YpSo0tRe2i8g
Episode 192 – Making Canada Great Again
In this episode, Sandy and Nora examine Pierre Poilievre’s Conservative Leadership campaign and ask: why? What did we do to deserve this? Also, they talk about COVID again, but not that much.
Episode 191 – The NDP-Liberal pact fails its first test
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the federal budget and how much it sucks. Plus, they also talk about Palestine activism on campus, anti-Blackness within the Ontario NDP and Pierre Poilievre’s troll following.
Episode 190 – Sixth cycle of COVID hell
In this episode, Sandy and Nora examine political choices being made right now, and ask — why are Canadians so complacent? Plus, Sandy gets into Slap Discourse and Nora did a commercial for what??
Episode 189 – The Liberal-NDP alliance is very bad
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the NDP-Liberal deal that gives cover to justify pouring billions into Canada’s war aspirations. Plus, they talk about Jerry Dias and corruption at Unifor.
Episode 188 – Seeing through the propaganda
In this episode, Sandy and Nora look at propaganda, and how its playing itself out in Canadian media as we march towards war.
Episode 187 – The trouble with mutual aid
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about mutual aid and how it sometimes mirrors charity too closely. Plus: facial recognition software in Ukraine, Canada’s flexible refugee policy (all of a sudden…) and Patrick Brown’s exoneration (he creeps on 19 year olds, not 18 year olds, allegedly).
Episode 186 – An atomized, individualized left?
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the impact of neoliberalism on leftwing organizing. Plus, they talk about the economic benefits of going to war.
Episode 185 – The Slog of War
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about how leftwing people need to orient themselves around war.
Episode 184 – Emergency Acts?
In this episode, Sandy and Nora deconstruct the decision to invoke the Emergencies Act, and why this game of political chicken being played by the Liberals is dangerous and will backfire.
Episode 183 – Cutting through convoy contradictions
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the contradictions of this moment: from vaccine mandates to partisan politics, and how we should orient our struggles.
Episode 182 – Fighting the Far Right
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the Omicronvoy: the occupation in Ottawa, how we should orient towards it and what kinds of debates we need to sort through if we’re going to be able to effective confront the far right.
Episode 181 – The #FluTruxKlan rolls into town
Sandy and Nora break down the pro-COVID Convoy and remind listeners to keep their eyes on the ball. You can watch the 5th anniversary commemoration of the shooting at the Ste-Foy mosque here, in English: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yu1JqGkSBSQ
Episode 180 – Why is Canada gunning for war with Russia?
Why is Canada so hot for war with Russia? In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about Canada’s support for Ukraine, munitions factories and Canada’s Deputy Prime Minister’s Nazi family history.
Episode 179 – The best COVID-19 episode yet!
In this episode, Sandy and Nora examine the current, flame some politicians and ask the question: how do we walk the line between COVID-19 pessimism and a little bit of optimism?
Episode 178 – A 2021 look-back
In this episode Sandy and Nora look back at 2021 and ask: did we learn anything? Also, omicron.
Episode 177 – Critiquing critique
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about what happens when activism is replaced by critique alone, and urge listeners to not fall into a trap in understanding critique as activism. Plus, they revisit Quebec City’s racist police.
Episode 176 – F u c k the P o l i c e
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about police violence in Quebec City, Hamilton and Wet’suwet’en and ask what it will take for people to demand and end to policing. Plus, they talk COVID variants and a peculiar CBC report.
Episode 175 – B.C. on fire
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about British Columbia: from fires to floods, from RCMP to a lack of climate action. Plus, they talk about Iqaluit activists fighting for suicide prevention measures and the COVID-19 vaccine for kids.
Episode 174 – What comes after the vaccine mandates?
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the limits of vaccine mandates, and ask why politicians have not been forced to explain what happens when every Canadian who is willing to be vaccinated, is vaccinated. Plus — we remind listeners that Iqaluit still does not have drinking water.
Episode 173 – Fighting the extremes
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about how extremes are changing how we politically debate, and how deep political education and organizing are our only hope.
Episode 172 – Beyond binary thinking
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the way in which social media platforms force us into binaries, which is a disaster for leftwing organizing, which requires us to talk through nuance.
Episode 171 – Canadian media’s TERFascist love-in
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the alarming space in Canadian media that TERFascist ideas are receiving, and ask what the end game is in platforming transphobia.
Episode 170 – Abolish the military? Abolish the military.
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about why Canada needs to abolish the military and redirect resources into stronger public services. Plus they also talk about Iqaluit’s water crisis.
Episode 169 – Confronting systemic, institutional racism
In this episode, Sandy and Nora discuss how systemic racism operates within democratic structures, and the need for renewal. They talk about the Green Party, the NDP and more broadly within the left.
You can check out Nora’s new podcast here: https://shows.acast.com/take-back-the-fight/episodes/take-back-the-fight-series-teaser
Episode 168 – Policing online harassment?
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the latest onslaught of online harassment targeting racialized journalists, and explain why the police will not be able to save anyone from this abuse. Plus, we talk about Trudeau in Tofino, Fairy Creek and Elizasuck May.
Episode 167 – Canada’s democratic deficit
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about how Canada’s democracy is in crisis and is it time for a new left political party? Plus we deconstruct the media establishment’s obsession with The Two Michaels.
Episode 166 – Fascism and the status quo
In this episode, Sandy and Nora discuss the winners and losers in #elxn44 — and what everyone needs to learn about the success of the PP party.
Episode 165 – Conspirelection debate-o-thon
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the legacy of 9/11 in Canada, and how the English-language debates reveal more about the state of Canada’s democracy than pundits and politicians will admit.
Episode 164 – The Case of the Disappearing Provincial Governments
In this episode, Sandy and Nora examine why provincial governments have laid so low during the election period, and why that spells disaster for COVID-19 and other crises Canadians currently face.
Episode 163 – Promises, promises, protests
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about how the election is going — and how none of the major parties are acting as if we have just surviving a global pandemic. We also talk about the ongoing struggle at Fairy Creek.
Episode 162 – Canada in Afghanistan
In this episode, Sandy and Nora discuss Canada’s role in Afghanistan, and the responsibility we have for our actions.
Big apologies for the microphone problems that plague this episode.
Episode 161 – All the issues they will miss in #Elxn44
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the important issues that the current federal election should cover, but near certainly will not.
Episode 160 – Can the Left do rhetoric better?
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the need for left-wingers to identify, engage with and create rhetoric. Plus, Sandy has information about Ontario police destroying documents and we talk about the BCCLA.
Episode 159 – Is Canadian intelligence interfering in university research?
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the federal government’s recent decision to vet all scientific research funding as a matter of national intelligence agencies. Plus, they talk about tuition fees in Newfoundland and Labrador and the importance of physical space for activism and organizing.
Episode transcript.
Episode 158 – Media silence in the face of catastrophe
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about how Canadian media ignore catastrophe.
Episode 157 – N-oh Canada
In their annual Canada Day Sucks episode, Sandy and Nora talk colonialism, climate change and how Carolyn Bennett sucks.
Episode 156 – Not withstanding the carceral option
In this episode Sandy and Nora talk about crime and punishment, and why society gets nowhere when it throws people into the criminal justice system. Plus, they talk about the Notwithstanding Clause and wtf is up with the Green Party?
CW: discussion of child suicide in the second half of the episode.
Episode 155 – Connecting Islamophobia and colonialism
In this episode, Sandy and Nora explore the connection between colonialism and Islamophobia. Plus, they talk about COVID-19 ravaging Northeastern Ontario.
Photo from CBC News.
Episode 154 – How can we move power when power seems unmovable?
In this episode, Sandy and Nora examine how power in Canada can be chipped it, confronted and forced into action. All it takes is creativity and a refusal to accept things the way that they are.
Episode 153 – Residential School reckoning
In this episode, Sandy and Nora examine how Residential Schools should be understood as a fundamental part of forming modern Canada, and discuss ways in which settlers can demand justice from their politicians.
Residential school survivors who need support can call the National Indian Residential School Crisis Line at 1-866-925-4419.
Episode 152 – The Objectivity Myth
In this episode, Sandy and Nora explore the myth of objectivity, and how it’s used to justify media coverage that erases and marginalizes people.
Episode transcript here.
Episode 151 – Canada and the world
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about what is happening in Colombia, Tigray and Palestine, and ask why don’t Canadians have more information about global affairs? Plus Nora talks about Quebec Solidaire censuring it’s anti-racism/decolonial collective and Sandy goes on a bit more about bots.
Episode 150 – TRIPS waver, CEWS grift and getting real about vaccine passports
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about COVID-19 — again — and how the world that politicians want us to think we’re living in is not the world we are living in.
Episode transcript here.
Episode 149 – Fighting to save higher education
In this episode, Sandy and Nora explain the crisis at Laurentian University, university funding under attack and also mention the CAUT’s censure of the University of Toronto.
Episode 148 – The Liberals and their Trolls
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the CERB, the vaccine and how Liberal Trolls are on the attack against online against Liberal critics.
Episode 147 – Worst Case Ontario (and AB, BC…)
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the chaos of the Third Wave, about how police will not fix anything and why these politicians would rather see people in ICU than stop the spread of COVID-19.
Episode 146 – NDP Convention and the Third Wave
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the bad and the bad from the NDP Convention 2021 and try to find some encouraging words in the face of the rising Third Wave.
Episode 145 – How to confront power
In this episode, Sandy and Nora explore how average people can fore politicians into action, even when it feels impossible and politicians, immovable.
Episode 144 – a femicide crisis
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about femicide in Canada and how political inaction isn’t because there is a lack of understanding or of resources, but because politicians literally do not care that women are being killed. Plus, we talk about a boat that is no longer stuck in the Suez.
Update to the murder investigation in Hawkesbury: five suspicious deaths in the hospital’s COVID unit are now being investigated: https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/victim-in-hawkesbury-hospital-homicide-was-89-year-old-man-from-quebec
Episode 143 – anti-mask fascism
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the rise of anti-Asian racism, the connection between the anti-mask movement and how Canada’s mainstream media has written about China since the start of the pandemic. We also take a short tour of the latest Liberal scheme: the NDP’s student debt promise.
Episode 142 – How many more will die?
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about medical racism, bill C-7 passed into law and … the Queen.
You can see the Disability Filibuster here.
Episode 141 – Happy Birthday to COVID-19
In this episode, Sandy and Nora look back at the year that was. We take stock of the good news (there was some!) the bad news and the shitty news. We also talk the NDP: not defending Palestine.
Episode 140 – Pharmacare and white supremacy news roundup
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the NDP private member bill on pharmacare, and what it would take to build a pharmacare system in Canada. They also talk about the revelations in Celina Caesar-Chevannes’ new book and the Fifth Estate episode Black on Campus.
Episode 139 – the Liberals’ crime reform legislation
Last week, the Liberals introduced Bill C-22 – the Liberals’ long-awaited amendments to Canada’s criminal code. Sandy and Nora discuss the changes, how they are a mixed bag of good and bad, and how the Liberals never take seriously the concerns of Black and Indigenous communities.
Episode 138 – dignity in life versus dignity in death
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about ableism in Canada’s medical and political establishment — illustrated both through Canada’s COVID-19 death toll and through Bill C7, Medical Assistance in Dying legislation.
Episode 137 – Canada’s terrorist list is a mistake
In this episode, Sandy and Nora explain why many on the left have been critical of the recent decision to place several new groups on Canada’s terrorist list, including the Proud Boys. The episode starts with a round-up of news we are watching this week.
Episode 136 – Even more COVID
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about COVID news: from new viral strains to new travel restrictions, why does Canada seem to be perpetually aiming to do the absolute least?
Episode 135 – How to take over your student union
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the Governor General, COVID naming workplaces with outbreaks. And, Sandy and Nora offer a master class in how to take over your local student union.
Episode 134 – Canadian Media Whites Again
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about CBC Winnipeg, rabble, Black writers being ignored for wanting to write about the far right, Passage’s media relations list and how white supremacy is maintained inside Canadian newsrooms.
Episode 133 – an American coup in DC?
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about everything we still don’t know about the racist insurrection in Washington DC. They ask why are the details so sketchy, and why are journalists pretending it’s over? Also: nationalize telecoms and the internet now.
Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/Mu8HQZUE
Episode 132 – Finding optimism at the end of 2020
In this episode, Sandy and Nora look back at 2020 and try to say so-long to 2020 with a bit of optimism and lots of anger.
Episode 131 – PART TWO of Sandy and Nora Audience Appreciation Night
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about: organizing within unions, (not) going into journalism, making arts agencies more radical (and less close to power!) and how progressives can resist transphobia.
Episode 130 – free tuition, UOttawa sucks and organizing the Christians
This is Part 1 of Audience Appreciation Night – Sandy and Nora take questions and comments from listeners and talk about policing, education, organizing and pacing yourself for the long haul of radical action.
You’re invited! Sandy and Nora Listener Appreciation Night
Join us on Sunday, Nov. 29 at 8:00 EST, 5:00 PST for a live video chat as we celebrate the almost end of 2020.
Get your ticket! The event link will be emailed to all ticket holders on Sunday afternoon.
Tickets are available here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/sandy-and-nora-listener-appreciation-night-tickets-130749805187
Episode 129 – Sandy and Nora Live at the Vancouver Podcast Festival
In this episode, Sandy and Nora cover a lot of ground: from media to unions, from COVID-19 to how Sandy and Nora come up with show topics to how their relationship has changed over the years (including: do they ever fight?!)
This episode was recorded as part of the Vancouver Podcast Festival.
Episode 128 – doing nothing about COVID workplace outbreaks
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about how COVID outbreaks are still most common in workplaces, and yet, no politician has a plan to address workplace health and safety, which will exacerbate the pandemic and make things even worse.
Episode 127 – Decoding the US election
In this episode, Sandy and Nora look at the US election results: what they mean and, importantly, what they mean for leftist organizing and for Canadians. Lots of other updates in the episode too!
Episode 126 – is it ignorance or is it malice? It’s malice.
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about how the pandemic has not harmed people equally, and how discussions about the racialized impact are being erased from mainstream media’s coverage.
Episode 125 – Thinking big
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the need for conversations about big thinking. How can we use the pandemic to build new projects, new economies and new ways of organizing ourselves?
Correction — Nora forgot Saskatchewan at a certain point in the episode. When you catch it, you can tell yourself you won.
Episode 124 – white rage in Nova Scotia: terrorism or genocide?
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about why taking action in support of Mi’kmaq fishers, and Indigenous struggles everywhere, is so critical. They also talk about seniority in the labour movement, and how eliminating seniority isn’t going to fix systemic racism in the workplace.
Contest is closed but you can buy merch here still: https://twitter.com/amybeatrice/status/1317161330260979713
Nora’s book launch RSVP: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/billets-noras-55-hour-book-launch-open-house-pandemic-nightmare-edition-125505517381
RESOURCES:
Donations: https://t.co/qp5x3vOqcb?amp=1
Twitter thread of ideas: https://twitter.com/TheAgentNDN/status/1317325273730371584
How others are helping: https://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/mi-kmaw-fishers-creative-support-1.5770229?__vfz=medium%3Dsharebar
Episode 123 – difficulty sleeping
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the Vice-Presidential debates, Ottawa Police thinking that they are soldiers in a war zone and what happens to Canada if the US is plunged into civil war? Thoughts that keep us up at night.
Episode 121 – surfing the second wave. Of anxiety.
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the second wave — how it’s being talked about, how it’s not being covered, and how we need to reject individualist narratives about what will save us. We also talk about the tragic death of Joyce Echaquon in Joliette, and how medical racism needs to be combated by government, unions and popular movements.
Video of Seth Cardinal Dodginghorse: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h47zK6b6B0Y
In this episode, Nora mispronounces Atikamekw. It’s Ah-tee-ka-mik. Nora apologizes for this.
In this episode for the ambient sound of LA. That window gets closed at minute 15.
Episode 120 – throned speech
In this episode, Sandy and Nora decode the Liberal throne speech and — surprise — discover that it’s mostly hot air!
They also talk about Breonna Taylor and what the decision to not investigate further means.
Episode 119 – is white supremacy intensifying?
From saddling Black entrepreneurs with debt and calling it progress, to white settler fishers in Nova Scotia threatening Mi’kmaq fishers asserting their constitutionally-protected rights, to a white supremacist committing random murder in Toronto, Sandy and Nora ask: is white supremacy intensifying? It’s always bad but it seems like its … particularly bad right now?
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