Hanukkah Attack Suspect’s Lawyer: Cuccinelli Immigration Comments Are ‘a Disgrace’

After a leader in the Trump administration came under fire for seemingly trying to turn the latest violent anti-Semitic attack in New York into an anti-immigrant parable, the target of his smear responded Tuesday, calling his comments “a disgrace.”Ken Cuccinelli, the acting director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, claimed in a Monday morning tweet that 38-year-old Grafton Thomas, a U.S. citizen who allegedly stabbed five people at a Hanukkah party over the weekend, was the “son of an illegal alien who got amnesty under the 1986 amnesty law for illegal immigrants.” “Apparently, American values did not take hold among this entire family, at least this one violent, and apparently bigoted, son,” Cuccinelli wrote.Thomas’ attorney, Michael Sussman, said Tuesday that Cuccinelli’s remarks “are a disgrace and akin to blaming the parents of a mentally ill child for conceiving him or her” and that “such comments have no place in a rational debate about national immigration policy, a debate which is long overdue and long delayed by those currently holding executive office in our nation.“My client’s parents migrated to the United States and were granted legal status in 1986,” said Sussman. “My client was born in the United States and is an American citizen. His immigration status appears totally unrelated to his mental illness and the circumstances which caused the events of last Saturday evening.” Cuccinelli has pushed for aggressive anti-immigrant policies since his time as a state lawmaker in Virginia. For the Trump White House, he has argued against birthright U.S. citizenship for children of undocumented parents and suggested the words on the Statue of Liberty were only aimed at European immigrants.After several people called out Cuccinelli’s tweet and its apparent condemnation of a Reagan-era bipartisan immigration law, the post was either deleted or otherwise removed from his Twitter page.Further on the right, white supremacists celebrated Thomas’ race on 4chan and Telegram, where they discussed pushing anti-Semitic conspiracy theories that they hoped would inspire violence against Jews by black Americans, whom they described with racist slurs.Thomas, who is black, allegedly burst into the home of Rabbi Chaim Rottenberg in the New York suburb of Monsey on Saturday night around 10 p.m., as dozens of guests were celebrating Hanukkah.He allegedly stabbed and wounded five people with a machete, and he was charged with five counts of attempted murder and one count of first-degree burglary. All of the victims survived, but one is said to remain in critical condition with a skull fracture.Federal prosecutors on Monday also filed federal hate crime charges against Thomas and said in court documents that he had expressed anti-Semitic sentiments in hand-written journals.The patrol officers who arrested Thomas discovered him “covered with blood,” The New York Times reported. Thomas pleaded not guilty to all charges on Sunday morning at his arraignment in Ramapo, New York.Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo has called the attack a “blatant act of domestic terrorism that sought to inflict violence, incite hate and generate fear” and ordered the State Police hate-crimes task force to investigate.Hanukkah Stabbing Suspect Caught With Bloody Machete in His CarThomas’ family told CNN he had no history of anti-Semitism, violent behavior, or prior convictions. They said he is “not a member of any hate groups” and have reportedly asked Sussman to request a mental-health evaluation for Thomas, who has “a long history of mental illness and hospitalizations” and “was raised in a home which embraced and respected all religions and races.”United Methodist Church Pastor Wendy Paige said that she has known Thomas for 10 years and that he is “not a violent person.”“Grafton is not a terrorist, he is a man who has mental illness in America, and the systems that be have not served him well,” Paige told the New York Post. “I have been his pastor for a long time and I have seen him, he is not a violent person, he is a confused person.”“We apologize to the families for him,” said Paige. “We apologize because we know this was not him, this was an action out of mental illness, please understand… Please let’s work on our systems for mental illness.”After a deadly anti-Semitic shooting at a kosher market in Jersey City this month and an “alarming” surge in anti-Semitic violence in the New York area, police have said they stepped up patrols in at least three Brooklyn neighborhoods.—Staff writer Kelly Weill contributed to this report.Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.

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Here's who will be onstage for the January Democratic presidential debate in Iowa and how to watch it

CNN and the Des Moines Register will co-host the seventh Democratic presidential debate in Des Moines three weeks before the Iowa caucuses.

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Trump says he has been denied due process. But the Constitution does not afford him that.

Like Bill Clinton and Andrew Johnson before him, President Trump does not have the same constitutional protection afforded to criminal defendants.

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New York Jews scared, defiant as mayor decries anti-Semitism 'crisis'

At a Hasidic synagogue in Brooklyn, police, state troopers and civilian volunteers stand guard as Orthodox Jews mark the end of Hanukkah under heightened security following a spate of attacks. New York, home to the largest Jewish community outside of Israel, had long been a place where Jews felt safe.

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North Korea leader promises look at new weapon soon

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has accused the Trump administration of dragging its feet in nuclear negotiations and warned that his country will soon show a new strategic weapon to the world as its bolsters its nuclear deterrent in face of “gangster-like” U.S. sanctions and pressure. The North’s state media said Wednesday that Kim made the comments during a four-day ruling party conference held through Tuesday in the capital Pyongyang, where he declared that the North will never give up its security for economic benefits in the face of what he described as increasing U.S. hostility and nuclear threats. Kim’s comments came after a monthslong standoff between Washington and Pyongyang over disagreements involving disarmament steps and the removal of sanctions imposed on the North.

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Donald Trump warns Iran it will pay 'big price' as protesters try to storm US embassy in Baghdad

Donald Trump accused Iran of orchestrating the attack on the US embassy in Baghdad as he said he expected Iraq to “use its forces” to intervene. "Iran will be held fully responsible for lives lost, or damage incurred, at any of our facilities. They will pay a very BIG PRICE! This is not a Warning, it is a Threat," he wrote on Twitter. "The US Embassy in Iraq is, & has been for hours, SAFE! Many of our great Warfighters, together with the most lethal military equipment in the world, was immediately rushed to the site," Mr Trump  intensified pressure on the Iraqi authorities who had been powerless to prevent hundreds of demonstrators breaching the outer wall of the embassy compound in the heavily fortified green zone. He pressed the case for action in a call to  Iraq's caretaker  Prime Minister Adel Abd al-Mahd, urging him to protect US personnel and property. Chanting "death to America", the protesters set fire to a sentry box, pulled security cameras away from walls and hurled a barrage of missiles including Molotov cocktails. At one point the mob, which was protesting against US airstrikes on an Iranian-backed militia in Iraq on Sunday, used a drainpipe in an attempt to smash an embassy window. US troops tried to disperse the crowd firing warning shots before using teargas and stun grenades.  At least 62 people were reported to have been injured. Iran killed an American contractor, wounding many. We strongly responded, and always will. Now Iran is orchestrating an attack on the U.S. Embassy in Iraq. They will be held fully responsible. In addition, we expect Iraq to use its forces to protect the Embassy, and so notified!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 31 December 2019 Amid mounting tension, the US announced it would be deploying additional marines to increase security. Two Apache helicopters flew over the compound in a show of force. Matt Tueller, the US ambassador in Iraq, was not in the embassy at the time, but will be returning to join staff in the compound, the US State Department said. Under pressure from Mr Trump to protect US personnel, Mr Mahdi  had deployed special forces at the main gate in an attempt to prevent hundreds of protesters forcing their way in. Some of the crowd did withdraw, while others pitched tents, paving the way for a siege, which a spokesman for the militant group said would remain until US diplomats leave the country. As the violence unfolded in Iraq, Mr Trump intensified pressure on both Iraq and Iran with a series of tweets. "We expect Iraq to use its forces to protect the Embassy, and so notified!" Mr Trump tweeted, saying Iran "will be held fully responsible" for the unrest. Mr Trump was unapologetic for the military action which killed at least 25 fighters from Iran-backed Kataeb Hezbollah, a militant group with the US holds responsible for the death of an American contractor. "Iran killed an American contractor, wounding many. We strongly responded, and always will," the US president wrote. Supporters of Kataeb Hezbollah were prominent among the demonstrators in Baghdad, with the group's flags hanging on the fence surrounding the embassy. The Iraqi government, which is already facing a wave of protests across the country, has found itself caught in the crossfire between Tehran and Washington. Thousands of protesters and militia fighters outside the gate denounced U.S. air strikes in Iraq. Credit: AFP Mr Mahdi condemned the weekend's airstrikes, but Mr Trump remained unrepentant as he urged the country to stand up to Iran "To those many millions of people in Iraq who want freedom and who don't want to be dominated and controlled by Iran, this is your time!" the president tweeted. In response, Tehran accused the US of "audacity" in blaming Iran for the demonstrations. "The surprising audacity of American officials is so much that after killing at least 25... and violating the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity, that now... they attribute the Iraqi people's protest against their cruel acts to the Islamic Republic of Iran," said foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi. In the US, Republican hawks praised Mr Trump's tough response to the attack on the embassy. "He has put the world on notice - there will be no Benghazi's on his watch," tweeted Lindsey Graham, a close Trump ally and GOP senator from South Carolina. Newt Gingrich called for even tougher action. "The United States should respond to Iran in Iran. The Iranian dictatorship doesn't care how many of its allies we hit in Iraq. We have to go after the heart of the enemy and make them pay decisively."

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Deputy tases woman, 70, while trying to make arrest at her home

Authorities say Barbara Pinkney wouldn't let them in and had to be tased three times before she could be subdued.

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Greta Thunberg calls world leaders' attacks on her 'just funny'

Greta Thunberg says it's "just funny" when she's personally attacked by world leaders like President Trump.The 16-year-old Swedish climate change activist, who earlier this month was named Time's person of the year, spoke with Today on BBC Radio on Monday and was asked about recent attacks on her, such as when Trump lashed out at her in a tweet by claiming she has an anger management problem or when Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro called her a "brat.""Those attacks are just funny because they obviously don't mean anything," Thunberg said. "Well, I guess, of course, it means something. It means they are terrified of young people bringing change, which they don't want."Thunberg went on to say that these attacks are "proof that we are actually doing something and that they see us as some kind of threat."This comes after Trump went after Thunberg on Twitter in response to Time's decision to name her person of the year, writing she "must work on her anger management problem, then go to a good old-fashioned movie with a friend!"Asked in the BBC interview whether Trump is one of those people who sees her as a threat, Thunberg said "it's possible.""Not me, of course, me myself alone am not much of a threat," she added. "But it's that I'm a part of a big movement that they probably see as a threat."Thunberg also reiterated that a meeting with Trump at the United Nations earlier this year would not have been productive, saying that even if she did have an opportunity to speak with the president, she "wouldn't have wasted my time."More stories from theweek.com The Obama legacy is not what many liberals think Trump's scandals will haunt America for years The first decade in history

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Rams GM: No regrets on huge Goff, Gurley deals

Rams general manager Les Snead said Tuesday that he doesn't regret signing quarterback Jared Goff and running back Todd Gurley to record-breaking contracts despite the fact the Rams missed the playoffs this season.

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Chief Justice John Roberts says Americans may 'take democracy for granted' - CNN

1. Chief Justice John Roberts says Americans may 'take democracy for granted'  CNN
2. U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts warns of social media's danger to democracy  Los Angeles Times
3. READ: Chief Justice John Roberts' year-end message  CNN
4. Will Justice Roberts call balls and strikes at the impeachment trial? | TheHill  The Hill
5. Impeachment Trial Looming, Chief Justice Reflects on Judicial Independence  The New York Times
6. View full coverage on Google News

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Sanders: Speed of Medicare for All plan is a 'major difference' with Warren | TheHill - The Hill

1. Sanders: Speed of Medicare for All plan is a 'major difference' with Warren | TheHill  The Hill
2. Warren confronts ghost of Howard Dean  POLITICO
3. We may have gotten down to the final five  The Washington Post
4. Warren’s ‘fantasy’ wealth tax: Here’s all the programs 2020 Dem claims to cover with funding trick  Fox News
5. The Year 2019: Kicking the 2020 presidential race into high gear | ABC News  ABC News
6. View full coverage on Google News

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MAX Crashes Strengthen Resolve of Boeing to Automate Flight - Wall Street Journal

1. MAX Crashes Strengthen Resolve of Boeing to Automate Flight  Wall Street Journal
2. Boeing, Turkish Airlines reach 737 Max aircraft compensation deal  CNA
3. Here are The Seattle Times' top stories of 2019: Boeing 737 MAX, snowstorms, free college 'game changer'  Seattle Times
4. Local suppliers begin to feel impact of halted 737 Max production  KWCH
5. Review 2019: Good Year and Bad Year  Kevin Marshall
6. View full coverage on Google News

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Cop Says He Faked Vulgar Message on McDonald's Coffee Cup - Inside Edition

1. Cop Says He Faked Vulgar Message on McDonald's Coffee Cup  Inside Edition
2. Chief: Local officer resigns after making up coffee cup incident  KSNT News
3. A Kansas officer claimed McDonald's employees wrote a derogatory term on his cup. He made it up, the police chief says  CNN
4. Officer No Longer With Force After Coffee Cup Hoax  Newser
5. View full coverage on Google News

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Alexa can now beat you at board games, including Ticket to Ride - Polygon

1. Alexa can now beat you at board games, including Ticket to Ride  Polygon
2. This simple trick stops Google, Amazon and Facebook from listening to you all the time  USA TODAY
3. Echo Glow review: A multicolor smart lamp for kids  The Ambient
4. Today’s top deals: $15 off AirPods Pro, $30 off AirPods 2, Ring Doorbell deals, 50% off air fryer, $14 Echo Dot for cars, more  BGR
5. What the Tech? Alexa Guard | What The Tech?  WFMZ Allentown
6. View full coverage on Google News

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HURRY: AirPods Pro are back down to Black Friday’s price, but not for long - BGR

HURRY: AirPods Pro are back down to Black Friday’s price, but not for long  BGR

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Galaxy S11 ‘Final’ Design Reveals Stunning New Camera Design [Updated] - Forbes

1. Galaxy S11 ‘Final’ Design Reveals Stunning New Camera Design [Updated]  Forbes
2. Samsung Is Making the Best Phones  Gizmodo
3. Galaxy Watch Active 2 Review – The Only Smartwatch You Should Buy  Android Headlines
4. Samsung Sale Alert: Galaxy S10, Note 10, TV Star Deals Beat Black Friday Prices [Updated]  Forbes
5. What 2020 smartphone are you most looking forward to? (Poll of the Week)  Android Authority
6. View full coverage on Google News

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Kevin Spacey, Late Accuser’s Estate Ask Court To Dismiss Sexual Assault Lawsuit - Deadline

1. Kevin Spacey, Late Accuser’s Estate Ask Court To Dismiss Sexual Assault Lawsuit  Deadline
2. Kevin Spacey Settles Sexual Assault Lawsuit With Deceased Accuser’s Estate  Yahoo Entertainment
3. Kevin Spacey Settles Sexual Assault Lawsuit After Accuser's Death  Hollywood Reporter
4. Kevin Spacey Settles Los Angeles Lawsuit  CBS Los Angeles
5. Kevin Spacey settles lawsuit with kin of dead accuser  Page Six
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Mariah Carey Has Become The First Artist To Have A No. 1 On The Billboard Hot 100 In Four Consecutive Decades, And That's Iconic - BuzzFeed

1. Mariah Carey Has Become The First Artist To Have A No. 1 On The Billboard Hot 100 In Four Consecutive Decades, And That's Iconic  BuzzFeed
2. Mariah Carey Sets 'Billboard Hot 100' Record  RADIO.COM
3. Mariah Carey Makes History As First Artist To Hit No. 1 In Four Separate Decades  HuffPost
4. Mariah Carey Becomes First Artist at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100 in Four Decades, Thanks to 'All I Want for Chr  Billboard
5. CHATTER AWAY: Overnight Open Thread  joemygod.com
6. View full coverage on Google News

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King of the publicity stunt Antonio Brown says Saints worked him out as publicity stunt - Yahoo Sports

1. King of the publicity stunt Antonio Brown says Saints worked him out as publicity stunt  Yahoo Sports
2. Minnesota Vikings vs New Orleans Saints Wild Card Weekend Game Preview  NFL
3. Antonio Brown: Workout was a “publicity stunt” for the Saints  NBCSports.com
4. New Orleans Saints 2010s All-Decade Team: Offense  Saints Wire
5. Transcript: Zimmer Addressed the Media on Monday  Vikings.com
6. View full coverage on Google News

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Rams GM: No regrets on huge Goff, Gurley deals

Rams general manager Les Snead said Tuesday that he doesn't regret signing quarterback Jared Goff and running back Todd Gurley to record-breaking contracts despite the fact the Rams missed the playoffs this season.

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Rams GM: No regrets on huge Goff, Gurley deals

Rams general manager Les Snead said Tuesday that he doesn't regret signing quarterback Jared Goff and running back Todd Gurley to record-breaking contracts despite the fact the Rams missed the playoffs this season.

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Rams GM: No regrets on huge Goff, Gurley deals

Rams general manager Les Snead said Tuesday that he doesn't regret signing quarterback Jared Goff and running back Todd Gurley to record-breaking contracts despite the fact the Rams missed the playoffs this season.

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Rams GM: No regrets on huge Goff, Gurley deals

Rams general manager Les Snead said Tuesday that he doesn't regret signing quarterback Jared Goff and running back Todd Gurley to record-breaking contracts despite the fact the Rams missed the playoffs this season.

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After Death From Falling Debris, Violations Found at 220 Buildings

By BY AZI PAYBARAH from NYT New York https://ift.tt/36acVGp

The Legacy of Destructive Austerity

By BY PAUL KRUGMAN from NYT Opinion https://ift.tt/2QcEadO

American Airstrikes Rally Iraqis Against U.S.

By BY ALISSA J. RUBIN AND BEN HUBBARD from NYT World https://ift.tt/37ofNjf

Cowboys yet to announce decision on Garrett

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones didn't announce what the future holds for head coach Jason Garrett, though the two met after Jones and Garrett spoke briefly with players on Monday. Garrett's contract expires Jan. 14.

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Cowboys yet to announce decision on Garrett

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones didn't announce what the future holds for head coach Jason Garrett, though the two met after Jones and Garrett spoke briefly with players on Monday. Garrett's contract expires Jan. 14.

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Trump Boss Twists Hanukkah Attack to Push Anti-Immigrant Agenda

The Trump administration appeared on Monday to be trying to turn the latest violent anti-Semitic attack in New York into an anti-immigrant parable. Ken Cuccinelli, the Trump administration’s acting director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, claimed in a morning tweet that 38-year-old Grafton Thomas, a U.S. citizen who allegedly stabbed five people at a Hanukkah party over the weekend, was the “son of an illegal alien who got amnesty under the 1986 amnesty law for illegal immigrants.” It’s not clear where Cuccinelli got that information or if it was correct.“Apparently, American values did not take hold among this entire family, at least this one violent, and apparently bigoted, son,” Cuccinelli wrote.Cuccinelli has pushed for aggressive anti-immigrant policies since his time as a state lawmaker in Virginia. For the Trump White House, he has argued against birthright U.S. citizenship for children of undocumented parents and suggested the words on the Statue of Liberty were only aimed at European immigrants.After several people called out Cuccinelli’s tweet and its apparent condemnation of a Reagan-era bipartisan immigration law, the post was either deleted or otherwise removed from his Twitter page.Further on the right, white supremacists celebrated Thomas’ race on 4chan and Telegram, where they discussed pushing anti-Semitic conspiracy theories that they hoped would inspire violence against Jews by black Americans, whom they described with racist slurs.Thomas, who is black, allegedly burst into the home of Rabbi Chaim Rottenberg in the New York suburb of Monsey on Saturday night around 10 p.m., as dozens of guests were celebrating Hanukkah.He allegedly stabbed and wounded five people with a machete, and he was charged with five counts of attempted murder and one count of first-degree burglary. All of the victims survived, but one is said to remain in critical condition with a skull fracture.Federal prosecutors on Monday also filed federal hate crime charges against Thomas and said in court documents that he had expressed anti-Semitic sentiments in hand-written journals.The patrol officers who arrested Thomas discovered him “covered with blood,” The New York Times reported. Thomas pleaded not guilty to all charges on Sunday morning at his arraignment in Ramapo, New Jersey.Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo has called the attack a “blatant act of domestic terrorism that sought to inflict violence, incite hate and generate fear” and ordered the State Police hate-crimes task force to investigate.Hanukkah Stabbing Suspect Caught With Bloody Machete in His CarThomas’ family told CNN he had no history of anti-Semitism, violent behavior, or prior convictions. They said he is “not a member of any hate groups” and have reportedly asked his attorney, Michael Sussman, to request a mental-health evaluation for Thomas, who has “a long history of mental illness and hospitalizations” and “was raised in a home which embraced and respected all religions and races.”Sussman did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Daily Beast on Monday.United Methodist Church Pastor Wendy Paige said that she has known Thomas for 10 years and that he is “not a violent person.”“Grafton is not a terrorist, he is a man who has mental illness in America, and the systems that be have not served him well,” Paige told the New York Post. “I have been his pastor for a long time and I have seen him, he is not a violent person, he is a confused person.”“We apologize to the families for him,” said Paige. “We apologize because we know this was not him, this was an action out of mental illness, please understand… Please let’s work on our systems for mental illness.”After a deadly anti-Semitic shooting at a kosher market in Jersey City this month and an “alarming” surge in anti-Semitic violence in the New York area, police have said they stepped up patrols in at least three Brooklyn neighborhoods.—Staff writer Kelly Weill contributed to this report.Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.

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Bernie Sanders Condemns Rise of Anti-Semitism in Iowa Menorah Lighting

(Bloomberg) -- Bernie Sanders helped light a menorah at a “Chanukah on Ice” event at an Iowa ice skating rink Sunday night, and condemned a rise in anti-semitism in America and “all over the world.”It’s rare to see the U.S. senator from Vermont, who is a secular Jew, in a religious setting while running for the Democratic presidential nomination.The annual Hanukkah event, organized by Des Moines Rabbi Yossi Jacobson, came less than 24 hours after an intruder stabbed five people at a rabbi’s home in the New York City suburb of Monsey Saturday night.“What we’re seeing right now -- we’re seeing it in America, we’re seeing it all over the world -- is a rise in anti-semitism. We’re seeing a rise in hate crimes,” Sanders said.“We’re seeing somebody run into a kid here in Des Moines because that child was a Latino. We’re seeing people being stabbed yesterday in New York City because they were Jewish. We are seeing people being assaulted because they are Muslim,” he told an audience of about 90 gathered on a frigid Iowa winter night.“And as the rabbi indicated, if there was ever a time in American history where we say no to religious bigotry, this is the time,” he said.Sanders talked about his father immigrating at age 17 from Poland, “fleeing anti-semitism and fleeing violence and fleeing terrible, terrible poverty.”Sanders joked about not burning down the ice skating rink before lighting the menorah candles with a blowtorch provided by the event organizers. He joined in, reading the words, as the rabbi sang a blessing. An icy wind blew his borrowed kippah off his head at one point.As Jacobson and his wife, Chana, who run Maccabee’s Kosher Deli in Des Moines, handed out latkes and doughnuts, the rabbi noted that Sanders rarely talks about Judaism on the campaign trail.That has raised questions about whether he’s uncomfortable with his Jewish identity, Jacobson said.Jacobson said Sanders was reluctant at first to accept the invitation to light the menorah candles, but once he did, he embraced the evening with enthusiasm.Jacobson said he asked Sanders his Hebrew name. Binyamin, Sanders answered.The rabbi said he gave Sanders a blessing, “for his health.”To contact the reporter on this story: Jennifer Jacobs in Washington at jjacobs68@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Wendy Benjaminson at wbenjaminson@bloomberg.net, Elizabeth Wasserman, Kasia KlimasinskaFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.

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Greta Thunberg said it would be a waste of time for her to talk to Trump about climate change

President Donald Trump, who is withdrawing the US from the Paris climate accord, has a long record of expressing skepticism on climate science.

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U.S. airstrikes in Iraq and Syria hit sites linked to Iran

The United States carried out airstrikes in Iraq and Syria on Sunday, targeting weapons and munitions depots used by Kataib Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed militia.Over the last two months, there have been 11 rocket attacks against bases used by the U.S.-led coalition fighting the Islamic State. U.S. officials said Sunday's airstrikes were in response to an attack that took place in Kirkuk, Iraq, on Friday, which left one U.S. contractor dead and four U.S. troops injured.Kataib Hezbollah is connected to Iran's paramilitary Quds Forces, U.S. officials told The Wall Street Journal, and the Pentagon said the airstrikes are meant to serve as a warning to stop attacking the coalition's bases. A Kataib Hezbollah official said 25 members of the militia were killed in the airstrikes.More stories from theweek.com The best headlines of 2019 Giants, Browns fire head coaches on otherwise quiet 'Black Monday' The White House always knew Trump's order to freeze Ukraine aid could blow up, New York Times details

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Iraq condemns U.S. air strikes as unacceptable and dangerous

Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi on Monday condemned U.S. air strikes on bases of Iranian-backed Iraqi militia, a move that could plunge Iraq further into the heart of a proxy conflict between the United States and Iran. The U.S. military carried out air strikes on Sunday against the Kataib Hezbollah militia in response to the killing of a U.S. civilian contractor in a rocket attack on an Iraqi military base, officials said. "The prime minister described the American attack on the Iraqi armed forces as an unacceptable vicious assault that will have dangerous consequences," his office said.

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Hasan Minhaj’s 2020 Advice: Be Like Mitch McConnell

Before signing off for 2019, Hasan Minhaj has turned his eye towards 2020. The host of Netflix’s Patriot Act ended his final episode of the year by sharing some updates from stories he covered earlier in the year, including an interview during which he tried to get Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to accept Islam as his “one true faith.” Two weeks later, his brownface scandal erupted. “Little did I know he had actually converted decades ago,” Minhaj joked.  The biggest problem of 2019, he went on to argue, is that “we’re exposed to all the news, all the time, which makes us feel like we have to care about everything all the time.” It’s called “compassion fatigue” and Minhaj compared it to feeling like you have “50 tabs open in our mental browsers and we’re about to crash.” “You know who really figured out 2019?” he asked, before adding, “You’re not going to like this.” He was talking about Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. “We’ve shat on Mitch McConnell all year. ‘He’s a goblin, he’s a skin tag with glasses, he looks like something from a wax museum dumpster.’ He doesn’t give a fuck.” To extend Minhaj’s analogy, McConnell “closed all tabs, except for the Republican Party and locking down the courts.” And he thinks those on the other side of the political divide should do the same.Hasan Minhaj Fires Back at Saudi Arabia for Censoring His Netflix Show ‘Patriot Act’“So here’s what I’m pitching,” he continued. “For 2020, give yourself a break. Just pick a couple things to not care about, for your sanity. I’m not saying shut down your browser. Just close a couple tabs.” For himself, Minhaj has decided to let other people worry about plastic straws, North Korea and brownface. “I know, that’s supposed to be my issue,” he said. “But I’ve got other tabs to focus on. So if someone comes up to me and is like, ‘Did you hear? Joe Biden dressed up as Apu for Halloween!’ I’d be like, ‘Yo, I bet the accent was funny.’” Minhaj acknowledged that it was “weird” to hear this advice from a host—much like his fellow Daily Show alum John Oliver—who “tells you to care about something new every week.” And he promised to keep doing so in 2020, something that was an open question before Patriot Act aired the 32nd episode of its initial 32-episode order this past week. “I’ll see you guys in 2020,” he concluded. “We’ve got a few more tabs to open.” For more, listen to the most recent episodes of The Last Laugh podcast. Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.

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Trump National Security Aide Is Rebuffed in Impeachment Lawsuit

(Bloomberg) -- A federal judge is taking a pass -- for now -- on deciding whether President Donald Trump’s former deputy national security advisor must comply with a congressional subpoena to testify at the impeachment hearings.Charles Kupperman, who served under John Bolton, sued Trump and House Democrats in October seeking a ruling on whether the president’s order for him to ignore the subpoena was legal. The president claims to have absolute power to decide whether his advisers can testify.The House ultimately withdrew its subpoena, and the Justice Department said it wouldn’t go after Kupperman for flouting it, making the dispute moot, U.S. District Judge Richard Leon in Washington said Monday in dismissing the case.“Kupperman no longer faces the ‘irreconcilable commands’ of two coordinate branches of government,” Leon wrote in a 14-page decision.The Democrats never issued a subpoena to Bolton, who was forced out of his job in September, even though testimony in the impeachment inquiry suggested he was opposed to the president’s efforts to force Ukraine to investigate Trump’s political rival Joe Biden.Read More: Ex-Trump Adviser Bolton Asked to Testify in Impeachment InquiryLeon balked at the claim that even though the House had withdrawn the subpoena, Kupperman could still face criminal prosecution for ignoring it. The judge noted that the Justice Department had guaranteed it wouldn’t take legal action against Kupperman. He suggested he’d hear the case again “should the winds of political fortune shift” and the House reissues the subpoena.“If so, he will undoubtedly be right back before this court seeking a solution to a constitutional dilemma that has long-standing political consequences: balancing Congress’s well-established power to investigate with a president’s need to have a small group of national security advisors who have some form of immunity from compelled congressional testimony,” Leon wrote.Kupperman had said in his complaint that he faced “irreconcilable commands” -- a subpoena from House Democrats requiring him to cooperate and an order from the White House not to testify.The case is Kupperman v. House of Representatives, 19-cv-3224, U.S. District Court, District of Columbia (Washington).(Updates with details starting in fifth paragraph)To contact the reporter on this story: Erik Larson in New York at elarson4@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: David Glovin at dglovin@bloomberg.net, Peter Jeffrey, Anthony LinFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.

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Battle to save Australian wildlife as bushfires rage

A possum severely burnt by bushfires in Australia's Blue Mountains laps water from a bowl as her rescuer holds her gently in a towel, while at a nearby home a kangaroo with bandaged feet is rocked like a baby by another carer. As Australia battles wildfires that have razed more than 4 million hectares (9.9 million acres) across five states, volunteers are trying to save wild animals caught in the inferno. Australia's bushland is home to a range of indigenous fauna, including kangaroos, koalas, wallabies, possums, wombats and echidnas.

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Wisconsin election officials deadlock on culling voter rolls

The Wisconsin Elections Commission deadlocked Monday on whether to comply with a judge's order to remove anywhere from 144,000 to more than 200,000 names from the state's voter rolls before a higher court can weigh in — a move that could influence the outcome of next year's presidential election in the key swing state. The commission's three Republicans wanted to remove the voters in question from the rolls but were blocked by the panel's three Democrats, the Milwaukee Journal Sentine l reported. The affected voters are in heavily Democratic areas of Wisconsin, a battleground state in the 2020 presidential election.

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Juul employees vape at desks despite company threat to dock bonuses for e-cigarette use, report says

Juul banned vaping at its offices last year, but some employees continue to use e-cigarettes at their desks, in hallways and in meetings, according to the Wall Street Journal.

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Trump's tariffs have backfired, at least so far, Federal Reserve reports

President Trump has promoted his trade policy, specifically his tariffs on imported goods, as a means of reviving American manufacturing. It has done the opposite, according to a new study from Federal Reserve economists. Trump's trade war with China and other countries has led to higher consumer prices, failed to boost U.S. manufacturing, and led to domestic job losses."We find that the 2018 tariffs are associated with relative reductions in manufacturing employment and relative increases in producer prices," write Fed economists Aaron Flaaen and Justin Pierce. The tariffs did boost the competitiveness of some U.S.-made goods inside the U.S., they found, but that was "completely offset in the short-run by reduced competitiveness from retaliation and higher costs in downstream industries," and protectionist policies are now intrinsically "complicated by the presence of globally interconnnected supply chains."The industries hit especially hard by "tit-for-tat retaliation" from China and other trading partners include automobiles, iron and steel, aluminum sheet, leather goods, appliances, and various appliances and electronic goods. Those hurt by increased prices include aluminum, steel, boilers, and appliances. "While the longer-term effects of the tariffs may differ from those that we estimate here, the results indicate that the tariffs, thus far, have not led to increased activity in the U.S. manufacturing sector," Flaeen and Pierce conclude."The researchers don't measure the effects on business confidence resulting from the uncertainty regarding U.S. international trade policy," says Greg Robb at MarketWatch. "Many economists see this doubt about future government policy as a primary driver in the decline in business investment this year." Read The Week's Jeff Spross for other economic policy failures that ended up making the 2010s a lost decade.More stories from theweek.com The best headlines of 2019 Giants, Browns fire head coaches on otherwise quiet 'Black Monday' The White House always knew Trump's order to freeze Ukraine aid could blow up, New York Times details

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Trump's latest call with Putin raises more questions than it answers - CNN

1. Trump's latest call with Putin raises more questions than it answers  CNN
2. Kremlin posts readout of Trump-Putin call  Fox News
3. Russian court jails 2 terrorism suspects arrested on US tip  Washington Post
4. Putin's next aggression | TheHill  The Hill
5. Vladimir Putin weighs future options as he marks 20 years in power  cleveland.com
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GOP Senator Ted Cruz Says It's 'Certainly Possible' That 'a Couple' Republicans Will Vote to Remove Trump - Newsweek

GOP Senator Ted Cruz Says It's 'Certainly Possible' That 'a Couple' Republicans Will Vote to Remove Trump  NewsweekView full coverage on Google News

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Amid Turkey deployment bid, France, Egypt urge restraint in Libya - Al Jazeera English

1. Amid Turkey deployment bid, France, Egypt urge restraint in Libya  Al Jazeera English
2. Libya conflict: Turkey troop deployment bill sent to MPs  BBC News
3. Turkey may send allied Syrian fighters to Libya: sources  Reuters
4. Libya is at risk for becoming the site of a multinational war  The Washington Post
5. Libya's battlefields, saturated with fighters, getting more  Los Angeles Times
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Ryan Seacrest Prepares for BTS Mania Ahead of New Year’s Eve Times Square Celebration - Variety

1. Ryan Seacrest Prepares for BTS Mania Ahead of New Year’s Eve Times Square Celebration  Variety
2. New Year’s Eve 2020: How to Watch, Who’s Performing, Ball Drop  Rolling Stone
3. Usher Interview on Ella Mai Collaboration, New Album & More  Billboard
4. BTS Arrives at JFK in Unique Travel Outfits Ahead of New Year’s Eve Performance  Footwear News
5. Where to watch New Year's Eve countdown on TV  Chicago Tribune
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2019 Orange Bowl odds: Florida vs. Virginia picks, predictions from top expert who's 5-1 on Gators games - CBS Sports

1. 2019 Orange Bowl odds: Florida vs. Virginia picks, predictions from top expert who's 5-1 on Gators games  CBS Sports
2. Florida vs Virginia college football picks and Orange Bowl predictions  Covers.com
3. Florida vs. Virginia: Orange Bowl time, TV channel, preview, prediction  NCAA.com
4. Virginia vs. Florida: How to watch, schedule, live stream info, game time, TV channel  CBSSports.com
5. CFT Previews: Capital One Orange Bowl  NBCSports.com
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Steve Tisch pushing for more say in Giants' football decisions - New York Post

1. Steve Tisch pushing for more say in Giants' football decisions  New York Post
2. Giants fire coach Pat Shurmur, keep GM Dave Gettleman  ESPN
3. Giants co-owner Steve Tisch denies friction with John Mara, but says he will become ‘more involved’ in day-to-  New York Daily News
4. New York Giants needed to move on from Pat Shurmur | Pro Football Talk | NBC Sports  NBC Sports
5. New York Giants Defense Must Return to the 4-3  Last Word on Pro Football
6. View full coverage on Google News

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National living wage to rise by 6.2% in April

The government says it will boost pay by more than four times the rate of inflation.

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Evacuation order in Australia's south-east as bushfires rage and temperatures soar

Thousands of residents and holiday makers are evacuating a swathe of Victoria, in Australia's southeast, as soaring temperatures and strong winds fan massive bushfires.

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Russia, China to hold more U.N. talks on lifting North Korea sanctions: diplomats

U.N. Security Council members are due to meet informally on Monday for a second round of negotiations on a Russian and Chinese proposal to lift a raft of sanctions on North Korea, a move that some diplomats say has little support.

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North Korea's Kim stressed 'positive and offensive security measures' at key party meeting

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called for "positive and offensive measures" to ensure security at a ruling party meeting on Sunday ahead of a year-end deadline he has set for denuclearization talks with the United States, state media KCNA said on Monday.

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John Lewis, Congressman and Civil Rights Icon, Has Pancreatic Cancer

By BY EMILY COCHRANE from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2Q8dTO8

Bill Barr Thinks America Is Going to Hell

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The Presidential Nominating Process Is Absurd

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Beast Mode getting ready for his return

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Beast Mode getting ready for his return

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Beast Mode getting ready for his return

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Beast Mode getting ready for his return

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Beast Mode getting ready for his return

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Beast Mode getting ready for his return

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Beast Mode getting ready for his return

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Beast Mode getting ready for his return

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GOP senator asks Trump to 'tweet a little bit less' after he posted name of alleged whistleblower - Washington Examiner

1. GOP senator asks Trump to 'tweet a little bit less' after he posted name of alleged whistleblower  Washington Examiner
2. Trump is trying to out the alleged Ukraine whistleblower on Twitter  Vox.com
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Trump under fire for retweeting name of Ukraine whistleblower - The Telegraph

Trump under fire for retweeting name of Ukraine whistleblower  The Telegraph

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5 Killed In Plane Crash Heading To Louisiana State University Football Playoff Game - NPR

1. 5 Killed In Plane Crash Heading To Louisiana State University Football Playoff Game  NPR
2. Carley McCord among five killed in the Louisiana plane crash  CNN
3. Eyewitnesses share reactions to plane crash  WWLP.com
4. Governor John Bel Edwards issues statement on fatal plane crash in Lafayette  KLFY
5. At least 5 killed, 4 injured in Louisiana plane crash  ABC News
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The 3 Best Healthcare Stocks to Buy for 2020 - Motley Fool

The 3 Best Healthcare Stocks to Buy for 2020  Motley Fool

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NYU doctor Joseph Wiesel claims Apple used his patented heartbeat-monitoring tech without permission in lawsuit - USA TODAY

1. NYU doctor Joseph Wiesel claims Apple used his patented heartbeat-monitoring tech without permission in lawsuit  USA TODAY
2. New York doctor sues Apple over irregular heartbeat detection  Engadget
3. Apple is being sued over one of the lifesaving features in the Apple Watch  iMore
4. Heart doctor sues for patent infringement over lifesaving Apple Watch feature  Digital Trends
5. Apple News: Why An NYU Cardiologist Is Suing The Tech Giant For Royalties  International Business Times
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Ahsoka's True Fate Was Hinted at By Dave Filoni, So Fans Don't Worry - Showbiz Cheat Sheet

Ahsoka's True Fate Was Hinted at By Dave Filoni, So Fans Don't Worry  Showbiz Cheat SheetView full coverage on Google News

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Ozark Actress Julia Garner Marries Musician Mark Foster - E! NEWS

1. Ozark Actress Julia Garner Marries Musician Mark Foster  E! NEWS
2. Julia Garner Is Married! Actress Weds Foster the People Frontman Mark Foster  PEOPLE.com
3. Julia Garner marries Foster the People's Mark Foster  msnNOW
4. Julia Garner Marries Foster the People's Mark Foster -- See Her Dress!  Yahoo Entertainment
5. Foster the People's Mark Foster & Actress Julia Garner Marry  Billboard
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Week 17 non-Eagles Sunday rooting guide - PhillyVoice.com

Week 17 non-Eagles Sunday rooting guide  PhillyVoice.comView full coverage on Google News

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Miles Sanders injury: Eagles running back hurts ankle in Giants game - Bleeding Green Nation

1. Miles Sanders injury: Eagles running back hurts ankle in Giants game  Bleeding Green Nation
2. Carson Wentz Goes DEEP to Josh Perkins!  NFL
3. Eli Manning likely making his final NY Giants appearance  Fox News
4. Zach Ertz injury: Eagles tight end reportedly suffered lacerated kidney in addition to cracked rib  Bleeding Green Nation
5. Philadelphia Eagles vs. New York Giants LIVE SCORE UPDATES (12/29/19) | Philly takes command as 'D' asserts i  NJ.com
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BBC put presenter on a plane to interview Greta Thunberg

Sarah Sands, editor of BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, admits it ‘felt awkward’

Putting a presenter on a flight to Sweden to meet climate activist Greta Thunberg “felt awkward”, the editor of BBC Radio 4’s Today programme has admitted.

The 16-year-old campaigner, who was a guest editor on a special edition of the show, avoids air travel because of its environmental impact.

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The 2019 awards for sexism, outstanding narcissism and generally going to the dogs

The Observer business agenda gongs are designed to celebrate corporate comedy, incompetence and excess, and this year served up a stellar list

Narrowing down a list of business folk on the basis of which is most pleased with themselves is perhaps the most onerous task for an awards committee. Even so, 2019 threw up some standout contenders and the judges highly commended two nominees: first, Ocado founder Tim Steiner, who mused: “None of the shareholders I have ever spoken to have said they resent anything I have been paid”; and second, fund manager Neil Woodford, who said after his removal from managing his own fund that the decision was one “I cannot accept, nor believe is in the long-term interests of LF Woodford Equity Income Fund investors”.

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Gerwyn Price accuses Simon Whitlock of ‘pathetic’ play in PDC world darts

• Welshman wins 4-2 but rounds on slow pace of Whitlock’s play
• ‘It was slowed down to a pathetic pace,’ says Price

Gerwyn Price accused Simon Whitlock of “pathetic” slow play after the Welshman overcame a mid-match wobble to make the last eight of the PDC World Championship at Alexandra Palace.

Price, the No 3 seed, defeated Whitlock 4-2 to reach the quarter-finals for the first time. The former rugby player did not find the scintillating form that enabled him to whitewash John Henderson in the previous round with an average of 105.

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