3/3/20

The Daily Buzz For Mar 4 ☕📰☕

Kerry Washington for Porter - 2nd March 2020!
Kerry Washington is showing off a sleek new hairstyle in the latest issue of Net-a-Porter's online magazine, Porter, posing in a series of subdued outfits with her hair in a simple, pulled-back style that allows her face to take center stage.
The actress shared several shots from the shoot on Instagram, including a trio of photos in which she posed in a black mesh top, a black ribbed dress and a black sleeveless blazer with minimal gold jewelry.
"The future is Kerry Washington," one fan proclaimed in the comments. "Looking beautiful," shared another.
"Love. Love. Love," shared hairstylist Takisha Sturdivant-Drew. Reese Witherspoon commented on her friend's post with three crown emojis.
Washington and Witherspoon worked together on the upcoming Hulu show Little Fires Everywhere, which is adapted from the 2017 novel of the same name by Celeste Ng.
"She's just amazing, and a great friend," Washington told Porter of Witherspoon. "The sort of girlfriend who, when she asks you how you are, you can tell really cares about the response. I have such great respect for her, not only as a friend but as someone who has her own production company. She was so willing to share her mistakes and what she had learned."
"One thing a lot of us have talked about is this idea that, because of the imbalance of power and the delineation of who gets to be the protagonist, so often in our careers, there was one woman on a set," she added. "We were siloed. And so we were told about each other. And the story was often, 'She's difficult. She's needy. She's crazy. She's unpredictable. She's a diva.' Now we talk to each other, we work together and we know that not to be true. Even with Little Fires Everywhere, it deals with the nuances of womanhood and motherhood, regardless of outward identity."
Washington also has her own production company, Simpson Street, which is named after the street her mom grew up on in the Bronx.
"I always have, even as a child, been really opinionated. I've always wanted an environment where I can feel seen and heard," she said. "I don't even know that I saw myself as a leader, just as a person with a lot to say. I think the more I started to work in this industry, I started to understand that there weren't a lot of people who understood my perspective as a woman or as a woman of color in power – and I had to create that opportunity." 
Nice Kerry!


#RHOA: NeNe Says Kenya's Marital Issues Are 'Karma' for Her Past Behavior on the Show!
NeNe Leakes doesn’t have any sympathy for Kenya Moore, even after her separation from husband Marc Daly.

“It’s karma,” the Real Housewives of Atlanta star said, when asked about Moore, 49, and Daly — who in September that they were going their separate ways after two years of marriage.
“What goes around, comes around, and Kenya had this coming,” Leakes, 52, adds, pointing to previous times Moore involved herself in the marriages of her costars. “She has interfered with other girls on this show’s relationships. Years ago, when [Phaedra Parks] was married to [Apollo Nida], Kenya was playing around with the whole situation. And then this year, she brings another women in front of [Tanya Sam], saying that Tanya’s man [Paul Judge] cheated, trying to do something to their relationship. Plus, she had discussed me and my relationship in the past. So now that your relationship has crumbled? Good. You deserved it.”

“I don’t feel sorry for her at all,” Leakes, 52, continues. “When you did things like that, it’s very difficult for someone to feel anything but happy. You got yours.”
Leakes’ words should come as no surprise to anyone who has been watching RHOA over the years.
Both Atlanta Housewives have been at odds since Moore joined the franchise in season 5, even nearly getting into a physical brawl this year during one heated argument filmed while on a group trip to Toronto.

The source of their tensions has varied throughout multiple seasons. Most recently, during season 11’s finale, NeNe made a series of snide comments about her then-pregnant costar, making fun of her size by saying that she looked as though she was “going to have a buffalo.”
That comment isn’t reason enough for Moore to be mad though, Leakes said. In fact, she believes Moore is just being calculated in her anger.
“She’s not authentic,” Leakes says, of Moore. “She is strategic about how she is going to come into each season. She plans it out in her head. ‘This season is going to be great for me to argue with NeNe.’ Anybody arguing with me is newsworthy, it’s just facts. I think she thinks, ‘This will be great, NeNe and I can argue and I’ll make headlines.’ At the end of the day, what the f— are we arguing about? Do you know? Because I don’t.”

“[Kenya’s] a monster,” Leakes continues. “She’s mean. She plays dirty. She hits below the belt. And I don’t think it’s necessarily to make great television for reality … I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; I think she’ll be the demise of the franchise in Atlanta. I don’t think people like her. I think they like the car wreck that she is but a lot of people, they don’t like her.”
Moore has also been an outspoken critic of Leakes, saying that she doesn’t see the two ever mending fences again.

“I always say, ‘never say never.’ I rarely say never, but my feelings are really strong on this one,” Moore, 49, said. “I can get along with anyone. I can be cordial to anyone, in any circumstance. But that one is a long time coming.”
As for her marriage to Daly, though Sunday’s RHOA showed tensions between the two on the day leading up to their split, they appeared to be on the road to reconciliation.
“I didn’t get married to quit,” Moore said in October. “I love my husband. I don’t doubt that he loves me. Let me be clear, I took my vows seriously. I believe in for better and for worse and I believe in trying it all before you walk away, especially when we do have a child and we are a family.”
It seems to be working, the pair coparenting daughter Brooklyn Doris Daly, born on Nov. 4, 2018.

“We’re in a good place right now,” Moore said on Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen in February. “We’re trying to figure it out now. We had a beautiful brunch today and it is great.”

The Real Housewives of Atlanta airs Sundays (8 p.m. ET) on Bravo.


#Empire Taraji P. Henson Promises The Finale Stories Will Be Epic!
The wait is finally almost over. Empire returns Tuesday night and the countdown to the end begins! How will Cookie, Lucious, and their family, friends, and foes conclude their stories?
Entertainment Hub has a sneak peek courtesy of a promo released by Fox “Empire’s final season is epic,” promises Taraji P. Henson (Cookie). When last we saw Cookie and Lucious (Terrence Howard), they were being held at gunpoint by White Tracy (Amanda Detmer).

“Mine is the last voice you’re ever going to hear,” promises a pistol-packing Tracy. But that’s not the only drama going on! Watch for the love triangle with Tiana (Serayah), Devon and Hakeem (Bryshere Y. Gray) to hit new heights.
Also, Andre (Trai Byers) has been blacking out, leaving Kingsley (A.Z. Kelsey) in charge. How will Andre respond when he fully realizes what’s been going on? The promo promises surprise after surprise and reveal after reveal as the final episodes commence, taking the show to a May series finale.

Tuesday’s episode is titled Can’t Truss ‘Em. Per the show’s IMDB page the cast is set to include: Skylan Brooks (Quincy), Keesha Sharp (Dr. Paula Wick), Leslie Uggams (Leah Walker), and Diamond White (Lala).

WATCH
As previously reported, one character who won’t be back is Jamal as his portrayer, Jussie Smollett, has not been invited to reprise his role of the Lyon middle child due to the scandal in which he’s been accused of faking the racial attack on him last year.

“We’re not going to bring Jussie back to the show,” Fox entertainment president Michael Thorn said in January at the Television Critics Association press tour. “As hard as a decision as that was, for us — and when I say ‘us’ I mean the network, the studio, and the producers — it felt like it was in the best interests of the show and the cast.” Empire returns Tuesday, March 3 at 9 p.m. on Fox.


#MusicNews: STREAM IT! The Hamiltones’ ‘Watch The Ton3s (The B Side)’ EP!

Anthony Hamilton‘s famed former backup vocalists and Grammy-nominated viral sensations The Hamiltones emboldened their transition to the forefront with their lauded debut project Watch The Ton3s in June of last year. Making major strides in 2019 with a well-received EP, and a debut late night TV performance, The Hamiltones continued to build on their momentum with the release of Watch The Ton3s (The B Side) EP, released on Valentine’s Day.

Now available on all digital streaming platforms via Young Vintage LLC/Ghetto All Stars/Common Cents Media Group, the new project is a six-track extension of the group’s debut EP from 2019. “I think this project is another dimension of us”, says 2E of The Hamiltones.
He continues that “on ‘The B Side’, we approached our audience differently from a sonic point of view. A different style, same ole soul.”
Stream/purchase Watch The Ton3s (The B Side) EP here.


#HipHopNews: Megan Thee Stallion Sues Record Label Over Contract Dispute!
Megan filed a lawsuit against 1501 Certified Entertainment and its CEO, Carl Crawford, over the contract she signed when she was 20. In her suit, she claims the contract calls for 1501 Certified to get 60 percent of her recording income. The remaining 40 percent goes to her, but she has to use that to pay engineers, mixers, and artists who work on the songs, and she ends up with a fraction of it.

All money from Megan’s touring and live performances are to be paid directly to 1501 Certified. She says the label has provided incomplete and “purposefully and deceptively vague” accounting of what she’s owed. She received a $10,000 advance in exchange for signing the contract and wants to renegotiate.
In the meantime, she has scored a minor victory. A district judge in Harris County Texas granted her a temporary restraining order which prevents 1501 from blocking the new music she plans to drop on Friday.

“We are very happy the Court granted our TRO and thrilled that the world should be able to now hear Megan’s new music on March 6,” her attorney, Richard Busch, tells TMZ. “We will now proceed with the other claims set forth in the [lawsuit].”


Chris Matthews Retires From MSNBC After Recent Controversies!
Chris Matthews, one of the country's best-known political talk show hosts, is retiring from MSNBC, effective immediately, after a string of recent controversies on and off the air.
Matthews made the announcement on Monday night's "Hardball," the cable news show he has hosted for more than 20 years.
Monday will be his last broadcast, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.
Matthews, 74, has been a staple of MSNBC's political coverage almost since the cable channel launched in the mid 1990s. Through all of the channel's changes and rebrandings, he has been a familiar face.
But he has been in the news for all the wrong reasons lately — for likening the Bernie Sanders campaign to the Nazis, for misidentifying an African American politician, and for allegedly making sexist comments to a guest.

When Sanders took an early lead in the Nevada caucuses last month, Matthews likened the moment to Nazi Germany invading France during World War II. Aides to Sanders, a Jewish presidential candidate, expressed shock at the analogy.
Verbal gaffes by Matthews have also caused embarrassment within MSNBC.
Claims of inappropriate conduct have also trailed Matthews. Last week GQ columnist Laura Bassett accused Matthews of making sexist remarks about the way she was dressed when she was a guest on "Hardball" in 2016.

Last Friday night, Matthews mixed up Lindsey Graham's primary opponent Jaime Harrison with Graham's Republican Senate colleague Tim Scott. "Big mistake," he said, when his guests awkwardly corrected him.
The person with knowledge of the situation said Matthews has been in conversation with MSNBC executives about his retirement date for a period of months.
But the talks "accelerated," this person said, after the recent controversies.
Matthews was expected to retire after this election cycle.

Matthews was noticeably absent during MSNBC's coverage of the South Carolina primary on Saturday.


Timothy Hutton Accused of Sexually Assaulting 14-Year-Old Actress in 1983!
A Canadian actress and model is accusing actor Timothy Hutton of raping her in 1983, when she was 14 years old. Sera Johnston claims Hutton sexually assaulted her in a hotel room in Vancouver, where the Oscar-winning actor was filming the movie Iceman. Hutton, who recently starred in Netflix's horror series The Haunting of Hill House, has denied the allegations.

In an interview with BuzzFeed News, published Monday, Johnston said she was an actress at the time, and was given an opportunity to meet Hutton and one of his friends at a hotel room. Both men were in their twenties at the time, and she did not think of why they would want to see girls her age. She thought they were "entertaining them," but the encounter took a dark turn, she claims.
"He was getting very close to me, like, you know, really kind of sidling up to me, and petting my legs and stuff," Johnston told BuzzFeed. "I was just, like: I think this is going to be bad. I was really wrong about this."

Johnston said she could not remember how she was led to the Ordinary People actor's bedroom, but did remember he asked her if she had had sex. At this point, Hutton's friend came in the room. She repeatedly told them she did not think this was a good idea and she wanted to leave. They told her "It'll be OK" in response. Hutton then began kissing her neck.

Johnston said the two men started taking her clothes off "like a doll" and in an "almost ritualistic way." She recalled laying on the bed "very rigid" and felt "really cold."

Hutton also took his clothes off and got on top of her, she claimed. "Please, don't do this. I can't do it. I can't," she remembered telling him, while his friend watched.
"It hurt like hell," Johnston recalled. "I mean, it was very painful. God. Yeah, it was extremely painful. Horrible, horrible, absolutely horrible."
She also claims Hutton's friend put his erect penis in her mouth "a couple of times," even as she told him not to. She was wearing braces with rubber bands at the time, and began crying.

Hutton told his friend "'She doesn't like that,' or whatever," she claimed. "Meanwhile, he finished raping me."

Hutton "completely and unequivocally denies" Johnston's allegations in a statement to BuzzFeed News. The actor claims he never met Johnson and "will not spend one more minute dignifying these allegations as they are patently false and designed only to extort money from him."
Johnston "provided salacious, heinous, and graphic details of this made-up sexual encounter that supposedly occurred 36 years ago," his statement continued, adding there is no evidence to support her claims. His attorney called her allegations "fabricated" and include "patently false, scurrilous, and defamatory statements."

Hutton hired three spokespeople and two law firms in response to the allegations. His representatives gave BuzzFeed News a 91-page letter they refused to let be published in full. In the letter, they allege Johnson did not come forward with the story until 2017, and went to a lawyer first to get a financial settlement before eventually going to police. They also claim an ex-boyfriend of Johnston's reached out to the man she claims assaulted her with Hutton to reach a deal.

Johnston told BuzzFeed she did agree to a $135,000 settlement with Hutton, far less than the $1.5 million her attorney asked for. But she did not sign the deal, as the terms included Hutton denying her allegations were true. Hutton's rep believes Johnston refused to sign it because she was not getting the money she hoped for.
One woman did corroborate Johnston's story about joining to Hutton's hotel room. BuzzFeed also spoke with people Johnston told her story to over the years.

Johnston eventually filed a criminal complaint with the Vancouver Police Department in November 2019 against Hutton. Her current attorney, Neil Chantler, told BuzzFeed she is in "regular contact" with a detective on the case.

Elsewhere in her BuzzFeed interview, Johnston recalled how the alleged rape changed her life. She went on to be an exotic dancer and model, and was involved in toxic relationships. She was married and divorced twice. She also stopped pursuing acting.
"That was my own punishment to myself for getting raped," she told BuzzFeed. "Especially because of who raped me."


Lady Gaga Reveals New Album Title 'Chromatica' & Release Date!
Just days after releasing her new single "Stupid Love," Lady Gaga has officially revealed the title of her new upcoming album AND its release date (and it's coming very SOON)!

Lady G took to social media to announce that her forthcoming sixth album is (as many Little Monsters correctly guessed) called Chromatica and that fans can look out for the album to drop next month on April 10th — so the countdown is ON! The pop superstar wrote, "Welcome to 'Chromatica', coming April 10. Pre-order now."
Along with the caption is an image of a pink circular symbol, which fans have already seen in the lead up to the debut of "Stupid Love." However, the image is not the actual album cover, as Gaga explained, "This is not the album cover but we made it for you to enjoy in the meantime."
Fans have been speculating that Chromatica was the album's title since Lady Gaga formally announced her new single with a billboard. In the lefthand corner of this billboard is "LG-6" — aka Lady Gaga's sixth album — and in tiny lettering at the very bottom is the word "CHROMATICA," which was also displayed next to the several images on the right in a pink font (but sideways). Lady G also has been using the hashtag #Chromatica on social media.
"Stupid Love" is Chromatica's lead single and was produced by BloodPop® and French producer/DJ Tchami, and co-written by pop songwriting veteran Max Martin.

Aside from her music from A Star Is Born and 2017 single "The Cure," "Stupid Love" is Lady Gaga's first new music since her last album, 2016's Joanne.


#BoxOfficeNews: 'The Invisible Man' Had a Revealing $29 Million Opening Weekend!
Universal and Blumhouse's The Invisible Man delivered on expectations, becoming the first true stand out among the year's several horror films to have already hit theaters. At the same time FUNimation's My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising is already the studio's second largest release of all-time after just three days in theaters.

With an estimated $29 million, Universal and Blumhouse's The Invisible Man finished atop the weekend box office. Critics and audiences alike took to the film, as it holds a 89% critics score on RottenTomatoes to go along with 90% audience score. Opening day audiences also gave the film a "B+" CinemaScore, which is a solid result for a genre film. Looking ahead, fellow Blumhouse releases with similar debuts include Happy Death Day, Insidious: The Last Key and The Purge: Anarchy and they finished with domestic runs from $55-71 million, suggesting great things for this $7 million production.
Internationally, the film added another $20.2 million from 47 markets for a $49.2 million global debut. Leading the way is a $2.86 million launch in the UK followed by France ($2.19m), Mexico ($1.8m), Australia ($1.65m), Germany ($1.2m), Spain ($.1m) and Korea ($1.08m). Several markets will release next weekend including a March 5 release in Russia, ending with a May 1 release in Japan.

Paramount's Sonic the Hedgehog landed in second place with an estimated $16 million, pushing the film's domestic cume over $128 million as it is now just shy of the $131 million domestic run for Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, which will make it the second highest grossing video game adaptation of all-time.
Internationally, Sonic added another $26.8 million from 62 markets for a $137.2 million overseas cume. This weekend saw the film add another six territories including a $2 million opening in Indonesia and an estimated $1.1 million in Poland. The film has now reached over 75% of the international marketplace with a March 27 release set for Japan and a China date still up in the air.
Disney's release of 20th Century's The Call of the Wild brought in an estimated $13.2 million, dipping -47% in its second weekend. The film's domestic cume now stands at $45.9 million after ten days in release, leaving it plenty of room yet to run considering its $135 million production budget. Internationally, the film added another $11 million this weekend for an overseas cume totaling $33.4 million and a global tally that stands at $79.3 million.

FUNimation's My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising landed in fourth with an estimated $5.1 million. After opening on Wednesday, this puts the film's domestic cume reaching $8.5 million, making it the studio's second largest domestic release of all-time, topping the $8 million for 2015's Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection 'F' while unlikely to catch last year's $30.7 million run for Dragon Ball Super: Broly.

Sony's Bad Boys for Life rounds out the top five with an estimated $4.3 million for a domestic cume that now tops $197 million. The film also added another $4.9 million internationally this weekend, pushing its overseas cume to $208 million for a $406 million global haul, approximately $8 million behind the worldwide total for the first two films combined.

In limited release, Oscilloscope's Saint Frances opened in one theater with an estimated $16,150 while 101 Studios debuted Burden in five theaters with an estimated $20,142


TV Host James Lipton Dies At 93 Following Cancer Battle!
NEW YORK — James Lipton, the host of “Inside the Actor’s Studio”, has died at 93 following a cancer battle, TMZ reports.
His wife Kedakai Turner says Lipton had bladder cancer. He died in his New York City home on Monday morning.

“There are so many James Lipton stories but I’m sure he would like to be remembered as someone who loved what he did and had tremendous respect for all the people he worked with,” Turner said.
For many years, Lipton served as the Dean Emeritus of the Actors Studio Drama School at Pace University in New York City.
During his time as host of “Inside the Actor’s Studio,” he interviewed famous actors with in=depth questions about their profession.

He hosted the show from 1994 and left in 2018 after 22 seasons.


Pop Smoke Death Certificate Reveals Burial Plans!

Pop Smoke will be laid to rest in his hometown of Brooklyn. According to the late rapper's death certificate, which was obtained by TMZ, Pop's body was transported back to Brooklyn soon after his death. His family reportedly held a private ceremony for close friends and family last weekend. Pop's final burial is scheduled for later this week.

The 20-year-old rapper, born Bashar Jackson, was shot and killed on February 19. According to TMZ, two men wearing masks and hoodies broke into the Brooklyn native's Hollywood Hills rental home around 4:30 a.m. and opened fire — fatally wounding Smoke — before fleeing the scene. The up-and-coming artist was pronounced dead upon arriving at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in West Hollywood.
Pop's death certificate additionally revealed that doctors tried to save his life by performing a thoracotomy on the left side of his chest — meaning they opened it — after he was rushed to the hospital with multiple gunshot wounds. Despite their efforts, he passed away at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center at 5:12 AM.

Pop Smoke's cause of death was listed as a gunshot wound to the torso. Per the document, the shooting and his death was "rapid."

The Los Angeles Police Department is still trying to figure out whether Pop was the victim of a random robbery or if it was a targeted hit.


Ledisi Releases A New Book ‘Don’t Ever Lose Your Walk’!
Grammy nominated R&B, jazz and soul music songstress Ledisi has released a new book entitled “Don’t Ever Lose Your Walk: How to Embrace Your Journey.” It’s available now on Amazon and can also be purchased during her current tour with Gregory Porter.

“Many people know me as a recording artist with an enormous gift, but there is so much more to me. In regaining my power to complete my book, the right way, I have learned how to conquer rejection, depression and more recently deceit. I made a commitment to myself to feel proud of every step and every goal, at every level, as much as I possibly can,” Even my mistakes are shared in this book,” said Ledisi to Amazon. “This book is my way of reminding others to embrace every part of their journey. Our life as a whole is important, all of it – the highs, the lows, the challenges, and everything in between. In all of it, there is a lesson.”

Click here to purchase.


Harry Belafonte celebrates 93rd birthday at the Apollo!
Harry Belafonte celebrated his 93rd birthday with a star-studded bash at the Apollo Theater on Sunday.
Common, Sheila E. and Doug E. Fresh performed at the event, which doubled as a fund-raiser for the activist’s namesake branch of the New York Public Library and the Popular Democracy Movement Center.
City Winery founder Michael Dorf hosted the evening. Maxwell was scheduled to hit the stage, but canceled due to the flu. Usher even showed up as a guest to fête the “Day-O” singer.

“Mr. B. was very happy, sitting in the third row,” a source told us. “Everyone stood up and gave him a standing ovation. He felt the love.”


ZaZa's Parents Call Out Kim Kardashian After North Samples 'What I Do,' And Kim Responds!
The parents of the young viral “What I Do” singer ZaZa are calling out Kim Kardashian after she posted a video of North West sampling the song without crediting the original artist.
North performed her own remix of “What I Do” while singing on stage at dad Kanye West‘s Yeezy fashion show in Paris.

“In July of 2019, ZaZa & her dad went into the studio for the ultimate experience! To finally begin making the music she wanted to make. We take PRIDE in creativity, and believe whether a child’s involved or an adult… creativity deserves RESPECT/homage! What @kimkardashian (Kanye west) are doing with their daughter… with the inspiration of ZaZa & our family in mind is okay… we not mad BUT… PLS SHOW LOVE AND SUPPORT TO THE ORIGINAL FIRST!!!” ZaZa‘s parents wrote on her Instagram account.

They added, “We admire Kanye west, and adore his journey. However, we don’t wanna feel like our daughter’s journey in the world of entertainment is being STIFLED.”

Kim responded to the message with a comment on the Instagram post.
“We love you, North is a huge fan and records in the studio all the time with her dad and is inspired by ZaZa and loves Lay Lay too!” Kim wrote in the comments section. “Today’s performance of North’s remix of ZaZa’s song was something she asked to do at the last minute and a complete surprise. I didn’t mean to not give credit where credit was due. Would love for the girls to meet soon. 💕

Kim later wrote on her Instagram Stories, “I’m so proud of my Northie!!!!! Her 1st performance had me in tears! She had an impromptu performance on stage at her dad’s Yeezy Season 8 fashion show! Shout out to @zazathecreator, North hopes you like the remix!!!”


Snoop Dogg And 50 Cent Mock Oprah Winfrey After Fall!
Just after apologizing to Gayle King for calling her a “dog-haired bitch,” Snoop Dogg is now mocking King’s bestie Oprah Winfrey for taking a fall in front of thousands at her 2020 Vision tour stop in LA Saturday. She was not injured and blamed her shoes.
But Snoop commented on social media, “Michael and Kobe blew a gust of wind. Balance,” after 50 Cent jokingly suggested Michael Jackson’s ghost tripped her. Snoop followed that with, “God don’t like ugly.”

The “Gin and Juice” rapper recently sounded off on King after she brought up Kobe Bryant’s sexual-assault charge during a Lisa Leslie interview shortly after his death. He later apologized and said last week that he “lost control” and had gotten a huge dressing-down from his mother over his profanity-filled rant.


AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES
‘REVERSE APRON’
Is that a butt apron? Is that even a thing? I’m thinking it shouldn’t be a thing, but weirder things have surprised me by existing.


HAVE A GREAT DAY ALL!!!
EFREM

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