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Illinois star runs over official in key play, leads team to Music City Bowl win
Illinois Fighting Illini quarterback Luke Altmyer had an incredible night against the Tennessee Volunteers in a Music City Bowl win, but a play in the third quarter caught the eyes of college football fans.
The Fighting Illini were up three points in the third quarter and had the ball on first down from the Volunteers’ 41-yard line. Altmyer took the snap and dropped back to pass. He faked a pass to his right and took the ball up the middle of the field.
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Altmyer scampered away from Tennessee defenders and ran right into an official. The quarterback bounced off the official and gained a first down before he ran out of bounds. It took a minute for the official to get back up. He would score a touchdown later in the drive.
Tennessee did put on a mean comeback. DeSean Bishop scored a 12-yard rushing touchdown early in the frame and the team took the lead on a Joakim Dodson 94-yard kick return touchdown.
Altmyer came back and put on a 13-play, 65-yard drive to set up a David Olano go-ahead field goal for the 30-28 win.
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Altmyer was 20-of-33 with 196 passing yards and a touchdown pass. He had 54 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown as well.
Illinois posted the first back-to-back nine-win seasons in program history.
"We don’t have to read about other years anymore," head coach Bret Bielema said after the game. "I think people usually either read about history or write history, and this group’s writing history and I think we’ll continue to do that."
The team is now 2-1 in bowl games under Bielema.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Missing elderly person found in bitter cold woods after police deploy thermal imaging drone
Authorities in Pennsylvania revealed Monday that officers located a missing elderly person in a wooded area amid bitter cold temperatures, thanks to the use of a drone equipped with thermal imaging.
The West Chester Police Department (WCPD) said an officer, cross-trained as a drone pilot, stepped in after the department was contacted by a neighboring agency to assist in a search and rescue effort on Sunday.
The pilot used a drone equipped with thermal imaging and a spotlight to help guide officers on the ground to the person's location.
Photos released by authorities show the thermal imaging outline of the missing person as well as crews working on the scene.
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"Last evening, West Chester Police was requested by a neighboring agency to assist with the search of an elderly person who was lost," the agency said in a post on social media.
"A WCPD officer who is cross trained as a drone pilot responded to the scene. Our officer used the drone, which is equipped with thermal imaging and a spotlight. With the drone, we located the elderly person in a wooded area, and our officer was able to direct officers on the ground to the person’s location."
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Authorities said medical care was "delivered swiftly."
WCPD said technology, such as drones, played a key role in the safe recovery of the missing elderly person.
"We are proud to say that this is an example of us leveraging technology with training to deliver high quality service to our community," police said. "It’s another way we are helping to build safer and stronger communities."
Fox News Digital reached out to West Chester Police Department for more information.
Erika Kirk opens up about grief and faith at Christmas: ‘Life is different now’
Erika Kirk shared an emotional Christmas message Tuesday, reflecting on life after the death of her husband, saying how faith and devotion continue to guide her as she navigates grief and raises her children.
Kirk, the wife of the late conservative icon and Turning Point USA (TPUSA) founder Charlie Kirk, shared pictures and videos on Instagram of her two children celebrating Christmas, and describing how she’s balancing old traditions with new ones.
"This Christmas we tucked away. And while the world, again, kept being the world, I loved settling into a space of continued healing where silence is golden and is a statement in itself," Kirk wrote. "The outpouring from our loved ones, has been a sacred and holy balm to our hearts."
ERIKA KIRK REFLECTS ON LIFE, LOSS AND FAITH IN FIRST TV INTERVIEW SINCE CHARLIE KIRK’S DEATH
Charlie Kirk was assassinated in Orem, Utah, Sept. 10, at the age of 31, leaving behind Erika and their two children — a daughter born in 2022, and a son born in 2024.
Kirk acknowledged that "life is different now" and sometimes painful, adding that she keeps many of her husband’s belongings undisturbed, including his socks, shoes and vitamins, which she described as love notes from Heaven.
She also addressed outside scrutiny directed at her, saying that "none of it shakes me."
"Their words, accusations, assumptions, and slander don’t land, they don’t burn. Never will. I owe the world nothing," Kirk wrote.
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The TPUSA CEO said she hopes her message encourages other wives to remain deeply devoted to their spouses, even during difficult moments.
"When your heart is set on letting your love story be one of deep devotion and self-sacrifice instead of self-serving, the Lord will use your marriage in ways completely hard to explain," she said.
Kirk shared videos of her children opening Christmas gifts and listening to carols and ended her post by wishing her late husband a Merry Christmas, saying she continues to cherish what she believes are reminders of his love from Heaven.
DHS reviews citizenship cases from Somalia, other high risk countries for possible fraud
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is reviewing immigration and naturalization cases involving migrants from 19 countries of concern, including Somalia, to determine whether any individuals obtained American citizenship through fraud that could warrant denaturalization, DHS confirmed to Fox News.
"Under U.S. law, if an individual procures citizenship on a fraudulent basis, that is grounds for denaturalization," DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement to Fox News.
The review focuses on whether fraud occurred during the immigration or naturalization process, such as marriage fraud or false statements made to obtain legal status or citizenship.
The confirmation comes as Republican lawmakers have called for tougher consequences following Minnesota’s ongoing child care fraud scandal, which has involved millions of dollars in alleged misuse of federal funds.
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DHS emphasized that denaturalization, or stripping of citizenship, is governed by strict legal standards and applies only under limited circumstances.
The review includes cases tied to 19 countries that DHS considers countries of concern, including Somalia. DHS did not specify how many cases are currently under review or whether any individuals have been referred for denaturalization proceedings.
Denaturalization is a rare and intense legal process. Historically, the federal government has pursued only between a dozen and a few dozen cases per year, dating back to the 1990s.
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Prosecutors must prove that citizenship was obtained illegally, and denaturalization convictions require a high burden of proof that can often take years to litigate.
The scrutiny also comes as the Department of Health and Human Services moved Tuesday to freeze child care payments to Minnesota, citing alleged fraud involving daycare providers across the state.
HHS Deputy Secretary Jim O’Neill said the state had "funneled millions of taxpayer dollars to fraudulent daycares" over the past decade, prompting the agency to halt payments while the matter is reviewed.
DHS did not provide a timeline for the review or indicate whether any denaturalization cases are expected to move forward in the near future.
Fox News Digital's Louis Casiano contributed to this reporting.
Putin residence drone attack dismissed as ‘implausible’ as Ukraine accusations mount
Escalating claims by Russia that Ukraine tried to hit a residence used by President Vladimir Putin with drones have been dismissed by a top military drone expert, who called the alleged attack "hard to fathom" and tactically implausible.
Cameron Chell's comments came as Moscow doubled down on accusations Kyiv has flatly denied, with the drone industry leader arguing the alleged strike announced Monday runs counter to Ukraine’s drone tactics.
Chell, the CEO and co-founder of Draganfly, a drone manufacturer that supplies to the U.S. Department of Defense and allied militaries, including Ukraine, said Russia's claims lack credibility.
"What really makes things usually very signature about Ukraine is that they’re always incredibly clever about how they use drones," Chell told Fox News Digital.
"They are clever from a cost perspective — let’s call it an efficiency perspective — but also very clever in their tactics," he added.
"I find it hard to fathom that this drone attack even happened on Putin’s residence or that it was something that Ukraine orchestrated for a number of reasons," Chell said.
"To get over the top of Putin’s residence, for one, the drones would not have been launched from a very long distance away," he added.
Chell’s comments came as Russia doubled down Tuesday on accusations that Ukraine attempted to strike a presidential palace in the Novgorod region using drones, allegedly to disrupt peace efforts.
Kyiv dismissed the allegation, with the timing also raising questions given the upbeat tone of a recent meeting between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Florida.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov claimed late Monday that 91 drones were intercepted en route to Putin’s residence on the shores of Lake Valdai.
His statement appeared to contradict earlier Defense Ministry tallies, which said 89 drones were shot down over eight regions, including 18 over Novgorod, later adding another 23.
Only after Lavrov spoke did the ministry allege that 49 drones intercepted over Bryansk, nearly 300 miles away, were also targeting Valdai.
Asked about wreckage, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it was "a matter for our military," while calling Zelenskyy’s denial and Western skepticism "completely insane."
Peskov said Russia’s diplomatic stance would be toughened, and Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin vowed there could be "no forgiveness" for Zelenskyy.
Chell said the story simply does not add up. "To attack Putin’s residence, you need long-range, very fast-moving drones," he said.
He added that for drones that small to reach such a site, they would have had to be launched from a much closer location, likely inside Russia itself.
"They would have to be within about 10 kilometers [6.2 miles] — or maybe, at most, 30 kilometers — of Putin’s residence," Chell said.
"That facility where Putin lives would also be incredibly secure, and so to have a number of lower-cost, slower-moving drones coming in on that facility would be very un-Ukrainian," Chell said.
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"Ukraine also doesn’t announce when they’re going to show up," he added.
Chell also noted that night operations would rule out GPS- or AI-based navigation due to jamming and visibility limits, making the launch of dozens of drones even less plausible.
"Apparently the thing was at night, so that’s very difficult for machine vision or AI mapping software," he said. "So, you know, it definitely wasn’t using GPS, because it would have been jammed. There are just a bunch of things that don’t add up."
Politically, Chell argued, Ukraine has nothing to gain. "They’re bold, but right in the middle of peace talks — when they need Trump on side — it makes no sense," he said. "Ukraine is just politically too smart to have done that."
Zelenskyy on Monday also called the claim a complete fabrication, accusing Moscow of laying the groundwork for further attacks.
Lavrov warned of retaliation but said Russia would continue talks with Washington.
Trump also said he learned of the alleged attack directly from Putin and was "very angry about it." Asked whether there was evidence, Trump replied, "We’ll find out."
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Kremlin for comment.
Mother jumps into water to save 4-year-old daughter who fell between cruise ship and dock
A mother jumped into the water without hesitation after her young daughter fell between a dock and a Carnival cruise ship in the Bahamas, prompting a frantic rescue captured on video.
The incident unfolded near Celebration Key on Grand Bahama Island and was captured from above aboard a nearby cruise ship, with video showing workers and passengers reacting as the child and her mother were in the water alongside the Carnival Sunrise.
The video was shared on TikTok by user Chelspiers, who said she was aboard the Carnival Conquest when she heard screaming outside her room and realized something was wrong along the dock.
"I’m sitting in my room on the Carnival Conquest and I hear screaming outside," she wrote. "Apparently, people fell between the dock and the Carnival Sunrise. They were pulled to safety! A mama jumped in after her baby, brave woman! Very scary situation but they were rescued quickly!"
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Video shows several workers lining the edge of the dock just feet from the cruise ship, looking down and scrambling to locate a life ring as others rushed to assist.
Once a life ring was tossed into the water, additional people ran over to help, some carrying a ladder toward the edge of the dock as the rescue continued.
Moments later, the 4-year-old child was pulled up to safety using the life ring, drawing cheers from onlookers watching the dramatic rescue unfold.
FORT WORTH POLICE AND GOOD SAMARITANS RESCUE BABY TRAPPED UNDER VEHICLE ON INTERSTATE
A short time later, the mother was pulled back onto the dock. As the cheering faded, she could be heard sobbing, overcome by the frightening moments that had just passed.
Carnival Cruise Line confirmed the incident in a statement to Fox News Digital, saying the child briefly walked away before falling into the water and that crew members responded immediately.
"A 4-year-old girl briefly walked away from her mother and fell into the water," a spokesperson for the company said. "Her mother immediately jumped in after her. Our ship and security team quickly brought them both to safety, and our medical team evaluated them.
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"Both are doing well and enjoyed the rest of the day in Celebration Key," the spokesperson added.
In a follow-up post shared days later, Chelspiers said she heard directly from the child’s mother, who confirmed both she and her daughter were physically OK following the incident and described the experience as traumatic but expressed gratitude that it ended without serious injury.
"I just received a message from the mother, the woman that jumped in after her child. She said they’re fine, traumatized, but fine," Chelspiers wrote on TikTok. "I’m so glad this all turned out ok and everyone was brought to safety. She was a brave woman, but any mother would do the same! Wishing their family a happy holiday and all the health and happiness this holiday season."
The video sparked an outpouring of reactions on social media, with viewers praising the mother’s instinctive response and expressing relief that the child was rescued.
"She is a hero. Period. No matter how this ACCIDENT happened… She didn’t have time to be fearful. She jumped in and saved her baby," one user wrote. "Her sobbing afterwards was her allowing herself to be terrified of what could have been. What a positive outcome but a horrible traumatic experience for all."
"So glad they’re safe!" another user wrote. "As a mother who can’t swim, I would jump in after mine in a heartbeat as well!!! #amotherslove"
Isiah Whitlock Jr dies at 71 after decades-long career spanning 'The Wire', 'Veep' and Spike Lee films
"The Wire" star Isiah Whitlock Jr. has died. He was 71.
Whitlock died peacefully in New York on Tuesday after battling a short illness, his manager, Brian Liebman, confirmed to the Associated Press.
Whitlock was most famously known for his role as the corrupt state senator, Clay Davis, in HBO's "The Wire."
Liebman took to Instagram on Tuesday to honor Whitlock after his passing.
"It is with tremendous sadness that I share the passing of my dear friend and client Isiah Whitlock Jr. If you knew him — you loved him. A brilliant actor and even better person. May his memory forever be a blessing. Our hearts are so broken. He will be very, very missed," Liebman wrote alongside images of the actor.
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Whitlock also has a breakout role in "Veep," starring as George Maddox, the U.S. Secretary of Defense.
The actor also appeared in some of Spike Lee's movies, including "BlacKkKlansman," "Da 5 Bloods," "She Hate Me," "25th Hour," "Red Hook Summer" and "Chi-Raq."
In "25th Hour," Whitlock introduced his iconic phrase, "sheeeeeit," which was his interpretation of "sh-t." His phrase became so popular, the writers on "The Wire" decided to incorporate it into his character's lingo.
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"I was in, I think, Grand Central Station and far away I heard someone say it and they’d be kind of smiling," he said. "I’m glad people enjoy it," Whitlock said in a 2008 interview.
Whitlock also had a role in Martin Scorsese's "Goodfellas."
Whitlock's final TV role was in Netflix's "The Residence." The series premiered on the streaming service in March. He also was a voice actor in Pixar's animated movie, "Hoppers," which is slated for a 2026 release.
Florida firefighters allegedly waterboarded, whipped rookie over TikTok video as 4 face criminal charges
Nearly a dozen firefighters and paramedics were fired, and four are facing criminal charges, after a 19-year-old rookie Florida firefighter was allegedly whipped and waterboarded in a violent hazing incident.
The teen firefighter told authorities he was hazed Nov. 26 during his second-ever shift at Marion County Fire Rescue’s Fire Station 21, nicknamed the "friendship" station, after colleagues tried to force him to unlock his phone to watch a viral video he posted on TikTok.
Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods said the incident began when four city employees at the firehouse wanted access to a TikTok video from the rookie and "chased him down" in the parking lot.
"Once they caught him, they removed his pants, took his belt, then began to strike him on the backside with that belt," Woods said during a news conference. "The phone was taken … While they were trying to get into the phone, they took it even a little bit further. They removed his underwear, and then again, began to strike him on his backside, on his bare skin."
Woods said the rookie was dragged through the parking lot, at which point someone retrieved a water bottle and a towel, and waterboarded him three times.
"The victim fought and refused to cooperate and made it abundantly clear to each of them that this was outside what he thought, maybe, could be perceived as something minor, and each of them should have known it," Woods said. "Unfortunately, they took it to this level."
Investigative interviews, transcripts and documents obtained by FOX 35 Orlando detail the alleged attack.
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"One came behind me and like held my arms and then dragged me," the 19-year-old firefighter told investigators. "[Tate Trauthwein] takes my belt off my pants, and he starts whipping me in my front and then, after that, [Edward Kenny] kind of rolls over to the side a little bit and [Seth Day] grabs … kind of my leg."
"I was like, ‘ow, ow.' I'm like, ‘this really hurts.' I was like, ‘stop! stop!'" the rookie told investigators. "I couldn't breathe. … The only thing I said [after the alleged attack] was that I'm never working here again and then, after that, I left."
Ten employees were fired in total, including senior leadership at the station, and four employees were criminally charged on Nov. 26, according to records.
The 19-year-old firefighter is back at work continuing to serve the community, according to the fire department.
Tate Trauthwein, a 19-year-old firefighter/EMT who has been with the department for about a year, is charged with kidnapping, battery and robbery; Edward Kenny, a 22-year-old EMT who has been with the department for about three years, is charged with kidnapping, battery and robbery; Seth Day, a 22-year-old firefighter/EMT who has been with the department for about two years, is charged with kidnapping, battery and robbery; and Kaylee Bradley, a 25-year-old paramedic who has been with the department for about two years, is charged with robbery and principal accessory to robbery.
Bradley, who is accused of taking the rookie's phone and videotaping the assault, acknowledged roughhousing was common at the station, but told investigators some of the employees "went way too far," noting "that's past what they normally do as a joke," according to a video interview recorded by authorities.
Marion County Fire Chief James Banta said during the news conference the incident was a "disturbing violation of everything that this profession stands for."
"What occurred was unacceptable, inexcusable and fundamentally contrary to the core values of our fire department," Banta said. "Let me be absolutely clear, these individuals involved in this incident forfeited their right to wear the uniform the moment they chose an act and manner that endangered, harmed and betrayed a fellow firefighter. Their behavior does not reflect who we are and what we stand for in our community."
Banta added that, outside the ongoing criminal case, the fire department is reviewing the investigation completed by the Marion County Sheriff's Office, which "may include the actions or inactions of others who may have been aware and or present during this incident."
If additional policy violations are identified, Banta said further administrative actions will follow.
Investigations by the fire department and sheriff's office remain ongoing.
Bear remains under California home after weeks of failed removal attempts
A trap set to capture a 550-pound bear living under a home in Altadena, California, has accidentally caught the wrong animal, according to local media outlet The Los Angeles Times.
The misstep marks yet another failed attempt to remove the male black bear, which has been denning on the property for at least a month.
According to surveillance video, the large bear has been wedging itself in and out of a small crawlspace beneath homeowner Ken Johnson’s house since late November.
Following weeks of unsuccessful attempts to flush out the bear with the use of bait and noisemakers, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) set a bear trap on Dec. 9, LA Times reported.
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Roughly one week later, Johnson reportedly heard the metal cage rattling from inside his home but later realized that the wrong bear had been captured.
"CDFW biologists have set up traps with bait, installed cameras and lights for remote monitoring, and worked repeatedly to haze the bear from this property," the agency told Fox News Digital on Tuesday.
"CDFW has also advised that the crawlspace be secured on the multiple occasions the bear has left the home, which is a critically important step to help ensure the bear cannot return," it added. "CDFW has and will continue to engage with the homeowner to advise on hazing methodologies and the critical need to close the crawlspace, monitor cameras, and offer support to help ensure the bear leaves the crawlspace and finds more suitable habitat."
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The bear that was caught was later tagged and released in a nearby suitable habitat, the department told LA Times.
The outlet added that Johnson reportedly made multiple efforts to scare the bear away, including creating a loud makeshift alarm and playing hours of dog-barking sounds through speakers pointed into the vents.
However, none of it has worked.
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Bear sightings are common in Altadena, located at the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains.
According to the local outlet, Johnson and his neighbors frequently spot bears, especially on trash days, and recently, a second bear even entered the crawlspace before being scared off by the original squatter.
The CDFW added that despite the failed attempts, the agency remains committed to removing the bear from the residential property.
"The California Department of Fish and Wildlife is committed to helping Californians across the state who are having unwelcome encounters with wildlife, which can cause stress and pose complicated challenges for peaceful coexistence," the agency told Fox News Digital.
"Despite very limited staff, CDFW biologists have been in constant communication with this homeowner since this bear was reported entering his unsecured crawlspace in November. We remain committed to helping this homeowner and have never indicated otherwise."
Every NFL playoff scenario for Week 18: Division titles, No 1 seeds up for grabs
There’s only one game remaining in the regular season for every team in the NFL, but for some, a trip to the playoffs is riding on how Week 18 plays out.
Looking at the NFL playoff picture, there are only two more playoff spots left to acquire, one in each conference.
And Week 18 is for the AFC North and NFC South titles.
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The Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens will be going head-to-head at Acrisure Stadium on Sunday night to determine who will be the final seed in the AFC.
Then, the Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be dueling it out on Saturday night to see who will be crowned NFC South champions.
While there’s only two playoff spots left, there’s still many different seeding situations that will have teams not mailing in their final game of the year.
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Before we take a look at every playoff scenario in Week 18, here are the playoff teams locked in already for January.
The Broncos will clinch the AFC’s top seed, home-field advantage and a first-round bye if they beat the Chargers outright on Sunday.
If that doesn’t happen, they will need the Patriots and Jaguars to lose their matchups. A Denver tie and Patriots loss or tie would also make them the top seed.
The Patriots are hoping for a chance at the top seed, as they need a Broncos loss to make that happen.
The Jaguars would not only clinch the No. 1 seed, but also the AFC South title if they win and the Broncos and Patriots both lose their matchups. Jacksonville will win the division if they secure a victory, or the Texans lose their matchup.
Houston is only looking at the AFC South title, and they would need a victory and a Jacksonville loss for that to happen. As of now, they own the No. 5 seed in the AFC, which would mean heading on the road to face the AFC North winner in the Wild Card Round.
After losing to the Cleveland Browns on the road, and the Ravens defeating the Packers, the Steelers find themselves needing to win at home if they wish to make the playoffs.
While Aaron Rodgers hopes to make a run in what could be his last NFL season, Lamar Jackson and company have the same goal come Sunday. They were able to get help from the Browns after Derrick Henry rushed for four touchdowns.
Either team will be the AFC’s No. 4 seed depending on who wins.
This is the game to watch in the NFC, as both teams have the opportunity to earn the No. 1 seed in the conference to acquire a first-round bye along with home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
The 49ers, led by Brock Purdy, have won six straight games. However, Sam Darnold and the Seahawks have matched that win streak. The Seahawks have the one-game advantage in the win-loss record right now, but the 49ers would win the tiebreak if they win on Sunday.
The NFC South hasn’t been the strongest division this season, but it comes down to one final game to see who will hold the No. 4 seed in the NFC.
The Panthers took care of the Buccaneers in their first matchup, but the Buccaneers own the common games tiebreak. So, this is a win-and-in scenario for both squads.
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