Trump, Vance, and Noem Launch a
Pre-emptive Strike Against the Truth
In light of the Trump administration’s lies, the odds of getting a credible federal probe into the killing of Renee Good are slim.
US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem attends a press conference in New York City on January 8, 2026.
(Photo by Timothy A. Clary/ AFP via Getty Images)
Steven Harper
Jan 12, 2026
The Facts
Renee Nicole Good was a US citizen, the mother of three, an award-winning poet, and the widow of a military veteran. On Wednesday morning January 7, she dropped her six-year-old son at school and proceeded in her Honda Pilot down Portland Avenue—a one-way residential street in south Minneapolis. Around 10:40 am, she had a brief encounter with ICE officers during which she smiled at officer Ross, who was filming the episode on his smartphone.
“That’s fine, dude. I’m not mad at you,” she told Ross.
Another officer yelled at her to “get out of the f*cking car” and grabbed her door handle. By then, Ross was standing near the front driver’s side of the Honda. Attempting to avoid him as she drove away, Good turned the steering wheel sharply to the right. Ross fired three shots, and the Honda careened toward a parked car before crashing into it.
ICE officers receive CPR training, but none went to Good’s aid. A physician nearby tried to help, but ICE officers blocked him.
Fifteen minutes later, medics arrived. Shortly thereafter, she died at Hennepin County Medical Center.
The Lies Begin
An hour later, Kristi Noem’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a statement defending Ross and demonizing Good.
According to DHS, “[R]ioters began blocking ICE officers and one of these violent rioters weaponized her vehicle, attempting to run over our law enforcement officers in an attempt to kill them—an act of domestic terrorism.”
The statement continued:
An ICE officer, fearing for his life, the lives of his fellow law enforcement, and the safety of the public, fired defensive shots. He used his training and saved his own life and that of his fellow officers. The alleged perpetrator was hit and is deceased. Thankfully, the ICE officers who were hurt are expected to make full recoveries.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey called that description of the event “bullsh*t.”
With her press release, Noem had launched a preemptive strike on the truth.
Trump Doubles Down on the Lies
Three hours after DHS’ statement, President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social a 13-second clip showing Good’s vehicle smashing into the parked car. It revealed nothing about the events that had led to the shooting.
But that didn’t prevent Trump from embellishing Noem’s false narrative. He said that “the woman driving the car was very disorderly, obstructing and resisting, who then violently, willfully, and viciously ran over the ICE officer, who seems to have shot her in self defense.”
Noem and Vance Double Down on the Lies
It’s worth noting that Noem can ill afford the publicity of an ICE officer committing a potential homicide. In December, The Bulwark reported that Trump was considering three candidates to replace her, although the White House denied it.
At 6:00 pm, Noem held a press conference. She said that Good was among a “mob of agitators,” had “weaponized her vehicle,” and committed an “act of domestic terrorism” that justified ICE officers responding with deadly force.
The following morning, Vice President JD Vance—who oozes ambition—called Good a “deranged leftist who tried to run [the officer] over” and was certain that she had broken the law. He said that the officer was protected by “absolute immunity.” Vance, a Yale Law School graduate, knows better.
Will Patel’s FBI Seal the Deal?
Trump’s Justice Department then excluded Minnesota officials from participating in the FBI investigation into the killing. Noem said that the FBI has “exclusive jurisdiction,” which is incorrect. Minnesota has jurisdiction over state crimes, including potential homicides.
But following the launch of the Trump administration’s false narrative of the killing, barring an objective investigation is the second phase of the preemptive strike against the truth. FBI Director Kash Patel is a fierce Trump loyalist who has likened Trump to a king. But like Noem, he has been the subject of recent reports that his position is precarious. He will fall in line behind the Trump-Vance-Noem false narrative of the event.
Evaluating the Evidence
Vance said that Ross was “doing his job.” Noem insisted that he “followed his training.” Let’s test those claims.
DHS requires its officers to follow these guidelines on the use of force:Respect human life;Deescalate confrontations;Use safe tactics that minimize the risk of personal and property damage; don’t put yourself in a situation where your only alternative is using deadly force;When feasible, give a warning before using force and give the subject a reasonable opportunity to comply;As soon as practicable, obtain appropriate medical assistance for anyone injured;Don’t fire warning shots solely to disable moving vehicles;Use of deadly force must be reasonable in lights of the facts and circumstances confronting the officer;Use deadly force only when you have a reasonable belief that the subject of such force poses an imminent threat of death or serious bodily injury to you or another person; “reasonableness” is an objective standard (“what would a reasonable person in that position do”);Do not use deadly force solely to prevent the escape of a fleeing subject, unless you have a reasonable belief that the subject poses a significant threat of death or serious physical harm to you or others and such force is necessary to prevent escape;Discharging a firearm against a person constitutes the use of deadly force and shall be done only with the intent of preventing or stopping the threatening behavior that justifies the use of deadly force; andDo not discharge firearms at the operator of a moving vehicle… unless the use of deadly force against the operator is justified under the standards articulated elsewhere in this policy. Before using deadly force under these circumstances, you must take into consideration the hazards that may be posed to law enforcement and innocent bystanders by an out-of-control vehicle.
To the same effect are Justice Department guidelines.
In light of the Trump administration’s preemptive strike on the truth, the odds of getting a credible federal probe are slim. Officer Ross fired three shots; each was a use of deadly force. How many guidelines did he violate?
Watch The Minnesota Star Tribune‘s analysis that incorporates five videos of the tragedy and decide for yourself.
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Steven Harper
Steven J. Harper is an attorney, adjunct professor at Northwestern University Law School, and author of several books, including Crossing Hoffa -- A Teamster's Story and The Lawyer Bubble -- A Profession in Crisis. He has been a regular columnist for Moyers on Democracy, Dan Rather's News and Guts, and The American Lawyer. Follow him at https://thelawyerbubble.com.
Full Bio >
In light of the Trump administration’s lies, the odds of getting a credible federal probe into the killing of Renee Good are slim.
US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem attends a press conference in New York City on January 8, 2026.
(Photo by Timothy A. Clary/ AFP via Getty Images)
Steven Harper
Jan 12, 2026
Common Dreams
Please take five minutes to watch these two videos.
First, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer Jonathan Ross’ video:
Then watch this New York Times compilation of bystanders’ videos prepared before officer Ross’ video was publicly available
Please take five minutes to watch these two videos.
First, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer Jonathan Ross’ video:
Then watch this New York Times compilation of bystanders’ videos prepared before officer Ross’ video was publicly available
The Facts
Renee Nicole Good was a US citizen, the mother of three, an award-winning poet, and the widow of a military veteran. On Wednesday morning January 7, she dropped her six-year-old son at school and proceeded in her Honda Pilot down Portland Avenue—a one-way residential street in south Minneapolis. Around 10:40 am, she had a brief encounter with ICE officers during which she smiled at officer Ross, who was filming the episode on his smartphone.
“That’s fine, dude. I’m not mad at you,” she told Ross.
Another officer yelled at her to “get out of the f*cking car” and grabbed her door handle. By then, Ross was standing near the front driver’s side of the Honda. Attempting to avoid him as she drove away, Good turned the steering wheel sharply to the right. Ross fired three shots, and the Honda careened toward a parked car before crashing into it.
ICE officers receive CPR training, but none went to Good’s aid. A physician nearby tried to help, but ICE officers blocked him.
Fifteen minutes later, medics arrived. Shortly thereafter, she died at Hennepin County Medical Center.
The Lies Begin
An hour later, Kristi Noem’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a statement defending Ross and demonizing Good.
According to DHS, “[R]ioters began blocking ICE officers and one of these violent rioters weaponized her vehicle, attempting to run over our law enforcement officers in an attempt to kill them—an act of domestic terrorism.”
The statement continued:
An ICE officer, fearing for his life, the lives of his fellow law enforcement, and the safety of the public, fired defensive shots. He used his training and saved his own life and that of his fellow officers. The alleged perpetrator was hit and is deceased. Thankfully, the ICE officers who were hurt are expected to make full recoveries.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey called that description of the event “bullsh*t.”
With her press release, Noem had launched a preemptive strike on the truth.
Trump Doubles Down on the Lies
Three hours after DHS’ statement, President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social a 13-second clip showing Good’s vehicle smashing into the parked car. It revealed nothing about the events that had led to the shooting.
But that didn’t prevent Trump from embellishing Noem’s false narrative. He said that “the woman driving the car was very disorderly, obstructing and resisting, who then violently, willfully, and viciously ran over the ICE officer, who seems to have shot her in self defense.”
Noem and Vance Double Down on the Lies
It’s worth noting that Noem can ill afford the publicity of an ICE officer committing a potential homicide. In December, The Bulwark reported that Trump was considering three candidates to replace her, although the White House denied it.
At 6:00 pm, Noem held a press conference. She said that Good was among a “mob of agitators,” had “weaponized her vehicle,” and committed an “act of domestic terrorism” that justified ICE officers responding with deadly force.
The following morning, Vice President JD Vance—who oozes ambition—called Good a “deranged leftist who tried to run [the officer] over” and was certain that she had broken the law. He said that the officer was protected by “absolute immunity.” Vance, a Yale Law School graduate, knows better.
Will Patel’s FBI Seal the Deal?
Trump’s Justice Department then excluded Minnesota officials from participating in the FBI investigation into the killing. Noem said that the FBI has “exclusive jurisdiction,” which is incorrect. Minnesota has jurisdiction over state crimes, including potential homicides.
But following the launch of the Trump administration’s false narrative of the killing, barring an objective investigation is the second phase of the preemptive strike against the truth. FBI Director Kash Patel is a fierce Trump loyalist who has likened Trump to a king. But like Noem, he has been the subject of recent reports that his position is precarious. He will fall in line behind the Trump-Vance-Noem false narrative of the event.
Evaluating the Evidence
Vance said that Ross was “doing his job.” Noem insisted that he “followed his training.” Let’s test those claims.
DHS requires its officers to follow these guidelines on the use of force:Respect human life;Deescalate confrontations;Use safe tactics that minimize the risk of personal and property damage; don’t put yourself in a situation where your only alternative is using deadly force;When feasible, give a warning before using force and give the subject a reasonable opportunity to comply;As soon as practicable, obtain appropriate medical assistance for anyone injured;Don’t fire warning shots solely to disable moving vehicles;Use of deadly force must be reasonable in lights of the facts and circumstances confronting the officer;Use deadly force only when you have a reasonable belief that the subject of such force poses an imminent threat of death or serious bodily injury to you or another person; “reasonableness” is an objective standard (“what would a reasonable person in that position do”);Do not use deadly force solely to prevent the escape of a fleeing subject, unless you have a reasonable belief that the subject poses a significant threat of death or serious physical harm to you or others and such force is necessary to prevent escape;Discharging a firearm against a person constitutes the use of deadly force and shall be done only with the intent of preventing or stopping the threatening behavior that justifies the use of deadly force; andDo not discharge firearms at the operator of a moving vehicle… unless the use of deadly force against the operator is justified under the standards articulated elsewhere in this policy. Before using deadly force under these circumstances, you must take into consideration the hazards that may be posed to law enforcement and innocent bystanders by an out-of-control vehicle.
To the same effect are Justice Department guidelines.
In light of the Trump administration’s preemptive strike on the truth, the odds of getting a credible federal probe are slim. Officer Ross fired three shots; each was a use of deadly force. How many guidelines did he violate?
Watch The Minnesota Star Tribune‘s analysis that incorporates five videos of the tragedy and decide for yourself.
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Steven Harper
Steven J. Harper is an attorney, adjunct professor at Northwestern University Law School, and author of several books, including Crossing Hoffa -- A Teamster's Story and The Lawyer Bubble -- A Profession in Crisis. He has been a regular columnist for Moyers on Democracy, Dan Rather's News and Guts, and The American Lawyer. Follow him at https://thelawyerbubble.com.
Full Bio >
‘Goebbels Could Not Have Improved On This’: DHS Spreads ‘Propaganda’ on ICE Killing as Violence Mounts
“I never imagined that my government would so blatantly lie like this,” said one author and attorney.
Protesters gather in Austin, Texas on January 8, 2026, to rally against US Immigration and Customs Enforcement following the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good.
(Photo by Stephanie Tacy/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Julia Conley
Jan 12, 2026
COMMON DREAMS
As Americans have continued to document federal agents violently pushing a bystander to the ground during an arrest, handcuffing a screaming mother, and demanding to see citizenship papers of people of color, observers said the US Department of Homeland Security’s latest video about a federal officer’s killing of Renee Good in Minneapolis last week showed it has resorted to “blatant propaganda” to shape public opinion on the Trump administration’s violent crackdown on immigrants and dissenters.
“This agency, and the way it now speaks, is the most repulsive and un-American things I have ever seen,” said one writer of a video featuring Lauren Bis, the deputy assistant secretary of homeland security, that was released four days after Good was fatally shot by a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer.
‘Reign of Terror’: ICE Builds Appalling Record of Killings, Beatings, Kidnappings, and More
‘We Are Not Afraid’: Nationwide Protests Against ICE Killing of Renee Good, Fascist Trump
The video was posted to social media Sunday, accompanied by the text: “Defend the Homeland. Protect the American way of life.” Bis presented footage of Good’s vehicle before and after she was shot while sitting in the driver’s seat of her car by an ICE agent who had approached the driver’s side of the front of the vehicle.
Bis repeated claims that have been pushed by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Vice President JD Vance, and President Donald Trump: that Good was a “rioter” who “weaponized her vehicle, attempting to run over our law enforcement officers in an attempt to kill them.”
She said that “the American people can watch this video with their own eyes and ears and judge for themselves,” but legal experts, news outlets, and members of the public have already spent the past several days doing just that.
Experts and media organizations have extensively analyzed footage of the killing and said that despite the administration’s repeated claims, there is no evidence that Good was part of any riot. As the Guardian reported last week, “The officer who fired the fatal shots walked up to the front of Good’s car, which was turning away from him as it began to move forward, and he remained on his feet as the vehicle passed him.”
Author and University of Missouri law professor Thom Lambert said that the government “may argue that the ICE agent feared for his life, perhaps even reasonably, but the video CLEARLY shows that Good had turned away from the officer.”
“I never imagined that my government would so blatantly lie like this,” added Lambert, who also took issue with Bis’ insistence that the administration “pray[s]” for Good and her family—even as another White House official, press secretary Karoline Leavitt, called the victim a “lunatic” in comments to reporters on Monday.
Despite DHS’ display of footage that many observers have said proves Good’s wheels were turned away from the ICE agent when she began driving, David J. Bier of the libertarian Cato Institute said: “They are still using verbatim the utterly inaccurate statement from the first day. This is pathological.”
Another critic noted that the video was edited by DHS to make it appear that Good “weaponized her vehicle” by “speeding across the road”—“obviously failing to mention that footage is of when she had just been shot in the fucking face and her dead foot hit the pedal.”
Jessica Simor, an expert in human rights law in the UK, said that Joseph Goebbels, the architect of Adolf Hitler’s propaganda machine in Nazi Germany, “could not have improved” on Bis’ video.
As the video circulated online Monday, ICE and Border Patrol agents were seen in numerous new footage treating people in Minneapolis and elsewhere violently and appearing the warn them against even acting as bystanders to their enforcement actions.
Federal agents were seen chasing and tackling a man to the ground, apparently for filming with his cellphone as they carried out an arrest at a gas station in St. Paul, Minnesota.
In another video, a federal officer approached a woman who was filming him and said, “Listen, have you all not learned from the past couple of days?” before snatching her phone.
It is legal under the First Amendment for bystanders to film ICE and other federal agents as long at they are not obstructing their operations.
Organizer and attorney Aaron Regunberg said in response to that video that the US will ultimately “need some serious Truth and Reconciliation/Nuremberg shit for every fascist scumbag member of this administration.”
“I never imagined that my government would so blatantly lie like this,” said one author and attorney.
Protesters gather in Austin, Texas on January 8, 2026, to rally against US Immigration and Customs Enforcement following the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good.
(Photo by Stephanie Tacy/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Julia Conley
Jan 12, 2026
COMMON DREAMS
As Americans have continued to document federal agents violently pushing a bystander to the ground during an arrest, handcuffing a screaming mother, and demanding to see citizenship papers of people of color, observers said the US Department of Homeland Security’s latest video about a federal officer’s killing of Renee Good in Minneapolis last week showed it has resorted to “blatant propaganda” to shape public opinion on the Trump administration’s violent crackdown on immigrants and dissenters.
“This agency, and the way it now speaks, is the most repulsive and un-American things I have ever seen,” said one writer of a video featuring Lauren Bis, the deputy assistant secretary of homeland security, that was released four days after Good was fatally shot by a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer.
‘Reign of Terror’: ICE Builds Appalling Record of Killings, Beatings, Kidnappings, and More
‘We Are Not Afraid’: Nationwide Protests Against ICE Killing of Renee Good, Fascist Trump
The video was posted to social media Sunday, accompanied by the text: “Defend the Homeland. Protect the American way of life.” Bis presented footage of Good’s vehicle before and after she was shot while sitting in the driver’s seat of her car by an ICE agent who had approached the driver’s side of the front of the vehicle.
Bis repeated claims that have been pushed by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Vice President JD Vance, and President Donald Trump: that Good was a “rioter” who “weaponized her vehicle, attempting to run over our law enforcement officers in an attempt to kill them.”
She said that “the American people can watch this video with their own eyes and ears and judge for themselves,” but legal experts, news outlets, and members of the public have already spent the past several days doing just that.
Experts and media organizations have extensively analyzed footage of the killing and said that despite the administration’s repeated claims, there is no evidence that Good was part of any riot. As the Guardian reported last week, “The officer who fired the fatal shots walked up to the front of Good’s car, which was turning away from him as it began to move forward, and he remained on his feet as the vehicle passed him.”
Author and University of Missouri law professor Thom Lambert said that the government “may argue that the ICE agent feared for his life, perhaps even reasonably, but the video CLEARLY shows that Good had turned away from the officer.”
“I never imagined that my government would so blatantly lie like this,” added Lambert, who also took issue with Bis’ insistence that the administration “pray[s]” for Good and her family—even as another White House official, press secretary Karoline Leavitt, called the victim a “lunatic” in comments to reporters on Monday.
Despite DHS’ display of footage that many observers have said proves Good’s wheels were turned away from the ICE agent when she began driving, David J. Bier of the libertarian Cato Institute said: “They are still using verbatim the utterly inaccurate statement from the first day. This is pathological.”
Another critic noted that the video was edited by DHS to make it appear that Good “weaponized her vehicle” by “speeding across the road”—“obviously failing to mention that footage is of when she had just been shot in the fucking face and her dead foot hit the pedal.”
Jessica Simor, an expert in human rights law in the UK, said that Joseph Goebbels, the architect of Adolf Hitler’s propaganda machine in Nazi Germany, “could not have improved” on Bis’ video.
As the video circulated online Monday, ICE and Border Patrol agents were seen in numerous new footage treating people in Minneapolis and elsewhere violently and appearing the warn them against even acting as bystanders to their enforcement actions.
Federal agents were seen chasing and tackling a man to the ground, apparently for filming with his cellphone as they carried out an arrest at a gas station in St. Paul, Minnesota.
In another video, a federal officer approached a woman who was filming him and said, “Listen, have you all not learned from the past couple of days?” before snatching her phone.
It is legal under the First Amendment for bystanders to film ICE and other federal agents as long at they are not obstructing their operations.
Organizer and attorney Aaron Regunberg said in response to that video that the US will ultimately “need some serious Truth and Reconciliation/Nuremberg shit for every fascist scumbag member of this administration.”
By AFP
January 10, 2026
Neighbors are banding together to protect one another from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids in the wake of a fatal shooting by a federal agent - Copyright AFP CHARLY TRIBALLEAU
Elodie SOINARD
When Jennifer Arnold learned one of her neighbors in the midwestern city of Minneapolis had been arrested by immigration authorities late last year, she reached out to lend a hand.
“She answered the phone sobbing because she had gone to a work site with her husband, and he had been pulled out of their car and picked up,” Arnold recalled.
Now, a month later, Arnold is connecting neighbors to help immigrants survive the sweeping crackdown by the administration of US President Donald Trump, which turned deadly this week when a federal agent opened fire on a woman driving an SUV.
Arnold said at first she helped her neighbors, who were terrified of leaving their homes “because it’s not safe.”
Then she noticed that the school bus stop nearby, which usually had 20 children waiting for a ride to school in the morning, only had 10 kids.
“Many of those families didn’t feel safe sending their kids because they had to walk” a couple blocks to get to the stop, Arnold said.
She took action, asking neighbors “if I could get someone to walk with your kid to the bus stop, or take them, drive them to school, would you send them?”
Neighbors said yes.
With that, Arnold began helping a dozen children get to school beginning the second week of December.
“And then the next week, it was 18 kids. And now I have 30 on my list,” Arnold said.
– Adopting a family –
Parents, neighbors and friends of friends signed up to take children to and from school — walking them to a bus stop or driving them — to help them avoid falling behind in class.
And when Christmas came and schools closed for the holiday, Arnold asked volunteers to adopt a family for the holiday and organized food deliveries.
“They went shopping and brought bags of groceries to the family they adopted. We did one right before Christmas and one right before New Year’s. And folks said to me ‘my kids would have been hungry’ if we hadn’t done that,” Arnold said.
Wednesday’s shooting death of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good at the hands of masked ICE agents — who are still conducting operations on Minneapolis streets — has only inspired more volunteers.
“I went to pick up a four-year-old and introduce him to a neighbor who’s gonna walk him home every day. And there were all these people out on the streets who were like, ‘Can we do this too?’ And since what happened on Wednesday, my list is growing,” Arnold said.
Now, schools are adapting to the families’ fears: Minneapolis announced Friday that it is launching remote learning through mid-February for students who need it.
On the streets, neighbors have been vigilant in using whistles to alert each other about the presence of ICE agents.
Education union leader Natasha Dockter says she wears her whistle “all the time now,” adding: “I use it more often that I would like to.”
She said it also becomes “an invitation to talk to other neighbors about what’s going on,” and she keeps extra whistles in her pocket to share with those who are interested in helping.
While neighbors in Minneapolis are trying to alert each other to potential suffering, there are also those who are coping in silence.
“There are kids who have lost a family member, who are completely traumatized, who are terrified every day, who can’t leave their houses other than to go to school,” Becca Dryden, 36, told AFP, adding that the duty of parents to inform kids about what was happening was a tough one.
“As parents, we keep having to explain these tragedies to them. Whether they are targeted themselves or watching their neighborhood and community be targeted, this is a trauma that’s happening to all of our children.”
'Leave the giraffe alone!' ICE violently arrests comedian mocking them in animal costume
David Edwards
January 12, 2026
Robby Roadsteamer/Facebook/screen grab
Comedian Rob Potylo said he was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Minneapolis while performing in a giraffe costume as a fictional character known as Robby Roadsteamer.
Several Robby Roadsteamer social media accounts claimed that ICE had arrested Potylo. The social media posts included a video showing around a dozen law enforcement officers approaching the comedian and violently forcing him to the ground without any explanation.
As Potylo was handcuffed, protesters screamed at the officers.
"Leave the giraffe alone!" one person shouted.
The comedian has previously had encounters while mocking federal agents in Portland.
David Edwards
January 12, 2026
Robby Roadsteamer/Facebook/screen grab
Comedian Rob Potylo said he was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Minneapolis while performing in a giraffe costume as a fictional character known as Robby Roadsteamer.
Several Robby Roadsteamer social media accounts claimed that ICE had arrested Potylo. The social media posts included a video showing around a dozen law enforcement officers approaching the comedian and violently forcing him to the ground without any explanation.
As Potylo was handcuffed, protesters screamed at the officers.
"Leave the giraffe alone!" one person shouted.
The comedian has previously had encounters while mocking federal agents in Portland.
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