Evan Wise — Editor

Episodes 65

The Outsiders

90%
January 17, 201629m
1x1

The campaigns of three "outsiders" - Ted Cruz, Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump - are given behind-the-scenes attention on the road to the Iowa caucus. Series premiere.

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Prisoner's Dilemma

80%
January 24, 201629m
1x2

The second episode follows Sen. Marco Rubio, Gov. Chris Christie, former Gov. Jeb Bush and Gov. John Kasich as they prepare for the all-important, first-in-the-nation primary in New Hampshire.

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Tension City

90%
January 31, 201629m
1x3

This episode follows the angst and drama leading up to the Iowa caucuses, with a showdown brewing between Democrats Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton and the GOP's first real test of outsider candidates versus the establishment.

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The Big Mo

90%
February 7, 201629m
1x4

The fourth episode goes inside the Iowa fallout and the momentum leading into New Hampshire's primary. Who¿s got it? Who doesn't? And how can the Clinton and Trump campaigns pick up the pace to beat back the surge of Sanders and Cruz?

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The Winnowing

90%
February 14, 201629m
1x5

From the electric jolt of New Hampshire to the hard truths coming up in South Carolina and Nevada. Trump tastes victory, Kasich picks up momentum - and Bush faces the prospect of an impending do-or-die reality.

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Fear and Loathing

0%
February 21, 201629m
1x6

As the campaigns head towards the final stretch leading to Nevada and South Carolina, there's growing anxiety among both frontrunners and stragglers about just how high the stakes are - and the significance of falling behind.

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Confidence Game

90%
February 28, 201629m
1x7

With the field narrowed down to The Big Five, the campaigns spread their game across the country and play to their strengths - with eyes squarely focused on the all-important upcoming prize: Super Tuesday.

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The Reckoning

100%
March 6, 201629m
1x8

With big wins for the frontrunners on Super Tuesday the rest of candidates are reckoning with the results. But the biggest story of all might be one both Democratic and Republican establishments can agree on: how do they stop Trump?

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Dead or Alive

70%
March 13, 201629m
1x9

It's make or break time for Rubio, Kasich and Sanders. As the candidates pin their hopes on Florida and Ohio, can they gather enough momentum to force a brokered convention - or will their campaigns finally run out of steam?

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High Hopes

0%
March 20, 201629m
1x10

While Rubio gets trumped in Florida, the rest of the candidates remain cautiously optimistic. But are high hopes what they need to pull off a win and secure the nomination - or are they just delusional?

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Home And Abroad

70%
March 27, 201629m
1x11

Foreign policy comes to the fore as the political climate grows fiery in the wake of the attacks in Brussels. As Trump and Clinton prepare to square off, can either of them prove their presidential mettle in handling the heat?

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On Wisconsin

0%
April 3, 201629m
1x12

Ahead of a Wisconsin showdown the candidates crisscross the state in pursuit of competing agendas. Can Kasich, Cruz or Sanders secure their position as spoilers - or will Clinton and Trump finally be crowned their party's Big Cheese?

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Circus Recap

70%
April 10, 201629m
1x13

From the early primary battles to the Super Tuesday showdown and beyond, pull back the curtain on the 2016 presidential race with Mark Halperin, John Heilemann and Mark McKinnon - and catch up on the electrifying first twelve weeks.

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Game On

0%
July 10, 201629m
1x14

While the nation celebrates July 4th, Trump and Clinton engage in their own fireworks. With the reemergence of Clinton's email scandal and Trump's latest faux pas, the titans go on the attack to take each other down.

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Veepstakes

0%
July 17, 201629m
1x15

No president is complete without a veep. As Trump auditions Chris Christie, Mike Pence and Newt Gingrich and Clinton considers Tim Kaine, can the candidates find the right-hand man for the job who will make, not break, their campaign?

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The Trump Show

0%
July 24, 201629m
1x16

The political circus goes into overdrive as Trump is crowned the Republican nominee - and Melania, controversially, speaks! Capitalizing on his children to help humanize his image, can Trump plus Pence finally rally a unified party?

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In the Arena

0%
July 31, 201629m
1x17

The jeers and boos of Sanders diehards ring out in Philadelphia, before the Democrats at last make Hillary a historic nominee. But is shattering a glass ceiling enough for Clinton and Kaine to unite the party into a winning coalition?

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Closing the Gap

80%
September 11, 201629m
1x18

With ten weeks to go until the election the Trump campaign finds itself running from behind. As members of his party start to publicly jump ship, can Trump find a way to close the gap with Clinton or will he just fall further behind?

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Fit to Serve

80%
September 18, 201629m
1x19

As Clinton's pneumonia and scrutiny about Trump's medical records comes to the forefront, their fitness to lead is questioned.

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Battleground

80%
September 25, 201629m
1x20

As Clinton and Trump prepare for their first debate, their campaigns target the swing states with an eye on Florida.

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The Newsrooms

100%
October 2, 201629m
1x21

Preparations for the debate; the candidates cede the spotlight to those who cover the political news.

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Tale of the Tape

80%
October 16, 201629m
1x22

The fallout from the second debate and the current scandal surrounding a recently publicized audio tape.

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From Russia With Love

100%
October 23, 201629m
1x23

Clinton faces the scandal of her highly sensitive, private emails being made public on WikiLeaks, amid claims of foreign hacking and intervention and international espionage of the 2016 election.

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His Word as Biden

0%
October 30, 201629m
1x24

With only two weeks until election day, Clinton bets on the one man who has the potential to swing those states still up for grabs: Joe Biden.

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Nobody F... Knows

0%
November 6, 201629m
1x25

Polls predict the differing outcomes; both campaigns make a case in "far-fetched battlegrounds"; to most, the race is either up for grabs or already decided.

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President Trump

90%
Season Finale
November 13, 201629m
1x26

In a special hour-long episode of the real-time documentary series, Mark Halperin, John Heilemann and Mark McKinnon go behind the scenes of both campaigns in the lead up to Election Day - and the fallout that followed.

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Shocking But Not Surprising

100%
March 19, 201729m
2x1

Mark Halperin takes a ride on Airforce One with President Donald Trump. We look at the debate surrounding the healthcare bill and hear from both sides, including Sen. Ted Cruz, Sen. Rand Paul and the White House.

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Checking and Balancing

100%
March 26, 201729m
2x2

Mark Halperin talks with Senator Patrick Leahy about Neil Gorsuch’s Supreme Court nomination, Congressman Adam Schiff weighs in on Trump’s alleged ties to Russia and Joe Biden enters the fray surrounding the healthcare bill.

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How's He Doing?

100%
April 2, 201729m
2x3

What do people outside the Beltway really think about President Trump? Mark Halperin takes a trip through America to find the answers. Then he heads to New Orleans to discuss his surprising findings with Mary Matalin.

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The Whole World is Watching

100%
April 9, 201729m
2x4

What in the world is going on? This week is all about foreign policy: President Trump's military response to the use of chemical weapons in Syria and its impact on his ongoing delicate dance with Russia.

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Recess Reset

0%
April 16, 201729m
2x5

Congress may be in recess but Mark Halperin is on the job, covering the White House and the Syria fallout. John Heilemann and Mark McKinnon hit the road to see what Americans think about how President Trump is handling the situation.

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The Resistance

0%
April 23, 201729m
2x6

How are the Democrats resisting Trump? Mark Halperin talks to Elizabeth Warren about standing strong. Bernie Sanders tells John Heilemann about taking his message to the people. Americans talk about what resistance means to them.

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Learning Curve

0%
April 30, 201729m
2x7

What has President Trump learned from his first 100 days in office? As Congress reconvenes, Mark McKinnon and John Heilemann head to Capitol Hill to find out. Mark Halperin is in New York City to get Wall Street’s perspective.

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Looking Back and Moving On

0%
Season Finale
May 7, 201729m
2x8

Washington insiders join John Heilemann, Mark Halperin and Mark McKinnon for a look at some of the thrilling, amazing and logic defying acts performed during President Trump's first 100 days. Season finale.

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The Looking Glass War

0%
April 15, 201829m
3x1

The United States and Russia are locked in a dangerous new standoff. From Facebook and meddling in the 2016 election, to alleged poisoning attacks, to the war in Syria, Russia is the dominant force in our news cycle. John Heilemann, Mark McKinnon and new host Alex Wagner examine America's new Cold War with Russia and where it's leading.

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Too Many Lawyers

0%
April 22, 201829m
3x2

An ever-growing swirl of legal entanglements continues to surround President Trump. From the ongoing Mueller investigation to the Michael Cohen raid and subsequent hearing, and James Comey's inflammatory book, the Trump presidency is under siege. John Heillman interviews Michael Avenatti, Stormy Daniels' lawyer, John and Alex Wagner have a colorful dialog with legal heavyweight and Trump supporter Alan Dershowitz, and Mark McKinnon sits down with former Acting U.S. Attorney General Sally Yates.

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Man of the World

100%
April 29, 201829m
3x3

State visits by the heads of France and Germany command the administration's attention; John Heilemann and Mark McKinnon talk with Wendy Sherman, architect of the Iran deal; Alex Wagner interviews the imam behind the travel-ban challenge.

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Trump Country

0%
May 6, 201829m
3x4

Taking the nation's temperature on the president's performance, midterm elections and gun control; featuring interviews with Mitt Romney, Randy "Iron Stache" Bryce and Beto O'Rourke

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War and Peace

0%
May 13, 201829m
3x5

The gloves are off as Donald Trump fights a 360-degree battle to keep the presidency; he is taking shots at those who stand to threaten it and is at war against the deep state of the FBI, CIA, and the Department of Justice.

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Their Brand is Crisis

0%
May 20, 201829m
3x6

The Trump administration has had to contend with an unprecedented number of crises, and spinning them is an ongoing preoccupation. In this era of splintered news media, how do you get the right message to the right people, and still stay on course? Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie discusses trying to govern during a PR crisis, Steve Brill hosts an Axios event on combating fake news, and Steve Schmidt and Mark Fabiani, Bill Clinton's advisor during the Whitewater scandal, both weigh in on how this White House is managing crises.

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The Gathering Storm

0%
September 16, 201829m
3x7

With the looming midterm elections, the Trump presidency under relentless siege, and Hurricane Florence bearing down on the Carolina coast, Washington has a lot on its collective plate. Mark McKinnon and Alex Wagner visit the democratic and republican war rooms respectively, and learn what each camp is doing to secure the majority in the House. John Heilemann interviews Steve Bannon and takes a tour of Breitbart, all in advance of the release of Bannon's inflammatory new documentary.

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Burden of Proof

0%
September 23, 201829m
3x8

As Republicans and Democrats play a dramatic game of chess in the wake of the assault allegations from Christine Blasey Ford, all eyes are on the Senate Judiciary Committee and the confirmation process of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. Parallels are drawn between the current showdown and the Anita Hill hearing in 1991, and recurring contributor Steve Schmidt gives context to the Trump administration's response, given his experience working to confirm Supreme Court nominees for previous Republican administrations.

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Judgment Day

0%
September 30, 201829m
3x9

The focus remains tightly on the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court; for much of the week, John Heilemann is embedded with attorney Michael Avenatti, who may just have the most explosive revelations of all.

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The Verdict

0%
October 7, 201829m
3x10

The emphasis remains squarely on the Judge Brett Kavanaugh confirmation saga; as the midterm elections draw nearer, the hosts delve into the ramifications of the confirmation's outcome on various U.S. Senate races around the country.

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California Dreaming

0%
October 14, 201829m
3x11

The Circus travels to California to gauge the resistance to the Trump administration; with almost a dozen Republican-held house seats in serious contention, any potential blue wave in the midterm elections will begin here.

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Senatorial Combat

0%
October 21, 201829m
3x12

As the battle for the Senate heats up with polls forecasting a Republican resurgence, "The Circus" travels the country charting the shifting dynamics in three of the closest races: Arizona, Nevada and North Dakota.

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Black and White

0%
October 28, 201829m
3x13

As undertones of racial politics make news, "The Circus" travels to Florida and Georgia, following two historic gubernatorial races with African-American candidates.

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A Place Called Fear

0%
November 4, 201829m
3x14

With the midterm elections only days away, The Circus travels to rallies and campaign stops around the country to find out how both sides are pulling out all the stops to win these all-important races.

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Mother(f***er) of All Midterms

0%
Season Finale
November 11, 201829m
3x15

This special one-hour season finale is all about the midterms: before, during and after. In the run-up to election day, The Circus visits some of the high-profile campaigns to catch their final pushes.

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New World Disorder

0%
January 27, 201929m
4x1

It's a new world order in Washington as a Democratic majority in the House puts a check on the Trump presidency. The second half of his term has begun with total gridlock, a government shutdown, and federal workers lining up for free hot meals. Is this the new normal? Meanwhile, freshmen representatives are putting a new face on Congress—and introducing a new reality, and the investigation of Trump takes a surprising turn in the wake of Michael Cohen postponing his congressional testimony.

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Circling Vultures

0%
February 3, 201929m
4x2

The list of former allies who are turning on Donald Trump grows daily, the Mueller investigation continues to circle him and the Democrats have been unrelenting in their attacks. The President’s increasing vulnerability has led to a bumper crop of potential 2020 challengers, all of whom are hoping to be the one to unseat him.

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The State of Our Union Is…

0%
February 10, 201929m
4x3

As President Trump toys with declaring a state of emergency in order to be able to begin construction of his border wall, his administration is in the spotlight. The House Intelligence Committee is ramping up investigations of Trump on multiple fronts, and is collaborating with Robert Mueller's team.

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2020 Is Here

0%
February 17, 201929m
4x4

The 2020 election is looming large in the capital. Campaign season is here early and more and more candidates are jumping in each week. THE CIRCUS follows declared and potential candidates Amy Klobuchar and Beto O’Rourke at the top of the week, and tracks ongoing news of the potential government shutdown, the border wall battle, and the Green New Deal back in D.C.

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States of Emergency

0%
February 24, 201929m
4x5

What exactly constitutes a national emergency? For President Trump, it is clearly securing the U.S. southern border. But others have very different ideas, including gun violence, the opioid crisis and climate change, to name a few. This week THE CIRCUS compares and contrasts various perceived national emergencies and covers people on the front lines of each one.

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The Big Split

0%
March 3, 201929m
4x6

It's an action-packed week for President Trump on two fronts, creating a split-screen effect for the American people. On one hand, the President travels to Vietnam to meet with Kim Jong Un of North Korea, and have a big moment on the world stage. On the other hand, the President's personal attorney, Michael Cohen, testifies before Congress about potential presidential dirt he may have. Emily Jane Fox, a reporter for Vanity Fair who has been following Cohen, joins the hosts this week to help cover the hearings.

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To the Left

0%
March 10, 201929m
4x7

A deep dive into the Democratic party. There is a reckoning going on about the party's future. On one hand, there is a movement to tack left towards more progressive policies, a strategy that proved effective in 2018 elections. On the other, many feel that the best way to convert Trump voters in 2020 is to move towards the center. That was Bill Clinton's winning strategy in 1992, after the Democrats had failed to win the presidency repeatedly with more progressive candidates. The question is, are we in a new world now, or not?

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What the F... Happens Next?

0%
March 17, 201929m
4x8

Donald Trump is currently engaged in a three-front war over the future of his presidency. The first battle is with Congress, where he is facing a rebuke from both sides of the aisle over his national emergency declaration. The second focusses on the 2020 election, as two potential game-changing Democratic challengers—Joe Biden and Beto O'Rourke—weigh Presidential bids. Trump's final battle on the legal front anticipates the release of the Mueller report, just as his known associates Paul Manafort and Roger Stone face lengthy prison time.

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The People on That Stage

0%
March 22, 201929m
4x9

The Circus returns with an update on where things stand in the 2020 presidential race. On the Democratic side, the three leading candidates — Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren — are crisscrossing the country trying to get their message across, while the party as a whole is debating what it will take to beat Trump. Meanwhile, the President has an unprecedented number of Republican primary challengers to contend with, which could have an impact on his election strategy.

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Across the Rubicon

0%
March 29, 201929m
4x10

The Circus tackles the launch of an official impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump. As news roils the capital and the entire nation, the hosts track down Democratic congressional leaders, members of the House Intelligence Committee, and prominent Republicans in a momentous week for both sides of the political aisle.

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Impeachmentland

0%
October 6, 201929m
4x11

The Circus fans out across the country to cover the rapidly-evolving impeachment story through the lens of 2020 presidential campaigns. Meanwhile, in the capital, the hosts track breaking news developments as the White House and others react to the impeachment inquiry and findings thus far. And as members of Congress return to their districts for the fall recess, The Circus attends their town hall meetings with constituents to capture voter reactions.

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Desperate Times, Desperate Measures

0%
October 13, 201929m
4x12

How are key players responding to these desperate times? The President seems to have crafted his defense of the impeachment inquiry, and he's pushing it forcefully. The whistleblowers risked their careers to come forward, can they be protected? And the lower-tier 2020 Democratic candidates must fight even harder to be heard over the tidal wave of impeachment news, while Joe Biden faces a critical test of his candidacy. Special guest Jennifer Palmieri, a veteran of the Hillary Clinton campaign and the Bill Clinton White House, joins the hosts.

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The Widening Gyre

0%
October 20, 201929m
4x13

With Congress back in session after a two-week recess, everyone in the capital seems to be in fighting mode. Democrats are pursuing the impeachment inquiry at an aggressive pace, and members of Congress from both parties weigh in about the closed-door hearings. The President and his Republican supporters loudly defend his actions in both Ukraine and Syria. And the Democratic 2020 contenders participated in a heated debate in which everyone tried hard to differentiate themselves and be heard above the fray.

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The Deep State

0%
October 27, 201929m
4x14

The Circus does a deep dive into the longtime federal government agencies and bureaucrats involved in Congress’ ongoing impeachment inquiry, otherwise dubbed by President Trump as the "deep state.”

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Field of Dreams

0%
November 3, 201929m
4x15

The Circus is in Iowa for the all-important Liberty and Justice Celebration, aka Jefferson-Jackson Dinner, where past Presidential winners like Barack Obama and Jimmy Carter have broken out from tight races. The hosts go behind the scenes of 2020 Democratic candidates’ campaigns to evaluate their infrastructure and strategy for the event. Will there be a breakout star this time around?

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Here Be Dragons

0%
Season Finale
November 10, 201929m
4x16

The impeachment inquiry is on the brink of a new, uncharted phase with the onset of public hearings. The Circus analyzes potential outcomes of the impeachment inquiry by taking the pulse of Congress members, Presidential campaigns, and Trump loyalists who are all set to be impacted by public testimony.

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