A massive water main break near the Sunset Strip overnight flooded parts of West Hollywood early Thursday morning, sending a river of water rushing downhill through neighborhoods of one of Los Angeles County&#8217;s most leftist enclaves.
Crews responded to the rupture near the intersection of Sunset Boulevard and Holloway Drive around 3:55 am. The broken 36-inch water main was just steps from a <a href="https://www.weho.org/community/arts-and-culture/visual-arts/urban-art-program/city-owned-artworks/bill-oberlin-rocky-and-bullwinkle">15-foot, 700-pound Rocky &amp; Bullwinkle statue,</a> which suddenly found itself overlooking a roaring urban river instead of the usual Sunset Boulevard traffic.
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The streets of West Hollywood were flooded Thursday morning after a massive water main break. It looked like white-water rapids for a while and opened a sinkhole near the Sunset Strip. <a href="https://t.co/Jne9I8MnFF">pic.twitter.com/Jne9I8MnFF</a>
— KNX News 1070 AM (@knxnews) <a href="https://x.com/knxnews/status/2077804577420689779?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 16, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Reporters on the scene compared the rushing water to &#8220;white-water rapids&#8221; as it tore downhill and opened a sinkhole in an area better known for celebrity hotspots, restaurants, and luxury hotels.
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Several streets in West Hollywood are being inundated with fast-moving water following a water main break. Here&#8217;s a look at the widespread impact of the rushing water from AIR7. <a href="https://t.co/bUUdle70vp">https://t.co/bUUdle70vp</a> <a href="https://t.co/h4UNHVWd22">pic.twitter.com/h4UNHVWd22</a>
— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) <a href="https://x.com/ABC7/status/2077737757871399383?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 16, 2026</a></blockquote>
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The break unleashed a river of water that barreled downhill from the Sunset Strip, through residential streets, and ultimately flooded parts of Santa Monica Boulevard below. The steep terrain turned what might have been an ordinary water main break into dramatic footage that quickly went viral.
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West Hollywood now <a href="https://t.co/lMVjat1Dy6">pic.twitter.com/lMVjat1Dy6</a>
— Aurelia De La Costa (@AureliaLaCosta) <a href="https://x.com/AureliaLaCosta/status/2077731847887597627?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 16, 2026</a></blockquote>
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All of Santa Monica blvd in weho is flooded rn 3am <a href="https://x.com/hashtag/weho?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#weho</a> <a href="https://x.com/hashtag/flooding?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#flooding</a> <a href="https://x.com/hashtag/losangeles?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#losangeles</a> <a href="https://t.co/1lOUICwwoL">pic.twitter.com/1lOUICwwoL</a>
— padam? (@jigglypuffyyyy) <a href="https://x.com/jigglypuffyyyy/status/2077706992391799272?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 16, 2026</a></blockquote>
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ABC7 captured the tense moment when a person was briefly swept off their feet while trying to reach the sidewalk before regaining their footing.
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The sheer force of rushing water in West Hollywood temporarily swept away a person who was trying to get to the sidewalk. AIR7 caught the tense moment on video. <a href="https://t.co/lZzV7m9pZb">https://t.co/lZzV7m9pZb</a> <a href="https://t.co/SB6GgOH1Q7">pic.twitter.com/SB6GgOH1Q7</a>
— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) <a href="https://x.com/ABC7/status/2077763592959426832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 16, 2026</a></blockquote>
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The floodwaters also inundated a Metro bus yard south of Santa Monica Boulevard, near the Los Angeles County Sheriff&#8217;s Department West Hollywood Station and the Pacific Design Center.
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Water main break floods West Hollywood streets, traps cars<a href="https://t.co/y3qIuvHZaf">https://t.co/y3qIuvHZaf</a> <a href="https://t.co/FZ3PpKT8bR">pic.twitter.com/FZ3PpKT8bR</a>
— KTLA 5 Morning News (@KTLAMorningNews) <a href="https://x.com/KTLAMorningNews/status/2077756431424770236?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 16, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Water crews shut down the damaged water main after several hours, leaving behind a massive sinkhole near the rupture.
&#8220;Obviously, a lot of people are still in a state of shock,&#8221; West Hollywood Mayor John Heilman <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/07/16/us-news/west-hollywood-water-main-break-floods-streets/">told</a> the California Post on Thursday morning. &#8220;They have had water damage to their sub-garages. Their cars have been significantly damaged. We also have a couple of units that have been impacted. Right now, people are just trying to assess the damage, get people out to help them with repairs and the remediation.&#8221;
Mayor Heilman and the Los Angeles County Fire Department <a href="https://x.com/LACoFDPIO/status/2077797539626246252">said</a> there have been no reports of injuries.
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<div id="attachment_1137009" style="width: 779px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1137009" class="size-large wp-image-1137009" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/GettyImages-2285750339-769x576.jpg" alt="" width="769" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/GettyImages-2285750339-769x576.jpg 769w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/GettyImages-2285750339-300x225.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/GettyImages-2285750339-768x575.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/GettyImages-2285750339.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 769px) 100vw, 769px" />West Hollywood, CA &#8211; July 16, 2026: An aerial view of workers viewing a broken water main at Sunset Boulevard and Holloway Drive in West Hollywood that sent water gushing down many streets, closing several of them Thursday, July 16, 2026. The Los Angeles County Fire Department said at 4:37 a.m. that a major water main was broken in the area of Palm Avenue and Harratt Street. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)</div>
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (DWP) owns the water main. Officials said the break occurred on &#8220;a riveted steel pipe from 1916,&#8221; <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-07-16/weho-water-main-break">according</a> to the Los Angeles Times. The City of Los Angeles owns the DWP, although the break occurred in the City of West Hollywood.
Los Angeles Democratic Mayor Karen Bass said the rupture was the consequence of aging infrastructure. &#8220;It is my understanding that these pipes are over 100 years old.&#8221;

GettyImages-2285750488

SEE IT: Century-Old Pipe Bursts, Sending A River Through One Of L.A.’s Most Leftist Enclaves

California

General

Infrastructure

Los Angeles County

U.S.

A California museum dedicated to remembering the victims of communist China’s brutal Tiananmen Square massacre was vandalized just days ahead of the anniversary of the communist crackdown.
Displays and exhibits at the June Fourth Memorial Museum in El Monte, California, were spray-painted on Sunday in what museum officials believe to have been a targeted attack. The Los Angeles County museum tells the history of the June 4, 1989, massacre at Tiananmen Square, where soldiers killed up to 2,600 pro-democracy protesters. 
“The main part of the exhibition, including sections of the walls, was vandalized with spray paint, causing serious damage to the museum&#8217;s assets. The museum strongly condemns the perpetrators and those instigating the incident and will pursue legal action against them,” the museum said in a statement. 
The museum said it was working with the El Monte Police Department and had obtained certain leads and identified suspicious circumstances.” 
“We view this incident as yet another instance of ‘transnational repression’ and have reported the relevant details to the FBI and the appropriate committees of the U.S. Congress,” the museum said. 
El Monte police sergeant Andrew Mora <a href="https://dominotheory.com/tiananmen-square-memorial-museum-vandalized-ahead-of-anniversary/">told</a> Domino Theory that police were probing whether the incident was a hate crime and would report it to the FBI. 
Museum co-founder Wang Dan posted photos of some of the vandalism and said that surveillance cameras were destroyed, but that the footage was able to be recovered and sent to the police. 
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已经到达现场，现场破坏严重。
作案者潜入纪念馆，并破坏了摄像镜头，然后才开始损毁动作。
现发布第一批照片。 <a href="https://t.co/hFn5RWYf1z">pic.twitter.com/hFn5RWYf1z</a>
— 王丹 (@wangdan1989) <a href="https://x.com/wangdan1989/status/2061098550482874779?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 31, 2026</a></blockquote>
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“The June Fourth Memorial Hall will never cease operations due to such acts of destruction and threats. On the contrary, with the support of all sectors of society, we look forward to making the memorial hall even better!” Wang <a href="https://x.com/wangdan1989/status/2061126269182579003">said</a>. “No matter how fierce the storm, we will stand firm!”
Wang later spoke to the House Select Committee on China about the incident. The committee said the vandalism was “disturbing and sad.” 
“The museum will continue and all of us will never let the world forget about Tiananmen Square,” the committee added. 
The Congressional-Executive Commission on China also commented on the vandalism and called for the FBI to investigate. 
“Vandalism of a [Tiananmen Massacre] museum cannot erase the memory of what happened on June 4, 1989, or cover up the crimes committed by the [CCP] as it crushed peaceful demonstrations for freedom and democracy,” the commission said. “[The FBI Los Angeles] should investigate this as an act of [transnational repression].”

Protester Blocking Tanks Approaching Tiananmen Square

SEE IT: Memorial To Tiananmen Square Victims Vandalized Ahead Of Anniversary

Communist China

Tiananmen Square

Baby mama drama? An influencer’s murder-for-hire plot? And the girl’s father is involved? Nope, not a movie, just the latest case out of the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office.
TikTok star Gabriela Lauren Gonzalez, along with her father, Francisco Gonzalez, and her former boyfriend, Kai Faron Cordrey, have each been charged with attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and solicitation of murder after prosecutors say they plotted to have the father of Gabriela’s seven-year-old daughter killed during a custody dispute.
According to the DA’s office, the trio tried to hire a hitman on the dark web, and the murder-for-hire scheme unfolded between 2020 and 2021.
Gabriela shares a daughter with Jack Avery, a former member of the boy band Why Don’t We. Prosecutors say Gabriela enlisted Cordrey to help arrange Avery&#8217;s murder.
&#8220;This was a lengthy investigation that was initiated by the FBI and eventually turned over to our office, resulting in criminal charges being filed today,&#8221; said Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman. &#8220;This is a case where the defendants are accused of going to great lengths to find someone to commit murder. Most fathers raise their children to respect the law, but here we have a dad who allegedly helped his daughter and her boyfriend break the law in the most sinister way imaginable.&#8221;
Authorities say Francisco Gonzalez became involved in the plan in 2021, allegedly wiring $10,000 to Cordrey to find someone willing to kill Avery.
Two months later, prosecutors claim Cordrey requested and secured another $4,000 from Francisco after the hit man wanted more money. Several days later, Cordrey allegedly requested that Avery, Gabriela’s baby daddy, be killed within a couple of days.
Later that year, in September, an undercover officer posing as a hitman spoke with Cordrey about the plot. According to prosecutors, Cordrey identified Avery as the intended target and discussed payment arrangements and proof of death with the undercover officer.
If convicted, Gabriela Gonzalez, Francisco Gonzalez, and Cordrey each face up to 25 years to life in state prison.
The case remains under investigation by the L.A. County District Attorney’s Bureau of Investigation.

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TikTok Star, Dad Accused In Hitman Plot Against Baby Daddy

Mayor Eileen Wang of Arcadia, California, declined to comment on her former fiancé’s conviction at the first City Council meeting since his sentencing, despite previously acknowledging their relationship.
Yaoning “Mike” Sun, 65, was <a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-election-interference-california-yaoning-mike-sun-d514395039bea63a8c7b8814d29d1aaa">sentenced</a> on February 10 to four years in federal prison after pleading guilty in October 2025 to acting as an illegal agent of the People’s Republic of China without notifying the U.S. attorney general, as required by law. His guilty plea was entered and sentence imposed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
Prosecutors <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/political-operative-sentenced-48-months-federal-prison-acting-covert-agent-peoples-republic">alleged</a> that from at least 2022, when Wang said she became a Democrat, to January 2024, Sun “knowingly acted within the United States as an agent of the PRC and officials of its government — without notifying the Attorney General,” a violation of federal law designed to expose foreign influence operations. 
Sun <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/chino-hills-covert-agent-china-political-advisor-yaoning-sun-john-chen/">worked</a> as the campaign advisor to a candidate identified in court filings as “Individual 1,” who was elected to a Southern California city council seat in November 2022. While the individual was not named in court papers, Sun was listed as a campaign treasurer for Wang, then an Arcadia City Council candidate, on a 2022 campaign statement filing.
During a December 2022 Arcadia City Council meeting, Wang publicly praised Sun while referring to him as her fiancé. “To my fiancé, Mike Sun, who walked streets with me every single day, who is a real leader of me,” she said at the time. 
After Sun was indicted and charged, Wang sought to distance herself from that earlier characterization. In September 2025, she said, “No. 1, he’s not my fiancé. Whoever wants to say he’s my former fiancé, please prove it.” 
Sun’s conviction stems from what prosecutors describe as extensive covert activity on behalf of the Chinese government, including the dissemination of pro-Beijing propaganda and surveillance of individuals and groups that China viewed as adversarial. According to federal prosecutors, his duties included efforts to counter pro-Taiwan independence advocacy and influence public opinion through a purported local news site. 
According to the Department of Justice, Sun &#8220;closely surveilled the then-President of Taiwan during her April 2023 visit to Southern California, reporting directly to PRC officials on her movements.&#8221; 
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg condemned Sun’s activities, saying he “received and executed taskings from Chinese government officials, distorted our public discourse by disseminating Chinese propaganda, and surveilled groups in the United States that China viewed as threatening its interests as part of a campaign of intimidation.” 
Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence and Espionage Division also released a statement at the time of sentencing: “When Americans vote for elected officials, they expect them to represent the interests of their constituents — not those of a foreign adversary like the Chinese government,” he said. “By exploiting his position as a campaign advisor, Yaoning Sun attempted to undermine our political processes and democratic institutions for the benefit of the Chinese Communist Party.” 
At the council meeting following Sun’s sentencing, Wang declined to address questions about his conviction or their prior relationship. Wang has not been accused of wrongdoing in connection with the case, and prosecutors have not charged her with any offense. However, her prior public references to Sun — and subsequent denials of that relationship — have drawn scrutiny in local and national media coverage. 
Federal prosecutions of unregistered foreign agents are part of broader U.S. counterintelligence efforts to stem covert influence operations on domestic political processes. Criminal filings in this case made clear that individuals acting at the direction of foreign governments are required by law to register with the U.S. Attorney General, a requirement Sun failed to meet. 
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China

Espionage

Politics

A man who injured a Customs and Border Protection officer by hurling rocks through a car window during last summer&#8217;s violent anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles County pleaded guilty on Tuesday to assaulting a federal officer. 
Elpidio Reyna, 41, admitted to one count of assault with a deadly or dangerous weapon resulting in bodily injury. He was one of the dozens arrested after riots erupted after Immigration and Customs Enforcement began enforcement operations in the Los Angeles area. 
“This defendant could have easily killed a federal officer or innocent bystander,” <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdca/pr/compton-man-pleads-guilty-assaulting-and-injuring-federal-officer-during-anti">said</a> First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “As he found out the hard way, violence against law enforcement is not constitutionally protected and will be met with swift justice. Those who engage in similar violence will be arrested, charged, and eventually convicted in a court of law.”
On June 7, 2025, Reyna joined a crowd throwing rocks and improvised explosives at federal officers operating near a Home Depot in Paramount, located about 11 miles north of Long Beach. 
“Protestors, including the defendant, began to throw rocks at the officers’ official vehicles, lit objects on fire, and impeded law enforcement activity. During this, defendant knowingly and intentionally lit objects on fire in the middle of the street and threw rocks at a convoy of law enforcement vehicles occupied by Customs and Border Protection Officers,” according to the plea agreement. 
One of the projectiles shattered a car window, cutting a Customs and Border Protection officer on the forehead. In <a href="https://x.com/USAttyEssayli/status/1932267820798353760?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1932267820798353760%7Ctwgr%5E2a2f0cba6174f5a73c77e8c8924987e0ce6ce20b%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailywire.com%2Fnews%2Ffbi-identifies-man-caught-on-camera-hurling-rocks-at-feds-during-anti-ice-riot">video</a> released by the Justice Department, Reyna can be seen pelting law enforcement vehicles with rocks and chunks of concrete while wearing a motorcycle helmet. 
The FBI offered a $50,000 reward for Reyna after a special agent identified him through a review of TikTok videos. He was on the FBI&#8217;s most wanted list before <a href="https://x.com/USAttyEssayli/status/1948056678504767913">surrendering</a> at the U.S.-Mexico border on July 23. 
Reyna faces up to 20 years in prison when he is sentenced on August 7 by U.S. District Judge Fernando L. Aenlle-Rocha. He has remained in federal custody since July 2025. 
Dozens of arrests were made during the protests in June and July across the Los Angeles and San Francisco areas over federal immigration operations. The unrest prompted President Donald Trump to deploy the National Guard to protect federal personnel and property, setting off a prolonged legal battle with California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom over the troop deployment.

MixCollage-18-Feb-2026-07-15-AM-3747

Anti-ICE Rioter Who Hurled Rocks At Feds Now Facing Life-Changing Fallout

Courts

Customs and Border Protection (CPB)

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Los Angeles

Riots

Three Los Angeles County Sheriff&#8217;s deputies were killed in an explosion at a training center Friday morning.
Local and federal authorities are on the scene investigating after &#8220;a loud noise&#8221; was heard at the sheriff department&#8217;s Biscailuz Center Training Academy, east of downtown, around 7:30 a.m. PT, KTLA <a href="https://ktla.com/news/local-news/explosion-reported-at-east-l-a-sheriffs-training-center/">reported</a>. Aerial footage from the scene showed damage to the rear windshield of what appears to be an L.A. County Sheriff&#8217;s Department bomb squad truck.
L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna revealed in a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/IJJb24ADfgI?si=1-NyZoM0JB9-Uqha&amp;t=10967">press conference</a> that the three deputies killed were assigned to the arson explosives detail. It was previously reported that a fourth person was injured in the explosion and transported to a hospital, but Luna clarified that no one else was wounded in the blast.
&#8220;This is, unfortunately, is the largest loss of life for us as the L.A. County Sheriff&#8217;s Department since 1857. Between all three sworn members, they had served the community proudly for 74 years,&#8221; Luna said.
Authorities are not yet releasing the names of those killed in the blast as family members are still being notified.
Luna said that &#8220;there is a lot more that we don&#8217;t know than what we do know&#8221; about what caused the explosion. He added that homicide detectives are on the scene investigating the deaths with the assistance of the FBI. The LAPD&#8217;s bomb squad successfully &#8220;render[ed] the devices safe,&#8221; shortly before the sheriff took the podium. Luna said there &#8220;is no threat to this community.&#8221;
The Los Angeles Times <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-07-18/explosion-la-sheriff-training-facility">reported</a> that a bomb squad was moving an explosive ordnance at the time of the explosion. The Los Angeles Police Department’s bomb squad arrived at the scene a little over an hour after the blast.
&#8220;I just spoke to [U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli] about what appears to be a horrific incident that killed at least three at a law enforcement training facility in Los Angeles,&#8221; U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi <a href="https://x.com/AGPamBondi/status/1946234954620313884">said</a>. &#8220;Our federal agents are at the scene and we are working to learn more. Please pray for the families of the sheriff’s deputies killed.&#8221;
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🚨🇺🇸 BREAKING: 3 KILLED AFTER EXPLOSION AT LA COUNTY SHERIFF FACILITY
A deadly explosion rocked the LA County Sheriff’s S.E.B. compound in East L.A.
It reportedly happened next to a Bomb Squad vehicle and shattered nearby windows.
At least 3 people are confirmed dead.… <a href="https://t.co/BeNFPaill2">pic.twitter.com/BeNFPaill2</a>
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarioNawfal/status/1946230139307819031?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;The City of L.A. is supporting the @LASDHQ through this horrific incident in Monterey Park. LAFD/ATF arson investigators and members of the LAPD bomb squad are assisting at the training facility,&#8221; <a href="https://x.com/MayorOfLA/status/1946243632152846400?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1946243632152846400%7Ctwgr%5E131f531b4ebaf2443accd12c347fa8ef63b09541%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fabc7.com%2Fpost%2Fat-least-3-killed-apparent-explosion-lasd-facility%2F17180373%2F">said</a> L.A. Mayor Karen Bass. &#8220;The thoughts of all Angelenos are with all of those impacted by this blast.&#8221;
This is a developing story; refresh the page for updates.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Helicopter

Three L.A. County Sheriff’s Deputies Killed In Explosion At Training Center

Death

Explosion

Sheriff

Katy Perry recently filed a temporary restraining order against a homeless man she says has visited her California home uninvited, per a report from <a href="https://www.tmz.com/2025/06/30/katy-perry-restraining-order-homeless-man-santa-barbara/">TMZ</a>.
The 40-year-old singer claims Ross Elliott Hedrick, 43, visited her Santa Barbara estate multiple times in May. TMZ reported that the first time Hedrick showed up on Perry’s property, he carried a butane lighter and an aerosol can. He was reportedly arrested but returned a week later. On his second visit, he allegedly threw a blanket over the security fence. The TRO also requests protection for Perry’s partner, actor Orlando Bloom. The news comes as rumors of the couple’s breakup are swirling.
According to court documents obtained by TMZ, Perry requested a court order for Hedrick to stay at least 100 yards away from her, Bloom, her properties, her job, and her car.
Perry’s security company reportedly believes Hedrick will continue attempting to make contact with the pop star and provided screenshots of Ring video showing Hedrick at her estate.
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Though Perry and Bloom haven’t publicly confirmed their split yet, multiple sources have reported that the pair is breaking up after nine years together.
“Katy and Orlando have been suffering through the same problems that have plagued them for years,” a source said, per <a href="https://people.com/katy-perry-orlando-bloom-problems-years-before-split-exclusive-11764457">People</a>. “[They had] too much going on in their lives, which makes it hard to find time for each other and iron out disagreements. When they don’t communicate properly, their relationship dips to a low level.”
Perry has been having some issues with fans negatively reacting to her latest album and current “Lifetimes Tour.” Videos of the singer dancing onstage prompted viewers to question the choreography and overall quality of the show, especially in comparison to Perry’s past efforts.
The Grammy Award nominee also got mocked for joining Blue Origin’s first all-female flight crew, with critics saying the 11-minute space flight was not a big deal.
Perry referred to her many critics as “unhinged and unhealed.”

Katy Perry

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Celebrities

Homelessness

Orlando Bloom

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) raided a Los Angeles residence that the federal law enforcement agency says has been used to harbor Iranian illegal aliens with ties to terrorists.
CBP arrested two unidentified individuals at the home on Friday after a previous operation at the same address resulted in the arrest of seven Iranian nationals, some of whom are on the FBI terror watch list and associated with an Iranian human smuggling network.
“CBP executed a federal search warrant today at a human smuggling hub in Los Angeles tied to national security threats,” Customs and Border Protection said in a post on X on Friday. “Two individuals were arrested during the operation, which was led by CBP’s Special Response Team with support from Border Patrol tactical units and Air and Marine Operations.”
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🚨BREAKING🚨
CBP executed a federal search warrant today at a human smuggling hub in Los Angeles tied to national security threats. Two individuals were arrested during the operation, which was led by CBP’s Special Response Team with support from Border Patrol tactical units and… <a href="https://t.co/9bhtCw2iWs">pic.twitter.com/9bhtCw2iWs</a>
— CBP (@CBP) <a href="https://twitter.com/CBP/status/1938741939890696464?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 27, 2025</a></blockquote>
“The location has been repeatedly used to harbor illegal entrants linked to terrorism,” the federal law enforcement agency added.
The arrests come amid a broader wave of enforcement actions against Iranian illegal aliens in the wake of the United States’ bombing campaign that targeted Iran’s nuclear production sites.
<a class="c-link c-link--focus-visible" href="https://get.dailywire.com/freedom/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=freedom&amp;utm_content=freedomeditorial" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://get.dailywire.com/freedom/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=freedom&amp;utm_content=freedomeditorial" data-sk="tooltip_parent" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-75638">JULY 4 SALE: Get Six Months Of DW+ Free</a>
Federal authorities arrested <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/ice-arrests-100-iranian-nationals-across-us-amid-sleeper-cell-concerns">130 Iranian nationals</a> who were in the United States illegally in the week following the strikes against Iran&#8217;s nuclear facilities, with 670 Iranians currently being held in ICE detention centers.
Among those <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hezbollah-link-among-11-iranians-arrested-by-ice-in-48-hour-sweep">arrested</a> was a man who served as a sniper in the Iranian military, while another Iranian national was identified as a former member of the Iranian military’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. That individual, ICE said, was connected to the terror organization Hezbollah.
Federal authorities also arrested an American citizen who is accused of harboring an unlawfully present Iranian national and now faces federal charges after she threatened to “shoot officers in the head” as they conducted the raid.
“We have been saying we are getting the worst of the worst out — and we are,” said DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “We don’t wait until a military operation to execute; we proactively deliver on President Trump’s mandate to secure the homeland.”

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The Los Angeles County Sheriff&#8217;s Department (LASD) deleted a social media post on Sunday and then apologized for it after calling the United States&#8217; bombing of key Iranian nuclear facilities a &#8220;tragic event.&#8221;
LASD released a statement saying, &#8220;Our hearts go out to the victims and families impacted by the recent bombings in Iran.&#8221; While the Trump administration <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvg9r4q99g4o">says</a> that the strikes caused &#8220;severe damage&#8221; to Iran&#8217;s most important nuclear facilities, there have been no reported casualties from the U.S. bombing mission, and Iran <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvg9r4q99g4o">claims</a> that all of the targeted facilities were evacuated before the attack.
In its now-deleted social media post, the L.A. County Sheriff&#8217;s Department added, &#8220;While this tragic event occurred overseas, the Los Angeles County Sheriff&#8217;s Department is closely monitoring the situation alongside our local, state, and federal partners.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The LA County Sheriff’s office just deleted this tweet calling the U.S. strikes on the Iranian regime’s nuclear facilities a “tragic event” and saying that “our hearts go out to the victims and families impacted by the recent bombings in Iran.” <a href="https://t.co/xnq2u8NDnY">pic.twitter.com/xnq2u8NDnY</a>
— Jerry Dunleavy IV 🇺🇸 (@JerryDunleavy) <a href="https://twitter.com/JerryDunleavy/status/1936956559029916047?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Later on Sunday, the world&#8217;s largest sheriff&#8217;s department released a statement &#8220;to formally apologize&#8221; for what it called &#8220;an offensive and inappropriate social media post.&#8221;
&#8220;This post was unacceptable, made in error, and does not reflect the views of Sheriff Robert G. Luna or the Department,&#8221; the statement continued. &#8220;As a law enforcement agency, we do not comment on foreign policy or military matters.&#8221;
The sheriff&#8217;s department added that it has launched an investigation to &#8220;determine how [the post] was created and published.&#8221;
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<a href="https://t.co/z6MhYB8knl">pic.twitter.com/z6MhYB8knl</a>
— LA County Sheriffs (@LASDHQ) <a href="https://twitter.com/LASDHQ/status/1936981037021827216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
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State and local agencies across the country ramped up security and preparedness following the United States&#8217; bombing mission over Iran. L.A. Democratic Mayor Karen Bass <a href="https://x.com/MayorOfLA/status/1936616636405948530?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1936616636405948530%7Ctwgr%5Ed5d77118c00f00af1d62e79b8daa0a4762215cc6%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fabc7.com%2Fpost%2Fcalifornia-state-local-officials-monitoring-threats-us-attack-iranian-nuclear-sites%2F16812539%2F">said</a> on Saturday that &#8220;out of an abundance of caution, LAPD is stepping up patrols near places of worship, community gathering spaces and other sensitive sites.&#8221; She added, &#8220;There are no known credible threats at this time.&#8221;
The NYPD <a href="https://x.com/NYPDnews/status/1936584866969342013">said</a> Saturday evening that it was &#8220;deploying additional resources to religious, cultural, and diplomatic sites across NYC and coordinating with our federal partners.&#8221; Similarly, the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, D.C., <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DKYV9RjNheR/">said</a> it is &#8220;actively coordinating with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to share information and monitor intelligence in order to help safeguard residents, businesses, and visitors in the District of Columbia.&#8221;
On Sunday, President Donald Trump&#8217;s border czar, Tom Homan, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-border-czar-warns-of-biden-era-gotaways-amid-iranian-sleeper-cell-concerns">warned</a> of potential Iranian sleeper cells in the United States after the Biden administration allowed more than 1,200 Iranian nationals through America&#8217;s southern border.
“So we know that some terrorists have crossed that border. We’d be a fool to think zero crossed,&#8221; Homan added. &#8220;The thing is, though, we’ve got President Trump as a commander in chief who has put all resources on that.&#8221;

L.A. County Sheriff

L.A. County Sheriff’s Dept Apologizes For Calling U.S. Strikes On Iran A ‘Tragic Event’

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President Donald Trump picked up another legal victory in his fight with Governor Gavin Newsom after an appeals court ruled that he acted within the law when he deployed the California National Guard to protect federal personnel and property in Los Angeles County. 
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday issued a 3-0 ruling in favor of Trump, blocking a ruling from a district judge who said Trump had violated the Constitution when he sent in the National Guard against Newsom’s wishes. 
“Both irreparable harm and the public interest weigh in favor of Defendants, who have an uncontested interest in the protection of federal agents and property and the faithful execution of law,” the court wrote in its decision. “The undisputed facts demonstrate that before the deployment of the National Guard, protesters ‘pinned down’ several federal officers and threw ‘concrete chunks, bottles of liquid, and other objects’ at the officers. Protesters also damaged federal buildings and caused the closure of at least one federal building.”
Last week, the same court <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/appeals-court-says-trump-can-keep-national-guard-deployed-in-l-a?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Appeals+Court+Says+Trump+Can+Keep+National+Guard+Deployed+In+L.A." target="_blank" rel="noopener">granted</a> an emergency injunction to Trump, allowing him to retain control of the guard while the case played out in court. The court said it was convinced by evidence that the guard “engaged only in protecting federal personnel and property.”
Trump deployed the National Guard earlier this month after violence broke out in multiple California cities, including Los Angeles and San Francisco, in response to ICE operations. At least 20 people have been federally <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/we-are-coming-for-you-feds-reveal-more-charges-against-anti-ice-rioters?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=6&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=‘We+Are+Coming+For+You’%3A+Feds+Reveal+More+Charges+Against+Anti-ICE+Rioters" target="_blank" rel="noopener">charged</a> with actions like spitting on or assaulting federal officers and damaging federal property, while dozens more have been arrested by local law enforcement. 
Trump celebrated the decision from the appeals court. 
“BIG WIN in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on the President’s core power to call in the National Guard! The Judges obviously realized that Gavin Newscum is incompetent and ill prepared, but this is much bigger than Gavin, because all over the United States, if our Cities, and our people, need protection, we are the ones to give it to them should State and Local Police be unable, for whatever reason, to get the job done,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “This is a Great Decision for our Country, and we will continue to protect and defend Law abiding Americans. Congratulations to the Ninth Circuit, America is proud of you tonight!”
Newsom also reacted to the decision, noting that the court wrote in its ruling that presidents don’t have unlimited ability to use the National Guard. 
“Donald Trump is not a king and not above the law. Tonight, the court rightly rejected Trump’s claim that he can do whatever he wants with the National Guard and not have to explain himself to a court,” Newsom posted on X. “We will not let this authoritarian use of military soldiers against citizens go unchecked.”
Tensions have remained high in Los Angeles, with the Dodgers saying Thursday that the major league baseball franchise turned away ICE agents hoping to use their parking lots. Homeland Security <a href="https://x.com/DHSgov/status/1935787097048109231" target="_blank" rel="noopener">denied</a> this claim, saying that vehicles with Customs and Border Protection were briefly in the parking lot for a reason unrelated to operation or enforcement actions.

The ‘No Kings’ protests Day in Los Angeles.

Trump Scores ‘Big Win’ Against Newsom In California National Guard Clash

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The Supreme Court upholds Tennessee’s ban on transgender medical procedures for minors. The 6–3 decision is a landmark victory for parents and conservatives, and a defining blow to transgender activism. The United States continues to fortify the Middle East as Trump ramps up the pressure on Iran to surrender. And, as Trump escalates deportation plans, Democrats make headlines by getting themselves arrested.
It’s Thursday, June 19, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.
Morning Wire is available on video! You can watch today’s episode here:
 
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If you’d rather listen to your news, today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below:
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<iframe style="width: 100%; max-width: 660px; overflow: hidden; border-radius: 10px;" src="https://embed.podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/scotus-upholds-trans-treatment-ban-iran-strike-looms-6-19-25/id1576594336?i=1000713542242" height="175" frameborder="0" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation"></iframe>
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<h2>SCOTUS Upholds Gender-Mutilation Ban</h2>
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Topline: In a major win for conservative activists and parent groups, the Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld a Tennessee law banning transgender drugs and surgeries for children.
In the case of United States v. Skrmetti — the justices decided that Tennessee’s law does not violate the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause. The plaintiffs in the case — which included trans-identifying teens and their families — claimed that Tennessee’s law banning puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgeries for minors discriminated against them on the basis of sex. More than 20 states have bans similar to Tennessee’s.
Chief Justice John Roberts penned the court’s <a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf/23-477_2cp3.pdf">opinion</a> and rejected the plaintiffs’ argument. He also said the plaintiffs “contort the meaning of the term ‘medical treatment,&#8217;” writing, “Notably absent from their framing is a key aspect of any medical treatment: the underlying medical concern the treatment is intended to address.”
“The main argument from the other side when we did the oral argument in front of the court was if you have a boy who wants testosterone to resolve a developmental defect, then they can get it,”  Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti told The Daily Wire. “But a girl who wants testosterone to deepen her voice can&#8217;t. The dissenting justices thought that this was some sort of discrimination. But with any medical treatment, you&#8217;re not just handing someone a drug, you&#8217;re giving them a treatment to treat a specific condition. And different drugs have different effects on different conditions. And we differentiate between those purposes all the time. So I thought that was a fatal flaw in the argument on the other side.”
Roberts noted that the number of minors requesting “sex transition treatments” has increased in recent years, and meanwhile, European countries have cracked down on these procedures and drugs. Medical skepticism around these drugs and procedures is only growing – last month, the <a href="https://www.hhs.gov/press-room/gender-dysphoria-report-release.html">HHS</a> released a review saying the “science and evidence do not support” the use of these drugs and procedures for children.
Justice Clarence Thomas wrote a concurring opinion in which he said, “there is no medical consensus on how best to treat gender dysphoria in children,” and “recent revelations suggest that leading voices in this area have relied on questionable evidence, and have allowed ideology to influence their medical guidance.”
Meanwhile, Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote a dissent joined by the two other liberal-leaning justices, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson. Sotomayor claimed that teens needing transgender drugs “can be a question of life or death.” Advocates of these drugs and surgeries have <a href="https://www.heritage.org/gender/report/puberty-blockers-cross-sex-hormones-and-youth-suicide">pushed</a> a similar line to parents of trans-identifying children for years, even as newer evidence has shown that these treatments do not improve children’s mental health.
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<h2>Iran Says It Will &#8216;Never Surrender&#8217; While Trump Teases Possible Strikes</h2>
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Topline:  As the war between Israel and Iran approaches its seventh day, the Ayatollah says his country will never surrender.
On Wednesday, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei let the world know he would never agree to President Donald Trump’s demand for an unconditional surrender. In a video statement, Iran’s theocratic leader said, “Those with wisdom who know Iran, its people and its history, never speak to this nation in the language of threats, because the Iranian nation will not surrender…The United States must know that our people will not surrender, and any military intervention by them will lead to irreparable consequences.” 
That video came a day after President Trump threatened to strike the Ayatollah, and as Israel continues to hammer Iranian nuclear and military facilities. To date, the Israelis have killed 11 of Iran’s 12 highest-ranking military leaders.
The expectation from military experts is that if Trump joins Israel’s offensive, the Iranians would respond by launching missiles at American military installations across the Middle East, particularly those in Iraq, Syria, and Kuwait, which are just across the border. 
“I may do it, I may not do it,” Trump <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/1935338837695189018">said</a> at the White House on Wednesday. “Nobody knows what I’m gonna do. I can tell you this, that Iran’s got a lot of trouble. And they wanna negotiate. And I said, &#8216;Why didn’t you negotiate with me before all this death and destruction?'&#8221;
The president also made it clear that whatever course he takes, he intends to avoid a protracted war and is solely focused on preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. In the latest <a href="https://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/trump_administration_second_term/57_favor_u_s_military_action_against_iran_s_nukes">Rasmussen polling</a>, 57% of Americans support American strikes to destroy Iran’s nuclear program, compared to just 30% who oppose them. But 69% of Americans say that even if they support airstrikes against Iran, they prefer the two sides negotiate an agreement.
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<h2>Immigration Pushback Continues As Trump Admin Sticks To Its Guns</h2>
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Topline:  Blue cities are in rebellion against Trump’s immigration agenda. Protests and riots threaten immigration officers, while Democratic officials openly challenge the federal government.
Most of the pushback against immigration enforcement is in major cities such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York. The resistance involves everything from activist coordination to impeding ICE operations and local officials getting in between ICE and local law enforcement. 
Chicago has suspended an online portal for illegal aliens to apply for IDs. The CityKeys program was shut down after ICE subpoenaed its records. The Chicago city clerk then shut it down and told the <a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/06/14/ice-subpoena-chicago-city-clerk-online-municipal-id/">Chicago Tribune,</a> “We’re going to fight giving over any data to the federal government.” Democratic Mayor Brandon Johnson has been adamant that Chicago would “take to the streets” if it had to resist Trump. 
Comments like that haven’t stopped Trump from targeting these cities.
“Biden allowed 21 million people to come into our country,” Trump <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/1934638998640537748">said</a> earlier this week. “Vast numbers of those people were murderers, killers, people from gangs, people from jails. They emptied their jails out into the US. Most of those people are in the cities, all blue cities, all Democrat-run cities, and they think they&#8217;re going to use them to vote. It&#8217;s not going to happen.” 
Local law enforcement is also cracking down on anti-ICE riots  – a bevy of new charges were announced Tuesday from state and federal officials. U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli and Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman outlined dozens of counts from curfew violations to assault of law enforcement. Hochman said that his district attorney’s office has charged at least 30 people. The U.S. attorney has brought an additional 20 counts. 
Lawmakers on both sides have condemned violence, but Democrats also seem to court their own run-ins with law enforcement. Earlier this month, New Jersey Congresswoman LaMonica McIver was charged after chaos erupted at an ICE detention center in Newark. More recently, New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, who is a candidate for mayor, was arrested outside an immigration court on Tuesday. Police say he was impeding law enforcement. Then last week, Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) had to be forcefully removed from a Homeland Security press conference in Los Angeles.

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Morning Brief: SCOTUS Makes Trans Ruling, Iran Talks Tough, And Dems On Thin ICE

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The doctor who supplied the drug ketamine to “Friends” actor Matthew Perry ahead of his overdose death in October 2023 has taken a plea deal.
Dr. Salvador Plasencia has agreed to plead guilty to four counts of distribution of ketamine in federal court in Los Angeles. The deal was made in exchange for prosecutors dropping other charges against him, including three additional distribution charges and two counts of falsifying records, according to <a href="https://www.npr.org/2025/06/17/nx-s1-5436567/matthew-perry-doctor-guilty-plea">NPR</a>.
The doctor faces a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of at least $2 million, per the signed agreement.
In the weeks after the “Friends” star died, it was revealed that Plasencia allegedly texted another doctor, Mark Chavez, saying &#8220;I wonder how much this moron will pay.&#8221; Plasencia supplied Perry with 20 vials of ketamine, equal to 2,000 mg of the drug, along with ketamine lozenges and syringes in the month before his death, the outlet noted.
Dr. Plasencia’s co-defendant, Jasveen Sangha, nicknamed “The Ketamine Queen,” is one of several others scheduled for trial in August in connection with Perry’s overdose death. Sangha is the only defendant who pleaded “not guilty” and refused a plea deal.
Ketamine is a medication primarily used as an anesthetic in both humans and animals. It is classified as a Schedule III controlled substance and is often used for the treatment of depression, which was Perry’s reason for using it. The 54-year-old actor had a long history of drug and alcohol abuse, which he detailed in his 2022 memoir titled &#8220;Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing.”
The “Friends” star was found face down in his hot tub on October 28, 2023, at his home in Pacific Palisades, California. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s office determined he had drowned but attributed his death to ketamine, which Perry had been taking as part of a therapy. The levels of ketamine found in his system were so high that they were close to the range that would be used for general anesthesia during surgery, The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/5-arrested-in-connection-with-matthew-perrys-overdose-death-including-2-doctors-report">reported</a>.
“At the high levels of ketamine found in his postmortem blood specimens, the main lethal effects would be from both cardiovascular overstimulation and respiratory depression,” the report said.
In his memoir, Perry wrote about his experience using ketamine.
“I often thought that I was dying during that hour. Oh, I thought, this is what happens when you die. Yet I would continually sign up for this s*** because it was something different, and anything different is good,” Perry wrote.
The actor wrote that the ketamine treatments made him feel like he was “hit in the head with a giant happy shovel,” but that the feeling he got from the hangovers “outweighed the shovel.”

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Doctor To Plead Guilty In Connection With ‘Friends’ Actor Matthew Perry’s Ketamine Overdose Death

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