A BBC TV news host may face consequences for making her “disgust” obvious when being forced to use the phrase “pregnant people” while reading from a teleprompter earlier this year.
Martine Croxall had twenty formal complaints lodged against her following a June broadcast. 
“London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine has released research, which says that nearly 600 heat-related deaths are expected in the U.K.,” Croxall said during the broadcast in question.
“Malcolm Mistry, who was involved in the research, says that the aged, pregnant people… women,” she went on after a pause, “and those with pre-existing health conditions need to take precautions.”
“I have a new favorite BBC presenter,” J.K. Rowling <a href="https://x.com/jk_rowling/status/1936720618478805251?lang=en">wrote</a> in June after the segment aired.
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I have a new favourite BBC presenter. <a href="https://t.co/l2gkThccty">https://t.co/l2gkThccty</a>
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) <a href="https://twitter.com/jk_rowling/status/1936720618478805251?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 22, 2025</a></blockquote>
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BBC News reps initially defended Croxall’s delivery, saying her reaction was because of “scripting which somewhat clumsily incorporated phrases from the press release accompanying the research.”
But now that’s changed. The BBC’s Executive Complaints Unit (ECU) <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3epwz08ewzo">announced</a> Thursday that Croxall had indeed violated its prescribed editorial standards of impartiality.
“The phrase ‘pregnant people’ was followed by a facial expression which has been variously interpreted by complainants as showing disgust, ridicule, contempt or exasperation,” the news release from the ECU <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/contact/ecu/news-1230pm-news-channel-21-june-2025">said</a>.
“…The ECU considered the facial expression which accompanied the change of ‘people’ to ‘women’ laid it open to the interpretation that it indicated a particular viewpoint in the controversies currently surrounding trans identity, and the congratulatory messages Ms. Croxall later received on social media, together with the critical views expressed in the complaints to the BBC and elsewhere, tended to confirm that the impression of her having expressed a personal view was widely shared across the spectrum of opinion on the issue,” it said.
While the statement did not detail any punishments Croxall will receive for her actions, social media has been congratulating her for taking a stand for team sanity ever since the incident occurred.
Piers Morgan said, “The BBC expects a female presenter to use the words ‘pregnant people’ about pregnant WOMEN, and then reprimands her when she rolls her eyes?! Pathetic.”
“She should have her own news channel,” one commenter <a href="https://x.com/WilshawSheana/status/1986771953470804012">suggested</a>.
“I loved that. It was so well done. Such a small thing, but it was a powerful reality check. She deserves a raise and a promotion,” another <a href="https://x.com/Nobody78787878/status/1986660817631130006">said</a>. “The Emperor’s New Clothes have hereby been exposed to the world.”

Martine Croxall

BBC Finds News Anchor In Violation After Showing ‘Disgust’ At The Phrase ‘Pregnant People’

BBC Finds That News Anchor Showing 'Disgust' At The Phrase 'Pregnant People' Was A Violation

Entertainment

LGBT

News

Television

U.K.

President Donald Trump unveiled a deal with U.K.-based drugmaker AstraZeneca on Friday under which the company will sell some medicines at a discount to the government&#8217;s Medicaid health plan in exchange for tariff relief, similar to a drug pricing pact reached last week with Pfizer.
The deals set a framework the White House will use to try to reach its goal of lowering U.S. prescription medicine prices. The president sent letters to 17 leading drugmakers in July telling them to slash prices. Pfizer and Astra are the first two companies to reach a deal with the administration.
AstraZeneca will also offer some of its drugs at up to 80% off their list price through the TrumpRx website planned for next year, CEO Pascal Soriot said at an event in the Oval Office.
He said the company will receive a three-year tariff exemption &#8220;to localize the remainder of our products.&#8221;
U.S. patients currently pay by far the most for prescription medicines, often nearly three times more than in other developed nations, and Trump has been pressuring drugmakers to lower their prices to what patients pay elsewhere or face stiff tariffs.
Last month, Trump threatened 100% tariffs, ratcheting up pressure on the pharmaceutical industry to agree to price cuts and shift manufacturing to the U.S., after negotiations broke down earlier this year, lobbyists and executives told Reuters following the Pfizer deal.
More than 70 million people are covered by Medicaid, the state and federal government program for low-income people. Drug spending in that program is dwarfed by that of Medicare, which covers people aged 65 and older or those with disabilities and is not included in Friday&#8217;s announcement.
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Medicare&#8217;s drug spending reached $216 billion in 2021, while Medicaid&#8217;s gross spending was around $80 billion.
The Medicaid program already receives the lowest drug prices in the U.S., so the additional savings may be modest, said Craig Garthwaite, a professor at Northwestern University&#8217;s Kellogg School of Management.
&#8220;If you look at AstraZeneca&#8217;s portfolio, I don&#8217;t think there are a bunch of drugs that exist where that&#8217;s going to involve them giving a very big discount to Medicaid,&#8221; Garthwaite said.
AstraZeneca&#8217;s Pfizer‑like deal may spare it tariffs, but will not move the needle on U.S. rising health insurance premiums and out‑of‑pocket drug costs, said Rena Conti, an associate professor at Boston University.
&#8220;It&#8217;s good for the companies, and has very uncertain if any benefit for Americans struggling with the affordability of prescription drugs,&#8221; Conti said.
Soriot has worked to keep his company close to Washington while pursuing its growth strategy.
AstraZeneca in July announced it will invest $50 billion in U.S. manufacturing and research and development by 2030. It will build its biggest site worldwide in Virginia, and expand facilities in five other U.S. states.
In September, the company announced it will sell its diabetes and asthma drugs direct to cash-paying U.S. patients at a discount of up to 70% off list prices, another move in response to Trump&#8217;s pressure campaign.
Soriot this year has played up the company&#8217;s U.S. credentials. He described the Anglo-Swedish firm as a &#8220;very American company,&#8221; highlighting its identity shift toward its largest market. AstraZeneca will list its shares in the United States as well as its current markets in the UK and Europe.
(Reporting by Steve Holland in Washington and Michael Erman in New Jersey; Additional reporting by Jarrett Renshaw and Ahmed Aboulenein in Washington, Maggie Fick in London, Patrick Wingrove in New York and Mariam E Sunny in Bengaluru; Editing by Caroline Humer and Bill Berkrot)

Donald Trump

Trump Announces U.S. Drug Pricing Deal With AstraZeneca

Economy

Health

Health Care

Pfizer

Prescription Drugs

White House

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump were treated to full royal honors in the United Kingdom on Wednesday, riding by carriage to Windsor Castle and welcomed by King Charles III, Queen Camilla, Prince William, and Catherine, Princess of Wales.
The president and first lady&#8217;s carriage was escorted into the Windsor Castle courtyard by British military servicemen on horseback. A total of 1,300 servicemen and 120 horses took part in the welcoming ceremony, The New York Post reported. The pageantry will also include a joint U.S.-U.K. military flyover.
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WHAT A SIGHT! Carriages for <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/FLOTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FLOTUS</a>, and Their Majesties arrive at Windsor Castle in a remarkable welcome for the unprecedented second state visit of President Donald J. Trump 🇺🇸🇬🇧 <a href="https://t.co/NAgxH5XAia">pic.twitter.com/NAgxH5XAia</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1968278594318483482?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2025</a></blockquote>
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As the Trumps arrived at the historic castle, the &#8220;Star-Spangled Banner&#8221; was played.
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The Star-Spangled Banner is played for <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/FLOTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FLOTUS</a> upon their arrival at Windsor Castle with Their Majesties. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/4wcie2Nt3L">pic.twitter.com/4wcie2Nt3L</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1968278962691588144?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2025</a></blockquote>
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After being greeted by the king, Trump also took part in the inspection of the Guard of Honor.
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.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> and His Majesty The King proceed with the Inspection of the Guard of Honor at Windsor Castle
🇺🇸🇬🇧 <a href="https://t.co/Z4Ox6bnd4q">pic.twitter.com/Z4Ox6bnd4q</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1968281249728094397?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The visit on Wednesday marks the second time Trump has been welcomed to the U.K., following his official state visit in June 2019. Trump is the first U.S. president ever invited to Britain for a second state visit.
The Trumps are scheduled to dine with the royal family at a banquet at Windsor Castle later on Wednesday. Before the banquet, Trump and the first lady will visit St. George’s Chapel and lay a wreath at the tomb of the late Queen Elizabeth II. On Thursday, Trump is expected to meet with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at Chequers, the prime minister&#8217;s country estate, where the two leaders will <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/uk-us-announce-tech-energy-deals-during-trump-visit-2025-09-14/">sign</a> multiple tech and energy deals and hold a press conference.
“My relationship is very good with the U.K., and Charles, as you know, who’s now king, is my friend,” Trump said on Tuesday before departing the White House.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/FLOTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FLOTUS</a>, together with Their Majesties, make their way into Windsor Castle.🇺🇸🇬🇧 <a href="https://t.co/u9gzZ2rr8o">pic.twitter.com/u9gzZ2rr8o</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1968283385597726991?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Trump&#8217;s U.K. state visit comes just days after more than 100,000 protesters <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/london-unite-the-kingdom-rally-organized-by-far-right-activist-tommy-robinson/">filled the streets</a> of London, led by Right-wing activist Tommy Robinson, calling for the British government to stop welcoming influxes of Muslim migrants. Protesters carried British flags and St. George&#8217;s red-and-white flag of England, chanting, &#8220;We want our country back!&#8221;
Trump has criticized Europe&#8217;s liberal immigration policies in the past, but he recently praised the U.K. for taking a &#8220;stronger stance.&#8221;
“On immigration, you better get your act together, or you&#8217;re not going to have Europe anymore,&#8221; Trump <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37T_oXEKj5g">warned</a> last month while in Scotland, adding, &#8220;You gotta stop the horrible invasion that&#8217;s happening to Europe, many countries in Europe.&#8221;
The president has also blasted European countries for relying on windmills for energy, arguing that they are ineffective and harming the continent&#8217;s natural beauty.
While Trump received a royal welcome at the castle, not everyone in the U.K. was happy to see the U.S. president. Some people gathered in London to protest Trump&#8217;s visit. The demonstrators carried anti-Trump and anti-Israel signs, while some waved Palestinian flags. On Tuesday night, activists projected images of the Trumps alongside convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein on the walls of Windsor Castle, the Associated Press <a href="https://x.com/AP/status/1968279704982425726">reported</a>. Four people were arrested.
British political commentator Piers Morgan, however, <a href="https://x.com/piersmorgan/status/1968290069888029043">said</a> that the anti-Trump protests in London and Windsor were significantly smaller than the protests that emerged during Trump&#8217;s 2019 visit.
&#8220;Barely any anti-Trump protests in Windsor or London… very different mood to his last state visit, and very revealing about changing attitudes to the President second time round,&#8221; Morgan wrote on social media.

UK Hosts President Trump And First Lady Melania Trump For State Visit – Day Two

Trump Welcomed To Windsor Castle With Royal Carriage Procession For Unprecedented Visit

Executive

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King Charles III

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The U.S. military destroys a drug boat from Venezuela as a federal judge tries to block President Trump from using the National Guard for law enforcement in Los Angeles. A massive populist backlash against mass migration is fueling a historic political shift to the Right across Europe. The FDA restricts access to COVID vaccines for healthy Americans as President Trump demands Big Pharma release its data and questions his own Operation Warp Speed.
It’s Wednesday, September 3, 2025, 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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<h2>U.S. Military Sinks Drug Boat, Judge Blocks Trump in L.A.</h2>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-968047" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.3.25-Wed-SH1-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.3.25-Wed-SH1-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.3.25-Wed-SH1-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.3.25-Wed-SH1-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.3.25-Wed-SH1-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.3.25-Wed-SH1.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></div>
Topline: The U.S. military destroyed a boat allegedly carrying drugs from Venezuela on Tuesday, the most dramatic move yet in the Trump administration&#8217;s war on cartels, as a federal judge in California ruled against the president&#8217;s use of the National Guard for domestic law enforcement. 
As part of an &#8220;enhanced counter narcotics operation,&#8221; the U.S. military has deployed at least eight warships to the Caribbean. &#8220;We just, over the last few minutes, shot out a drug-carrying boat,&#8221; President Trump announced Tuesday. &#8220;These came out of Venezuela.&#8221; The action follows the president&#8217;s designation of several large drug cartels as terror organizations, allowing for a more aggressive military approach. 
Meanwhile, a district judge in San Francisco ruled Tuesday that Trump’s deployment of the National Guard in Los Angeles to protect federal property and aid immigration enforcement was illegal. The judge, Charles Breyer, barred guardsmen from engaging in law enforcement activities. The Trump administration will appeal the ruling, which has been put on hold for ten days. A federal appeals court previously reversed a similar ruling from Breyer in June. 
In other administration news, the Pentagon will send up to 600 of its lawyers to the Justice Department to serve as temporary immigration judges, a move intended to clear a 3-million-person backlog and speed up deportations. President Trump also announced that the U.S. Space Command Headquarters will be relocated to Huntsville, Alabama, a move the White House says will save nearly half a billion dollars.
&nbsp;
<h2>Europe Sees Historic Shift to the Right Amid Migrant Backlash</h2>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-968045" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.3.25-Wed-SH2-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.3.25-Wed-SH2-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.3.25-Wed-SH2-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.3.25-Wed-SH2-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.3.25-Wed-SH2-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.3.25-Wed-SH2.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></div>
Topline: For the first time in modern history, right-wing populist parties are leading the polls in Europe&#8217;s three largest economies — France, Germany, and the United Kingdom — driven by a massive public backlash against mass migration. 
&#8220;Immigration is the number one factor driving all of these movements,&#8221; Alvino-Mario Fantini, editor-in-chief of the European Conservative, told Morning Wire. Since 2015, an estimated 25 to 30 million immigrants, primarily from Muslim countries, have entered Europe, leading to a culture clash and widespread anger over the high costs of housing and welfare for migrants. 
As a result, nationalist parties like Nigel Farage’s Reform UK, France’s National Rally, and Germany’s Alternative for Germany are now topping the polls in their respective countries. 
The establishment parties have responded with what many conservative analysts call &#8220;lawfare,&#8221; similar to tactics used against the MAGA movement in the U.S. In France, National Rally leader Marine Le Pen was convicted of misusing E.U. funds and banned from running for office for five years. In Germany, the country’s intelligence agency has classified the Alternative for Germany party as an “extremist” group, which could be used to ban its members from public office.
&nbsp;
<h2>FDA Restricts COVID Vax as Trump Questions Warp Speed</h2>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-968043" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.3.25-Wed-SH3-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.3.25-Wed-SH3-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.3.25-Wed-SH3-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.3.25-Wed-SH3-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.3.25-Wed-SH3-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.3.25-Wed-SH3.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></div>
Topline: The FDA has removed the emergency use authorization for COVID vaccines, restricting their availability for healthy Americans, as President Trump is now publicly questioning his own Operation Warp Speed and demanding that pharmaceutical companies release their data on the shots. 
The FDA has removed the &#8220;emergency use authorization&#8221; that allowed widespread access to COVID vaccines during the pandemic. While high-risk individuals can still get the vaccine, healthy people will now need a recommendation from a physician. FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary said the agency doesn&#8217;t &#8220;have data [on] healthy Americans, so we’re not recommending it for healthy Americans,&#8221; adding that the change makes future vaccine mandates &#8220;legally impossible.&#8221; 
The move comes as President Trump has taken a more critical tone on the vaccines. In a post on Truth Social, he demanded that companies like Pfizer &#8220;justify&#8221; the success of the drugs and release their data to the public. In a notable shift, he also questioned his own signature program, writing, “I hope OPERATION WARP SPEED was as ‘BRILLIANT’ as many say it was. If not, we all want to know about it, and why???” 
The policy changes follow a major shakeup at the CDC, where HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently fired the director, prompting several other top officials to resign and nine former directors to write an op-ed condemning Kennedy. NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya responded by noting that the former directors criticizing Kennedy were the same ones who &#8220;embraced politicized school closures and covid vaccine mandates.”

MRN 9.03.25 Thumbnail V1

Morning Brief: US Military Strikes Drug Boat, Rise Of European Populism & COVID Vax Pullback

COVID

COVID-19 Vaccine

Drug Cartels

Europe

France

Germany

Operation Warp Speed

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Venezuela

World

New details from the Minneapolis school shooter&#8217;s manifesto reveal his anguish over his transgender identity, sparking a fierce national debate over motive. A patriotic &#8220;flagging&#8221; movement sweeps the U.K. as public backlash grows against the government&#8217;s mass migration policies and a surge in migrant crime. The multi-billion dollar college football season kicks off this weekend amid a new era of paid athletes and an expanded playoff.
It’s Friday, August 29, 2025, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.
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<h2>Minneapolis Shooter’s Manifesto Reveals Transgender Anguish</h2>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-966753" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.29.25-Fri-SH1-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.29.25-Fri-SH1-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.29.25-Fri-SH1-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.29.25-Fri-SH1-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.29.25-Fri-SH1-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.29.25-Fri-SH1.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></div>
Topline: Newly deciphered writings from the trans-identified shooter who attacked a Minneapolis Catholic school reveal his anguish over his gender identity, sparking a fierce national debate over the motive for the massacre.
Two days after the horrific attack that left two children dead and 17 others injured, authorities have deciphered parts of the shooter’s cryptic manifesto. According to a translation from the New York Post, the writings reveal a deep internal struggle: &#8220;I am tired of being trans, I wish I never brain-washed myself,&#8221; one passage reads. &#8220;I regret being trans. I wish I was a girl I just know I cannot achieve that body with the technology we have today.&#8221;
Many on the Right are pointing to a growing number of mass shootings committed by transgender offenders and arguing that affirming a transgender identity, which they view as a form of mental illness, creates mental anguish that can lead to violence. The White House said Thursday that HHS is investigating potential links between &#8220;gender affirming drugs&#8221; and violence.
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Many on the Left and in the legacy media have either avoided the transgender component or insisted that discussing it is bigoted. &#8220;Anybody who is using this as an opportunity to villainize our trans community&#8230; has lost their sense of common humanity,&#8221; said Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey. MSNBC&#8217;s Jen Psaki claimed that discussing the shooter&#8217;s identity is an attempt to &#8220;distract from what matters,&#8221; which she said is gun control. Several outlets, including The New York Times, have run headlines claiming the shooter&#8217;s motive is a &#8220;mystery,&#8221; despite his explicitly anti-Christian and anti-Trump writings.
&nbsp;
<h2>‘Flagging’ Movement Sweeps U.K. Amid Migrant Backlash</h2>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-966749" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.29.25-Fri-SH2-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.29.25-Fri-SH2-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.29.25-Fri-SH2-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.29.25-Fri-SH2-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.29.25-Fri-SH2-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.29.25-Fri-SH2.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></div>
Topline: A new patriotic movement known as “flagging” is sweeping the United Kingdom, as public anger grows over the government&#8217;s mass migration policies and a surge in violent crime committed by migrants.
The organic movement involves citizens raising the Union Jack and the St. George’s Cross flags on lampposts and in public spaces. It grew out of protests against the government&#8217;s practice of housing illegal immigrants in local hotels, which has led to a number of rapes and assaults on local people.
Critics have labeled the movement &#8220;xenophobic,&#8221; but supporters point to a double standard, as local councils that have been quick to take down British flags have been afraid to remove Palestinian flags from heavily Muslim areas.
The backlash comes as government data shows a surge in crimes committed by foreign nationals. According to the Centre for Migration Control, convictions of foreign nationals for sexual offenses increased by a &#8220;staggering 62%&#8221; between 2021 and 2024. A recent viral video from Scotland shows a 12-year-old girl brandishing an axe and a machete to defend herself and her 14-year-old sister from a man with a foreign accent who appears to have been harassing them. The girl has since been <a href="https://x.com/PoliceScotland/status/1960745568747102433">charged</a> by police with possession of a knife &#8212; the man involved has not been charged and has <a href="https://uk.news.yahoo.com/migrant-confronted-schoolgirl-12-wielding-104332586.html">publicly</a> denied any wrongdoing, claiming that the girls approached him.
&nbsp;
<h2>College Football Kicks Off in New Era of Paid Athletes</h2>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-966751" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.29.25-Fri-SH3-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.29.25-Fri-SH3-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.29.25-Fri-SH3-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.29.25-Fri-SH3-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.29.25-Fri-SH3-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.29.25-Fri-SH3.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></div>
Topline: The multi-billion dollar college football season kicks off this weekend, ushering in a new era of paid athletes, an expanded 12-team playoff, and a slate of high-stakes opening matchups.
This season marks the second year of the expanded 12-team playoff and the first full season since the House v. NCAA settlement, which allows universities to pay athletes directly through revenue sharing, in addition to existing Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals.
The opening weekend is packed with marquee games. On Saturday, the action kicks off with preseason number one Texas, led by quarterback Arch Manning, visiting the reigning national champion Ohio State Buckeyes. The afternoon features Alabama traveling to Florida State, and the primetime game is a top-10 showdown between LSU and Clemson.
The action continues through the holiday weekend with Miami hosting Notre Dame on Sunday, and the collegiate head coaching debut of eight-time Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick on Monday night, when his North Carolina Tar Heels host TCU.

MRN 8.29.25 Thumbnail V1

Morning Brief: Minneapolis Shooting Fallout, UK Immigration Backlash, A New Era Of College Football

College Football

Crime

Immigration

Jen Psaki

Minneapolis

School Shooting

Sports

United Kingdom

A London restaurant has closed over alleged frozen dog meat and multiple health code violations.
Vietnamese restaurant Pho Na shut down after inspectors found suspicious meat labeled &#8220;goat wrapped in leaves,&#8221; Metro <a href="https://metro.co.uk/2025/08/14/london-vietnamese-restaurant-shut-down-after-dog-meat-found-in-freezer-23911343/">reported</a>. An analysis confirmed the meat was dog, not goat.
The health inspectors also found cockroaches and mice droppings in the restaurant, the outlet said.
The owner, Vuong Quoc Nguyen, denied the health code violations in court Tuesday. His defense attorney said Nguyen was unaware that the product was dog meat, because it had been given to him by someone else. The attorney also said Nguyen never intended to sell the meat and had hired pest control to deal with the cockroaches.
The Lewisham Council said it did not order Nguyen to close Pho Na and said the store was &#8220;sold independently.&#8221;
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About 40% of people in Vietnam eat dog meat, <a href="https://www.humaneworld.org/en/campaign/ending-viet-nams-dog-cat-meat-trades">according</a> to the Humane World for Animals. The dog meat trade kills about five million dogs a year.
It is illegal to sell dog meat in the United Kingdom, but it is legal to kill and eat dogs if the animals are killed humanely.
The U.K. almost banned the consumption of dog meat in 2019, but the Ministry of Justice blocked the move over concerns that it was &#8220;culturally insensitive,&#8221; The Sun <a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/9934112/legal-ban-eating-dogs-blocked-far-east/">reported</a> at the time.
Former Member of Parliament Giles Watling told the outlet he was &#8220;surprised&#8221; by the decision.
&#8220;We do not eat [dogs], and that is a very important message to send to the rest of the world,&#8221; Watling said at the time. &#8220;It’s not culturally insensitive because we’re not telling them what to do – we’re just telling them what we do.&#8221;
The United States <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/6720?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22dog+meat%22%5D%7D&amp;s=2&amp;r=2">banned</a> &#8220;knowingly slaughtering a dog or cat for human consumption&#8221; in 2018.

VIETNAM-DOG MEAT-CYCLISTS

London Vietnamese Restaurant Shut Down After Inspectors Find Frozen Dog Meat

Animals

Food

A man, 41, was arrested in Glasgow, Scotland, after threatening to blow up an airplane with a bomb on Sunday while denouncing America and President Donald Trump. This occurred during Trump&#8217;s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-secures-biggest-of-all-trade-deals-with-eu">visit</a> to Scotland over the weekend for golf and trade negotiations.
A <a href="https://x.com/ImMeme0/status/1949488946473210095">video</a> was posted to X showing a man, who is reportedly an Indian national residing in the United Kingdom, standing up in a plane&#8217;s aisle, shouting, &#8220;I am going to bomb the plane! Death to America! Death to Trump! Allahu akbar!&#8221;
As the man shouts, a passenger approaches him and tackles him to the floor. Another video <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZABpyJXcj0">reported</a> by The Sun shows the man being interrogated while pinned to the floor, stating that he &#8220;[wanted] to send a message to Trump,&#8221; who he knew was in Scotland.
EasyJet EZY609, which was flying from London Luton Airport to Glasgow, Scotland, was forced to make an emergency landing at a separate runway in Glasgow to account for the man&#8217;s threats, at which point the man was arrested.
Passengers on the plane recalled the stressful event in <a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/36032786/wild-moment-easyjet-passengers-pin-down-man/">statements</a> to The Sun.
One passenger said, &#8220;I&#8217;ve never seen that before. The airline staff, they were all girls, they were really shaken up by it, but they were super professional.&#8221;
The passenger added, &#8220;Some of the passengers were crying because they were shaken up. It was just a bit surreal.&#8221;
The Scotland police released a <a href="https://www.scotland.police.uk/what-s-happening/news/2025/july/man-arrested-and-charged-following-disturbance-on-flight-to-glasgow/?utm_source=Twitter&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=Orlo">statement</a> saying, &#8220;A 41-year-old man was arrested in connection and further enquiries are ongoing. … At this time we believe the incident was contained and that nobody else was involved.&#8221;
The statement mentioned that the videos available were being &#8220;assessed by counter terrorism officers.&#8221;
In a statement released by easyJet, a spokesperson confirmed that &#8220;Flight EZY609 from Luton to Glasgow this morning was met by police on arrival in Glasgow, where they boarded the aircraft and removed a passenger due to their behaviour onboard. … easyJet&#8217;s crew are trained to assess all situations and act quickly and appropriately to ensure that the safety of the flight and other customers is not compromised at any time.&#8221;
The witness said that the man &#8220;literally came out of the toilet shouting &#8216;Allahu Akbar&#8217; with his hands above his head,&#8221; noting that he did not see a cause of the outburst.
The man is set to face a court on Monday, where he will be officially charged.

Singapore Airlines Boeing 777 Landing  At London Heathrow Airport

Man Issues Mid-Flight Bomb Threat: ‘Death To Trump! Allahu Akbar!’

Radical Islam

Terrorism

The U.K. Labour government unveiled a controversial plan this week to lower the voting age to 16 ahead of the next general election, in what many conservatives are calling a blatant attempt to sway the next election in their favor.
Nigel Farage, leader of Reform U.K., called the move “an attempt to rig the political system,” but warned they “intend to give them a nasty surprise.” While Labour currently <a href="https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/2083204/nigel-farage-votes-16-Labour">leads</a> among 16-17-year-olds with approximately 33% support, Reform U.K.’s strong 20% showing suggests the plan could backfire on Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner defended the controversial proposal, <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c628ep4j5kno">saying</a>, “I was a mum at 16, you can go to work, you can pay your taxes and I think that people should have a vote at 16,” according to the BBC.
The voting age change would affect approximately 3% of the U.K. population aged 16 and over. Labour insists the reform isn’t designed to benefit their party, with Rayner claiming, “This isn’t about trying to rig votes for a particular party. This is about democracy and giving young people an opportunity to have a say.”
Speaking in a video posted to X, Farage expanded on his criticism of the proposal.
“The problem with this is, not only do half of youngsters not want the vote, but they have to stay at school now until they’re 18,” Farage said in a video shared to X. “The educational establishment is full of left-wing prejudice, is full of anti-reform bias, and frankly, if 16- to 18-year-olds at school are going to be able to vote, we’re going to have to make sure that our education system is teaching kids to make their own minds up and not indoctrinating them.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Giving 16 and 17-year-olds the right to vote is an attempt to rig the political system. 
If this goes ahead, Labour could be in for a shock. <a href="https://t.co/CF9GYfRfFP">pic.twitter.com/CF9GYfRfFP</a>
&mdash; Nigel Farage MP (@Nigel_Farage) <a href="https://twitter.com/Nigel_Farage/status/1945837816727908842?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 17, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Conservative shadow minister Paul Holmes slammed the policy in the House of Commons, questioning why the “hopelessly confused” government believes “a 16-year-old can vote, but not be allowed to buy a lottery ticket, an alcoholic drink, marry, or go to war, or even stand in the elections they’re voting in?”
Reform U.K. already maintains significant influence among younger demographics on social media, with Farage commanding 1.3 million TikTok followers compared to Labour’s official account, which has just 231,300 followers.
According to Ofcom, 44% of British TikTok users who get news from the platform rely more on “other people they follow” than traditional news outlets.
YouGov polling from June showed that Labour support among 18 to 24-year-olds has dropped by 11% since last year’s general election, while Reform U.K. has seen corresponding gains in the same demographic, <a href="https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/2083263/keir-starmer-voting-age-nigel-farage">per</a> Lotti O’Brien of Express U.K.
The voting age change is part of a broader elections reform package introduced by Starmer’s government.
Other measures include expanding acceptable voter ID to include U.K.-issued bank cards and implementing an automated voter registration system that would share data between government agencies — policies the Conservative Party warns could “undermine the security of the ballot box.”
The government, if the legislation passes through parliament, as anticipated, expects to implement these changes before the next general election, which must take place by 2029, but could be called earlier.

Guests Arrive For The Andrew Marr Show

Nigel Farage Slams U.K. Labour Push For 16-Year-Old Voters, Plans A ‘Nasty Surprise’ For Starmer

Britain

Elections

Labour Party

Nigel Farage

Parliament

Voting

A shocking poll <a href="https://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/women-safety-london-streets-shock-poll-itv-sadiq-khan-sarah-everard-met-police-b1234774.html">found</a> that over half of London women do not feel safe in the capital city.
ITV News London <a href="https://www.itv.com/news/london/2025-06-24/hold-us-to-account-over-target-to-reduce-violence-against-women-and-girls">conducted</a> the Survation poll of 1,528 women and discovered that 57% of respondents do not feel safe on the city streets. Only 32% said they do. Nearly half said they have been followed or verbally harassed by a man, while a third said they’ve experienced physical or sexual assault, some more than once.
The issue of women’s safety in London has gained traction over the last few years, especially after the murders of Sarah Everard and Zara Aleena, as well as sisters Nicole Smallman and Bibaa Henry.
Mayor Sadiq Khan, who is Muslim, <a href="https://www.itv.com/news/london/2025-06-24/hold-us-to-account-over-target-to-reduce-violence-against-women-and-girls">told</a> ITV News London that every three days, a woman in London is killed at the hands of a man.
“Across the globe it is every 10 minutes,” he said. “We&#8217;re doing our bit from City Hall, but we can&#8217;t do it ourselves. That&#8217;s why we are working really closely with the police, with the courts, with the CPS, with the judiciary, but also schools. It&#8217;s got to start from primary school.”
Despite the government committing to halving violence against women within the next decade, 58% of poll respondents said they do not believe the mayor is doing enough on the issue, with only 26% saying better education for young boys would help. 51% said increasing the number of law enforcement officers would make them feel safer. 
Jess Phillips, the Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls, <a href="https://www.itv.com/news/london/2025-06-24/hold-us-to-account-over-target-to-reduce-violence-against-women-and-girls">said</a> the poll figures “saddened” her.
“Every woman I know has been harassed at some point in their life,” she stated.
When asked whether London has become more or less safe over the previous five years, 49% said it has become less safe while only 21% said it has become more safe.
Ben Russel, the Met’s deputy assistant commissioner, said that the volume of violence against women and girls is the real challenge.
“We are receiving thousands and thousands of reports every year. … We know we have got more to do to get to where we want to be. But it&#8217;s something that is important and we all recognise that,” he said.

Wilder Walk Alleyway

Shocking Number Of Women ‘Feel Unsafe’ In One Of The World’s Largest Cities

London

The British House of Commons narrowly approved an “assisted dying” bill on Friday, as critics warned the legislation contains weakened safeguards that could endanger vulnerable patients.
Catholic priest John Howard, who led people in prayer outside parliament, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/british-lawmakers-vote-landmark-assisted-dying-law-2025-06-19/">called</a> the bill’s passage &#8220;a dark day for our country.&#8221;
The legislation, which passed with a narrow 314-291 vote, would allow mentally competent, terminally ill adults in England and Wales with six months or less to live to choose to end their lives with medical assistance.
Critics note that support for the bill has weakened since November&#8217;s initial vote of 330-275, as some lawmakers withdrew support after safeguards were diluted.
The original plan requiring court approval for assisted deaths has been replaced with a requirement for review by a panel including a social worker, senior legal figure, and psychiatrist.
British Health Secretary Wes Streeting <a href="https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/assisted-dying-cost-nhs-wes-streeting-gmbfh63gv">warned</a> that the bill in its current form could lead to a “chilling” scenario in which the cash-strapped National Health Service (NHS) could pressure terminally ill patients into an early death to save NHS money.
Care Not Killing released a statement calling the bill &#8220;deeply flawed and dangerous,&#8221; and CEO Gordon Macdonald slammed the process, criticizing the fact that &#8220;[m]embers of Parliament had under 10 hours to consider over 130 amendments to the Bill, or less than 5 minutes per change.&#8221;
&#8220;Does anyone think this is enough time to consider changes to a draft law that quite literally is a matter of life and death?&#8221; Macdonald continued.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer voted in favor of the bill, which now proceeds to Britain&#8217;s upper chamber, the House of Lords, for months of further scrutiny.
The unelected Lords are traditionally reluctant to block legislation passed by elected members of the House of Commons. However, insiders <a href="https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/opponents-plan-to-thwart-assisted-dying-bill-in-house-of-lords-jft97r0zs">told</a> the Times this bill has many critics in the House of Lords, and could lead the upper chamber to break this norm.
One source told The Times there were “plenty of black arts that could be used to kill the bill off,” and that they could “not imagine how it could get through.”
Another peer concurred: “This bill is still going to have an extremely difficult path to the statute book. There are enough peers in the Lords who are vehemently opposed to it becoming law and more than enough opportunity for them to thwart it. It is far from a foregone conclusion.”
However, many in the U.K. celebrated the bill’s passage despite flaws pointed out by critics.
Emma Bray, a 42-year-old mother of two with motor neuron disease who has been given six months to live, celebrated the vote result.
&#8220;This result will mean that people will not have to go through the same suffering I have faced,&#8221; Bray told Reuters, revealing she had been planning to starve herself to death next month to relieve her pain.

MPs Vote On the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

‘Dark Day’: U.K. Parliament Greenlights Assisted Suicide Bill

Assisted Suicide

England

Keir Starmer

Actor Russell Brand pleaded “not guilty” to charges of rape and sexual assault on Friday.
The 49-year-old appeared at Southwark Crown Court in London for a very short pre-trial hearing. Brand pleaded not guilty to the five charges filed against him.
As The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/russell-brand-charged-rape-sexual-assault">reported</a>, the <a href="https://news.met.police.uk/news/russell-brand-charged-by-the-metropolitan-police-service-495944">accusations</a> stem from four alleged incidents; one in 1999 in which a woman said she was raped in the Bournemouth area, one in 2001 in which a woman claimed she was indecently assaulted in the Westminster area of London, one in 2004 when a woman said she was orally raped and sexually assaulted in the Westminster area of London, and one between 2004 and 2005, in which a woman claimed she was sexually assaulted in the Westminster area of London.
Brand will remain on conditional bail until his trial begins in June 2026, per <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/30/arts/russell-brand-pleads-not-guilty-rape.html">The New York Times</a>. The actor will have to keep the court advised of any address changes going forward until the trial begins. The celebrity is being represented by lawyer Oliver Schneider-Sikorsky, who also defended actor Kevin Spacey against sex assault allegations in 2023.
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Brand released a lengthy video in response after the charges were made public, admitting he used to be a sex addict but claiming that all sexual behavior in his past was consensual.
“I’ve always told you guys that when I was young and single before I had my wife and family… I was a fool,” he said in a video shared on social media on April 4. “Man, I was a fool before I lived in the light of the Lord. I was a drug addict, sex addict, and an imbecile. What I never was was a rapist.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
My response. <a href="https://t.co/wJMGxlwBh0">pic.twitter.com/wJMGxlwBh0</a>
— Russell Brand (@rustyrockets) <a href="https://twitter.com/rustyrockets/status/1908184087304548484?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 4, 2025</a></blockquote>
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“I’ve never engaged in non-consensual activity,” Brand stated at the time. “I pray that you can see that by looking in my eyes.”
He thanked fans again and said he was “grateful” for the opportunity to “defend these charges in court.”

Russell Brand

Russell Brand Pleads Not Guilty To Rape, Sexual Assault Charges

Celebrities

Rape

Sexual Assault

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday announced a major immigration overhaul that doubles the residency requirement for citizenship and imposes stricter English language requirements, declaring settlement in Britain &#8220;a privilege, not a right.&#8221;
The new policy increases the residency requirement from five to ten years before migrants can apply for citizenship, with exceptions for those making a &#8220;high contribution&#8221; to the island nation.
The overhaul is being <a href="https://news.sky.com/story/new-english-language-and-british-citizenship-requirements-for-migrants-13365884">spearheaded</a> by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, promising English language requirements across every visa route, extending to adult dependents for the first time.
&#8220;We will create a migration system that is controlled, selective, and fair &#8211; a clean break from the past,&#8221; Starmer said at a press conference on Monday, per <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tw5oI3qJmFA">Sky News</a>. “When people come to our country, they should also commit to integration and to learning our language.&#8221;
The reforms come as net migration to the U.K. <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cg4vlyly0l2o">reached</a> record levels, climbing to 906,000 in June 2023 and standing at 728,000 last year, according to the BBC.
&#8220;That is what this White Paper will deliver: lower net migration, higher skills and backing British workers,&#8221; with the reforms estimated to cut migrant numbers by 50,000 annually.
Starmer accused industries of being &#8220;almost addicted to importing cheap labour&#8221; instead of &#8220;investing in the skills of people here and want a good job in their community.&#8221; He singled out engineering as a sector &#8220;where visas have rocketed while apprenticeships have plummeted.&#8221;
The government&#8217;s immigration White Paper reflects months of research and comes after Reform U.K. made significant gains in local elections, applying political pressure on Labour to address migration concerns.
While previously critical of Conservative immigration policies, Starmer now finds himself implementing restrictions that in some ways go beyond those proposed by his conservative predecessors.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
If you want to live in the UK, you should speak English. That’s common sense.
So we’re raising English language requirements across every main immigration route.
— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) <a href="https://twitter.com/Keir_Starmer/status/1921872765428109714?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Conservative critics remain skeptical of Labour&#8217;s commitment to immigration control, as <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/live/ce810e3z6dkt?post=asset%3Ae2d3062c-3d44-4892-8559-94757c56adaa#post">polls</a> show increasing popular support for reduced immigration.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp dismissed the proposal, saying the idea that Starmer &#8220;is tough on immigration is a joke&#8221; and promised to push Parliament to introduce a binding cap on migration, which Starmer has declined to implement thus far.
Labour Party MP Sarah Owen, who chairs the Women and Equalities Committee in Parliament, <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/live/ce810e3z6dkt?post=asset%3A9a4b165e-3442-46ba-a81f-b0ea797d5317#post">slammed</a> Starmer from the Left, writing on Bluesky that the PM is &#8220;chasing the tail of the right&#8221; and is putting the U.K. on &#8220;a very dark path.&#8221;
Starmer <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/may/12/uk-risks-becoming-island-of-strangers-without-more-immigration-curbs-starmer-says">warned</a> that without &#8220;fair rules,&#8221; Britain risked becoming &#8220;an island of strangers, not a nation that walks forward together.&#8221;

PM Keir Starmer Holds Press Conference On Immigration

‘Island Of Strangers’: U.K. Raises English Proficiency Requirements In Sweeping Immigration Overhaul

English

Great Britain

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