LAFC has no margin for error in CONCACAF Champions League semifinal with Philadelphia

• May 2, 2023

The Philadelphia Union has not defeated the Los Angeles Football Club once during the half dozen times the MLS clubs have squared off.

However with one exception, a 4-1 victory for LAFC at BMO Stadium back in their expansion season, the teams’ subsequent results have all been draws following 90 minutes, a result that would imperil the Black & Gold’s CONCACAF Champions League run if something similar happened Tuesday night.

After securing 3-0 leads on the road in previous Champions League rounds, returning to L.A. tied one apiece makes the second leg of this semifinal anything but a coronation for Coach Steve Cherundolo’s group.

“We knew before the game in Philly started it would be like this,” said LAFC defender Sergi Palencia, who watched from the bench as the Union dictated terms of the semifinal match.

Effectively at halftime of the home-and-away Champions League format, LAFC players and coaches were satisfied with the intense and competitive result but not their performance.

Hosting the Eastern Conference champions again after the epic MLS Cup final last November, LAFC used additional time and space to prepare by skipping a league match against Houston, which the league postponed from Saturday until mid-June.

Intent on playing the way it wants against the Union’s challenging diamond-shaped midfield, LAFC worked this week on positioning, organization and not forcing transition attacks against the heavy weight of their opponent’s high press and vertical, direct offense.

“That’s always a lot to handle for any team,” Cherundolo said before the opening contest. “I felt we dealt with it pretty well. Most of the goals have come off of set pieces. The run of play, not too many. So it’s nothing we don’t know. But it’s much the same as they do with everybody. They don’t have a special recipe against us.”

The Union will be without physical midfielder Jose Martinez, who pulled up late with a hamstring injury and did not travel to L.A.

With or without a full complement of key pieces, the Union has proven capable of consistently scoring on LAFC, which it must do at least once to get level on the crucial away-goal tiebreaker.

Scenarios for advancing are simple.

If either team wins, it will represent Major League Soccer in the CONCACAF Champions League final.

Thanks to Kellyn Acosta’s late equalizer at Subaru Park last week, holding Philadelphia scoreless would be enough to send LAFC through to compete against Leon or Tigres UANL.

Ending 1-1 conjures the specter of another penalty kick shootout to decide a major moment between two of the best teams in North America over the past five years.

Save for a scoreless match or a 1-1 finish, any draw keeps the teams level on aggregate and shifts the defining away-goal edge to the Union.

Said Philadelphia head coach Jim Curtin: “Anything is possible, especially if we score early in L.A.”

The Union’s urgency should deliver an open game with more rhythm compared to the choppy first leg, giving an LAFC side eager to return home, where it played twice during seven matches in April, opportunities to add to its advantage.

“We feel we are also equipped to beat them but it’s gonna take a very, very good performance,” Cherundolo said.

PHILADELPHIA AT LAFC

What: CONCACAF Champions League semifinal (2nd leg)

When: Tuesday, 7 p.m. PT

Where: BMO Stadium

TV: FS1, TUDN

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Gov. Newsom touts state’s transition to renewable energy in LA facility tour

• May 2, 2023

California Gov. Gavin Newsom touted the progress the state has made toward weaning itself off of fossil fuels and creating jobs for low-income communities during his tour of a renewable fuels facility in Los Angeles on Monday, May 1.

The governor’s trip comes as the state is grappling with the challenges of climate change. Extreme weather has led to prolonged periods of drought, blistering heat waves, and in recent months, severe thunderstorms and flooding. Climate crisis has also disproportionately impacted low-income communities, who are least able to prepare for and recover from extreme weather events due to their limited resources.

During his tour of World Energy Paramount, the original site of a century-old petroleum refinery, Newsom noted the impact that the fossil fuel industry has had on vulnerable communities.

“That impact is real, and that impact is raw for people living in these communities as it relates to not only the air quality, but the manifestation of air quality as it relates to health outcomes, as it relates to chronic disease and the like. And so we are here with a sense of urgency, a sense of intentionality, and a sense of purpose,” he said.

Paramount World Energy, led by CEO Gene Gebolys, is a green energy supplier that specializes in the production of renewable jet, diesel, gasoline and propane fuels. The 63-acre refinery complex was previously owned by Southern California renewable diesel producer AltAir Paramount and was acquired in 2018 by the Boston-based World Energy.

The company announced a $350 million investment over the next two years to convert the facility into “one of the cleanest fuel refineries in the world,” according to a press release at the time. The project would enable the company to process 306 million gallons of renewable fuel annually, and support 100 green economy jobs.

During an interview after the event, Gebolys told the Southern California News Group that there’s “a complete alignment” between the state policies and the company’s initiatives.

“Obviously, the public sector can’t do anything without a private sector response, and the private sector needs the signal from the public sector,” Gebolys said. “So we are honored and grateful that the governor chose to be here and to recognize the alignment between the private sectors and the public sector in the work that World Energy is doing here.”

The California project has paved the way for additional clean energy works that the company is undertaking in other parts of the world, such as a sustainable aviation project in Houston, and a clean hydrogen initiative in Canada, he said.

“Energy transition is gonna be something that drives many trillions of dollars in investments, and California is gonna be at the tip of that spear,” Gebolys said.

Paramount Mayor Isabel Aguayo said the Paramount project is “one shining example” of the city’s commitment in the global fight against climate change.

“Everyone in town has been aware of this 100-year-old refinery and its outdated manufacturing,” she said, noting that the city council carefully studied World Energy’s permit to transform the production to sustainable aviation fuel before giving the company its stamp of approval.

California, known for its ambitious green energy goals, last week became the first jurisdiction in the world to ban the sale of diesel trucks by 2036. The mandate by the California Air Resources Board also requires large trucking companies to convert to electric or hydrogen models by 2042.

During his speech, the governor also noted the work that the state has undertaken to cut tailpipe emissions of passenger vehicles, namely the Advanced Clean Cars II rule, which built a year-by-year roadmap to transition all new cars sold in California to zero-emission vehicles in 2035.

“And you’re seeing the automobile manufacturers all move in that direction. Whether those that argue for the past like it or not, that transition is underway; those signals have been sent; the policy has been an accelerator, and California, proudly, has led,” Newsom said.

Despite “uncertainty nationally and globally”, the state is “standing tall and firmly” in its transition to green energy and it is doing so in a way that creates jobs for people of color, the governor said.

Fifty-five manufacturers in ZEV, or the zero emission vehicle sector, have chosen to build their headquarters in the state, Newsom said. In addition, there are six times more green energy jobs in California than fossil fuels jobs.

“This transition is well underway, but what’s not well understood is the opportunity to think more broadly than just passenger vehicles, more broadly than just what’s happening in your tailpipe as you navigate the I-405 here in Southern California,” the governor said, adding “This is a big deal, and I can say, I can’t be more proud of anything else in the state.”

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Orange County scores and player stats for Monday, May 1

• May 2, 2023

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Scores and stats from Orange County games on Monday, May 1

Click here for details about sending your team’s scores and stats to the Register.

MONDAY’S SCORES

GIRLS LACROSSE

CIF-SS PLAYOFFS

Wild-Card Round

DIVISION 3

Northwood 16, Paloma Valley 3

Huntington Beach 10, San Marcos 6

BOYS GOLF

SOUTH COAST LEAGUE

San Juan Hills 189, Mission Viejo 208

Co-medalists: Smolinski (SJH) 34, Rasmussen (SJH) 34

NONLEAGUE

Foothill 196, Villa Park 207

​ Orange County Register 

Last lifts mark end of ‘historic’ snow season, Southern California resorts ready for summer

• May 2, 2023

The snow is melting and it’s time to turn attentions to the summer season at Southern California’s mountain resorts.

Mountain High in Wrightwood on Monday, May 1, marked the last day its lifts were running, and a day earlier, Snow Summit in Big Bear had its final runs open following a historic winter that kept snowboarders and skiers stoked through the season.

With temperatures getting into the upper 70s in recent days, the blanket of white stuff was quickly turning to slush and dirt patches were growing as the winter’s snow disappeared. Many riders ditched their snow gear to cruise down the slopes in tank tops and shorts.

Mountain High’s closing day celebration marked the first time in a decade the resort stayed open until May, with 177 inches of snow falling this season.

About 1,500 snowboarders and skiers showed up for their last runs, with a big group ski to mark the final lap, said John McColly, chief marketing officer for Mountain High.

“It was truly an amazing year, not without its highs and lows,” he said. “But the amount of snow we received and the general vibe around the resort – everyone just had the best time ever. Everyone was here having a good time … it was a great year.”

Traditional summer activities kick off May 12, including the opening of its popular disk golf course. Campsites will open soon and, for the first time, the resort will offer mountain biking. Trails will be built in June and will likely open in August, McColly said.

Snow Summit and Bear Mountain reported an estimated 243 inches of snow this winter, far more than the 69 inches the resort tallied last season.

The figure was the most the resort had in its records dating back two decades, the only season coming close was 2019-20, when 168 inches fell but COVID-19 restrictions kept people off the slopes.

“Both in terms of natural snow and operational days and the longest season we have on record, we’re comfortable saying it’s the most successful and historic year in the past 20 years,” said Justin Kanton, spokesperson for Big Bear Mountain Resort, noting that during a 10-day span in February and March, 100 inches fell.

The resort was able to stay open three weeks longer than expected before shutting down Snow Summit on April 30, with Bear Mountain closing earlier in the month.

Despite the plentiful snowfall this season, it’s melting fast, Kanton said.

“Operationally, it was time to flip that switch and get ready for summer,” he said. “All the way around, it was time to make the call and we were glad we were able to go out on a high note.”

Already, heavy machinery was out on Monday moving around snow to dig out mountain biking and hiking trails, he said. “Now, we’re getting ready for summer. All the snow has to make its way down to the lake and that should make for some great summer conditions.”

Also, with Big Bear Mountain Resort’s purchase of Snow Valley this year, the coming months will be spent getting started on renovations and infrastructure updates at that resort, Kanton said.

If you’re not ready for the winter season to end, Mt. Baldy is closed on weekdays but lift tickets are still being sold for May 5-7. And, Mammoth Mountain, about a six-hour drive from Los Angeles and Orange County, expects to stay open for skiing through July.

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Alexander: Lakers-Warriors should be a classic series

• May 2, 2023

Who could possibly have seen this coming, even as late as a couple of months ago?

The best, most interesting and maybe most competitive series in the second round of the NBA playoffs tips off Tuesday night and it involves the 6 and 7 seeds in the Western Conference – not just any 6 and 7 seeds, of course, but the Lakers and Golden State Warriors, winners of five of the NBA’s last nine championships, including the most recent.

It is absolutely not surprising that ABC wanted Game 3 of this series for its Saturday evening (5:30 PDT) showcase. Say what you want about the other conference semifinal matchups – and Knicks-Heat and Celtics-76ers each have plenty of juice, while Denver-Phoenix features the best regular-season team still standing in the Nuggets and two of the game’s brightest stars in two-time reigning MVP Nikola Jokic and the Suns’ Kevin Durant.

But this series has Bron and Steph. In a league where superstars move the needle to a degree not seen in any other sport, and often are recognizable on a first-name basis, LeBron James and Steph Curry are quite the starting point.

There are loads of storylines. For example, how will the potential of seven games in 13 days affect clubs that rely on veterans, even with one-hour flights between LAX and SFO?

On another front, can we consider this another chapter of the L.A.-San Francisco civic rivalry? It’s not on par with Dodgers-Giants or Rams-49ers because (a) the Lakers and Warriors haven’t met in the playoffs since the remnants of “Showtime” knocked off Run-TMC in a quick five-game second round in 1991, and (b) the Warriors have been inhabitants of San Francisco and Chase Center only since 2019.

But right now it’s the best we’ve got, and it could turn out to be pretty special.

Fact is, the defending champs’ season hasn’t been that dissimilar from that of the Lakers. They started out 3-7, were under .500 (29-30) as late as Feb. 23 and needed to win five of their last six regular-season games to finish 44-38 and avoid the play-in round. And their road record was an abysmal 11-30, although they won Games 5 and 7 in Sacramento to decide their last series.

Injuries were an issue. Curry missed 26 games, including 11 each with injuries to his shoulder (December to early January) and his leg (early February to early March). Klay Thompson sat out 13 games, some with minor nicks and some for rest purposes. Anthony Wiggins played just 37 games because of foot, shoulder and adductor muscle injuries (and a family matter).

Golden State reacquired Gary Payton II from Portland in a four-team trade at the deadline that sent former No. 2 overall pick James Wiseman to Detroit, but that deal almost didn’t go through because of Payton’s existing injuries. That lone move wasn’t as dramatic as the Lakers’ major makeover at the deadline, but Payton was valuable off the bench in the Sacramento series.

And the guy who made that deal, Warriors general manager and former UCLA player Bob Myers, is a few weeks away from the executive equivalent of free agency, another juicy storyline.

So, what should we expect?

Curry, with the sweetest jump shot in all of basketball – maybe of all time – will create plenty of defensive headaches; Jarred Vanderbilt, fresh off of a series harassing Memphis’ Ja Morant, now gets to chase the Warriors’ two-time MVP around the court. Meanwhile, Thompson will splash lots of 3-pointers as well and will confound the emotions of his proud dad, Mychal, working on the Lakers’ radio broadcast with John Ireland.

Draymond Green will stir things up, as always. The Lakers, who shrugged off the antics of the Grizzlies in the last round – and particularly the verbiage of Dillon Brooks, the Pocket Draymond – will try to ignore Green, as is generally the wisest course.

Still, one of the prop bets in this series, as offered by SportsBetting.ag, is whether the first image shown in TNT’s Game 1 telecast Tuesday night will be that of Green and James squaring off in Game 4 of the 2016 Finals or LeBron’s chase-down block on Andre Igoudala in Game 7 of that series, en route to Cleveland’s comeback from a 3-1 deficit to win the series. Yes, there’s history here, but it’s more about James than it is about the Lakers.

As was the case against Memphis, much of the Lakers’ success likely hinges on Anthony Davis, who averaged 22.7 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.0 blocked shots per game against the Warriors in the regular season. Expect a big-time battle between Davis and former UCLA big man Kevon Looney, who averaged 9.3 rebounds for the Warriors in the regular season but 15.1 in the Sacramento series with three 20-rebound games, including 21 in Game 7.

James probably won’t have anyone on the other side calling him old in this series, maybe because the “takes one to know one” comeback applies here. But they know him and he knows them, and there will be no secrets.

For what it’s worth, the Lakers won three of the four regular-season meetings. When they lost by 14 at San Francisco on opening night back in October, the starting lineup was James, Davis, Russell Westbrook, Lonnie Walker IV and Patrick Beverley. In the aftermath, LeBron publicly criticized the makeup of the roster. and clearly Rob Pelinka was paying attention.

The victories over the Warriors all occurred after the trade deadline: A six-point win at Chase Center on Feb. 11 with most of the new guys making their Lakers debuts, a 13-point win on Feb. 23 at home and an eight-point victory in downtown L.A. on March 5 featuring a 39-point afternoon by Davis in Curry’s return to the Warriors’ lineup.

If Davis is the key for the Lakers, the 6-foot-7 Wiggins might be the Warriors’ X-factor. He was inactive for the final 25 regular-season games but played all seven against Sacramento, starting six, and averaged 18.1 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.9 blocks.

This series between two of the league’s legacy franchises is old school in another way, one peculiarly L.A. As spring continues, following first-round flameouts by the Clippers and the hockey Kings, it’s again up to the Lakers to carry the banner for Southern California, just like in the old days.

It says here they’ll find a way to keep it going for at least another series. And before you scoff at Lakers in seven, remember who picked the Lakers in six over Memphis.

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CIF-SS boys tennis playoffs: Pairings, schedule for all divisions

• May 2, 2023

CIF-SS BOYS TENNIS PLAYOFFS

OPEN DIVISION

Quarterfinals, Friday, 3 p.m.

Loyola at University

Woodbridge at Palos Verdes

Harvard-Westlake at Peninsula

Claremont at Corona del Mar

DIVISION 1

First round, Wednesday, 3 p.m.

Beckman at Sunny Hills

Mira Costa at San Marcos

Villa Park at Arcadia

Simi Valley at Brentwood

King at Westlake

Redondo at Anaheim Canyon

San Clemente at Marina

San Marino, bye

Calabasas, bye

Santa Margarita at La Canada

Foothill at West Ranch

Oak Park, bye

Flintridge Prep at Los Osos

Dos Pueblos at Servite

Newbury Park at Aliso Niguel

Portola at Palm Desert

DIVISION 2

First round, Wednesday, 3 p.m.

Sage Hill at Capistrano Valley

Alta Loma at Great Oak

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame at Diamond Bar

Torrance at Yorba LInda

Valencia at Ayala

Windward at Placentia Valencia

Temecula Valley at Redlands

Corona Centennial at Huntington Beach

Edison, bye

Walnut at Royal

Crean Lutheran at Troy

Chaminade at South Torrance

El Dorado, bye

Hart at Buckley

West Torrance at Burbank

JSerra, bye

DIVISION 3

Wild-card round

Tuesday, 3 p.m.

Saugus at Ventura

First round, Wednesday, 3 p.m.

Wild-card winner at Cypress

Rancho Mirage at Ridgecrest Burroughs

Crescenta Valley at Nordhoff

Long Beach Poly at St. Margaret’s

Crossroads at Cate

Etiwanda at Riverside Poly

Maranatha at Le Lycee

Millikan at Whitney

Citrus Valley at Corona Santiago

South Pasadena at Arlington

Upland at Trabuco Hills

La Quinta at Cerritos

Foothill Tech at Geffen

Heritage at Murrieta Valley

Rowland at Westminster La Quinta

Burbank Burroughs at Tesoro

DIVISION 4

Wild-card round

Tuesday, 3 p.m.

A: Downey at Anaheim Fairmont

B: Santa Barbara at Thacher

C: Sultana at Western

D: Granite Hills at Lancaster

E: Oakwood at Summit

F: Village Christian at Mayfair

G: Fullerton at Coachella Valley

H: Westminster at Carpinteria

First round, Wednesday, 3 p.m.

Winner A at Long Beach Wilson

Redlands East Valley at Yucca Valley

Winner B at Bishop Montgomery

Winner C at West Covina

Winner D at El Segundo

Serrano at Jurupa Valley

Winner E at Riverside Notre Dame

Winner F at Keppel

Winner G at Webb

Patriot at La Salle

San Dimas at Arrowhead Christian

Brea Olinda at La Mirada

San Gabriel at Edgewood

Rancho Alamitos at Magnolia

Montclair at Warren

Winner H at La Serna

DIVISION 5

Wild-card round

Tuesday, 3 p.m.

A: Cathedral City at Indian Springs

B: Duarte at Schurr

C: Northview at Colton

D: Ganesha at Vista del Lago

E: Santa Ana Valley at Garden Grove Santiago

F: California at Bellflower

G: Knight at Barstow

H: Villanova Prep at Paramount

I: El Monte at Highland

J: Canyon Springs at Hillcrest

K: Chaffey at Liberty

L: Orange at St. Monica

M: Elsinore at Workman

N: Rosemead at Artesia

O: West Valley at Indio

First round, Wednesday, 3 p.m.

Winner A at Arroyo

Paloma Valley at Citrus Hill

Winner B at Chino

Winner C at Malibu

Winner D at Costa Mesa

Winner E at Sierra Vista

Winner F at Arroyo Valley

Winner G at Segerstrom

Winner H at Garey

Winner I at Jurupa Hills

Winner J at Orange Vista

Winner K at Silverado

Winner L at Quartz Hill

Winner M at Whittier

Winner N at Hemet

Winner O at Garden Grove

​ Orange County Register 

Janitors say they’re understaffed, overworked at Irvine Co.-owned properties

• May 2, 2023

Janitors at two Irvine Co.– owned commercial properties held protests Monday, May 1, claiming they’re understaffed, overworked and missing breaks as more people return to office work.

While not directly employed by the real estate development firm, they say Irvine Co. should step in to promote the hiring of more janitors to ensure workloads are equitable. The workers — represented by SEIU United Service Workers West — say that would reduce employee burnout and give them more time to properly sanitize the buildings to guard against the spread of COVID-19.

Irvine Co. declined to comment on the janitors’ concerns, but ABM Janitorial Services, which employs many of the workers, issued a statement late Monday afternoon:

“We greatly value the work, dedication, and excellence of our janitorial team members,” the company said. “We are in full compliance with our labor agreements and will continue to work with our union counterparts to resolve any open issues.”

One of Monday’s May 1 protests was held at this Irvine Co.-owned office building in San Diego. (Photo courtesy of SEIU-USWW)

Monday’s protests were held at the Newport Beach office of Irvine Co. Chairman Donald Bren and at another company-owned office building in San Diego. Their concerns are shared by more than 320 janitors who are employed at Irvine Co.-owned buildings throughout California.

Some claim they have to clean nearly 79,000 square feet of office space per eight-hour shift with just a 30-minute break. That’s the equivalent of cleaning more than 42 average-sized homes per shift, the union said.

“The workloads can be heavy, especially if there are large events going on,” said Rosa Cazares, who works at an office building in San Diego. “My arms ache from picking up so many trash bins. I’m dragging my feet at the end of the day.”

The 53-year-old National City worker said she’s often forced to miss her breaks in order to complete her work.

“They need to hire more people, but ABM recently laid off some employees, and that has increased the amount of work we have to do,” Cazares said.

SEIU-USWW spokesman Sebastian Silva said businesses in the office buildings are also being impacted.

“Tenants who lease space in the buildings are losing out because the buildings aren’t being properly sanitized,” he said.

Luis Fuentes, SEIU-USWW’s regional vice president, said increasing workloads have been an ongoing problem in the janitorial industry, even before the pandemic kicked in.

“For several years we have tried to bargain over these concerns with ABM and other employers at the bargaining table, but they have been unwilling to agree on reasonable terms and continue to withhold information to justify the work that they are assigning,” Fuentes said in a statement.

The janitors’ labor contract will expire April 30, 2024.

Fuentes said some janitors are having their work routes doubled as a result of layoffs, resulting in dangerous working conditions.

“That’s why workers are standing up to demand equitable, safe workloads,” he said.

​ Orange County Register 

University earns No. 1 seed in Open Division for CIF-SS boys tennis playoffs

• May 1, 2023

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It’s been called the Southeastern Conference, or the Trinity League, of high school tennis groups because of its strength and depth of tough competition.

No matter what nickname one gives Pacific Coast League tennis, it lived up to its reputation once again Monday.

Three Pacific Coast League teams — University, Beckman and Sage Hill — claimed No. 1 seeds in their respective divisions as the CIF-SS announced the boys team playoff pairings.

League champion University (23-1) is seeded first in the Open Division while third-place Beckman (16-6) and at-large entry Sage Hill (13-9) grabbed the top seeds in Division 1 and 2, respectively. Portola (11-7-1), the fourth-place finisher in the league, is seeded second in Division 1.

The Pacific Coast League’s recognition didn’t stop there. Second-place Woodbridge (15-4) also was selected to the prestigious Open Division, an eight-team group that enters its fourth year.

The premier division also includes No. 2 seed Corona del Mar (16-4), No. 3 Peninsula (19-4), No. 4 Palos Verdes (13-2), Harvard-Westlake (21-3), Claremont (15-1) and newcomer Loyola (14-3-1).

University, the defending Open champion, plays host to Loyola in the first round Friday while Claremont travels to Corona del Mar. Woodbridge plays at Palos Verdes.

The Trojans, a two-time Open Division champion, are coming off capturing a third consecutive team title at the Ojai tournament on Saturday. In late March, they finished second to Punahou of Hawaii in the All-American tournament.

Sage Hill could face stiff competition from Orange County foes in Division 2. Trinity League champion JSerra (17-2), Wave League champion Edison (14-3) and Huntington Beach (10-6) are seeded second, third and fourth, respectively.

Empire League champion Cypress (18-3) and South Coast League champion Tesoro (11-4) are seeded first and second, respectively, in Division 3.

In Division 5, Garden Grove (13-4), the Golden West League champion, and Segerstrom (12-11), the league runner-up. are seeded second and fourth, respectively.

The playoffs begin Tuesday with the wild card round and conclude May 12 with the finals at The Claremont Club.

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