After all of the intensity of being a business lady and switching platforms in the last few weeks, I thought I’d change gears with this occasional beloved series on a wide range of things that make my life better. None of these are a substitute or solution for a robust social safety net or a society that values care, but they are still fun. Nothing in this list is sponsored, and not all require purchases to experience.If you love audio newsletters and what to try out our membership program, go to thedoubleshift.substack.com/listeners for a free 30-day trial.Recommended Links:*  Zuri Kenya Dresses* The DoubleTree Inn and Suites* Ukiyo Teacup* The Substack App* LocopopsIf you love the Double Shift, I think you’ll also love: * Matriarchy Report: Journalists  and  have a great weekly newsletter focusing on solutions to issues around care work and family life. Their formats include personal essays, Q&As with authors and experts of all kinds, as well as original reporting. I was honored that they recently featured my work at New America under the awesome titles 8 Great Gifts for Caregivers and Every Time Motherhood Radicalizes Someone, an Angel Gets Its Wings. Check out their great work and give ‘em a Subscribe.Making it Work: If you liked this edition of The Double Shift newsletter, you’ll love the thoughtful recommendations from  ’s great newsletter. Her taste is impeccable (or just very similar to mine) and well-researched, especially in the books department for both kids and adults. Also, I love that she makes great recommendations without being overly consumerist, which feels like a fine line sometimes. I think you’ll love it as much as I do. Get full access to The Double Shift at thedoubleshift.substack.com/subscribe

Eight Things That Make My Life a Lil Better (Audio)

In this week’s audio newsletter is an essay about Sophia Chitlik, who is running for NC state senate here in Durham, North Carolina. What excites me the most about Sophia is that she’s promoting a platform we need candidates from across the country to try out. She’s running on care. You can connect with Sophia and read more about her campaign at her website, https://sophiafornc.com. If you love audio newsletters and what to try out our membership program, go to thedoubleshift.substack.com/listeners for a free 30-day trial. If you love the Double Shift, I think you’ll also love: Therapy Takeaway: Dr. (who’s also the author of the wonderful book, Real Self Care) has a newsletter that tackles fascinating systemic issues moms in particular face but brings her unique perspective as a reproductive physiatrist to offer concrete and insightful solutions. I loved her recent post, How to Make Hanging Out Happen, which gives helpful framing on how and why we feel like we never have time for unstructured connection with people. She also offers great ideas for creating more “hangout space” in your life. Platonic Love Letter: I recently discovered the work of  Sir and  and their wonderful newsletter devoted to friendship. I’m particularly taken with their 8-week Training Program for Friendship, which they describe as a “running club meets support group for friendship.” with prompts, action items, and robust discussions in the comment threads. Based on conversations I’ve had with Double Shifters over the years, building meaningful friendships is top-of-mind for many of you, so definitely check out and subscribe to Platonic Love Letter.  Get full access to The Double Shift at thedoubleshift.substack.com/subscribe

The 2024 Candidate That Fills Me With Hope (AUDIO)

Welcome to the audio version of The Double Shift newsletter, read by yours truly, Katherine Goldstein.Today’s edition is about my big financial decision to switch newsletter platforms, and what it means to “start over.” I’m ready (with my face scrunched and my fingers crossed) to take the risk of asking my existing members to stick with me by taking a few extra steps to sign up again with their credit cards on Substack. I believe what I do is valuable. I want it to reach more people. I want to earn more money for it. If you are new to The Double Shift newsletter, some recent posts you may enjoy are my two-part series: The “Every Family for Themselves” Fight for Summer Camp & How to Make Summer Better for Everyone. Or check out Millennial Dads and The Caregiving Praise Conundrum, Your Working Conditions as A Parent Are Unacceptable, or How to Make Friends as An Adult. If you want more audio newsletters and want to be a part of our community, subscribe now and become a member of the Double Shift. If you have questions or need help with your podcast feed or membership, reach out to us at askthedoubleshift@gmail.com. You can get a one month free trial of The Double Shift newsletter on Substack by going to thedoubleshift.substack.com/listeners or click the button below. Get full access to The Double Shift at thedoubleshift.substack.com/subscribe

On Taking Risks and “Starting Over” (Audio)

For some of you, it may have been a minute since you've heard from me since we stopped producing episodes last year. But I want you to know I'm still working hard on all sorts of issues and stories about challenging the status quo of motherhood and beyond. Also, the Double Shift community is thriving!Today I'm sharing some highlights from my new report,  A Playbook to Transform How America Cares: The Care Movement’s Winning Tactics, Lessons, and Case Studies from the Pandemic Era and Beyond which I think Double Shifters will love.If you want to dive into the full report, you can read it here or download the PDF and read it on your Kindle if you're into that. And if you don't have time for this 60 page masterpiece, you can read the key findings here.Be sure to sign up for the written newsletter that's available to all at thedoubleshift.com/newsletter. And if you want to support this work and get audio newsletters like this one weekly, go to thedoubleshift.com/join. It starts at $7 a month and you get all kinds of member perks in addition to the audio newsletters, like weekly discussion threads, monthly virtual and IRL events, and more!Thank you for listening and I appreciate your support - xo Katherine Get full access to The Double Shift at thedoubleshift.substack.com/subscribe

Announcing: A Playbook to Transform How America Cares

It’s been a minute since you’ve heard from us, but Katherine is excited to share news about the next chapter of The Double Shift, a newsletter and community that’s a social change laboratory for moms. The Double Shift has always been more than a podcast, and we're embracing our membership community as a place for building connections around political, social and workplace change, transforming families and building a more just future for everyone. We believe in:Solidarity — not adviceBold ideas — not life hacksCuriosity — not judgmentThoughtful research and analysis — not uninformed flame throwingMembership starts at $7/mo, and members get:An audio version of the newsletter to listen to on your favorite playerThe ability to comment on public posts and members-only private threadsAccess to members-only hangouts on Zoom (and in person!)This is the start of the list. More benefits coming, based on member feedback.Read the full announcement post here! Your paying membership allows this to be one of the very-few non-corporate spaces left on the mom-internet. To sign up for our revamped newsletter full of reporting about the forces that shape family life in America and challenging the status quo of motherhood, go to thedoubleshift.com/newsletter.To see all the member benefits, join the community or upgrade your membership go to thedoubleshift.com/join.If you’d like a donated membership email, askthedoubleshift@gmail.com.Our next virtual hangout is July 20th at 3pm EST. It’s titled Workplace Revolution w/Erin Grau, who’s the co-founder and COO of Charter Works. To listen to Erin on the Double Shift, listen to "Paid Leave, We Can Do Better," and the followup episode we made about Double Shifters who were galvanized to advocate for better family policies by listening to Erin's story. To celebrate our relaunch, this event is open to all. RSVP here.  Get full access to The Double Shift at thedoubleshift.substack.com/subscribe

Announcing... The Double Shift’s Next Chapter

The Double Shift podcast launched three years ago to share the real stories of motherhood in America, and radically explore the social forces that make being a mom so challenging. We’ve brought you stories from inside brothels and a 24-hour childcare center; we’ve confronted capitalism, patriarchy, and the idealized myth of nuclear family; we opened up conversations about mental health and its stigma and amplified the voices of people often left out of conversations about motherhood; and we’ve gone deep on the experiences of moms and caregivers during the pandemic. Along the way we’ve reframed the conversation about motherhood and built a community of folks who aren’t only listening, but also supporting each other and taking action to make their communities better. While the podcast in this format will be on indefinite hiatus, our work is just getting started. We’ll be investing time and energy into our free weekly newsletter, led by Katherine, about the forces that shape family life in America, filled with reporting and storytelling. Sign up here: thedoubleshift.com/newsletterWe’re also nourishing our robust member community with hangouts, audio newsletters, and more. Please join us and support our ongoing mission! It starts at $5/mo. Go to thedoubleshift.com/join.THANK YOU with our whole hearts for being part of The Double Shift.  In case you’d like to go down memory lane, here’s a playlist of some of our favorite episodes over the last 3 years. Pre-order Angela’s book, Essential Labor: Mothering as Social Change.Read this week's newsletter: 5 Things I've Learned as a Pandemic Mom and Podcast Business Lady Get full access to The Double Shift at thedoubleshift.substack.com/subscribe

This is Not Goodbye

For six months last year, tens of millions of families could count on consistent, predictable support from their government to help defray the steep financial cost of raising a child in this country. We hear from moms about how these monthly Child Tax Credit checks helped them support their families, move forward in their careers, make change in their communities, and reduce the psychological trauma of trying to raise a family while living in a constant state of precarity.… and about what life is like now that the payments have ended. Oh, and one guest’s CTC-supported success story has THE most dysfunctional American twist … take a listen. Our Thanks to The Better Life Lab at New America for their support with this episode.If you haven’t signed up for our newsletter, PLEASE sign up here:https://www.thedoubleshift.com/newsletter. This is the best way for us to stay in touch with you about the future plans we have cooking.If The Double Shift podcast has meant something to you personally or had an impact on your life, we’d love to hear about it. You can send us an email or a voice memo recorded on your phone to askthedoubleshift@gmail.com, and we may use it in our upcoming episode. Get full access to The Double Shift at thedoubleshift.substack.com/subscribe

The Check’s Not in the Mail

Changing workplaces to make them substantially better for moms and caregivers is, in fact, possible.Inspired by our show on paid family leave back in 2019, we hear from some Double Shift listeners who fiercely advocated for -- and got -- better paid family leave at their companies.We are closer than ever before to getting federally funded paid leave for everyone. This is so important, but it’s just one part of an ongoing movement. Today’s episode offers encouragement, some playbook tactics, some real world examples, and something we all need right now -- hope. Subscribe to our newsletter: www.thedoubleshift.com/newsletter, and become a member to support our show. www.thedoubleshift.com/join.Listen to our episode from 2019, Paid Leave, We Can Do Better.Subscribe to our newsletter: www.thedoubleshift.com/newsletter, and become a member to support our show. www.thedoubleshift.com/join.﻿Listen to our episode from 2019, Paid Leave, We Can Do Better.Information and Resources:“Where are the Mothers?” Read host Katherine Goldstein’s original reporting about how the women at the New York Times improved their parental leave.Making the case for parental leave:“5 Ways to Explain the Urgent Need for Paid Family Leave.” “The Economic Benefits of Paid Parental Leave.”“Wal-Mart and Now Starbucks: Why More Big Companies are Offering Paid Family Leave.”Read The NYTimes Parenting Section’s Guide to negotiating for parental leave:“How to Ask for Parental Leave When You’re an Hourly Worker”“How Freelancing Parents Can Create Maternity or Paternity Leave.”“How to Ask for Maternity or Paternity Leave When Your Company Has No Policy.”Additional organizations that support family leave advocacy:Paid Leave US is a national advocacy organization aimed at getting national paid family leave by 2022. Check out their FAQ,... Get full access to The Double Shift at thedoubleshift.substack.com/subscribe

Building a Movement for Paid Leave

Here at the Double Shift, we love to dismantle stigma through storytelling. So our guest this episode, Kenya Martin (aka "Abortion Diva"), speaks to our souls. Kenya is a former abortion clinic counselor in Texas, current activist, and a mom, who shed the shame she felt about her own abortions and became "loud and proud" about them to help other people feel less alone. As we grapple with Texas’ new abortion restriction law, and the looming Supreme Court decisions that could force more people into parenthood, Kenya talks about how reproductive freedom and economic justice are inherently intertwined, how abortion providers save lives, and her belief that any reason is a good reason to have an abortion.Angela and Katherine also share their own reproductive health experiences and why they've both become even more pro-abortion since becoming mothers. And, we hear from a listener -- on the cusp of becoming part of the 59% of abortion patients that have already had at least one child -- about how the challenges of parenting in the US are impacting her abortion decision. Notes:Angela recommends the book, Reproductive justice by Loretta Ross and Ricky Salinger.If you love the Double Shift Podcast, sign up for our newsletter, thedoubleshift.com/newsletter. Consider joining The Double Shift member community, which is a social change laboratory for moms. Learn more here at thedoubleshift.com/join.  Get full access to The Double Shift at thedoubleshift.substack.com/subscribe

Pro-Mother, Pro-Abortion

COVID vaccinations for five to 11 year olds are here, and for so many parents and caregivers this moment could not have come soon enough. Others are taking a wait-and-see approach, including many moms who are vaccinated themselves but may feel anxiety about the COVID vaccine when it comes to their kids... and they don't necessarily have access to a doctor or health care worker who can help them sort through the information -- and emotion -- overload that dovetails with socially imposed expectations on what it means to be a “good mom.” Katherine has got you covered. She talks with her great friend AND trusted advisor, board certified family physician Dr. Liz Baltaro, about the science on kids and the COVID vaccine, and about the swirling vortex of “vaccine anxiety:” The worry many moms feel when making these weighty decisions about their children’s safety. Dr. Liz fields questions from you, our listeners, and brings calm to the chaos. Even if you are on board with getting your kids the shot, this episode may answer some important, lingering questions you have and will help you better understand those in your life who aren’t quite sold.Some Helpful Resources:Pfizer study on vaccines for ages 5-11 measures vaccines ability to neutralize antibody responsesThe risk of myocarditis is higher from COVID than from the COVID vaccine --The New England Journal of MedicineThe official CDC guidance on vaccines for kids and teens American Academy of Pediatrics FAQs of the COVID Vaccine Answers to your Questions About the COVID Vaccine and Kids -- NYTimesResearch cited in this episode was based on information available as of October 2021. Research on the impact of the covid vaccine on children is being updated regularly -- check the CDC web page for children and teens for the most recent information on vaccine safety and effectiveness.If you love the Double Shift Podcast, sign up for our newsletter, thedoubleshift.com/newsletter. Consider joining The Double Shift member community, which is a social change laboratory for moms. Learn more here at thedoubleshift.com/join.  Get full access to The Double Shift at thedoubleshift.substack.com/subscribe

“Good Moms” and the COVID Vaccine

While other news outlets have “moved on'' from talking about how mad and burnt out moms are, we’re just getting started. In part two of this intimate, in-the-moment audio diary series, host Katherine Goldstein shares her story of caring for newborn twins and a four-year-old as the coronavirus shut the world down around her. She’s joined by co-host Angela Garbes to discuss the idea that mothers are the unacknowledged essential workers of the pandemic, what’s changed in the year+ since the audio diaries were recorded, and what hasn’t. Katherine and Angela also reflect how they both see collectively harnessing anger over what has happened in the last 19 months as crucial for finding a path forward.Newsweek: Pandemic Could Cost Typical American Woman Nearly $600,000 in Lifetime IncomeCheck out The Nap Ministry on Instagram.If you love the Double Shift Podcast, sign up for our newsletter, thedoubleshift.com/newsletter. Consider joining The Double Shift member community, which is a social change laboratory for moms. Learn more here at thedoubleshift.com/join.  Get full access to The Double Shift at thedoubleshift.substack.com/subscribe

All Mothers are Essential Workers (Part 2)

Every mother has been touched by the pandemic and every mother has a story that deserves to be heard...including our own host, Katherine Goldstein.In this two-part series, Katherine shares her story of caring for newborn twins and a four-year-old as the coronavirus shut the world down around her. Through intimate, in-the-moment audio diaries, she strips away the tropes around self-sacrificing pandemic motherhood and lays bare the frustration, fear, uncertainty, and anger (so much anger) over how mothers, children, and caregivers have been abandoned in this crucial moment -- and have actually always been left to fend for themselves.A year and half later, we all know where this story is headed....but we don’t yet know how it ends. ----If you love the Double Shift Podcast, sign up for our newsletter, thedoubleshift.com/newsletter. Consider joining The Double Shift member community, which is a social change laboratory for moms. Learn more here at thedoubleshift.com/join. -----Listen to Battle Tactics for your Sexist Workplace wherever you get your podcasts. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/battle-tactics-for-your-sexist-workplace/id1391206534 Get full access to The Double Shift at thedoubleshift.substack.com/subscribe

“We’re All In This Together”? (Part 1)

While we are on hiatus, check out a show we think you’ll love. It’s called Home. Made. Today we are sharing the full episode of the series, called  “Is There A Doctor In The Dollhouse?” It’s about Dr. Kwandaa Roberts, who on the surface appeared to “have it all:” a thriving medical practice, a big house in the suburbs, two kids. But she harbored a secret dream to be an interior designer. Her chance to live this dream came about when she renovated a dollhouse that went viral on social media.... but then the pandemic happened, and Kwandaa was forced to make some difficult life decisions. Get full access to The Double Shift at thedoubleshift.substack.com/subscribe

Introducing: Home. Made.

Katherine and Angela have built their careers thinking about motherhood, career and identity. Today, we hear from the Double Shifters who have influenced them most — their own mothers.  Angela interviews Kay Goldstein about her trailblazing careers (plural!) as a second wave feminist, how she looks back at her life as a mom in the workforce now, and the lessons she shared with Katherine about not leaving anything on the table. Josie Garbes tells Katherine about her experiences as an immigrant who found her calling as a hospice nurse, the complexities of caring for the dying at work while raising three kids at home, and her new interest in activism during this time of targeted violence toward Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.Turns out, the influence between mother and daughter is truly a two-way street.Need a COVID-19 Vaccine? Go to vaccines.gov.  https://www.vaccines.gov/If you love the Double Shift Podcast, sign up for our newsletter, thedoubleshift.com/newsletter. Consider joining The Double Shift member community, which is a social change laboratory for moms. Learn more here at thedoubleshift.com/join.  Get full access to The Double Shift at thedoubleshift.substack.com/subscribe

Our Moms

A year and a half ago, Shana Thomas was a mom of three who earned a good salary. She’d worked her way up at a company she loved and was telling younger women they could "have it all.” The pandemic changed everything. She's now one of the 4.5 million women who has left employment behind since the start of 2020, and is now an in-home services caregiver for her youngest daughter who’s a wheelchair user, and an unpaid virtual teaching assistant for her older two kids. But nearly a year after leaving her career, she’s finding her footing and increasing moments of peace with her path.This is a story about sacrifice and unexpected hope. Check out The Center for American Progress’ Calculator https://interactives.americanprogress.org/childcarecosts/ for the long term costs of leaving the paid workforce due to childcare needs.This is part three of our series on the true cost of the pandemic for moms, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/feb/24/covid-toll-working-mothers a partnership between us, The Guardian, and The Economic Hardship Reporting Project.Need a COVID-19 Vaccine? Go to vaccines.gov. Also check out: Slate’s The Waves, wherever you get your podcasts. https://slate.com/human-interest/2019/07/the-waves.htmlIf you love the Double Shift Podcast, sign up for our newsletter, thedoubleshift.com/newsletter. Consider joining The Double Shift member community, which is a social change laboratory for moms. Learn more here at thedoubleshift.com/join.  Get full access to The Double Shift at thedoubleshift.substack.com/subscribe

When 'Mom' Is The Safety Net

In Part 1 of this series, hosts Katherine Goldstein and Angela Garbes shared their own mental health challenges over the past year. They definitely aren’t the only ones who have struggled -- and in this episode we hear directly from some listeners who’ve sent us voice memos about how they are also not OK. We share some of the most pressing issues we are hearing about with Dr. Amber Thornton, a clinical psychologist and a motherhood wellness consultant. We discuss moms’ needs coming last, challenges in accessing care, additional obstacles for women of color in getting mental health support, some realities around self medicating, and more. You can find out more about Dr Amber at Balanced Working Mama, and her podcast The Balanced Working Mama Podcast.https://www.balancedworkingmama.com/ & https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-balanced-working-mama-podcast/id1520168735If you love the Double Shift Podcast, sign up for our newsletter, thedoubleshift.com/newsletter. Resources:If you are needing mental health support, please check out the following organizations:Postpartum Progress https://postpartumprogress.com/Postpartum Support International Hotline: 1-800-944-4773 (1-Spanish, 2- English)Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (In English and Spanish) https://med.stanford.edu/content/dam/sm/ppc/documents/DBP/EDPS_text_added.pdfMotherhood Understood, https://www.motherhood-understood.com/resources which includes Mother’s Manual for Postpartum Mental Health, Cheat sheet to Medications, Cheat sheet to Partners, and other resources.SAMHSA’s (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) National Helpline is 1-800-662-HELP (4357). They also have a treatment locator. https://findtreatment.samhsa.gov/National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 800-273-8255Membership:Consider joining The Double Shift member community, which is a social change laboratory for moms. Learn more here at thedoubleshift.com/join.  Get full access to The Double Shift at thedoubleshift.substack.com/subscribe

The Moms Are Not OK (Part 2)

The mental health impact, especially on mothers, in the last year has been enormous. But the realities are something that's rarely talked about openly, and still carries a stigma. Hosts Katherine and Angela share their own personal stories of mental health diagnoses and experiences with antidepressants during the pandemic.Resources:If you are needing mental health support, please check out the following organizations:Postpartum Progress Postpartum Support International Hotline: 1-800-944-4773 (1-Spanish, 2- English)Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (In English and Spanish)Motherhood Understood, which includes Mother’s Manual for Postpartum Mental Health, Cheat sheet to Medications, Cheat sheet to Partners, and other resources.SAMHSA’s (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) National Helpline is 1-800-662-HELP (4357). They also have a treatment locator. National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 800-273-8255Also check out: Listen to Under The Influence with Jo Piazza, an 8 episode deep dive into the “momfluencer” industrial complex, wherever you get your pods. ----If you love the Double Shift Podcast, sign up for our newsletter, thedoubleshift.com/newsletter. Consider joining The Double Shift member community, which is a social change laboratory for moms. Learn more here at thedoubleshift.com/join.  Get full access to The Double Shift at thedoubleshift.substack.com/subscribe

The Moms Are Not OK (Part 1)

Right now, all many mothers can think about is just wanting a break from the unrelenting domestic work that last year has heaped on us. In this special Mother’s Day episode, Katherine and Angela explore some fascinating, little-known history that has led our society to expect that mothers’ care work should be a largely uncompensated “labor of love.” We’ll also explore some forgotten moments in the 20th century with journalist and author Sarah Jaffe that gives vital context to how today’s society came to vastly undervalued caregiving.Then, taking inspiration from Black activists like Johnnie Tillmon and Angela Davis, Katherine and Angela lay out why we are at a pivotal moment for meaningful change and share some hopeful visions for a world where mothers’ invisible labor is collectivized, seen and valued. Resources:Work Won't Love You Back: How Devotion to Our Jobs Keeps Us Exploited, Exhausted, and Alone by Sarah JaffeWomen, Race & Class by Angela Davis The Invisible Labor Calculator, created by Amy Westervelt, author of “Forget ‘Having It All’: How America Messed Up Motherhood--and How to Fix It”If you love the Double Shift Podcast, sign up for our newsletter, thedoubleshift.com/newsletter. Consider joining The Double Shift member community, which is a social change laboratory for moms. Learn more here at thedoubleshift.com/join.  Get full access to The Double Shift at thedoubleshift.substack.com/subscribe

This is our Moment

Things may get better this year, but that doesn't erase what we've all gone through. In this episode we explore, how do we grieve during this time when so many have lost loved ones, and even more have experienced personal, professional, and emotional loss? And for mothers, is allowing ourselves to feel our feelings an act of political liberation? We talk to indigenous activist Andrea Landry on how to unwind some of our most backward ideas about motherhood that are rooted in colonialism and how we begin to heal, personally and collectively, from the traumas of the last year.  If you’d like to follow Andrea Landry and learn more about her work, go to Instagram @indigenousmotherhood or Twitter,  @andrealandry1.If you love the Double Shift Podcast, sign up for our newsletter, thedoubleshift.com/newsletter. Consider joining The Double Shift member community, which is a social change laboratory for moms. Learn more here at thedoubleshift.com/join.  Get full access to The Double Shift at thedoubleshift.substack.com/subscribe

Healing Our Grief From the Past Year

After all that talk about other people's finances, Angela and Katherine open up about their own -- and what's uncomfortable for them to admit about being mothers, creatives... and business ladies. They discuss some unvarnished truths about the podcasting industry and running The Double Shift as a business, and also share about the complexities of being a mission-driven enterprise during a time of massive economic uncertainty.If you love the Double Shift Podcast, sign up for our newsletter, thedoubleshift.com/newsletter. Consider joining The Double Shift member community, which is a social change laboratory for moms. Learn more here at thedoubleshift.com/join. Want to be a part of our membership community but can't afford it right now? email us askthedoubleshift@gmail.com and will hook you up as people donate.Want to gift a Double Shift Membership? Go tothedoubleshift.com/gifts. Get full access to The Double Shift at thedoubleshift.substack.com/subscribe

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