Baton Rouge news

• Push to save Pacific Rim trade deal after US exits TPP pact

  23-01-2017 21:52
  
  SYDNEY - Several countries say they hope to salvage the Trans-Pacific Partnership after President Donald Trump's decision on a U.S. withdrawal from the trade pact cast its future in jeopardy.Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull acknowledged Trump's move was a blow to the multinational agreement. But he suggested Tuesday that other nations, such as China, may be able to fill the void left by the U.S.Trump used one of his first actions in office to officially abandon the trade deal on Monday
  
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• Minnesota governor up, walking after collapse

  23-01-2017 21:17
  
  ST. PAUL, Minn. - A spokesman for Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton says the 69-year-old Democrat walked out of the Capitol under his own power minutes after he collapsed while delivering his State of the State speech.Linden Zakula gave the update in a text message to The Associated Press. It's the first official word on Dayton's status since the governor fell during a joint address to legislators in the Minnesota House.Two other lawmakers said earlier that Dayton was moving around, and one said he was
  
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• China's birthrate rises after one-child policy loosened

  23-01-2017 21:11
  
  BEIJING - The number of births in China has risen nearly 8 percent in the year after the government loosened its unpopular one-child policy.China's National Health and Family Planning Commission said this week that 17.86 million children were born last year, an increase of 1.31 million from 2015. Nearly half of the children born were to couples who already had a child.China enacted its one-child policy in 1979 to control population growth, enforced with fines and in some cases state-mandated abo
  
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• Pence swears in Pompeo as CIA director

  23-01-2017 21:02
  
  WASHINGTON - Kansas Rep. Mike Pompeo has been sworn in as the next CIA director.Vice President Mike Pence is praising Pompeo's "wealth of experience" and "character." He says Pompeo is "stepping up to lead the finest intelligence-gathering operation the world has ever seen."Pence is speaking at a swearing-in ceremony for Pompeo that comes about an hour after the incoming CIA director was confirmed by the Senate.Pompeo will lead the nation's top spy agency at a critical time for U.S. national sec
  
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• 2 Northern Louisiana tornadoes confirmed, homes damaged

  23-01-2017 20:56
  
  PLAIN DEALING - Authorities say two weekend tornadoes destroyed or damaged 31 houses and recreational vehicles in Louisiana: 29 in the state's northwest near Plain Dealing, and two homes in the central town of Natchez.Officials say nobody was seriously injured.The National Weather Service tells local news organizations that both areas were hit Saturday by EF-2 twisters, with 115-mph winds in the Plain Dealing area of Bossier Parish and 120-mph winds in Natchez.Howard Johnson of Natchez
  
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• Bills would ease early voting and online voter registration in Mississippi

  23-01-2017 20:10
  
  JACKSON, Miss. - Proposals to allow early voting and to create online registration for first-time voters are advancing at the Mississippi Capitol.So is a plan that could eventually simplify restoration of voting rights for people who served time for nonviolent felonies.All three bills passed the House Elections Committee on Monday and move to the full House for more debate.House Bill 228 would allow no-excuses in-person early voting, starting 14 days before an election. Current law only lets peo
  
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• Police: Man sought in city's 1st murder in almost 100 years

  23-01-2017 20:03
  
  MONTPELIER, Vt. - A man has been shot dead in Vermont's capital in what police are calling the first murder there in almost 100 years.State police say an arrest warrant has been issued for a man on a murder charge in a fatal shooting in Montpelier early Sunday.Police are seeking Jayveon Caballero in the death of Markus Austin, whose body was found in the parking lot of his Montpelier apartment complex. They say Caballero and Austin had been involved in an altercation outside a bar.Caballero is f
  
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• Technology part of New Orleans anti-crime, anti-terror plan

  23-01-2017 20:02
  
  NEW ORLEANS - Authorities have unveiled an extensive, $40 million program to fight crime and terrorism in New Orleans.It includes plans for round-the-clock monitoring of cameras in 20 high crime hot spots, take-home cars for police officers, high-tech imaging equipment to spot people carrying weapons and the eventual closure of popular Bourbon Street to vehicular traffic.It comes as the city tries to end an increase in the murder rate; and, as officials look ahead to major tourist events like th
  
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• Sticky substance coats roads after paper mill explosion

  23-01-2017 19:58
  
  CANTONMENT, Fla. - Authorities say no one was injured when a paper mill exploded in Florida's Panhandle.In a statement, Florida Highway Patrol Lt. Eddie Elmore said some roads around the International Paper Co. plant in Cantonment, about 20 miles northwest of Pensacola, remained closed Monday.Elmore said the roads are coated with a sticky, black substance that causes skin, eye and respiratory irritations. It's unclear how long the cleanup will take.The company said in a statement Monday that is
  
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• All 3 weekend triple shooting victims dead

  23-01-2017 19:50
  
  METAIRIE - Jefferson Parish authorities say all three people shot in a car over the weekend have died.Sheriff's spokesman John Fortunato tells local media that a 16-year-old girl died Sunday, and her 25-year-old brother and the brother's girlfriend died Monday.All three were in a 2006 Honda Accord that crashed into a light pole in Metairie after the shooting Sunday night.They're identified as 16-year-old Monika Bates, 25-year-old Malcolm Wallace and 24-year-old Daneka Lotts of Kenner, who was dr
  
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• NASCAR overhauls race and playoff format

  23-01-2017 19:31
  
  CHARLOTTE, N.C. - NASCAR is dramatically changing its format for the upcoming season, cutting every race into stages that reward points in hopes of make every lap matter.The overhaul announced Monday assigns three stages to every race. The top 10 drivers at the end of Stage 1 and Stage 2 will be awarded points on a 10-through-1 scale. The third portion of the race will be for the overall victory, and although traditional point scoring will be applied for that stage, the win will be worth 40 poin
  
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• Committee OKs Tillerson for secretary of state

  23-01-2017 19:28
  
  WASHINGTON - The Senate Foreign Relations Committee has narrowly approved President Donald Trump's choice for secretary of state.The panel voted along party lines, 11-10, to recommend Rex Tillerson's nomination to the full Senate, where the former chief executive of Exxon Mobil is almost certain to be confirmed by the Republican-led chamber.Sen. Bob Corker, the committee's Republican chairman, says he has "no doubt" Tillerson is well-qualified, citing his leadership of the energy giant.But Sen.
  
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• Walker subdivision still having drainage problems

  23-01-2017 17:34
  
  WALKER - A community in Livingston Parish says it's tired of living on the edge.They say after every rain, water overflows the ditches and floods the streets. It happened again Saturday. Residents say it's a safety hazard because emergency vehicles can't get through and Lee Etue says the bus doesn't pick up the children when the streets are covered in water."Mail don't run," said Etue. "We had to bring the kids to the front for the school bus because the bus won't come back here."Residents livin
  
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• Kansas man admits to robbing bank to escape his wife

  23-01-2017 17:23
  
  KANSAS CITY, Kan. - A 70-year-old man who told investigators after robbing a Kansas bank that he'd rather be imprisoned than with his wife has admitted carrying out the holdup.Lawrence Ripple pleaded guilty Monday in Kansas City, Kansas, to a federal bank robbery count. He faces up to 20 years in prison.Court documents show that Ripple gave a Kansas City bank teller a note in September demanding cash and warning he had a gun. Ripple grabbed nearly $3,000, sat in the lobby and told a guard he was
  
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• Mayor Broome announces cabinet appointments for new administration

  23-01-2017 17:21
  
  BATON ROUGE – Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome has announced several staff positions in her new administration.Rowdy Gaudet, Dr. James Gilmore and Dr. Tamiara Wade will serve as Broome's Assistant Chief Administration officers.Gaudet currently works as the chief of staff for the state's Disaster Recovery Unit and will join Broome's administration in February. Dr. Gilmore previously worked as the director of the Louisiana Children's Cabinet in the office of Governor John Bel Edwards
  
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• Stephen Colbert to host Emmys

  23-01-2017 17:13
  
  NEW YORK - Stephen Colbert will host the annual Emmy Awards telecast, this year to be shown on his home network of CBS.The annual awards show honoring the best in television will take place on Sept. 17 in Los Angeles.Colbert is host of the "Late Show" on CBS, and the former host of Comedy Central's "Colbert Report." In talking about hosting the 69th Emmy telecast, Colbert made sly reference to the Trump administration's unprovable assertion that Trump's inauguration was the most watched ever.Sai
  
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• Prairieville man arrested for impersonating a police officer

  23-01-2017 16:50
  
  PRAIRIEVILLE - Police have arrested a man for impersonating a law enforcement officer after he pulled over another vehicle Saturday night.Ascension Parish Sheriff's deputies were dispatched to Van Broussard Road in reference to a suspicious person complaint Sunday night. They learned that 28-year-old Christopher Rodriguez of Prairieville was driving a vehicle with flashing red lights and stopped another vehicle.According to Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Bobby Webre, Ro
  
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• Funeral arrangements set for slain Westwego officer

  23-01-2017 16:35
  
  WESTWEGO – Funeral arrangements have been announced for a Westwego police officer that was shot and killed early Friday morning.Visitation for 26-year-old Michael Louviere will be held on Friday, Jan. 27 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at White Dove Fellowship Church in Harvey with a funeral service and celebration of life immediately following, WWL reports. Louviere was killed while assisting a pregnant woman in what appeared to be a car crash. He was off-duty at the time and on his wa
  
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• 'SNL' writer suspended for tweet about Barron Trump

  23-01-2017 16:18
  
  NEW YORK - A "Saturday Night Live" writer has been suspended indefinitely after tweeting a poorly received joke about Donald Trump's 10-year-old youngest son, Barron.A person familiar with the situation but not authorized to speak publicly tells The Associated Press that Katie Rich was suspended immediately after writing an offensive tweet about the child. An outcry on social media followed, with many calling for a boycott of the TV show.Rich later deleted the tweet, deactivated her account but
  
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• 'Net neutrality' foe Ajit Pai is Trump's new FCC head

  23-01-2017 16:07
  
  NEW YORK - President Donald Trump has picked a fierce critic of the Obama-era "net neutrality" rules to be chief regulator of the nation's airwaves and internet connections.In a statement Monday, Ajit Pai said he was grateful to the president for his new role as the next chairman of the Federal Communications Commission.Pai had been one of the two Republican commissioners on a five-member panel that regulates the country's communications infrastructure, including TV, phone and internet service.T
  
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• Third break-in reported at Tiger Stadium in past three weeks

  23-01-2017 16:03
  
  BATON ROUGE – A third burglary at Tiger Stadium has occurred in the past three weeks, according to the LSU Police crime log.The most recent incident occurred on Sunday between noon and 2:30 p.m.Sunday's reported burglary is the third this month, following a burglary on Jan. 15 and on Jan. 4. In the Jan. 4 incident, vandals broke into the stadium and defaced the turf.LSU officials released a statement just last week stating that the first two burglaries are still under investigation and
  
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• Woman wanted for Chase Bank robbery on Florida Boulevard

  23-01-2017 15:14
  
  BATON ROUGE – Baton Rouge Police Detectives are trying to identify a woman wanted for robbing the Chase Bank in the 10000 block of Florida Boulevard on Saturday.The robbery happened around 11:30 a.m. when the woman entered the bank and approached the teller window with a note demanding money. The woman took an undisclosed amount of money and then fled on foot.According to BRPD, it is believed that the woman is in a late model Ford Ranger pickup truck.The suspect is described a
  
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• Man killed in St. Tammany house fire, others injured

  23-01-2017 14:56
  
  COVINGTON - St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office deputies and firefighters responded to a fatal house fire at 72347 Forest Drive early Sunday morning. Deputies found three people outside of the home, two of whom had suffered severe burns. They told deputies that 28-year-old Brandon Kellum was still trapped inside the house, but the fire was too extreme for responders to enter safely. After the fire was extinguished, Kellum's body was discovered inside
  
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• Sierra Nevada Brewing Company announces beer recall

  23-01-2017 14:31
  
  The Sierra Nevada Brewing Company announced a recall affecting most U.S. states Sunday.Packaging flaw in the company's 12-ounce bottles may cause a loss in carbonation and small pieces of glasses to break off into the bottle. Sierra Nevada says it believes the defect only affects one in every 10,000 bottles at this time, less than one percent of its product. "Sierra Nevada has set the standard for quality in the craft brewing industry since 1980 and we have decided to take this
  
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• Trump willing to work with Russia against ISIS

  23-01-2017 14:04
  
  WASHINGTON - The Trump administration says it is willing to partner with Moscow to combat the Islamic State group.In his first daily White House press briefing, press secretary Sean Spicer said Monday that President Donald Trump has been "very clear" that he will "work with any country committed to defeating ISIS."He says the administration will work "with Russia or anyone else" to defeat the militant group, either militarily or economically.The president has vowed to defeat IS "quickly" when he
  
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• Audit cites lack of funding for Army Corps as reason for Comite Diversion delays

  23-01-2017 13:37
  
  BATON ROUGE – An audit released this month on the Comite River Diversion Canal Project reported that "a lack of consistent and sufficient funding" for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is the primary reason for project delays.The project was originally estimated to be completed in 2012 at a cost of $153 million. However, only one of the 27 construction components, the Lilly Bayou control structure, has been completed for $117 million, the audit reports. Curren
  
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• Patriots fan charged with pulling alarm at Steelers' hotel

  23-01-2017 13:29
  
  BOSTON - A Boston man described by his lawyer as a "die-hard Patriots fan" has pleaded not guilty to pulling a fire alarm that roused the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers from their hotel beds ahead of their playoff game against New England.Dennis Harrison was released on personal recognizance at his arraignment Monday on charges including disorderly conduct and disturbing the peace.Police say the 25-year-old East Boston resident pulled the alarm at the Logan Airport Hilton at about 3:40 a.m. Sunday
  
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• LSU ranks fourth in Baseball American preseason poll

  23-01-2017 13:07
  
  BATON ROUGE – The LSU baseball team is ranked fourth in the 2017 Baseball America preseason poll.The poll was released on Monday and marks the Tigers' fourth Top 5 preseason ranking. LSU is ranked second in the Collegiate Baseball and Perfect Game preseason polls. Additionally, the Tigers are ranked fifth in the D1 Baseball preseason ranking.LSU is one of the three Southeastern Conference teams in the 2017 Baseball America preseason Top 10, along with Florida, ranked third, and South C
  
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• Disney reveals title for next 'Star Wars' film

  23-01-2017 12:26
  
  NEW YORK - "Star Wars: Episode VIII" finally has a title: "The Last Jedi."The Walt Disney Co. announced the title for the next chapter in the Skywalker saga on Monday. "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" will be released Dec. 15.Speculation over just who the last Jedi is immediately ran rampant on social media. "The Force Awakens" chronicled Daisy Ridley's Rey discovering her powers with the Force, but ended ominously with a withdrawn Luke Skywalker on a remote island. If there's to be just one Jedi left
  
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• Pizza delivery driver shot, killed in Algiers

  23-01-2017 11:38
  
  NEW ORLEANS - Police are investigating a fatal shooting that happened in Algiers Monday night. According to WWL-TV, the incident occurred around 8 p.m. at the corner of Stratford and Winchester.Investigators say a Domino's delivery driver was shot multiple times. There was also a trainee with the victim, but that person was not injured.No other information has been released at this time. More information will be added to this story as it beco
  
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• George HW Bush to be released from ICU

  23-01-2017 11:33
  
  HOUSTON  Tx. - Doctors say former President George H.W. Bush will soon be moved from the intensive care unit at a Houston hospital where he has been treated for pneumonia.Dr. Amy Mynderse says the 92-year-old Bush will be moved from the ICU at the Houston Methodist Hospital on Monday.Bush was struggling to breathe when he was admitted to the hospital Jan. 14. Doctors diagnosed him with pneumonia and put him on a ventilator in the ICU to assist his breathing. The breathing tube was remov
  
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• Court dismisses car crash lawsuit against Snapchat

  23-01-2017 11:01
  
  GRIFFIN, Ga. - A lawsuit claiming Snapchat's "speed filter" tempted a woman to drive too fast before she crashed into a couple's car has been dismissed by a judge who says the Communications Decency Act provides the social media company with immunity.Wentworth and Karen Maynard sued Snapchat and the driver, Christal McGee, in Spalding County State Court in April. They said McGee was driving on a highway south of Atlanta in September 2015 while using a Snapchat filter that puts the rate at which
  
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• Audit: Work on ex-Angola warden's homes may have broken law

  23-01-2017 09:23
  
  BATON ROUGE - A government audit has found that the former warden of Louisiana's largest prison may have violated state law by using prison resources and public funds to renovate and furnish his homes.A report released Monday by the Louisiana Legislative Auditor's office also details other potentially illegal transactions involving the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola.The report says nearly $28,000 in public money was used to purchase appliances and household furnishings for former Warden
  
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• Samsung: Batteries only problem with fire-prone Note 7s

  23-01-2017 07:25
  
  SEOUL, South Korea - Samsung Electronics says that tests of more than 200,000 Galaxy Note 7 smartphones found defects in two sets of batteries from two different manufacturers that made the phones prone to catch fire.Samsung's mobile division president, Koh Dong-jin says the company would use what it learned from its investigations to improve lithium ion battery safety for the industry.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Questions swirl about Italy response to snow-isolated hotel

  23-01-2017 07:24
  
  FARINDOLA, Italy - Rescue crews are considering whether to start using heavy equipment to speed up the search for 23 people still buried under the ruins of a hotel following an avalanche in central Italy.A firefighter spokesman says emergency crews believe there could still be pockets under the snow were people might still be alive.But the spokesman says that its' been five days after the devastating snow slide and "we are fighting against time."Permalink| Comments
  
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• United computer glitch cancels 6 flights, delays 200 more

  23-01-2017 07:23
  
  CHICAGO - United Airlines says six flights were cancelled and 200 more were delayed because of a computer problem that forced a ground stop for all domestic flights that lasted about 2 ½ hours Sunday.Company spokeswoman Maddie King calls the glitch an "IT issue."The airline is waiving flight change fees through Wednesday for any travelers affected by the problem. United says there will be no extra charge for anyone flying in the same class and between the same cities.Chicago-based Uni
  
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• Syria talks off to a rough start

  23-01-2017 07:20
  
  BEIRUT - Syria's government envoy says a speech delivered by the head of rebel factions at the peace talks in Kazakhstan was "provocative" and "insolent."Syria's U.N. ambassador took a harsh and uncompromising tone following the speech by rebel leader Mohammad Alloush.And in talking to reporters, the ambassador repeatedly referred to the rebel delegation as representatives of "terrorist armed groups."Permalink| Comments
  
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• Southern California pounded by intense storm and flooding

  23-01-2017 07:17
  
  LOS ANGELES - Rainfall is expected to ease today but not taper off until tomorrow from the third and most powerful in a series of storms that pounded Southern California.Nearly 4 inches of rain fell south of Los Angeles, flooding freeways and raising concerns about damaging mudslides.It could be a messy commute this morning. Flash flood watches and warnings remain in effect.Permalink| Comments
  
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• 2 tornadoes confirmed in the South, another death

  23-01-2017 07:11
  
  ADEL, Ga. - An additional death in southwest Georgia is being blamed on severe storms that marched across the South over the weekend.Dougherty County Coroner Michael Fowler says a total of four people died in the county Sunday amid the weather that killed at least 19 people in the Deep South.Fowler did not give any details this morning about the latest death and the victim's name wasn't immediately released.Fowler said authorities there are trying to determine if they need to keep searching for
  
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• Teen killed, 2 others injured in shooting in Metairie

  23-01-2017 07:07
  
  METAIRIE, La. - Authorities say a shooting in Metairie left a 16-year-old girl dead and two other people injured.The Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office said in a news release issued early Monday the shooting happened around 10 p.m. Sunday.Nola.com reports (http://bit.ly/2joKgFp) that a female victim who was driving a silver 2006 Honda vehicle and a male passenger in the front seat were injured and were listed in critical condition at a hospital. The 16-year-old was in the back seat and died at th
  
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• All lanes open on I-110 NB

  23-01-2017 06:06
  
  BATON ROUGE - All lanes are now open on I-110 northbound at Convention Street.Monday morning, the two right lanes were closed due to an accident.News 2's Ashley Fruge is monitoring the roadways during GMA. We will have updates on WBRZ.com and Twitter.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Accident closes lanes on I-110 NB

  23-01-2017 06:06
  
  BATON ROUGE - Commuters may want to take an alternate route Monday morning as the two right lanes are blocked on I-110 northbound.The delay from this incident has reached Washington Street on I-10 westbound. News 2's Ashley Fruge is monitoring the roadways on 2une In. We will have updates on WBRZ.com and Twitter.Permalink| Comments
  
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