Media

Why Is Mainstream Investigative Journalism Outfit ProPublica Funded by Soros-Affiliated Donors?

Herb and Marion Sanders Support Pro Publica and Donate to George Soros Media Matters?For those unfamiliar, ProPublica is a somewhat recently-launched non-profit whose stated mission is to be the nation’s authority on professional, investigative reporting by “producing journalism that shines a light on exploitation of the weak by the strong and on the failures of those with power to vindicate the trust placed in them.” The catalyst behind ProPublica’s endeavor is what it sees as a void in investigative journalism across mainstream media outlets – a discipline engaged by a free press to ensure a just and transparent society.

Yet one of the organization’s key founders and major financial backers supports interests aligned with what would appear anathema to ProPublica’s stated principles – namely, George Soros’ Media Matters – an organization with a long and controversial past that has, even recently, come under fire for seeking to silence press with which it is ideologically opposed.

Headed by Paul Steiger, former editor-in-chief of the Wall Street Journal, ProPublica’s reports have a long reach despite their non-profit origin. With nearly 100 partnerships at various news outlets including the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Washington Post and the L.A. Times, many of ProPublica’s investigative reports touch a broad and diverse audience, thus helping to shape the nation’s daily narrative.

It comes as no surprise then, that critics might be unsettled by what they view an obvious conflict created by the incongruent interests of ProPublica’s Chairman.

Herb and Marion Sanders Support Pro Publica and Donate to George Soros Media Matters?

Herbert Sandler, Chairman and key funder of ProPublica and funder of Media Matters

Herb and Marion Sanders Support Pro Publica and Donate to George Soros Media Matters?Herbert Sandler and his wife Marion are perhaps most infamous for their role in the 2008 subprime lending crash which led to a controversial Saturday Night Live skit suggesting the couple actually “be shot.” The sketch was subsequently pulled from the network’s website and instances of the video are now difficult to come across online.



The Sandlers rose to power after founding Golden West Financial (formerly a Savings and Loans operation). In the early 1980s, the couple’s World Savings Bank became the first to sell the controversial home loan option now dubbed Adjustable Rate Mortgages (ARM) and reportedly marketed subprime mortgages aggressively to unsavvy buyers across the country. The risk with any adjustable rate mortgage is that buyers are enticed by low initial interest rates which can and usually do rise, thus increasing the homeowner’s monthly payment substantially, often to a point where default is the only option.

After decades in the industry, the Sandlers eventually sold their former S&L to Wachovia in 2006 for $24 billion — a hefty profit. The move raised questions over the Sandlers’ motivations and, in retrospect, some consider it to have been “convenient timing” for the couple. In the end, the purchase did not prove lucrative for Wachovia and the acquisition led directly to the financial institution’s collapse just two years later.

Due to what many considered an obvious scam, rarely across media are the Sandlers painted in a favorable light. Even Time Magazine included the couple in its “25 People to Blame for the Financial Crisis” list:

And they pushed the mortgage [ARM], which offered several ways to back-load your loan and thereby reduce your early payments, with increasing zeal and misleading advertisements over the next two decades. The couple pocketed $2.3 billion when they sold their bank to Wachovia in 2006. But losses on World Savings’ loan portfolio led to the implosion of Wachovia, which was sold under duress late last year to Wells Fargo.

Below is a screenshot of the controversial Saturday Night Live sketch. One of the other “characters” depicted in this same skit was none other than George Soros:

Herb and Marion Sanders Support Pro Publica and Donate to George Soros Media Matters?

Meanwhile, Sandler is Chairman of the board of ProPublica, a non-profit organization producing original, investigative content to be shared with some of the grandest media platforms in the business. Since its founding in 2007, Sandler marked his support by pledging an initial donation of $10 million with similar continuing annual contributions to the organization. The issue, many argue, is that Sandler also happens to be a key supporter and financial donor to several George Soros-initiatives, including Media Matters — a group that has consistently come under fire for seeking to silence the very free-press ProPublica claims to stand for.

Needless to say, since its inception, many moderate and conservative voices have expressed skepticism over ProPublica in light of the ideological bend of its founding-father. An editorial in Investor’s Business Daily asked if “a couple of left-wing billionaires“ could ”really be sincere about creating a ‘nonpartisan,‘ ’non-ideological’ center for investigative reporting.”

The article went on to ask if the pair was just “paying more to drive the media agenda further left” given the Sandlers’ penchant for funding “leftist causes and the Democratic Party.” The couple have garnered their place in the top tier of donors, giving MoveOn.org $2.5 million in 2004 alone. That was reportedly as much money as their “philanthropic ally” George Soros contributed to the organization personally.

Herb and Marion Sanders Support Pro Publica and Donate to George Soros Media Matters?Through their charity, the Sandler Family Supporting Foundation, it has also been reported the couple
gave at least $5,723,222 to the ACORN network — the disgraced and now defunct community organizing group made infamous for registering the deceased to “vote Democrat” in the 2008 election. The Sandler’s charity gave $4,498,222 to the American Institute for Social Justice since 2003, $700,000 to Project Vote in 2005 and $525,000 to ACORN 2000–2001 according to Activist Cash. This of course excludes any personal contributions made by either Marion or Herbert.

The Sandlers have also made substantial contributions to the Center for Responsible Lending, an ACORN ally that champions the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA). The Sandler foundation has given the Center at least $11,200,000 since 2005.

Activist Cash describes the Center for Responsible Lending as a: “‘consumer advocacy’ front-group that lobbied for expanded subprime lending while promoting its funders’ business interests.”

The Blaze also obtained copies of The Sandler Foundation’s 990 tax returns dating back to 2005 and the list of liberal organizations and leftist causes to which the foundation contributes are vast. From the Center for American Progress to the ACLU, far-left J-Street to Soros’ Tides Foundation and Media Matters, below are a mere fraction of the Sandler Foundation’s contributions in 2009 alone:

Herb and Marion Sanders Support Pro Publica and Donate to George Soros Media Matters?

Herb and Marion Sanders Support Pro Publica and Donate to George Soros Media Matters?Herb and Marion Sanders Support Pro Publica and Donate to George Soros Media Matters?Herb and Marion Sanders Support Pro Publica and Donate to George Soros Media Matters?

Media Matters

Most of those who follow The Blaze are likely familiar with Media Matters, the self-proclaimed media watchdog group that abandoned a traditional monitoring platform to become an unabashed attack apparatus poised to counter any conservative media voice it deems unpalatable.

In fact, throughout the Obama presidency, Media Matters, joined by the Center for AmericanHerb and Marion Sanders Support Pro Publica and Donate to George Soros Media Matters? Progress, has been coordinating strategy with the White House through participation in a weekly conference call.

Another report also noted that in early 2012, as the presidential election season was gaining momentum, Media Matters was planning to spend $20 million – double the organization’s reported $10 million annual budget – on “efforts to influence media coverage prior to the election.”

“This was a fulfillment of David Brock’s spring 2011 pledge to enlist Media Matters into a campaign of ‘guerilla warfare and sabotage’ against Fox News,” Discover the Networks reported.

Brock’s vitriol for Fox network was so untamed in fact, that Media Matters considered harassing individual Fox News employees “with yard signs in their neighborhoods, hiring private investigators to dig into their personal lives and retaining a ‘major law firm’ to study legal action against the network.”

Pointing to this apparent vendetta, Brock co-authored a book titled The Fox Effect: How Roger Ailes Turned a Network into a Propaganda Machine that was released in February 2012.

Glenn Beck has also discussed Media Matters leftist agenda in depth on GBTV. Beck and other members of the media who do not subscribe to a left-wing agenda have frequently noted that one of the classic tactics of progressivism is to silence any and all differing viewpoints — especially within the media.

So egregious has Media Matters behavior been in fact, that in March 2011 Politico.com reported that while the organization was originally “launched as a more traditional media critic,“ it ”has all but abandoned its monitoring of newspapers and other television networks and is narrowing its focus to Fox and a handful of conservative websites, which its leaders view as political organizations and the ‘nerve center’ of the conservative movement.”

Ironically, Media Matters does not view MSNBC or The New York times as “political organizations” worthy of condemnation.

With its long and checkered history, many would ask if Media Matters is the kind of organization that embodies or is best-aligned with those seeking journalistic integrity – in this case, Herb Sandler and the ProPublica editorial board.

ProPublica leadership

Herb and Marion Sanders Support Pro Publica and Donate to George Soros Media Matters?Comprising some of the industry’s most seasoned newsmen, the ProPublica leadership is indeed formidable. Paul E. Steiger, editor-in-chief, CEO and president of the organization, formerly served as the managing editor of the Wall Street Journal from 1991 to 2007. Ironically, according to his bio, Steiger is also a member of the steering committee of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, which provides free legal assistance to journalists. He also served as chairman of the Committee to Protect Journalists, described as a New York-based nonprofit that “advocates for press freedom around the globe.”

Stephen Engelberg serves as ProPublica’s managing editor, a position he formerly held at The
Oregonian. Engelberg is a longtime investigative reporter, mainly with The New York Times where he worked for 18 years.

Richard Tofel is the organization’s general manager. According to his bio, Tofel‘s responsibilities lie in all of the organization’s “non-journalism operations, including communications, legal, development, finance and budgeting, and human resources.” Formerly the assistant publisher of The Wall Street Journal he previously served as vice president of corporate communications for Dow Jones & Company and an assistant general counsel of Dow Jones.

Herb and Marion Sanders Support Pro Publica and Donate to George Soros Media Matters?

Conclusion

Launching a new endeavor, especially a non-profit, is a process often riddled with administrative challenges and financial hurdles. While in its nascent stage, it is thus not unreasonable to understand why a fledgling organization might be open to receiving funds from any number of seemingly-reputable sources. However, when journalistic integrity through investigative reporting is the cornerstone of an operation, there appears to be a certain level of hypocrisy in partnering with a duo who simultaneously endorse an organization that routinely seeks to silence media voices (operating within a free press) with which it disagrees.

A glance at ProPublica’s investigations on a range of topics including fracking, Freddie Mac and the foreclosure crisis, redistricting and Super PACs, offer what appears to be a critical eye on issues pertaining to both right and left ends of the political spectrum. However, a deeper look into the organization’s foreclosure-related investigations reveal little to no information on the Sandlers’ role in the 2008 market crash. This is perhaps not coincidental.

What seems most noteworthy to some critics, however, is that neither Steiger nor ProPublica‘s partner newspapers have yet to disclose the Sandler’s involvement in the very stories ProPublica produces.

Ironically, some are quick to forget the Sandlers were vilified by members of their own political and ideological base for their role in the housing market debacle. Why is it then, that those very members of the liberal establishment now seem to laud the Sandlers as noble for funding an outlet that claims to be dedicated to truth-telling?

 

Comments (40)

  • Moozmom
    Posted on April 4, 2012 at 3:30pm

    Pray that God intervenes to save this nation.
    Return and repent. He is the only way.

    Report Post »  
  • RedeyeBlind
    Posted on April 4, 2012 at 3:14pm

    I am watching my country crash and the world starting to burn. Sad times for all who love.

    Report Post » RedeyeBlind  
  • welovetheUSA
    Posted on April 4, 2012 at 3:06pm

    Just another communist organization weaving themselves into other organizations that donot conform to their point of view……….they are everywhere, time American woke up, and get new laws put forth for traitors to this country are in many forms today…

    Report Post » welovetheUSA  
  • nothinghere
    Posted on April 4, 2012 at 1:33pm

    my wife will read a news article that interest her, and tell me about it, then i have to read it myself because something does’nt sound right.
    especially when she said it was a nyt’s article on health-care.
    but first i have to again explain to her the socialist version of the truth.
    the article states how medical panels explain that too many and exspensive test are a big part of the health-care crisis,blaming doctors,hospitals,clinics, and medical supply co’s.
    by the way my wife has worked in and around the health insurance business for going on 42 years now,when i asked if she thought that was a correct informative article on health-care costs, she said yes.
    i told her i will mention two words that will make this article almost useless, but a socialist truth, tort reform.
    she says well of course, thats the reason why there are all these unnesasary tests, well should that have been in the article somewhere.
    now to propublica, (soros,mmfa spawn) some german said the more you say the same thing over the more it becomes believeable, this gives the socialist soros,mmfa script readers, msm one more media outlet they can quote thats in agreement with us(this proves were more centerist than fox)more brietbart fodder.
    this is what socialist billionares do, try for czar, their not suited for capitalist ceo.

    Report Post »  
  • CS_GUY
    Posted on April 4, 2012 at 11:57am

    Ignorant Socialist…………..They will never understand the America Patriot.

    Spread all the lies you want. We can still stop you dead in your tracks.

    Report Post »  
  • Silversmith
    Posted on April 4, 2012 at 11:21am

    Hard to believe that these two are walking around free AND billionaires.

    Stinks.

    Silversmith

    Report Post » Silversmith  
    • Ruler4You
      Posted on April 4, 2012 at 11:55am

      You don’t get to be a Billionaire by being a nice guy. Soros has more blood on his boots than B.J.Clinton. (Re: Friends of Bill.com)

      Second, since B.J.Clintons administration I have had a strict philosophy that the name of an “news outlet” is usually 180 degrees from their actual mission and the more their mission statement proclaims self righteousness as their goal the more likely they are to be liars, criminals or subversives or all three and more.

      You can’t believe your eyes any more, re: the new ‘Miss America’ moron or the recent photo shopped picture of a Holstein cow with the world map on it. Obangos birth certificate et al. None of it “IS” real. It’s all B. S.

      Facts and absolute truth and their associated substantiation are the only way to know if something “IS” true. And even then, I’d be suspicious.

      Report Post » Ruler4You  
  • Sue Dohnim
    Posted on April 4, 2012 at 11:03am

    This is one of the most important pieces I have seen here on The Blaze. This is exactly how reason, truth and reality is subverted using media as propaganda. This is one of the key fronts to implement a :wholesale: distributive systemic ideological subversion. When education, culture and media are controlled and orchestrated to push a narrative, ideology or dogma, it is a very sophisticated form of brainwashing designed to demoralize a society. Only when the truth and context is obfuscated then reality can be altered, influenced and reconstructed. The ability to be a critical thinker employing reason and logic is extremely challenging in a culture of lies, deceit and manipulation. Marxism has a confusing connotation, it is simply “GANGSTERISM” where a conspiracy or coalition of individuals and groups seek to exploit others. The Sandlers, Soros, Progressives, Socialists, Communists, Statists etc. are all just employing GANSTER tactics to control, intimidate, coerce and extort the labour, property and achievements of others. They must destroy individualism and it is done through psychological, economic and physical control. ProPublica is just another Orwellian ProPaganda mechanism to deceive under the guise of legitimate journalism. The medium is the message, and when the medium is funded and controlled by elitist billionaire crony socialists, it is your individual liberty and freedom they want to possess. The key to to their success is demoralization and dependency.

    Report Post » Sue Dohnim  
  • texchris
    Posted on April 4, 2012 at 10:46am

    I guess the name “Pravda” was already taken.

    Report Post »  
  • 321481
    Posted on April 4, 2012 at 10:35am

    It is a shame that this whole housing market financing collapse was not investigated with integrity. The corrupt very cleverly put there money into the very system that was to ensure that they were operating with high moral standards to “cover” for the greedy which Sandler is one. Then they ban together with Soros and Obama to obtain more power and “cover”, Obama the very person that vilified the out going administration for being cosey with people like Sandler. Sandler should have been charged, be serving prison time and all his money that he obtain thru his devious actions taken away.If this would have been done we would not be still dealing with this corrupt person. Before all this is over he and his kind will do more damage to our country than they did in the financial collapse. Of course, Obama will not let a crisis go to waste.

    Report Post »  
  • De minimus
    Posted on April 4, 2012 at 10:10am

    Marxists create whatever organizations, publications, facts and analysis they need to present to the public as cover for what they want to do or undo. They do this worldwide because they are worldwide and it isn’t just happening here.

    It works like this. If there are 25 Marxists, they create 25 Marxists controlled publications and/or organizations whereas there may only be one or two publications and organizations in opposition. This means that those organizations are immediately outnumbered and more importantly, the public’s perceptions are that they are not only outnumbered but on the losing side…. If they also control news organizations, they can then begin to bend the public in any way they wish because they are then able to limit content and consumption of information by the public. The Soviet union is of course the premiere example of this and much of that apparatus is still in use today and many journalists who have crossed the line there are now dead.

    Report Post » De minimus  
  • quiltgal
    Posted on April 4, 2012 at 9:45am

    Sometimes investigative journalism needs to be investigated. I’m suspicious of any news source that drinks from the same funding well as Media Matters, ACORN, Tides’ Foundation, and a slew of other radical lefty organizations. Thanks for the heads up, Blaze.

    Report Post »  
  • TheBeautyofTruth
    Posted on April 4, 2012 at 9:43am

    Great article Tiffany Gabbay! Good in depth reporting and factual digging up of all the financial information to support your theme. Excellent!

    Report Post » TheBeautyofTruth  
  • indy1
    Posted on April 4, 2012 at 9:25am

    Sandler is the George Costanza of politics.

    Report Post »  
  • NICHOLAS.STL
    Posted on April 4, 2012 at 9:05am

    Even through all the BS I still LOVE this country! Science bless America!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Atheist Republican out!

    Take care everyone on Blaze!

    Report Post » NICHOLAS.STL  
    • CLG 4
      Posted on April 4, 2012 at 9:26am

      This is a front for a socialist rag to tell all of us what the truth is in their belief. They will be even farther left than the main stream media. Don’t worry about the facts you will not get them.

      Report Post »  
  • Nanaswords
    Posted on April 3, 2012 at 9:07pm

    What this pair has in common with their bed-partners… Distruction of USA and All that is Good within our national foundation ! Consistantly…the windows will be open to these fellow bed-partners ! Does not come as a surprise as to where they have put their funds ! They made their money within our capitalist System…By Deception…and …Dishonesty…Bowing out before it all falls apart..with their dishonest money…Just to continue to distribute their “ROT” agenda thru-out our country ! The end justifies the means…What deceitful…disgusting..,.creatures they are ! They All Certainly have Much Blood On their hands !!! Again…Windows are being opened for ALL of US to SEE…Keep Rolling…The Sooner the Better for those that Will SEE and LEARN !!!

    Report Post »  
  • vtech61
    Posted on April 3, 2012 at 6:17pm

    If WE can’t defeat. WE must delete.

    Nuff said.

    Report Post »  
  • Thisnameistowarnyouthatyouwillhatemycomment
    Posted on April 3, 2012 at 3:16pm

    I notice there’s virtually 0 criticism of the actual content of ProPublica here, just speculation about what they MIGHT do because of some of their backers.

    Anyone who’s ever read ProPublica (even the author of this article pretty much says this) knows that it is created by reputable journalists in a non-partisan fashion. They try to avoid speculation and hype, unlike just about everyone else, and instead focus on hard facts and numbers. Most of their articles are quite plain and boring, without any sensationalism. It’s the kind of journalism that should be valued by people across the political spectrum.

    I challenge anyone here to actually show real bias in ProPublica’s REPORTING.

    Report Post »  
    • texasfarmer
      Posted on April 3, 2012 at 3:44pm

      Why not try looking up the stories submitted jointly by them and NPR?
      There is never any slant to reports by NPR. And Soros is one of the biggest Libertarians I know.

      Report Post » texasfarmer  
    • Thisnameistowarnyouthatyouwillhatemycomment
      Posted on April 3, 2012 at 3:55pm

      Why don’t you show me some of the stories where you find bias, TexasFarmer?

      Report Post »  
    • Sue Dohnim
      Posted on April 3, 2012 at 4:08pm

      Mortgage whistleblower piece.. ignores the Sandlers own whistleblowers on their mortgage fraud..

      http://www.propublica.org/article/four-whistleblowers-who-sounded-the-alarm-on-banks-mortgage-shenanigans

      The media is shaping opinion and they do it by setting the context. ProPublica, sets a context driven by an agenda, the reporters are selected for their bias. In mass communication the “LIE” is not overt but in how information is presented and “WHAT” information is ignored.

      The Sandlers and Soros have bought themselves a a propaganda machine that will “IGNORE” and “RECONTEXTUALIZE” their agenda. It is not about investigating the truth but is all about distorting it. Mass Communications is sophisticated brainwashing and propaganda..

      60 minutes on the Sandlers
      http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=4803928n

      TIME magazine.. Sandlers 25 who contributed to the Mortgage crisis..
      http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1877351_1877350_1877343,00.html

      Report Post » Sue Dohnim  
    • Max jones
      Posted on April 4, 2012 at 12:23pm

      @THIS NAME IDENTIFIES ME AS A LIB WHORE…….You won’t get much response here on the blaze, except from me, who really needs confrontation with liberal criminals just to justify the time I spend here.
      It won’t be too long until the hive mentality you are a small part of, fails….it can’t be helped. You will run out of easy victims, and you need to turn on yourselves to stay in trim. I know that you have immersed yourself in the kool-aid and you must “progress”. Whatever the cost…. though you don’t know the cost, yet.
      do you think that you will be a “big shot” some day for betraying your neighbors and family? Will you be held up(admired) as one who sacrificed for the greater good? Or, will you be held up(beaten and robbed) by the very people you think you are helping?
      I would not trust you for one second in my “hood”. I hope you visit some time,I would love to show you around.

      Report Post » Max jones  
  • SpankDaMonkey
    Posted on April 3, 2012 at 2:33pm

    .
    Why Is Mainstream Investigative Journalism Outfit ProPublica Funded by Soros-Affiliated Donors?

    So they can get the “Truth” out you silly………………

    Report Post » SpankDaMonkey  
  • blackyb
    Posted on April 3, 2012 at 2:22pm

    Good timing along with this thing of stiffling free speech in Arizona. This is no coincidence.

    Report Post » blackyb  
  • NHwinter
    Posted on April 3, 2012 at 2:01pm

    Evils growing web of deceit.

    Report Post » NHwinter  
  • Sue Dohnim
    Posted on April 3, 2012 at 2:00pm

    Here is the scrubbed SNL video on the Sandlers and Soros…

    Watch video here…
    http://archive.org/details/PulledSnlBankBailoutSkit

    Report Post » Sue Dohnim  
    • Sue Dohnim
      Posted on April 3, 2012 at 3:47pm

      ..and 60 minutes even blew the whistle on the Sandlers and their corrupt operations.. that contributed to the housing crisis..

      Video.. bigger than Enron (download before it gets scrubbed)
      http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=4803928n

      So, a corrupt billionaire running a media propaganda operation Propublica makes even the Orwellian dystopia seem tame.

      When you have an ideology based on lies, deceit and manipulation…

      Newspeak from Propublica..
      “ProPublica is an independent, non-profit newsroom that produces investigative journalism in the public interest. Our work focuses exclusively on truly important stories, stories with “moral force.” We do this by producing journalism that shines a light on exploitation of the weak by the strong and on the failures of those with power to vindicate the trust placed in them.”

      Report Post » Sue Dohnim  
    • TH30PH1LUS
      Posted on April 4, 2012 at 2:56pm

      Thanks for posting that SNL vid – I’ve never before seen anyone other than Mr. Beck poke fun at Soros.

      Report Post » TH30PH1LUS  
  • dmerwin
    Posted on April 3, 2012 at 1:58pm

    To answer the headline question. Because no one else would.

    Report Post » dmerwin  
  • Revere2
    Posted on April 3, 2012 at 1:51pm

    Old Soros’s arms get longer.

    Report Post » Revere2  
  • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
    Posted on April 3, 2012 at 1:46pm

    So one more head of the Soros – Hydra has emerged from the darkness.

    Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
    • Revere2
      Posted on April 3, 2012 at 1:52pm

      They stopped hiding as soon as Obummer got in!!

      Report Post » Revere2  
    • bullcrapbuster
      Posted on April 3, 2012 at 2:03pm

      At least now evil has names and a faces. Satans angels are coming out of the shadows.

      Report Post » bullcrapbuster  
    • Steelhead
      Posted on April 3, 2012 at 2:05pm

      what darkness are you yammering about Leptard?

      Report Post » Steelhead  
    • Max jones
      Posted on April 4, 2012 at 12:35pm

      steelhead ….this entire circus is being influenced by a super natural force intent on ruling the world through intimidation and murderous lies. I know this and if you don’t, you need to expand your reference list. The FACTS are out there, but it takes a discerning mind to sort through it for the truth.
      The left obfuscates, distorts and invents the news and tries to control its dissemination to hold sway over the more easily deceived. you seem to be one of these.

      Report Post » Max jones  

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