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Rev. Jesse Jackson - Humanitarian, Preacher, Civil Rights Champion - Dead at 84

JesseJackson

Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr., whose two-time run for president and soaring speaking gift caused him to rise from civil rights leader to an inspirational icon with a household name, has died at 84.  From "I am somebody!" to "Keep Hope Alive!" his voice is forever emblazoned in the psyche of generations of hopeless and downtroddened people. 

The announcement from his family on the morning of Feb. 17 drew tears, fond memories from millions across the nation and flags flown at half staff in his home state of South Carolina.

With profound sadness, the family of Reverend Jesse Louis Jackson, Sr., an iconic figure in the fight for civil rights, international justice, and human dignity, announces his passing,” said the statement from Chicago, the location of his Rainbow/PUSH Coalition headquarters. “Reverend Jackson, the esteemed founder of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, transitioned peacefully on early Tuesday morning, leaving behind an extraordinary legacy that has forever redefined the moral and political fabric of our nation and the world.”

The announcement drew reflections, salutes and loving memories from among the highest dignitaries to common people across the nation.

“Michelle and I were deeply saddened to hear about the passing of a true giant, the Reverend Jesse Jackson,” wrote former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle. “For more than 60 years, Reverend Jackson helped lead some of the most significant movements for change in human history. From organizing boycotts and sit-ins, to registering millions of voters, to advocating for freedom and democracy around the world, he was relentless in his belief that we are all children of God, deserving of dignity and respect.”

They continued, “Reverend Jackson also created opportunities for generations of African Americans and inspired countless more, including us. Michelle got her first glimpse of political organizing at the Jacksons’ kitchen table when she was a teenager. And in his two historic runs for president, he laid the foundation for my own campaign to the highest office of the land.”

Even President Trump – who last week refused to apologize after the Obamas were wickedly portrayed as apes in his social media post – gave reflections on his relationship with Jackson.

 “I knew him well, long before becoming President. He was a good man, with lots of personality, grit, and ‘street smarts.’ He was very gregarious – someone who truly loved people!” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.  “Jesse was a force of nature like few others before him.”  

Trump then listed initiatives that he had supported at the request of Rev. Jackson; including “long term funding for Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs), which Jesse loved.”

Former President Joe Biden spoke of his long time friendship with Jackson as did President Bill Clinton. “Throughout our decades of friendship and partnership, I’ve known Reverend Jackson as history will remember him: a man of God and of the people. Determined and tenacious. Unafraid of the work to redeem the soul of our Nation,” wrote Biden.

Former President Bill Clinton, who awarded Rev. Jackson the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2000, said he “championed human dignity.”

The list of others who praised the civil rights leader were like a whose who in Black America:

"He told us we were somebody and made us believe," stated Rev. Al Sharpton, who was mentored by Jackson. "I will always cherish him taking me under his wing, and I will forever try to do my part to keep hope alive." 

Rev. Jackson, who was with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. when he was assassinated, knew he was called to preach, but had actually left divinity school in order to join the civil rights movement alongside King.

“We were in it together,” said former Atlanta Mayor Rev. Andrew Young. “Jesse just happened to be maybe a few years younger than Martin and about10 years younger than me. But we were just like brothers. We didn’t have an authoritarian hierarchy. We were just all people called by God to serve his children.”

The Rev. Bernice King, this week, described him as “a gifted negotiator and a courageous bridge‑builder” in a social media post. She said, “My family shares a long and meaningful history with him, rooted in a shared commitment to justice and love.”

Bishop T. D. Jakes recalls his first time meeting Rev. Jackson. "He stopped by my church, stepped into my office, and said with that unmistakable blend of warmth and audacity, 'I thought it would be a shame for us to live and die in the same era and never meet each other.' He was uniquely gifted. Steadfast in conviction. A bridge builder when others were creating barricades. He expanded access and opportunity for countless Americans long told to 'wait their turn'. He never feared taking a position or
confronting opposition. His message and methodology were controversial to some, but always courageous."

Jakes concluded, "Keep Hope Alive" is now a "torch in our hands."

Jackson was not only known for his love for the Black church, but his love for the Black Press.

“Certainly, today in 2026 our nation and world are still challenged by racism, antisemitism, hatred, and inhumanity. The spirit of Jesse Jackson lives on at the center of the ever evolving and unfolding ‘freedom movement’ throughout the world,” stated Dr. Benjamin Chavis, president/CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association, the Black Press of America, which once named Jackson as Newsmaker of the Year.  “I grew up in the Civil Rights Movement. Jesse Jackson was a mentor and a colleague who I admired. I have hundreds of vivid memories of when we worked and struggled together for the liberation of all humanity. I mourn the passing of Jesse Jackson, Sr. by rededicating my life and ministry to keep fighting for freedom and equal justice.”

Rev. Jackson was a dear friend of the Black Press and Black media in general. When journalist George Curry, then NNPA editor-in-chief, died of heart failure in 2016, Rev. Jackson flew to Curry’s home town of Tuscaloosa, Ala. to give his first eulogy the night before his funeral.

 This reporter recalls how he pulled her away from his security detail in 1988 as they tried to block her from interviewing him as a cub reporter with the Richmond Afro-American newspaper during his second presidential run. His kindness and grace to me, a stranger, began a long time respectful relationship. When I started my own news wire, he could not attend the launch. So, he sent a video from Durban, South Africa praising the new venture.

The Jackson family statement concluded with a brief biography that seeks to highlight his greatest service to people:

 “For more than six decades, Reverend Jackson dedicated his life to advancing equality, dismantling systems of oppression, and amplifying the voices of the underserved. Born on October 8, 1941, in Greenville, South Carolina, Jesse Jackson graduated from the public schools in Greenville and then enrolled in the University of Illinois on a football scholarship. He later transferred to North Carolina A&T State University and graduated in 1964. He began his theological studies at Chicago Theological Seminary. However, he deferred his studies when he began working full-time in the Civil Rights Movement with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He was ordained on June 30, 1968, by Rev. Clay Evans and earned his Master of Divinity from Chicago Theological Seminary in 2000.

From marching alongside Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a mentor and friend, Reverend Jackson continued his fight during the Civil Rights Movement to leading nationwide voter registration campaigns, notably during his presidential runs in 1984 and 1988—registering millions of new voters. Reverend Jackson remained steadfast in his mission to pave the way for the next generation of freedom fighters. He was a man of the people, welcomed in even the most rural areas, whether serving the impoverished or bringing his masterful guidance to hostage negotiations with world leaders.

His tireless advocacy extended beyond American soil, championing human rights struggles on a global scale. Reverend Jackson’s fearless leadership brought attention to issues of racial discrimination, economic and gender inequality, social injustice, healthcare, education, and peace-building—earning him recognition as a true humanitarian and world leader.

Beyond his public achievements, Reverend Jackson will be remembered as a loving husband, father, grandfather, and spiritual guide. To his family, he was a source of unwavering love and faith. To countless others, he was a mentor, a voice for the voiceless, and a symbol of resilience. Reverend Jackson’s passing marks the end of an era, but his vision of justice, equality, and unity will live on through the countless lives he touched.

His legacy will continue to inspire future generations through the tireless, dedicated work of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, an organization rooted in the progressive fight for social change. Funeral arrangements and details for public celebration of life services will be shared in the coming days. For more updates, please visit: www.jessejacksonlegacy.com and www.rainbowpush.org

The Richmond Free Press Ends Publication – ‘For Now’ by Hazel Trice Edney

Feb. 17, 2026

Free Press headquarters

Richmond Free Press headquarters at 5th and Franklin Streets in Richmond, Va.  PHOTO: Julianne Tripp Hillian/Richmond Free Press

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - When the news began to spread that the Richmond Free Press was about to publish its last edition, the rumor blew like a cold wind through the Commonwealth of Virginia.

At a reception on Feb. 11, the eve of the official announcement, the buzz had already hit the streets, circulating among civil rights, business and political leaders.  Former Richmond Crusade for Voters President Sylvia Wood, former Metropolitan Business League President/CEO Lynda Sharp Anderson and former Virginia Gov. L. Douglas Wilder - all in attendance at a corporate reception Downtown - passionately expressed to this reporter their deep concern about rumors that, at 34 years old, the Black-owned newspaper was flailing.

The next morning, it officially hit: “The Richmond Free Press will cease publication this week, a bittersweet conclusion to a landmark publication that has served the Richmond community for 34 years,” said the Feb. 12 announcement on RichmondFreePress.com.

For some, the news stung. Gov. Abigail Spanberger led the painful way: “The closing of the Richmond Free Press is another major loss to those who value independent journalism and speaking truth to power. Thank you for your service to the Richmond community for more than three decades,” she wrote.

For me, well, it cut. It cut deeply like a death in the family. Actually, I’d gotten the call on the evening of Feb. 10 from Free Press Reporter George Copeland. He was asking for my reflections on the legacy of the Free Press. I was wondering…I thought it was an anniversary or something until he gave me the heart-rending news. The newspaper that I helped to birth in October 1991 by becoming its first reporter four months before its first issue hit the streets on January 16, 1992, was about to cease publishing.

As the story broke last week, the national award-winning publication – a renowned and acclaimed institution within the Virginia Black Press – quickly became known across the country as Free Press President and Publisher Jean Patterson Boone was invited to appear on Al Sharpton’s Politics Nation to discuss the newspaper’s saga and the plight of the Black Press. She recalled the decision to start the newspaper:

“We received many messages from Richmonders who cared and said we need your voice. We need you to come back to Richmond and help amplify the needs of Black people and people of good conscience. And so, after thinking about it and taking a deep breath, we decided to come back to Richmond,” Mrs. Boone told the story of how the legendary Free Press founder Ray Boone rose from the position of a highly respected editor of the Richmond Afro-American Newspaper, to a for the Baltimore Afro Chain to a distinguished professor at the Howard University School of Communications; then back to Richmond to start the Free Press in 1991.

“We stepped out on faith. And we worked very hard, very hard to make this paper the success that it has been until the Trump Administration had its way. And it has infiltrated the thinking and the decision-making by advertising agencies, by advertisers, by corporate leadership. It’s been a very difficult task to keep it going when you have the winds against you.”

Sharpton responded,  “This is part of the fall out of ending DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) and a lot of corporations cutting back on anything that looks like diversity. So, the result is advertising dollars freeze up.”

Sharpton pointed out that Mr. Boone founded the Free Press in Richmond, Va., which is the former capital of the Confederacy and one of the largest slave-trading hubs before the Civil War. Drawing from that legacy, Sharpton described Richmond as a city “still associated if not synonymous with racial tensions.”

I recall that hardened, entrenched mentality and our stories drawn from the fights against racism and White supremacy. Mr. Boone, who I had come to know as “my chief mentor and father in the Black Press”, was unwaveringly focused on justice. The Richmond Free Press was indeed what I have described as a Marine Boot Camp for journalists, focused on excellence in service by telling our stories and fighting our battles.

  • Under his editorship, we broke the July 23, 1992 story that told how the Virginia Air National Guard had a Confederate Flag emblem emblazoned on its planes and uniforms since 1947, a tip given to us by a Black member of the air guard. The day that story was published, Gov. Wilder issued an executive order to have that emblem removed and replaced with the flag of the United States of America.
  • We also broke the story that told how the Richmond Public Schools, with more than 90 percent Black students, had a staff of psychologists that were all White. Within weeks, the school system hired its first Black psychologist.
  • And then there was the story of how Gilpin Court, Richmond’s largest and oldest public housing development, had for decades been plagued by a towering trash dump with rats, rodents and the smell of rotting refuse. The City Council had ignored the complaints of the residents until the Free Press published a series of stories, pushing them to clean it up. Our tenth story on the topic was that the council had finally seen the light. The dump was finally cleaned up and the people were contemplating making it a playground.

Story after story, the Richmond Free Press, from 1992 to its final addition on Feb. 12, 2026, fought for Black Richmonders, Black Virginians, Black Americans. Accolade after accolade, award after award, the applause for this publication – even beyond Mr. Boone’s death in 2014, still resonate in my mind as among the greatest contributions to humanity in the former Confederate capital.

That fight for justice, for freedom, for equality is not over. Mr. Boone made that clear to me before his death when he advised me to never think twice about what I should say or write when addressing issues in public. He said, “Tell the story of Black people because the story has not been told.”

Of the hundreds of Black-owned newspapers and Black-owned media agencies across the country, many are still struggling against the rabid racist regime of the Trump administration. We will continue to tell our story. As for the Richmond Free Press, Publisher Jean Patterson Boone, who took up the torch from her deceased husband and ran with it for nearly 12 years, leading talented editors, writers and dedicated staffers, including their first administrative employee Tracey Oliver and their children, award-winning photographer Regina, and circulation executive Raymond Jr., perhaps the proudest accomplishment was that despite the struggle, the quality of the newspaper never suffered - never.

“I was going to end on our terms; not on someone else’s terms,” Mrs. Boone told Rev. Sharpton. “I never missed a payroll. That was my thought and my intention and my promise. Though Ray never talked to me about continuing, he knew how difficult this is.” She concluded in a social media post, “Perhaps dear readers, we’ll meet again.”

From Reconstruction to the SAVE Act: The Politics of Paperwork By Julianne Malveaux

Feb. 14, 2026

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(TriceEdneyWire.com) - Frederick Douglass did not know the day he was born.

Like many enslaved people, he was denied even the dignity of documentation. Birth dates were approximations. Family lines were severed. Identity existed in property ledgers, not in public record.

His mother, Harriet Bailey, called him her “little Valentine,” and Douglass later chose February 14 as his birthday — an act of self-definition in a country that refused to define him as fully human.

That act matters.

Douglass understood something fundamental: identity is not granted by paperwork. It is asserted through presence, voice, and participation. He claimed authorship over his own life in a nation structured to deny it.

Today, we are debating whether documentation should determine access to democracy.

The SAVE Act would require documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections. Passports. Birth certificates. Paper trails. Supporters frame it as administrative protection. But the history of American democracy teaches us that administrative mechanisms are rarely neutral.

Paperwork has always been political.

After Reconstruction, when Black political participation expanded, new rules narrowed the electorate. Literacy tests. Poll taxes. Grandfather clauses. Each was presented as procedural. Each functioned as a barrier.

The methods change. The objective — control over who counts — does not.

Documentation requirements would fall hardest on those least likely to have ready access to formal records: seniors born at home in the Jim Crow South, low-income Americans without passports, married women whose legal names no longer match their birth certificates. Even producing paperwork can become a test of belonging.

Documented cases of noncitizen voting are exceedingly rare. The question is not fraud prevention; it is access.

Reconstruction was not only about emancipation. It was about participation. Black men voted. Black officials were elected. Black institutions were built. And when those gains threatened entrenched power, backlash followed.

In 1898, in Wilmington, North Carolina, a legitimately elected multiracial government was overthrown. Black political power was dismantled. The ballot was replaced by the bullet. It was not disorder; it was organized suppression.

The lesson is sobering. When participation expands, resistance emerges.

Today’s debates unfold in legislative chambers rather than in armed mobs. But the question remains: who has the authority to define citizenship?

Douglass claimed his identity in a system that denied him documentation. He did not wait for official recognition to assert his humanity. He understood that democracy depends not on perfect records, but on inclusive participation.

When paperwork becomes a prerequisite for political voice, we should ask whether we are strengthening democracy — or narrowing it.

The struggle over the ballot has never been merely procedural. It has always been about power.

Douglass defined himself when the state would not.

The question now is whether we will let the state decide who counts.

Dr. Julianne Malveaux is a DC based economist and authorl. Subscribe ot her newsletter at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it." data-linkindex="0">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..  Communicate with her at juliannemalveau

Ice Has Run Rogue. These Governors And Mayors Are The Last Line Of Defense For American Democracy by Marc H. Morial

To Be Equal 
February 14, 2026

Express written permission must be obtained from Mauri Solages Photography for usage


(TriceEdneyWire.com) - “If the federal government will not hold these rogue actors accountable, then Chicago will do everything in our power to bring these agents to justice.” – Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson

There comes a point when euphemisms fail us. What ICE has done in Chicago and Minneapolis is not mere “overreach.” Agents did not make “missteps” or “tactical errors.” These are clear, documented violations of the law and abuses of power that have endangered the lives of American citizens — and they demand a forceful reckoning. State and local leaders in Illinois and Minnesota have been forced into a role that should shame the federal government: they are defending the Constitution against the very agents sworn to uphold it.

In Chicago, a federal judge confirmed what communities have been shouting for years: ICE repeatedly carried out warrantless arrests in violation of a court‑ordered consent decree, blatantly disregarding the most basic protections of the Fourth Amendment. These arrests were not accidents or technical mistakes — they were a pattern of unlawful detentions, carried out by an agency operating with impunity.

Chicago’s own leadership has described ICE’s conduct in the city as a series of actions that violated constitutionally protected rights, destabilized neighborhoods, and provoked life‑threatening confrontations. This is the language officials use when an agency behaves like a lawless paramilitary force, not a legitimate arm of the federal government.

In Minnesota, federal agents went even further — storming homes without warrants, conducting stops without legal justification, and seizing people who had no criminal records, including children and U.S. citizens. These are illegal acts, full stop. Legal analyses make clear that ICE simply ignored the limits of its own authority.

And then came the deaths. Renee Good. Alex Pretti. Both killed by ICE agents in Minneapolis — killings that shocked the conscience of the nation and ignited statewide protests. These tragedies did not occur in isolation; they happened amid an operation so sweeping and unrestrained that Minnesota’s own governor called it an “occupation.”

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker saw Operation Midway Blitz for what it was: an unannounced, militarized federal invasion of his state. He immediately began preparing legal action against the Trump administration for its reckless deployment of ICE and Border Patrol agents into Chicago communities.

But Pritzker didn’t stop at mere rhetoric — he backed one of the strongest state‑level countermeasures in modern immigration policy. House Bill 1312 would create “safe zones,” ban ICE from courthouse arrests, and allow residents to sue federal agents who violate their constitutional rights. This is a direct and unapologetic challenge to ICE’s culture of impunity.

Meanwhile, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz took the federal government head‑on, calling the ICE surge “a campaign of organized brutality” and demanding it end immediately. Walz publicly condemned the indiscriminate stops, the home invasions, and the terror inflicted on families — stating plainly that the operation had caused generational trauma, economic devastation, and profound civic harm.

These are not the words of timid officials. These are the words of leaders who know their people are under assault.

In Chicago, Mayor Brandon Johnson did what the federal government has refused to do: he moved to hold rogue federal agents criminally accountable. His “ICE On Notice” executive order requires Chicago police to document illegal ICE activity, secure body‑camera evidence, and report violations of state and local law. This order makes Chicago the first city in America to build infrastructure capable of prosecuting ICE and CBP agents for misconduct.

Johnson’s message is unambiguous: if the federal government will not restrain its own agents, Chicago will do it for them. He has also strengthened sanctuary protections and barred ICE from using city property as operational staging grounds — a direct counterstrike against Washington’s authoritarian overreach.

In Minneapolis, Mayor Jacob Frey has been just as explicit, calling for a nationwide end to the “ICE siege” and condemning the agency for transforming his city into the epicenter of an unconstitutional crackdown. Frey has repeatedly demanded the withdrawal of federal forces and highlighted the catastrophic impact of ICE’s actions on Minneapolis residents, including shuttered businesses, terrified families, and the deaths of two community members at ICE’s hands.

This is what constitutional leadership looks like.

Let’s be very clear: ICE did not enforce the law — it violated it. It terrorized communities, conducted illegal operations, and left death in its wake.

And when federal leadership refused to enforce accountability, it was state and local officials — Pritzker, Walz, Johnson, and Frey — who stood up in its place.

Their defiance is not radical. It is not partisan. It is not symbolic.

It is constitutional patriotism.

At a time when a federal agency behaves as if it is above the law, these leaders have reminded the country that:

  • The Constitution still applies.
  • States still have rights.
  • Local governments still have a duty to protect their residents.
  • And no federal badge grants immunity from the rule of law.

America needs more leaders willing to confront unlawful federal power with this level of clarity and courage. Because if ICE can trample constitutional rights in Chicago and Minneapolis today, it can do the same in any American city tomorrow.

And if that happens, we will depend — desperately — on leaders like Pritzker, Walz, Johnson, and Frey to stand firm once again.

Court Ruling Forces Trump Administration to Restore CFPB Funding Consumers lost more than $15 billion By Charlene Crowell

 
 
 
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California Congresswoman Maxine Waters speaks at a CFPB rally. Also attending are Representatives Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.) and Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio).
PHOTO: Center for Responsible Lending
  
(TriceEdneyWire.com) - Over the past year, the Trump administration took a series of steps to weaken the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). Despite broad and bipartisan legislative and consumer support for the agency’s efforts that delivered transparency in financial transactions for consumers, these reversals also ended the kind of data collection, research, and investigations of consumer complaints that together held violators accountable, while making defrauded consumers financially whole.  
Russell Vought, appointed to serve as both Secretary of the Office of Management and Budget and CFPB’s Acting Director, ordered the agency to close its offices early last year and then months later, chose not to request any funding from the Federal Reserve. Unlike many federal agencies subject to annual congressional appropriation, the CFPB receives its funding directly from the Federal Reserve. Caught up in this agency role reversal were an estimated 1,400 employees left uncertain whether their jobs could be retained or their collective mission continued. 
But on December 30, a federal district judge issued a series of rulings that made clear that no administration could ignore or eliminate what Congress previously enacted into law, clearing the way for the Bureau to continue its important work.
In just two consumer categories – fees for late credit card payments and overdraft – an estimated $15 billion were taken from the pockets of consumers. Overdraft regulation that was set to take effect last year was scuttled at a cumulative consumer cost of $5 billion, while $32 monthly credit card late fees took another $10 billion from the pockets of everyday working people. 
“By stopping virtually all work at the Consumer Bureau, President Trump is giving financial companies a green light to cheat working Americans out of their hard-earned money,” said Mike Calhoun, President of the Center for Responsible Lending.
Speaking directly to the administration’s refusal to request agency funding, Judge Amy Berman Jackson’s 32-page ruling wrote in part:
“The defendants’ interpretation of the Dodd-Frank Act is contrary to the text and intent of the statute and the way it has been consistently interpreted by both the Federal Reserve and the CFPB… [N]ot one penny of the funding needed to run the agency that has returned over $21 billion to American consumers comes from taxpayer dollars. The only new circumstance is the administration’s determination to eliminate an agency created by Congress with the stroke of pen, even while the matter is before the Court of Appeals.”  
The ruling also itemized the duties CFPB “shall” perform:
  • Reinstate all probationary and term employees terminated between February 10, 2025 and December 30, the date of this order, including but not limited to the Private Student Loan Ombudsman.
  • No termination of any CFPB employee, except for cause related to the individual employee’s performance or conduct; nor issue any notice of reduction-in-force to any CFPB employee.
  • Ensure that employees can perform their statutorily mandated functions, the defendants must provide them with either fully equipped office space, or permission to work remotely and laptop computers that are enabled to connect securely to the agency server.
  • Ensure that the CFPB Office of Consumer Response continues to maintain a single, toll-free telephone number, a website, and a database for the centralized collection of consumer complaints regarding consumer financial products and services, and that it continues to monitor and respond to those complaints.
  • Rescind all notices of contract termination issued on or after February 11, 2025, and they may not reinitiate the wholesale cancellation of contracts.
For Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Ranking Member of the House Financial Services Committee and a long-time CFPB champion, reacted to the court ruling saying,  “Let’s be clear, the Trump Administration’s efforts to defund or dismantle this agency are not about fiscal responsibility, they are about shielding their allies on Wall Street and other powerful corporate interests from oversight while working families are left to fend for themselves.”

“At a time when families are already being squeezed by the Trump Administration’s reckless economic agenda, weakening the CFPB only makes it harder for people to keep up with rising costs, avoid financial abuse, and stay afloat”, Waters concluded. 
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