The Inside Story: Elections and Consequences | 171 TRANSCRIPT

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The Inside Story: Elections and Consequences

Episode 171 – November 21, 2024

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This week connected The Inside Story…

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump begins to denote bureau heads for his incoming administration...

See what that could mean for the Trump docket going forward.

Now connected The Inside Story: Elections and Consequences.

The Inside Story:

KATHERINE GYPSON, VOA Congressional Correspondent:

Hello and invited to the Inside Story. I’m Katherine Gypson successful Washington.

The Republican enactment has won a legislative Trifecta and volition power the White House, the House of Representatives and the US Senate travel January... And that could assistance President Trump enact his expansive agenda, but if past is immoderate guide, it’s nary guarantee....

KATHERINE GYPSON:

The caller person of the incoming Republican-majority U.S. Senate…

Senator John Thune, Republican:

We person a mandate from the American people, a mandate not lone to cleanable up the messiness near by the Biden-Harris-Schumer agenda, but besides to present connected President Trump's priorities.

KATHERINE GYPSON:

Thune takes the apical enactment relation successful the Senate aft Mitch McConnell served successful that presumption for 18 years, and helium is already facing his archetypal test. President-elect Donald Trump has projected bypassing the Senate’s law relation of approving Cabinet nominees.

Senator John Thune, Republican:

The Senate has an advise-and-consent relation successful the Constitution, truthful we volition bash everything we tin to process his noms [nominations] rapidly and get them installed successful their presumption truthful they tin statesman to instrumentality his agenda.

KATHERINE GYPSON:

Democrats mislaid their bulk and volition clasp astatine slightest 47 seats successful the caller Senate.

Chuck Schumer, Senate Majority Leader:

The American radical person presented america with a challenge. We indispensable larn from it.

KATHERINE GYPSON:

Trump had unified power of authorities during the archetypal 2 years of his archetypal term. But 1 expert says that does not ever mean the White House volition get what it wants connected Capitol Hill.

Casey Burgat, George Washington University:

Mitch McConnell had said past that helium supports the president's agenda, he'll enactment with them, but past we saw — from nominations to policies — that they volition supply nary votes if they deliberation the president has gone excessively far.

KATHERINE GYPSON:

Republicans besides secured a bulk successful the U.S. House of Representatives, earning praise from Trump…

KATHERINE GYPSON:

The president-elect endorsed Speaker of the House Mike Johnson to pb again.

Mike Johnson, Speaker of the House:

I judge it volition beryllium the astir consequential Congress successful the modern era, astir consequential medication of the modern era, because, frankly, we person to hole astir each country of nationalist policy.

KATHERINE GYPSON:

But Republicans clasp a overmuch narrower bulk successful the House with lone a fistful much seats than Democrats, who vowed to support fighting.

Rep. Pramila Jayapal, Democrat:

The Congressional Progressive Caucus volition proceed to beryllium ferocious defenders of the moving people and mediocre people.

KATHERINE GYPSON:

President-elect Trump besides has the task of naming caller directors for the CIA and the Director of National Intelligence who oversees it. He’s turning to an aged state for the CIA and has nominated idiosyncratic seen arsenic an outsider and imaginable disrupter to oversee the bureau erstwhile his 2nd word begins successful January. VOA National Security Correspondent Jeff Seldin has this story.

JEFF SELDIN, National Security Correspondent:

The one-time Democrat became a beardown dependable for Trump’s campaign, rallying crowds down his agenda.

Tulsi Gabbard, Trump National Intelligence Director Pick:

It’s wherefore I’m arrogant to basal with President Trump and wherefore we the radical indispensable ballot to nonstop him backmost to the White House and marque America large again.

JEFF SELDIN:

In announcing Gabbard’s nomination, Trump praised her “fearless spirit,” saying she’ll bring that to the job.

She besides brings much than 20 years of acquisition serving with the U.S. Army National Guard.

And she brings a grade of contention irking Republican and Democratic lawmakers with this societal media video, successful which critics accidental she mirrored Russian propaganda astir U.S.-funded bioweapons labs successful Ukraine — thing U.S. quality officials accidental is not true.

Gabbard has besides been criticized for gathering with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad – accused of warfare crimes. But she defended the travel by saying you can’t beryllium superior astir bid unless you are consenting to speech to your adversaries.

Trump’s prime of John Ratcliffe to pb the CIA is much accepted – Ratcliffe having served arsenic Trump’s manager of nationalist quality astatine the extremity of Trump’s archetypal term.

At times, Ratcliffe clashed with lawmakers implicit moves to declassify quality astir alleged Russian predetermination interference.

He besides pushed backmost against meddling by Iran, Russia and China.

John Ratcliffe, Trump Pick to Lead CIA:

There is thing much ineffable successful our republic than the cardinal antiauthoritarian rule of 1 person, 1 vote.

JEFF SELDIN:

Trump entrusting a acquainted face…

And a rising star... to pb U.S. quality efforts for the adjacent 4 years.

KATHERINE GYPSON:

For much connected this story, I'm joined present by VOA NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT Jeff Selden, Jeff, what insights tin you stock astir the aboriginal of the CIA nether this caller administration? Well,

JEFF SELDIN:

Donald Trump, arsenic President Elect and arsenic his erstwhile president, has enactment a batch of accent connected his planetary outlook, but he's besides gone with unconventional choices astatine times for the quality agencies, particularly this clip astir with the CIA, he's chosen John Ratcliffe, who served him, but successful his erstwhile medication arsenic the Director of National Intelligence, the prime that is causing much contention and much treatment and his prime is his prime for the Director of National Intelligence, the idiosyncratic who oversees 17 different of the US quality agencies, by choosing Tulsi Gabbard, a erstwhile Democratic Congresswoman who has acquisition arsenic a National Guardsman serving overseas, but to the minds of galore critics, does not person quality experience, right?

KATHERINE GYPSON:

So what precisely does the authorities creating that presumption say?

JEFF SELDIN:

What that presumption needs the authorities that created the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which was enactment into spot aft the 911 panic attacks successful 2001 to marque definite that the US quality agencies were each moving connected the aforesaid leafage and that accusation wasn't falling done the cracks that would let a monolithic onslaught similar the US saw 911 to occur. And it says that the Director of National Intelligence is idiosyncratic who needs to beryllium precise experienced. The authorities calls for extended quality experience, not conscionable successful presumption of knowing quality and practicing intelligence, but besides successful presumption of managing quality agencies. Right?

KATHERINE GYPSON:

So however has that been interpreted successful the past? Has that ever been a occupation successful the confirmation process?

JEFF SELDIN:

Well, successful the past, galore of the directors of National Intelligence person been aged veterans of the US quality community, serving successful quality agencies similar the NSA, the National Security Agency, the CIA, the nation's premier quality spy agency.

But astatine times, though, the explanation of what extended means has been pushed specifically successful his past administration, President Trump nominated John Radcliffe, present nominated to caput the CIA to beryllium the Director of National Intelligence. When helium archetypal nominated him, determination was controversy. He had immoderate acquisition arsenic a authoritative moving connected coercion related cases. Some lawmakers thought that that acquisition was overstated, and helium besides served connected the House Intelligence Committee. But it wasn't enough. The archetypal clip helium was nominated, helium had to withdraw. He was nominated again aboriginal successful the administration, and helium survived confirmation by a constrictive enactment enactment vote. But that establishes a precedent.

KATHERINE GYPSON:

The question present is, however volition lawmakers who person to person these confirmation hearings and who person an involvement successful seeing a beardown US quality community. How are they going to look astatine Tulsi Gabbard nomination? How are they going to look astatine her acquisition and her views connected assorted issues? Right?

I retrieve she had a travel to Syria backmost erstwhile she was a subordinate of Congress that was very, precise controversial. Among different things she said astir the Russian penetration of Ukraine, floated immoderate conspiracy theories that the penetration was justified due to the fact that of Bio Labs. Can you. Hack immoderate of that for america and however that mightiness get her into occupation now, right?

JEFF SELDIN:

Tulsi Gabbard has not been idiosyncratic who's been eyed favorably by radical wrong the nationalist information community. Traditionally, they look astatine her travel to Syria and her gathering with the Syrian President Bashar Al Assad, and that is thing that they deliberation was a mistake and upset them.

They look astatine this instrumentality that she had connected immoderate of the warring betwixt Russia and Ukraine, and the connection that you alluded to, and it was mentioned successful the portion astir however she, according to many, mirrored Russian propaganda astir US engagement successful bio weapons labs, to the constituent wherever a Republican senator, Mitt Romney fundamentally accused her of being a puppet for the Russian regime, and she said that, and she's besides upset radical successful the quality community, due to the fact that years ago, she co sponsored authorities that would person issued that called for a pardon to Edward Snowden, a erstwhile National Security Agency contractor who leaked hundreds of 1000s of documents, which, according to quality officials successful the US, enactment lives astatine risk, risk, the lives of assets, enactment different programs astatine risk, and past took refuge successful Russia.

So that's going to origin immoderate consternation. But for the Trump team, successful the radical successful Trump's camp, they spot oregon arsenic idiosyncratic who's a disrupter, idiosyncratic who's consenting to archer information to powerfulness and shingle up what they spot arsenic an quality infrastructure that truly needs immoderate change,

KATHERINE GYPSON:

Right. So, you've talked astir the mode Gabbard is perceived by the incoming Trump administration. How is she going to beryllium perceived worldwide? What are our allies going to deliberation astir idiosyncratic who's facing these accusations?

JEFF SELDIN:

it's a bully question. Look, determination immoderate allies volition beryllium concerned, due to the fact that they cognize they look astatine the way grounds that Trump had from his archetypal word successful office, and immoderate of the accusation that immoderate allies felt that helium leaked out, oregon the mode helium handled intelligence, which, again, from a accepted quality constituent of view, immoderate erstwhile officials thought it was it was careless astatine times, oregon helium played accelerated and escaped with however quality was used. So they whitethorn not beryllium precise favorable successful presumption of looking astatine what's going to hap this clip around, right?

But they tin look astatine his information for CIA Director John Ratcliffe. They person acquisition dealing with him from what his clip astatine arsenic Director of National Intelligence astatine the extremity of Trump's archetypal word that whitethorn springiness them immoderate comfort. Look. It's besides important to retrieve that a batch of the interaction, the practice betwixt the US and its allies erstwhile it comes to quality is not astatine the apical astir level.

It's astatine levels little down, wherever radical person been moving connected these programs, moving connected getting intelligence, gathering information, wherever they enactment together. Some of it, astatine this point, is adjacent automated.

KATHERINE GYPSON:

So however are those relationships going to beryllium changing nether a Trump word this clip around?

JEFF SELDIN:

That remains to beryllium seen. But immoderate of this stuff, immoderate of this cooperation, is not going to beryllium capable to beryllium walked
back, right?

KATHERINE GYPSON:

So that said, you did speech astir the little level cooperation, if she does spell through, oregon if she does proceed with this nomination, it could beryllium a small spot dicey to get that done the US Senate. I cognize that from covering immoderate of the much home nominees, what exactly, however could that shingle out?

What answers volition she person to, you know, Faith springiness the US Congress erstwhile she's confirmed?

JEFF SELDIN:

Well, if she faces a confirmation hearing, there's a bully accidental astatine slightest Democratic lawmakers, and there's a bully accidental to lawmakers volition question her connected immoderate of the stances that she's taking, immoderate of her actions, astir Bashar Al Assad, her travel to Syria, her stance connected Edward Snowden and his leak of information, and wherefore should she feels helium should beryllium pardoned, erstwhile wrong the quality assemblage he's viewed arsenic A traitor. They're going to inquire her astir wherefore she's been consenting to spell nationalist and echo sentiments expressed by Russia against against Ukraine and US engagement that lends to conspiracy theories. And she'll person to supply immoderate answers. The happening that it's hard to accidental is, however volition the instrumentality marque How volition she supply those answers?

What precisely volition she say? And past however volition lawmakers react? Remember, portion of the confirmation process is determination is immoderate deference to the president elite oregon the president by the clip these hearings happen, arsenic to who the President wants successful office, who helium feels helium needs successful his receptor to springiness him the champion proposal and the champion information. How are lawmakers going to parse this out? And that remains to beryllium seen.

KATHERINE GYPSON:

We'll spot however overmuch the US Congress pushes backmost connected each of that. It is simply a abstracted subdivision of the US government. View is NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT Jeff Selden, convey you truthful overmuch for joining america today.

JEFF SELDIN:

My pleasure.

KATHERINE GYPSON:

As the Biden medication enters its last 2 months, President Biden is acold from winding down. His medication has precocious authorized Ukraine to utilize long-range weapons, allowing them to onslaught deeper into Russia, targeting the Kremlin's subject infrastructure. This determination follows Russia's largest aerial battle connected Ukraine successful caller months. VOA's Arash Arabasadi reports connected the processing situation.

ARASH ARABASADI, VOA Correspondent:

Missiles alert overhead arsenic Russia launches its largest aerial battle against Ukraine successful months.

Ukraine’s aerial defenses intercepted immoderate incoming occurrence implicit superior metropolis Kyiv arsenic aerial raid sirens bellowed below.

And radical huddled for information successful underground metro stations.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia launched 120 missiles and 90 drones, including Iranian-made Shaheds.

Kyiv’s aerial unit says the subject destroyed 104 missiles and 42 of the drones.

Russia says it was targeting vigor facilities that powerfulness Ukraine’s military-industrial complex.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to bring a speedy extremity to the struggle betwixt the 2 nations.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz precocious spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin and reiterated Europe’s enactment for Ukraine nary substance what happens successful Washington.

Olaf Scholz, German Chancellor:

Russia and the Russian president started this warfare and are prepared to hazard a large woody of worldly and, supra all, their ain lives for the program to conquer and contradict Ukraine its sovereignty and democracy… It would beryllium an illusion connected Russia’s portion to judge that Ukraine cannot proceed to number connected our steadfast enactment successful the future.

ARASH ARABASADI:

Zelenskyy, however, said helium welcomes the imaginable of this warfare coming to an end.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukrainian President:

I don’t deliberation Putin wants bid astatine all. But that does not mean helium doesn’t privation to beryllium down with satellite leaders. ... I deliberation the warfare volition end, and not successful the abstract. There is nary nonstop date, but with the argumentation of the incoming White House, the warfare volition extremity faster. This is their committedness to their country. And for them, it is besides precise important.

ARASH ARABASADI:

But for now, Ukrainian archetypal responders person their hands afloat removing rocket debris from blown retired buildings.

Ukrainian officials accidental astatine slightest 7 radical died successful the attacks, which they accidental caused “severe damage” to the powerfulness system.

The strikes prompted exigency powerfulness cuts done respective regions with country residents waiting successful enactment astatine h2o proviso stations and alleged “invincibility points.”

Marina Martynenko, Odesa Region State Emergency Service:

We opened 45 invincibility points astatine occurrence stations successful the Odesa region. People tin complaint physics devices, portion blistery tea, and person basal food. There are besides kids’ corners wherever children tin gully and read.

ARASH ARABASADI:

Russia’s warfare connected Ukraine volition scope the one-thousand time people this week.

Arash Arabasadi, VOA News.

KATHERINE GYPSON:

The incoming Trump medication besides appears to beryllium taking a antithetic attack to Israel and the Palestinians surviving successful the West Bank. Trump named erstwhile Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee arsenic U.S. Ambassador to Israel. And arsenic VOA’s Linda Gradstein reports from the West Bank, that could people a large displacement successful U.S. argumentation for the region.

LINDA GRADSTEIN, VOA Correspondent:

Kedumim is simply a comfy chamber assemblage successful the bluish West Bank built successful the mid-1970s. Daniella Weiss, a fiery settler leader, and her children were 1 of the archetypal Jewish families to settee here, surviving successful tents with nary moving water.

Today, she hopes President-elect Donald Trump volition judge full sovereignty and annexation of the West Bank settlements, without provisions for a Palestinian state.

Daniella Weiss, Jewish Settler Leader:

The president of the United States who says ‘I’m going to springiness you a present. I volition springiness you sovereignty, but you’ll person to permission thing aside.’ No, it’s each ours. The quality to accidental it is each ours, why? Because it is the committedness of God to Abraham.

LINDA GRADSTEIN:

Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich besides lives here. He predicted that successful 2025, Israel volition annex what’s known arsenic Area C, the 60 percent of the West Bank that contains the Jewish settlements and is location to much than 500,000 settlers. The 2.5 cardinal Palestinians unrecorded mostly successful what’s designated Areas A and B of the West Bank that are nether the partial oregon afloat power of the Palestinian Authority.

Israeli annexation of disputed territory was a diagnostic of the archetypal Trump administration's Middle East policy, which recognized Israeli power implicit the Golan Heights. Trump-appointed Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, has agelong been a staunch proponent of Jewish settlements successful the West Bank. Like the Israeli settlers, helium refers to the territories by their Biblical sanction Judea and Samaria.

Mike Huckabee, US Ambassador to Israel Nominee:

I admit Judea and Samaria arsenic portion of Israel. And I judge that it’s most

important that we recognize that determination are much Jews surviving successful Judea and Samaria than astir radical ever realize, and that those numbers are significant. It’s an important portion of the information of Israel.

LINDA GRADSTEIN:

Some analysts, including those who unrecorded successful the West Bank, say that Israel should beryllium cautious astir annexing the lands unilaterally.

Hodaya Karish-Hazony, Makor Rishon:

If you truly deliberation that, and I deliberation that, sovereignty is 1 of the things that tin marque Israel truly harmless and guarantee her future, you person to bash it wisely and you person to bash it hand-in-hand with the American administration.

LINDA GRADSTEIN:

Other settlers interest that a determination to annex portion of the West Bank could origin further unrest.

Hanan Moses, Herzog College:

I personally enactment annexation, but I conscionable don’t privation it to teardrop the society isolated again. There already is simply a beardown colony question here. But the near is against it. The part among america weakens us.

LINDA GRADSTEIN:

Some settler leaders, including Daniella Weiss, privation to spell adjacent further than annexing the West Bank. They accidental they are already preparing to re-build Jewish settlements successful the Gaza Strip which were evacuated successful 2005.

Linda Gradstein, VOA News, Kedumim successful the West Bank.

KATHERINE GYPSON:

President Donald Trump carries with him the dubious favoritism of being the lone convicted felon ever to presume the Presidency. In fact, Trump has spent a bully woody of clip successful courtrooms successful the 4 years since his erstwhile term.

VOA’s Tina Trinh examines however the presumption of those cases changed present that he’s president elect.

TINA TRINH, VOA Correspondent:

Will President-elect Donald Trump beryllium sentenced for his crimes?

It’s a question that remains to beryllium answered, arsenic New York authorities justice Juan Merchan considers the bonzer circumstances of a erstwhile U.S. president and convicted felon who besides happens to beryllium the incoming president.

In May, Trump was recovered blameworthy of 34 felony counts of falsifying concern records to conceal payments to big movie prima Stormy Daniels to suppress a enactment ungraded up of his 2016 election.

Trump’s sentencing successful the alleged “hush money” lawsuit has been delayed aggregate times, and his predetermination triumph earlier this period casts further uncertainty connected ineligible proceedings.

Anna Cominsky, New York Law School:

Really, the halfway of this is to find retired whether oregon not Trump's sentencing is going to determination guardant astatine all. And that includes whether it volition hap earlier helium takes office, whether it volition hap aft helium takes office, oregon whether his lawsuit volition conscionable beryllium dismissed.

TINA TRINH:

Trump’s defence squad is arguing that a landmark Supreme Court ruling successful July grants him statesmanlike immunity and that the lawsuit should beryllium dismissed entirely.

But Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is arguing that the assemblage arrived astatine a blameworthy verdict anterior to the Supreme Court ruling, and that Trump was not president astatine the time.

In a missive to the judge, helium indicated that prosecutors would reason attempts to disregard the lawsuit but were unfastened to delaying sentencing until aft Trump’s word successful office.

Claire Finkelstein, University of Pennsylvania:

If Juan Marshan decides that helium agrees with the prosecutors’ proposition arsenic a possibility, past helium would prosecute successful what mightiness beryllium termed an equitable enactment of proceedings in airy of the bonzer circumstances of the suspect becoming

president of the United States, and helium would efficaciously enactment the lawsuit until 2029, aft Donald Trump steps down from the presidency.

TINA TRINH:

The hush wealth lawsuit isn’t the lone 1 the president-elect indispensable contend with.

Two national cases brought distant by peculiar counsel Jack Smith, 1 alleging

mishandling of classified documents and different predetermination interference, are reportedly being brought to a close, arsenic a long-standing Department of Justice argumentation cites that sitting presidents cannot beryllium charged with a crime.

However, an predetermination interference lawsuit successful Georgia does not autumn nether national jurisdiction.

Claire Finkelstein, University of Pennsylvania:

Technically, the authorities of Georgia is escaped to proceed unencumbered by the DOJ policy. But tin they? Is there, is it adjacent imaginable to expect that they would beryllium capable to proceed and expect the practice of Donald Trump, which would truly necessitate the practice of the White House to proceed with a proceedings portion the suspect is serving arsenic president of the United States?

TINA TRINH:

Unprecedented circumstances person made for uncharted ineligible territory.

Tina Trinh, VOA News, New York.

KATHERINE GYPSON:

Some State governors successful the U.S. are already preparing for imaginable Trump medication policies that they expect whitethorn struggle with their authorities laws. Democratic governors, successful particular, asseverate their readiness to support their states' progressive policies. Matt Dibble reports from California, wherever the politician has called an exigency league of the authorities assembly.

MATT DIBBLE, VOA Correspondent:

As President-Elect Donald Trump prepares to instrumentality powerfulness with Republican majorities successful some houses of Congress, immoderate Democratic governors privation to bounds his interaction connected their states.

Kathy Hochul, Governor of New York:

If you effort to harm New Yorkers, oregon rotation backmost their rights, I volition combat you each measurement of the way.

MATT DIBBLE:

New York Governor Kathy Hochul and the politician of Illinois, J.B. Pritzker, were speedy to react.

JB Pritzker, Governor of Illinois:

You travel for my people, you travel done me.

Gavin Newsom, Governor of California:

We are calling, and person called, for an exigency peculiar league of our authorities legislature firmly focused connected the values we clasp beloved that I deliberation are cosmopolitan values, that are American values.

MATT DIBBLE:

That’s California Governor Gavin Newsom calling a peculiar league of the authorities assembly to hole for what his bureau says is, quote, “an incoming national medication that has threatened the authorities connected aggregate fronts.”

Following his win, Trump posted connected his Truth Social that Newsom is, quote, "trying to KILL our Nation's beauteous California.

Donald Trump, President-Elect:

The authorities of California is simply a mess.

MATT DIBBLE:

Trump often says the state's progressive policies lend to crime, homelessness and unauthorized immigration.

Unidentified:

The large authorities of California volition beryllium filing a lawsuit...

MATT DIBBLE:

During the archetypal Trump presidency, California sued the medication implicit 100 times, successfully defending authorities migration policies, conveyance emanation standards, and entree to wellness care.

Speaking past week adjacent San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge, California Attorney General Rob Bonta said his squad plans to statesman filing litigation arsenic soon arsenic Trump takes office.

Rob Bonta, California Attorney General:

Mr. Trump repeatedly overstepped his authorization betwixt 2016 and 2020. There's nary crushed to deliberation helium won't bash it again. We checked him, and we stopped him, and we pushed him backmost into his container erstwhile helium tried to measurement retired of it.

MATT DIBBLE:

On a Los Angeles run halt successful September, Trump bashed California's leaders and their absorption of authorities resources.

Donald Trump, President-Elect:

I'm going to springiness you safety. I'm going to springiness you a large border, and I'm going to springiness you much h2o than astir anybody has.

MATT DIBBLE:

California spent implicit $41 cardinal defending laws and policies during the archetypal Trump presidency, according to the nonprofit CalMatters.

When authorities legislators convene successful December, Democratic leaders accidental they volition beryllium voting connected exigency backing to artifact the incoming Trump medication from deporting immigrants, limiting reproductive and civilian rights, and rolling backmost biology regulations successful America’s most-populous state.

Matt Dibble, VOA News, Oakland, California

KATHERINE GYPSON:

I’m Katherine Gypson. We volition spot you adjacent week, for The Inside Story.

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