Nathan Bernier
@kutnathan.bsky.social
📤 566
📥 49
📝 132
Transportation reporter at Austin NPR station KUT 90.5 FM
https://kut.org/nathan
ABIA isn’t on the FAA list of 40 airports ordered to reduce flights by 10%, but the effects will be felt in Austin.
www.kut.org/transportati...
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Even if Austin doesn't get hit by FAA flight cuts, travelers will feel pain
Austin's airport is reportedly not on the FAA's list of flight cuts, but controller shortages and ripple effects from major hubs are likely to slow travel.
https://www.kut.org/transportation/2025-11-06/austin-tx-aus-abia-government-shutdown-flights-cuts
4 days ago
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Austin is starting construction this month on long-promised improvements to the Shoal Creek Trail. The city is widening a section of sidewalk along North Lamar Boulevard that runs parallel to a serene nature path deep in a canyon below.
www.kut.org/transportati...
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Shoal Creek Trail widening will reshape part of North Lamar
The city starts work this month to widen a sidewalk along North Lamar Boulevard where the trail runs parallel to a rugged path in the canyon below.
https://www.kut.org/transportation/2025-11-06/austin-tx-shoal-creek-trail-lamar-boulevard-gaps-sidewalk
5 days ago
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Austin-Bergstrom International Airport has so far dodged the worst of flight delays caused by the federal government shutdown. But veterans of air traffic warn the relative calm may not last, especially with a short-staffed control tower.
www.kut.org/transportati...
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Government shutdown tests short-staffed control tower at Austin's airport
Austin's airport has been running relatively smoothly, local officials say, but veterans of air traffic control warn unpaid, overworked controllers are being pushed to the limit.
https://www.kut.org/transportation/2025-10-31/austin-tx-aus-abia-government-shutdown-air-traffic-control
11 days ago
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The Trail Conservancy is installing new mile markers and half-mile markers around the Butler Trail. If all goes well, the last few should be in by tomorrow morning. Later they will install more signs for restrooms, the 10 mph speed limit, leash rules, trailhead welcome, etc.
12 days ago
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Here are pictures of the 16 painted crosswalks and street murals Austin may have to remove under Gov. Abbott’s order.
www.kut.org/transportati...
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Here are the 16 painted crosswalks and street murals Austin may have to remove under Abbott order
The city is seeking exemptions from TxDOT but hasn't yet clarified which street art it will try to keep.
https://www.kut.org/transportation/2025-10-28/austin-tx-rainbow-crosswalks-paint-art-txdot-greg-abbott
14 days ago
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Austin police say a “shelter in place” order around Austin Central Library is lifted after shooting inside the library. One person injured and in hospital. Suspect not in custody but police don’t think he’s in the area. Library still closed because an investigation is underway.
17 days ago
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What will a $25 million boardwalk between South First Street and South Congress Avenue look like? An internal city document obtained by KUT News reveals new details.
www.kut.org/transportati...
19 days ago
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Austin's biggest public transit shakeup in years is coming. But it won't happen overnight, and not everyone is on board.
www.kut.org/transportati...
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CapMetro approves sweeping plan to reshape Austin's public transit network
Transit Plan 2035 will shrink CapMetro's bus network while increasing service on major routes, but one board member said she couldn't support the changes.
https://www.kut.org/transportation/2025-10-21/austin-tx-transit-capmetro-2035-plan-routes-changes
21 days ago
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What happens to the 13 schools Austin ISD wants to close? AISD says they'll be sold, leased or repurposed. Tax records show the campuses are worth nearly $296 million and have over a million square feet of air conditioned space. Map in the story.
www.kut.org/education/20...
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Almost $300 million in public property is at stake as Austin ISD looks to close 13 schools
Campuses slated for closure were also set to receive millions of dollars in upgrades under the largest bond in AISD history, approved by voters in a landslide 2022 election.
https://www.kut.org/education/2025-10-09/austin-tx-aisd-isd-school-closures-values-sell-lease-repurpose-bond
about 1 month ago
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Bastrop wants to build a pedestrian tunnel under Buc-ee's and they're turning to Elon Musk for help. I also learned in this story by
@lmcgaughy.bsky.social
that Dallas and Houston both have extensive underground pedestrian tunnel systems.
www.kut.org/business/202...
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This Texas city wants tunnels to connect its trails. It’s asking Elon Musk for help.
Officials in the city of Bastrop have asked Musk’s tunneling firm, The Boring Company, to build several tunnels to connect the area’s trails. If approved, the city manager anticipates the million-doll...
https://www.kut.org/business/2025-10-02/elon-musk-boring-tunnels-texas-bastrop-trails
about 1 month ago
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Starting today, Texas is charging sales tax on the fees sellers pay to list items on places like eBay, Poshmark and Etsy.
www.kut.org/texas/2025-1...
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Texas starts taxing seller fees on sites like eBay, Poshmark and Etsy
Small sellers say the new tax on fees cuts into already thin margins while the comptroller argues state law requires online marketplaces be taxed like any other data processor.
https://www.kut.org/texas/2025-10-01/austin-texas-tx-sales-tax-fees-ebay-poshmark-amazon-mercari-etsy
about 1 month ago
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Behind those walls along I-35, TxDOT is building one of the largest tunnels Austin's ever seen.
www.kut.org/transportati...
about 1 month ago
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A train stopped on Union Pacific tracks at FM 1626 caused a traffic apocalypse in far South Austin this morning.
about 2 months ago
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A new
@evilmopacatx.bsky.social
phone app is promising to make sense of MoPac's unpredictable toll lanes by showing drivers how much each minute of time saved will actually cost. Alan Farmer made the app, inspired by "the terrible that is MoPac in the toll lane."
www.kut.org/transportati...
about 2 months ago
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More than a dozen new nonstop flights coming to Austin's airport in the months ahead
www.kut.org/transportati...
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New nonstop flights coming to Austin airport in the months ahead
Airlines led by Delta are rolling out a slate of new routes from Mexico City to Miami to Denver to Palm Springs.
https://www.kut.org/transportation/2025-09-15/austin-texas-tx-abia-aus-air-travel-2025-2026-new-flights
about 2 months ago
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Delta today announced twice daily nonstop service from Austin to Miami is starting Nov. 22 on a Boeing 737-800. Delta also has these nonstops coming up: ✈️ Palm Springs on Nov. 8 ✈️ Denver on Nov. 9 ✈️ Cancun and Cabo on Dec. 20 ✈️ Columbus and Kansas City on Jun. 7, 2026
about 2 months ago
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NEW: Governor Abbott's executive order on hemp would essentially ban the sale of THCA flower (shown below) and THCA concentrates. Abbott's order calls for testing THCA after it's heated and converted to Delta-9, the main ingredient in cannabis that gets people high.
2 months ago
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Will TxDOT build a 21-foot-tall concrete noise barrier stretching half-a-mile along I-35 next to where the upper decks are now? Cherrywood residents have to cast their vote by today.
www.kut.org/transportati...
2 months ago
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In Texas, tweens can still legally buy THC gummies at a gas station, because state lawmakers couldn't agree on whether to ban or regulate cannabis known as "hemp."
www.kut.org/politics/202...
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THC still legal for all ages after Texas lawmakers leave hemp unregulated again
Texas lawmakers ended their second special session without regulating or banning hemp.
https://www.kut.org/politics/2025-09-04/austin-tx-texas-thc-hemp-cannabis-legislature-marijuana-gummies-weed-regulation-legal
2 months ago
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Selling THC vapes in Texas will be illegal starting Monday.
www.kut.org/politics/202...
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Texas to ban sales of THC vapes starting Monday
A new state law outlaws sales of any vapes containing cannabinoids that would otherwise be legal in Texas, but possession is not explicitly prohibited.
https://www.kut.org/politics/2025-08-29/texas-vapes-thc-cannabinoid-ban-cannabis-marijuana
2 months ago
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BREAKING: Austin's airport expansion will get even bigger under a deal approved just now by the City Council. The contract with seven major airlines unlocks billions in funding and will lead to more than 20 gates being constructed by the early 2030s.
www.kut.org/transportati...
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Austin airport expansion to get even bigger under new deal approved by council
The city is negotiating a decade-long deal with major airlines that will unlock billions in financing and determine the exact number of new gates and size of the terminal expansion.
https://www.kut.org/transportation/2025-08-28/austin-tx-airport-abia-aus-terminal-expansion-concourse-gates-city-council-funding-vote-airlines
2 months ago
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EXCLUSIVE: The Federal Aviation Administration is denying a request to upgrade Austin's airspace to the same level surrounding the nation's busiest airports.
www.kut.org/transportati...
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FAA denies request to increase safety restrictions in skies above Austin's airport
The FAA team at ABIA had requested Austin's airspace be upgraded to Class B, a more restricted category designed to reduce the risk of midair collisions around the nation's largest airports.
https://www.kut.org/transportation/2025-08-21/austin-bergstrom-international-airport-aus-abia-texas-air-traffic-controllers-faa-airspace-classification-class-b-bravo-class-c-charlie
3 months ago
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NEW: As of 6:30 this morning, the Texas Education Agency released A-F scores for more than 9,000 campuses and 1,200 school districts statewide.
www.kut.org/education/20...
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TEA releases last two years of A-F school ratings. Here's how to find your campus.
The Texas Education Agency has published delayed A-F ratings at TXschools.gov. Austin ISD has more A campuses and fewer Fs.
https://www.kut.org/education/2025-08-15/texas-education-agency-tea-ratings-report-card-2024-2025-accountability-aisd-txschools-austin-tx-austin-isd
3 months ago
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The city of Austin will install concrete barricades along sidewalks on both sides East Sixth Street from San Jacinto Blvd. to Red River St. The Downtown Austin Alliance has plans to try and make the barricades look nicer. News conference planned for when construction starts on Mon., August 11.
3 months ago
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Texas calls this "hemp" because state and federal law is confusing and arbitrary. It's just weed, y'all. Almost exactly what you could buy in California or Colorado. Here's a guide to some of the most popular cannabis products at your local shop.
www.kut.org/politics/202...
4 months ago
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NEW: Construction starts Monday to rebuild the RM 1431 bridge over Cow Creek that was destroyed by floods. TxDOT hired Hunter Industries for just over $4 million to finish within 60 days. Will get a bonus of $50,000/day for each day they finish early up to 20 days max.
4 months ago
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Austin is considering making Sixth Street a two-way street from I-35 to Brazos. Analysis due in late August.
4 months ago
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Fixing Austin's low-water crossings would take 200 years at the current pace.
www.kut.org/transportati...
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Fixing Austin's low-water crossings would take 200 years at the current pace
Austin has dozens of low-water crossings that can flood during heavy rains. But money is tight and the city is only able to upgrade one every three years or so.
https://www.kut.org/transportation/2025-07-16/austin-tx-floods-fix-low-water-crossings-roads-drive-safety
4 months ago
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Two flood-damaged bridges. Two repair plans. TxDOT is fast-tracking replacement of this bridge on FM 1431 between Marble Falls and Lago Vista. "We're pushing to get this done in weeks rather than months," Austin District Engineer Tucker Ferguson told KUT News. 📷 Mari Urbano
4 months ago
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"A very busy day" at Austin's airport. The TSA expects 35,485 departing passengers, about 500 more than July 3rd last year. The Fourth of July? More chill: 24,840 departing passengers expected. But Sunday after the Fourth tends to be busier. Last year, 35,194 were screened through TSA.
4 months ago
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NEW: CapMetro says its first-ever police chief is leaving. The news comes one day after the transit agency’s first patrol officers hit the streets. Eric Robins is leaving to be police chief of Alief ISD in Houston. Robins is from Houston and spent 30 years on Sugarland PD. Press release:
5 months ago
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New rendering of the 20+ gate concourse being designed for Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. Concourse B will be connected to the Barbara Jordan Terminal by an underground pedestrian tunnel with moving walkways. Construction starts next year and should wrap up in 2030.
5 months ago
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Austin-Bergstrom International Airport has 29 air traffic controllers, less than half the FAA's target of 60. So now ABIA is seeing more "ground delays," where the FAA slows the pace of arriving flights to avoid overwhelming the tower. This causes flight delays.
www.kut.org/transportati...
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Austin's 'dire' air traffic controller shortage raises risk of flight delays
Austin airport's CEO warned the Federal Aviation Administration months ago about the "critical" staffing shortage at the air traffic control tower causing delays and reducing safety.
https://www.kut.org/transportation/2025-06-10/air-traffic-control-controller-abia-aus-austin-airport-dire-staffing-shortage
5 months ago
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TxDOT says someone gained access to their database of crash reports and downloaded almost 300,000 records. The records could have information like names, addresses, driver’s license numbers, license plate numbers, car insurance policy numbers, etc.
5 months ago
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Just now, a swearing-in ceremony for CapMetro’s first class of transit police including: - one Police Captain - two Sergeants - nine Transit Police Officers Some will begin patrolling Monday, June 16. Others will still need to finish training.
5 months ago
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SOUTH AUSTIN ROAD CLOSURE: FM 1626 will be closed at the train tracks east of Menchaca Road from Friday at 9 AM till Saturday at 5 PM. About 20K cars/day use this crossing. Drivers will have to detour three miles north to Slaughter Lane or six miles south to Buda.
5 months ago
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THIS WEEKEND: Three of four southbound lanes on U.S. 183 will be closed from Hunters Chase Drive/Oceanaire Boulevard to Riata Trace Parkway/Pavilion Boulevard. CTRMA says exact timing depends on the weather. But once it starts, the closure will be 24 hours/day from June 6-8.
5 months ago
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For those interested in the sharp cost increase to build CapMetro's Broadmoor Station near the Domain (estimate went from $24m to $49m), a public information request came back with a bit more detail. CapMetro had no responsive docs on the original cost estimate of $24 million.
5 months ago
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The city of Austin canceled the free 9-10 p.m. hour of night swimming at Barton Springs Pool as a cost-saving measure but then uncanceled it saying the decision hadn’t gone through the right channels. KUT’s Luz Moreno-Lozano is sorting out the confusion.
www.kut.org/austin/2025-...
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For a hot second, Barton Springs was set to close an hour earlier. It won't.
The city said it had not been decided whether the earlier closure would save enough money to justify it.
https://www.kut.org/austin/2025-05-27/barton-springs-pool-austin-tx-free-night-swim-closure
6 months ago
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The stockpiling has already begun.
www.kut.org/politics/202...
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Texas House aligns with Senate in passing total ban on THC products
State Rep. Tom Oliverson, R-Cypress, introduced the floor amendment that transformed Senate Bill 3 — which would have regulated and taxed THC-containing products while leaving many of them legal — bac...
https://www.kut.org/politics/2025-05-22/thc-ban-law-bill-texas-house-senate
6 months ago
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BREAKING: Austin's City Council approves support columns for parks over I-35 at: - Cesar Chavez to 7th Street - 11th to 12 Street - two 300-foot-long stitches close to the Red Line crossing near Airport Boulevard.
www.kut.org/transportati...
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Austin moves forward with plan for parks over I-35
The City Council approved building support columns for parks over the interstate at Cesar Chavez to Seventh Street and 11th to 12th streets. It also approved two smaller 300-foot-long caps near the Re...
https://www.kut.org/transportation/2025-05-22/austin-tx-i-35-parks-interstate-highway-city-council-vote
6 months ago
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Moment of Truth: Austin's city council set to vote on where/whether to pay for columns that could support parks over I-35. Top officials from TxDOT's Austin District are in the audience. Livestream:
www.austintexas.gov/watch-atxn-l...
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Watch ATXN Live
ATXN1: Same feed as programming on the flagship ATXN TV channel. Programming includes Council meetings, public meetings, CityView and other original programming. ATXN2: This web only channel includes...
https://www.austintexas.gov/watch-atxn-live
6 months ago
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Frontier Airlines launched new nonstop service today from Austin to Miami and Philadelphia.
6 months ago
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Austin's city council is being warned by budget staff and a consultant that putting parks on I-35 will seriously squeeze city coffers. But some council members still want to spend cash on caps now because they won't be able to in the future. Vote coming May 22.
www.kut.org/transportati...
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Plans for parks over I-35 collide with Austin's cash crunch
Austin City Council members are divided over whether to fund highway parks as financial warnings mount, but they must make a decision before the end of the month.
https://www.kut.org/transportation/2025-05-07/austin-tx-i35-expansion-caps-parks-city-council-decks
6 months ago
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The MLK Jr. Blvd. Bridge over I-35 will close nightly from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. from Monday, April 14 through Wednesday, April 16. Barriers and stripes are being moved. New configuration through late 2025: 🚧 2 eastbound lanes 🚧 1 westbound lane 🚧 1 sidewalk on south side
7 months ago
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NEW: Capital Metro says it has no way to determine how much money it lost from months of fare collection glitches that began in 2023 and culminated in a month-long outage last year.
www.kut.org/transportati...
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CapMetro doesn't know how much money it lost from farebox glitches
The fare collection glitches began in 2023 and culminated in a month-long outage last year. With data missing, no analysis is possible, so the full financial impact of the old payment system's failure...
https://www.kut.org/transportation/2025-03-27/austin-tx-capmetro-app-umo-fare
8 months ago
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Possessing “any amount” of Delta-8, Delta-9, THCA, etc under SB 3 = up to one year in jail and/or a fine of up to $4,000 — twice the penalty of possessing less than 2 oz of actual marijuana. If approved by House and signed by the governor, it would take effect in Sept.
www.kut.org/politics/202...
8 months ago
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I-35 through Travis County would be designated the "President Donald J. Trump Highway" under a bill filed Friday by State Rep. Joanne Shofner (R-Nacogdoches).
8 months ago
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U.S. Homeland Security says it's canceling a seven-year labor agreement with TSA workers signed last May. Still unclear how. TSA short-staffing at ABIA has led to screening lines out the front door.
@federalnewsnetwork.com.web.brid.gy
has a useful rundown
federalnewsnetwork.com/unions/2025/...
8 months ago
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The winds were so extreme in Austin yesterday, a private jet was forced off the runway and into the grass at ABIA.
@atxjetsetter.bsky.social
says the pilot of the Bombardier Challenger 300 appeared to overcorrect after being surprised by a strong wind gust.
atxjetsetter.com/post/high-wi...
8 months ago
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