Inside the workforce housing attracting Meta's data center workers
Meta is launching a $115 million workforce academy to train electricians and fiber technicians for its expanding artificial intelligence infrastructure. The initiative includes a Construction Ready training hub in Baton Rouge through America's Workforce Academy, featuring a four-week paid program developed with Associated Builders and Contractors and other contractor partners. Graduates receive guaranteed jobs at a Meta data center alongside OSHA 10 certification and an NCCER credential, with the first classes starting on a Monday and graduation scheduled for November 23.
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- ✓ Meta launched a $115 million workforce academy that trains fiber technicians and electricians for the artificial intelligence infrastructure boom with guaranteed jobs.
- ✓ Meta's America's Workforce Academy began its new Construction Ready training hub in Baton Rouge with classes starting Monday and graduation scheduled for November 23.
- ✓ The four-week paid program provides OSHA 10 certification and an NCCER credential while guaranteeing graduates jobs at a Meta data center.
- ✓ Meta announced plans to build its first Canadian data centre in Alberta, representing an investment of more than $13 billion.
What changed
Meta launched its Construction Ready training hub in Baton Rouge and an America's Workforce Academy backed by an initial $115 million investment.
Live updates
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Meta Launches $115 Million Workforce Academy for Data Centers
Meta is launching a $115 million workforce academy to train electricians and fiber technicians for its expanding artificial intelligence infrastructure. The initiative includes a Construction Ready training hub in Baton Rouge through America's Workforce Academy, featuring a four-week paid program developed with Associated Builders and Contractors and other contractor partners. Graduates receive guaranteed jobs at a Meta data center alongside OSHA 10 certification and an NCCER credential, with the first classes starting on a Monday and graduation scheduled for November 23.
Why it matters
This training investment coincides with Meta announcing its first Canadian data center in Alberta, representing an expenditure exceeding $13 billion to create thousands of jobs, generate provincial revenue, and support electricity reliability. The company is also building a major data center in Ohio while operating the RPL-10X Hyperion facility in Richland County, Louisiana. Rapid data center expansion continues to draw skilled trade labor away from residential housing projects.
What is confirmed
- Meta launched a $115 million workforce academy that trains fiber technicians and electricians for the artificial intelligence infrastructure boom with guaranteed jobs.
- Meta's America's Workforce Academy began its new Construction Ready training hub in Baton Rouge with classes starting Monday and graduation scheduled for November 23.
- The four-week paid program provides OSHA 10 certification and an NCCER credential while guaranteeing graduates jobs at a Meta data center.
- Meta announced plans to build its first Canadian data centre in Alberta, representing an investment of more than $13 billion.
Still unconfirmed
- Meta's Alberta investment will create thousands of jobs, generate new provincial revenue, and support reliable, affordable electricity.
What to watch next
- Graduation of the first Construction Ready training hub class on November 23
- Further details on the $13 billion Alberta data centre project and its employment metrics
- Expansion of America's Workforce Academy to other regions hosting Meta data centers
confidence 95%Sources used for this update (3)
- www.gadgetreview.com — Meta Builds Its Own Skilled Trades Army with $115 Million Job ...
- www.sturgeoncounty.ca — NEWS RELEASE – Meta makes historic investment in Alberta
- www.businessreport.com — Roundup: Meta’s workforce academy / Factories accelerate ...
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Meta Data Center Expansion Linked to Lobbyist Housing Scandal
Meta is building the world's largest data center in Ohio while its lobbyist in Washington, D.C. provides discounted rent to Ohio official Jon Husted. This development follows reports of systemic abuse involving migrant workers building AI data centers for Google and Microsoft in Europe, where staff faced tuberculosis concerns, overcrowding, and unpaid overtime. Meta also operates the RPL-10X Hyperion facility, known as Project Sucre, in Richland County, Louisiana. These events occur as data center growth continues to shift skilled trade labor away from residential housing projects.
Why it matters
Rapid data center growth creates a conflict between promised economic boosts and actual labor conditions. While these projects pull technicians from the residential sector, the long-term secondary job growth often takes years to materialize.
What is confirmed
- Meta operates the RPL-10X Hyperion facility, also called Project Sucre, in Richland County, Louisiana.
Still unconfirmed
- Migrant workers building Google and Microsoft AI data centers in Europe faced injuries, TB concerns, overcrowding, and unpaid overtime.
What to watch next
- Official response from Jon Husted regarding his housing arrangement in Washington, D.C.
- Verification of labor conditions at Meta construction sites in Ohio and Louisiana.
confidence 70%Sources used for this update (3)
- www.ibtimes.co.uk — Google and Microsoft AI Data Centre Workers Report ...
- ohiodems.org — BREAKING: Jon Husted Lives In Data Center Lobbyist’s Home ...
- datacentersexposed.com — Meta RPL-10X Hyperion/Project Sucre — Richland County, LA
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Data Center Boom Strains Labor Markets
Data center developments by companies like Meta are accelerating national skilled-labor shortages, pulling trade workers away from traditional residential housing projects with higher wages. While Meta highlights hundreds to thousands of construction jobs and ongoing operational roles for electricians, HVAC specialists, and technicians, broader economic studies reveal that direct employment at individual data facilities remains limited to a few dozen staff. Instead, local economic growth materializes as up to one thousand secondary jobs, though this employment boost typically requires three to five years to develop after construction begins.
Why it matters
Massive infrastructure projects in locations such as Huntsville and Richland Parish face increasing scrutiny over resource consumption and strained local land markets. At the same time, competition for specialized trades like electricians creates bottlenecks for other construction sectors. Training programs in places like Indianapolis attempt to bridge the technical workforce gap by issuing industry credentials to new participants.
What is confirmed
- Meta data centers require hundreds to thousands of skilled trade labor jobs during construction, including steel workers, pipefitters, electricians, carpenters, and fiber technicians.
- Operational Meta data centers support roles such as electricians, HVAC specialists, and server and network technicians.
- Data centers directly create a few dozen jobs each, with about 1,000 local jobs added after a delay of three to five years.
- Over 55 people entered a training program in Indianapolis and walked out with industry credentials in early August.
Still unconfirmed
- Ed Brady, president and CEO of Home Builders Institute, shares how data center construction is intensifying the skilled-labor shortage.
What to watch next
- Evidence of whether secondary local employment boosts materialize within the three to five year window for current mega-campus projects.
- Further expansion of regional workforce training models similar to the Indianapolis program.
- Municipal policy responses to labor competition between industrial tech builders and residential homebuilders.
confidence 90%Sources used for this update (7)
- datacenters.atmeta.com — From every background: Building a career at a Meta data center
- www.probuilder.com — The Impact of Data Center Construction on Housing's Labor ...
- finance.yahoo.com — We studied 1,584 data centers – and found the buildings full ...
- buildingindiana.com — Career Launch: Meta Puts New Workforce Model to Work
- www.gadgetreview.com — Texas Data Centers Are Stealing Electricians From ...
- commanding-heights.com — Part IV, Superscription - The Commanding Heights
- fortune.com — Data centers add 1,000 to 1,300 local jobs within 3 to 5 ...
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Meta Expands Data Center Footprint Amid Local Scrutiny
Meta is facing mounting scrutiny and land price spikes surrounding its massive infrastructure projects, including a $1.5 billion facility in Huntsville and a sprawling 5 GW campus in Richland Parish, Louisiana. As data center demands strain municipal resources and local land markets, national discussions also highlight broader technical workforce gaps and utility consumption questions. Meta recently opened its Huntsville campus to the media to showcase employee recruitment and address power and water consumption concerns.
Why it matters
Data centers face intense national scrutiny over their heavy demands on local infrastructure, municipal resources, and utility consumption. Projects like the Louisiana Hyperion campus involve significant energy and financial commitments, including gas plants and complex financing. Concurrently, broader technological workforce challenges persist as technical knowledge decays rapidly.
What is confirmed
- Meta hosted a tour of its $1.5 billion Huntsville data center to highlight employee recruitment and retention, while addressing national questions regarding utility consumption.
Still unconfirmed
- Meta's decision to build a massive data center in Richland Parish is creating tension around who benefits from land sales as prices soar.
What to watch next
- Developments regarding Entergy's gas plants and the PSC fight for the Louisiana project
- Changes in municipal resource management and local infrastructure impact around data center sites
confidence 100%Sources used for this update (6)
- www.insidehighered.com — Mind the Gap: Redesigning the Systems That Connect Higher Ed to Tech Workforce Readiness
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- www.insidedeeptech.com — Meta Hyperion: Full Guide to the Louisiana AI Data Center
- www.nola.com — How Meta data center is causing land frenzy in Louisiana ...
- www.aol.com — Meta gives inside look at Huntsville data center amid ... - AOL
- savrn.com — Meta Platforms Data Center Capex and Sites - savrn.com
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Meta opens Huntsville data center for tours amid infrastructure concerns
Meta hosted a tour of its $1.5 billion Huntsville data center to highlight employee recruitment and retention, while addressing national questions regarding utility consumption. The facility powers some of the company's most widely used platforms. Local interest centers on how the campus manages its power and water commitments. The recent tour occurred as data centers face intense scrutiny nationwide over their heavy demands on local infrastructure and municipal resources.
Why it matters
Data centers operated by major technology firms face mounting public questions regarding their massive utility footprints. Local communities increasingly demand transparency regarding energy and water consumption. Meta's decision to open the facility offers a rare inside look at operations that typically remain closed to the public.
What is confirmed
- Meta opened its Huntsville data center for a tour to address questions regarding energy and water usage.
- The Huntsville facility is a $1.5 billion data center that draws local talent and keeps power and water commitments on track.
What to watch next
- Additional public disclosures regarding utility usage at the Huntsville facility
- Further local developments concerning Meta data center projects in other regions
confidence 90%Sources used for this update (5)
- theboydcompany.com — Media Coverage & Commentary | The Boyd Company I Business Media Coverage I John Boyd Site Selector
- www.mhselfhelp.org — The Key Update — National Mental Health Consumers' Self-Help Clearinghouse
- 256today.com — Meta Huntsville Data Center: A Prime Location - 256 Today
- www.waff.com — Meta gives tour of Huntsville data center amid questions over ...
- www.yahoo.com — Meta gives inside look at its Huntsville data center amid ...
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Meta Data Center Projects Spur Tax Deals and Pipeline Shifts
Meta is connected to a controversial hyperscale data center project in Mason County following a more than year-long secrecy period. A tentative agreement indicates the Mason County campus could avoid paying about $50 million a year in local taxes. Meanwhile, an Ohio family successfully challenged a pipeline mapped across 40 acres of their three-generation farm, leading the developer to choose another route. In Indiana, Lebanon city officials are weighing property tax relief for local homeowners funded by payments from Meta Platforms Inc as development advances.
Why it matters
Communities near massive artificial intelligence infrastructure projects face intense pressure over local resources, municipal taxation, and land use rights. While some regions negotiate multi-million dollar tax breaks and community relief funds, others navigate route adjustments for critical utility pipelines. These developments highlight the complex local negotiations that accompany hyperscale technology investments.
What is confirmed
- Meta was revealed as the company behind a controversial Mason County hyperscale data center after remaining secret for more than a year.
- A tentative agreement between Mason County and Meta could allow the proposed data center campus to avoid paying about $50 million a year in local taxes.
Still unconfirmed
- An Ohio family farmed land north of Bowling Green for at least three generations before a pipeline linked to Meta's data center was mapped across their property, prompting the developer to choose another route after a challenge.
What to watch next
- Final approval of the tentative tax agreement in Mason County
- Decisions by Lebanon city officials regarding property tax relief tied to Meta development
confidence 90%Sources used for this update (8)
- floridapolitics.com — Sunburn — The morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics — 10.19.26
- www.sydney.edu.au — Sydney student creates first map of Martian soils - The University of Sydney
- www.businessinsider.com — Calling all workers who want to save humanity
- b17news.com — Louisiana residents are training for jobs at Meta's largest ...
- www.yahoo.com — Proposed Mason County data center could get $50 million ...
- www.barrenside.com — Meta revealed as company behind controversial Mason County ...
- timesofindia.indiatimes.com — An Ohio family farmed the same land for at least three ...
- www.inkfreenews.com — Lebanon Considers Tax Relief Tied To Data Center, LEAP ...
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Meta Data Center Projects Fuel Local Workforce Training and Power Debates
Meta's massive artificial intelligence data center construction projects are driving local workforce training initiatives while sparking fierce opposition over utility demands and infrastructure impacts. In Louisiana, a community college is preparing students for jobs at the Richland Parish site, which opponents warn will consume continuous electricity at levels vastly exceeding major municipal records. Entergy is pushing state regulators to fast-track ten new gas-fueled power plants to supply the facility. Meanwhile, residents near a Georgia facility report severe water quality issues, and experts caution that the permanent operational job gains will fall short of peak construction numbers.
Why it matters
Meta is expanding its data center infrastructure to support artificial intelligence operations even as it cuts hundreds of jobs and closes the Instagram hub in London due to economic pressures. The rapid buildout in rural areas creates a temporary blue-collar construction boomlet, though analysts debate the long-term employment benefits. Power and water resource strains are emerging as central points of contention for communities neighboring these large-scale technology hubs.
What is confirmed
- Meta's data center under construction in Richland Parish is estimated to consume roughly four times the power of a single-day record set by Entergy New Orleans customers in June 2022.
- Entergy has lobbied the Louisiana Public Service Commission to fast-track plans to build 10 new gas-fueled power plants to meet the electrical needs of the Meta data center.
Still unconfirmed
- Residents near Stanton Springs report brown or sediment-filled water, lower pressure, appliance failures, and reliance on bottled water.
- A community college in Louisiana is training students to work at Meta's giant new AI data center.
What to watch next
- Decisions by the Louisiana Public Service Commission regarding Entergy's proposed gas-fueled power plants.
- Long-term employment figures for completed Meta data center facilities compared to peak construction numbers.
confidence 90%Sources used for this update (4)
- www.computeforecast.com — AI Data Center Jobs: Blue-Collar Boomlet With a Complicated ...
- www.businessinsider.com — Louisiana residents are training for jobs at Meta's largest-ever AI data center: 'Why not get in now?'
- centralintelligence.co — Meta Georgia Data Center Water Dispute | Data Centers ...
- www.fox8live.com — Massive power needs of Meta data center in Richland Parish ...
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Meta Data Center Boom Fuels Local Growth and Global Cost Cuts
Meta is expanding its global data center infrastructure while implementing workforce reductions in London, where the company plans to scrap hundreds of jobs and close Instagram's local hub amid advertising revenue slumps and harsh economic conditions. In rural Louisiana, the Hyperion AI data center project in Richland Parish is driving a massive economic boom, generating record local sales tax revenue and creating over 7,500 construction jobs at its peak. Meanwhile, Meta announced a final seventh expansion for its Altoona campus, positioning it as the company's largest operational data center worldwide.
Why it matters
The rapid expansion of artificial intelligence infrastructure strains rural housing markets while simultaneously providing unexpected economic windfalls for local businesses near massive construction sites. At the same time, the tech giant balances multibillion-dollar capital expenditures in regional data hubs with structural workforce contractions in major urban centers.
What is confirmed
- Meta is cutting hundreds of jobs in London and scrapping Instagram's hub in the city as part of widespread cost-cutting measures.
- Meta began building its Hyperion AI data center in Louisiana's Richland Parish in 2024.
- Peak construction employment for the Hyperion data center project is expected to exceed 7,500 workers.
- Meta announced a seventh and final expansion at its Altoona Data Center to make it the company's largest operational data center in the world.
Still unconfirmed
- Meta's Hyperion campus in Richland Parish will reach 5 GW of compute capacity and provide more than 1,000 operational roles.
What to watch next
- Decisions by the Public Service Commission regarding Entergy's multi-billion-dollar infrastructure investments to power the Hyperion data center.
- The timeline and execution of Meta's job cuts and Instagram hub closure in London.
confidence 100%Sources used for this update (10)
- londondaily.com — Meta to scrap hundreds of jobs in London in fresh cost ...
- missouridatacenters.org — Clay County Data Centers — Google, Meta, Metrobloks ...
- businessdailynetwork.com — Meta addresses common myths about data centers and their ...
- www.nola.com — Louisiana hearing starts on Entergy’s plans for data center ...
- www.businessinsider.com — The data center gold rush is creating unlikely winners
- bfi.uchicago.edu — The Pie: University of Chicago Economics Podcast | Becker Friedman Institute
- wheninyourstate.com — Meta’s huge data center project fuels unexpected business ...
- letsdatascience.com — Meta Data Center Reshapes Richland Parish Economy | LDS
- www.businessinsider.com — Meta AI Data Center Workers Drive Business Boom in Rural ...
- www.businessrecord.com — Final expansion to make Altoona site Meta’s largest data ...
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Meta Expands Data Center Footprint as Workforce Housing Evolves
Meta is aggressively expanding its global data center infrastructure with a $13 billion CAD investment in Sturgeon County, Alberta, and a $1 billion project in Piqua, Ohio, while simultaneously tightening internal performance criteria for its workforce. Although localized housing demands for projects like the Hyperion data center in Holly Ridge, Louisiana, continue to strain rural communities and force residents to adapt accommodations, broader labor shortages plague regions trying to match the rapid pace of data center construction.
Why it matters
The massive scale of artificial intelligence infrastructure development requires immense power and labor, creating severe logistical hurdles in rural and suburban regions alike. While Meta secures massive tax exemptions and builds new facilities across North America, the company is also executing strategic staff reductions under CEO Mark Zuckerberg to align with changing technological priorities. Local communities near these massive construction zones face acute housing shortages and strained municipal resources as thousands of temporary workers arrive.
What is confirmed
- Meta is building a $13 billion CAD data center facility in Sturgeon County, Alberta.
- A $1 billion data center is under construction on 607 acres in Piqua, Ohio, under the corporate name J5 LLC.
Still unconfirmed
- Meta is planning strategic staff reductions targeting low-performing employees.
What to watch next
- Updates on occupancy rates and logistical management for workforce housing in Richland Parish
- Progress reports on the natural gas-fired plant powering the Sturgeon County facility
confidence 90%Sources used for this update (13)
- baynews9.com — New workforce housing complex in Bradenton aimed at helping hometown heroes and first responders
- londondaily.com — Meta Plans Strategic Staff Reduction as Zuckerberg Tightens ...
- www.businessinsider.com — Data Centers: Coverage of Data Centers and Their Impact on ...
- usdatamap.com — Meta Data Center, Forest City NC - USDataMap
- www.sturgeoncounty.ca — META breaks ground on new $13B data centre in Sturgeon County
- thearabianpost.com — Meta reshapes workforce around AI push — Arabian Post
- niais.org — NIAIS - latest insights trends in information and technology
- stopohiodatacenters.org — Piqua, Ohio: Project Klondike Meta Data Center | Miami County
- about.fb.com — Why Data Centers Are Such a Big Part of Meta's AI Approach
- broadbandbreakfast.com — Meta Plans Billions for First AI Data Center in Canada ...
- epoch.ai — Meta Cheyenne | AI data centers | Epoch AI
- www.ibj.com — Demand for data center labor is up, but can Indiana’s ...
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No new data on workforce housing for Meta Hyperion project
Current reporting on workforce housing for Meta's Hyperion data center in Holly Ridge, Louisiana, remains unchanged. While previous reports established that construction workers are flooding into Richland Parish and local residents are adapting accommodations to meet demand, no new corroborated information regarding specific housing developments, occupancy rates, or local economic impacts has emerged. The project continues to bring a large influx of workers into this rural farming community, but recent data streams provide no updates on the logistical management of the workforce boom.
Why it matters
Meta is building its largest AI data center to date in a rural area of northeast Louisiana. This creates a sudden housing crisis in Richland Parish, where the local infrastructure is not designed for a massive industrial workforce.
What to watch next
- Official occupancy reports for Richland Parish short-term rentals
- Meta announcements regarding worker housing subsidies
- Zoning changes in Holly Ridge for temporary worker villages
confidence 100%Sources used for this update (5)
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Inside the Workforce Housing Attracting Meta Data Center Workers
Meta is constructing its largest artificial intelligence data center to date, named the Hyperion data center, in Holly Ridge, Louisiana. This massive project is bringing a large influx of construction workers into Richland Parish, a small farming community in the northeast corner of the state known for its slower pace of life and rural towns. Local residents are finding new ways to leverage this workforce boom by expanding and adapting accommodations. Monroe, the closest major regional city, sits about 30 minutes west with a population more than twice that of the parish.
Why it matters
For decades, Richland Parish remained a quiet agricultural area with sprawling farmland, winding back roads, and a skyline devoid of skyscrapers. The arrival of the tech giant's major facility forces local infrastructure and housing markets to adapt to unprecedented operational demands. This development follows previous large-scale infrastructure investments by the company in other regions.
What is confirmed
- Meta is building its largest AI data center, the Hyperion data center, in Holly Ridge, Louisiana.
- Richland Parish is a small farming community nestled in Louisiana's northeast corner, characterized by sprawling farmland and rural towns.
- Monroe is located about 30 minutes west of Richland Parish and has a population more than twice that of the parish.
What to watch next
- Further updates on how local housing operators in Richland Parish expand accommodations for the workforce.
- Additional reports on the construction progress of the Hyperion data center in Holly Ridge.
confidence 90%Sources used for this update (8)
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- www.businessinsider.com — Photos: Workforce Housing Attracting Meta's Data Center ...
- thenyledger.com — Inside the workforce housing attracting Meta’s data center ...
- themoneytimes.media — Inside the workforce housing attracting Meta’s data center ...
- www.europesays.com — Photos: Workforce Housing Attracting Meta’s Data Center Workers
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- www.kainoter.com — Inside the workforce housing attracting Meta's data center ...
- geopoliticspulse.com — Photos: Workforce Housing Attracting Meta’s Data Center ...
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Meta Data Center Projects Spur Housing and Economic Growth
Meta constructed an artificial intelligence data center near a declining Louisiana town, drawing an influx of workers, money, and businesses to the area. Housing operators in Richland Parish expanded accommodations to support the massive workforce required for these facilities. This follows Meta's completion of a one gigawatt data center in Ohio and ongoing preparations for a massive five gigawatt installation in Louisiana. Local infrastructure and regional housing markets continue to adapt to the surging operational demands of the tech company's major facilities.
Why it matters
Massive technology infrastructure projects create sudden economic demands on rural communities, shifting local real estate and housing markets. Operators in Richland Parish scaled up residential capacity to support incoming contractors and staff. The expansion highlights the localized economic impact of hyperscale data center development.
What is confirmed
- Meta built an artificial intelligence data center near a dying Louisiana town, bringing workers, money, and businesses to the area.
- Meta built a one gigawatt data center in Ohio and is planning for a five gigawatt data center in Louisiana.
- Housing operators in Richland Parish expanded to support the Meta data center workforce.
What to watch next
- Progress updates on the five gigawatt data center project in Louisiana.
- Further housing expansions by operators in Richland Parish to meet workforce demands.
confidence 90%Sources used for this update (6)
- Business Insider — Inside the workforce housing attracting Meta's data center workers
- GamesBeat — How Meta built a 1GW data center in Ohio and is planning for a 5GW data center in Louisiana
- Traders Union — Richland Parish housing operators expand for Meta data center workforce
- International Business Times UK — Meta Built an AI Data Centre Near a Dying Louisiana Town — Then the Workers, Money, and Businesses Poured In
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