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Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May shakes hands with Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar in Brussels. 13 December. AP/PA Images

Theresa May says she doesn't expect an 'immediate breakthrough' on Brexit deal at EU

The House of Commons Brexit vote won’t be held until the 7 January at the earliest.

LAST UPDATE | 13 Dec 2018

BRITISH PRIME MINISTER Theresa May has said that she doesn’t expect an immediate breakthrough when she meets EU leaders today in an attempt to save her Brexit deal and her career.

The British leader, who survived a confidence vote staged by her own party’s MPs late last night, now needs to turn a narrow victory on home turf into an unlikely away win.

May’s 27 counterparts will join her in Brussels for a EU summit less than three weeks after a 25 November meeting at which they approved the Brexit divorce papers.

An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is also in Brussels with Minister for European Affairs Helen McEntee for series of meetings with the European Council today and tomorrow. 

The Taoiseach met with May briefly this morning: the two were due to meet in Dublin yesterday, but the visit was cancelled due to a sudden vote of confidence in her leadership of the Tory party.

May is also due to meet with EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier before they join other leaders to try to find “reassurances” that the backstop in the Brexit deal – measures to prevent the return of a hard border with Ireland – will not last indefinitely.

Speaking to reporters in Brussels today, May admitted that she didn’t “expect and immediate breakthrough” when she met leaders today.

“My focus now is on ensuring i can get those assurances that we need to get this deal over the line because I genuinely believe that it’s in the best interests of both sides… to get the deal over the line and agree a deal,” May said.

“But I recognise the strength of concerns in the House of Commons and that’s what I’ll be putting to colleagues today.

I don’t expect an immediate breakthrough but what I do hope is that we can start to work as quickly as possible on the assurances that are necessary.

May said that her primary focus was to “get the deal over the line”. She also confirmed that she would not be leading the Conservative Party into the next general election.

“Yes I’ve said that in my heart I would love to be able to lead the Conservative Party into the next general election but I think that it is right that the party feels that it would prefer to go into that election with a new leader,” she said. 

 No vote until 2019 

A schedule for the House of Commons published today showed that the coming week has been filled by other draft legislation, meaning that the UK’s vote on whether to approve the Brexit deal won’t happen until the New Year. The parliament returns after the Christmas break on 7 January, and May has promised to hold the vote by 21 January.

The agreement on the backstop and the Brexit deal was hailed as the end to a 17-month negotiation, and leaders dared hope they had saved Britain from crashing out of the union on 29 March with no ongoing trade arrangements.

But when May brought the hard-fought compromise back to Britain she ran into renewed opposition from hardline Brexiteers on her own backbenches and balked at putting it to parliament.

EU negotiators said the leaders would listen to May and see what they can offer her in terms of a statement, but insist the 585-page withdrawal agreement itself cannot be renegotiated.

“The margin is really tight, it will be an exercise in presentation,” one senior European diplomat confided Wednesday.

They will, however, hear May out, setting aside time today during a summit they had hoped would deal with migration, budgets and eurozone reform to talk about Brexit once again.

“The discussions in Britain… do not make the situation any easier, but we should nevertheless do everything we can to avoid a hard Brexit,” Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said.

Austria holds the rotating EU presidency and Kurz arrived in Brussels ahead of the summit to talk with host Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council, about the agenda.

“It is clear that the withdrawal agreement will not be opened up and amended but there are, of course, other ways of moving towards one another that are in the interests of both sides,” Kurz said.

Backstop sell-by date? 

After May made a desperate three-capital European tour on Tuesday to seek assistance from fellow leaders, Tusk had said he would love to help her, but “the question is how”.

Yesterday, Kurz suggested the secret may lie in the question of the backstop.

When asked what could be clarified, he said: “For example, the question: ‘When does the backstop end?’.”

I think there is a certain room to move towards each other.

But determined to remain loyal to continuing member Ireland, European officials insist in public and in private that the backstop must stay. “The idea of a sell-by date won’t stand,” one said.

And any modification or addendum to an agreement on plans for future UK-EU relations will not be legally binding, negotiators say.

Anything May does come away with must convince her own party, its angry Northern Irish allies and a majority of British MPs to back the deal if and when it returns to Westminster.

If the agreement is still found wanting not only would Britain and its main trading partners face economic chaos, but May could be finished off by a parliamentary vote of no confidence.

Go to see the Queen 

She said yesterday she wanted to “get on with the job of delivering Brexit”, and to see “politicians on all sides coming together”.

But her hardline opponents claimed the vote against her had been higher than expected and that most back members – who do not hold jobs in May’s government – want her gone.

“She ought to go and see the Queen and resign urgently,” leading Brexit rebel Jacob Rees-Mogg told the BBC.

Eurosceptics hate the divorce deal agreed last month, which they fear risks tying Britain to the bloc for years after Brexit.

Their confidence vote followed the prime minister’s decision on Monday to postpone a planned vote in the House of Commons in the face of what May feared would be a crushing defeat.

She has promised to hold that vote before 21 January – when she may yet still lose, plunging the Brexit process into a fresh crisis.

 © – AFP 2018. With reporting from Gráinne Ní Aodha and Cormac Fitzgerald

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    Mute Joe Johnson
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    Jan 22nd 2020, 9:17 AM

    It’s like a dictatorship without due process and no justice

    132
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    Mute milton friedman
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    Jan 22nd 2020, 9:26 AM

    @Joe Johnson: why were these witnesses not called during the House proceedings?

    The case has been made in the House and the Senate has the right to review the case as presented.

    68
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    Mute Declan Crowley
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    Jan 22nd 2020, 9:31 AM

    @milton friedman: eh “they; Trumps lot and he blocked them there as well , make no mistake a dictator in the making

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    Mute Tricia G
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    Jan 22nd 2020, 9:39 AM

    @milton friedman: Because Trump BLOCKED them.

    You know this.

    Stop being disingenuous!

    47
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    Mute RAYZ88
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    Jan 22nd 2020, 9:43 AM

    @Joe Johnson: ha what are you on about, the republicans were not allowed to call joe/hunter Biden as witnesses,,swings both ways

    35
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    Mute PeterC
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    Jan 22nd 2020, 9:43 AM

    @milton friedman: They were called… but they either refused to stand witness or were blocked by the White House from doing so. Documentation requests were also refused by the White House.

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    Mute PeterC
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    Jan 22nd 2020, 9:49 AM

    @RAYZ88: How would either of the Bidens be witness to the phone calls and actions by Trump and his administration? This is an investigation in to abuse of power and obstruction of congress by Trump. It’s not an investigation in to the Bidens.

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    Mute Tricia G
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    Jan 22nd 2020, 9:49 AM

    @RAYZ88: And did Joe/Hunter Biden have evidence relating to Donald Trump using the power of the office to force a foreign country to interfere in the 2020 election? OR ARE YOU DEFLECTING?

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    Mute Tricia G
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    Jan 22nd 2020, 9:50 AM

    @PeterC: Are you reading my mind!!!?

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    Mute milton friedman
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    Jan 22nd 2020, 9:50 AM

    @Declan Crowley: ah so these are the White House staff the wish to call as witnesses. Ok fair enough Trump did block them.

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    Mute Cormac Flanagan
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    Jan 22nd 2020, 10:10 AM

    @Tricia G: you’ll find that the republicans tried to call witnesses in the first hearings and were blocked by Shiff. Now the democrats are calling new witnesses(which weren’t called in the first one) and now the republicans are blocking them.
    It’s all a game of one up man ship. Both sides know the end result it’s who can cause the other side more damage. If I was American I’d be looking for both houses(and Trump) to be fired and new people in.

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    Mute Tricia G
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    Jan 22nd 2020, 10:21 AM

    @Cormac Flanagan: You are LYING. They were called. They refused.

    There were many subpoenas issued by the House that were NOT honoured.

    Both for documents AND witnesses.

    https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/10/09/impeachment-trump-who-has-been-subpoenaed/3912226002/

    And the witnesses the Republicans wanted to call the Bidens.

    What the Republicans want you to believe it those that are refusing to testify under oath are telling the truth and those that testified under oath are lying.

    If they’re telling the truth why won’t they testify under oath?

    You are attempting to deflect from the Republican’s blatant cover-up by suggesting the Dems are at fault.

    That’s nonsense.

    23
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    Mute Cormac Flanagan
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    Jan 22nd 2020, 10:34 AM

    @Tricia G: they actively blocked the whistleblower(the person who started all this) from testifying. Now they may have there reason but to block the person making the allegation makes a joke of the process.
    They tried to get him with the Russiagate and it failed. This is just another(poor) attempt to get him. Which is worse. Trump has admitted in speeches to far worse and they haven’t gone after him(yet).
    What will happen is they’ll lose in the senate. They’ll wait till November. If Trump gets in and they get a majority in both houses they’ll try again. As I said it’s all a game.

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    Mute Paul Furey
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    Jan 22nd 2020, 10:35 AM

    @Tricia G: you cant reason with some. Nor do these same people bother with facts, only what they want to believe or twist. Sort of like brexiteers.

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    Mute Ciaran Burke
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    Jan 22nd 2020, 10:53 AM

    @RAYZ88: They are impeachment hearings of Donald Trump! What does Hunter Biden know about Donald Trumps conspiracy to withhold congressional and senate approved aid to Ukraine? Nothing because he isn’t involved thus can’t be a witness as he has nothing to testify to.

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    Mute PeterC
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    Jan 22nd 2020, 10:55 AM

    @Cormac Flanagan: Glad you brought up the whistleblower. Democrats argued, rightly in my opinion, that the whistleblower had a statutory right to anonymity. Notwithstanding that the whistleblower merely exposed the breach which was then clarified by a number of those actually involved (what would the whistleblower add?), you only have to look at the damage and false attacks done to Maurice McCabe for rightly lifting the lid on the corruption within our own Garda Siochana. If whistleblowers didn’t have the right to anonymity, how do you adequately protect them?

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    Mute PeterC
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    Jan 22nd 2020, 10:55 AM

    @Tricia G: Great minds!

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    Mute Ciaran Burke
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    Jan 22nd 2020, 10:58 AM

    @Cormac Flanagan: because there are laws protecting whistleblowers and the whistle blower followed the correct channels given trumps vindictiveness to anyone who speaks out. The substance of the complaints have been confirmed anyway by the state department witness that were called during the hearings.

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    Mute Cormac Flanagan
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    Jan 22nd 2020, 11:20 AM

    @PeterC: and I agree he should have been protected. But a quick google search will get you the name of the whistleblower, rightly or wrongly he will now have to give evidence.

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    Mute Jonathan Morgan
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    Jan 22nd 2020, 11:34 AM

    @Cormac Flanagan: After the release of the phone transcript there was no requirement to interview the whistleblower.
    Using the argument of the GOP that individual overheard the phone call, but the White House actually released the transcript which is primary source info.

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    Mute Cormac Flanagan
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    Jan 22nd 2020, 11:43 AM

    @Jonathan Morgan: well if that’s the argument then most of the witnesses were irrelevant because most just gave evidence of the phone call, who was there etc. If he had so little evidence to give and he’s name was out why not allow him be called. Then we don’t have the situation there in now with the republican acting like babies saying well you blocked out requests so we’re blocking yours.
    The Dems are doing the right thing, for the wrong reasons and wrong way. All this is about the primaries in November. There all getting their sound bites in. And for those in the red/blue states they have to follow party lines or not get back in

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    Mute Raven
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    Jan 22nd 2020, 12:37 PM

    @Joe Johnson:
    Trump and his legal reps were denied due process in the House, don’t you recall? if it’s good enough for the Dems then it’s good enough for the Republicans

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    Mute PeterC
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    Jan 22nd 2020, 1:05 PM

    @Cormac Flanagan: Right then, if that’s your logic, the whistleblower is also just another to give evidence of a phone call he heard but was not actually party to. Which brings us back to original argument – Why not let those who were actually on the call or played a specific part in the contents of the call, testify during the impeachment?

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    Mute PeterC
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    Jan 22nd 2020, 1:08 PM

    @Raven: “Denied due process”? That’s a fairly blanket statement. Care to elaborate?

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    Mute BOH®
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    Jan 22nd 2020, 1:11 PM

    @Paul Furey: you can’t reason with TDS victims.

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    Mute Cormac Flanagan
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    Jan 22nd 2020, 1:25 PM

    @PeterC: I’m saying by blocking the whistleblower from giving evidence even tho as you said his evidence is not that important it gives the Reps the opportunity(which there taking) to block other witnesses.
    Also why bring in new witnesses now. If there evidence is so important why weren’t they called in the first hearing. And if there evidence is not important(like the whistleblower) why call them.

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    Mute Raven
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    Jan 22nd 2020, 1:25 PM

    @PeterC:
    Didn’t the Dems interview their “witnesses” in the basement of capitol hill, Trump and his lawyers were denied access to cross examine the very same witnesses. Clear enough?

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    Mute Dave Hammond
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    Jan 22nd 2020, 1:55 PM

    @Raven: that wasn’t what happened – and that wasn’t the ‘trial’ – try to keep up

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    Mute Patrick Egan
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    Jan 22nd 2020, 3:47 PM

    @milton friedman: they were called, they just refused to come

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    Mute Raven
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    Jan 22nd 2020, 6:46 PM

    @Dave Hammond:
    I’m sure Trumps legal team have a better grasp of what happened than you with your third hand, hear say, he said, she said , CNN fairytales.
    And where did I mention trial? – try keep up. :)

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    Mute Deirdre Gosson
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    Jan 22nd 2020, 9:27 AM

    This is a joke

    57
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    Mute Marcia Craine
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    Jan 22nd 2020, 9:40 AM

    This was always going to happen. Everybody knew this. The democrats are wasting time and money.

    56
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    Mute Tom Cullen
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    Jan 22nd 2020, 9:57 AM

    @Marcia Craine: Attempting to show that a President isn’t above the law by circumventing Congress and obstructing justice? It would be a constitutional failure if they didn’t impeach him. Not allowing key witnesses by the Republicans is a two fingers to the US people, constitution and rule of law.

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    Mute Tricia G
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    Jan 22nd 2020, 10:01 AM

    @Marcia Craine: BS! They’re doing their jobs!

    This is such a rubbish argument. Don’t do your job because the people you’re depending on to do theirs are refusing.

    Democratic voters are also watching. The polls make it clear that the population want to see witnesses. They’re pretty damning!

    https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/impeachment-polls/

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    Mute Paul Furey
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    Jan 22nd 2020, 10:37 AM

    @Tom Cullen: correct. Abuse of power is an impeachable offence and the list of impeachable offences still grows.

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    Mute Declan Crowley
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    Jan 22nd 2020, 9:37 AM

    An absolute farce, the Senate should hold their heads in shame, a dictator in the making, and they are letting it happen, all because they want to get voted back in and keep their jobs , utterly biased, and guaranteed he will be found not guilty , even tho the dogs in the street know he is guilty…

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    Mute Gordon Comstock
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    Jan 22nd 2020, 9:49 AM

    @Declan Crowley: “dictator in the making”… “want to get voted back in” Consistent stuff.

    21
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    Mute BOH®
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    Jan 22nd 2020, 1:13 PM

    Title should read; Democrats Hoax Impeachment Proceedings Get Underway.

    21
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    Mute Tricia G
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    Jan 22nd 2020, 1:16 PM

    @BOH®: No, it should not.

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    Mute BOH®
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    Jan 22nd 2020, 1:37 PM

    @Tricia G: oh wait, I’m wrong. Just like the Russian Collusion, and the Stormy Daniels thing, and all the other lies. So, the most harassed man on the planet should get impeached over a phone call he made to another guy, even when that other guy says nothing wrong happened. The harassed man even releases the transcript to show he’s nothing to hide. God, it all makes perfect sense now. Impeach Trump. WOOOOOOO!!

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    Mute Conor Maher
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    Jan 22nd 2020, 9:10 AM

    It would be too exonerating

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    Mute Joe L
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    Jan 22nd 2020, 12:34 PM

    There isn’t a snowball in hell’s chance that “Impartial Justice” will be served in the US Senate during this trial!

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    Mute BOH®
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    Jan 22nd 2020, 1:27 PM

    @Joe L: Just like the impartial House that put it through?

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    Mute Jim Fitzsimmons
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    Jan 22nd 2020, 6:41 PM

    The eye balls of politicians are not connected to their brains!

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