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John Locke Foundation - 2021 Annual Report

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One team. One fight.<br />

One voice for freedom.<br />

<strong>2021</strong> <strong>Annual</strong> <strong>Report</strong><br />

<strong>2021</strong> <strong>Annual</strong> <strong>Report</strong> | 1


One team. One fight.<br />

One voice for freedom.<br />

<strong>2021</strong> <strong>Annual</strong> <strong>Report</strong>


© <strong>2021</strong> <strong>John</strong> <strong>Locke</strong> <strong>Foundation</strong><br />

4800 Six Forks Road, Suite 220<br />

Raleigh, NC 27609<br />

(919) 828-3876 | johnlocke.org<br />

All rights reserved.


Contents<br />

Message From Our CEO.........................................................................................Page 7<br />

Fighting For You at the People’s House............................................................ Page 10<br />

Speaking the Truth Through Fact-Based Research..................................... Page 14<br />

Defining Digits..........................................................................................................Page 16<br />

One Voice For Freedom: The Merger................................................................. Page 19<br />

The Carolina Journal..............................................................................................Page 20<br />

Rooted In Principles and Looking Ahead........................................................ Page 25<br />

Why <strong>Locke</strong>?................................................................................................................Page 26<br />

<strong>2021</strong> <strong>Annual</strong> <strong>Report</strong> | 5


If Not Us, Then<br />

Who? If Not Now,<br />

Then When?<br />

Message From Our CEO<br />

Just months into my<br />

tenure as CEO, that was<br />

our thought as COVID-19<br />

measures threatened our<br />

civil liberties; violent protests<br />

threatened public safety; and<br />

unprecedented government<br />

spending, along with massive<br />

labor market issues, threatened<br />

our economic stability.<br />

With freedom threatened on<br />

multiple fronts, there was an<br />

urgency for us to examine how<br />

we deploy our resources. At<br />

the same time, we partnered<br />

with the Civitas Institute on<br />

a judicial issues educational<br />

outreach campaign. Civitas CEO<br />

Donald Bryson and I watched<br />

our organizations work together<br />

successfully for a common<br />

purpose. It occurred to us we<br />

should continue working as a<br />

cohesive unit.<br />

From Think Tank to<br />

Battle Tank<br />

Freedom’s opponents will<br />

always have more resources<br />

because they have government,<br />

big government advocates, and<br />

those who stand to gain from<br />

big government to fund them.<br />

The financial disadvantage<br />

just means we have to be<br />

smarter with our resources<br />

and how we deploy them. With<br />

freedom as a common goal<br />

and the authoritarian Left as<br />

the common opponent, we<br />

could ill afford a Hunger Games<br />

scenario between Civitas and<br />

<strong>Locke</strong>.<br />

On Jan. 1, <strong>2021</strong>, the intellectual<br />

forces that have driven three<br />

decades of freedom-forward<br />

research and policy reforms<br />

in North Carolina merged our<br />

capabilities, ensuring that<br />

North Carolinians’ liberties are<br />

robustly defended and advanced<br />

as we enter this next decade.<br />

By merging our capacities,<br />

we could reallocate resources<br />

from duplicative overhead into<br />

expanding research, grassroots<br />

outreach, government<br />

affairs, social media and<br />

communications, and news<br />

coverage — all of which you’ll<br />

read about in the following<br />

pages.<br />

With this change, we’ve<br />

marshaled the strategic forces<br />

<strong>2021</strong> <strong>Annual</strong> <strong>Report</strong> | 7


DONOR BASE<br />

DONATIONS<br />

2,000<br />

3,000<br />

1,500<br />

2,500<br />

1,000<br />

2,000<br />

2019 2020 2019 2020<br />

1,505<br />

Donors<br />

2,730<br />

Donations<br />

necessary to continue the battle<br />

for freedom and free markets<br />

in the new decade. For the sake<br />

of today and tomorrow’s North<br />

Carolinians, we moved from<br />

think tank to battle tank.<br />

One Team. One<br />

Fight. One Voice For<br />

Freedom.<br />

Egos are checked at the<br />

door. We all have pet issues<br />

and projects that capture<br />

our attention, but ultimately<br />

freedom is the goal. We envision<br />

a North Carolina where freedom<br />

is so much a part of the fabric<br />

of the state that we aren’t even<br />

needed. Until then, we will be<br />

on the front lines. Depending<br />

on what drives freedom’s<br />

opponents at any given<br />

moment, we can respond. Best<br />

of all, we have the ability to go on<br />

offense.<br />

Based on our investors’<br />

response, they like the<br />

combined forces. We are<br />

grateful to and humbled by all<br />

who invested time, treasure, and<br />

faith in us. We want you to be<br />

proud of your partnership with<br />

us. One team. One fight. One<br />

voice for freedom.<br />

<strong>Locke</strong>’d and loaded,<br />

Amy Cooke<br />

CEO<br />

CEO Amy Cooke joined <strong>Locke</strong> in<br />

January 2020.<br />

<strong>John</strong> <strong>Locke</strong> <strong>Foundation</strong> | 8


<strong>Locke</strong>’s Jon Sanders, senior fellow of regulatory studies and<br />

research editor, digs deep into the data to help lawmakers and<br />

citizens better understand the impact of regulatory burdens on the<br />

lives of North Carolinians.<br />

<strong>Locke</strong>’s Paige Terryberry assesses state fiscal policies, providing<br />

lawmakers guardrails for funding core services while ensuring North<br />

Carolinians keep more of what they earn.<br />

<strong>2021</strong> <strong>Annual</strong> <strong>Report</strong> | 9


Fighting For You at the<br />

People’s House<br />

<strong>John</strong> <strong>Locke</strong> <strong>Foundation</strong> | 10


Respected By Our Allies.<br />

Feared By Our Foes.<br />

Reputation Is Earned<br />

Credibility is the currency of<br />

public policy. The <strong>Locke</strong> team<br />

has it, giving us entree into the<br />

discussions where decisions are<br />

made, and giving us the ear of<br />

the leaders who ultimately make<br />

the calls. Thanks to our expanded<br />

capacities, strategic focus, and<br />

strong relationships, <strong>Locke</strong>'s<br />

influence with lawmakers is<br />

stronger than ever.<br />

As of October <strong>2021</strong>, the General<br />

Assembly continues this year's<br />

work, yet freedom has already<br />

notched another winning session.<br />

All indications point to more<br />

successes as the fall plays out and<br />

final decisions are made on state<br />

spending and revenue, as well as<br />

other key areas that have direct<br />

impact on how we live our lives and<br />

the opportunities to come.<br />

These new dividends can be traced<br />

directly to the <strong>Locke</strong>-influenced<br />

tax and regulatory reforms that<br />

have been implemented each year<br />

since 2013. Taxpayers are being<br />

respected through a reformed<br />

rate structure, the state's savings<br />

accounts are at an all-time high,<br />

debt is being paid down, and<br />

investments are being made in<br />

long-term obligations that were<br />

once ignored.<br />

Signed Into Law<br />

HEALTH CARE: A higher threshold<br />

will be implemented for the medical<br />

equipment covered by the state's<br />

antiquated and anti-competitive<br />

Certificate-of-Need law, which<br />

gives bureaucrats the power to<br />

decide who can and can't expand or<br />

build new facilities or add diagnostic<br />

tools to better serve patients.<br />

ELECTION INTEGRITY:<br />

Redistricting rules will now prohibit<br />

the use of political data when<br />

drawing election maps, quashing<br />

the temptation of bad actors<br />

to unfairly influence election<br />

outcomes.<br />

RECODIFICATION OF THE<br />

CRIMINAL CODE: A working group<br />

will proceed with a sweeping review<br />

and clean-up of the sometimes<br />

hidden regulatory crimes buried in<br />

the rules of various agencies of the<br />

state and local governments.<br />

<strong>2021</strong> <strong>Annual</strong> <strong>Report</strong> | 11


GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS:<br />

<strong>Locke</strong>’s Government Affairs<br />

team fights hard for North<br />

Carolinians<br />

<strong>John</strong> <strong>Locke</strong> <strong>Foundation</strong> | 12


“Credibility is the currency<br />

of public policy. The <strong>Locke</strong><br />

team has it.”<br />

Prospects For<br />

Tomorrow<br />

Our legal experts have helped<br />

put Gov. Roy Cooper on notice<br />

that his long-term, singlehanded<br />

vice grip on emergency<br />

powers will be reined in and<br />

shared by other statewide<br />

elected officials.<br />

North Carolinians lacking a<br />

stable broadband connection<br />

are closer to enjoying a level<br />

playing field for education,<br />

health care, and careers, thanks<br />

to our work on regulatory and<br />

technical issues.<br />

<strong>Locke</strong>’s Terry Stoops adds his education expertise to Lt. Gov. Mark<br />

Robinson’s F.A.C.T.S. Task Force.<br />

Entrepreneurs and job creators<br />

will have an easier pathway<br />

into the marketplace with new<br />

products and services through<br />

our leadership on, and support<br />

of, innovative oversight for<br />

start-ups.<br />

The most vulnerable Tar Heels<br />

will have greater access to<br />

medical care through our work<br />

to free doctors and nurses from<br />

antiquated and unnecessary<br />

rules that prevent them from<br />

practicing where they're most<br />

needed.<br />

Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson and<br />

lawmakers have tapped our<br />

team to help educate parents<br />

about the ugly Marxist roots<br />

of Critical Race Theory and<br />

how it is being used to shame<br />

and divide children in North<br />

Carolina classrooms.<br />

<strong>2021</strong> <strong>Annual</strong> <strong>Report</strong> | 13


Speaking the Truth<br />

Through Fact-Based<br />

Research<br />

<strong>John</strong> <strong>Locke</strong> <strong>Foundation</strong> | 14


Return On Investment<br />

Energy Crossroads ▶<br />

A study released in June, called<br />

“Energy Crossroads,” exposed<br />

the need for nuclear energy<br />

and natural gas as we enter into<br />

this next decade. This authors’<br />

well-researched conclusions<br />

stand in opposition to Gov.<br />

Cooper’s misguided energy<br />

recommendations.<br />

Emergency Powers<br />

No governor, regardless of<br />

party, should have unchecked,<br />

long-term power to mandate<br />

and prohibit the actions of<br />

North Carolinians. <strong>Locke</strong><br />

established coalitions and<br />

led the calls for reform to the<br />

Emergency Management Act to<br />

restrain unilateral powers of the<br />

governor’s office.<br />

COVID-19 Clarity<br />

Through data-driven analysis,<br />

<strong>Locke</strong> has separated itself<br />

from the pack, providing<br />

clear-minded perspective on<br />

the threat of the virus to the<br />

populace and the insidious<br />

consequences of government<br />

lockdowns on our children and<br />

on our economy.<br />

Effective Education<br />

The newly-formed Center for<br />

Effective Education immediately<br />

gained traction. Director Terry<br />

Stoops was appointed by Lt. Gov.<br />

Mark Robinson to the F.A.C.T.S.<br />

Task force, which investigates<br />

political bias in the classroom.<br />

The Center has also published<br />

examples of Critical Race<br />

Theory (CRT) being injected<br />

into the classroom, exposing<br />

as a lie the claim that CRT is<br />

not in schools. The Center’s<br />

push for transparency has<br />

helped showcase the need for<br />

accountability to parents related<br />

to CRT and controversial social<br />

studies standards. Rounding out<br />

the Center’s work is a revamp<br />

and expansion of <strong>Locke</strong>’s North<br />

Carolina History Project, which<br />

will develop unbiased history<br />

curriculum to counter the<br />

dubious 1619 Project.<br />

Taxpayer Bill of RIghts<br />

<strong>Locke</strong>’s vocal support for<br />

a Taxpayer Bill of Rights<br />

(TABOR) and the importance of<br />

budgetary restraint prompted<br />

budget writers to be very<br />

mindful of TABOR limits when<br />

crafting their <strong>2021</strong>-22 budget<br />

plans, despite the availability of<br />

billions in surplus revenue.<br />

The State Budget<br />

The Senate’s budget plan<br />

included a complete phaseout<br />

of the corporate income<br />

tax, a move <strong>Locke</strong> has urged<br />

lawmakers to adopt.<br />

Election Integrity<br />

The newly-formed Civitas<br />

Center for Public Integrity<br />

critiqued redistricting<br />

legislation, providing<br />

recommendations for<br />

more effective redistricting<br />

guidelines. In September,<br />

Center Director Andy Jackson<br />

testified before the Joint<br />

Redistricting Committee to<br />

offer recommendations on<br />

redistricting guidelines.<br />

<strong>2021</strong> <strong>Annual</strong> <strong>Report</strong> | 15


Defining Digits:<br />

Connecting With Carolina<br />

9<br />

PUBLISHED RESEARCH<br />

STUDIES<br />

4,567<br />

MEDIA MENTIONS<br />

5<br />

APPEARANCES<br />

TO TESTIFY BEFORE<br />

LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEES<br />

5<br />

CIVITAS POLLS<br />

46<br />

SHAFTESBURY<br />

SOCIETY EVENTS<br />

2<br />

APPOINTMENTS TO<br />

KEY COMMISSIONS<br />

1 NEW PRODUCTION STUDIO<br />

<strong>John</strong> <strong>Locke</strong> <strong>Foundation</strong> | 16


Defining Digits:<br />

Connecting With Carolina<br />

Facebook<br />

LOCKE<br />

37,652<br />

FOLLOWERS<br />

+205%<br />

CAROLINA JOURNAL<br />

<strong>Locke</strong>’s Kitty Hawk Club, hosted by communications associate<br />

Brenee Goforth, features engaging interviews with special guests.<br />

8,448<br />

FOLLOWERS<br />

+5.4%<br />

KITTY HAWK CLUB<br />

<strong>Locke</strong>’s Private FB GRoup<br />

1,412<br />

MEMBERS<br />

+13.9%<br />

Twitter<br />

LOCKE<br />

11,900<br />

FOLLOWERS<br />

CAROLINA JOURNAL<br />

3,274<br />

FOLLOWERS<br />

Email<br />

Subscribers<br />

91,674<br />

SUBSCRIBERS<br />

+113%<br />

RESEARCH NEWSLETTER<br />

12,124 recipients +371%<br />

CJ DAILY<br />

25,038 recipients +835%<br />

ON LOCKE<br />

7,260 recipients +120%<br />

*All growth numbers are from January 1, <strong>2021</strong> to July <strong>2021</strong><br />

<strong>2021</strong> <strong>Annual</strong> <strong>Report</strong> | 17


<strong>Locke</strong> and The Carolina Journal featured in...<br />

And many more...<br />

<strong>John</strong> <strong>Locke</strong> <strong>Foundation</strong> | 18


One Voice For Freedom: The Merger<br />

JLF + CIVITAS = LOCKE. Since merging, <strong>Locke</strong>’s efficiency and effectiveness have poised us for<br />

great success. The team has worked to merge JLF & Civitas assets, establish sound practices, and<br />

streamline services between both organizations.<br />

Internship Program<br />

The <strong>Locke</strong> internship program<br />

was created and our first cohort<br />

of college students joined our<br />

team for the summer of <strong>2021</strong>.<br />

They worked with multiple<br />

departments across the<br />

organization, wrote several<br />

op-eds, and participated in a<br />

summer-long seminar series on<br />

the principles of free-market,<br />

limited government thought.<br />

Facilities<br />

The new office space buildout<br />

has been completed and<br />

will serve as dedicated space<br />

for Carolina Journal employees<br />

and interns. We completed a<br />

media room expansion, with<br />

equipment upgrades and a<br />

state-of-the-art studio space<br />

for expanded video capabilities.<br />

In addition, we have opened our<br />

Baber Conference Center up<br />

for use to the following partner<br />

organizations: NC Center Right,<br />

the North Carolina Institute of<br />

Political Leadership, and the<br />

Bastiat Society.<br />

EA Morris Fellowship<br />

The E.A. Morris program trains<br />

a new generation of leaders,<br />

developing their skills to bring<br />

together public and private<br />

institutions to solve society’s<br />

problems. The program is well<br />

underway for <strong>2021</strong>. Applications<br />

for the 2022 cohort opened<br />

October <strong>2021</strong>. We are in the<br />

process of creating an alumni<br />

program for former participants.<br />

The merger of JLF and Civitas has been challenging, but<br />

rewarding, as the newly formed <strong>Locke</strong> has become a force<br />

for freedom across the state. It is our honor to fight for<br />

North Carolinians.<br />

<strong>2021</strong> <strong>Annual</strong> <strong>Report</strong> | 19


<strong>John</strong> <strong>Locke</strong> <strong>Foundation</strong> | 20


Shifting the Conversation<br />

This year, The Carolina<br />

Journal has focused efforts<br />

on using our resources and<br />

grassroots supporters to shift<br />

the conversation in North<br />

Carolina toward individual<br />

liberty. We focus on the rights<br />

of North Carolinians to run<br />

their businesses, maintain<br />

autonomy over their medical<br />

decisions, and teach their<br />

children critical thinking skills<br />

in an environment free of<br />

intimidation and uncertainty.<br />

To that end, we have been able<br />

to pivot in a quickly changing<br />

news environment to update our<br />

print product, Carolina Journal,<br />

expand social engagement<br />

with grassroots movements<br />

and lawmakers, and build on<br />

relationships with local news<br />

outlets to share content.<br />

Print Edition<br />

This year, Carolina Journal’s print<br />

product was redesigned to be a<br />

larger paper with fewer pages.<br />

We are using the increased<br />

space to change to a more<br />

readable, slightly larger font, an<br />

updated logo and masthead,<br />

using Carolina Journal, because it<br />

is the original state journal, and<br />

a trusted source of printed news<br />

and analysis. We also added<br />

more regular templated features<br />

like Bills to Watch, a monthly<br />

civics lesson, a visual table of<br />

contents, and a more elaborate<br />

double truck with infographics.<br />

The redesign maintains the<br />

tradition of excellence that CJ<br />

readers have come to expect,<br />

but helps readers better<br />

navigate the print product, know<br />

what to expect, and reduce the<br />

labor hours required to produce<br />

it. The print edition is now<br />

printing seven issues per year,<br />

producing a savings of more<br />

than $62,000. Those savings are<br />

being directed into additional<br />

daily resources to cover news<br />

and issues as they unfold.<br />

Digital<br />

Our goal is to update the<br />

website to put more content on<br />

the home page, expand social<br />

engagement, and improve<br />

Search Engine Optimization<br />

(SEO) with training and tracking.<br />

We will launch the redesign of<br />

the CJ website to include more<br />

stories on the home page and<br />

create more cohesive branding<br />

across the products. We are also<br />

adding more briefs, updates,<br />

photo essays, and videos. We<br />

are improving the daily work<br />

rhythm to include more use of<br />

the breaking news banner and<br />

a higher level of story turnover<br />

throughout the day, and more<br />

stories scheduled to post over<br />

the weekends.<br />

With ongoing work on our<br />

strategic plan, we are developing<br />

a close relationship with<br />

stakeholders inside and outside<br />

of the organization to ensure<br />

that each story works toward<br />

<strong>Locke</strong> goals over the long term.<br />

$62,000<br />

Amount of money saved by reducing<br />

the frequency of the print edition of<br />

The Carolina Journal<br />

<strong>2021</strong> <strong>Annual</strong> <strong>Report</strong> | 21


<strong>John</strong> <strong>Locke</strong> <strong>Foundation</strong> | 22


Community<br />

Relationships<br />

We are working to build<br />

communication with local<br />

papers and build partnerships<br />

among college groups to<br />

increase visibility among<br />

younger readers and increase<br />

their exposure to the concepts<br />

of liberty and free markets.<br />

In June we launched the CJ<br />

Newswire, which goes to more<br />

than 130 editors of small papers<br />

across the state. The newswire<br />

is distributed each morning<br />

with top-performing CJ stories,<br />

sometimes breaking ones, and<br />

art whenever possible. Papers<br />

began using them immediately,<br />

with about 75 using at least one<br />

article a week, resulting in an<br />

estimated $10,000 per week in<br />

earned media.<br />

Growth Potential<br />

Among the most valuable<br />

growth areas for CJ is the<br />

increasingly close relationship<br />

with <strong>Locke</strong>’s government affairs<br />

team. On several occasions<br />

over the past few months, we<br />

have been able to coordinate<br />

coverage on key bills and issues<br />

to multiply our organizational<br />

impact. Examples include the<br />

state budget, energy bill, and<br />

donor privacy.<br />

CJ’s new office build out.<br />

What’s Next?<br />

For fall and beyond, we are<br />

working to grow the video<br />

presence of CJTV with the new<br />

build-out and new equipment.<br />

Plans are being formulated to<br />

make full use of the new video<br />

resources through videos and<br />

news updates from the field,<br />

opinion panels, quick lives from<br />

the legislature, and a TikTok<br />

video series explaining basic<br />

principles of free speech,<br />

capitalism, economics, civics<br />

lessons, and interesting stories<br />

from history.<br />

130<br />

Number of editors of small<br />

papers receiving stories via<br />

CJ Newswire<br />

<strong>2021</strong> <strong>Annual</strong> <strong>Report</strong> | 23


INTERNSHIP PROGRAM:<br />

<strong>Locke</strong> Summer <strong>2021</strong><br />

Interns: Rachel Hall, Kelly<br />

Fitzgerald, Carter Riley, and<br />

Ewan Hayes.<br />

<strong>John</strong> <strong>Locke</strong> <strong>Foundation</strong> | 24


Rooted In Principles and Looking Ahead<br />

Engaging with supporters<br />

and growing the army of<br />

fighters for freedom isn’t simply<br />

‘checking the box’ for the <strong>Locke</strong><br />

team. We savor the opportunity<br />

to reach out. Core to our<br />

mission is to persuade others to<br />

join our coalition.<br />

We hope to talk with you at one<br />

of the many events and forums<br />

we have planned.<br />

<strong>Locke</strong> History Tour<br />

We cherish the rich history of<br />

our state, and the incredible<br />

stories of those who were<br />

instrumental in our state and<br />

federal constitutions. Watch for<br />

our calendar of events that meld<br />

enjoyment and learning.<br />

Grassroots<br />

Networking<br />

We’re stronger as a cohesive,<br />

well-oiled movement. Watch<br />

for opportunities to join us by<br />

engaging and deploying your<br />

voice on critical issues in your<br />

city or county and building the<br />

freedom coalition neighbor by<br />

neighbor. You are the key to the<br />

future.<br />

New Legislator<br />

Training<br />

When elections are over, our<br />

work begins in earnest. We will<br />

continue to host meetings,<br />

education sessions, and oneon-one<br />

conversations to give<br />

new lawmakers the intellectual<br />

grounding to defend and<br />

advance freedom and free<br />

markets. Our training is a <strong>Locke</strong><br />

tradition that has planted the<br />

seeds for policy victories and for<br />

the development of statewide<br />

leaders.<br />

Leadership and<br />

Fellowship Conference<br />

In early 2022, join us in the<br />

capital city. Meet conservative<br />

leaders from across the state,<br />

hear the very latest about the<br />

decisions facing our state and<br />

the choices that will determine<br />

freedom’s fate. Watch for more<br />

information in the fall.<br />

<strong>2021</strong> <strong>Annual</strong> <strong>Report</strong> | 25


Why <strong>Locke</strong>?<br />

They say that with age comes wisdom. True<br />

enough. But some things are universal, not tied to<br />

time or circumstance. Freedom is untethered and<br />

open to all who choose to embrace it. It's an aching<br />

in the soul to make our own choices, to help others<br />

in need, to explore new opportunities, and to pass<br />

on this love of life to our kids and grandkids.<br />

That's what we do. Fighting for good policy is how<br />

we love our neighbors. We can't do it alone. We need<br />

you to help us fight for what's right - and to win.<br />

Your tax-deductible donation will be put to use<br />

immediately and with precision to secure wins and<br />

advance the goals presented on these pages. If you<br />

like what you see, you will like what's to come.<br />

Freedom is our mission. Follow us.<br />

Visit johnlocke.org to make your gift today,<br />

or call 919-828-3876.<br />

<strong>John</strong> <strong>Locke</strong> <strong>Foundation</strong> | 26


<strong>2021</strong> <strong>Annual</strong> <strong>Report</strong> | 27


4800 Six Forks Rd., #220<br />

Raleigh, NC 27609<br />

919-828-3876<br />

johnlocke.org<br />

johnlockefoundation<br />

@johnlockenc<br />

<strong>John</strong> <strong>Locke</strong> <strong>Foundation</strong><br />

johnlockefoundation1<br />

johnlockefoundation<br />

Freedom is our mission.<br />

Follow us.

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