You probably just trapped more moisture in there by sealing it up with a dehumidifier running constantly.

Charge you extra to share the driving, but somehow an airport soda still costs five bucks.

That's heavy man... Dmitri sounds like he's trying to keep people informed. My cousin married a woman from Uzbekistan and she told me about how during the pandemic, reports of hospital shortages in smaller cities just disappeared from local news sites. Like they were never there. It really makes you wonder what else gets buried...

What kind of weighted step downs helped the most...?

Just toss it in a checked bag next time or declare it if you're unsure. Customs people usually just give a warning if you're honest about it. I always triple check my pockets before going through now.