Cut this in half without losing anything

Cut the text below to HALF its length.

Rules:
- Keep every fact, number, name and caveat. If something has to go, it goes from the wording, not the content.
- Keep the author's voice. This is an edit, not a rewrite.
- Prefer deleting whole sentences over shaving words from all of them.
- No bullet points unless the original had them. Turning prose into a list is not editing.

Then, under the edit, list anything you removed that you were not sure about, so I can put it back.

<text>
[PASTE HERE]
</text>