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Green Shoots

We're gonna hit the "everything is wonderful except those negative nellies who keep complaining about all the bodies who, if you think about, are responsible for the deaths" phase soon.

We're a can do nation, citizen, and don't you forget it.




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55 Quotes About Achieving Goals To Help You Stay Motivated

Setting and achieving goals is a process with different phases that will require lots of focus, commitment, and hard work. In order not to get distracted or overwhelmed, there is a need to stay constantly motivated on the journey to reaching your goals. Below are collections of quotes about achieving goals to help you sustain [...]Read More...




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30 Daily Positive Affirmations to Boost Your Motivation

The power of the mind is becoming increasingly more apparent. That’s why you’re seeing all this focus on activities such as mindset development, meditation, and mindfulness. Our mindset forms the foundation and plays a big role in our overall success and happiness. That’s why it’s so important for us to find ways to improve our [...]Read More...




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Epic Game Store: Totally Reliable Delivery Service FREE + Spring Sale

Totally Reliable Delivery Service FREE (download before 4/8)
 

The Spring Sale is now here with fresh offers across a range of top content! Don't forget, Epic Coupons acquired in our Holiday Sale are expiring May 1, 2020 2:59am EST and able to be used on any eligible purchase $14.99 or above!

Spring Sale - ends 4/16

 

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    PlayStation Move Motion Controller Two-Pack & Tilt Brush Bundle - $99.99 @ PlayStation Direct

     
    NEW, free shipping automatic at checkout for any order over $70.
     
    Tilt Brush on PSN - $19.99
     
    Deals on these a far and few between. New Move controllers are out of stock in a lot of places. This is direct from PlayStation and likely to be the newest batch of manufactured controllers as they are in a new box with a digital code included.
     
    Much better than dealing with the used PS3 era Moves with degraded batteries.
     
    Alternatively, purchase an open-box from Best Buy for $84.99. 
     
    Not a blazing deal, but if you are in the market for these it might be the best you'll find for a bit.






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    Xbox One X (as-is condition, console only FOR REPAIR, PARTS ONLY NOT NEW IN BOX, YOU MIGHT NEED TO FIX THEM understood? NOTNEW) $139.99 (Ebay seller)

    https://www.ebay.com/itm/Microsoft-Xbox-One-X-1TB-Black-Console-as-is-for-repair-or-parts-only/264227168298

     

    YMMV obviously--I ordered two of these a month ago and they have been running fine for me.  All I had to do was reinstall the newest system update and they have both been fine with no issues.  One system's issue noted was "freezes" and the other was "no video". 

     

    It says he has only 2 in stock, but I bought two a while back and the listing has remained active for the entire time with stock available, so he probably leaves the number low to keep demand going. This is probably a bulk buyer who doesn't extensively troubleshoot the systems.  I am not affiliated with the seller.  Cosmetically, the systems are nice enough to trade in without taking a refurb fee when stores re-open for business.




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    GameStop Pro Day - 4/18 - Not Just for Pro Members Anymore

    GameStop’s Pro Day Sale

     

    Note:

    For 4/18 only, Pro Deals for ALL at GameStop.com

    On Saturday only, if you aren't a Pro Member, score 5,000 bonus points when you become a Power Up Rewards member and Pro Members score 2x points per dollar spent. See some of the top offers below!

     

    Top Offers:

    • Save $70 on a Pre-Owned 1TB PlayStation 4 Pro System only $269.99
    • Save $100 on the limited edition Xbox One X 1TB NBA 2K20 Console only $299.99
    • Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle only $16.99 (over 70% off)
    • Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Breakpoint only $14.99 (75% off)
    • Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order only $38.99 (35% off)
    • $10 off Madden 20 only $19.99
    • $40 off NBA 2K20 only $19.99
    • Mortal Kombat only $18.99 (52% off)
    • $40 off Borderlands 3 only $19.99
    • Buy 2 Get 1 Free All $11.99 Pop! Figures
    • Save $30 on Red Dead Redemption II now only $29.99
    • Save $80 on Arcade1Up Mortal Kombat Arcade Cabinet with Riser now only $299.99
    • Just Dance 2020 only $18.99 (52% off)
    • Only $10 all T-Shirts (Excludes Clearance)
    • Save up to $35 on select games

    GameStop’s Pro Day Sale

     

     

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    Fortnite Darkfire Bundle (PS4/XB1/Switch) $14.99 & BOGO Fortnite Figures at Best Buy - DotD

    Fortnite Darkfire Bundle (PS4/XB1/Switch) $14.99  msrp $29.99

    Amazon has the PS4 version for the same price.

     

    BOGO Fortnite Figures

     

    Other Fornite deals:

    Buy any v-bucks card, get the SteelSeries - Arctis 1 Wireless Stereo Gaming Headset for PC for $59.99

     

     

    Here's what the Darkfire Bundle includes:

    https://www.epicgames.com/fortnite/en-US/darkfire

    Spoiler
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    FamilyDick: Brotherly Affection – Chapter 2: Virtual Presentation

    Working from home is tough, and when Isaac Parker tries to have a productive meeting with his team, his annoying younger stepbrother, Johnny Ford, refuses to leave him alone. Pretty soon, the businessman puts the virtual meeting on mute and lets the little guy suck his cock while he works! See more at FamilyDick.

    The post FamilyDick: Brotherly Affection – Chapter 2: Virtual Presentation appeared first on QueerClick.




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    Visualizing Emotions

    Sociologists studying emotion have opened up the inner, private feelings of anger, fear, shame, and love to reveal the far-reaching effects of social forces on our most personal experiences. This subfield has given us new words to make sense of shared experiences: emotional labor in our professional lives, collective effervescence at sporting events and concerts, […]




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    Venti Voting?

    I just wrapped up my political sociology class for the semester. We spent a lot of time talking about conflict and polarization, reading research on why people avoid politics, the spread of political outrage, and why exactly liberals drink lattes. When we become polarized, small choices in culture and consumption—even just a cup of coffee—can become signals for […]




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    Cops Didn't Enforce Law On Anti-lockdown Protesters, COVID-19 Spread

    Remember the April 15th "Operation Gridlock?" in Lansing Michigan? In my piece on April 21st I said we needed to start tracking these protesters to show that they will spread the virus to other communities. Well, someone did.

    Cellphone data shows 300 of the people who had gathered in Lansing for "Operation Gridlock" scattered throughout the state after the protest. The color of the dot represents device activity: yellow is more activity, red is lighter Image from: Doctors at the Committee to Protect Medicare

    The people at the Committee to Protect Medicare released data which shows the protesters dispersing to smaller communities across Michigan in the following days. The map above shows that cellphones that were in Lansing on April 15 scattered across the state. (Link)

    read more



    • anti-lockdown protests
    • coronavirus. COVID-19
    • First Lt. Darren Green
    • Michigan Department of Health and Human Services
    • michigan protests
    • Michigan state House
    • Michigan State Police
    • Robert Gordon

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    Minnesota: Latest updates on coronavirus

    Here is the COVID-19 situation in Minnesota.




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    South Dakota: Latest updates on coronavirus

    Here's an update on the coronavirus case counts in South Dakota and the latest news on the COVID-19 outbreak.







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    ASRock Z490 PG Velocita Motherboard Technical Preview

    Today we will be taking a look at the ASRock Z490 PG Velocita Motherboard. While we are not allowed to tell you about performance of these parts, we are able to give you a technical preview.

    The post ASRock Z490 PG Velocita Motherboard Technical Preview appeared first on ThinkComputers.org.




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    There are two kinds of sunspots on the sun right now amid solar cycle change

    The sun offers plenty of brainteasers: Right now, for instance, it's sporting magnetic knots formed by two different cycles — simultaneously.




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    The starry dusty field from the core of our Milky Way galaxy (photo)

    A panoramic view of the Milky Way galaxy's dusty core reveals several colorful deep-space nebulas.




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    Elon Musk shows off Starship prototype's rocket engine ahead of test fire (photo)

    SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk just tweeted an image looking up at the belly of the latest Starship prototype, the SN4, which is on the test stand ahead of a key engine firing.




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    Nickelodeon debuts first footage of iconic green slime in space

    Nickelodeon used its Kids' Choice Awards show broadcast to premiere the first footage of its trademark green slime floating on board the International Space Station.




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    “Simone de Beauvoir alone would never have gotten me from intellect to action”

    Note from OBOS co-founder Judy Norsigian: After publication of my reflections piece in the June 2019 issue of the American Journal of Public Health (AJPH), I received this wonderful email from Kay Johnson. Her story reminds us all once again of how ONE life experience (reading a book/having a terrific teacher or mentor/participating in an eye-opening social justice action/etc.) can change the course of our lives and bring us into partnership with others also committed to racial, economic and social justice for all.

    I am ... More

    The post “Simone de Beauvoir alone would never have gotten me from intellect to action” appeared first on Our Bodies Ourselves.




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    2019 US-to-UK Word of the Year: gotten

    For part 1 of the 2019 Words of the Year, click here.  Now we're on to the US-to-UK WotY.

    Radzi Chinyanganya, WotY inspiration
    I had pretty much decided not to do a US-to-UK Word of the Year for 2019. The words nominated were generally ones that had made a big splash in English recently on both sides of the Atlantic, rather than long-standing Americanisms that were making a splash in Britain. I had begun to think that BrE had reached peak Americanism. But then I went through my top tweets of the year, and saw one that made me think: "Oh yeah, that's it."


    The US-to-UK Word of the Year is:

    gotten



    Here's the tweet that reminded me: 
     


    Now, this choice might be controversial in that gotten is not just and not originally American. It is one of those linguistic things that mostly died in the UK while it thrived in the US. When I moved to the UK, a colleague told me that you'd still hear gotten among old people in Yorkshire. I haven't had the chance to bother any old people in Yorkshire about that, but -en forms of get were found far and wide in English dialects. That said, the OED has it as "chiefly U.S." and it is widely perceived in the UK as an Americanism. In England you do hear it more from Americans (in the media, if not in person) than from British folk. Here's a bit of what I said about it in The Prodigal Tongue:

    That part of the book goes on to examine the evidence that gotten only really got going in the US—that it was not used much in the formal English of those who came from England to the Americas, and that its use exploded only in the late 19th century, when the US was finding a voice of its own. (Want to know more? I have a book to sell you!)

    So, while gotten is not just American nor originally American, America is where gotten made its fortune. The "standard" British participle for get is have got, as discussed (along with its meaning) in this old post.

    What's interesting about gotten in Britain in 2019 is that it's been used quite a bit in places where you don't tend to hear non-standard, regional grammatical forms: like on the BBC and in Parliament. And I have heard it among my child's middle-class (orig. AmE) tween friends here in the southeast. Here are some interesting examples, besides our friend Radzi.*

    On the CBeebies (BBC channel for young children) website:


    In a BBC news story about an orange seagull in Buckinghamshire:

    Hospital staff said the bird "had somehow gotten himself covered in curry or turmeric".

    In the linguistically (and otherwise) conservative Telegraph newspaper:**
    Yet, it is the ageing filter that has gotten most people talking.

    By then-Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry, who got into trouble for saying:
    The Lib Dems have gotten kind of Taliban, haven’t they?

    And in the House of Commons:
    • "I would like to share some of the thoughts of organisations that have gotten in touch in recent days to share their experience of training mental health first aiders..." —Luciana Berger, 17 Jan 2019
    • "...those in Sinn Féin say, 'Well, we’ve gotten away with two years of saying we’re not going back into government until...'" —Gregory Campbell, 5 Mar 2019
    • "...the mess that this place has gotten itself into..."  —Deirdre Brock 19 Mar 2019
    • "...the best way of dealing with this is not through a voluntary levy based on the least that can be gotten away with" —Jim Shannon, 2 July  2019
    There's a difference, though, between the ones from the House of Commons and the others. The parliamentary ones have gotten in a set phrase of some sort. It's long been the case that British speakers say gotten in close proximity to mess and into, since they're alluding to Laurel and Hardy films, where gotten is indeed the form. And in the other cases above, we've got gotten away with and gotten in touch, which are figurative and idiomatic uses. (Neither of those particular idioms is particularly American.) Since gotten is heard in Parliament as part of set phrases, it's not clear that it would be a 'normal' way for those speakers to form the past participle of get in general.

    The other examples above (and indeed Radzi's uses that inspired my original tweet) are have gotten just as a plain old verb in its many meanings. Those interest me more because they do seem more like the re-introduction of the get-got-gotten paradigm, and not just certain constructions that have been remembered with a certain verb form.

    A lot of the British gotten that I've been exposed to is from homegrown children's television and children, and that's what really seals it for me as a 2019 word. After 20 years of not hearing it much (and training myself out of saying it much), I'm really noticing it. You can find lots of people, particularly older people, in the UK talking about its ugliness or wrongness, but the fact that younger people are un-self-consciously saying it makes me think that it will get bigger still.

    And on that note, a bit later than is decent, I say goodbye to 2019!


    Footnotes:

    * I haven't presented corpus numbers in this post, since the bulk of the gotten numbers in corpora tend to be (in news) quoted Americans or (in other things) in set phrases. The Hansard corpus tool at Huddersfield University doesn't seem to be able to separate the gottens from the ill-gottens—which is a form that has remained in BrE despite the more general loss of gotten.

    ** (I got quite a few google hits for gotten in the Telegraph, for which I could see the gotten in the preview. But for some, when I clicked through, the same sentence had got. Might this be because some stories were originally posted with gotten then changed when the "error" was caught?)




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    Free webinar on "Storage Protection under Sloped Ceilings"

    In the event of a fire, a sloped ceiling may alter sprinkler performance from expected results for a conventional horizontal ceiling configuration. Prior computational studies investigated the effect of ceiling slope on sprinkler activation times and




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    RFP now open for Fire Protection Research Foundation project on “Combustible Gas Distribution in Buildings and Detector Location Analysis”

    Recent experiences with combustible gas releases in residential buildings have led to a proposal for NFPA Standards Development for locating combustible gas detectors and consensus on installation location requirements. NFPA is considering a proposed




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    Research Foundation Set to Study the Economic and Emotional Impact of Active Shooter/Hostile Events

    The Fire Protection Research Foundation, the research affiliate of NFPA is overseeing a two-year project on the Economic and Emotional Impact of an Active Shooter/Hostile Event – thanks to Fire Prevention and Safety Grant money from FEMA.




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    Changing of the guard at the Fire Protection Research Foundation

    Amanda Kimball has been named executive director of the Fire Protection Research Foundation (Research Foundation). The eight-year veteran of the independent, non-profit research affiliate of the National Fire Protection Association replaces Casey Grant



    • fire protection research foundation
    • research

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    Open Request for Proposals for “Cybersecurity of Fire Protection Systems”

      Fire protection systems are increasingly networked to Building Control Systems (BCS), Internet of Things (IoT), and other platforms that are, by design or oversight, exposed to the public-facing Internet. This emerging environment could lead to




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    Archivist releases shirts made from recycled hotel sheets

    Sometimes, being disruptive is fashionable. As for Archivist, a sustainable clothing company, its business plan counts on being disruptive in the name of fashion and corporate responsibility. With this mission, Archivist has found a unique yet luxurious inspiration for a new line of tailored shirts — hotel sheets.[...]




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    Project Lunark to test a prototype moon habitat powered by solar

    “What does it take to live on the moon?” That was the question put forward by Sebastian Aristotelis and Karl-Johan Sørensen, the founders of SAGA Space Architects and the analog astronauts behind Lunark, a prototype moon habitat. Designed in collaboration with scientists, engineers and polar experts, Lunark will be tested over three months in northern Greenland as part of the first Arctic-simulated moon mission. In addition to its resilience to extreme temperatures, the habitat will be engineered for a zero-waste ecosystem and will draw power from solar panels.[...]




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    Solar-powered hotel on Grand Cayman features turtle-friendly lighting

    Thankfully, the world is coming around to the fact that eco-friendly travel doesn't have to mean sacrificing comfort or luxury. As one of Kimpton's latest sustainable properties, Kimpton's Seafire Resort + Spa is leading the way for travelers who want to enjoy gorgeous locations while doing their part to protect the environment. Located on the beautiful Grand Cayman, the eco-resort was built with several green features, including solar power, LED lighting, recycled building materials, native plants and even turtle-friendly lighting.[...]




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    LEED Gold-targeted library and community park has otherworldly appeal

    Toronto-based architecture firm RDHA has completed the Springdale Library and Komagata Maru Park, a new inclusive gathering space for Brampton, a city located about 45 minutes west of Toronto. Designed as a visual contrast to the flat suburban environment, the architects created an undulating landscape of hills that is reinforced by the building’s mountainous form. Surrounded by walls of glass and solar shades, the green-roofed library is powered by geothermal energy and is expected to achieve LEED Gold certification.[...]




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    Relax and unwind in this tiny home with a walk-in hot tub

    From climbing walls to a roaming music studio, we've seen a lot of ingenious tiny house features over the years. But this tiny home on wheels from Movable Roots has a distinct feature we never thought was possible — a walk-in hot tub! The Culp is a 500-square-foot home that, in addition to its accessible, spa-like bathroom, boasts unique cork flooring and an incinerating toilet.[...]




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    Brother sister duo create tropical tiny home in Hawaii

    Tiny homes are still all the rage within the minimalist and wanderlust communities of the world, and what better place to consider tiny living than in the warmth of the big island, Hawaii? If equatorial location is on your must-have list, this tiny home might be just the serving of simplicity and decadence you’re looking for. [...]




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    Bace presents Rotofarm, an automated garden for your kitchen

    There’s never been a better time to grow your own herbs and veggies at home, but limited space is a common issue, especially in urban areas. In steps Rotofarm, the newest product from Australian-based company Bace, offering a compact indoor garden suitable for the kitchen counter complete with technology inspired by NASA.[...]




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    Hitch is a reusable water bottle and coffee cup in one

    Coffee is a popular start to the day for millions of people. There’s nothing quite like the scent of coffee wafting through the air and that first sip to get you started on the right foot. But an estimated 3 billion paper cups end up in the landfills each year — cups that mostly can’t be recycled due to the mixed materials, including plastic. The solution, of course, is reusable coffee cups; however, many people have struggled to incorporate that addition into the host of other items that travel with them daily. So Remaker Labs, a Santa Barbara-based company, has[...]




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    10 ways to celebrate Mothers Day virtually in 2020

    With the majority of the country continuing to observe social distancing and shelter-in-place laws, families are beginning to face a new normal of interacting for the holidays. Mother’s Day is coming up on Sunday, and while most of us won’t be able to see our moms in person this year, there are still ways to celebrate! A silver-lining? Choosing to celebrate from home, social distance-style, can be a win for the environment, too.[...]




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    Invasive "murder hornets" arrive in US, threaten honeybees

    If you’ve been itching to get back to the outside world, two words might make you think again: murder hornets. For the first time, these gigantic, invasive hornets have been spotted in the U.S., which could be a problem for both humans and honeybees.[...]




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    Shots Fired



    Shots Fired




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    Malicious USB Drives Infect 35,000 Computers With Crypto-Mining Botnet

    Cybersecurity researchers from ESET on Thursday said they took down a portion of a malware botnet comprising at least 35,000 compromised Windows systems that attackers were secretly using to mine Monero cryptocurrency. The botnet, named "VictoryGate," has been active since May 2019, with infections mainly reported in Latin America, particularly Peru accounting for 90% of the compromised




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    Cato SDP: Cloud-Scale and Global Remote Access Solution Review

    The Scouts acknowledged the necessity to "Be Prepared" over 100 years (!) ago; the industry should have, as well. Yet COVID-19 took businesses – more like the entire world – by surprise. Very few were prepared for the explosion of remote access, and the challenge of instantly shifting an entire organization to work from anywhere. Cato Networks shared its increase in remote access usage post




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    Our mystery guest + le cafoutche = The "everything room" in France

    Up till now, the best part of our cafoutche was the view. More about a few sweet and savory projects in today's missive. Thank you for reading and sharing this post with a friend! Today's Word: cafoutche : storage room, cupboard AUDIO FILE: click here to listen to the following quote in French Cafoutche: De l’occitan cafoucho synonyme de cahute. A Marseille il désigne un petit placard où l’on met de tout et de rien. Peut désigner la cave, aussi bien qu’une petite pièce fermée ou un débarras. Cafoutche: from Occitan cafoucho synonymous with hut. In Marseille this designates a small closet where you put everything and nothing. May refer to the cellar, as well as a small closed room or storage room. --www.lasardineduport.fr A DAY IN A FRENCH LIFE by Kristi Espinasse Not only is our guest on the mend, she is mending! Helping, that is, to fix everything from a punctual petit creux to our unruly store room--insisting all the while, ça fait du bien de travailler. What a positive way to look at work--as something that makes us feel better! I know this is true with my writing which I often put off to a later date,...

              




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    These Are the 51 GOP Senators Who Just Voted Against Expanding Paid Sick Leave to Protect Americans

    Republican senators on Wednesday teamed up to kill an amendment introduced by Democratic Sen. Patty Murray that would have expanded paid sick leave to millions of U.S. workers left out of a bipartisan coronavirus relief package. Every Republican present for the vote, 51 in total, voted against the amendment while every Senate Democrat voted in favor. […]