National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow appears on Fox News with Maria Bartiromo to discuss the critical decisions to balance health risks for Americans with the need to keep the U.S. economy primed to reignite.

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Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin appears on Fox News to discuss the latest developments in the battle against COVID-19 and how the coronavirus economic relief package will roll out. Unfortunately the always insufferable Wallace wants to waste time discussing the politics of the administration effort and not communicate important details to American businesses/individuals about what financial relief efforts are available.

Smartly Secretary Mnuchin outlines the process. The Treasury Department has stood up a system inside the Small Business Administration that cuts through much of the bureaucracy. By using FDIC lenders (local banks) as the point of contact for small businesses and S-corps Treasury can backstop the process. [SEE BELOW]

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The local business (or S-corp) takes their payroll and yearly expense documents to their local bank where they already have a relationship. As long as the bank is in the FDIC network; and because the emergency funds are distributed based on a good faith relationship; the bank gives the business or individual immediate access to funds; the bank deposits in the business account. The FDIC guarantees the lender against any risk.

If the business does not continue payroll for the employees, the funds are considered a loan that must be repaid. However, if the business retains their employees (continues to keep current payroll); or -if needed- rehires any recent lay-offs using the funds provided; then the emergency loan becomes a grant the business will not have to repay. The system should be in place by this Friday.

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The White House holds a COVID-19 task force briefing today to provide updates and take questions from the media pool at 5:00pm ET.  [Livestream Links Below]

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White House Coordinator for the Defense Production Act, Peter Navarro, appears on Fox News to discuss how U.S. manufacturers are shifting their production lines to generate products needed to combat coronavirus.

GM CEO Mary Barra appears to have found a spark under her corporate butt after President Trump invoked his power under the DPA to support a greater sense of urgency.

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It seems odd to issue a “travel advisory” against travel to the New York area considering that everyone is supposed to be following ‘stay-at-home’ and social distance guidelines.

President Trump tweets the following message:

The CDC sends additional guidelines via a Domestic Travel Advisory:

Due to extensive community transmission of COVID -19 in the area, CDC urges residents of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut to refrain from non-essential domestic travel for 14 days effective immediately.

This Domestic Travel Advisory does not apply to employees of critical infrastructure industries, including but not limited to trucking, public health professionals, financial services, and food supply. These employees of critical infrastructure, as defined by the Department of Homeland Security, have a special responsibility to maintain normal work schedules.

The Governors of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut will have full discretion to implement this Domestic Travel Advisory. (link)

Take one heap of hypocrisy and one heap of irony and combine them; what you end up with is a New York Governor going bananas about the potential for the New York metropolitan areas being quarantined.

On March 10th New York Governor Andrew Cuomo called-in the national guard to quarantine a New York City suburb called New Rochelle. The alarming effort was called a “containment plan” by the governor to stop the spread of coronavirus.

However, Cuomo is now having fits as the potential for a “containment plan” over the New York City metropolitan area is being considered as a federal mitigation effort.

NEW YORK – New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has said that President Donald Trump’s proposed quarantine of New York to limit the spread of coronavirus would be tantamount to a ‘federal declaration of war.’

‘If you start walling off areas all across the country it would just be totally bizarre, counter-productive, anti-American, anti-social,’ said Cuomo in an interview with CNN on Saturday. (link)

Governor Cuomo uses national guard to create containment zone of New Rochelle, and all is good.  President Trump contemplates using national guard to create containment zone for New York city, and it’s a declaration of war… Gotcha.

Realistically, what President Trump is likely considering is a shut down of the airports in the New York metro area.  But it’s quite typical to see the apoplexy about it.

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With a review of her incompetent action plan so far it is obviously that Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer is overwhelmed with the responsibilities of her position during crisis.

Now that a complete lack of preparation is surfacing; to make matters worse the governor is making up paranoid stories about vendors not providing products or fulfilling orders to her state.

Governor Whitmer claimed President Trump was orchestrating a plot against her by telling medical vendors not to supply Michigan. However, when pressed on the issue the governor refuses to provide any evidence.  This is not a stable person.

DETROIT – […] “When the federal government told us that we needed to go it ourselves, we started procuring every item we could get our hands on,” Whitmer said Friday on WWJ 950AM. “What I’ve gotten back is that vendors with whom we had contracts are now being told not to send stuff here to Michigan. It’s really concerning.”

Whitmer didn’t say who has told vendors to stop sending medical supplies to the state, but strongly implied the order came from President Donald Trump’s administration.

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Earlier today President Trump traveled to Norfolk, Virginia, to thank support personnel and military crews who resupplied, refitted & launched U.S. hospital ship USNS Comfort.  Comfort is heading to New York harbor to support local medical personnel overwhelmed by the coronavirus pandemic.  [Video and Transcript Below]

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[Transcript] – THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much, Mark. And you’re doing a fantastic job, and our country appreciates it very much.

And thank you, everybody, for being here. Today, I’m deeply honored to be at Naval Station Norfolk — the largest naval base anywhere in the world, and the home to the most powerful fleet that has ever sailed the seas. I just passed some of the most beautiful and, frankly, the most highly lethal ships that I have ever seen in my life, and there are a lot of them. And they’re in better shape now than they have been for many, many decades, with what we’re doing.

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Amid increasing speculation that New York will be quarantined to stop people from departing the metropolitan area, President Trump answers journalist questions from joint base Andrews prior to departure. [Video and Transcript Below]

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[Transcript] – Q Thank you, Mr. President. Just a quick clarification on the total quarantine you’re talking about for New York City. Would you —

THE PRESIDENT: Well, we’re looking at it. We’re looking at it, and we’ll be making a decision. A lot of the states that aren’t infected, that don’t have a big problem, they’ve asked me if I’d look at it. So we’re going to look at it. And it will be for a short period of time, if we do it at all.

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Chopper pressers are the best pressers.  While departing the White House for Virginia, President Trump stopped to answer quick questions from the media.

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[Transcript] – Q Mr. President, do you think the Easter timeline is off the table now, sir?

THE PRESIDENT: Well, we’re going to see what happens. We want to get our country back to work. The doctors, nurses, first responders — everybody doing a phenomenal job, like beyond good.

I’m going to — as you know, the Comfort — the great ship, Comfort — is stocked up to the gills. It’s right up to the top. And we’re going over there. I guess some of you are coming with me. But we’re going to send that up to New York four weeks ahead of schedule. And it is loaded up with everything. So that’s great.

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