The ADP payroll report shows a drop of 27,000 jobs, better than the forecast drop of 125,000; but many fear the worst is yet to come as millions of people file unemployment claims as a result of the coronavirus shut-down.

A big unknown question surrounds the number of employees that businesses will attempt to keep on the payroll through use of the coronavirus relief funds passed by congress.

The ADP period in the latest report ran through March 12th.  Within that data Goods-producers lost 9K jobs while Services were down twice that much. Small businesses (fewer than 50 employees) were the hardest hit, shedding 90K positions last month; while Large businesses (greater than 500 employees) actually gained 56K jobs; and Medium-sized businesses grew 7K through the March 12th period.

The big question surrounds how quickly small businesses can access the federal relief funds; and whether those businesses will use the incentives to retain their workers.

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On Tuesday evening March 31st President Trump and the coronavirus task force held a briefing that lasted more than two hours.  Here’s the 24,000 word transcript:

[Transcript] – THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much, everyone. Our country is in the midst of a great national trial, unlike any we have ever faced before. You all see it. You see it probably better than most.

We’re at war with a deadly virus. Success in this fight will require the full, absolute measure of our collective strength, love, and devotion. Very important.

Each of us has the power, through our own choices and actions, to save American lives and rescue the most vulnerable among us.

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Yesterday during the white house briefing on the status of the coronavirus, CNN asked President Trump why he wasn’t being more dramatic and emphasizing the potential downsides to the COVID-19 impact on the nation.  President Trump responded:

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[Hat Tip Carpe Donktum for the video recap]

One of the many things that makes President Trump valuable during this crisis is his non-political authenticity. We can see and feel President Trump’s desire to get through this challenge, hold our people together, and exit even stronger than before.

No decisions are easy and the pressure is enormous; yet inherently most Americans know what President Trump is trying to do is deliver the best possible outcome for our nation.

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In an effort to keep the Daily Open Thread a little more open topic we are going to start a new daily thread for “Presidential Politics”. Please use this thread to post anything relating to the Donald Trump Administration and Presidency.

This thread will refresh daily and appear above the Open Discussion Thread.

President Trump Twitter @POTUS / Vice President Pence Twitter @VP

Stephanie Grisham Twitter @StephGrisham45

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. THY WILL BE DONE, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but DELIVER US FROM EVIL.

For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen †

On Friday March 27th Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer threatened to revoke the medical licenses of doctors and pharmacists who prescribe hydroxychloroquine to treat coronavirus in Michigan.  Four days later, March 31st, the same governor asks the federal government to send her hydroxychloroquine to treat coronavirus patients. Go figure.

MICHIGAN – […] “We want to ensure that doctors have the ability to prescribe these medicines,” she said. “We also want to make sure that the people who have prescriptions that predated COVID-19 have access to the medication they need. And so all of the work that we’ve done is trying to strike that balance.”

In its approval letter, the FDA wrote that “[b]ased on the totality of scientific evidence available to FDA, it is reasonable to believe that chloroquine phosphate and hydroxychloroquine sulfate may be effective in treating COVID-19.”

“When used under the conditions described in this authorization, the known and potential benefits of chloroquine phosphate and hydroxychloroquine sulfate when used to treat COVID-19 outweigh the known and potential risks of such products,” FDA Chief Scientist Denise M. Hinton wrote in the approval letter. (more)

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I’m not exactly sure what the federal violation is considering the man was selling the face masks; but the FBI determined he was ‘hoarding’ his supply, and arrested him for price gouging. The FBI confiscated 80,000 face masks from his “stash” of supplies.

New York – Baruch Feldheim, 43, is facing charges of assault and making false statements to the feds on Sunday outside his Borough Park home where he allegedly peddled and stored massive amounts of N95 respirator masks, federal officials said.

Feldheim is also accused of price-gouging. On March 18, he’s suspected of selling a New Jersey doctor about 1,000 of the masks for $12,000, a markup of roughly 700 percent, authorities said.

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U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has announced that small businesses (0 to 500 employees) and sole proprietorships can start applying for the coronavirus relief funds on April 3rd.  One week later, April 10th,  self-employed individuals, 1099 contractors and s-corps can apply.  [Visit SBA.gov/coronavirus]

[pdf link available here]

WASHINGTON – Following President Trump’s signing of the historic Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza and Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin today announced that the SBA and Treasury Department have initiated a robust mobilization effort of banks and other lending institutions to provide small businesses with the capital they need.

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MyPillow founder Mike Lindell has shifted the majority of his U.S. manufacturing plants to generate 50,000 healthcare masks per day.   During his announcement at the White House Mr. Lindell shared a hope that Americans will revisit their faith and embrace God and hope during their time at home. The media went absolutely bananas.

Today Mr. Lindell explains why he told people to pray during their time in isolation amid the coronavirus pandemic.  Mike Lindell is buckets of awesome.

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New York City Mayor Bill deBlasio has released 900 inmates from city jails in an effort to reduce the risk of coronavirus. Days earlier he announced the intent to permanently close houses of worship that defy the ‘stay-at-home’ dictates.

New York – De Blasio made the announcement at a press briefing while reporting that a second member of New York City’s corrections department had died from the disease.

[…]  De Blasio announced last week that the city would release hundreds of nonviolent offenders, with those accused of offenses such as domestic abuse not eligible for release. Advocates have warned that jails and prisons are hotspots for the transmission of coronavirus due to the close proximity of inmates. (read more)