Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin appears for a wide-ranging interview with Maria Bartiromo. Topics include international travel, the Paycheck Protection Program progress, small business relief, and overall rebuilding of the U.S. economy amid COVID-19 mitigation.

The first few minutes of the interview are weird because Bartiromo doesn’t seem to recognize the PPP program is essentially a grant to small business to keep their employees on payroll. Ms. Bartiromo appears to want the PPP grants to be shifted to free money to replace business revenue, and she’s pushing hard for her Wall St buddies.

Secretary Mnuchin tries to remind Bartiromo that businesses can apply for bridge loans, but the PPP is actually a grant. Bartiromo argues that all businesses should have free money bailouts to replace revenues; an impossible suggestion.

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Florida Governor Ron DeSantis discusses his plans to reopen the economy on a county-by-county basis starting tomorrow, May 4th. Broward and Dade counties will remain in their current status, but restrictions will be removed for other counties based on the status of their current healthcare system.

Florida has a high population of elderly residents and Governor DeSantis walks through the testing protocols he will use as part of the ongoing reopening process.

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National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow appears on Fox News with Maria Bartiromo to discuss what growth the relaunch of the economy can create.

Additionally, Kudlow is questioned about a phase-4 legislative package containing bailouts for state and local governments.  Kudlow remarks the president has not made up his mind on whether to support any state bailouts.

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The Ministry of Covid Compliance is reminding us this week how the virus has a genetic targeting mechanism able to differentiate between essential cans of vegetables, bottles of liquor, lottery tickets and non-essential products like sneakers and paint.  Thus the Ministry is able to help us better understand the lock-down policy.

We’ve been piling into crowded supermarkets for seven weeks buying food, and we are allowed to purchase liquor and lottery tickets. Those purchases are deemed safe by the state; however, it is critical for viral control that we not purchase sneakers or other hazardous items which pose a greater threat of proximity transmission.

Similarly the COVID-19 virus seems incapable of keeping up with the speed of passenger vehicles, buses, airplanes and trains.  However, once you exit your COVID compliant transportation, the virus can swoop down and attack you if you are in the proximity of a open-space park or beach. 

The Ministry appreciates our compliance in avoiding the dangerous virus freedom zones; and is thankful for compliant citizens who do not question the complex data analysis that goes into regional scientific tracking systems. 

To avoid an increased infection rate it is critical for American citizens to only visit Home Depot, Lowes, Costco, WalMart & other large institutional retail systems with influential lobbying offices near the Covid Mitigation Ministry.   

Effective compliance and mitigation requires that everyone must avoid the small business operations where the virus is more prone to hide out and attack consumers.  The scientific data-hubs in/around K-Street in Washington DC must lead our careful decision-making.

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White House Advisor to the President Kevin Hassett discusses the importance of using May to get as many states open as possible.  The President has asked for data daily to measure the amount of the economy that is reopening.  As the economy opens there’s less need for a ‘phase-4’ relief/bailout bill.

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The Rebel Alliance is pushing back against the insufferable and silly rules of the little blue dictators hiding amid their governor mansions. Yes comrades, the pesky red subversives have taken to the street and realized ‘hey wait, there are more of us, than them‘…

“Have Tar, Need Feathers” – If the COVID Compliance Ministry tries to stop the uprisings, there could be trouble. As a result, some of the little Blue Dictators are retreating to their safe space:

CALIFORNIA – […] Reports on Friday estimated that there were more than 500 people who turned out in Huntington Beach to protest after Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) closed Orange County beaches in response to massive gatherings last weekend that went against stay-at-home orders.

Orange County had previously opened its beaches, and even after the large gatherings drew a rebuke from Newsom, the city of Newport had voted to keep them open.

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President Trump participates in a presidential ceremony to recognize heroism in combating the coronavirus pandemic. The event is titled: “hard work, heroism and hope” and the anticipated start time is 4:15pm ET.  [Video Added]

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National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow appears on CNBC to answer growing questions about whether there is a White House plan to punish China.  Kudlow is careful to tamp down any specific reports, while affirming there will be retaliatory measures.

Additionally, Director Kudlow discusses the status of the economy, the current claims under the Payroll Protection Program, and what efforts might yet come.

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Amid another troubling week for initial unemployment claims showing 3.8 million workers filing for financial assistance President Trump’s Senior Economic Advisor Kevin Hassett appears on Fox News to discuss the status of the economic shut-down.

Hassett notes his current estimate for total workforce unemployment around 19 percent. Additionally, Hassett outlines how the economic data lags the economic activity, so there is much more bad news to come.   That said, with massive influx of federal spending to fill the gap, the White House has now shifted focus toward how best to reignite the economy.

Kevin Hassett has a forward outlook of optimism and notes there is pent-up demand which can re-launch the economy. The economy was so strong prior to the shutdown it is possible to look forward and remain optimistic.

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Earlier today President Trump hosted New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy in the Oval Office to discuss the latest COVID-19 mitigation efforts.  President Trump and Governor Murphy take questions from the press pool:

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The Department of Labor released their weekly report showing first-time filings for unemployment insurance hit 3.84 million last week. Though the worst appears to be in the past, the total number of claims in the past six weeks now exceeds 30 million.

The surge in unemployment claims is an outcome of decisions to shut-down the U.S. economy to control the coronavirus spread. Some states and local regions have recently started to bring their respective economies back online; however, most of the key U.S. infrastructure remains on lockdown.

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