I didn't have service during today's event here in Asheboro, NC, but former Pres. Trump's comments below on the significant downward jobs revisions released by BLS today were almost entirely - and intentionally - untrue. Egregiously so.

I'll take them one by one. “I want to address the scandal around the revised job numbers”

This is not a scandal. This is a scheduled release that economists expected to show significant downward revisions. It certainly indicates a labor market cooling earlier/faster than monthly data showed. But it’s not a “scandal.”

Sec. of State Antony Blinken, after 7 1/2 hours meeting with Israeli war cabinet, announces Pres. Biden will travel to Israel on Wednesday Biden, when he travels to Israel, will reiterate "that Israel has the right, and indeed the duty, to defend itself from Hamas and other terrorists."

Biden will also hear from Israeli officials about needed aid/military assistance, Blinken says

Pres. Biden sends letters to 7 major oil refiners - an area of intense focus at the WH due to capacity issues.
-Energy Sec will convene emergency meeting
-Companies asked to provide reasons for reduced refining capacity and “any concrete ideas” to address issues Biden in letter to refinery execs: "My administration is prepared to use all reasonable and appropriate tools and emergency authorities to increase refinery capacity and output in the near term."

Letters sent to: Marathon
Valero
ExxonMobil
Phillips 66
Chevron
BP
Shell

NEW U.S. sanctions deployed today
-328 Duma Members, Duma as an entity
-Sberbank CEO Herman Gref
-Gennady Timchenko + family members
-47 Russian defense companies
-17 board members of Sovcombank U.S. and EU will also make explicit that any transaction involving gold related to the Central Bank of the Russian Federation is covered by existing sanctions, per senior U.S. official

NEWS: The U.S. has slapped new sanctions on a range of oligarchs & their family members, as well as their companies.

State Dept. will impose visa restrictions on 19 oligarchs and 47 family members and close associates. List of individuals, family members & companies hit w/ full blocking sanctions – officials make clear this list, which builds on individual sanctions already imposed in the last week, will continue to grow:

Pres. Biden makes clear the export controls - telegraphed for several weeks as a central pillar of the largest sanctions package - will be triggered Pres. Biden says sanctions will target VTB Bank, Russia's second largest bank.

UK announced similar earlier today.

Officials had said this was likely as well. No mention of Sberbank, Russia's largest bank.

Ok, so for any confusion on the many different numbers flying around, here's a rundown:

The topline CBO estimate showed the House Dem BBBA adding $367 billion to the deficit over 10 years. But there's a key CBO caveat here (highlighted).... Not including revenue from tax enforcement isn't a throwaway line - it's a key payfor in the Dem proposal.

But CBO can't technically score it (long story, see footnote), but they did include their own estimate - that it would increase revenues by $207 billion so.....

WHAT'S IN THE $1.75tn WH FRAMEWORK:
-Childcare/Universal pre-k: $400bn
-Home care: $150bn
-1 yr CTC/EITC: $200bn
-Climate: $555bn
-ACA premiums: $130bn
-Medicare hearing expansion: $35bn
-Housing: $150bn
-Pell Grants/HBCU & Ed support: $40bn Threading the needle on the Medicaid expansion effort:

.@JakeSullivan46, previewing President Biden's foreign trip, says Biden will meet with French President Macron on Friday in Rome.
They've spoken twice by phone, but this would be the first in-person meeting since the Australia submarine dust-up @JakeSullivan46 Sullivan says Pres. Biden plans to give a major address at COP26. Also pointedly notes the in-person absence of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the summit.

.@genebsperling, at the WH press briefing, says the CDC looked into, but was unable to find legal authority, for a possible more targeted moratorium directed at counties with high transmission rates @genebsperling Sperling, asked about contention from Dems CDC should go ahead with moratorium extension: "On this particular issue, the President has not only kicked the tires, he has double, triple, quadruple checked."
It has been made clear, Sperling says, legal authority isn't there.

I’m way too emotionally invested in this @USABaseball game @USABaseball the success of my entire week will be dictated by scott mcgough's ability to close out Japan's 3-4-5 guys.

this is exactly where i want to be at 9:30am on a Monday.

TONIGHT, Pres. Biden will announce that he is directing states to make all adult Americans eligible for the vaccine no later than May 1, per senior administration officials, a key step in what Biden will say is the goal to get things “closer to normal” by July 4. Biden will use his prime time address to set July 4 as a timeline for things to be “closer to normal” – i.e. small gatherings and barbecues – if progress continues in vaccination & mitigation efforts, officials said

.@POTUS, speaking to House Dems, gives a shoutout to @WhipClyburn noting it's just a little more than a year since Clyburn's endorsement helped deliver SC @POTUS @WhipClyburn Biden to House Dems: “You, this caucus, have shown the American people the difference between Democratic leadership and what we just had. Leadership makes a difference.”

Some news: Pres. Joe Biden will announce a $2 billion U.S. contribution to COVAX, the global vaccine initiative, which in part supports vaccines to 92 low and middle income economies, per admin officials Biden will announce the contribution tmrw at virtual G-7 meeting. The U.S. will release an additional $2 billion between ’21-’22 when existing donor pledges are filled/initial doses delivered

should also be considered that a $600bn-ish proposal from Rs, far from sparking real bipartisan talks, serves as the final signal that Ds & the Admin will take to go their own way. for a WH repeatedly stressing the need “act big,” to see an offer come in less than 1/3 of what they have on the table - though this has been signaled in meetings for days - is clarifying of where things really stand.

did a ton of reporting on Covid & small biz in the initial months of the Covid. the one constant, beyond the gut wrenching stories, was how much their primary focus was on the well-being of their employees, who were like family. A reminder those businesses still need serious help so if you're in colorado springs, definitely definitely check out Rich & Jess Fierro, who were just incredibly amazing in telling me their story, at Atrevida Beer Co. atrevidabeerco.com

.@jrpsaki, to @jaketapper: "He feels a great deal of responsibility...he's walking into this role at a pivotal moment in our history, at a moment where there are multiple crises happening at one time." @jrpsaki @jaketapper .@jrpsaki to @jaketapper, on getting COVID under control: "It's going to take some time...Our team is eager to get into the agencies and into the White House to gain a better assessment about" where things really stand on managing the pandemic

The U.S. Senate, 80-12, voted to advance the override of President Trump's veto of the National Defense Authorization Act.

It's been apparent for awhile, but this isn't even going to be close. The last act of this Congress will be thumping POTUS on this vote. And voila, just like that the Senate is holding the final vote to override Pres. Trump's veto of the NDAA NOW.

for an institution that hasn’t exactly covered itself in glory in recent years, the inability of Congress to reach a covid relief agreement stands out as a particularly colossal failure even by its own very low standards

wsj.com/articles/weekl… a slow moving train yet nobody is willing to help people off the tracks. Econ officials across the spectrum say more is needed. R & D leaders say more is needed. Yet CARES program after CARES program – which should have served as deal triggers – has expired and…nothing.

NEWS: The President, after a call with McConnell/McCarthy and Mnuchin, has put an end to the stimulus negotiations between @SpeakerPelosi & @stevenmnuchin1

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1313551794623127552

@SpeakerPelosi @stevenmnuchin1 Treasury Sec. Mnuchin and @SpeakerPelosi were scheduled to speak again later today.

Stimulus negotiations are officially DEAD, per Pres. Trump's direction

Some news; @ChrisMurphyCT & @brianschatz are planning to intro a bill pushing to force Pres. Trump's hand on the DPA tomorrow as medical equipment and supply chain concerns grow cnn.com/2020/03/22/pol… @ChrisMurphyCT @brianschatz Couple interesting pieces of it:
1. the specific production targets it sets:
- 500 million N95 respirators
- 200,000 ventilators
- 20 million face shields
- 500 million pairs of medical gloves
-20 million surgical gowns.