Abbott's baby formula plant to shut down for weeks after severe flooding



Less than two weeks after reopening its baby formula plant in Michigan, Abbott Laboratories was forced to stop production again – this time because of severe flooding.

Torrential rain from severe storms overwhelmed the stormwater system in Sturgis – which caused flooding in the city on Monday. Abbott's plant that produces baby formula was shut down because it suffered flood damage.

"As a result, Abbott has stopped production of its EleCare specialty formula that was underway to assess damage caused by the storm and clean and re-sanitize the plant," Abbott said in a statement released on Wednesday. "We have informed FDA and will conduct comprehensive testing in conjunction with the independent third party to ensure the plant is safe to resume production. This will likely delay production and distribution of new product for a few weeks."

Abbott noted that the plant would not reopen until it has been cleaned and re-sanitized. Once the plant reopens, it will begin producing EleCare – an amino acid-based, hypoallergenic formula for babies.

"Based upon historical demand and current projections, Abbott has ample existing supply of EleCare and most of its specialty and metabolic formulas to meet needs for these products until new product is available," the statement read.

FDA Commissioner Robert Califf personally spoke with Abbott CEO Robert Ford and gave an update on the flooded plant during a Senate hearing on Thursday.

"We have twice-daily intensive calls about all the work on the infant formula issue," Califf said. "And at the end of the call yesterday, I commented it was one of the first days that we hadn’t had any surprises. Twenty minutes later, the email came across about the flood in Sturgis."

"We had hoped to have a super supply so that we get the shelves completely restocked," Califf continued. "The estimate is perhaps two weeks, but it's too early to give an exact estimate of what the delay will be in the Sturgis plant."

Califf said he and Ford have a "shared desire to get the facility up and running again as quickly as possible."

Califf wrote on Twitter, "While this is an unfortunate setback and a reminder that natural weather events can also cause unforeseen supply chain disruptions, I want to reassure consumers the all-of-government work to increase supply means we’ll have more than enough product to meet current demand."

"We know Abbott is working quickly to assess the damage and will be reporting its progress to us in the days ahead," the FDA commissioner said. "Once the company establishes a plan, FDA will be back in the facility working to ensure that they can restart producing safe and quality formula products quickly."

The Michigan plant only reopened on June 4 after it was shut down in February. The factory was closed down for nearly four months because of complaints of infants becoming sick from bacterial infections while consuming formula produced at the Sturgis plant.

The Washington Post reported last week, "The Food and Drug Administration investigated reports that as many as nine children have died since early 2021 after consuming baby formula produced at an Abbott Nutrition plant in Michigan — seven more than previously acknowledged by the FDA, according to newly released documents."

Abbott told Fox Business that "there is no causal relationship between Abbott’s products and the reported deaths" from cronobacter sakazakii bacterial contamination.

"Abbott conducts microbiological testing on products prior to distribution and no Abbott formula distributed to consumers tested positive for cronobacter sakazakii or salmonella," the company said. "All retained product tested by Abbott and the FDA during the inspection of the facility came back negative for cronobacter sakazakii and/or salmonella. No salmonella was found at the Sturgis facility."

An FDA spokesperson said, "There is no scientific evidence linking the other seven deaths with the evidence from those case complaints and our investigation of the Abbott Nutrition Sturgis plant, including extensive product testing, which is why these additional complaints were not previously made public in connection with the Abbott investigation."

Abbott issued a recall of EleCare and other specialty formulas in February after reports of the sick infants surfaced.

The recall and plant closure caused the nationwide baby formula shortage.

President Joe Biden invoked the Defense Production Act in May to help increase the production of baby formula.

Inflation, Baby Formula & Gas Prices: Will It Ever Get Better? | Guest: Sen. Marco Rubio | Ep 629

Inflation, Baby Formula & Gas Prices: Will It Ever Get Better? | Guest: Sen. Marco Rubio | Ep 629

An Inspector General is going to investigate the Biden administration's response to the baby formula shortage



An Inspector General from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will investigate the Biden administration’s response to the nationwide shortage of baby formula.

The ongoing formula shortage finds its roots in an Abbott Nutrition facility in Sturgis, Michigan. Last fall, the Food and Drug Administration zeroed in on the Michigan Abbott facility while tracking several bacterial infections in infants who had consumed formula manufactured by the company. The four cases being tracked by the FDA occurred between September 2021 and January 2022. Two of the infants being tracked died, and the others were hospitalized.

The FDA was scheduled to begin a series of inspections of the Sturgis-based facility, but according to Abbott, the investigation was postponed due to an outbreak of COVID-19 among the company’s employees.

Previously, Brian Deese, the director of the National Economic Council, told CNN that the Biden administration was working around the clock to “tackle the issue from every angle possible,” and that the Biden administration was aware of the impending shortage since this past February.

Deese confirmed that the Biden administration became aware of the impending shortage “when the FDA had to take its action back in February.”

In response to the Biden administration’s delayed reaction to the crisis, having not responded to the shortage until several months after it first became aware of it, HHS is going to investigate whether the FDA appropriately handled a baby formula recall from Abbott that has left shelves empty.

According to a statement from the White House, President Joe Biden invoked the Defense Production Act to “ensure that manufacturers have the necessary ingredients to make safe, healthy infant formula here at home” and launched Operation Fly Formula to “speed up the import of infant formula and get more formula to stores as soon as possible.”

Axios reported that in a prepared statement the HHS’s Office of the Inspector General said, “We will determine whether the FDA followed the inspections and recall process for infant formula in accordance with Federal requirements.”

Reportedly, the investigation will specifically look at whether the FDA’s actions preceding the February recall of potentially tainted formula from the Abbott facility in Michigan followed the correct policies and procedures when conducting inspections at the manufacturing facility in question.

The FDA is still unable to reach a conclusion as to whether the infant infections were caused by products made in the Michigan Abbott facility.

CNN's Jake Tapper actually grills WH aide in fiery interview — even the camera is bowled over



A top Biden administration official was spared having to answer for President Joe Biden's inadequate response to the nation's baby formula shortage when his camera suddenly "fell over," abruptly ending an uncharacteristic grilling from CNN's Jake Tapper.

Tapper repeatedly confronted Brian Deese, White House Director of the National Economic Council, on why the president purportedly had no knowledge of the looming baby formula shortage until April, given that the Food and Drug Administration knew problems were brewing as far back as October of 2021.

“The whistleblower complained in the fall. The FDA waited until December to act, [and] waited until February to shut the plant down. President Biden wasn't told about it until April," Tapper stated. "You don't think any of that should have been done more quickly or sooner? You think everything just went exactly how it's supposed to?”

Deese attempted to defend the administration with a song and dance about how the government is doing everything possible to end the crisis and how the FDA is conducting a “thorough investigation" to figure out what went wrong.

“I don’t need the FDA to investigate itself to come to the judgment that they did not act quickly enough. And on behalf of all the frustrated moms and dads and guardians out there, I hope you don’t either,” Tapper shot back.

As Deese stammered and stuttered about the FDA using "their best scientific judgment," the camera suddenly toppled sideways and cut off the feed.

“Our camera fell down," Tapper said, grinning. "Okay. Brian Deese, thank you so much.”

\u201cWhite House official pressed why Biden didn\u2019t know until April the baby formula shortage would be so serious\u201d
— The Lead CNN (@The Lead CNN) 1654128011

As it happens, this isn't the first time Tapper has broken from his usual Biden-apologetic position to criticize the White House. On “The Rubin Report,” BlazeTV host Dave Rubin talked about how food shortages and inflation have gotten so bad that even CNN hosts are turning on the president. Watch the video clip below or find full episodes of "The Rubin Report" here.



Want more from Dave Rubin?

To enjoy more honest conversations, free speech, and big ideas with Dave Rubin, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution and live the American dream.

Baby formula out-of-stock rates soared to 70% in May, formula won't be restocked until July



The baby formula shortage continues to grow worse as shelves grow increasingly sparse and baby formula manufacturers and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) continue to take a barrage of bipartisan criticisms.

In recent weeks, the out-of-stock rate for baby formula rose to 70% nationwide according to current data gathered by the retail data firm Datasembly, Fox Business reported. This marks a drastic increase in scarcity from the previous weeks when the national out-of-stock rate for baby formula stood at 45%.

In April, the gathered data suggested that baby formula shortages would hit 30% before jumping to 43% in early May, indicating that the formula shortage would grow far worse before it got any better.

The Sturgis, Michigan facility of Abbott Nutrition, which is at the center of the industry-wide formula shortage, is expected to restart production on June 4. However, according to the company’s timeline, this means that formula produced during this period won’t be available for purchase until mid-July at the soonest.

FDA Commissioner Robert Califf was once again questioned by lawmakers on Wednesday in a congressional hearing regarding why the FDA took months to inspect and shutter the Abbott Nutrition facility despite learning of potential problems months before the shortage occurred.

Last fall, the FDA began zeroing in on the Abbott facility in Michigan while tracking several bacterial infections in infants who had consumed formula manufactured by the company. The four cases the FDA was tracking occurred between this past September and January, two of the infants died, and others were hospitalized.

The FDA was scheduled to begin inspecting the plant late last December, but, according to Abbott, about a dozen employees had tested positive for COVID-19, and the company subsequently requested to reschedule the FDA's investigation. Because of this, the FDA was unable to begin its inspection until the end of January.

The FDA is still unable to reach a conclusion as to whether the bacteria found in the plant is what caused the infant infections. Abbott claims that there is no direct evidence linking its products to the illnesses and deaths.

Abbott’s Vice President Christopher Calamari apologized to lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives while he was being questioned on Wednesday, but he stopped short of directly answering whether employees were terminated or otherwise disciplined for problems found at the Michigan facility including standing water, a leaky roof, and damaged equipment.

Poll: small business owners are increasingly pessimistic about the future of the economy



Small business owners are growing increasingly concerned about the fate of the U.S. as the economy continues to grapple with high inflation, supply-chain disruptions, labor shortages, and rising interest rates.

Fox Business reported that a recently conducted poll by the business-coaching and peer-advising firm Vistage Worldwide Inc. shows that 57% of small business owners predict that the U.S. economy will only worsen in the next year. This metric matches the April 2020 mark for the lowest level of confidence.

Last month, 42% of small business owners had the same pessimistic feelings about the economy.

The Vistage Worldwide poll is part of a more extensive confidence index that revealed the largest year-over-year drop of confidence in the economy since COVID-19 lockdowns commenced in the spring of 2020.

As prices continue to rise, the number of small businesses that are expecting their revenues to increase in the coming year dropped to 61%, marking a steep decline from May 2020’s level of 79%.

The poll also provides data indicating that these small business owners’ pessimistic views of the economy largely rely on the industries their businesses are in. For instance, business owners in manufacturing and consumer products and services are especially pessimistic.

Even large corporations are feeling the impact of supply-chain disruptions, runaway inflation, and worker shortages. Walmart, for instance, reported an increase in sales in the most recent quarter but also noted that higher costs for products, employees, and freight cut into the company’s profits.

Similarly, Target’s profits were lower in its quarterly earnings, as indicated by filings from earlier this month. Target indicated that increased costs caused by supply-chain disruption and ongoing inflation hurt the company.

However, unlike mega-retailers like Target and Walmart, small businesses do not have as much financial flexibility to weather the storm, so they often feel the impact of these economic woes far more directly.

Many small business owners have said that their companies have been hurt by the COVID-19 pandemic and by a number of economic challenges, and the government aid programs that helped alleviate some of the financial burden caused by the pandemic have largely run out of funds.

That being said, not every small business owner is pessimistic about the future of the economy. Factors like low unemployment, strong consumer spending, and record demand for workers are invigorating to some small business owners.

12% of businesses expect the economy to improve within the next year and 28% said they believed conditions would likely remain the same.

Joe Biden signs bills authorizing $40 billion in aid to Ukraine and to increase access to baby formula while in Asia



On Saturday, President Joe Biden signed legislation that would authorize giving Ukraine an additional $40 billion in financial support as Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine drags on.

This new legislation previously passed Congress with overwhelming bipartisan support, CNBC reported, and deepens the U.S.’s commitment to Ukraine at a time of uncertainty as the Russian invasion enters its fourth month.

Ukraine has successfully defended its capital city of Kyiv as the Russian military refocuses its forces in the country’s eastern regions. Reportedly, American officials are warning that the Russian invasion could drag on for even longer.

The $40 billion aid package is intended to provide support for Ukraine through September and is considerably larger than an earlier emergency financing package that approved $13.6 billion.

Of the $40 billion, $20 billion is allocated for military assistance, ensuring the Ukrainian military has access to advanced weapons that will be used to slow the Russian military’s offensives; $8 billion is being allocated for general support of the Ukrainian economy; $5 billion will be used to address “global food shortages” that may arise from the recent collapse of Ukraine’s agricultural industry; and, more than $1 billion will be used to provide aid to Ukrainian refugees.

Biden signed the spending package while in the middle of his trip to Asia. According to a White House official, a separate U.S. official brought a copy of the unsigned bill on a commercial flight to Seoul for Biden to sign.

The fact that Biden signed the spending bill while abroad reflects the U.S.’s growing sense of urgency to continue providing support for Ukraine while overlapping international challenges pressure the president. While the Biden administration is reportedly working to reconfigure policy to confront China, it also is working to redirect American resources to accommodate Ukraine amid the largest conflict in Europe since World War II.

While on his trip to Asia, Biden also signed an unrelated measure intended to increase access to baby formula while supplies remain scare in the U.S. This legislation is said to allow government benefits from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children — also known as WIC — to be used to buy more types of infant formula.

According to Brian Deese, the director of the National Economic Council, the Biden administration knew that a baby formula shortage was imminent as early as this past February.

Senate Votes to SECURE THE BORDER ... of Ukraine | The News & Why It Matters | 5/19/22

Senate Votes to SECURE THE BORDER ... of Ukraine | The News & Why It Matters | 5/19/22

Nine Republicans voted against bill to address baby formula shortage. Here's why.



A bill in Congress intended to help poor families buy baby formula passed the House with near unanimous support late Wednesday, but was opposed by nine members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, who said the legislation would make the problem worse.

In an overwhelming show of bipartisan consensus, H.R. 7791, the Access to Baby Formula Act passed with 414 "yes" votes. Introduced by Rep. Jahana Hayes (D-Conn.), the bill would allow the Department of Agriculture to waive certain requirements so that qualified beneficiaries of the Women, Infants, and Children program can more easily purchase different brands of formula. The bill would also require formula manufacturers to put contingency plans in place to prevent future supply chain disruptions.

Hayes said her bill will improve access to formula for WIC participants during emergencies and supply shocks.

The House passed my Access to Baby Formula Act to ensure we have a plan in the event of future recalls, emergencies or supply chain shortages. #babiescantwaitpic.twitter.com/bIV5sJSt1Z
— Jahana Hayes (@Jahana Hayes) 1652924722

While nearly every Republican voted with Democrats to pass the bill, there were nine GOP House members who voted "no." They were: Reps. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.), Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), Louie Gohmert (R-Texas), Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.), Clay Higgins (R-La.), Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), and Chip Roy (R-Texas).

They warned that expanding the ability of WIC participants to buy formula without increasing supply could unintentionally make the shortage worse.

"Empowering the Secretary of the USDA so that they can waive administrative requirements for the WIC program is ineffective and artificial," said Rep. Andy Biggs in a statement.

"This legislation would make baby formula shortages worse for most Americans. It will allow WIC to utilize a far greater portion of the baby formula market, crowding out many hard-working American families," he said.

Rep. Matt Gaetz said that "instead of creating new emergency authorities for the Incompetent Biden Regime, we should source more product for all American families and solve the problem."

The current shortage has put strain on parents of infants who need formula to feed their children. Its causes are related to inflation, lingering supply chain issues from the COVID-19 pandemic, and a product recall in February that shut down a major formula manufacturing plant in Michigan.

As many as 26 states have reported out-of-stock rates of 40% to 50%, with the worst shortages in Texas, Tennessee, Missouri, Iowa, North Dakota and South Dakota, according to NBC News.

Amid widespread outcry over the lack of access to formula, President Joe Biden announced Wednesday that his administration will invoke the Defense Production Act to direct commercial cargo airlines to transport baby formula products.

"Bypassing regular air freighting routes will speed up the importation and distribution of formula and serve as an immediate support as manufacturers continue to ramp up production," the White House said.

Another bill introduced in Congress by Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn) would address the problem by spending $28 million to staff the Food and Drug Administration and support its inspection force. That bill passed 231-192, with much more GOP opposition. House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) told the GOP conference in a memo to vote "no" on the bill, writing that Democrats were "throwing additional money at the FDA with no plan to actually fix the problem, all while failing to hold the FDA accountable.”

"The only way to get more formula to American families is to fix the crony policies that prevent more U.S. companies from producing it, remove barriers to innovation, and allow imports from trusted nations; the legislation Democrats put forward does none of that," said Rep. Chip Roy, who voted against both bills.

"This shortage is the direct result of unnecessary federal regulations and of a bloated bureaucracy that failed to recognize the problem before it spiraled out of control. This body should be solving problems, not making them worse."

Top 5 times Corporate WOKENESS crossed the line



Intelligent people know that wokness plagues society and must be ridiculed and eradicated from conversations. But what happens when people lose their jobs for calling out the absurdity of woke ideology? What happens when corporations and media sources weaponize wokeness?

Here are five videos that will help us better understand a few of the many issues that wokeness inflicts on society and how we can stand against it.

Bye bye, Target. You crossed the line!


In this clip, BlazeTV host Allie Stuckey of "Relatable" explains how Target recently announced the sale of chest binders and "packing underwear" for women. She expresses how children can be negatively impacted by the sale of confusing clothing items for people suffering from gender dysphoria and the importance of loving the body God gave us.

Today, Allie notices that Target's stock experienced a 35-year record drop. Apparel was named as one of the two underperforming departments. Was pushback from critics of gender-affirming apparel the cause? It is hard to tell, but Allie encourages her audience to continue speaking out when corporations cross the line by making harmful products available for sale to the public.

Listen to the podcast here.

Want more from Allie Stuckey?

To enjoy more of Allie’s upbeat and in-depth coverage of culture and politics from a Christian millennial perspective, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

Wokeness can get you fired


In this clip, Stu Burguiere covers a story about a man who challenged Black Lives Matter using nothing but data and was fired.

Here's the story: "I had been at Thomson Reuters for over six years—most recently, leading a team of data scientists applying new machine learning and artificial intelligence algorithms to our legal, tax and news data. We advised any number of divisions inside the company, including Westlaw, an online legal research service used by most every law firm in the country, and the newsroom, which reaches an audience of one billion every day around the globe. I briefed the Chief Technology Officer regularly. My total annual compensation package exceeded $350,000." Read more

"We live in the era of woke religion," says Stu.

Listen to the podcast here.

Want more from Stu?

To enjoy more of Stu's lethal wit, wisdom, and mockery, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

Coca-Cola circumvents Constitution with TERRIFYING mandates on diversity


Glenn Beck loves Coca-Cola. So much so, in fact, that he refuses to drink Pepsi if Coke isn't available. But ... he says the time has come for him to give up his favorite soda. Why? Because Coca-Cola just announced some terrifying new company policies on diversity and equity. It sent out notices to all partnered law firms, demanding a required percentage of diverse attorneys on any legal team working for the corporation. The notice says all legal teams also must report these numbers quarterly and they will lose Coca-Cola's business if they do not comply.

"Equity is not the same thing as equality," Glenn said, adding that equality means we all have an equal chance, while equality means we all have the same outcome.

Glenn explains how mandates like this could affect everybody — even the guy working on the factory line or the truck driver delivering the drinks. Glenn also explains how Coke's new move is nothing less than a circumvention of the Constitution, and he predicts more companies (especially those in support of the Great Reset) will follow with similar policies, too.

Listen to the podcast here.

Want more from Glenn Beck?

To enjoy more of Glenn’s masterful storytelling, thought-provoking analysis, and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

Coca-Cola takes a 'pause' on woke initiatives after after pressure from the Right


Glenn followed up on a story about Coca-Cola becoming the poster child for how a corporation could shove leftist ideologies onto its consumers. The company suspended advertising on Facebook in a push to censor former President Donald Trump, published a manifesto about racial equity, and demanded all legal teams working for Coke meet certain diversity quotas.

But, after Trump, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), and many other conservative voices called for a boycott of the company's products, Coca-Cola appeared to shift directions.

Read more on this story here.

Listen to the podcast here.

Want more from Glenn Beck?

To enjoy more of Glenn’s masterful storytelling, thought-provoking analysis, and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

Calvin Klein's gender blender ruins sex and Mothers' Day


Chad Prather reflected back to the Great Depression era of enticing photographic entertainment, otherwise known as the callow and deprived years of his youth, when a Calvin Klein pictorial of old would have represented something exciting, something to, say, think about at the end of the day. Had he run across this present weird concept at that age, he would have either been disgusted on sight … or possibly really disgusted when his dumb a** put two and two together the next day. Anyway, his point is: Has the whole world gone crazy? Do we really need this? At this inclusive embracing point in our recent history, what in the world makes Calvin Klein feel the need to be the standard-bearer for a lifestyle screamed largely into existence by a very vocal minority?

Listen to the podcast here.

Want more from Chad Prather?

To enjoy more of Chad's comedy, craziness, and common sense, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

Former Disney artist SPEAKS OUT: ‘It’s time to do something’


A former Disney artist, who wishes to remain anonymous, joins Glenn to describe WHY he recently took action against his former employer: ‘I'm tired of watching my country go down the drain. And it's time to do something.’ Today’s woke Disney is not what Walt once imagined, he says, and his recent video release — "It’s A Woke World After All" — exposes Disney’s large stray from its roots ...

Listen to the podcast here.

Want more from Glenn Beck?

To enjoy more of Glenn’s masterful storytelling, thought-provoking analysis, and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.