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U.S. NEWS Monday 23 May 2022
78,000 pounds of infant formula arrives in U.S.

By MICHAEL CONROY those most vulnerable,” the
Associated Press company said in a release.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — A mili- “At Nestle we are abso-
tary plane carrying enough lutely committed to doing
specialty infant formula for everything we can to get
more than half a million parents and caregivers
baby bottles arrived Sun- the formula they need so
day in Indianapolis, the first their children can thrive,”
of several flights expected it added. “We prioritized
from Europe aimed at re- these products because
lieving a shortage that has they serve a critical medi-
sent parents scrambling to cal purpose as they are
find enough to feed their for children with cow’s milk
children. protein allergies.”
President Joe Biden au- Under “Operation Fly For-
thorized the use of Air mula,” the Department of
Force planes for the effort, Agriculture and the Depart-
dubbed “Operation Fly For- ment of Health and Human
mula,” because no com- Services are authorized
mercial flights were avail- to request Department of
able. Defense support to pick
The formula weighed up overseas infant formula
78,000 pounds (35,380 kilo- that meets U.S. health and
grams), White House press Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, left, greets crew members of a C-17 that delivered a plane safety standards, so it can
secretary Karine Jean- load of baby formula at the Indianapolis International Airport in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 22, get to store shelves faster,
2022.
Pierre told reporters aboard Associated Press according to the USDA.
Air Force One as Biden flew Alfamino is primarily avail-
from South Korea to Japan. formula in stores starting as la was to leave Ramstein a standard quality control able through hospitals and
Agriculture Secretary Tom early as this week.” Air Base in Germany for check before distributing home health care compa-
Vilsack was in Indianapolis Longer term, he said, the the U.S. Another 114 pal- the supplies to hospitals, nies that serve patients at
to greet the arrival of the U.S. needs more formula lets of Gerber Good Start pharmacies and doctor’s home.
first shipment. providers “so that no indi- Extensive HA formula were offices, according to an U.S. regulators and the
The flights are intended to vidual company has this expected to arrive in the administration official on manufacturer, Abbott Nu-
provide “some incremental much control over supply coming days. Altogether, site. trition, hope to have its
relief in the coming days” as chains.” about 1.5 million 8-ounce Nestle said that over the Michigan plant reopened
the government works on The Biden administration bottles of the three for- past few months it has next week, but it will take
a more lasting response to has struggled to address mulas, which are hypoal- worked “around the clock” about two months before
the shortage, Brian Deese, the nationwide shortage lergenic for children with to address the formula product is ready for de-
director of the White House of formula, particularly hy- cow’s milk protein allergies, shortage and help meet livery. The Food and Drug
National Economic Coun- poallergenic varieties. The are expected to arrive this demand. Administration this week
cil, said Sunday. crisis follows the closure of week. “We have significantly in- eased importation require-
Deese told CNN’s “State of the nation’s largest domes- Indianapolis was chosen creased the amount of our ments for baby formula
the Union” that Sunday’s tic manufacturing plant in because it is a Nestle dis- formulas available to con- to try to ease the supply
flight brought 15% of the Michigan in February due tribution hub. The formula sumers by ramping up pro- crunch, which has left
specialty medical grade to safety issues. will be offloaded into FedEx duction and accelerating store shelves void of some
formula needed in the U.S., The White House has said semitractor-trailers and tak- general product availabil- brands and some retailers
and because of various ac- 132 pallets of Nestle Health en to a Nestle distribution ity to retailers and online, rationing supply for par-
tions by the government, Science Alfamino Infant center about a mile away as well as through hospitals ents nervous about feeding
people should see “more and Alfamino Junior formu- where the company will do and home health care for their children.q

AP source: Giuliani interviewed for

hours by 1/6 committee

By ERIC TUCKER on Friday, according to the witnesses, including fam-
Associated Press person, who spoke to The ily members of Trump and
WASHINGTON (AP) — Rudy Associated Press on con- advisers in his inner circle.
Giuliani, who as a lawyer dition of anonymity to dis- The panel plans a series of
for then-President Donald cuss the private meeting. A hearings in June.
Trump pushed bogus le- spokesperson for the com- In January, the committee
gal challenges to the 2020 mittee declined to com- subpoenaed Giuliani and
election, met for hours ment. Giuliani had been other members of the Trump
with the House committee scheduled to meet with legal team who sought
investigating the Jan. 6, the committee earlier this to overturn election re- Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani sits where delegate
2021 insurrection at the U.S. month, but a spokesper- sults in battleground states votes will be counted as nominee for statewide positions are
Capitol, a person familiar son for the panel said that through lawsuits that made introduced during the Michigan Republican convention at
Devos Place in Grand Rapids, Mich., on Saturday, April 23, 2022.
with the interview said Sat- meeting was rescheduled. unsupported claims of vast Associated Press
urday. The former New York mayor election fraud. Trump’s
The interview with Giuliani is seen as a critical aide for own attorney general, Wil- larities that could have af- Biden, and judges across
took place virtually and the committee, which has liam Barr, has said there fected the outcome of the the country have dismissed
lasted for much of the day interviewed nearly 1,000 were no widespread irregu- race won by President Joe the allegations.q