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U.S. Government Takes Steps to Address Nationwide Formula Shortage

Currents News Staff

THE FDA Commissioner says they’re working on the national baby formula shortage. That’s what Dr. Robert Califf said when he testified before Congress Thursday.

“The pandemic,” Dr. Robert said, “the war in Ukraine and labor supply issues have all had an impact and I can assure FDA has been working tirelessly to address this issue.”

He says they set up a mechanism to help companies that don’t normally sell infant formula in this country to do so. He mentioned President Joe Biden’s announcement to invoke the defense production act to help formula makers get ingredients more quickly and “Operation Fly Formula” to send planes overseas.

“… to pick up infant formula that meets U.S. health and safety standards,” President Biden said. “So we can get it on store shelves faster.”

Meanwhile, as desperate parents struggle to feed their babies, two bills are heading to the Senate after passing in the House late Wednesday night.

One plan to help low-income families use their WIC benefits for formula has strong bipartisan support. Those families purchase about half the formula in the U.S. and they’re limited to certain brands.

“If we can’t find it in the stores,” said one mother, Diana Torres, “then we lose our benefits.”

The second bill would pay for more FDA inspectors at formula plants. Only 12 Republican representatives voted for it, so its future in the Senate is uncertain. But criticism is growing about how long these actions took. The formula plant is at the heart of a nationwide recall shut down in February.

Ukrainian President Accuses Russia of Food Terrorism and Stealing Grain

Currents News Staff

Before the war, most of the food produced by Ukraine was exported through ports. Now, these key trading docks have ground to a halt, blockaded by Russia.

According to Ukraine’s defense ministry, Russia has also pilfered an estimated 400,000 tons of grain from Ukrainian farmers in Russian occupied territory.

Footage obtained by CNN shows trucks bearing the white “Z” symbol of the Russian military were transporting grain to Russian-held Crimea. It’s an act that President Zelenskyy’s administration is calling food terrorism.

“This is not just a strike at Ukraine,” said Zelenskyy. “Without our agrarian export, dozens of countries in various regions of the world have found themselves on the brink of food deficit.”

As supplies run low and as prices continue to rise, there are fears the war is pushing the world to the brink of a food crisis. The president of the European Council, Charles Michel vowed the EU, that with support from the U.S., they would help look for ways to export grain from Ukraine.

Some of it is already being shipped from ports in neighboring Romania, but it’s still only a fraction of Ukraine’s total production. More help is needed if Europe’s breadbasket is to continue to feed the world.

House Passes $28 Million in Emergency Funding for Baby Formula Shortage

Currents News Staff

The House of Representatives passed a pair of bills Wednesday night, May 18, to address the nationwide baby formula shortage.

One of the bills would provide $28-million dollars in emergency funding to the FDA to help alleviate the current shortfall. Part of the funding would be used to increase the number of FDA inspectors to speed up the process of getting formulas to market.

The second bill is called the Access To Baby Formula Act, which ensures families in the WIC program can continue to get formula during an emergency. That bill passed by a margin of 414 to nine, with the no votes all coming from House Republicans.

Both bills move to the Senate where their future is unclear because of the potential of Republican opposition.

Catholic News Headlines for Wednesday, 05/18/22

Governor Kathy Hochul is unveiling plans to strengthen New York’s gun laws today.

Bishops in New Jersey are speaking out after Governor Phil Murphy’s proposal to expand abortion access in the state.

The Senate is expected to pass a Ukraine aid package on Thursday.

What Are Governor Hochul’s New Gun Proposals in Wake of the Supermarket Rampage?

One question many have after the racially motivated supermarket rampage is, how did the suspect get a hold of a gun?

The alleged gunman was known to police for making threats of violence at his school. He also allegedly made threats online.

So now, Governor Kathy Hochul is proposing a slew of new state laws – and for her, it’s personal.

Bishop Brennan: ‘Changing Hearts and Minds Is Most Important’

By John Lavenburg

PROSPECT HEIGHTS — In response to the racially-motivated mass shooting at a Buffalo supermarket on May 14, Bishop Robert Brennan of Brooklyn says constant dialogue and listening are imperative to creating change. 

“It’s the actual dialogue itself that makes the difference. We need to constantly be listening to each other,” Bishop Brennan said. “We need to be able to understand how other people see events not just through our own eyes but how other people experience events like this.” 

Bishop Brennan made the comments in a May 17 Currents News interview, where he spoke on two topics that have gripped the nation in recent weeks: The mass shooting in Buffalo that left 10 people dead and three more injured, and the future of abortion law in the U.S. after a leaked Supreme Court draft opinion shows the court may overturn Roe v. Wade.  

In Buffalo, 11 of the 13 victims were black, and it’s alleged that the attack was racially motivated. Bishop Brennan said the race factor is “deeply, deeply, troubling,” and that because all people are created in the image and likeness of God it was a “direct attack on God.” 

“In so many ways we’ve grown so much and we’ve gone beyond it and so many people of good will are making great strides to heal the wounds of racism yet every once in a while we do see something horrific like this that just tears open scars and that affects us at our deepest core,” he said. 

Bishop Brennan stated the need for profound prayer, but more so emphasized the need for Catholics to live out their faith in the form of bold witness, personal holiness and going out of their way to promote dignity and show respect to all people. 

“Those are the things that spread,” Bishop Brennan said. “They have a contagious effect.” 

‘Changing Hearts and Minds’ 

The same as many pro-life advocates, Bishop Brennan expressed reserved optism about the possibility that the Supreme Court will overturn Roe v. Wade — the landmark 1973 decision that legalized the right to abortion nationwide, noting that the leaked draft opinion was from February so the court’s final decision is unknown. 

If Roe v. Wade is overturned, Bishop Brennan sees an opportunity for debate on abortion law at the state level that can’t exist with Roe intact. 

“What will happen as a result if the case goes that direction, is it gives a chance for an honest debate with some legitimate regulation,” he said. “Obviously, we’re looking for something deeper but that comes with that conversion of heart and mind.” 

Bishop Brennan noted that changing hearts and minds remains most important, saying without it legislative change “means nothing.” The path to changing hearts and minds on abortion, he added, is similar to that on the issue of racism: It is prayer, and “giving joyful witness and trusting in the help of God that’s going to be transformative.” 

“Human dignity is the thread that ties everything together,” Bishop Brennan said. “So the more we can witness to human dignity at every stage, and for every person, that’s going to have a transformative effect.” 

Bishop Brennan also pushed back against a notion that the Catholic Church is pro-birth, but  doesn’t care for mothers and families after a baby is born. He highlighted Catholic organizations in the diocese that carry this work, and acknowledged more can be done to promote them. 

“What I think we can work even harder on is providing that network,” Bishop Brennan said. “The more we build those bridges, the more we’re able to help people in need.” 

Those efforts are especially important in New York, where abortions are legal throughout pregnancy. In a recent statement, Bishop Brennan with the state’s other bishops appealed to state politicians to work with them to reduce the number of abortions, given that the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade ruling won’t effect New York abortion law. 

In the Currents News interview, Bishop Brennan said he hopes state political leaders would be open to a dialogue about the state’s abortion laws. He also hopes the two sides can discuss ways the Church can provide more support to mothers and families in need. 

“We have a lot of work to do in terms of converting hearts and minds but I think every step is a step in the right direction,” Bishop Brennan said. 

 

Catholic News Headlines for Tuesday, 05/17/22

The Bidens met with community leaders, first responders and families of those killed in Saturday’s racially-motivated attack.

We’re also learning more about the victims.

The Bishop of Brooklyn, Robert Brennan, joins us now to talk about the situation in Buffalo.

President Biden Visits Buffalo, Calls Attack ‘Terrorism’ and Says it ‘Tears at the Soul of Our Nation’

President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden were in Buffalo today to pay their respects to the 10 people who were gunned down in a mass shooting over the weekend.

The Bidens met with community leaders, first responders and families of the victims of the racially motivated attack.

The president spoke, condemning the shooting as “terrorism motivated by a hateful and perverse ideology that tears at the soul of our nation.”

What is the Government Doing to Get Baby Formula to Infants Who Need It?

The Biden Administration unveiled more details on the government response to the nationwide baby formula shortage. Multiple agencies and private companies are making plans to address the issue.

But, some families could be struggling to feed their babies for weeks. Critics say the administration should have taken more action months ago.