Free Republic

A PR nightmare for a beleaguered administration has finally led to a possible remedy for the baby formula quandary.You got the sense of just how disorganized the Biden administration is when one of their prominent mouthpieces on the most current crisis was — Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg?! I don’t know too many people who saw the former mayor with such limited transport experience he could not fix potholes, as the logical choice to weigh in on Enfamil rationing. Maybe he was regarded as an expert because he launched his new career with a two-month paternity leave.Adding to the incompetence was...

The price of gasoline is soaring, and diesel fuel is climbing right along with it. Florida has one of the highest diesel prices in the nation with an average of $5.63 a gallon. These prices are having a massive domino effect starting with America’s backbone, truckers. "The cost of diesel is single-handedly taking us out of the game one by one no matter how big you are," said Joshua Jenkins. It’s been a bumpy ride of late for Jenkins. The veteran trucker has watched drivers turn down essential shipments because the price to haul it is more than what the...

America’s baby-formula shortage has gone from curious inconvenience to full-blown national crisis. In many states, including Texas and Tennessee, more than half of formula is sold out in stores. Nationwide, 40 percent of formula is out of stock—a twentyfold increase since the first half of 2021. As parents have started to stockpile formula, retailers such as Walgreens, CVS, and Target have all moved to limit purchases. The everything shortage isn’t new. But rationing essentials for desperate parents? That’s a twisted turn in the story of American scarcity. Three factors are driving the U.S. baby-formula shortage: bacteria, a virus, and a...

Trucking firms are warning employees of an “imminent fuel shortage in the Eastern half of the US.” Trucking insiders are blaming this shortage on Joe Biden’s move to divert US fuel to Europe so they can ween off Russian oil. Like Joe Biden’s other reckless policies, this will create havoc here in the United States. Zero Hedge reported: Major trucking fleets across the eastern half of the US are preparing for an “imminent” diesel shortage, according to logistics firm FreightWaves. Founder and CEO of FreightWaves Craig Fuller said “3 very large fleets” are preparing for diesel pumps at fuel stations...

The formula shortage is finally bringing attention to the FDA’s labeling games that have angered many moms for years.Months after distressed moms have been vocally upset and concerned about the baby formula shortage, the media is finally starting to ask, how could this happen? The short answer is lockdown supply chains and the shutdown of one of the country’s largest formula plants in Michigan over an alleged bacterial outbreak. The long answer is that, unlike the problem of sky-rocketing lumber prices or your West Elm furniture stuck on cargo ships, this crisis is intertwined with an already highly regulated industry...

Over the last few months, a U.S. baby formula producer issued recalls both voluntarily and required by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These recalls are rocking the U.S. baby formula market leaving parents facing higher prices and bare shelves. Stores like Walgreens, CVS Health, and Target are limiting the number of formula products per purchase because of low inventory—just last month, national out‐​of‐​stock levels reached 40 percent! One reason retailers are struggling to recover stock levels is the multifarious trade restrictions that limit infant formula imports. The United States subjects infant formula to tariffs up to 17.5 percent and...

When my son Joseph was born last August, he was underweight. The doctors recommended I breastfeed and supplement with formula. I was devastated. He is the first child for me and my husband, and when I was pregnant, I had dreams of exclusively breastfeeding. But like many other families, it wasn’t a possibility. After I got over my formula hesitancy, I took comfort that Joey was doing well and gaining weight and had a renewed my hope for a bright future for our new family. But it was quickly replaced with a new concern. In January, I noticed growing holes...

With 43% of baby formula out of stock across the country due to supply disruptions at the nation’s largest plant, images of empty shelves and desperate mothers have been flooding social media. Photo: Fox NewsBut don’t try to take matters into your own hands, moms. According to the New York Times, pediatricians “strongly advise” against trying to make baby formula at home. Some are rationing food or driving to stores hours away only to find empty shelves. Others are heading online to look up homemade baby formula recipes that use anything from powdered goat’s milk to raw cow’s milk. But...

A majority of Americans say they are worried about being able to maintain their standard of living, poll results released Monday by Gallup showed. Fifty-two percent saw they are worried about their standard of living, up four points from 2020. This is the first time a majority has worried about being able to maintain their standard of living since 2016, Gallup said. The worries are even more pronounced about lower-income Americans. The share of Americans earnings $40,000 or less who say they worried about maintaining their standard of living has soared 17 points 56 percent in 2021 to 73 percent...

VIDEOBrian Craig, co-host of the Steve Kane Radio Show (6-9 AM ET weekdays on 1470 WWNN Radio) used deductive reasoning ala Sherlock Holmes on the May 10 show to possibly figure out the reason for the baby formula shortage. Could he be right? Well, if there is at least one intrepid reporter out there who wants to go beyond merely acting as a stenographer for the Democrats and ASK government officials about this perhaps we can find out. And if Brian proves to be right, in a just world he would deserve a Pulitizer prize. That probably won't happen because...

A nationwide shortage in baby formula is worsening, according to a new analysis, as parents have expressed alarm over the worrying trend. At retail locations across the United States, about 40 percent of the top-selling infant formula products were not in stock for the week ending April 24, said Datasembly. The company said that it tracked baby formula stock at more than 11,000 stores nationwide. “This is a shocking number that you don’t see for other categories,” Ben Reich, CEO of Datasembly, told CBS News. “We’ve been tracking it over time and it’s going up dramatically. We see this category...

The world’s largest fertilizer company warned supply disruptions could extend into 2023. A bulk of the world’s supply has been taken offline due to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. This has sparked soaring prices and shortages of crop nutrients in top growing areas worldwide; an early indication of a global food crisis could be in the beginning innings. Bloomberg reports Canada-based Nutrien Ltd.’s CEO Ken Seitz told investors on Tuesday during a conference call that he expects to increase potash production following supply disruptions in Russia and Ukraine (both major fertilizer suppliers). Seitz expects disruptions “could last well beyond...

A representative of the United Nations World Food Program warned on Sunday that Russia is blocking close to 4.5 million tons in grain exports from Ukraine, The Guardian reported. Martin Frick told German news outlet dpa that the abrupt stoppage could initiate a global food crisis and that he is working to allow the supply to go forward. “Foodstuffs have to reach those in Ukraine who are trapped and in need. But at the same time, there is the need to provide other parts of the world with foodstuffs they are expecting from Ukraine in order to alleviate a global...

“Never let a crisis go to waste,” those were the words of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Chief Samantha Power on “This Week” Sunday. She explained the emerging global food crisis would transition farmers toward a green new world. “We’re working with farmers to also increase their production so you actually have more supply brought on the market. “Fertilizer shortages are real now because Russia’s a big exporter of fertilizer, and even though fertilizer is not sanctioned, less fertilizer is coming out of Russia. “As a result, we’re working with countries to think about natural solutions like manure...

Several US airlines struggling to find pilots amid a nationwide shortage are hiring bus companies to transport passengers to airports in cities that are only a short flight away. American Airlines, the country’s largest airline, announced a partnership with a coach company earlier this month to transport passengers between Philadelphia International Airport and airports in Allentown, Pennsylvania [73 miles away] and Atlantic City, New Jersey [56 miles away]. American and the bus company, Landline, said the service would be an easier way to get to and from the two airports rather than flying. The service is scheduled to begin on...

Rockefeller Foundation President Rajiv Shah told Bloomberg Television’s David Westin a “massive, immediate food crisis” is on the horizon. Shah provides what could be a timeline for the next global food crisis that could begin “in the next six months.” He said global fertilizer supply disruptions caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine would have an “even worse” impact on the crisis, slashing crop yields worldwide. Shah said debt relief and emergency aid for emerging market countries are needed to mitigate the effects of the food crisis. Shah’s appearance on Bloomberg is interesting because of the foundation’s repetitive talk about...

The IMF has become the most recent global body to release a warning regarding potentially forthcoming global food shortages, saying that vulnerable nations are at risk of civil unrest amid supply issues. Civil unrest linked to sky-high food prices is on the cards for poorer countries, the IMF has warned amid fears that the world could be heading into a global food crisis as a result of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Amid past warnings of starvation and “Hell on Earth” migrant crises over a lack of food, the international finance body has predicted that growth across the world will...

Farmers in China, India, Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Vietnam — the largest rice-producing countries could experience reduced output due to soaring fertilizer prices. The International Rice Research Institute warns that harvests could plunge as much as 10% in the next season, equating to about 36 million tons of rice, or enough food to feed a half billion people, according to Bloomberg. Chemical fertilizers, such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, are the most applied nutrients for high-yielding rice cultivation. Farmers have been particularly vulnerable to soaring fertilizer prices as some have reduced the amount of nutrients to save costs. This threatens future...

TRAVERSE CITY — Passengers are lining up to fly to Traverse City, but airlines are having trouble lining up enough crews to pilot their planes. The result will be fewer commercial flights landing at Cherry Capital Airport this summer. “We’re not going to see as many flights as we had before,” Cherry Capital Airport Northwest Regional Airport Authority CEO Kevin Klein said this week. “The number of flights and the number of aircraft that are available to fly is all going to be dependent on the amount of crews and pilots and flight attendants that the airlines have.” Bad weather...

◾When Middle Eastern oil producers declared an oil embargo on exports to the U.S. in 1973, oil prices soared and the U.S. experienced significant fuel shortages. ◾Today’s energy crisis, which includes not only oil but also natural gas and coal, could be even worse than the infamous oil crisis of the 1970s. ◾The current energy crisis could soon be made worse as the EU moves to ban Russian coal and the U.S. struggles to meet its LNG commitments. In 1973, after the Yom Kippur war between Israel and a coalition of Arab countries, Middle Eastern oil producers declared an embargo...