tomorrow, as our jo ling kent follows the biden administration's urgent attempts to solve this crisis. >>> as we approach memorial day weekend, more skbhr people are bracing for high-gas prices. we found one place selling regular for almost 8 bucks a gallon. >>> to the murder mystery involving a world-class cyclist, who may have been killed as a part of an alleged love triangle. >>> and it's trump versus pence in the peach state primary as the former president and vp choose opposite candidates in the election "early today" starlets right now. >> good morning, i am erin o'hearn. >> glad you are with us, i'm frances rivera another planeload of specialty baby formula from abroad is expected to land at dulles washington airport tomorrow. the shipment will then be moved to pennsylvania by road for further distribution meanwhile, outrage is growing over private sellers online who offer formula at more than 300% the normal-store price new york city recently declared a state of emergency to crack down on price gouging. our jo ling kent has the latest onto crisis. >> reporter: when the first e

jo ling kent has the latest >> reporter: the baby formula shortage is getting worse. new data shows the national out of stock average rose to 45% last week. that's the highest level yet. >> you have a full cart look at this look at all this >> but i need it for my baby. >> look at the shelves >> reporter: this video posted to tiktok illustrating just part of the problem appearing to show one person at a target store stocking up. >> you don't think i need it for my baby, too? >> reporter: according to the white house the first flight bringing formula to the u.s. from abroad is expected to leave europe for plainfield, indiana, this weekend. landing in the u.s. soon will be the equivalent of 1.5 million a-ounc bottles of three types of formula from manufacturer nestle. these three were prioritized because they serve a medical purpose as they ar for babies with cow's milk protein allergies. once in the u.s. the formula will be distributed nationwide by a third party contracted by the department of health and human services, this as more babies with sensitivities are admit

jo ling kent has late details. >> reporter: when the first emergency aircraft for "operation fly formula" landed, it delivered a sign of hope, alongside growing nationwide panic. >> everything is empty. >> i don't know about y'all, but this is scary. >> reporter: aboard the c-17, more than 70,000 pounds of hypoallergenic formula, enough for 9,000 babies and 18,000 toddlers with cow's milk allergies, but just for one week. a drop in the bucket the formula will be sent out to families over the next two weeks through hospitals and pharmacies in new jersey, isabella gagliardi has been facing the shortage since january, before her son thomas was even born >> it was definitely a lot of relief where i was like, okay, something is happening here but i think it was still really frustrating because we've been talking about this for a really long time >> reporter: families are demanding more answers from the white house. today, the vice president saying -- >> our administration is working around the clock to ensure that there is enough safe baby formula available for all who need it. >> reporter: t

eventually be handed down she made the comment as desperation grows around the country here is jo ling kent >> reporter: tonight growing outrage among parents as the formula shortage drags on. >> i'm actually terrified. i don't know how i'm going to feed him. >> reporter: the fda facing new calls for accountability one day after it struck an agreement with abbott nutrition to re-open its michigan formula facility within two weeks. house democrats are proposing $28 million in emergency funding for the fda to restore formula supply and increase fda staff for inspection did the fda fail parents? >> yes the fda fell down on their job in terms of protecting babies and parents. and what we're trying to do with this legislation is to provide the infrastructure and to provide resources, funding. >> reporter: the agreement requires abbott nutrition to hire an independent inspector to evaluate the plant and install automatic sampling technology, which experts expect will be completed soon in february abbott issued a voluntary recall and closed the plant after reports of serious bacterial infections i

in the last year on top of prices rising, the whole thing is just made me weary. >> reporter: jo ling kent nbc news, los angeles. >>> and up next, there is using glass bottles to fight the effects of climate change and inspiring america. >>> it's inspiring america week and tonight the startup turning the glass that people throw away into a means of protecting the environment. here's blayne alexander. >> reporter: in the heart of this new orleans neighborhood millions of glass bottles are sorted, scooped, shattered and recycled glass half full is the brainchild of max sites and fran troutman, college friends shocked to realize the city has no curbside glass recycling policeman. this idea game to you while you were still in college >> correct we didn't feel like we could wait. >> reporter: they collected bottles in the backyard now they are running a 40,000 square foot facility all of these are filled with glass? >> yeah, from like one dropoff day. >> reporter: so far they diverted more than 2 million pounds of glass away from landfills. but turns out the bottles second life is even more imp

our jo ling kent reports from indianapolis >> reporter: a welcome sight for anxious parents. a c-17 military aircraft hauling 78,000 pounds of formula landing in indianapolis amid the tripling formula shortage. >> the shipment provides enough formula to take care of 9,000 babies and 18,000 toddlers for a week it's about a half a million eight-ounce doses. >> reporter: the plane took off from ramstein air base in germany. the first flight of operation buy formula. on board hypoallergenic formulas meant for babies and toddlers with cows milk allergies the first batch which nestle, the manufacturer says has already been tested, will be sent to hospitals and health care providers in a couple of days they'll dispense it to families that need it the rest nestle says will be tested and sent out in the next two weeks. another flight carrying more hypoallergenic formula from gerber is expected to arrive in a few days and will be trucked to pennsylvania. when will shelves be full again, or at least fuller >> well, i think that's a matter of weeks in part because of the sequencing of ev

here is nbc's jo ling kent >> reporter: a welcome sight for anxious parents. a c-17 military aircraft hauling 78,000 pounds of formula landing in indianapolis amid the crippling formula shortage >> this shipment provides enough formula to take care of 9,000 babies and 18,000 toddlers for a week it's about a half a million eight-ounce doses. >> reporter: the plane took off from ramstein air base in germany. the first flight of the biden administration's operation fly formula. on board, hypoallergenic infant and junior formulas, meant for babies and toddlers with cow's milk allergies it will be distributed across the country in waves the first batch, which nestle the manufacturer says has already been tested will be sent to hospitals and health care providers in a couple of days. they'll dispense it to families who need it. the rest of the shipment will be tested and sent out in the next two weeks. another flight carrying more hypoallergenic formula from gerber expected to arrive in a few days and will be trucked to pennsylvania when will shelves be full again o

. >> reporter: i'm jo ling kent in austin, texas. sydney galvin has been on a desperate hunt for formula to feed her triplets >> these are babies. they shouldn't have to go through this. >> reporter: galvi depends on women, infants, children nutrition program or wic, for formula she is supposed to get nine cans for each baby per month with the benefit. but because of the shortage she can't find it. she's been forced to pay hundreds of dollars out of pocket for formula not covered by wic >> switching what you're feeding is not easy how are the babies doing? >> they weren't tolerating it very well at first. actually they had a lot of reflux and they were puking a lot of what they were eating up >> reporter: to fill the gaps, she has driven nearly a hour to mother's milk bank, the largest breast milk donor bank in the country. what's demand like for families that can't get formula? >> they have been calling on a steady basis. formula fed infants and families that can't find formula, that increased percentage is 300% those families are i

jo ling kent now with that story. >> reporter: tonight, possible signs of hope for millions of parents nationwide >> look at this. >> reporter: as the fda struck an agreement with abbott nutrition on next steps to reopen the formula factory in sturgis, michigan. abbott ceo saying we know millions of parents and caregivers depend on us, and we are deeply sorry the voluntary recall worsened the nationwide shortage. if the fda and a federal court give abbott the green light, it would take two weeks to reopen and another six to eight weeks to get formula on shelves the plant has been shuttered since february over bacteria possibly linked to infant illnesses abbott says there's no conclusive evidence linking that formula to those sicknesses. >> we're taking a number of measures, including getting all manufacturers to step up, getting the sturgis plant up and going. >> reporter: the months-long shortage hitting low income families disproportionately hard. >> we definitely go home with a little hole in our heart. >> reporter: after the white house proposed loosening restrictions last week, ma

we're going to dive into this first with nbc news business and tech correspondent jo ling kent. a baby at home, she just turned 1. >> yes. >> you're weaning her off formula. >> yes. >> this is a big deal. this is what your kid eats, its food. >> yes. and your child is relying on it. >> even if your kid gets you'd to it and you try to change it in mid, that's a risk. >> and the stomach, there are ricks you could take even if not high risk. the issue here is what's happening in nutrition. there was that recall we first reported on back in february. that plant, in sturgis, michigan, that plan is one of biggest in the country, abbott is cooperating with the fda for an investigation as to what happened to that formula that had to be recalled. so, we're waiting on that. meanwhile, you as have inflation going up. so, with people worried about prices and how much you're paying at the grocery store, more parents are buying more formula earlier. anticipating that prices will increase because those budgets are already so tight. so there's a couple of, you know, factors happening here. putti

today as executives from top manufacturers were grilled on the ongoing shortage jo ling kent has more. >> reporter: anger over the formula shortage crisis erupting once again and then possibly a couple have died. >> reporter: the house committee. their plant was closed in february and they issued a voluntary recall over contamination. >> we are deeply sorry >> what i don't understand is why abbott didn't immediately approach these issues? >> representative, we prioritize safety and compliance in our plants and we're committed to do something and coming out of this event. >> yeah, for the record i'm not satisfied with his answer urs. >> let's say you had a next door neighbor that had leaks in the roof they had bacteria growing all over the kitchen and the floor, you probably wouldn't want to be eating in that kitchen the fda also facing blow back for acting too slowly. after receiving. how can that possibly -- >> let me just point out it was -- we're on record saying it took too long. >> the second shipment landed in dulles national airport. carrying hyper allergenic. >> i'm here today

jo ling kent, thank you so much.> around two dozen homes completely destroyed after a fast-moving wildfire tore through a southern california neighborhood last night. we will go live to orange county for the latest. more americans died of drug overdoses last year than any other year before. i'll talk to the director of the national institute of drug use. >> fentanyl is a big deal because you can take it accidentally. there could be a couple sand-sized in your drug and that can kill you. ur drug and that can kill you only two things are forever: love and liberty mutual customizing your car insurance, so you only pay for what you need. if anyone objects to this marriage... (emu squawks) kevin, no! not today. only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ ♪ we believe there's an innovator in all of us. that's why we build technology that helps everyone come to the table and do more incredible things. ♪ from prom dresses to workouts and do more incredible things. and new adventures you hope the more

shelves this weekend. >> i'm here today to say to parents you aren't alone >> for "the news," i'm jo ling kent>> and primary results are in it was a rough night for candidates who former president trump endorsed brian kemp beat trump backed david perdue in the republican primary. kemp will face stacey abrams in november. brad raffensperger, who famously refused the former president's call to find enough votes in the 2020 election also winning his gop primary. not all of trump's picks fell short. marjorie taylor green won the georgia house primary in her district herschel walker will face off against democrat raphael warnock in november. in alabama, the republican primary heading to a runoff in june mo brooks will face off against katie brit brooks lost donald trump's endorsement after he told the president to put the 2020 election behind him. pennsylvania's republican senate primary race between oz and mccormick triggered a mandatory recount. oz holds a paper thin lead in the tally. keep in mind oz is a celebrity doctor who former president trump endorsed mccormick is a former hedge fund ceo.

nbc's jo ling kent joins me with more on this. retailers are limiting how much formula can be purchased. >> that's right, what we're seeing from cvs, walgreens, walmart and others, they're limiting how much you can buy. the national out-of-stock average is 40%. that continues to climb. what we're seeing across the board is a supply chain problem made worse by the fact that there is a recall with abbott nutrition which provides some of the most popular formula. they're scrambling across the board when it comes to different stores and facebook groups trying to get what they need to feet their babies. abbott nutrition, the reason this is having such a big effect is one of the largest facilities in sturgis, michigan is shut down. they told us they're working with the food and drug administration to restart operations at the sturgis, michigan facility. they had to conduct a recall back in january/february due to concerns about what was in the formula and health issues with several babies. as we look ahead, though, inflation, 8.5% as of

joining me now, carol lee and jo ling kent. carol, first to you. this plan to tackle inflation, basically this is a political speech, i think everyone would agree. the white house is on defense. clearly a lot of politics this year from the president. we just saw that exchange over rick scott who called the president a lot of names. in his speech, the president referred to rick scott as being from wisconsin. clearly, he is not. he is from florida. carol, to you. >> that's right. the president -- this is the second time in the past week the president stepped out to the podium to take on senator scott and what the president is calling this extreme maga agenda. what we heard from the president today is his midterm election message. this is -- he talked about these two paths. that's how he is framing this for the american people as they head into the november election, saying there's the president's plan, which according to the president would lower taxes for the middle class and grow the economy for the middle class while the republican agenda, accordi

nbc news business and tech correspondent jo ling kent has more. >> with inflation skyrocketing, willieices will come down soon. >> everything is high. everything is almost unaffordable. food is high. gas is high. electric bills went up. >> like the majority of americans she lives paycheck to paycheck and reality pushing the federal reserve to take action against raising interest rates, by half a percentage point, the biggest hike in 22 years. >> inflation is much too high and we understand the hardship it is causing. >> the fed's goal, slow down spending to bring inflation down which is soaring at 8.5%. a 40-year high. prices spiking across the board. from rent, to groceries, to gas. the national average for a gallon of regular is now $4.23. ten cents higher than just a week ago. >> i have not been able to do the complete fillup, because, you know, i'm on, basically, a fixed income. >> now, higher interest rates will make loans more expensive including auto loans and credit card debts and interest rates on mortgages hitting 5.41%. up from just under 3% a year ago. >> our business could

nbc news business and tech correspondent jo ling kent's been covering this story for us. saying about the shortage and the process to get things back -- this formula back on shelves? >> reporter: yeah, so fda is still waiting for abbott to be able to reopen. fda has to provide that approval. they have not done that yesterday. but if and when they do, then abbott can reopen. they say they can ramp up within two weeks and then it would take another six to eight weeks to get that formula onto shelves. obviously for children and babies who rely on the special metabolic formula for their metabolic disorders, that is not soon enough. they rely on that to sustain life. so it's a really scary situation for families, but we just got in what president biden has decided to do. he says he's going to take three steps to basically make it easier for families to get more formula. the first step he says he wants to cut the red tape to get more infant formula to store shelves quicker by adjusting some of the standards of the women, infants and children program. so many people rely on that

joining us now, business and tech correspondent jo ling kent.yeah, that sound in your voice rae reflects what so many parents are feeling across the country. it will take a while. according to the justice department, abbott has to overhaul its safety protocols before production can restart at that plant. a be bottom has to -- abbott has to bring in an independent expert to monitor what is going on there. and this is after the company's voluntary recall and closed the plant after serious bacterial infections in four ifants and two deaths. they said that there is no evidence to link their formulas to those ills inillnesses, but says that it is their number one priority to get babies and families the high quality formula that they need. but again, this is going to take some time up to two months, we're talking july maybe even august because the fda and a federal court have to approve the plant being reopened before that production can restart. meanwhile we're expecting the fda to loosen imports to allow more formula to come in from other countries.

it's not like i can nurse her. >> that was nbc's jo ling kent. that does it for me this hour.tchell reports" starts "andrea mitchell reports" starts next talenti. raise the jar. another crazy day? "andrea mitchell reports" starts next of course—you're a cio in 2022. but you're ready. because you've got the next generation in global secure networking from comcast business, with fully integrated security solutions all in one place. so you're covered. on-premise and in the cloud. you can run things the way you want—your team, ours or a mix of both. with the nation's largest ip network. from the most innovative company. bring on today with unbeatable business solutions from comcast business. powering possibilities™. this is xfinity rewards. our way of saying thanks, with rewards for the whole family! from epic trips... to jurassic-themed at-home activities. join over 3 million members and start enjoying rewards like these, and so much more in the xfinity app! and don't miss jurassic world:dominion in theaters june 10th. ♪♪ >>> good day, everyone. welcome to a special edition of "a

here's nbc's jo ling kent. >> reporter: anger over the formula shortage crisis and recall erupting oncel hill today >> you owe an apology to the parents of children who got sick and possibly a couple that have died >> reporter: the house oversight committee calling executives from three major manufacturers to face the public, including abbott their michigan plant was closed in february and abbott issued a voluntary recall over contamination concerns after four babies got sick including two who died >> we are deeply, deeply sorry >> reporter: the company has denied its formula is linked to the illnesses. >> what i don't understand is why abbott didn't immediately address these issues without having to be pelted by fda or anybody else >> representative, we prioritize safety and compliance in our plants, and we're committed to -- to doing so and getting better coming out of this event. >> chairman, for the record i'm not certified with the witness's answers. >> reporter: detailing disturbing conditions inside the abbott facility. >> let's say you have a next door neighbor who had leaks in

long-term health consequences tonight, parents and caregivers looking for guidance and answers jo ling kent is following the story. >> reporter: president biden today defending his administration's response to the formula crisis. >> we moved as quickly as the problem became apparent to us, and we have to move with caution as well as speed because we got to make sure what we're getting is, in fact, first rate product. >> reporter: the white house now vowing to allow more flexibility for low income families to obtain available formula. import additional formula from abroad. and continue increased production here at home today, the white house launching a new website aimed at answering parent questions. >> i think we're going to be making significant progress very shortly. >> reporter: that progress can't come soon enough for parents like stephanie jones. >> as of this morning, we were down to one can. that's when i got desperate and reached out to women on facebook. >> reporter: the 35-year-old is a first-time mom to 7-month-old daughter leila. what has it been like to find the formula you ne

country, but the crisis has become especially urgent for certain vulnerable groups of children jo ling kentas late details. >> reporter: tonight, the biden white house under growing pressure to act, with millions of families unable to get infant formula >> our message to parents is, we hear you, we want to do everything we can, and we're going to cut every element of red tape >> reporter: parents like haley rubble say they have no choice but to hit the road to find the formula her 8-month-old son isaac relies on, driving up to four hours to track it down. >> we searched shelves from texas to colorado to oklahoma to kansas city, anything and everything, and they're empty. >> reporter: she's one of millions of parents nationwide searching not just for formula, but also, for answer as the national out of stock average rises to 43%. congress calling emergency hearings, saying the situation is alarming, with the administration now considering the use of the defense production act to address this shortage >> i think when you look at the defense production act, you have to ensure that it would act

jo ling kent has that story. >> reporter: with inflation skyrocketing, willy price tells us she's praying prices will come down soon. >> everything is high. everything is almost unaffordable food is high the gas is high. electric bills went up. >> reporter: like the majority of americans, she now lives paycheck to paycheck these realities pushing the federal reserve to take action yet again today, raising interest rates by half a percentage point, the biggest hike in 22 years >> inflation is much too high, and we understand the hardship it is causing. >> reporter: the fed's goal, slow down spending to bring inflation down, which is soaring at 8.5%, a 40-year high prices spiking across the board from rent to groceries to gas today the national average for a gallon of regular now $4.23. 10 cents higher than just a week ago. >> i have not been able to do the complete fill-up because, you know, i'm on a basically like a fixed income. >> reporter: now higher interest rates will make loans more expensive including new auto loans and credit card debt interest rates on mortgages hitting 5.41%, up

the big question -- how soon will children who don't have allergies get access to new supplies jo ling kent has been reporting on the shortage all week and starts us off from indianapolis >> reporter: today, a welcome sight for anxious parents. a c-17 military aircraft hauling 78,000 pounds of formula landing in indianapolis amid the crippling formula shortage >> this shipment provides enough formula to take care of 9,000 babies and 18,000 toddlers for a week it's about a half million eight-ounce doses. >> reporter: the plane took off from ramstein air base in germany. the first flight of the biden administration's operation fly formula. on board, hypoallergenic infant and junior formulas, meant for babies and toddlers with cow's milk allergies it will be distributed across the country in waves. the first batch, which nestle the manufacturer says has already been tested will be sent to hospitals and health care providers in a couple of days they'll dispense it to families who need it the rest of the shipment will be tested and sent out in the next two weeks another flight carrying more hypo

here's jo ling kent. >> reporter: nationwide parents are desperate. the out of stock rate for baby formula skyrocketed to 70% last week. >> it is not a good feeling to be on edge at every moment. is my baby going to eat today? >> reporter: now both formula maker abbott and the fda are facing new scrutiny from congress abbott manufactures 40% of the formula in the u.s. the company's voluntary recall and closing of its michigan plant helped trigger the crisis a sign of trouble came last september in a report to the fda. an infant who became ill with a rare bacterial infection consumed formula made at the abbott plant. in october an abbott whistle-blower sent fda officials this 34-page document alleging that lax practices including regulatory violations were consistently overlooked and records were knowingly falsified on multiple occasions. in response abbott said this former employee was dismissed due to serious violations and since then has made evolving, new, and escalating allegations but the company says it will thorough investigate any allegations.

jo ling kent in washington with the latest on what we can expect. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. new numbers show that price that's consumers are paying continue to rise across the board driven by rent, food, air fairs getting more expensive. inflation rose 8.3% in april compared to a year ago. president biden calls rising prices his top domestic priority. >> i want every american to know that i'm taking inflation very seriously and it's my top domestic priority. >> reporter: on defense place low approval ratings on the economy, president biden says the pandemic and russia's invasion of ukraine are largely to blame. along with congressional gridlock. >> look, i know you got to be frustrated. i know. i can taste it. >> reporter: the president also calling out republicans for what he called an ultra maga agenda. governor rick scott calling on president biden to resign. over inflation. of. >> he has no responsibility and he has no plan. >> the pressure is mounting as gas prices another record high. the national average now $4.40, up 18 cents f

anger is growing at the mainak torse in this crisis, the fda and the manufacturer abbott here is jo ling kent. >> reporter: nationwide parents are desperate, the out of stock rate for baby formula skyrocketed to 70%. >> it's just not a good feeling to be on edge at every moment. is my baby going to eat today? >> reporter: and now both formula maker abbott and the fda are facing new scrutiny from congress abbott manufactures 40% of the formula in the u.s the company's voluntary recall and closing of its michigan plant helped trigger the crisis. a sign of trouble came last september in a report to the fda, an infant who became ill with a rare bacterial infection had consumed formula made at the abbott plant in october an abbott whistleblower sent fda officials this 34-page document alleging that lax practices including regulatory violations were consistently overlooked and records were knowingly falsified on multiple occasions. in response abbott said this former employee was dismissed due to serious violations and since then has made evolving, new and escalating allegations, but the company sa

. >> our jo ling kent spoke to tom bill sack about when parents can see store shelves fill up again. here is what he had to say. >> i think that's a matter of weeks and in part because of the sequencing of events that's taking place shipments coming in via the military >>> meanwhile, the shuttered abbott plant in michigan is set to reopen with its supply returning to normal at around two months. >>> now to breaknews from tokyo, president biden meeting with the lf japan during the second leg of his visit to asia the purpose of his trip is to strengthen diplomatic and economic ties in the region and encounter the expanding reach of china. chris pollone joins us from d.c. tell us more about the new partnership president biden is announcing with these allies. >> reporter: frances, good morning. supply chain issues play a large part of this, this new agreement is called the pacific -- indo-pacific framework for prosperity, this new agreement being announced is between the u.s. and about a dozen asian countries. one big component is to make supply chains for goods coming into the u.s. more

prices cascade across virtually every corner of the economy and onto american kitchen tables, as jo ling kent explains. >> reporter: today president biden focusing on american farmers in his latest attempt to bring down food prices. >> right now, america is fighting on two fronts, at home it's inflation and rising prices abroad, it's helping ukrainians defend their democracy. >> reporter: in april inflation went up 8.3% compared to last year. the cost of rent, food, airfares, and new vehicles drove up prices the president visiting an illinois farm offering a new plan which in part expands crop insurance for farmers who harvest two crops in the same field. missouri mother of two megan feels it at the supermarket, with grocery prices u 11% in the last year >> you can see how things are moving, everything feels more expensive. >> reporter: she feels it on the road with gas prices soaring even higher. >> when you're at the pump, you're thinking, okay, when is it going to stop rolling, right? >> reporter: and she and her husband mark also feel it on their family farm where the cost of fertilizer h

hoda. >> jo ling kent.nk you. >>> good morning to greg -- craig. >> or greg either. >> late night. >> yeah. >> what you got this morning. >> good morning, good morning to you as well. we're now learning more about what might have caused that boeing passenger plane to crash in china two month ago killing everyone on board. >> subjecting someone on board in the cockpit intentionally crashed the plane. this has been the dominant theory i've been hearing for weeks. but the paper recording specifically that the black box data is leading investigators to this conclusion. >> reporter: nearly two months since a china eastern passenger plane slammed into a remote mountain killing all 132 people on board, there was growing evidence the crash may have been intentional. the wall street journal citing sources with the preliminary u.s. assessment reports data recovered from the plane's black box, reporting someone set the cockpit controls for a fatal plunge spectators since the crash suggest someone may have crashed the

overseas providing relief to thousands of american parents during this current nationwide shortage jo ling kentn yesterday, jo, good morning. >> good morning. it was certainly a welcome sight to see for so many parents when that c-17 military aircraft landed here in indianapolis. the idea is to supply formula for kids with cow's milk allergies. this is the infant and junior formula made by nestle that landed here. and we do know according to secretary of agriculture that it will serve 9,000 babysit and 8,000 toddler. the big question now, why is it only serving these kids for just one week the defense production act meanwhile at the white house has officially been put into action overnight. we heard from two manufacturers, abbot and wreckette which owns immediate johnson. they say they have placed orders with the white house to get expedited supplies in order to ramp up production at home here. the idea is to expedite production to get more formula on shelves right now but looking ahead we know there is another flight scheduled to land in the d.c. area at dulles airport, priet operated by fedex

nbc's business and tech correspondent, jo ling kent is joining us this morning. >> it's the most aggressiveseen in 22 years by the fed to fight inflation and bring down the prices you are paying, for example, gas, and it's 11 cents higher than one week ago. the fed raising the benchmark interest rate one of several actions the government is trying to take to get relief to families and small businesses struggling to make ends meet. this morning the price of borrowing money is going up again to help bring everyday prices down. >> we need to do everything we can to restore stable prices. >> on wednesday the federal reserve raised the interest rate by half a percentage point, the biggest hike in 22 years. it makes borrowing money more expensive to loan mortgages and interest rates. president biden addressing the problem, too, vowing to cut the federal deficit by another $1.5 trillion this year. >> we reduced federal borrowing and we helped combat inflation. >> meanwhile, nearly one-third are dealing with inflation by borrowing money. with rates going up it's harder to get affordable loans to bu

>> jo ling kent.ou. >>> busy morning in the weather department big mess out there. >> it is it is very gray in new york. it is going to be rainy to start the day. but we are going to is see a changes of bigger storms through the milt of the country. first into the northeast we have rain extending just west of boston to buffalo. includes new york city washington a bit gray this morning. heavy pocket os rain across new england as well. but really the middle of the country that is a focus later this afternoon and tonight especially in this area of dark orange we could see our strongest storms in more details, oklahoma city to wichita falls, we could see hail 2 inches or more in diameter that is about the size of golf balls. so that certainly could be damaging we also have the threat of significant tornados ef2 or stronger, as a line of storms will develop later this afternoon. this is across south central oklahoma into parts of texas as well and that is going to be the zone we'll watch for today and tomo

jo ling kent has more. >> reporter: they are proposing an emergency funding bill to address staffing issues and the supplies that babies need so badly right now. this comes as children are getting sick because their parents can't get the formula they need. outrage and anxiety ballooning for parents nationwide amid signs that babies are suffering as this formula shortage drags on. >> this is a crisis for us in health care. >> at this memphis, tennessee hospital, two children were hospitalized for intestinal illnesses after their parents could not find a formula they needed. >> this is not every child, not normal children but literally it's led to children requiring hospitalization. >> it comes as the hunt for formula intensifies for millions of parents. this dad said he went to nine stores desperately trying to find formula for his 2-month-old son. >> it's scary. he can't eat food yet. if he don't have look, we don't know what to do. >> reporter: thanks to restrictions loosened coming from abroad could hit store shelves in week. newly imported formula stresses out some parents like ca

here's jo ling kent. >> reporter: anger reruperuptin capitol hill today. >> you owe an apology to thedren who got sick and possibly a couple who have died. >> the house committee calling executives from three major formula manufacturers to face the public, including abbott their michigan plant was closed in february and abbott issued a voluntary recall over contamination concerns after four babies got sick, including two who died. >> we are deeply, deeply sorry. >> the company has denied its formula is linked to the illnesses. >> what i don't understand is why abbott didn't immediately address those issues without having to be told to by the fda or anybody else. >> we prioritize safety and compliance in our plants and we're committed to doing so and getting better coming out of this. >> chairman, for the record, i'm not satisfied with the witness's answers. >> fda commissioner detailing disturbing conditions inside the abbott facility. >> let's say you had a next door neighbor who had leaks in the r roof, they didn't wash their hands, there was standing water on the counters and the f

jo ling kent is there today. mostly for children who are really at risk and are already in the hospital? >> reporter: so the formula, the hypoallergenic formula will serve 18,000 infants for the equivalent of one week. it's obviously a very limited group of kids and babies and a very limited amount of time. i asked the white house where the formula is for kids not taking hypoallergenic formula and we have not heard back. we have heard more formula is coming on wednesday, a new flight coming from germany to dulles and being trucked up to pennsylvania. so that formula will then be distributed. what we know about the batch that came here yesterday is that some of it was tested in switzerland before it came into the u.s. they expect families to be able to get that through hospitals and health care providers by today and tomorrow. then the rest of it will take about two weeks to be distributed nationwide. this is specialized formula for babies who are allergic to cow's milk. >> let's talk about what's going to come ne

joining us nbc news business and tech correspondent jo ling kent.se, the fed is set to release its biggest rate hike since 2000 to get inflation under control. it's going to be more expensive to take out loans, credit card interest rates. and to cool off the demand from buying things from the pandemic. and the high prices that you see, ideally will come back to earth. this is a delicate balancing act as jerome powell tries to avoid stoking pressures here. it appears that powell has adopted a more aggressive strategy as he hiked the rates that quarter point in march. remember that. and he said it's appropriate in his view to be moving more quickly. we also noted that there's something in the idea of front end load, whatever accommodation he thinks is appropriate. the idea here is to act now, raise rates now, and then re-evaluate as the fed goes along. the fed is expected to do more than raise rates. we want to point out, we'll see another tool being deployed here. reducing the balance sheet with loans and mortgage-backed and the fed injecting that mo

joining us from los angeles, nbc news business and tech correspondent jo ling kent. s comes as worried parents are waking up this morning even more stressed out about this ongoing formula shortage. as some manufacturers are telling us, they've ramped up their production to the max with the white house promising that help is on the way. this morning, mounting concerns for panicked parents as the nation's baby formula shortage shows no signs of letting up. across the country, the out of stock rate is over 40%, a figure the white house disputes. >> we go to buy formula, everything is gone. >> reporter: the ceo of formula maker perrigo, one of the big four manufacturerermanufacturer this could go the rest of the year. moms like katie miller turns to social media to find the formula she needs to feed her twin daughters. >> when you go to the stores in a 2-hour radius and can't find what you need and have to resort to other measures, it is really stressful. >> reporter: the biden administration vowing to import formula from countries like mexico, chile, and the irelands. co

i want to bring in business and tech correspondent jo ling kent.n that we see a meeting like this between the president and the fed chair particularly at a critical economic point that we're facing right now. what's going to happen here? >> the president says he wants the fed to do its job and for jerome powell and everyone at the fed to do their work to keep full employment and to reduce inflation, and the meeting basically is about establishing that this renomination has happened and also saying that this is a separation of power. he's been saying that for weeks and months now, the president saying he's going to let fed do its job. here's what the economic council chair brian deese had to say. >> as we move through this transition, our economic growth should look different than it has in the historic recovery phase. we have to move and shift to stable resilient growth. >> among his plans for making this happen and reducing the cost of living manageable which for so many americans he's said and promised so many things and also using the levers of