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President Biden Holds Critical Talks With South Korea's President; First Flight With Overseas Baby Formula To Fly Out This Weekend; Russia Claims Airstrikes Destroyed U.S. And European Weapons Cache; Gas Prices Keep Going Up And Up; Incumbents Face Trump-Backed Candidates In Georgia Primaries; PA GOP Senate Race Tightens, Oz Ahead By About 1K Votes; Tiger Woods Makes Weekend Play Again. Aired 1-2p ET

Aired May 21, 2022 - 13:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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[13:00:53]

ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN HOST: Hi there. Thanks for joining me. I'm Alex Marquardt in today for Fredricka Whitfield. We begin this hour with an important overseas trip for President Biden, as crises persist back home and around the world. President Biden holding a bilateral meeting today with South Korean President Yoon Seok-youl. The two leaders highlighting the strength of their partnership and alliances in the face of ongoing nuclear and missile threats from North Korea.

Well, President Biden's trip comes as American families struggle to feed their infant children. A crippling baby formula shortage has store shelves bearing. The White House trying to respond to the crisis. This weekend the first shipment of baby formula from Europe is scheduled to arrive. That urgent effort is being spearheaded by the American military. Let's start with just some of the consequences of this crippling formula shortage.

Medical University of South Carolina is reporting at least four babies were recently hospitalized for complications relating to this baby formula shortage. Three had intolerance of formulas as the parents had that -- parents had to try because they couldn't find their usual products, while one was sickened by mineral imbalances from caregivers who had to mix their own formula. CNN's Polo Sandoval is following this nationwide shortage and joins me from New York.

Polo, you've been talking to parents. What are some of the struggles that they're facing as they wait for new supplies?

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Alex, those hospitalizations that you just mentioned they really do underscore the risks for many parents out there because this is really hit new parents all over the country. But it has been particularly hard for the parents of children with dietary restrictions. I spoke to one couple. It's not that they don't want to consider alternatives, they can't.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) SANDOVAL (voice over): Come play time, it's easy for Adrianna and Justin Eith to get lost in the joys of raising a baby.

ADRIANNA EITH, MOTHER: You're such a big boy, yes, you are.

SANDOVAL: But come feeding time.

EITH: You know the drill. Come on.

SANDOVAL: The New York couple is reminded of the uncertainty that comes with finding nourishment for their four-month-old baby amid the ongoing formula shortage.

EITH: Is someone want a bottle?

SANDOVAL: You would know it with his smile, but little Cooper (ph) suffers from digestive issues and a dairy allergy.

EITH: Oh, being such a good way today.

SANDOVAL: Not only does Cooper rely solely on powdered baby formula for nutrition, but he can only hold down pure amino, a prescription powder that is not only hypoallergenic, but it's also nearly impossible to find these days. According to Eith.

EITH: It's the easiest thing for him to digest because unlike other form -- formulas on the market, they have like Similac, Alimentum, they have Nutramigen but there's still trace amounts of dairy in that. So, in this there's no dairy and very, very limited soy.

SANDOVAL: Eith just had to expand her search for the pharmacies and her Long Island community to the rest of the country.

EITH: I have family in Georgia. I have family in Florida, California, North Carolina. I have everyone helping me right now. My in-laws, my dad, I have coworkers. When I mean in this moment why I feel so blessed and where the same comes in it takes a village, I have had more people now helping me than I've had. I mean a month --

SANDOVAL: A network of parents on social media has also been a source of formula and a way for Eith to help fellow parents.

EITH: I joined everything, I'm in a group called One Parent to Another.

SANDOVAL: So far, Eith has managed to secure at least two weeks worth of formula. With the Food and Drug Administration estimating that it could be a few weeks before shelves are stocked fully again. Her worries about Cooper's long-term nutritional needs and those of other children.

EITH: Listen, I don't sit here, you don't wanting to make it seem that my son has a greater need because I believe every baby has a need. Every baby needs to be fed. But it is scary when there is a medical need. And even past my son because there were kids with greater health issues. How do they eat?

SANDOVAL: On Friday, a dose of reassuring news for Eith, Reckitt, maker of Cooper's prescription and the nation's second largest infant formula manufacturer announced that it increased production by 35 percent since its competitor Abbott Nutrition recall many of its products and February.

[13:05:13]

SANDOVAL: Reckitt officials added that they are using unlimited overtime for employees and filing government paperwork to import formula from Singapore and Mexico to ratchet up supplies here in the U.S.

EITH: And I don't think right now there's no magic wand that can fix it. I think it's kind of a wait and see. Because when it starts happening, and it starts getting back on the shelves, I think that's when people are going to feel at ease.

SANDOVAL: Eith remain skeptical, but also hopeful that the government's long-awaited response will soon be felt that empty shelves across the country with Cooper's bottles full for now, the Eiths can focus on keeping the smile on their baby's face.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANDOVAL: Along with the promising news from Reckitt, also a bit of a reality check from the company saying that at this point, it is simply too difficult to predict when parents can expect to see those shelves back to normal again, especially after that significant increase in the manufacturing. The company is saying that a lot of that will be or at least it will be dependent partly on how soon Abbott Nutrition can get that shuttered lab and Michigan back up and running.

And then obviously those are the support that we've seen from overseas. But at the end of the day though, Alex, the key to this story here is that there are so many parents out there. It's not about just finding any formula. It's finding the formula and that's what's fueling their concerns and what keeps them up at night.

MARQUARDT: Yes. So hard to listen to the desperation in their voices. They're just trying to feed their children as you point out, Polo, in that terrific report. It is -- it can be often very, very complicated. Polo Sandoval in New York. Thank you very much for that report.

SANDOVAL: Thank you.

MARQUARDT: And now to that first U.S. military flight that is carrying over one million bottles of baby formula to the United States. It's expected to leave tomorrow from Germany and head to Indianapolis. Now trucks delivered the European baby formula to Ramstein Air Base this morning. That's where CNN's Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen has been reporting from.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Alex, take a look at all of this baby formula that's going to be sent to the United States tomorrow. It's 1.5 million bottles. Each bottle, eight ounces. 1.5 million bottles of baby formula being sent by a European company to the United States. The Department of Defense is doing the shipping. Let's take a look at what they're sending.

If you look at this, you can see it says Nestle that's a Swiss company. Alpha Amino, that's a formula that's hypoallergenic. That's because a lot of the children in the United States, their parents who are having trouble finding formula, often those children have particular medical conditions or they have allergies. And they're looking for a particular kind of formula like a hypoallergenic formula.

So, it's -- there's a lot of hope that this could help families in the U.S. But we do want to be clear-eyed about this. This is 1.5 million bottles. That's a lot of bottles, but there are millions of children under the age of one in the United States. So will this help? Sure it will help but parents shouldn't expect that all of a sudden things will turn around. This is one of many things that are being done to try to alleviate this infant formula shortage but none of them are going to turn things around in the next couple of days.

Things might get better in the next couple of days, hopefully, but likely it will take many weeks, possibly many, many weeks until parents see a real difference on supermarket shelves. Alex?

MARQUARDT: All right. Thanks to Elizabeth Cohen for that report at Ramstein Air Base. Now joining us now to talk about all of this is California Congresswoman Barbara Lee. She is a Democratic member of the House Appropriations Committee, which -- and this --Congresswoman Lee spoke with the FDA chief about this issue earlier this week. Congresswoman, thank you so much for taking the time to speak with us today.

REP. BARBARA LEE (D-CA): Thank you very much. Happy to be with you.

MARQUARDT: I want to start with that scene that we just saw our correspondent Elizabeth Cohen at Ramstein Air Base. What does it tell us about how badly this crisis has been managed do you think? That not only do we need to import European baby formula from Switzerland, but the U.S. military now needs to be involved?

LEE: Yes. So this crisis is real. And it's really a shame and disgrace that families are struggling, afraid and don't know really what to do. I'm glad that the president invoked the Defense Production Act. But let me tell you, you know, this was an example of how when 90 percent, four companies own 90 percent of the manufacturing operations for baby formula. And in February, remember Abbott have to shut down because of contamination.

Two babies passed away, four total were sick. And so, that has to stop, you know, the manufacturing of this.

[13:10:00]

LEE: And, you know, there's very little that the other companies could do when in fact Abbott owns the largest share of the manufacturing. And so, we have to do everything we can do, we did pass the appropriation supplemental 28 million to give to the FDA to expedite all of this. And we pass Congresswoman Johanna Hayes' built to make sure that when recipients are eligible for the formula, but this is about speed and it's about safety.

And so, we have to make sure that what is being imported into the United States is safe. And that this becomes an issue that also we have to expedite. So, you know, we've got to investigate the FDA. And that's what we've been doing now in terms of making sure that they get on board and get this done completed, because it's outrageous that these kids are not having access to the nutrition that they need. These are babies.

And so, the president's move very quickly on it, but we have to move quicker. And we have to hold these companies accountable for what they have done.

MARQUARDT: I want to highlight something you just said. So much of this production is done by just a handful of companies. One of the biggest ones is Abbott, as we know, there was a whistleblower complaint about the Sturgis facility, Abbott Sturgis facility that dated back to last year. But the FDA didn't recall that formula until February, which you just mentioned. Why did that take so long? I mean, this is a major company producing something that is so critical. Why did that take so long?

LEE: We haven't gotten the answers. And we in the Appropriations Committee, we had the commissioner to talk about this. And he didn't have the answers either. And that's why the chair of our appropriations committee, myself and others have called for a full investigation. This cannot happen. I mean, the public relies on the FDA, you know, we have to have some checks and balances and some accountability.

And so, we don't know -- but believe you, me, we are working very hard to get these answers and answers quickly. But in the meantime, we've got to do everything we can do to get this formula on the shelves. And so, one of the ways we're doing this is of course with using air commercial airplanes to bring the formula in, but we have to make sure everything is safe, that it's safe for children with allergies, and that we are comfortable with getting it on the shelves.

But I tell you one thing, this is a shame and disgrace in the wealthiest and most powerful country in the world. We don't have access to baby formula. How horrible this situation is for families? But again, we're working, at least Democrats are, you know, we have these two bills.

And let me just mention that we passed last week. Do you know Republicans have been asking and demanding that something be done and criticizing the Biden administration yet when we do something the whip, Steve Scalise asked the Republicans not to vote for these measures, and said it was reckless spending.

MARQUARDT: Right.

LEE: So, I hope the public understands that we're working for them to try to get this formula on the shelf very quickly.

MARQUARDT: But Steve Scalise said that this wasn't the way to go about solving things, that throwing $28 million at the FDA when they didn't have a plan, wasn't the way to do it. Do you believe the FDA has a plan?

LEE: Yes, I do. And I think that there's -- their accountability measures in, we're exercising our oversight responsibility. And the White House is also. So, you know, we've got to put the resources there. I don't know what the majority whip Scalise is talking about. You know, when they say it's reckless spending, what do they want us to do? Do nothing? And that's exactly what the majority of the Republicans are doing.

Doing nothing. Democrats are doing everything we can do to solve this problem. And to get to the bottom of it. It's an emergency and I'm really disappointed that they didn't see this in a -- in the way that would help solve the problem instead of being obstructionist.

It is absolutely an emergency. Thank you so much for taking the time today to walk us through that and for the efforts that you are undertaking to fix this situation. Congresswoman Barbara Lee, thank you.

LEE: Thank you.

MARQUARDT: Now a crucial trip overseas right now. President Joe Biden is in Asia on an alliance boosting mission, meeting with allies that are critical to helping the U.S. foreign policy goals. We'll be live in South Korea next.

Plus, nationwide consumers are dealing with soaring prices of -- seems like everything, the impact on small businesses trying to make ends meet. That's coming up.

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[13:18:42]

MARQUARDT: Now to the latest developments on a pivotal overseas trip for President Joe Biden. Today in Seoul, the north -- the South Korean and American president signaled a desire to restart military drills in response to North Korea's growing nuclear threat. And during his visit, Biden also left the door open to meeting with North Korea's dictator Kim Jong-un. CNN White House Correspondent Jeremy Diamond is in Seoul with the president.

Jeremy, you also covered former President Donald Trump. So, when it comes to this news about renewed military drills between South Korea and the United States which of course North Korea will not be happy to see. How much of a reversal of positions is this for the United States?

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes. It's a very significant reversal of position. Look, those drills did happen in 2021. But now President Biden is indicating that these drills could be expanded in this joint statement with the South Korean president. Both of these leaders indicating their desire to expand these drills also expand them in the space of cybersecurity as well.

Former President Trump, he had moved to scrap these exercises all together. He downsized them during his time in office. So, a very significant change of position and it really is about more broadly, the U.S. has approach to North Korea in general. These glitzy summits between the U.S. president and the North Korean leader are out, back in instead are these shows of strength between the U.S. and South Korea and this reaffirming of this key alliance between these two countries.

[13:20:11]

DIAMOND: President Biden was asked whether or not he would meet with the North Korean leader though, let me show you his answer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: With regard to whether I would meet with the leader of North Korea, that would be depend on whether he was sincere and whether serious.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DIAMOND: And now I can tell you in speaking with senior administration officials, there's no indication that the North Korean leader is serious or sincere about engaging in diplomacy with the United States. And that's not for lack of trying, in the words of one senior administration official who I spoke to who said that the U.S. has made attempts to engage the North Koreans over the last year and a half of Biden's presidency but have gotten no substantive response.

And there has been no working level meeting between the U.S. and South Korea. Even as President Biden is attempting this more practical, calibrated approach to diplomacy with North Korea an incremental approach. So far, it's still very much being tested because again, there has been no engagement with the North Koreans. And instead, what we've seen is a ramping up of the pace of these ballistic missile tests from North Korea.

And still Alex, the possibility of a big ICBM test while President Biden is in the region.

MARQUARDT: Yes. Essentially, it's been crickets in terms of response from the North Koreans while they carry out all of these missile tests. Jeremy Diamond in the South Korean capital. Thanks so much.

President Biden's focus is also turning to Ukraine. During this trip in Asia, the President has signed a $40 billion aid package. He signed that in Seoul. It will provide Ukrainians with military and humanitarian aid as they fend off Russian forces.

Now, Russia's Ministry of Defense is claiming today that it destroyed a large batch of European and American weapons that was just west of the capital Kyiv. Russian airstrikes have also targeted eastern and southern Ukraine. CNN's Melissa Bell is live in Kyiv. Melissa, Ukraine obviously desperately needs these weapons that they've been getting from Western countries. What are you learning about this Russian strike?

MELISSA BELL, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: This was a strike that hit a town Malyn in that region of Zhytomyr which is to the west of Kyiv, a couple of hours from here. It was at a train station that the cruise missile hit overnight, destroying a bunch of that infrastructure. But more specifically, you're quite right, those weapons that have been coming in from those countries that have been sort of supporting Ukraine, in its efforts to push back on that Russian offensive that's now been going on for three months.

So, we don't know precisely what weapons were destroyed a bit that there was significant damage done to that railway station. One of the main routes through which these weapons are coming into Ukraine that have proved so significant and making a difference to the balance of power on the ground. Now, meanwhile, we've been seeing more strikes, more fighting over in the east, of course in north of Donetsk and west of Luhansk, south of Kharkiv.

That area where Russian troops are trying to meet up and coordinate themselves in order that they can claim essentially that part of land. And that's been the focus of so much of the fighting over the course of the last few days of frontline in particular, around Severodonetsk that's been the scene of a great deal of violence. Of course, it isn't just the fighting between the two forces as they meet one another.

Russians are trying to press ahead with their offensive. Ukrainians trying to prevent them from doing so. But of course, the civilians that find themselves caught in the middle. That town of Severodonetsk that we've been talking about so much these last few days. 12 civilians were killed there on Thursday. We know that there are some 15,000 still in the basements of that town. Meanwhile, in those parts of Kharkiv, for instance, where the Ukrainian counter-offensive has been successful these last few weeks in pushing Russian forces eastwards.

There is also the opportunity now to count some of that damage. And it gives you an idea of what follows after these retreats have taken place, the town of Kharkiv, we've been sitting here and remember, it was a scene of that siege that lasted for two months. The dreadful, relentless daily shelling of civilian areas we've been hearing from the mayor of the city speaking about the damage there.

More than 30 percent of the city's high rise residential complexes, I'm sorry, destroyed. 100 schools destroyed. These are parts of the country now that are beginning to count the cost, even as they start to imagine what rebuilding the future will look like.

MARQUARDT: And Melissa, as you pointed out, you know, civilians caught in the middle. We have millions and millions of Ukrainians who have been displaced and people fleeing the fighting. What are you hearing about people who are fleeing some of that fighting in the south, particularly around the city of Kherson which has been captured by the Russians. What are the Russian -- what kind of pressure the Russians putting on residents there?

[13:25:01]

BELL: Well, I think one of the points that's important to make and you've been here covering this as well is that we have access to those parts of the country that are controlled by Ukrainian forces, we don't have access to those parts of the country that are controlled by Russian forces. So, it is from the mouths of those fleeing those areas, and you've had a lot of them trying to flee the city of Kherson.

Of course, if you look at a map down the south of the country, it was -- it's been now in Russian hands since -- for many, many weeks now since -- virtually the beginning of the war. It is the -- at the center also of a huge humanitarian crisis. Now, what Russian forces we understand had been giving the residence of Kherson the opportunity to do is to head to Crimea. So, further into those Russian territories.

The ones that we're hearing from now are the ones were able to make it out. What we're hearing are harrowing tales of their escape. They're coming under fire. They're coming under shelling and what they tell and I think this is the most important and troubling part of the story, are the stories of what's happening inside cities like Kherson that have yet -- that are still within Russian control, that have not, as I mentioned a moment ago, the case of Kharkiv been the siege of -- the scenes of sieges and are now counting the cost.

But where the residents are still inside, those tails of what's going on arbitrary, disappearances, a trouble getting to food and water, trouble getting to medical supplies, it gives you an account of what's happening to some of those populations in those areas under Russian control. And it's -- and it's difficult to listen to, I think, Alex.

MARQUARDT: Yes. Some really horrifying reports about the Russians as they came in and invaded these places and then subsequently occupied them, what they're doing to the populations there. Melissa Bell in the Ukrainian capital Kiev. Thank you very much.

Now everyone is feeling the burden of rising prices. The cost of fuel is skyrocketing, but of course it doesn't stop there as the price of transporting goods rises, so does the cost of many everyday needs. We'll have more on that next. Stay with us.

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[13:31:19]

MARQUARDT: Now to the economy and the rising cost of fuel, particularly diesel, which means that anything that is transported by truck, train or ship is going to cost you more.

CNN's Paul Vercammen joins us from Los Angeles where gas prices have topped $6 a gallon.

Paul, you've been speaking with small business owners. What are they telling you? PAUL VERCAMMEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I'm here at a farmer's market

and they're telling me, Alex, they're getting pounded by the high gas price and other inflation pressures.

Let's talk about gas first. A record here in the greater Los Angeles area. It is $6.10 just under a gallon.

So think about what that does to for example here, Mommie Helen's Bakery. This is a family run operation, they come all the way from San Bernardino. It is a 134-mile round trip.

And among other signature dishes, for example, would be a peach cobbler. Well, that peach cobbler requires peaches and peaches, a can, have gone from $5.20 to well over $8.30.

And I want to bring in Bobbie, one of the owners here.

You've been doing this for 30 years with the gas prices, the prices of all of the ingredients, what is this going to your business.

BOBBIE ROSE, OWNER, THE ORIGINAL MOMMIE HELEN'S BAKERY: It is hurting the bottom line. You know, it is kind of like the prices that went up at least 25 percent, 30 percent.

VERCAMMEN: And I'd like to ask your daughter, Tedra, for you, you don't want to pass the costs on but you have to. And a lot of your customers in this neighborhood do not have a lot of disposable income.

TEDRA ROSE, OWNER, THE ORIGINAL MOMMIE HELEN'S BAKERY: Yes, very true. But with the rising cost of sugar and butter, which are the staples of our products, we have no choice but to, to survive.

VERCAMMEN: And let's look at one of the products. This is a rose berry cobbler. And we understand Oprah likes this. But for something like that, how much is the rose berry cobbler right now?

T. ROSE: Right now, they are $13.

VERCAMMEN: And they used to be?

T. ROSE: They used to be about $9.

VERCAMMEN: Thank you so much, Tedra and Bobbie.

They were telling me here that when you talk about the price of sugar alone, it is now for you about $50 -- for a 50-pound bag.

T. ROSE: For a 50-pound bag, it ranges between $31 to $36. And it used to be about $25.

VERCAMMEN: Thank you so much for taking time to explain to us.

So at this farmer's market, you could get an idea of how inflation is hitting them hard.

People here telling us they want to buy this good, fresh food but it impacted their bottom line. When they look at the costs over a course of a month.

So here at farmer's market in the Crenshaw district, a lot of stories people suffering because of the inflation led by those gas prices as you pointed out -- Alex?

MARQUARDT: Trickling very quickly into the goods and the food that we buy every single day.

Paul Vercammen, thank you very much for that report. And thanks to the people for speaking with you.

[13:34:21]

Now we're just days away from a major primary in Georgia pitting Donald Trump's candidate against Mike Pence's candidate. A live report on where that critical race stands. That is coming up next.

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MARQUARDT: This coming Tuesday, primary voters in a number of states will be heading to the polls and all eyes will be on Georgia.

The incumber governor there, Brian Kemp, is facing a primary challenge from the Trump-backed former Senator David Perdue. Then, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger is up against Representative Jody Hice, who has also been favored by Trump.

CNN's Eva McKend is in Atlanta.

Eva, a lot of the names very familiar. Georgia a focus after the 2020 election. Remember, Trump asked the secretary of state to find thousands of votes.

Now as we're saying, Trump has come out against both Governor Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensberger. Is that having an effect?

EVA MCKEND, CNN NATIONAL POLITICS REPORTER: Well, polling suggests that incumbent governor, Brian Kemp, is well positioned going into Tuesday, even though David Perdue, the former Senator, was not only endorsed by Trump, but really coaxed into running by Trump, something that undoubtedly holds currency in this Republican Party.

[13:40:08]

Perdue doesn't seem to be gaining the voters he needs solely by centering the election lie. It doesn't seem to be doing enough.

Governor Kemp has the corporation of the Republican state legislature and has been able to deliver on a number of conservative wins.

Meanwhile, on the Democratic side, less buzz. That's because Stacey Abrams, the Democratic candidate for governor, is running uncontested.

But Democratic voters tell us they are still paying attention.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) ROBYNE GORDON, GEORGIA VOTER: My ballot went completely Democrat. I want to see Raphael Warnock back in office, Stacey Abrams long overdue. Ready to start whatever that political path will be. On wards and upwards.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCKEND: Now there's the also closely watched race for secretary of state, where you mentioned Secretary of State Brad Raffensberger, he has a formidable challenger in Jody Hice.

In many ways, the election lie is on the ballot as well. We'll have to see if that does more for Hice than it seems to be doing for Perdue -- Alex?

MARQUARDT: The election lie is on the ballot. Absolutely.

Eva McKend, in Atlanta, Georgia, thank you very much.

Now to Pennsylvania Republican Senate primary is still too close to call after almost a week. Trump-backed Dr. Mehmet Oz, the TV doctor, is leading Dave McCormick by just over 1,000 votes.

CNN estimates there are fewer than 10,000 votes left to be counted. Most of those are absentee. David McCormick remains confident that those final ballots will tip in his favor.

CNN's Melanie Zanona joins me now.

Melanie, how likely is a recount to happen in this race given how close it is?

MELANIE ZANONA, CNN CAPITOL HILL REPORTER: This is almost certainly headed to a recount. Officially, we should know next week which there will be a recount that will be automatically triggered if the race is within half a percentage point.

But, unofficially, there's already a feeling behind the scenes among both campaigns that this is headed for a bruising drawn-out recount process. In fact, both teams have already started adding lawyers and experts who have experience in recounts and have experience in contesting elections.

And McCormick's campaign is signaling they're prepared to fight to every undated ballot counted in the Senate primary race.

This comes after a federal appeals court ruled last night in Philadelphia that every ballot that was submitted without a date on it must be counted in a local election from last November.

Now it is unclear whether that ruling will indeed apply to Senate primary race from Tuesday. It is also unclear how many undated ballots were submitted in this recent election.

But Oz's campaign is already weighing in. They say they're going to will oppose this effort from McCormick's legal team, who wants to ask for a hearing if the ballots are not counted.

Let me read you part of the statement from his campaign manager. Quote, "Unfortunately the McCormick legal team is following the Democrat's playbook, a tactic that could have long-term harmful consequences for the elections in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania."

So just a snapshot there of the type of fight that could come as both sides are gearing up for a potentially long battle here in Pennsylvania.

MARQUARDT: All right, that Republican Senate race in Pennsylvania, neck-and-neck.

Melanie Zanona, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, thank you so much.

Now still ahead, we will be live at the PGA championship where all eyes are on Tiger Woods after he rebounded and made the cut.

But first, this week's "TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRIS ALEXANDER, CO-OWNER, ON DEKALB: My name is Chris Alexander.

ALICIA FERGUSON, CO-OWNER, ON DEKALB: And I'm Alicia Ferguson.

ALEXANDER: And we're the owners of On Dekalb, which is a Wellness Inspired Coffee Shop.

FERGUSON: And BK Yoga Club, a black-women-owned body positive yoga studio in Brooklyn.

And what inspired us was just realizing there was a lack of representation in the area. Inclusion is at the center of this business.

But we have heard that people do come to our classes because of the diversity.

ALEXANDER: Beautiful, everyone.

FERGUSON: People of all backgrounds, all ages, all abilities and not incomes feel like they could be their full self-.

We're not preaching it. We're seeing it. There's a sense of belonging and a sense of community.

ALEXANDER: At the original location, we would have space to have tea and coffee and people would stay for like an hour or more after class. And so it just made sense to combine yoga with the coffee.

[13:45:01]

FERGUSON: Revenue wise, we're up 50 percent. Our attendance during COVID was at like a 20 percent occupancy rate. And so right now we're like maxing out of classes. ALEXANDER: The possibilities are endless and we're just going to keep

going.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:50:05]

MARQUARDT: CNN has learned that Rudy Giuliani met with the January 6th committee for more than nine hours on Friday. Guiliani was, of course, central in former President Trump's failed bid to overturn the 2020 election.

He had been subpoenaed by the committee back in January. He backed out of his original deposition but then finally sat down for a virtual interview this week.

The DOJ says it is intending to appeal a federal judge's blocking of the end of a controversial public health authority called Title 42.

Yesterday, a federal judge in Louisiana blocked the Biden administration from ending the pandemic restriction that came from the Trump era. It was just days before it was set to expire.

In early April, the CDC announced plans to terminate the order, stating that it was no longer necessary.

Title 42 allows officials to turn migrants away from the U.S./Mexico border to stop the spread of coronavirus. According to the CDC, under Title 42, authorities expelled migrants at the border more than 1.9 million times in just over two years.

Now switching to sports, one of golf's major tournaments is now in its home stretch with Tiger Woods, one of the sport's biggest stars, making the weekend cut.

Now, this comes one year after he survived a major car crash that many feared would end his career. Tiger Woods has defied the odds by not only returning to golf but he's playing so well that he made it into weekend rounds in back-to-back major tournaments.

CNN "WORLD SPORT" host, Don Riddell, is in Tulsa for the 104th PGA championship.

Don, great to see you.

Tiger shot one under par yesterday to make it into this weekend cut. How surprising that?

DON RIDDELL, CNN HOST, "WORLD SPORT": It was pretty surprising, Alex, given the way he had played on Thursday, which is very, very disappointing. He was much improved on Friday.

Remember, he arrived here in Tulsa saying he thought he could win this tournament, definitely was how he put it. And it is a huge achievement that he's made it to the weekend, especially when you consider the likes of the world's number one, Scotty Scheffler, did not.

However, that's where the good news ends. Right now, he's approaching the end of his third round and is having an absolute nightmare. He is flirting with one of the worst scores he's ever shot in a major championship.

His ball has been in the water. He's been all over the place. He had a triple bogey at one point, had five consecutive bogeys at one point. He didn't make a birdie until the 15th hole where he was kind of smirking about it, obviously realizing that things weren't going quite according to plan.

And for a man of his stature and everything that he's achieved, he really can't be having much fun. We know how much pain he plays through just to be able to compete. We know how much time and effort he has to spend getting his body warm and ready to play. It's a three- hour process.

The temperatures here have dropped dramatically from the last couple of days, where it was heat stroke. And I saw fans arriving with blankets this morning. That's how cold and chilly and wet and rainy it is now. Not an ideal situation for Tiger Woods to be playing in.

Clearly, the stamina to compete over four rounds is not something that has returned to him. Again, he's done very well, given the fact that he could have died in that car crash or even lost his leg in that car crash, to be competing in the weekend.

But you kind of get the sense he just wants this over with now. We've heard in the last few minutes that he's reducing his media commitments after the round. I think he just wants to get out of here as soon as possible.

MARQUARDT: I don't know how much comfort he takes in just being there, but it is incredibly remarkable that he is there so soon after that really tough car crash.

Don Riddell, in Tulsa, thank you so much.

Ford is recalling thousands of it cars because of concerns they could spontaneously catch on fire while they're parked and while they're turned off. We'll bring you those details coming up.

And we have a quick programming note. A new episode of "NOMAD," with Carlton McCoy, that's airing tomorrow night. He heads to the coastal nation of Ghana, off of West Africa's coast, to explore a country and a region that is experiencing a real renaissance.

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CARLTON MCCOY, HOST, "NOMAD": We're at Heavy Do (ph), a casual lunch spot, or chop house, found all over Ghana.

There are two specialties at this chop house. First up, palm nut soup. The fruit of the palm is boiled and crushed with turkey berry and smoked tilapia is added to finish the stew. The second is ground nut soup. Beef braised in palm oil, cooked down

with a broth infused with peanuts, a classic in Ghana and it's awesome.

[13:55:00]

This is the palm nut, you said?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

MCCOY: This is beautiful.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

MCCOY: It's nutty but not in the way like a peanut is.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Exactly.

MCCOY: It's more savory, almost like a Brazil nut is, sort of mild and starchy --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

MCCOY: -- and oily.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

MCCOY: It's like that.

You have a lot of starches. I want to try to learn every single one.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We have a lot of different starches. This is fou- fou.

MCCOY: Fou-fou is a West African mainstay. Boiled cassava root and plantains are pounded over and over again until a silky smooth dough with a surprisingly familiar texture.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MARQUARDT: That looks incredible.

You can catch the new episode 10:00 p.m. Eastern time tomorrow night right here on CNN.

We'll be right back.

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