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White House Announces Second Baby Formula Shipment In Partnership With FedEx; Biden Visits Tokyo Amid Tensions Over North Korea Weapons Tests; Biden Says U.S. Prepared For Anything North Korea Does; Over 10 Million Under Heat Advisories Across Northeast; Presumptive Monkeypox Case Detected In Florida; Jill Biden Visits Costa Rican Hospital During Latin America Tour; Johnny Depp's Defamation Case Against Ex-Wife Enters Its Final Week. Aired 6-7p ET

Aired May 22, 2022 - 18:00   ET

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

[18:00:23]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: What usually takes places in weeks was only done in about 72 hours. This will go directly to hospitals and to home healthcare facilities. This will likely be the first of many more of these flights.

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: He is here on the ground in Tokyo. He has a lot of meetings with world leaders ahead of him. One thing that remains to be seen is which countries exactly sign on to that economic framework?

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Given all of that, are you confident that the U.S. can avoid a recession?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There are always risks. But we feel very good about where the United States is particularly winning when you're upon a global landscape.

MARTHA RADDATZ, ABC NEWS: And let's talk about this monkeypox.

DR. ASHISH JHA, WHITE HOUSE COVID-19 RESPONSE COORDINATOR: I would not be surprised, Martha, if we see a few more cases in the upcoming days.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAMELA BROWN, CNN HOST: I'm Pamela Brown in Washington. You are live in the CNN NEWSROOM on this Sunday.

And we're following several major news stories for you in the next two hours, starting in Florida, where a suspected case of monkeypox has just been detected.

Also tonight baby formula flown in from Germany but the crisis is far from over for frustrated families being forced to ration supplies.

And meantime, CNN is traveling with President Biden in Asia, where there are concerns North Korea could stage another nuclear test during his trip.

And Pennsylvania Senate candidate John Fetterman more determined than ever to flip a Senate seat for Democrats after his primary and being discharged from the hospital.

Plus, Johnny Depp set to take the stand again in his defamation trial against his ex-wife Amber Heard.

And this just into CNN, the Biden administration announces a second "Operation Fly Formula" equipment is being put together in coordination with FedEx. Now the flight will bring 114 pallets of baby formula from Ramstein Air Base to Washington Dulles Airport. The exact timing will be announced later. But earlier today, the first shipment landed in Indianapolis carrying 35 tons of precious baby formula.

So it's a very specific and specialized formula meant only for children with certain severe allergies. And that means none of it will land on store shelves.

CNN's Polo Sandoval has more from Indianapolis.

SANDOVAL: Well, Pamela, this shipment is certainly going to be more than just a drop in the bucket. You're talking at least 35 tons of prescription baby formula that is meant to go to some of the most vulnerable babies, according to officials. This is product that was manufactured in Zurich, driven into Germany and then flown overnight by the Air Force's 521st Air Mobility Operations Wing here to Indianapolis, where it will now be distributed.

We heard from the Agricultural secretary earlier today, Tom Vilsack, who was on the tarmac as they were unloading this product, representing the Biden administration, and really hoping to send to parents that he hopes that this initial shipment will be the first of many more.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOM VILSACK, U.S. AGRICULTURE SECRETARY: Now, this shipment is going to essentially get off this cargo plane then the Federal Express folks are going to take it from there. They're going to deliver to a distribution center, that's the Nestle Gerber folks have here in Indiana. And then it's going to go on trucks and it's going to be delivered in hospitals and home healthcare clinics all across the country, providing support and health.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: Now the secretary adding that this particular shipment, it is hypoallergenic product for babies intolerant to protein found in cow's milk. So it's a very specialized kind of formula. He certainly has hopes that future shipments will be able to address the broader need, which is what we have heard from parents across the country. When will their grocery store shelves be fully stocked?

I had an opportunity to speak to the interim head of FedEx. That's basically one of the big partners in this effort. He meant to tell me, Pamela, that they are already expecting a flight later this week, possibly on Wednesday to arrive here from Europe and he hopes that that flight will contain more of that formula for other parents who are just desperate to be able to stock up on what they need to feed their children -- Pamela.

BROWN: All right. Polo Sandoval, thank you so much.

High stakes and rising tension as President Biden starts his day in Tokyo, Japan. It's just after 7:00 a.m. there. And hours from now he will unveil his administration's new economic framework for the region. The overarching goal, bolster the economic and national security of the U.S. and its Asian allies with a wary eye on China and its growing influence.

[18:05:03]

North Korea is also casting a long shadow over the president's visit. Kim Jong-un's regime may be preparing another nuclear test. One that could be carried out while President Biden is in the region. That is the concern.

M.J. Lee is traveling with the president and CNN's Will Ripley is following the very latest in North Korea. But let's begin with M.J. Lee in Tokyo.

M.J., it is Monday morning there, and the president's day is just beginning. What's on his schedule?

M.J. LEE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Pam, the president has an incredibly jampacked day today. He begins the morning by meeting with the Emperor of Japan at the Imperial Palace. And then we have this meeting with the prime minister of Japan. There's going to be a bilateral meeting followed by a press conference with reporters. And then there's an interesting scheduling event on his schedule.

It is going to be a meeting of families of Japanese citizens, of people abducted that were abducted by North Korea many years ago. This is just going to be one to watch and an interesting note in his day given the focus during this trip to Asia on issues related to North Korea. And then out later in the day, there is going to be a big event, where the president unveils this economic framework, this Indo- Pacific economic framework that they have been talking so much about.

The big question, of course, is which countries will ultimately end up signing on to this framework. And then later in the evening, there is going to be a dinner hosted by the prime minister.

Now, Pam, a lot of people have been asking during this trip to Asia, is the president finally sort of turning his attention fully to Asia because so much of his focus in terms of the foreign policy has been on the war in Ukraine. U.S. officials will always answer that question by saying they actually don't think those two things are separate, that they think that the war and the events over there have really shown that the U.S. alliance remains strong with some its key Asian allies. Now I just want to quickly make a pivot to one important domestic

issue for the president. Yesterday as he was leaving South Korea, my colleague Kaitlan Collins asked him about the monkeypox cases that we're seeing back at home and this is what he told her.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: But it is something that everybody should be concerned about. We're working on it hard to figure out what we do and what vaccine, if any, may be available for us. But it is a concern in the sense that if it were to spread, it is consequential.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEE: The remarks were notable because just a couple of days ago, the CDC had actually said that the public should not be very concerned. So right now, it's not really clear whether the president there was talking off the cuff or whether there was additional guidance that he was reflecting. But no question that once he returns home, this is going to be one of the many domestic issues that he keeps his eyes on.

BROWN: Yes. That was interesting because we also heard Dr. Ashish Jha this morning not expressing too much concern about it. He said there could be some more cases we see, and we are actually just learning that there's an extra one in Florida. But he seemed to, in a sense, not express the same kind of concern that we've heard, for example, COVID, saying it doesn't spread as rapidly.

All right, M.J. Lee, thank you so much.

And before departing South Korea enroute to Japan, President Biden was asked if he was concerned that North Korea could conduct its seventh underground nuclear test. Biden's response, quote, "We are prepared for anything North Korea does."

CNN's Will Ripley joins me now. So what's the very latest, Will?

WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, we're still waiting, Pamela, to see if that seventh underground nuclear test is going to happen. There have been, you know, increasingly powerful nuclear tests from North Korea at their Punggye-ri nuclear test site.

We can show they began back in 2016, and then happened over the years. There were actually two in 2016 including one just after former President Obama left the Indo-Pacific region and was heading back to the United States. And then the most recent nuclear test in 2017 caused a 6.3 magnitude earthquake. It moved part of a mountain and was felt in neighboring China.

Now U.S. intelligence does indicate that North Korea could be ready for this seventh underground nuclear test at any time and they could also be ready to launch possibly an intercontinental ballistic missile at any time. Certainly a very strong and provocative action to take while a United States president is visiting in the region. But I can tell you, Pamela, after covering North Korea for a number of

years, there have been many times that intelligence has indicated that something is going to happen. We wait, and we think it's going to happen, and then -- kind of we forget about it. That's when it happens. So really time will tell what North Korea and Kim Jong-un are planning to do. They certainly have a lot on their hands right now when it comes to COVID, that's for sure.

BROWN: Yes. And of course, there's speculation they may want to launch something to distract from the COVID outbreak going on there in North Korea. Tell us more about that.

RIPLEY: Well, you know, it's frustrating because there is no international or foreign observers in North Korea right now. Essentially all foreign diplomats and non-profits and non-governmental organizations have had to leave the country because of its hermetically-sealed borders during this COVID-19 pandemic.

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So when North Korean state media announced about a week ago they had this unprecedented outbreak of fever cases, which are widely believed to be undiagnosed COVID-19, there's great concern for the millions of North Koreans who are malnourished, who potentially be at very high risk of severe illness. And yet now here we are about a week later, North Korean state media is proclaiming victory over COVID-19, saying that their strategy of walking down the whole country and handing out painkillers and traditional remedies has essentially eradicated the virus or at least slowed the spread of the virus.

And even though they've had, you know, millions of cases, they're claiming their death toll is just 67. Hard to believe given what we've all experienced over the last two years of this pandemic and certainly there's a lot of nervousness and fear for the people of North Korea who are facing COVID-19 with no herd immunity right now.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RIPLEY (voice-over): The mood was triumphant, the crowd massive, most people not wearing masks. At last month's military parade in Pyongyang, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un promised to protect his people from hostile forces like the U.S. Protection from the virus that would soon ravage his unvaccinated population? Nonexistent.

Weeks later, a devastating fever, believed to be undiagnosed COVID-19, infecting and killing some of Pyongyang's most privileged citizens.

CHAD O'CARROLL, MANAGING DIRECTOR, NK NEWS: The military parade was a super spreader event. And we know that they flew in citizens from across North Korea.

RIPLEY: Some of those citizens from the Chinese border region, a place I visited five years ago. North Koreans are living a literal stone's throw away from the raging Omicron outbreak in China.

Beijing pledged to help Pyongyang battle the outbreak. The hermit kingdom's hermetically sealed border apparently breached by the highly contagious variant. Two years of pandemic isolation, two years of sacrifice gone in one parade.

O'CARROLL: That's the perfect Petri dish for this virus to spread. So I think that parade will go down in history as a very bad idea for North Korea.

RIPLEY: A colossal miscalculation and experts say the likely cause of North Korea's explosive outbreak. An unprecedented nationwide lockdown, skyrocketing infections and deaths, a dilapidated healthcare system on the verge of collapse, lacking even the most basic medicines and medical equipment. Millions of malnourished North Koreans at higher risk of severe infection.

O'CARROLL: I think it's going to test his leadership certainly and it's going to create some urgency for very creative storytelling in the North Korean propaganda apparatus.

RIPLEY: North Korean propaganda crucial to keeping the Kim family in power, even during times of crisis, like the deadly famine of the late 1990s, when citizens literally ate tree bark to survive. The Kims' rule over a police state that relies on heavy surveillance, restricted movement and brutal political prison camps.

LINA YOON, SENIOR KOREA RESEARCHER, HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH: They strengthen social controls because they had the fear that, you know, if there is an outbreak, if there is a crisis, that was what happened in the 1990s, that, you know, the police, the secret police, the military, they all went hungry.

RIPLEY: Now they're getting sick, state media says around two million fever cases in one week. A crisis of Kim's own creation, potentially devastating hardship for the North Korean people.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BROWN: Our thanks to Will Ripley.

And still to come this hour, a suspected monkeypox case now detected in Florida. Dr. Peter Hotez is here to tell us if we should be concerned, how it spread and what the symptoms are. He'll answer all those questions you have on your mind.

Also ahead, Johnny Depp set to take the stand again in his defamation trial against his ex-wife Amber Heard.

And CNN is traveling with First Lady Jill Biden as she visits a children's hospital in Costa Rica.

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:18:14]

BROWN: We are still a month away from the official start of summer. But much of the country is already sweltering like where I am here in Washington, D.C. 10 million people in the northeast alone are under heat advisories amid record-setting temperatures. But the good news here, a cool off is coming but so is the potential for severe storms.

Meteorologist Tom Sater joins me now.

Tom, there's also something swirling in the Gulf of Mexico and elevated fire risks in California. A lot going on.

TOM SATER, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Too much going on, Pamela. In fact it's interesting to note with this changing climate, everything that we experience weatherwise has been happening earlier and earlier. The drought settling earlier. The wild fire season as you mentioned is well ahead of schedule. Even the temperatures. We shouldn't be breaking hundreds of records already. This is mid-summer heat.

Here is the cold front, stretching the East Coast. It's been making its way across the country. Hundreds of records ahead of it. Current temperatures on the left. New York is 84. But it feels like 86. Many locations getting into the upper 90s in the heat index. But look at Washington, D.C.. You're at 72. You were at 90 just a little while ago. So that front is moving through.

Heat advisory up to the north. Again, this is only for a few more hours. This cold front will move offshore. And look at the temperature difference, from Albany at 91, will high at 74, Boston, 93 today and near highs in the low 60s. So it does mean business. In fact, when this cold front moved through Colorado, you know, you're 90 in Denver, then they have the eight to 10 inches of snowfall.

Here's the severe weather from Fairfax County, Virginia, up to the north. Remember deadly tornadoes, Gaylord, Michigan, earlier today up across the border. In Ottawa, we had a couple of fatalities with high winds so moving through Baltimore area right now. But we're watching the Gulf now. This is early. The last seven seasons, we've had a named storm in the month of May before the official start on June 1st.

[18:20:03]

Not a great chance of development. But all the elements are there. Heavy rainfall. And here we go, out west. Get ready. More high heat. In fact, Pamela, getting up to the triple digits in Sacramento, average high is 82. Mid-summer heat. Too early for this.

BROWN: Yes, not a good omen for what's to come this summer at all when it comes to heat. Woof. Tom Sater, thank you.

SATER: Sure.

BROWN: Well, Florida health officials say a person in Broward County is in isolation for a presumptive case of monkeypox. The rare disease is mostly found in West and Central Africa but additional cases have been reported in other parts of the world recently. Earlier this week a case of monkeypox was reported in Massachusetts. That patient recently traveled to Canada. And doctors say the Florida case is also related to international travel but offered few other details. And this all comes amid a rise in COVID-19 infections. Dr. Peter Hotez

joins me now from Houston. He is a professor and dean of the School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine.

All right. A lot of people have questions about this, Dr. Hotez, about this monkeypox. How concerned are you about it?

DR. PETER HOTEZ, DEAN OF TROPICAL MEDICINE, BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE: You know, I'm modestly concerned, Pamela. I mean, if you look at the total number of confirmed and suspected cases outside of Africa right now, you're talking around 200, maybe half of them in Spain and Portugal, and a handful in several other European countries, an outbreak that looks like it's happening in Montreal and about three suspected or confirmed cases in the U.S., in Massachusetts, New York and Florida. So we're talking very small numbers.

This is a virus that's not nearly as transmissible as something like COVID-19. It requires very close some people say face-to-face intimate contact. Transmissibility is way down. And it's important to remember that because it does have some resemblance to small pox, although it produces much less severe disease, we have all of these anti-viral drugs, at least two different anti-viral drugs and three different vaccines in our U.S. stockpile because we were concerned in the early 2000s about a small pox by a terrorist attack.

This is not related at all but it could probably be repurposed for monkeypox if we need it. So we're much better prepared for this than something like COVID-19.

BROWN: Well, that's good to hear, and I know we were showing some of the symptoms on our screen, but if you would walk us through what the symptoms are and the prognosis if you contract it.

HOTEZ: So it begins with fever, headache, back pain very much like a case of the flu, let's say. And so you might think you have the case of the flu. One of the early tip-offs that this is something different is big swollen lymph nodes under the chin, around the neck area. So what's called lymphadenopathy. In the one to three days you'd get a more characteristic rash that begins almost looking like a chicken pox rash but then becomes more pustular in nature.

So if you do have fever and rash, you certainly want to seek medical attention, call your physician and get seen and the case of the possibility that it is a case of monkeypox is as I say extremely rare right now. But we're going to watch it and see if new outbreaks begin, and if so, whether those individuals who have contact with an infected case weren't getting vaccinated in deploying the vaccine.

And I think that's going to be the approach we're looking at in the coming days. Hopefully, this will eventually burn out. It won't be able to sustain itself. But it wouldn't surprise me if we see additional cases pop up in the United States and of course elsewhere, in North America and Europe.

BROWN: Yes. Just what we need as we're going through another COVID surge in parts of the country. Wow. Dr. Peter Hotez, thank you so much.

HOTEZ: Thanks, Pam.

BROWN: And you are in the CNN NEWSROOM on this Sunday. As President Biden travels through Asia, the first lady is on a trip of her own to Latin America. We are live in Costa Rica. Plus the final week of testimony begins tomorrow when the defamation suit between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard, what should we watch out for? Former prosecutor Loni Coombs joins us next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:28:38]

BROWN: Well, Jill Biden continues her Latin American tour today visiting a children's hospital in Costa Rica. She was in Ecuador and Panama earlier this week.

CNN's Kate Bennett joins me now from San Jose, Costa Rica.

So, Kate, how influential has the first lady been on this tour of Latin America?

KATE BENNETT, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: She's been very influential. I mean, this is a part of the world where President Biden has yet to visit. It's a part of the world that feels sort of marginalized by this administration, if you will. So Jill Biden has practiced some soft diplomacy that really first ladies do quite well. She especially in Ecuador, she shored up some partnerships. She met with the president.

In Panama yesterday, she also touted the benefits of having this relationship with the United States. So when things go wrong, like the pandemic or other global infrastructure seems to be failing, that the partnership and the bond between these allies is strong. She announced another $80 million for PEPFAR, which is the HIV-AIDS program sponsored by the United States for this part of the world. $12 million for Panama alone.

And as you said, today she was at a children's hospital here in San Jose where she talked about the importance of the United States-Latin American partnership. There is now going to be a significant research and treatment for children's cancer.

[18:30:01]

Obviously, a topic very close to her and the president having lost their son Beau to cancer with the children's hospital here, with the public health authority here in Costa Rica. So she's basically reminding people on this goodwill tour that there's a lot of diplomacy that goes into these visits, behind the scenes, there are talks on the margins about things like migration and immigration. There's talk of course of the upcoming Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles, which has already been embroiled in some controversy. She is wanting to talk to these presidents about why coming to that

summit is going to be so important. Certainly, she's definitely spent a lot of time. We've had a lot of events at schools and hospitals, and with the local government on this trip. And she returns to Washington tomorrow -- Pamela.

BROWN: All right. Kate Bennett, thanks so much.

I want to turn now to Hollywood, where the final week of the Johnny Depp and Amber Heard trial starts tomorrow. And it all culminates on May 27th when the judge says she wants jury deliberations to begin.

I want to bring in CNN legal analyst Loni Coombs to catch us up to speed on what happened last week. Some very compelling testimony came from Heard's sister. Let's take a listen to that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WHITNEY HENRIQUEZ, AMBER HEARD'S SISTER: I'm facing Amber. He comes up behind me, strikes me in the back, kind of just somewhere over there. He strikes me in the back. I hear Amber shout, don't his my (EXPLETIVE DELETED) sister. She smacks him, lands one. By that time, Johnny had already grabbed Amber by the hair with one hand and was whacking her repeatedly in the face with the other.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: Loni, she's claiming Johnny Depp hit both of them. How important was this testimony no Amber's case?

LONI COOMBS, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Yes, great to be with you, Pam. So this witness Whitney was one of the corroborating witnesses that Amber Heard's team put on this week. It's a very important part of her testimony in her case because we have Amber Heard's testimony about these incidents, but now we have these other kind of what we call fresh complaint witnesses, people that Amber talked to about this when it was going on or saw injuries. And Whitney, herself, was actually there a part of one of these incidents.

So we have Whitney, we have friends who are living there, who saw the injuries, saw the damage to the apartment, heard the fights going on. We have a former acting coach, who said that Amber would tell her all the time about how volatile the relationship was, and she saw bruises. We had a make-up artist who said she had to cover bruises on Amber's face for an event that were caused allegedly by Johnny Depp.

We even had one of Johnny Depp's longtime friends from childhood who said yes, this is a very volatile relationship and he saw bruises on Amber as well. So the more corroboration that Amber Heard's team can put on to bolster her allegations of abuse, the stronger her case gets.

BROWN: And there was a lot of focus this week on Johnny Depp's substance abuse and unprofessionalism. We heard from many former associates of his. Let's listen to that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOEL MANDEL, JOHNNY DEPP'S FORMER BUSINESS MANAGER: It became clear over time that there were issues with alcohol and drugs.

ELLEN BARKIN, ACTRESS: Mr. Depp threw a wine bottle across the room, the hotel room on once instance in Las Vegas.

TRACEY JACOBS, JOHNNY DEPP'S FORMER AGENT: His star had dimmed due to getting harder to get him jobs, given the reputation that he had acquired due to his lateness and other things.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: So how does all of this play into a defamation case? And most of this trial has been focused on alleged domestic violence.

COOMBS: That's right. So there's three elements that have to be proven in a defamation case. The first is whether the statements made was true or false. And that's why we're talking about the abuse because she alleged that she was a public figure for domestic abuse, was that true? But Johnny Depp also has to prove that, two, she made it with malice and three, that those statements actually damaged his career.

So we're hearing about the substance abuse. Now not in the area of whether that caused and led to physical abuse. But was that the reason why his career was damaged? And there were two witnesses that her team put on, Amber Heard's team put on, that were very significant. One was that talent agent that we heard, who was Johnny Depp's agent for his entire career and she said, look, I helped make him the biggest movie star in the world.

But before the op-ed ever came out, his career was going down. I was having a hard time getting him jobs because of his own professional behavior. He was always late to set, which of course costs time and money, and also he was struggling with his addictions and people knew that. So it was hard to get him jobs. And they called a Disney exec who said, look, the fact that we didn't use him on "Pirates 6" had nothing to do with the op-ed. That did not enter into our decisions.

We didn't talk about that. So this is going to Amber Heard's team saying, look, even if the op-ed was, you know, false, it didn't damage his career, it was his own behavior that damaged his career. And that's why the case should fail for Johnny Depp.

BROWN: All right. Thank you so much, Loni. Appreciate it.

And you are in the CNN NEWSROOM on this Sunday.

[18:35:01]

As the government struggles to fix the baby formula shortage, fellow moms, dads, and caregivers are teaming up to fill the void and crowd source formula. I speak to one of those moms next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:40:21]

BROWN: More now in the nation's ongoing baby formula crisis. The first shipment from Operation Fly Formula brought 35 tons of baby formula today from Germany to Indianapolis. But it's only enough for 9,000 babies and 18,000 toddlers for one week and it's meant only for children with certain allergies. So none of it will actually end up on store shelves.

And in the meantime, moms, dads and caregivers across the country are turning to social media to crowd source formula. One Facebook group in Tennessee is working to link people who may have extra formula with people who desperately need it for their babies.

Joining me now, Alexandra Bolger, a mom herself and part of this Tennessee crowd sourcing effort.

Welcome, Alexandra, to you and your precious baby boy DJ. Tell us a little bit about what you have been through personally and when you first realize this crisis was upon us when it comes to baby formula?

ALEXANDRA BOLGER, MOTHER HELPING CAREGIVERS FIND BABY FORMULA: Well, I started realizing that it was a crisis about a couple of months ago when I was starting to have trouble finding his formula. I had to drive anywhere up to three hours away for me to be able to find the formula that he needed. I'm on WIC so I would have to contact WIC and say, hey, can you change the formula so that way I can get formula?

We've had to change a couple of times because of that. So when that started becoming an issue, I then and my friends had trouble finding formula. I realized that we needed a central place to be able to go and say, hey, if you see this formula, can you let me know? Or, hey, I have extra formula and who needs it or who needs this kind? And it just kind of took off from there.

BROWN: Well, it's incredible. I was looking at the Facebook page today. And it's just incredible to see how many moms are posting on there saying, hey, urgent. I really need formula. And then other moms are pitching in. Offering their help. It's an incredible effort.

And just to point out to our viewers, WIC is that special supplement nutrition program for low-income parents. And it's a program that I believe, if I recall correctly, about half of all the formula go to WIC recipients like yourself.

Tell me a little bit more about the reaction you've received from that Facebook page and how much help is being offered on there for moms in need.

BOLGER: Well, I've gotten a lot of positive reaction. And I'm super happy about it because I've had people from out of state, across the state, all gathered together and say, hey, look, I have this formula or someone else will say I'm completely out. And it's the middle of the night. And everyone just kind of jumps in and goes, OK. Look, I found this here. I have a can. Can we meet up? So it's really, really been super helpful, especially for those who really, really needed it and who are on special formula. BROWN: This is a critical problem for a lot of parents and caregivers.

Just this week in Memphis, a toddler and preschooler were hospitalized because their specially formula was out of stock. And clearly, there is a lot of people posting on this Facebook page needing help. How many people do you know in desperate straits? Help us better understand the scope of this problem just from your personal experience?

BOLGER: Well, just from my personal experience, I've come across maybe about five or 10 people who are completely desperate, completely out, having to turn to pediatrician, WIC, in some cases even the hospitals to be able to try to get formulas. But this group alone has as of today 461 members, most of which have kids. Most of which are needing formula and are trying to get together with someone to try to either locate it, keep eyes opened, or even thankfully for a lot of people just share.

There have been a couple of people that have gone on there and said, hey, look, I am at the store. They sell this, and sometimes they kind of order online. People have offered to thankfully purchase it and then either give it away or purchase it and ship it and people can send the money to them. So that's been helpful. But it really, it's only getting worse.

BROWN: Yes.

BOLGER: And I'm just grateful that there are people out there that are willing to be able to step up and understand the crisis. Some even without kids and say, hey, look, we can be a second set of eyes to help these people find formula.

[18:45:04]

BROWN: Yes. It's incredible to see how people have pulled together.

Alexandra, thank you. DJ, it seems like he's got a lot on his mind that he wants to share about this formula crisis.

BOLGER: Yes.

(LAUGHTER)

BROWN: But thank you so much for coming on. And best of luck to you and great work trying to help in this horrible situation for so many parents out there.

BOLGER: Thank you for having me. I really do appreciate it.

BROWN: And this just into CNN. The Biden White House says it will use the Defense Production Act to help two formula makers Abbott Nutrition and Reckitt get the ingredients they need faster to make formula.

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM on this Sunday. Still to come, several stars saying good night to "Saturday Night Live."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [18:50:16]

BROWN: This weekend on the all-new CNN Original Series "NOMAD WITH CARLTON MCCOY," the renowned chef, master sommelier and expert traveler takes us to the nation of Ghana. And earlier, I had a chance to talk to Carlton about his adventure on the West African Coast.

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BROWN: Well, Carlton, right out of the gate, viewers of this episode are hit with the sense that there is a lot going on in Ghana with the food, the economy, the art, the politics. There's a very dynamic energy. What is at the heart of all of this activity?

CARLTON MCCOY, HOST, "NOMAD WITH CARLTON MCCOY": I think it's part of the identity of the people. You know, when you often think of West Africa and Africa in general what's often projected in the U.S., you know, is this sort of impoverished, sort of downtrodden parts of the continent but Ghana has a very different energy where, you know, they're very much focused on, you know, learning and investing back in their own country, to build it.

BROWN: And on your arrival in Ghana, you say the country feels both foreign and familiar at the same time. You notice a lot of similarities between the African-American culture there and the culture in Ghana.

MCCOY: Yes.

BROWN: Tell us more about that.

MCCOY: Well, you know, I think we, you know, we're very fortunate to have, you know, series like "High on the Hog" and when you can sort of see that connection but there's a difference when you actually go there, and you're eating the food and you see ingredients that you have been raised, you know, eating your entire life. And then the music obviously. You know, the sort of Afro beats genre that sort of this convergence between Afro beat and hip-hop. You know, you walk down the street and the smells are similar and the music is very similar and it does in a sense make you feel at home even if you don't understand the language.

BROWN: Yes. And you also speak to a popular radio host who tells you one thing that sets Ghana apart from its neighbors is that it's modernized without Westernizing.

MCCOY: Yes.

BROWN: What did you meant by that and did you see evidence of it during your visit?

MCCOY: When outside investment comes into a country especially a country that hasn't had it, you often see this very abrupt transformation where you lose a lot of the native traditions and that's often the sacrifice you make to have that investment as you build your own economy, and I think again another way that Ghana is very unique is they have strike this incredible balance between trying to modernize where that leads and build their economy but hold really true to a lot of the tradition they have.

You notice in that scene, you know, we're sitting in a really nice restaurant. Sort of a power lunch spot (INAUDIBLE). And people there in suits eating with their hands. It is not because they can't afford silverware, it's because that's how they traditionally eat. To me it was like eyes wide open, you know, walking through the markets. I love exploring markets whenever I go anywhere. It's a great opportunity to see how people interact with each other.

BROWN: Yes. Those people that I know from Ghana are just like the best people, they are just the kindest people, the warmest heart. They're so great.

MCCOY: Yes.

BROWN: Lucky you that you got to do this. All right, Carlton, thank you so much.

MCCOY: Yes.

BROWN: And the all-new episode of "NOMAD WITH CARLTON MCCOY" airs tonight at 10:00 Eastern, only on CNN.

Well, "Saturday Night Live" is saying good-bye to some beloved cast members. We're going to show you some of the sweet sendoffs next.

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KATE MCKINNON, COMEDIAN: Well, Earth, I love you. Thanks for letting me stay a while. Live from New York, it's Saturday Night.

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BROWN: "SNL" saying good-bye to some beloved cast members including Kate McKinnon who brought back an iconic character, kidnapped by aliens in that opening sketch there.

Also saying good-bye last night Pete Davidson who reminded us how he basically grew up on the show.

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PETE DAVIDSON, COMEDIAN: I never imagined this would be my life. You know, I mean, look at me when I started here. Like back then I was like a skinny kid and no one knew what race I was. And like now everyone knows I'm white because I became hugely successful while barely showing up to work.

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BROWN: And fellow cast member Aidy Bryant also got a sweet sendoff during "Weekend Update."

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AIDY BRYANT, COMEDIAN: Future trends.

BOWEN YANG, COMEDIAN: Future trends.

BRYANT: In. Ten nice years.

YANG: In, a friend I couldn't have done this without.

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BROWN: Kyle Mooney is among the other "SNL" cast members expected to leave, too. Last night's show marked the end of season 47.

Your next hour of CNN NEWSROOM starts right now.

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SANDOVAL: What usually takes place in weeks was only done in about 72 hours and this will go directly to hospitals and to home healthcare facilities.