Overview
- U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani indicated she is likely to require the USDA to use emergency funds for November SNAP, with a ruling expected after Thursday’s hearing in Boston.
- The USDA says it cannot access roughly $5–6 billion in contingency reserves during the shutdown and has warned that no benefits will be issued on Nov. 1.
- About 42–44 million people—approximately one in eight Americans—stand to miss monthly food assistance, a gap food banks say they cannot absorb.
- New York declared a state of emergency and directed $65 million to food aid, joining states such as Virginia and Oregon in deploying money and operational support for food banks and pantries.
- Twenty-five states and Washington, D.C., sued to force use of reserves that cover only part of the roughly $8–9 billion needed for a full month, and the USDA has told states it will not reimburse any benefits they front.