Overview
- USDA officials say funds have “run dry” and that the agency cannot legally use a roughly $5–6 billion contingency reserve for routine November SNAP issuances, putting about 40–42 million people at risk without new appropriations.
- California filed suit in federal court with more than two dozen states and several governors seeking to compel continued benefits, arguing the USDA can tap emergency funds despite the shutdown.
- States outline steep local impacts beginning Nov. 1, including nearly 170,000 Mainers, about 400,000 Connecticut residents, and more than 140,000 Central Texans facing a pause in monthly aid.
- Food banks and pantries from South Jersey to Louisiana and Texas report rising demand and thinning inventories, and many are extending hours, coordinating with partners, and asking for donations.
- Restaurants, shops, and churches in communities from the Bay Area to Knoxville and San Antonio are offering free or discounted meals to EBT cardholders as an interim backstop.