As the government shutdown stretched into day 34, the Trump administration moved to provide partial relief to nearly 42 million SNAP recipients, saying the USDA will tap contingency funds to load about 50% of usual benefits. The shift came in a court filing after a Rhode Island federal judge, John McConnell, ordered the government to make money available, rejecting its earlier legal stance as arbitrary. Officials warned payments could be delayed until at least Wednesday and longer in some states, where food banks saw long lines and emergency measures were enacted.

Prepared by Lauren Mitchell and reviewed by editorial team.