After two weeks of confusion amid the government shutdown, a federal judge in Rhode Island ordered the Trump administration to deliver full SNAP payments to states by Friday. U.S. District Judge John McConnell said officials must draw on Section 32 child nutrition funds in addition to contingency money, rejecting a plan to cover only about 65% and warning that people will go hungry and food banks are strained. The ruling follows a Democracy Forward lawsuit after USDA signaled November benefits would halt, as families report missed reloads, skipped meals, and mounting pressure to pay bills.

Prepared by Lauren Mitchell and reviewed by editorial team.