The Trump administration asked a federal appeals court to halt a judge’s order requiring full November SNAP payments during the shutdown, even as USDA told states it was working to release funds Friday. California and Wisconsin reported some households already received full benefits, but some recipients still faced empty accounts and confusion. Judges recently barred the government from skipping November entirely; Thursday’s order demanded full payments, which DOJ called unconstitutional. States diverged: some sent partial aid or awaited guidance, while Delaware and Connecticut deployed state dollars to cover benefits.

Prepared by Lauren Mitchell and reviewed by editorial team.