Shutdown Threatens SNAP Benefits; Walz Pledges $4M

The USDA warned that if the federal government shutdown continues into November, SNAP benefits will not be issued on Nov. 1, threatening food aid for roughly 42 million Americans, including millions of children, seniors and working families. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz announced $4 million in one-time emergency funding to be distributed to about 300 food shelves and Tribal Nations as a temporary bridge. Private and nonprofit responses include DoorDash's "Emergency Food Response," pledging the equivalent of 1 million free meals, fee-free grocery delivery for an estimated 300,000 SNAP orders through Project DASH, and donations from DashMart and retail partners, while food banks report surging demand. Some states are acting differently: Mississippi warned residents to stock up and said it will not fund SNAP, while California is mobilizing state resources to assist food banks. Hunger groups warned these private-sector measures cannot replace federal SNAP funding, and officials say contingency funds cannot legally be used to cover SNAP without congressional action as political leaders traded blame over the shutdown.