Annie Lowrey explores the administrative burdens people face applying for government benefits. It's not just about wasted time: "When the government treats us like this, we don't trust it," she says.
SNAP, also known as food stamps, has seen a rapid and consistent participation decline since last July. The drop comes as the program faces historic cuts and changes.
Nutrition advocates and public health experts are mystified by the decision to eliminate SNAP-Ed, given the Trump administration's embrace of the Make America Healthy Again agenda.
On the June 25 edition: Prosecutors secure an indictment in a drone prison-smuggling case; Senator Warnock has harsh words for President Trump after a signing ceremony for his housing bill was cancelled; And the new mandatory three-minute hydration breaks for FIFA World Cup players is yielding benefits.
Brooke Rollins has made a case for sweeping changes to food aid programs by claiming USDA has uncovered "massive fraud." But she and USDA haven't provided the underlying data or any evidence.
During the government shutdown, disruptions in food aid rippled across reservations. Both residents and tribal officials had to make tough choices, and are still feeling the financial impacts.
President Trump signed a bill reopening the government Wednesday night, but it will take more than a day for some things to return to business as usual. We're tracking those here.
The food pantry at Brashear High School is open once a week, and each student gets about five minutes to shop. Any snacks they don't take often go to teachers, to offer to hungry pupils.
The Capital Area Food Bank in Washington, D.C., says it's allotted an extra 1 million meals for November, given the uncertainties about whether and when SNAP recipients will get their full benefits.
The high court's decision keeps in place a chaotic situation. People who depend on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in some states have received their full monthly allocations, while others have received nothing.
The Trump administration late Saturday directed states that they must "immediately undo" any actions they have made to provide full benefits to low-income families via SNAP.
At one food pantry in Boston, the spike in demand means there's now a two-week wait for some to receive food, stressing needy families as well as pantry staff.
