Social Impact & Humanitarian Crisis - The government shutdown is causing a "man-made emergency," leading to scenes reminiscent of natural disasters where food banks are overwhelmed [2] - Hundreds of people in Houston are at risk of losing SNAP benefits and are lining up for food assistance [1] - The Houston Texans are partnering with the local food bank to provide food for 5,000 families, but this only addresses a fraction of the overall need [1] - In Texas, over 3 million people rely on SNAP benefits, with half of them being children [1] Economic Hardship & Government Policy - The government shutdown is negatively impacting individuals and families who are working hard and trying to provide for their children [3] - The loss of SNAP benefits is causing hardship for many, highlighting the importance of government assistance for vulnerable populations [3]

Joining us now, we've got Megan Hayes, former special assistant to President Biden and Mora Glasby, founder of Blue Stack Strategies and previous adviser to former House Speaker John Boehner. Megan, I want to start with you. Why did the administration wait until being told by a court that they needed to do the SNAP funding, saying that they need legal guidance when they've already moved money around to pay for other things, including apparently this private donation they're saying is going to help pay the m ...

Joining us next is former US Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sibilia. Secretary, it's nice to see you. I don't believe we've spoken since the last time you were uh in office.Uh I want to ask you about the other big factor, we're just talking about food and SNAP benefits, but the other thing that's stressing out already stressed out American families is open enrollment for the Affordable Care Act kicks in today for millions of recipients who are now facing the largest increase in cost since t ...

Government Shutdown & Political Landscape - Discussions to reopen the government are occurring, potentially through bottom-up efforts due to disruptions like travel interference and SNAP/WIC benefit concerns [1] - The speaker suggests two potential solutions to the government shutdown: reducing the threshold from 60 to 50 votes (nuclear option) or engaging in genuine negotiations regarding the Affordable Care Act [2] - The House of Representatives, under current leadership, has not completed the 12 appropriations bills, which could alleviate the need for continuing resolutions and allow government departments to resume operations [3][4] SNAP Benefits & Economic Factors - A federal judge ordered the continuation of SNAP benefits during the shutdown, impacting 42 million Americans, including 35 million in Texas [5] - The speaker agrees that too many Americans rely on SNAP benefits, attributing it to factors like low minimum wage ($7) and the prevalence of the working poor [6][7] - The speaker claims the country has seen a loss of 1 million jobs in the early months of the current administration [8] - The speaker highlights the disparity between the increasing wealth of billionaires and the struggles of those relying on food banks and SNAP/EBT cards, with 55% of SNAP users being families with children [10][11] Healthcare & Insurance Coverage - The Kaiser Family Foundation estimates that 17% of Texas' population lacked health insurance coverage in 2024, and over 1 million could become uninsured if subsidies expire [12] - The lack of health insurance coverage leads to increased emergency room visits, ultimately raising insurance premiums for everyone [14][15] Potential Senate Run - The speaker is considering a run for Senate in Texas, a state that hasn't elected a Democrat statewide in over 30 years [16] - The decision hinges on the ability to expand the electorate and engage people who haven't previously been involved in politics [17][18]

We're here outside a food bank in Los Angeles. You can see the long line of people here right now that are lining up to get food assistance. This is what we've seen across LA and across the country as the government shutdown has put SNAP benefits in jeopardy for 42 million Americans.On Friday, a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to distribute payments as soon as possible. President Trump said that he's going to ask the court how the government can legally fund that program during the shutdown. ...

National Guard Deployment & Legal Challenges - The Pentagon has ordered the training of over 23,000 National Guard troops for civil unrest missions nationwide [1] - National Guard deployments have occurred in five US cities, sparking legal challenges from Democratic governors [3] - A federal judge is set to rule on the constitutionality of troop deployment in Portland, Oregon, with a likely appeal to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals [4] - The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals is reconsidering the deployment of the National Guard to Oregon [11] Insurrection Act & Presidential Authority - The president is signaling a potential workaround by invoking the Insurrection Act [4] - The president's insistence on normalizing the use of the US military on American streets is viewed as unusual and potentially unconstitutional [7][8] - Democratic attorneys general are prepared to challenge any presidential workaround in court to uphold American values [9] - Concerns exist that the president may invoke the Insurrection Act if legal challenges to troop deployments fail [18][19] Food Emergency & SNAP Benefits - Oregon's governor declared a food emergency, directing $5 million to food banks due to federal shutdown cuts to SNAP benefits [23] - 177% of Oregon's population relies on SNAP benefits, according to USDA numbers from 2024 [23] - Concerns are raised that the president may use the food emergency to disproportionately harm Democrats [24]

President Trump has the power to keep 42 million Americans on food assistance, but so far he's refusing to release the money. On Saturday, those Americans will lose food aid known as SNAP benefits because of the shutdown. The administration is basically saying their hands are tied and there's nothing they can do about it. But that's not true. We know because Trump funded these benefits in a previous shutdown during his first term. In that shutdown, his administration took money from an expired government fu ...

Food security is so important and vital for everyone. For the president to say that these are Democrats that it affects. Uh all our data shows that more people that are Republicans in red states in red rural counties are more SNAP recipients than anywhere else.But it doesn't matter. Everyone needs to eat. And if we have all paid federal tax dollars out of our paychecks, out of our corporate taxes, all of these go to the federal government.They've already been funded. He just has to press the button to make ...

with something that matters um whether Donald Trump wants you to know about it or not. Uh food assistance in the United States is now about to expire tonight because of a government shutdown. And while this is not the first time we've heard parties blame each other for the shutdown and this has happened before, Donald Trump is not uniquely unprecedented in presiding over one.It is a fact that the Republicans control the White House and Congress. And it's also a fact that Donald Trump promised above all else ...

To his first about the ruling from these two judges today and the extent to which SNAP benefits will be or not be made whole on this government shutdown. I mean, we have to start off that. We need to get here.Right. You shouldn't need to have to sue the administration to do its job. You know, national organizations and advocates have been calling for USDA to issue these contingency research funding.And we are thrilled at what both judges, both in the Massachusetts and Rhode Island. But the two separate laws ...