The Latest: Trump administration says SNAP will be partially funded after judges' rulings

President Donald Trump’s administration said Monday that it will partially fund SNAP after a pair of judges’ rulings required it to keep the food aid program running.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture had planned to freeze payments to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program starting Nov. 1 because it said it could no longer keep funding it due to the shutdown. The program serves about 1 in 8 Americans and is a major piece of the nation’s social safety net. It costs about $8 billion per month nationally.

It’s not clear how much beneficiaries will receive, nor how quickly beneficiaries will see value show up on the debit cards they use to buy groceries. The process of loading the SNAP cards, which involves steps by state and federal government agencies and vendors, can take up to two weeks in some states. The average monthly benefit is usually about $190 per person.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees the nation’s largest food program, said last month that benefits for November wouldn’t be paid out due to the federal government shutdown. That set off a scramble by food banks, state governments and the nearly 42 million Americans who receive the aid to find ways to ensure access to groceries.

The Latest:

Trump urges voters to back Republicans in Virginia elections without endorsing GOP governor candidate

In a tele-town hall, Trump said Virginians should “vote for Republicans up and down the ballot” and doubled down on his support for Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares. Despite throwing barbs at Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic candidate for governor, the president avoided key opportunities to fully endorse Republican Winsome Earle-Sears by name. Earle-Sears did not speak during the call.

“Republicans will bring back everything that you want,” Trump said. “You’re going to have crime way down. You’re going to have energy way down.”

Virginia Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who is term-limited, seemingly attempted to shift the conversation back to Earle-Sears after the president ended his remarks.

“My friends, this is a moment for us to stand strong as Virginians … and vote Republican down the line,” Youngkin said. “Winsome, John Reid, Jason Miyares and for the delegate in your district.”

YouTube TV responds to Disney’s Election Day request

Amid their ongoing carriage dispute, YouTube TV says that Disney’s request to temporarily bring ABC back to its platform for Election Day would cause customer confusion — and is instead proposing that the entertainment giant agrees to immediately restore both ABC and ESPN while the two sides continue negotiations.

“Publicly resorting to the same tactic that Disney relied on in past disputes fails to acknowledge the distinction between YouTube and other distribution platforms,” Google-owned YouTube said in an email to Disney leadership, which it also published online.

YouTube noted that Disney can continue to livestream news content on its own YouTube pages. It also said that the “vast majority” of YouTube TV subscribers chose not to watch ABC the last two U.S. election days.

Trump endorses Cuomo, threatens to withhold federal funds from New York if Mamdani wins

The president in a social media post on the eve of New York City’s election said voters “really have no choice” but to support independent candidate and former Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who was a high-profile foe of Trump’s during the president’s first term.

“You must vote for him, and hope he does a fantastic job,” Trump said.

He trashed Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani in the post and predicted the demise of the nation’s largest city if he wins. If that happens, Trump said it is “highly unlikely” he will be sending federal funds to New York City.

But Trump has already sought to block or slash federal funds going to the city related to counterterrorism initiatives and grants aimed at addressing the costs of migrants. He’s also suspended funding some infrastructure projects during the government shutdown and suggested he may make the hold permanent.

Trump administration provides an infusion for WIC

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children received an additional $450 million in funding, according to a senior administration official who spoke Monday on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the decision publicly.

The WIC program helps low-income mothers buy nutritious staples.

Last month, some states warned they only had enough money to operate their WIC programs until mid-November because of the government shutdown. The administration last month reallocated $300 million in unspent tariff revenue to keep the program running.

Politico first reported on the funding Monday afternoon.