NPR News: 11-01-2025 11PM EDT
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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Dan Ronan. The government's anti-hunger program known as SNAP is on hold as 42 million Americans have not received their federal assistance to buy groceries. This comes despite two federal judges ruling Friday the funds must be dispersed. President Trump Friday said he's open to keeping SNAP running, but it's not clear when that could happen.
What is the status of the SNAP program and its impact on Americans?
NPR's Jennifer Ludden reports.
The administration pointed out that, look, Congress did not pass a budget before this shutdown happened, so there was not enough money for SNAP. There was really no money allocated for the agency that oversees it. And they argued on top of that that they did not have legal authority to tap contingency funds anymore. saying those are meant for things like natural disasters. Now, two judges yesterday rejected that. They said Congress did provide more than $5 billion in emergency funds for exactly this kind of situation, and the administration not only can use that money, it must.
Across the country, Saturday long lines formed at food pantries as community organizations try to make up some of the slack because of the snap delay. The government shutdown also impacted a program that helps millions of households pay their home heating bills. In normal years, billions of dollars are dispersed to the states by October or November. The benefits should kick in today. It's unclear when they will become available. From Member Station WBUR, Miriam Wasser reports.
The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program. better known as LIHEAP, helps more than 6 million households in the country. But this year, with no federal spending bill in place, states are entering the winter heating season without new funding. Mark Wolf leads the National Energy Assistance Directors Association, a group that represents state agencies that administer LIHEAP.
People won't turn on their furnace. They'll be afraid of the bill. This has happened before. People die. They go to hospitals. These programs not only help people pay their bills, but it helps them thrive.
Wolf says some states have a little money left over from last year, but it's not enough to help everyone. For NPR News, I'm Miriam Wasser in Boston.
Candidates are making their closing arguments in New York City's fierce mayoral race this weekend, with former Governor Andrew Cuomo facing accusations he's turned the race negative.
Polls show Cuomo lagging by double-digit margins, and he's tried to catch up to Mamdani by suggesting the frontrunner would make New York City less safe. Cuomo's attacks drew a rebuke from Reverend Al Sharpton, who appeared at an event with Mamdani Saturday. Don't play us against each other, Sharpton said, though he stopped short of endorsing Mamdani, who would be the city's first Muslim mayor. At a stop with a small crowd in Queens, Cuomo said he still has a shot. New Yorkers are turning out in ways we've never seen before. I think they are frightened of a Mamdani mayoralty. Mamdani has mostly stuck to a more upbeat message, promising to address high rents and other affordability issues. And this is NPR News.
At the World Series, the deciding Game 7 is underway in Toronto at the Rogers Centre. It's a good one. Currently in the eighth inning, Toronto leads the Los Angeles Dodgers. The score is 4-3. Tanzania's President Shamia Shuluhu Hassan has been declared the winner of the country's presidential elections on Wednesday. However, as Michael Koloke reports, the East African nation has witnessed a series of protests since the polls were held Wednesday.
Earlier this week, Tanzania's electoral commission said that Samia Suluhu Hassan had won with almost 98% of the votes. Since the country went to the polls this week, protests have been witnessed in various cities and towns. Demonstrators have denounced the disqualification of two leading opposition leaders from the presidential race. and also condemned what they claim is increasing repression by the government. The United Nations said that credible reports indicate that at least 10 people have been killed in three cities since the start of the protests.
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