What is the current status of the government shutdown and its impact on food benefits?
Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Giles Snyder. With the Senate working through the weekend looking for a way to bring the government shutdown to an end, millions of Americans are planning for an uncertain future around federal food benefits. The Supreme Court ruled Friday night that the Trump administration can continue withholding some funding, at least for now.
Blake Farmer of member station WPLN has more from a drive-thru food distribution site in rural Tennessee.
Cars and trucks started lining up hours before the start time, some before dawn. Crystal Tipton is among the more than 41 million Americans who rely on the benefits. She says she's never used a food pantry before. You have to cut back on everything. I mean, I think it's the way it's going to be for a while.
The nonprofit that organized this food distribution, called One Gin Away, has seen demand spike by more than 300 percent. It's been adding pop-up sites in the region over the last two weeks, but organizers say they're running out of food and turning people away. For NPR News, I'm Blake Farmer in Hickman County, Tennessee.
Overseas, Ukrainian cities are facing power cuts of between 8 and 16 hours after massive Russian strikes on the energy grid wiped out power-generating capacity. Russia has intensified attacks on energy infrastructure each fall since its full-scale invasion more than three years ago. NPR's Joannika Kicis reports from Kyiv.
Ukraine's state-owned electricity generating company, Centronego, said that the Russian attacks had reduced capacity to, quote, zero at thermal power plants. Foreign Minister Andriy Sibycha said that Russian drones also targeted two nuclear power substations deep in western Ukraine. Every fall, Russia steps up attacks on Ukraine's power and heating grid.
to force a harsh winter on Ukrainian cities. Many Ukrainians have adapted by using backup energy storage devices and generators in their homes and businesses. This year, Ukraine has attacked Russian oil depots and refineries to weaken what it calls Russia's war machine. Joanna Kikissis, NPR News, Kyiv.
Nearly a million Filipinos have been evacuated from their homes as Super Typhoon Fung Wong batters the Philippines, less than a week after another typhoon killed more than 200 people, as Michael Sullivan reports.
Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. urged more people in the storm's expected path to evacuate while they still can, saying it could affect much of the country, including Metro Manila and Cebu, the province that bore the brunt of last week's Typhoon Kamagi. Fenghuang is already knocking out power with sustained winds of 115 mph and gusts up to 140.
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