spokesperson - The Latremie Post

The timeline for SNAP benefits remains uncertain, even after Congress agrees to end the shutdown

**SNAP Food Aid Uncertainty Looms as Congress Moves to Reopen Government**

By Geoff Mulvihill, Associated Press

Congress has taken a significant step toward reopening the government, but uncertainty remains regarding when all 42 million Americans who rely on SNAP food aid will regain access to their full November benefits.

On Wednesday, the House adopted a plan to reopen the government, sending it to President Donald Trump for his signature. Included in the plan is a provision to restart the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). However, questions persist about when benefits will be loaded onto the debit cards beneficiaries use to purchase groceries.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which administers SNAP, stated in an email Wednesday that funds could be available “upon the government reopening, within 24 hours for most states.” The USDA did not immediately clarify whether this timeline applies to when money would be available to states or when funds would be loaded onto beneficiaries’ debit cards.

Court Battles and State-by-State Variation

SNAP, the largest government food program, serves about one in eight Americans. Court battles have affected the program’s fate in recent weeks, with seesawing rulings and varied USDA communications meaning that beneficiaries in some states have already received their full monthly allocations, while others have gotten nothing or only partial payments.

States report that it’s faster to provide full benefits than to calculate and program for partial payments. According to an Associated Press tally, at least 19 states and the District of Columbia issued full benefits to some recipients last week. Many accomplished this within a day or so, during the narrow window between a Nov. 6 court ruling requiring full payments and a Nov. 7 U.S. Supreme Court action that stopped it.

Jessica Garon, spokesperson for the American Public Human Services Association, anticipates that most states will issue full benefits within three days of receiving the go-ahead, though it may take up to a week for others. Experts suggest that states which have not distributed any November benefits, such as South Carolina and West Virginia, will likely be the quickest to act. A complication arises for the 16 states that issued partial benefits, as technical hurdles may delay the issuance of the remaining amounts.

Delays Impact Millions of Recipients

Timing is critical for millions of Americans counting on SNAP benefits. About 42 million lower-income Americans receive an average of $190 monthly per person through the program. Recipients report that benefits rarely cover their full grocery needs, even with careful budgeting. Delays make things worse.

Doretha Washington, 41, of St. Louis, is struggling to feed herself, her husband, and their six children on limited resources. Her husband works servicing heating and cooling systems, but the family still needs SNAP to make ends meet. By November, they had received nothing, though Missouri reported Tuesday that partial benefits would be issued soon.

“Now it’s making things difficult because we can’t pay our bills in full and keep food in here,” Washington said. “I’m down to three days of food and trying to figure out what to do.” She has been rationing their supply, while others have turned to food charities, facing long lines and diminishing provisions.

State Governments Scramble as Funding is Cut Off

The USDA notified states on Oct. 24 that SNAP would not be funded for November if the shutdown continued. This led states to scramble—most Democratic-led states sued for funding restoration. Some Democratic and Republican-led states sought to cover SNAP payments with state funds, boost food banks, and even deploy the National Guard for food distribution. Others used federal SNAP funds only after a judge ordered the Trump administration to restore payments.

The Senate-passed bill to reopen the government calls for states to be reimbursed for spending their own money on programs usually funded federally. Details about SNAP reimbursement eligibility remain unclear.

While the USDA has promised to reimburse states that paid partial SNAP benefits under a system allowing up to 65% of regular allocations—and said that even states paying full benefits could receive partial reimbursement—it also clarified that amounts already loaded onto EBT cards would not be reduced.

Confusion and Chaos

States that pursued legal action for benefit restoration noted in a Wednesday court filing that the USDA’s late and sometimes contradictory information “illustrates the chaos and confusion occasioned by USDA’s multiple, conflicting guidance documents.”

**Associated Press reporters Margery A. Beck and David A. Lieb contributed to this report.**
https://www.bostonherald.com/2025/11/12/timeline-for-snap-benefits/

Journalist Dubbed “FED Spokesperson” Speaks Out on FED’s December Interest Rate Decision! “Unseen in 8 Years!”

**Major Disagreement Among Fed Members as December Rate Decision Approaches**

As the US government shutdown continues, the Federal Reserve (Fed) cut interest rates by 25 basis points in October, despite the lack of crucial economic data. Now, with the end of the lockdown, all eyes are on the Fed’s final interest rate decision for 2025, expected in December. Wall Street Journal reporter Nick Timiraos—often regarded as the Fed’s unofficial spokesperson—recently shared his predictions regarding the upcoming decision.

Timiraos, widely known as a Fed insider, reports that there is a deepening disagreement within the Fed about the possibility of a December interest rate cut. He notes that an unusual conflict has developed between the hawkish and dovish members of the Federal Reserve. According to Timiraos, in Jerome Powell’s nearly eight-year tenure as Fed Chair, such levels of division have rarely, if ever, been seen.

> “There is a rarely seen division among Fed members. Following the second interest rate cut at the end of October, the rhetoric of hawkish members has become even harsher. The hawks now believe that further rate cuts are risky,” Timiraos observed.

Some Fed officials support a rate cut, citing slowing inflation and the limited economic impact of tariffs. On the other hand, other members are concerned about persistently high (sticky) inflation and the continuing impact of tariffs, leading them to oppose further cuts. Timiraos argues that the government shutdown—and the resulting disruption in key economic data releases—has intensified the disagreement among Fed officials.

At his last press conference, Powell remarked, “A rate cut in December is not a certainty.” Timiraos points out that this statement was not intended as a direct message to the market, but rather as an attempt to highlight the internal division within the Fed.

With interest rates currently hovering around 3.75%–4%, financial markets continue to price in the possibility of a rate cut amidst this rare hawk-dove clash. According to the Fed Watch Tool, the probability of a 25 basis point cut stands at 63.4%, while the chance of the Fed holding rates steady is at 36.6%.

**Disclaimer:** This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.
https://bitcoinethereumnews.com/tech/journalist-dubbed-fed-spokesperson-speaks-out-on-feds-december-interest-rate-decision-unseen-in-8-years/

IDF prepares to readjust deployment lines in Gaza Strip amid ceasefire implementation

IDF Prepares to Readjust Deployment Lines in Gaza Strip Ahead of Ceasefire Implementation

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have begun adjusting their deployment lines within the Gaza Strip in preparation for the upcoming implementation of ceasefire agreements, expected to take effect this weekend.

Currently, the IDF is operating in Gaza City, ensuring strategic positioning aligns with the terms of the ceasefire. These adjustments are part of coordinated efforts to facilitate a smooth transition following the cessation of hostilities.

Photo credit: IDF Spokesperson Unit

https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-869867

Trump plans to deploy National Guard in Illinois, governor says

The Trump administration plans to federalize 300 members of the Illinois National Guard, Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker said Saturday. Pritzker revealed that the guard received word from the Pentagon in the morning that the troops would be called up. He did not specify when or where they would be deployed, but President Donald Trump has long threatened to send troops to Chicago.

“This morning, the Trump Administration’s Department of War gave me an ultimatum: call up your troops, or we will,” Pritzker said in a statement. “It is absolutely outrageous and un-American to demand a governor send military troops within our own borders and against our will.”

A spokesperson for the governor’s office said she could not provide additional details. The White House and the Pentagon did not respond to questions about Pritzker’s statement.

The escalation of federal law enforcement in Illinois follows similar deployments in other parts of the country. Over the summer, Trump deployed the National Guard to Los Angeles as part of his law enforcement takeover in Washington, D.C. Meanwhile, Tennessee National Guard troops are expected to help Memphis police.

In response, California Gov. Gavin Newsom sued to stop the deployment in Los Angeles and won a temporary block in federal court. The Trump administration has appealed the ruling, which deemed the use of the guard illegal. A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has indicated that it believes the government is likely to prevail.

Pritzker called Trump’s move in Illinois a “manufactured performance” that would pull the state’s National Guard troops away from their families and regular jobs. “For Donald Trump, this has never been about safety. This is about control,” said the governor.

He also noted that state, county, and local law enforcement have been coordinating to ensure the safety of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Broadview facility on the outskirts of Chicago. Federal officials reported the arrests of 13 people protesting near the facility on Friday. The facility has been frequently targeted during the administration’s surge of immigration enforcement this fall.

Last month, Trump said he was sending federal troops to Portland, Oregon, calling the city war-ravaged. However, local officials have suggested that many of his claims and social media posts appear to rely on outdated images from 2020, a time when demonstrations and unrest gripped the city following the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police.

City and state officials sued to stop that deployment the next day. U.S. District Judge Karin J. Immergut heard arguments Friday, with a ruling expected over the weekend.

Trump has federalized 200 National Guard troops in Oregon, but so far, they do not appear to have moved into Portland. They have been seen training on the coast in anticipation of deployment.

___
Associated Press reporter Rebecca Boone contributed.
Thomas Peipert, The Associated Press
https://ca.news.yahoo.com/trump-plans-deploy-national-guard-191248616.html

BJP hits back, says Rahul has become a flag-bearer of anti-India forces abroad

NEW DELHI: The BJP on Friday launched a scathing attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his remarks at a seminar in Colombia, claiming he has become the flag-bearer of anti-India forces and is promoting their agenda in the country.

Party spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi criticised Gandhi’s comments, saying they show that the Congress, controlled by the Nehru-Gandhi family for over a century, is now succumbing to anti-India elements.

Referring to Gandhi’s statement about India having 1,617 languages, Trivedi said, “You will now see that he will try to create a conflict over the issue of languages. Attempts have already been made in the past to create a North-South conflict.”

Trivedi called Gandhi the *jhanda bardar* (flag-bearer) of anti-India forces and appealed to the public to be wary of him and the Nehru-Gandhi family. “Today it seems that having a leader of the opposition like him is like a thorn in the heart of Indian democracy,” he said.

He added, “Those in the Congress, who are aware of the party falling into the clutches of dangerous foreign forces, are committing treason. I appeal to those who are not aware of this to show due diligence and stop such leaders.”

Trivedi also criticised the Congress leadership as immature, saying the party once had mature leaders like Indira Gandhi and P. V. Narasimha Rao, who knew how to handle the Ultra-Left. “Today, it is being used. It’s not a problem just for the Congress but a matter of concern for the country as well,” he said.

Further targeting Congress leader Udit Raj, who allegedly called Prime Minister Narendra Modi a symbol of modern Ravan, Trivedi said, “I only want to simply remind those who supported the killers of Rambhakt karsevaks did not attend the inauguration of Ram Temple in Ayodhya but visited Babar’s memorial three times to pay their obeisance.”

He added, “People know very well who the symbols of Ravan’s propensity of Lord Ram’s sanskar are.”
https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2025/Oct/04/bjp-hits-back-says-rahul-has-become-a-flag-bearer-of-anti-india-forces-abroad