Judge indicates she'll order USDA to partially fund SNAP - National & International News - THU 30Oct2025 -

Judge indicates she’ll order USDA to fund lapsing food programs.

Sudan: Rebel force backed by US ally massacres civilians in Darfur.

Judge indicates she’ll order USDA to fund lapsing food programs

Boston-based US District Judge Indira Talwani indicated in hearings today that she would likely order the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to use $5.3 billion in contingency funds to partially fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The request came from 25 Democratic states who sued the USDA ahead of a likely lapse in SNAP funds due to the government shutdown.

The USDA has argued that it cannot use these funds to fund the program during a shutdown, even though they have previously done so, including during Trump’s first administration. Talwani said in court that “Congress has put money in an emergency fund for an emergency, and it’s hard for me to understand how this isn’t an emergency when there’s no money and a lot of people are needing their SNAP benefits”. About 42 million Americans (including 300,000 Mississippians) rely on SNAP to feed themselves and their families each month.

Today, the Justice Department (representing the USDA in court) argued that the contingency funds were insufficient to cover SNAP, which costs between $8-9 billion per month. Judge Talwani said federal law was clear that in such cases, the government should reduce the benefits it provides rather than shutting the program off altogether.

In addition to a reduction in funds, Talwani acknowledged there will likely be a delay in payment. Even after she issues her order, it will take time for the USDA to process and distribute funds.

Locations of local food pantries from the Mid-South Food Bank.

Senate Democrats and Republicans seek “off-ramps” to end the shutdown.

Sudan: Rebel force massacres civilians after capturing city in Darfur

Sudan has been in all-out civil war since April 2023 when the leader of the Rapid Support Forces militia (RSF) rebelled against the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). Since then, intense fighting has taken place all over the country, creating one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises.

Although there are no recent comprehensive estimates, civilian deaths certainly number in at least the hundreds of thousands, possibly over 1 million. One study estimated that 61,000 died in the capital Khartoum alone between April 2023 and June 2024. A report earlier this year indicated that over 500,000 children had likely died from malnutrition since the war began.

Both the RSF and the SAF have been accused of war crimes against civilian population, including blocking or stealing humanitarian aid. The RSF has been accused of genocide against the Masalit people in Western Darfur and of mass slaughters in refugee camps. RSF have seized control of 4 of the 5 regions of Darfur which make up western Sudan. Now they are making inroads into the fifth and largest region called North Darfur.

Last week, the RSF seized control of the North Darfur city of El Fasher, where many civilians had fled to escape the RSF’s advance further south. Since seizing the city, RSF have carried out horrifying massacres, including the killings of over 500 people in a maternity hospital. Videos have circulated showing RSF forces rounding up and killing unarmed people. The death toll in El Fasher has likely reached over 2000 since last week.

UAE involvement

The United Arab Emirates, a wealthy peninsular Arab country and US ally, has been credibly accused of arming and funding the RSF. Like many African countries, Sudan is rich in natural resources, including gold. The leader of the RSF Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (known has Hemedti) has vastly enriched himself and controls several gold mines and brokerages. The UAE is the primary destination for gold mined in Sudan, particularly from RSF-controlled areas. From there, the gold makes its way to Switzerland and enters the world market.

In exchange for access to this resource, and potentially to Sudan’s strategic Red Sea coast, the UAE has reportedly funneled weapons, money and mercenaries to the RSF. The weapons the UAE sends come from many countries, including the UK, China, and Israel. However, the UAE’s largest weapons vendor by far is the US, which has also supplied weapons to the Sudanese Armed Forces.