Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency Thursday, announcing an infusion of $65 million in state funds to confront what she called an “unprecedented public health crisis” with funding for federal food assistance programs set to be suspended on Nov. 1. amid a federal government shutdown.

The declaration comes during a prolonged federal government shutdown and a standoff in Washington, where billions in federally approved contingency funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, could be suspended, with the U.S. Department of Agriculture saying it can’t fund the program during the shutdown.

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Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency Thursday, announcing an infusion of $65 million in state funds to confront what she called an “unprec

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