When the U.S. Department of Agriculture warned, “Bottom line, the well has run dry. At this time, there will be no benefits issued November 01,” it sounded like the inevitable result of a government shutdown . But the line, plastered atop the department’s website, hides a deeper truth: The well didn’t dry up naturally. It was drained on purpose.

On November 1, millions of families who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program ( SNAP ) were set to lose their food benefits, leaving parents who plan meals down to the dollar to stare at empty grocery carts.. A federal judge on Friday issued a temporary restraining order blocking the administration from suspending food aid, noting the “terror” it has caused families, who will continue to live in fear of losing their benefit

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