This article is one of a series of articles produced by Word in Black through support provided by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. Word In Black is a collaborative of 10 Black-owned media outlets across the country.

by Alvin Buyinza

This story was updated on Oct. 31, 2025, at 5:16 p.m. E.T.

A federal judge in Rhode Island ordered the Trump administration on Friday to tap into emergency funds to pay for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, just hours before the federal dollars for SNAP were expected to run out.

In an oral ruling, U.S. District Judge John McConnell Jr. ordered the United States Department of Agriculture to tap into contingency funds to fuel the SNAP program, according to Politico. McConnell’s order comes in response to several citizens and nonprofits that sued t

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