When Irene Edwards of Anchorage, Alaska, learned that she likely wouldn’t get all of her November food stamp benefits, she stocked up on staples like big bags of rice and dried beans. Though Edwards, 30, does not have children, she provides child care in her home, feeding two boys and a toddler on a federal benefit meant for one adult.

Once Nov. 1 arrived without the funds, Edwards started eating less and skipped the large box of electrolyte drink mixes she normally bought to help with health conditions that include anemia. In October, she said, “I just started rationing halfway through the month.”

For several weeks, more than 40 million Americans have been facing uncertainty over the status of federal food assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Those worries h

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