Shutdown Hunger Games

As the Schumer/Jefferies federal shutdown enters its fifth week, the world is beginning to see how fragile the average American family is.

The New York Times ran a feature story in its Sunday editions about the plight of federal employees furloughed from work. Federal law states that these households are eligible to get back pay when the shutdown ends.

However, even a 26-day salary pause can send families into a tailspin. We will let readers grasp the horrors of the story, and only highlight the case of six individuals profiled.

1. Jill Hornick (Chicago, IL)

A 59-year-old Social Security Administration employee received a $0 paycheck during the shutdown. Dependent on this sole income, she broke down in tears, overwhelmed by uncertainty.

2. Casey Perez (Maryland)

A 34-year-old furloughed mother of five from Fort Belvoir struggled to pay her mortgage and relied on a food pantry to feed her family during the shutdown.

3. Anonymous TSA Officer (Age 28)

This young officer, feeling embarrassed but left with no choice, went to a food bank for the first time after losing half his income to rent and bills.

4. Imelda Avila-Thomas (San Antonio, TX)

A furloughed Labor Department worker sold her late mother's sofa and baby clothes for income while helping fellow union members seek side jobs amid rising desperation.

5. Cameron Cochems (Boise, ID)

A TSA officer working unpaid borrowed his father's car after his car broke down. Supporting coworkers through food drives, he fears many cannot endure much longer.

6. Torrance Dixon (Seattle, WA)

A Food Lifeline employee witnessed overwhelmed airport workers seeking food assistance and described them as "casualties of war," victims of political stalemate beyond their control.

Food banks and selling furniture and clothes to make ends meet during a brief income pause ought not to be steps that government employees in the world's wealthiest nation take. That they have to resort to such measures demonstrates the Beltway's misplaced priorities: meddling in the affairs of other countries and helping squander the Golden Age established during the Eisenhower years (1950s). Those were years when America enjoyed unprecedented prosperity, driven by a booming economy, rising wages, and low unemployment, which led to the growth of the middle class. Today, America is $38 trillion in debt, and federal employees are facing food insecurity from a 26-day furlough.

If the plight of federal government employees is so dire, what is the situation of the 42 million or so Americans who live on food stamps to feed their families?

SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) helps low-income U.S. households afford food by issuing monthly benefits on electronic EBT cards, with eligibility based on income, family size, and allowable deductions. In fiscal year 2024, the federal government spent about $100.3 billion on SNAP, including $93.8 billion in direct benefits.

According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, families qualify for SNAP benefits if they earn below 130 percent of the federal poverty line. For 2026, this amount for a three-person family is $2,888 per month, or about $34,656 per year.

Because of the shutdown, these families will likely have their debit card transactions denied at the grocery register on November 1 and afterwards. Ordinarily, the federal government sends SNAP benefits to the states for distribution to beneficiaries' bank accounts, which power the EBT cards. With the government shutdown, federal money has stopped flowing to the states, most of which refuse to fund SNAP benefits on their own.

NBC News reports that many states, including Texas, Pennsylvania, and Arkansas, plan to suspend payments. In what is developing into a Red, Blue, and Purple state emergency, officials are urging recipients to buy shelf-stable food or visit food banks.

Are these officials serious? With demand on food banks skyrocketing, where will hunger organizations get the food? Catherine D'Amato of the Greater Boston Food Bank estimates Massachusetts alone could lose 56 million meals next month. NBC News warns that WIC, another key food aid program, also risks running dry, leaving millions of families, especially those with children, facing hunger and uncertainty. Advocates fear that without swift action, food insecurity could surge nationwide.

According to the SNAP tables published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the estimated annual costs for these states last year were as follows. Texas: $7.2 billion; Pennsylvania: $5.8 billion; Massachusetts: $2.3 billion; Oregon: $1.2 billion; and Arkansas: $0.7 billion.

NBC News said that state treasurers in Oregon and Massachusetts said they lack resources to cover SNAP costs. These treasurers should be ashamed of their public statements and be fired. If they cannot care for the most vulnerable, why are they even serving? As Chief Financial Officers of those states, their job is to move money around and delay payments for non-essential programs, such as environmental projects. Consider Oregon. Are we to believe that the state cannot somehow come up with $100 million for November in a $57 billion annual state budget?

If reallocation of money is not possible, why doesn't the state borrow on the Municipal Bond market? Many banks will be glad to lend these states money because paying back the principal is assured. The federal government will retroactively reimburse states for SNAP benefits from November 1^st once the shutdown ends.

We did the math for Oregon's treasurer. The typical short-term municipal borrowing rate (as of late 2025) is about 4.0% on an annualized basis. For conservative budgeting, let's assume 3.5 % annualized. The monthly equivalent interest rate is about 0.2917%. The interest cost for one month is $100,000,000 × 0.002917≈$291,700. The underwriting, legal, and issuance fees amount to about 0.10 % of the total borrowed amount for such a minor, short-term issue. This would equal $100,000.

If Oregon borrowed $100 million for one month to fund SNAP, it would pay around $390,000 in total costs (roughly $13,000 per day) to keep the EBT cards for its most vulnerable populations charged up for the month. Salem, the state's capital, should ask its Portland protesters to go home and serve in those food pantries. Portland should reallocate overtime costs issued to law enforcement and contribute its fair share to the $13,000 fund each day.

Every state should take care of SNAP families. Period.

1. Who Are The Real Kings?—Victor Davis Hanson, The Daily Signal 

2. The Real Reason Behind Democrats’ Government Shutdown—Victor Davis Hanson, The Daily Signal

3. Victor Davis Hanson: Bolton Was Going To Be The Left’s ‘Useful Idiot,’ But Then Trump Won—Victor Davis Hanson, The Daily Signal

4. The Rubio Doctrine: Neocons Are Back!— Ron Paul, Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity

5. On Ukraine And Venezuela, Trump Needs To dump The Sycophants—Douglas Macgregor, Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity

6. The Small Boat Attacks Are Illegal—George D. O’Neill, Jr., Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity

7. Schumer’s Shutdown Is Leaving Our Troops And Their Families High And Dry—Wilson Beaver, The Daily Signal

8. EU Commission Plan Of ‘Russian Assets’ Loan To Ukraine Ends In Defeat—Moon of Alabama, Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity

9. California University Drops Race-Based Scholarship In Big Blow To DEI—Jarrett Stepman, The Daily Signal

10. “Experts” Don’t Know How Ignorant They Are—Gary Galles, Mises Wire

11. “I Am Not Done”: Harris And Newsom Both Weigh White House Runs After 2026—Olivia Pero, The Daily Signal

12. 50-Basis-Point Rate Cut Now—Editorial Board, TIPP Insights

13. How Trump Is Battling China’s Influence In Latin America—Daniel McCarthy, The Daily Signal

14. Will The Democrats Finally Have A Primary In 2028?—Tyler O'Neil, The Daily Signal

15. When ‘Fact-Checkers’ Are Weaponized Partisan Public Relations—Tim Graham, The Daily Signal

16. Millions Face Food Aid Cutoff As Government Shutdown Drags On—TIPP Staff, TIPP Insights

17. 4 Shutdown Quotes You Have To Hear—George Caldwell, The Daily Signal

18. 6 Ballot Measures To Watch In November—Fred Lucas, The Daily Signal

19. NASA Leadership Turmoil: Sean Duffy Faces Backlash, Elon Musk Ally Resurfaces As Frontrunner—TIPP Staff, TIPP Insights

20. ‘They Broke The Goodwill Contract’: Canada’s Sweeping Firearm Seizure—Kevin Stocklin, The Daily Signal

21. What We Know About the Arrests In The $102 Million Louvre Heist—TIPP Staff, TIPP Insights

22. What China’s ‘Global Governance Initiative’ Means Ahead Of Trump-Xi Talks—TIPP Staff, TIPP Insights

23. Trump Eyes TikTok Deal Ahead Of Xi Meeting At APEC Summit—TIPP Staff, TIPP Insights

24. Congress Should Adopt A California Rule To Remove Biased Washington Superior Court Judges—Cully Stimson & Patrick McDonald, The Daily Signal

25. Putin Withdraws Russia From Nuclear Plutonium Deal With U.S.—TIPP Staff, TIPP Insights

26. How AI Is Sparking Questions About The Purpose Of Education—Tom Griffin, The Daily Signal

27. Massive Cyber Breach Exposes 183 Million Passwords Across Major Email Platforms—TIPP Staff, TIPP Insights

28. Recognizing The Roots Of The Current US Political Turmoil—Lipton Matthews, Mises Wire

29. It’s Not ‘Islamophobic’ To Wonder How Mamdani Would React To 9/11—David Harsanyi, The Daily Signal

30. Qualcomm’s Stock Soars 15% After Announcing AI Chips To Rival Nvidia, AMD—TIPP Staff, TIPP Insights

31. Why Did President Trump Get An mRNA COVID-19 Shot?—David Gortler & Jay Richards, The Daily Signal

32. Trump Secures "Landmark Peace And Trade Wins" On Asia Tour—TIPP Staff, TIPP Insights

33. Fetterman Criticizes Kamala Harris For Calling Trump A Fascist—Jacob Adams, The Daily Signal

34. House Democrat Leader Jeffries Relents, Endorses Mamdani For NYC Mayor—George Caldwell, The Daily Signal

35. Virginia Democrats’ Move To Scuttle Independent Redistricting Commission Draws GOP Pushback—Jacob Adams, The Daily Signal

36. Trump Officials Pledge To ‘Protect Unborn Life At All Stages’—Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell, The Daily Signal 

37. Does The Data Show America Experiencing A Religious Revival?—Jacob Adams, The Daily Signal

38. Bill Middendorf: The Man At The Turning Point—James Carafano, The Daily Signal

39. Hey, Cuomo: Get Lost! Give Gotham A Stark Choice For Mayor—Deroy Murdock, The Daily Signal 

40. No, Tariffs Did Not Cause September’s Budget Surplus—Ryan McMaken, Mises Wire

41. The Questionable Rationale Of Adjusting Data For Seasonality—Frank Shostak, Mises Wire

42. Swalwell: Dem Presidential Hopefuls Must Vow To Destroy Trump Ballroom On ‘Day One’—Lorenzo Prieto, The Daily Signal

43. Grotesque: Newsom Signs Law Allowing Abortion Drug To Be Distributed Anonymously And Nationally—Terence Jeffrey, The Daily Signal

44. ‘10 Woke Commandments’ New Book Says Americans Should Break—Virginia Allen, The Daily Signal

45. Does The Left Fear JD Vance More Than Trump?—Virginia Allen & Elise McCue, The Daily Signal

46. Josh Shapiro Will Campaign With Spanberger But Dodges Key Issue In Virginia Race—Tyler O'Neil, The Daily Signal 

47. What’s At Stake In This Health Care Fight?—George Caldwell, The Daily Signal

48. Republicans Cast Doubt On Democrats’ Disassociation With Jay Jones—Virginia Grace McKinnon, The Daily Signal

49. Superficial Reporting On ‘No Kings’ Protests Left Out Key Details—Peter Parisi, The Daily Signal

50. More Bad News Comes For Planned Parenthood In Ohio—Rebecca Downs, The Daily Signal 

51. ‘I See That Burn Coming From The Controllers’: Sec. Duffy Calls On Dems To End Government Shutdown—Lorenzo Prieto, The Daily Signal

52. ‘They Will Kill You’: Boston College Republicans Denounce Nick Solheim’s Remarks—Lorenzo Prieto, The Daily Signal

53. These Two Officials Would Make An Unstoppable Presidential Ticket, Trump Says—Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell, The Daily Signal

54. Turns Out The OBBBA Was A Big, Beautiful Gift To Blue States—Editorial Board, Issues & Insights  

55. EV Virtue Signaling Reaches The End Of Its Cord—Editorial Board, Issues & Insights

56. You Heard It Here First: DOGE Didn’t Cut Much—Editorial Board, Issues & Insights

57. Here’s How You Know That Dems Own This Shutdown—Editorial Board, Issues & Insights

58. Checking In On The Climate: Here Are A Few Facts—Editorial Board, Issues & Insights

59. None Dare Call It A Republic—Editorial Board, Issues & Insights

60. Here’s Why Democrats Won’t Condemn Jay Jones’s Assassination Fantasies—Editorial Board, Issues & Insights

61. New Jersey Teachers Union Backing Mikie Sherrill Plans Drag Queen Event Days After Election— Tyler O'Neil, The Daily Signal

62. Milei Scores Major Election Win in Argentina On Heels Of Massive Trump Bailout—Wallace White, Daily Caller News Foundation

63. Ahead Of Trump’s Meeting With Xi, US Families Ask President For Help To Bring Adopted Children Home From China—Virginia Allen, The Daily Signal

64. UN Says Russia Committed War Crimes Through Drone Attacks, Deportations—TIPP Staff, TIPP Insights

📊 Market Mood — Tuesday, October 28, 2025

🟢 Markets Pause After Record Highs
U.S. stock futures held near the flatline as investors braced for a heavy week of earnings, Fed policy decisions, and U.S.–China trade talks. The major indices closed at fresh records on Monday, helped by optimism over an impending Trump–Xi summit that could ease tariff tensions.

🔵 Trump in Japan
On his Asian tour, President Donald Trump met Japan’s new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, signing a rare earth supply framework aimed at reducing dependence on China. Tokyo pledged $550 billion in U.S. investment, spanning shipbuilding, energy, and autos.

🟣 UnitedHealth Raises Forecast
Health insurer UnitedHealth Group beat earnings expectations and lifted its full-year outlook to at least $16.25 per share, citing easing medical costs and strong revenue growth. Shares jumped over 4% premarket.

🟠 Amazon Plans Massive Job Cuts
Amazon is reportedly set to cut up to 30,000 corporate roles, nearly 10% of its white-collar workforce, in its biggest downsizing since 2022. The move targets cost reduction amid AI-driven restructuring.

🟡 Gold Slides Below $4,000
Gold prices continued their retreat, down 1.6% to $3,916/oz, as easing trade fears and anticipation of a Fed rate cut dampened safe-haven demand. Despite the pullback, gold remains up more than 50% this year.

🟨 Key Economic Events — Tuesday, October 28, 2025

🟧 CB Consumer Confidence (Oct)
Gauges how optimistic consumers feel about the economy, jobs, and spending prospects. A key indicator of household sentiment and future demand.