Sunday 23rd of November 2025
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meanwhile in the USA.......

People all over social media are publicly threatening to steal food once their EBT benefits run out. Some of them are taking it one step further by threatening to get violent with anyone that tries to prevent them from stealing food. So what is our country going to look like if this actually happens on a widespread basis? Today is day 26 of the government shutdown, and there is no end in sight. It appears that food stamp benefits will not be paid out to 42 million Americans at the beginning of November, and nobody is exactly sure what is going to happen next.

 

“The Well Has Run Dry”: Are The People That Are Having Epic EBT Meltdowns Serious About What They Plan To Do Next?

BY MICHAEL SNYDER

 

Personally, I have never seen as much anger directed toward the federal government as I am seeing right now.

Countless EBT meltdown videos are being posted on social media platforms, and the closer we get to the November 1st deadline the more dramatic they seem to become.

Are these people really serious?

I believe that they are.

When people openly admit that they plan to commit acts that are morally wrong, I tend to believe them.

I know that it isn’t easy out there right now.

I write about the economic suffering in this nation all the time.

But there is no excuse for theft and there is no excuse for violence.

Unfortunately, I think that we are going to see a lot of theft and a lot of violence during the weeks ahead.  According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, November 1st is a hard deadline because “the well has run dry”…

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced on its website that SNAP benefits won’t be sent out come Nov. 1 because the program lacks the funding it needs during the ongoing government shutdown.

SNAP, also known as food stamps, is a federal program that provides 42 million Americans monthly benefits to afford healthy food.

“Bottom line, the well has run dry. At this time, there will be no benefits issued November 1,” a message on USDA’s website as of Oct. 27 says.

Some states are going to continue funding food stamp benefits for as long as they can.

But most states will not be able to do that.

So some families that are currently receiving hundreds of dollars a month in benefits will soon be receiving nothing…

A family of four on average receives $715 (£540) per month, according to CBPP, which breaks down to a little less than $6 (£4.50) per day per person.

The states administer the programmes, with much of the funding coming from the federal government.

Several states have pledged to use their own funds to cover any shortfall, however the federal government has warned that they will not be reimbursed.

There are certain states that will get hit far harder than others.

For example, in New Mexico a whopping 21 percent of the entire population is on food stamps…

In terms of state population proportions, New Mexico is the state most dependent on SNAP, with 21 percent, or 451,200, of its residents claiming food stamps in 2024. It is followed by Louisiana and Oregon, where 18 percent get benefits.

Those numbers are staggering.

Nearly one out of every five people in Oregon and Louisiana is on food stamps, and more than one out of every five people in New Mexico is on food stamps.

I think that we will probably see the most chaos in large urban areas such as New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles.

When people get hungry, they also tend to get very emotional.

And the fact that EBT benefits are being cut off just before the holidays is just going to intensify the emotions that people are now feeling…

Another said, ‘Cutting off EBT during the holidays is heartless & telling people “just get a job” behind these food stamps is crazy. AINT NOBODY HIRING. People been getting LAID OFF by the THOUSANDS. Y’all are evil.’

‘If you’ve never had to survive on food stamps you don’t understand what’s about to happen to many families next month,’ agreed a third.

The gap between the wealthy and the poor has never been wider, and this crisis will only make things worse.

The vast majority of the country, and this is especially true for those that are poor, are just barely scraping by from month to month.

For example, CBS News just interviewed one man in Georgia that literally doesn’t know where his next meal will come from…

“I applied on Sept. 11,” he said. “They actually approved me that same day, but I didn’t find out until I got a letter in the mail later. I’ve been waiting for my food stamp card ever since—since around Sept. 20.”

Nearly a month later, he’s still waiting. Daryl says the delay has turned everyday living expenses into a day-by-day struggle.

“Groceries right now in my house are nonexistent,” he said. “My fridge is empty—just condiments. When I do get food, it’s just something for that day. I can’t even think about tomorrow.”

There are tens of millions of other Americans that are just like Daryl.

This is one of the reasons why I rant about the failures of our system so much.

All along the way, our system has failed men like Daryl.

But this is what happens when you make government the central pillar of your economy.

In one way or another, the vast majority of the population becomes dependent on the government.

In addition to food stamp benefits being cut off, if this government shutdown persists it is going to cause an enormous amount of economic pain in other ways as well…

Thousands of federal employees will also miss their first full paychecks this week, so services like TSA screenings and air traffic control operations could be further stunted if those workers stop showing up, as was the case during the 35-day partial shutdown that ended in early 2019.

“Things are about to get worse,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune warned in a floor speech late last week.

And that’s to say nothing of the Nov. 1 date that open enrollment begins for Affordable Care Act health plans. That’s when people will start to see just how much their premiums are set to skyrocket because insurers aren’t confident Democrats and Republicans will reach a deal to extend enhanced tax credits before they expire at the end of the year — a central point of conflict amid the partisan shutdown impasse.

Our founders intended for us to have a very limited federal government.

But instead we have the largest government in the entire history of the planet.

In the weeks ahead, millions of people will be clamoring for their government benefits.

If they do not get them, they will become very, very angry.

The stage has been set for the sort of civil unrest that I have been writing about for a very long time.

Hopefully an agreement to end the government shutdown will be reached and we will be given a reprieve.

Because I don’t think that anyone is eager to see rioting, looting and violence in major cities all over the nation.

https://www.activistpost.com/the-well-has-run-dry-are-the-people-that-are-having-epic-ebt-meltdowns-serious-about-what-they-plan-to-do-next/

 

YOURDEMOCRACY.NET RECORDS HISTORY AS IT SHOULD BE — NOT AS THE WESTERN MEDIA WRONGLY REPORTS IT — SINCE 2005.

 

         Gus Leonisky

         POLITICAL CARTOONIST SINCE 1951.

there's always someone poorer....

Five days after Hurricane Melissa pummelled into western Jamaica with record force, residents in devastated communities along the coast are still desperately waiting for help.

Many of the roads are blocked by debris and people are isolated with little food, no power or running water, and no idea of when normalcy will return.

The government said on Saturday that at least 28 people in Jamaica have died since the hurricane hit as a monster category five storm with 185 mph (297km/h) sustained winds.

That is a near 50% jump in the death toll overnight, and the number could rise as officials clear their way into new parts of the island in the coming days.

Local official Dr Dayton Campbell told the BBC 10 of those deaths were in Westmoreland.

Westmoreland parish is believed to have the second highest number of unconfirmed deaths, after St Elizabeth to the south east. The eye of the storm hit somewhere between the two neighbouring parishes. At St Elisabeth an estimated 90% of homes have been destroyed.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cpv11w8ez10o

 

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YOURDEMOCRACY.NET RECORDS HISTORY AS IT SHOULD BE — NOT AS THE WESTERN MEDIA WRONGLY REPORTS IT — SINCE 2005.

 

         Gus Leonisky

         POLITICAL CARTOONIST SINCE 1951.

emergency fund....

US President Donald Trump's administration has said it will provide reduced food aid to more than 42 million Americans, as the government shutdown this week heads towards becoming the longest ever with no resolution in sight. 

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) said in a court filing that Americans who receive food assistance will get half their normal monthly allotment, after the government dipped into emergency funding. 

Judges had given the Trump administration until Monday to provide a plan for how it would pay out Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Snap) benefits, also known as food stamps.

Funding for the programme has been in limbo due to the more-than-month-long shutdown.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cglg632n719o

 

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YOURDEMOCRACY.NET RECORDS HISTORY AS IT SHOULD BE — NOT AS THE WESTERN MEDIA WRONGLY REPORTS IT — SINCE 2005.

 

         Gus Leonisky

         POLITICAL CARTOONIST SINCE 1951.

limited fund....

“They have the authority to fully fund SNAP,” said Rep. Rashida Tlaib. “It shouldn’t take a court order to get the president to stop starving families and release the funds.”

On the verge of the longest government shutdown in US history and in the wake of two losses in district courts, President Donald Trump’s administration announced on Monday that it would only partially fund Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits for 42 million Americans this month.

In response to lawsuits filed by  state attorneys-general,  municipalities, nonprofits, and  labour groups, federal judges in Massachusetts and Rhode Island on Friday  ruled against the US Department of Agriculture’s  refusal to use a contingency fund for at least some of November’s US$8 billion in SNAP benefits, often called  food stamps.

Judge John McConnell, appointed to the District of Rhode Island by former president Barack Obama, gave the USDA two options: Fully cover the November SNAP benefits with the emergency funding and money pulled from other sources by the end of Monday, or make a partial payment of the total amount of the contingency fund by the end of Wednesday.

In a  pair of Monday  filings, the  Trump administration chose the latter, explaining that there is “a total of US$4.65 billion in the contingency fund for November SNAP benefits that will all be obligated to cover 50% of eligible households’ current allotments”.

While the development means millions of low-income families will at least get some benefits this month, a  hunger crisis still looms. As one of the filings notes, “This means that no funds will remain for new SNAP applicants certified in November disaster assistance, or as a cushion against the potential catastrophic consequences of shutting down SNAP entirely.”

In a Monday  statement, Skye Perryman, president and chief executive of Democracy Forward, which is representing the municipalities, nonprofits and labour groups that sued in Rhode Island, welcomed that McConnell’s order “means SNAP beneficiaries — including children and seniors — whose money ran out at the end of last month should be receiving funds for essential nutrition". However, she also called out the Trump administration for “still trying to deprive people of their full benefits”, which “will not only prevent people from getting the full sustenance they need but also delay payments going out altogether".

“We are reviewing the administration’s submission to the court and considering all legal options to secure payment of full funds,” Perryman pledged. “It shouldn’t take a court order to force our president to provide essential nutrition that Congress has made clear needs to be provided. But since that is what it takes, we will continue to use the courts to protect the rights of people. For now, we are pleased to have forced the administration to release money it had been withholding from 42 million people in America who rely on their benefits. Rest assured, we will continue to fight so that people have the full benefits they are entitled to under SNAP.”

Democratic Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell — who co-led the case in her state with over two dozen other AGs —  noted on Monday that “never in the history of the SNAP program — including during government shutdowns — has SNAP funding ever been suspended or only partially funded".

“While some funding is better than no funding, the federal government has made it clear that they are only willing to do the bare minimum to help our residents, and only after they were required to do so by our lawsuit and the courts,” she said. “The Trump administration has the means to fund this program in full and their decision not to will leave millions of Americans hungry and waiting even longer for relief as government takes the additional steps needed to partially fund this program.”

Democrats in Congress — who have refused to vote for the GOP majorities’ funding legislation to end the shutdown unless they reverse devastating cuts to  Medicaid and extend expiring  Affordable Care Act tax credits — also criticised the USDA’s plan.

“USDA has the authority to fully fund SNAP and needs to do so immediately. Anything else is unacceptable,” Senate Minority Leader  Chuck Schumer (D-NY)  said on  social media. “Trump’s ‘decision’ to follow the court order and only send partial SNAP benefits to 42 million hungry Americans as Thanksgiving approaches is cruel and callous. Trump should focus less on his ballroom and his bathroom and more on the American people.”

Senate Appropriations Committee vice chair Patty Murray (D-Wash.) similarly said: “The letter of the law is as plain as day. Trump should have paid SNAP benefits all along. Just now paying the bare minimum to partially fund SNAP is not enough, and it is not acceptable. Trump should immediately work to fully fund benefits under the law.”

Both Senate Democrats from Massachusetts,  Ed Markey and  Elizabeth Warren, also took aim at the president on Monday. Markey  said: “Two federal courts confirm what we already knew: Trump must use contingency funds to fund SNAP this month. But millions will still see their benefits delayed because Trump tried to hold SNAP hostage. No more games. Use all available resources to ensure no one goes hungry.”

While it’s the Senate where  Republicans need some Democratic votes to send a government spending bill to Trump’s desk, House Democrats also blasted the administration’s decision to only partially fund SNAP benefits in November.

“This is a very temporary Band-Aid,”  stressed Rep.  Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), adding that “42 million hardworking Americans are trying to figure out how they will keep food on the table. Partial is not good enough. End this Republican shutdown now so we can fully fund SNAP".

Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.)  declared: “Trump needs to stop weaponising hunger. They have the authority to fully fund SNAP for 42 million Americans – including 1.4 million Michiganders. Anything less is unacceptable. It shouldn’t take a court order to get the president to stop starving families and release the funds.”

https://www.commondreams.org/news/november-snap-benefits

 

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YOURDEMOCRACY.NET RECORDS HISTORY AS IT SHOULD BE — NOT AS THE WESTERN MEDIA WRONGLY REPORTS IT — SINCE 2005.

 

         Gus Leonisky

         POLITICAL CARTOONIST SINCE 1951.

record!....

The US government shutdown has become the longest ever, surpassing the previous record set during the first administration of US President Donald Trump and lasting for 36 days.

The new US fiscal year began on October 1, but Congress failed to approve a budget, leaving the government unable to function. A government shutdown in the US involves the cessation of operations by some government agencies funded directly by Congress due to the lack of a budget for the next fiscal year, a situation that is not uncommon.

The longest government shutdown in the history of the United States continued for 35 days and lasted from December 22, 2018, to January 25, 2019.

 

Who To Blame?

The main discord issue between the Republicans and the Democrats is funding under the Affordable Care Act, passed under former President Barack Obama.

The Democrats insist that increased subsidies should be extended and that this should be part of negotiations to reopen the government, as ending subsidies will lead to higher costs for millions of Americans.

The Republicans, in turn, claim that the extension of subsidies should be considered separately and should not be used as an instrument in budget negotiations. They also demand that the government be reopened before any discussions related to medical reform start.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20251105/trump-breaks-his-own-record-as-government-shutdown-enters-36th-day-1123063976.html

 

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YOURDEMOCRACY.NET RECORDS HISTORY AS IT SHOULD BE — NOT AS THE WESTERN MEDIA WRONGLY REPORTS IT — SINCE 2005.

 

         Gus Leonisky

         POLITICAL CARTOONIST SINCE 1951.

cancelled.......

A union that represents 55,000 flight attendants in the US is part of a growing group calling for an end to the shutdown, claiming the safety of aviation workers is at risk.
"The only way aviation keeps moving during a shutdown is because air traffic controllers and TSA officers come to work without getting paid, while everyone who supports their work for our safety and security is sent home without pay," says Association of Flight Attendants-CWA President Sara Nelson in a statement.
Flight attendants are some of the most at risk when air travel goes awry, Nelson says.
"Flight Attendants are on the front lines of aviation safety. We count on federal workers being able to do their jobs without distraction. End this shutdown NOW," she says.
Without air travel, "the country stops", she says.
"Safety is not a political game," she adds. "Recent events in aviation should sober us all and redirect an urgent call to work together to keep Americans safe."


Flight cancellations could rise to 20% - US transportation chief

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says that flight reductions could hit 20% if the federal government shutdown continues and air traffic controllers continue to miss work.
"If this shutdown doesn’t end relatively soon, the consequence of that is going to be more controllers don’t come to work and then we’re going to have to continue to assess the pressure in the airspace and make decisions that may again move us from 10% to 15%, maybe to 20," Duffy told Fox News.
He added that even if the shutdown were to immediately end, delays could continue.
"The problem is the airlines have to then, you know, put those, those flights back out for booking again, right? And so it’s going to take some time for the airlines to respond," Duffy said.
"So, once we see more controllers in the towers, then airlines have to respond to that. So, it can be, you know, days if not a week before we get back to to full force flights when the, when the shutdown ends."


Southwest cancels 120 flights

https://www.bbc.com/news/live/c20ez8y0dv1t

 

 

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YOURDEMOCRACY.NET RECORDS HISTORY AS IT SHOULD BE — NOT AS THE WESTERN MEDIA WRONGLY REPORTS IT — SINCE 2005.

 

         Gus Leonisky

         POLITICAL CARTOONIST SINCE 1951.

 

SEE ALSO: 

Food Banks All Over The U.S. Are Being Overwhelmed By A Tsunami Of Hungry People

passed the senate....

The longest government shutdown in U.S. history came one step closer to an end on Monday night as the Senate voted to pass a bill to fund most federal agencies through January despite no extension of enhanced Affordable Care Act credits that Democrats had spent weeks arguing were a crucial part of any deal.

The bill, which temporarily extends funding at current levels, passed the Senate by a 60-to-40 vote with eight members of the Democratic caucus joining nearly all Republicans in voting in favor, sending the bill back to the Republican-led House where it is expected to pass after more than a dozen failed votes in the Senate.

https://time.com/7332889/senate-shutdown-vote-democrats-republicans-aca-extension-schumer-house-trump/

 

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YOURDEMOCRACY.NET RECORDS HISTORY AS IT SHOULD BE — NOT AS THE WESTERN MEDIA WRONGLY REPORTS IT — SINCE 2005.

 

         Gus Leonisky

         POLITICAL CARTOONIST SINCE 1951.