Latest news with #SNAP
The Hill
4 hours ago
- Health
- The Hill
Which states are looking to ban soda, snack purchases for SNAP recipients?
(NEXSTAR) – On May 19, Nebraska became the first state in the country to obtain a waiver from the USDA to ban residents from purchasing sugary drinks with benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). By the end of the week, the USDA had granted similar exemptions for Iowa and Indiana. Not all waivers were seeking the same restrictions, however. Nebraska's waiver will effectively prohibit the purchases of soda and energy drinks with SNAP benefits. Iowa's will ban nearly all 'taxable' food items, as defined by Iowa law. And in Illinois, SNAP recipients won't be able to buy soda or candy under the new restrictions. The benefits or consequences of such restrictions have yet to be seen, as they won't go into effect until Jan. 1, 2026. But governors in a handful of other states have already submitted requests for their own SNAP waivers, with the intention of restricting certain foods or drinks — or, in a few cases, easing restrictions — within their own food-assistance programs. In April, Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) submitted a waiver seeking permission to exclude 'soft drinks and candy' from permitted SNAP purchases. Idaho Gov. Brad Little (R) and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) also filed for waivers in May, requesting exemptions to ban 'soft drinks and candy' and 'sweetened drinks and candy,' respectively. And making its way through the Utah state legislature is a bill seeking to restrict soft drink purchases under SNAP. West Virginia Gov. Patrick West Morrisey, meanwhile, has submitted a waiver to request that soda is 'no longer an entitlement' to those receiving assistance. But he also indicated that he was asking to expand access to hot foods — which are generally not permitted to be purchased with SNAP benefits. Joining him in these efforts is Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D), whose waiver seeks to make sweetened beverages unavailable for purchase with food stamps, but 'permit SNAP participants to buy a full range of hot prepared foods from grocery stores, including rotisserie chickens,' a representative for the Colorado Department of Human Services confirmed to Nexstar. It's likely that many of these requests will ultimately be approved (in their current form or otherwise) by USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins, who approved Nebraska, Iowa, and Indiana's requests. Rollins, like many of the Republican governors who supported the idea of these waivers, credited President Donald Trump and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy (and his 'Make America Healthy Again' initiative) with her decisions. 'President Trump has given our nation a once in a generation opportunity to change the health trajectory for our entire country,' Rollins, who was sworn in this past February, was quoted as saying in a press release last Friday. 'I look forward to signing even more waivers in the days ahead as we continue to restore the health of America,' she said. In her statement, Rollins had also included Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly (D) among a list of governors who 'stepped up' to request a waiver. But Kelly, who was initially supportive of a waiver, has since retracted her support for any state-mandated restrictions to SNAP purchases. Kelly ultimately vetoed a bill approving a waiver request, claiming the SNAP restrictions would hurt businesses. She also said the definition of allowable foods was 'nonsensical,' as it allegedly allowed the purchases of candy bars but not protein bars or trail mix. 'I support the idea that Kansans should eat healthier. However, changes to the SNAP food assistance program should be made at the federal level, not on a patchwork, state-by-state basis,' Kelly said. Anti-hunger advocates have criticized the waivers, too, saying they add costs, boost administrative burdens, and increase stigma for people already facing food insecurity. Gina Plata-Nino, a deputy director at the nonprofit advocacy group Food Research & Action Center, had argued that Nebraska's waiver 'ignores decades of evidence showing that incentive-based approaches — not punitive restrictions — are the most effective, dignified path to improving nutrition and reducing hunger.' Until this month, the USDA had also rejected the waivers, saying there were no clear standards to define certain foods as good or bad. In addition, the agency had said restrictions would be difficult to implement, complicated and costly, and would not necessarily change recipients' food purchases or reduce health problems such as obesity. Under Rollins, though, the USDA's Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) now appears much more willing to approve — and even refine — the waivers. 'FNS continues to collaborate extensively with each state on their proposals, which includes holding near daily technical assistance calls with each submitting state,' a spokesperson for the USDA told Nexstar. 'There is no perfect timeline as each State is approaching this differently.' The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Letters: Preserve America's rule of law; Thompson's ‘Big Beautiful Bill' vote not surprising
Yesterday, my grandson asked me if we lived in a corrupt country. I replied that national corruption is tracked independently by Every year, top 'honest' nations and regions are Scandinavia, the UK, Singapore and most European countries. The U.S. is up there, too. So far. At the bottom, in Russia, you get 'telephone justice.' If you go to court, judges are assigned. They negotiate the outcome in advance based on your wealth, connections and who's paid what to whom. Calls are made. Then, a quick trial and your sentence. Here in the U.S., what I consider 'the body' remains pretty firm. I respect cops, zoning officials and the law — more importantly, I trust them. But 'the head' is rotten. The corruption of a president defying everyone that stands between him and what he wants (a big parade, a big jet) is taking a toll. As they say, 'the fish rots from the head.' Federal and state judges, so far, have defended our Constitution, but find it harder every week as corruption is ignored or winked at. What can you, as one person, do? Consider for a moment that we're a basically good and honest country. Call or email Senators Dave McCormick and John Fetterman, or your Congressperson, today. Tell them that we're still respected as a country of laws, and we want to stay that way. Help preserve America's rule of law, Mr. or Ms. Representative. Follow the Constitution. Don't let the rot proceed. Randolph Hudson, State College No one in PA-15 should be surprised to learn that GT voted for Trump's 'One Big Beautiful Bill.' No one who has followed GT's voting record should be surprised to learn that, once again, he voted against the best interests of his constituents. No one should be surprised to learn that, once again, he voted in his own self-interests (remaining in the good graces of the GOP) instead of for what's best for PA-15. I wonder if Republican voters will be surprised when they, their family members and/or neighbors lose SNAP and health care benefits — or when their small rural health care centers close and they must travel hours for competent care. Certainly, some of the 8.6 million losing health care and 3 million losing SNAP benefits are in PA-15. How many of them voted for GT, I wonder. Will they be surprised, or care, when the national debt increases again, this time by $3.8 trillion over 10 years — and their children and grandchildren are burdened with the debt? Will they be surprised to learn that the rich are getting richer on the backs of the poor? If the bill were so beautiful, why was it passed under the cover of darkness? GT will tout the few benefits in the bill; no tax on tips or overtime among them, but the overwhelming burden will fall on his constituents while the rich continue to laugh all the way to the bank — or to their yachts and vacation homes. Wake up, PA-15! Norita Chyle, State College Despite what Donald Trump thinks, this is a great country. And we've accomplished great things while being positive and uplifting about it. We built an education system that is the envy of the world. Public K-12 education and our colleges and world-class research universities provide a better life for all. We joined the freedom-loving international community to create alliances to check the spread of totalitarianism and its Soviet sponsor. We launched a space program that reaches for the stars while providing benefits for all on Earth. We funded science and the arts. We created a social safety net to provide health care and basic services for millions of our people. We supported freedom of the press and freedom to criticize our leaders without fear. We followed our Constitution, accepted rule of law, and viewed an independent judiciary as fundamental. And we weren't vindictive bullies when doing any of this. Donald Trump and his flag-waving Republican toadies are determined to take this country down rather than build us up. They want to destroy the very things that pushed us toward greatness. It's difficult to name any actions Trump and today's Republicans have taken to bring us together, build us up, support all our people, stand with our allies, or promote democracy. Government by slogan doesn't make us great. We'll be great again when Trump and the MAGA Republicans are gone, and we have a chance to recover from the damage they have done. Bob Potter, Boalsburg
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Opinion: Utah deserves better than Washington's misguided budgets
Utahns value common sense, community and fiscal responsibility. We shouldn't be fooled by flashy names or lofty promises attached to federal budgets. A budget prioritizing political posturing over people isn't a blueprint for prosperity; it's a recipe for imbalance, burdening Utah families while benefiting the few. A 'big' or 'beautiful' label doesn't make a budget bright or fair for Utah. Here, genuine investment means safe neighborhoods, quality schools, accessible healthcare and robust infrastructure for our growing communities, from Logan to St. George. Too often, however, federal budgets inflate defense spending or questionable corporate tax cuts while underfunding essentials: affordable housing, education, water security, mental health services and public lands stewardship. Ask a West Valley City teacher about scarce resources or a rural Iron County family about accessing broadband or specialized medical care. Witness the affordable housing crisis along the Wasatch Front. These are Utah's fundamental challenges, demanding serious investment, not neglect hidden by grand rhetoric. Alarmingly, such budgets often threaten programs vital to Utahns. Proposed cuts to Medicaid, for instance, would be devastating for our state. Medicaid is a lifeline for nearly 400,000 Utahns — one in five children, neighbors with disabilities, low-income working parents, and seniors needing long-term care that would otherwise bankrupt their families. Slashing Medicaid wouldn't just 'strain hospitals'; it would jeopardize rural hospitals across Utah, many operating on thin margins and serving high numbers of Medicaid recipients. These facilities are often major employers and critical access points. Cuts could force service reductions, layoffs or closures, creating healthcare deserts. Urban hospitals, too, would face increased uncompensated care, shifting costs to other patients or forcing cuts to vital services like emergency and mental health care. Medicaid cuts also directly harm Utah's economy. Federal Medicaid dollars support jobs well beyond healthcare. Reducing this funding means fewer jobs, less economic activity and a greater burden on state and local taxpayers. Labeling such cuts 'fiscally responsible' is misleading; they merely shift costs and create greater long-term burdens. Reductions in SNAP would further squeeze Utah families battling inflation, increasing their reliance on food banks. In a state where our natural landscapes are central to our identity and economy, underinvesting in clean air, water, renewable energy and public lands is profoundly short-sighted. Utahns embrace fiscal conservatism that champions accountability and sustainable investment. A budget that balloons the deficit to appease special interests, not to uplift families or invest in innovation, isn't conservative — it's careless, saddling future Utahns with debt. Utahns deserve a federal budget reflecting our values: hard work, fairness, opportunity and community. We need real solutions, not empty slogans. A budget undermining healthcare, neglecting infrastructure and ignoring Utah's needs isn't 'big and beautiful.' It's bloated with misplaced priorities and blind to our realities. It's time to tell Washington: Utah expects better and demands a budget that truly invests in our people.
CNN
6 hours ago
- Business
- CNN
‘Well, we all are going to die': GOP Senator defends Medicaid cuts in heated town hall
GOP senator pressed on Medicaid in heated town hall GOP Sen. Joni Ernst faced concerns from town hall attendees over potential cuts to Medicaid and SNAP programs as a result of President Donald Trump's sweeping domestic policy bill, saying at one point, 'Well, we all are going to die,' and insisting that those who are eligible for Medicaid will continue to receive payments. 01:12 - Source: CNN Fareed Zakaria breaks down Trump's tariff battle CNN's Fareed Zakaria breaks down what's going on with President Donald Trump's battle with the Supreme Court over tariffs. 00:58 - Source: CNN Hear from the athlete at center of Trump threat on trans sports If high school track standout A.B. Hernandez competes at the state championship, California's federal funding may be in doubt. President Donald Trump has promised to cut the funds if the transgender teen is allowed to compete. CNN's Julia Vargas Jones reports. 02:07 - Source: CNN President Trump's timeline for things seems to almost always be 'in two weeks' President Donald Trump told reporters it will take about 'two weeks' to determine whether Russian President Vladimir Putin is serious about ending the war in Ukraine. That two week timeline, CNN's Abby Phillip says, is a familiar one. 01:48 - Source: CNN President Trump is on a pardoning spree President Donald Trump used his pardon power to grant clemency to a wave of individuals who had been convicted of crimes that range from public corruption, guns and even maritime-related offenses, according to multiple officials. CNN's Kaitlan Collins reports. 00:53 - Source: CNN Trump responds to Wall Street term 'TACO': Trump Always Chickens Out President Donald Trump was asked about "TACO," an acronym that means "Trump Always Chickens Out," which is used by Wall Street workers for his on-and-off approach to tariffs. Calling it "the nastiest question," Trump defended his tariff policy by calling it "negotiation." 01:13 - Source: CNN Harvard students and faculty speak out against Trump Harvard students and faculty spoke to CNN ahead of commencement as Donald Trump said the university should cap foreign enrollment. The Trump administration has recently sought to cancel $100 million in contracts with the school. 02:03 - Source: CNN Trump says new Russia sanctions could hurt peace talks President Donald Trump expressed concern that levying new sanctions against Russia in response to their continued strikes in Ukraine could jeopardize peace talks between the two nations. 00:51 - Source: CNN Trump voter may lose his job because of Trump policies CNN's John King visits one of the country's top targets of the 2026 midterms — Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District — and speaks to a Trump voter who is in danger of being laid off due to the President's tariffs. 01:11 - Source: CNN He voted for the first time at 55. Hear why CNN's John King visits one of the country's top targets of the 2026 midterms — Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District — and hears why, at 55, one man felt compelled to vote in a presidential election for the first time in his life. 01:04 - Source: CNN DEI leader: Trump's agenda 'instills fear' CNN's John King visits one of the country's top targets of the 2026 midterms — Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District — where a leader of a DEI program tells him what she's doing to prepare for possible funding cuts. 00:48 - Source: CNN NYC Mayor Eric Adams defends Trump relationship New York City Mayor Eric Adams speaks with CNN's Maria Santana about his controversial relationship with President Donald Trump, which has garnered close attention after the Department of Justice recommended his criminal charges be dropped. 01:07 - Source: CNN Trump directs federal agencies to cancel Harvard contracts The White House is directing federal agencies to cancel all remaining contracts with Harvard University – about $100 million in all, two senior Trump administration officials told CNN – the latest barb against the school as it refuses to bend to the White House's barrage of policy demands amid a broader politically charged assault on US colleges. 01:15 - Source: CNN Finland's president responds to Russian military activity along border CNN's Erin Burnett speaks with Finland's President Alexander Stubb about his country ramping up its military to deter potential Russian aggression. 02:16 - Source: CNN Trump pardons reality TV couple Todd and Julie Chrisley President Donald Trump has signed full pardons for imprisoned reality show couple Todd and Julie Chrisley, who were sentenced to lengthy prison terms in 2022 for a conspiracy to defraud banks out of more than $30 million, according to a White House official. CNN's Kaitlan Collins reports. 01:07 - Source: CNN Trump: 'I don't know what the hell happened to Putin' Speaking to reporters before boarding Air Force One in Morristown, New Jersey, President Donald Trump said that he was 'not happy with what Putin is doing', after Moscow launched its largest aerial attack of its three-year full-scale war on Ukraine overnight. 00:50 - Source: CNN Trump visits Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day President Donald Trump honors fallen service members at Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day. 00:27 - Source: CNN Johnson pressed on Medicaid cuts in spending bill CNN's Jake Tapper asks House Speaker Mike Johnson about who will lose Medicaid under President Donald Trump's 'big, beautiful bill'. Johnson defends the proposed cuts and argues the changes target "waste, fraud and abuse." 01:30 - Source: CNN Is the U.S. on the brink of fiscal crisis? President Trump's economic agenda is expected to add nearly $4 trillion to the US national debt. CNN's Phil Mattingly breaks down what that could mean for the economy. 01:48 - Source: CNN
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Readers on Trump's 'big beautiful bill,' LGBTQ+, homeowners insurance
We are very disappointed in all five Republican members of Oklahoma's congressional delegation who voted "yes" for a federal spendthrift budget bill that adds $3.8 trillion to the national debt while threatening the health and welfare of the poorest Oklahomans. They are not representing the people who elected them by voting to slash funding for Medicaid and the SNAP food stamp programs in favor of tax shelters for the wealthiest Americans. Oklahoma is a poor state. If our tax dollars go to billionaires rather than helping the poorest citizens, the federal government has already indicated states, including Oklahoma, will be asked to contribute more in state taxes to fund safety net programs that we already paid for. These demands will come at a bad time. Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt signed the Republican-led Oklahoma Legislature's new bill that will trigger a .25% tax cut beginning in budget year 2026 if revenue exceeds the fiscal year 2023 baseline by $300 million. This cut in available state funds is expected to lower available revenue by $108.2 million, according to Senate staff and the Oklahoma Tax Commission. Oklahomans voted to expand Medicaid to 200,000 Oklahomans through the petition process after state legislators ignored the Affordable Care Act provisions to expand health care for 10 years. This vote tells us that health care is a priority for the people in our state. The spendthrift bill our congressional delegation supported is an obvious transfer of wealth from Oklahoma and America's poor and middle class into the already well-stuffed pockets of the nation's richest 1%. We see it for what it is. ― Jody Harlan & Tim Wagner, Yukon When I was young but old enough to understand the significance of the ceremony, I was baptized into my church and given a leather covered King James Bible with my name embossed in gold. I tried to read it through but after great effort, gave up. It was hard to read through, and I found killings, family abandonment, rapes and even a beheading. I decided to let my parents and my minister pick the passages I should read and live by. Since then, I have been given many Bibles, from the Gideons, the Red Cross in Korea and other churches as I've moved around. It's even free on the internet.I read "The Glass Castle" some time ago, found it excellent and recommended it to my wife and she to our daughter and to her ladies' book club in our church. It was one of the great books the Oklahoma State Department of Education tried to ban. For the life of me I cannot remember an unseemly passage in it. The Bible would be banned if the same people were reading it for the first time.I don't understand the need to put Bibles in our public schools. A child should be guided by his minister and parents as he reads the Bible, not by a busy schoolteacher. Other religions such as (Satanists) would then be able to put their material in our schools. We will get more Sean Sellers who led a (Satanism) club at Putnam City North High School until he was caught murdering three people and executed at age 17. Also, it is against the law. The founders wrote that the government shall separate itself from any religion. Public schools are run and owned by our government. To violate the Constitution and spend $3 million of our tax dollars for expensive Bibles that most every family already has several copies of is foolish and wrong. Ryan Walters must have an ulterior motive.― Dr. David Brinker, Oklahoma City More: Christian nationalism is being forced into OK schools. It's a war on reality. | Opinion How sad to read the vicious comments of Dillon Awes about gay people, Jews and others, cloaked of course, in religion. As I have grown old, I have watched the 'Family Values' shouters: Billy James Hargis, Jimmy Swaggart, Ralph Shorty, Paul Pressler, Jared Woodfill (I could fill the page). Look up these 'family values' stalwarts. When I attended OBU and Moody Bible Institute before volunteering for Vietnam, the Jesus I studied wouldn't have run with Dillon Awes. Jesus came to rail against the chest beaters, the pious hypocrites that prayed loudly so that others might see them, those who used religion to be cruel, to control, to hurt others. Jesus came to remind us that the sins of the flesh are not nearly as egregious as the way we treat our fellow human beings. Jesus lived and died saying that, 'I accept responsibility for humankind's failings and my love, God's love, extends to everyone.' His entire message was to ask us to treat others with love, compassion and understanding. I cannot tell you that my two tours in Vietnam with the 4th Infantry Division, K Company 75th Airborne Rangers accomplished anything good, but I can tell you that the men I served with, 100% volunteers, believed they were fighting and dying so that ALL Americans might have equal rights, equal opportunities. ALL AMERICANS, not just those that Dillon Awes thinks have a right to live. I teared up as I wrote this. What have we become? ― Jack Werner, Oklahoma City Oklahoma City church leader Dillon Awes' position that LGBTQ+ people should be executed is profoundly ignorant of longstanding recognition by relevant national associations. Sexual orientation and gender identity have for some 40 years been deemed normal human characteristics ― neither sickness nor sin ― by the American Psychiatric Association, Psychological Association, Medical Association, and National Association of Social Workers. Awes' judgments, his obsolete, incorrect and detestable stereotypical beliefs about LGBTQ+ people are unworthy of any otherwise normally functioning person who can read and write. ― Nathaniel Batchelder, Oklahoma City More: Is hail really to blame for Oklahoma's high insurance rates? Why weather experts say no Lately, there's been growing concern — and even criticism — about rising homeowners' insurance rates in Oklahoma. I understand the frustration. Some have asked whether the Oklahoma Insurance Department, and I personally, are doing enough. So let me set the record straight. First, let me tell you what the Oklahoma Insurance Department (OID) does regarding rates. Contrary to what some believe, we don't set them. We don't approve them. Oklahoma, like 37 other states, uses a 'file-and-use' or 'use-and-file' system. Our job is to ensure that those filings are lawful, non-discriminatory and transparent. We monitor the market closely, enforce consumer protections and act when companies break the law. Now I want to talk about why rates are high, because they affect all of us. It's not only because of hail! Oklahoma is one of the most disaster-prone states in the country. We face tornadoes, hail, wind, wildfires and floods — many times, all in the same year. These natural disasters have caused significant damage and massive payouts by insurance companies. In 2023, insurers in Oklahoma paid out $129 in claims for every $100 they collected in premiums. That kind of imbalance simply isn't sustainable. Even after some improvement in 2024, payouts are still at $97 per $100 in premiums. When companies consistently lose money, they raise rates — some even stop writing new policies and leave the state. Luckily, we are not seeing an exodus of companies. Oklahoma consumers have choices because of the way our state works. Over 100 licensed companies write homeowners insurance in Oklahoma, and more than 50 are actively doing so. Competition in the market helps keep prices in check. OID is also pushing forward and working on long-term solutions. One example is the Strengthen Oklahoma Homes grant program, which helps homeowners fortify their homes against severe weather. Stronger homes mean fewer claims and lower premiums. I do hear your concerns, and I share them. Nobody wants to see costs go up. But I want you to know this: Our team is fighting every day to ensure Oklahoma's insurance market remains fair, competitive and focused on protecting you. That's our mission. That's our commitment. — Glen Mulready, Oklahoma insurance commissioner This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OK insurance commissioner speaks up about homeowners' rates | Letters
