The continuing federal shutdown means food benefits provided to 3.5 million Texans could be cut off in November, The Texas Tribune reported. Of those affected, nearly half are children.“SNAP has funding available for benefits and operations through the month of October,” according to a letter written by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service to state agencies. “However, if the current lapse in appropriations continues, there will be insufficient funds to pay full November SNAP benefits for approximately 42 million individuals across the nation.”More than $614 million is distributed monthly in Texas to recipients.Currently, other assistance programs such as Medicaid and the Children Health Insurance Program, or CHIP, are not affected by the shutdown, which is in its fourth week.
Oil prices at lowest level since pandemic
Oil prices have dropped to their lowest level since early 2021, the Texas Standard reported. In an interview with Matt Smith, lead energy analyst at Kpler, he said strong supply is driving the drop per barrel to about $57.Average gasoline prices in Texas stood at $2.79 a gallon in September, down 67 cents from two years ago, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Smith said U.S. oil production in July, the latest monthly statistic available, was at a record high. He predicted the low oil prices could slow domestic production by next year.
