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Chris Geidner @chrisgeidner.bsky.social · 1d

BREAKING: Federal judge rules that the Trump administration likely illegally suspended SNAP benefits, ruling that at least reduced distribution is required to go forward under law using the $6 billion reserve fund.

Judge gives the Trump admin until Monday to respond as to whether it will act.

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
DISTRICT OF MASSACHUSETTS
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS ET AL.,
Plaintiffs,
V.
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE ET AL.,
Defendants.

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Civil Action No. 1:25-cv-13165-IT
MEMORANDUM AND ORDER
October 31, 2025
TALWANI, D.J.
Pending before the court is Plaintiffs' Motion for a Temporary Restraining Order [Doc.
No. 3] seeking to enjoin, on an emergency basis, Defendants' November 1, 2025 suspension of benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program ("SNAP"). For the reasons stated
below, Plaintiffs have standing to bring this action and are likely to succeed on their claim that
Defendants' suspension of SNAP benefits is unlawful. Where that suspension of benefits rested
on an erroneous construction of the relevant statutory provisions, the court will allow Defendants
to consider whether they will authorize at least reduced SNAP benefits for November, and report
back to the court no later than Monday, November 3, 2025.

A. Likelihood of Success on the Merits
Plaintiffs have demonstrated a strong likelihood of success on the merits of their claim under the Administrative Procedure Act, 5 U.S.C. § 706(2)(A), (C), that Defendants' suspension of SNAP benefits is contrary to law. At core, Defendants' conclusion that USDA is statutorily prohibited from funding SNAP because Congress has not enacted new appropriations for the
current fiscal year is erroneous. To the contrary, Defendants are statutorily mandated to use the
previously appropriated SNAP contingency reserve when necessary and also have discretion to
use other previously appropriated funds as detailed below.

As both parties acknowledge, Congress has not yet appropriated any new funds for SNAP
benefits for Fiscal Year 2026, which began on October 1, 2025. Pls.' Mem. 6 [Doc. No. 4];
Defs.' Opp'n 7 [Doc. No. 18]. But Congress took steps to protect against the deprivation of
SNAP assistance. In the 2024 Consolidated Appropriations Act, Pub. L. No. 118-42, § 6, 138
Stat. 25, 93-94, Congress separately appropriated $6 billion to the SNAP program "to remain available through September 30, 2026" and "be placed in reserve for use only in such amounts and at such times as may become necessary to carry out program operations." See also Pub. L.
No. 119-4, § 1101(a), 139 Stat. 9, 10 (2025). As Plaintiffs point out, given the mandatory nature
of SNAP benefits under 7 U.S.C. § 2014(a) and the appropriation of these funds to be available
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Case 1:25-cv-13165-IT
Document 26 Filed 10/31/25
Page 11 of 15
through this current fiscal year, the government is obligated to use this contingent reserve
account to fund SNAP "as may become necessary to carry out program operations." 138 Stat. at
93-94; Pls.' Mem. 11 [Doc. No. 4].

Defendants argue out that a "suspension" is permitted under USDA's regulations, and that USDA "has consistently interpreted its authority to allow for the suspension or cancellation of benefits when necessary." Defs. Opp'n 6 [Doc. No. 18). The regulation at issue, 7 C.F.R. $ 271.7(a), sets forth procedures to be followed if monthly SNAP allowances "must be reduced, suspended, or cancelled to comply with section 18 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008"
(emphasis added). But that the regulation allows for a suspension when there are no funds does
not mean that Defendants may choose a suspension over a reduction while funds do remain. If
the regulation did authorize such discretion, it would be inconsistent with the statutory mandate that benefits "shall" be paid unless funding is no longer available.

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Micah @rincewind.run · 1d

“we will rule you forever with an iron fist of suffering” is maybe not the most compelling message any administration has ever had

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 1d

JD Vance: "The suffering is going to get a lot worse."

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Reality Ausetkmt @ausetkmt.bsky.social · 2d

#Atlanta Pastor #Jamal-Bryant urges his congregants to help those who won't receive #SNAP this month. This is what every church should be doing right now. if they aren't you need to ask them why

How Pastor Jamal Bryant put SNAP before $1M fundraiser

Pastor Jamal Bryant of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church redirected $1 million fundraising day to support community members facing SNAP benefit cuts

rollingout.com

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John FIX YOUR HEARTS OR DIE Keynes @bnr-keynes.bsky.social · 2d

jfc hes underwater with *white people*

YouGov America @today.yougov.com · 4d

NEW Economist/YouGov
Net favorability of Donald Trump [at the start of his second term | now] among...
White Americans +13 | -3
Hispanic Americans -12 | -34
Black Americans -31 | -70
today.yougov.com/politics/art...

A multiple line chart of YouGov polling data with the headline: "Views of Donald Trump among U.S. adult citizens, and among white, Black, and Hispanic Americans."

The chart has the sub-headline: "Do you have a favorable or an unfavorable opinion of the following people? [Donald Trump] (% with a very or somewhat favorable opinion minus the % with a very or somewhat unfavorable opinion)."

The chart has the note: "Note: Responses of "don't know" are not shown."

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Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 2d

I’m sorry, if someone has a birth certificate that proves they were born here but a mobile app with face recognition software disagrees, they will side with the app?

What?

Joseph Cox @josephcox.bsky.social · 3d

New incredible detail here: ICE says a match in its facial recognition app Mobile Fortify is a "definitive" determination of a person's status, and that this overrides birth certificates. This is an app ICE is using in the field to scan people

www.404media.co/ice-and-cbp-...

Ranking member of the House Homeland Security Committee Bennie G. Thompson said in a statement “Mobile Fortify is a dangerous tool in the hands of ICE, and it puts American citizens at risk of detention and even deportation.” He also said “ICE officials have told us that an apparent biometric match by Mobile Fortify is a ‘definitive’ determination of a person’s status and that an ICE officer may ignore evidence of American citizenship—including a birth certificate—if the app says the person is an alien. ICE using a mobile biometrics app in ways its developers at CBP never intended or tested is a frightening, repugnant, and unconstitutional attack on Americans’ rights and freedoms.”

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ᓃᔪᑲᒥᑳᐸᐤ Niiyokamigaabaw Deondre Smiles, Ph.D. (he/they/wiin) @niiyokamigaabaw.bsky.social · 2d

I think two things can be true about AI:

1. The way it is used now is extremely harmful to the environment, & is evocative of the saying, 'When the only tool you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail'.

2. We should not totally close the door on smaller-scale, more relational usage of AI.

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Eli Erlick @elierlick.bsky.social · 7d

A portion of every dollar spent on Harry Potter merchandise goes to anti-transgender campaigns.

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Hal @heyfriend-1.bsky.social · 3d

I live in the States where #homelessness has been a huge problem, which due to 47’s malignant policies is about to greatly multiply and get much worse.
For solutions, #BrianKlaas ’s article here is well worth the read.

open.substack.com/pub/briankla...

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Reuters @reuters.com · 5d

US detains British commentator Hamdi in middle of national speaking tour reut.rs/4hwjEQv

US detains British commentator Hamdi in middle of national speaking tour

U.S. immigration authorities detained British commentator Sami Hamdi, revoked his visa and said he would be deported rather than allowed to complete his speaking tour in the United States, a Homeland Security official said on Sunday.

reut.rs

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Jes Me in the Corner @jessicamj.bsky.social · 5d

I mean, why not find a "less questionable" candidate or someone it's easier to feel better about, let this guy do more work to prove/reinforce his values, and have him run in a future election.

Basically, let him cook a little more while someone else is built up for the current fight.

Jes Me in the Corner @jessicamj.bsky.social · 5d

I think I'm someone who gives people benefit of the doubt, gen thinks we have to allow for ppl to grow/change, & that we need more votes even if the optns aren't ideal.

What's annoying abt all this is that there's time to find/build ideal optns. Why are people trying so hard to make THIS one work?

Current Affairs @currentaffairs.bsky.social · 5d

Those of us on the left who raise concerns about candidates are often accused of exercising “purity politics.” But there is a difference between swatting down a candidate for some slight imperfection and wondering about what else might be ahead.

www.currentaffairs.org/news/graham-...

Graham Platner and the Left’s Masculinity Crisis

The Left is enamored with macho men, and it still doesn’t think it’s good enough to win on leftist principles.

www.currentaffairs.org

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Montster G 🧟 @monteg.bsky.social · 6d

With alt text

olofahere

Do not punish the behaviour you want to see

I mean, it seems pretty obvious when you put it like that, right?

But how many families, when an introvert sibling or child makes an effort to socialize, snarkily say, "So, you've decided to join us"?

Or when someone does something they've had trouble doing, say, "Why can't you do that al/ the time?" (Happened to me, too often.)

Or any sentence containing the word "finally".

If someone makes a step, a small step, in a direction you want to encourage, encourage it. Don't complain about how it's not enough. Don't bring up previous stuff. Encourage it.

Because I swear to f cking god there is nothing more soul-killing, more motivation-crushing, than struggling to succeed and finding out that success and failure are both punished.

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Jessica Price @delafina777.bsky.social · Sep 10

So, right now, the only reliable way to diagnose endometriosis is with exploratory surgery. But finally, real scientists (instead of male scientists), are on the job & of course they’ve identified multiple markers in menstrual blood that point to noninvasive testing.

www.science.org/content/arti...

Driven by the pain of endometriosis, this scientist is uncovering clues to its causes

Katie Burns is helping reveal the immune system’s role in the long-neglected disease

www.science.org

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Kevin Daly @kevinddaly.bsky.social · 6d

From June Lockhart’s NY Times obit.

RIP to a real one.

A political liberal, Ms. Lockhart had no illusions about the good old days. In a 2004 interview with The New York Times, she recalled a connection "Lassie" script writers had with McCarthy-era blacklisting.

"When people come up to me and say, 'Well, sure wish we had wonderful American shows like that the way we used to in the '50s;
I say: 'Let me tell you who wrote those scripts' Yes, they were good Americans, and they were in jail."

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John Pfaff @johnpfaff.bsky.social · 6d

There are as many Republicans in CA as the entire population of Missouri. And nearly 3x as many registered Republicans as GOP votes he got in Missouri in 2024.

I hope all the blue-state GOPers remember this come midterms.

Our (bad) red-blue state thinking is screwing them.

Rachel Maddow @maddow.msnbc.com · 7d

"The president’s statement announcing the relief funding emphasized the number of times he won Missouri’s electoral votes, as if there were some kind of connection between his political support in the state and his eagerness to provide disaster aid..."

www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddo...

Trump approves disaster declarations for red states, as blue states go without

“President Trump and his administration have politicized disaster relief,” one governor said, “and our communities are the ones who will pay the price.”

www.msnbc.com

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Jon Cooper @joncooper-us.bsky.social · 7d

👇👇

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jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 8d

"normies do not care about this thing and so it is no use raising a stink" is imho just an excuse for not doing politics, which is the job of making normies care about something

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Musicology Duck @musicologyduck.bsky.social · 7d

I truly believe the best thing you can do right now to support opposition is to give money to a food bank or mutual aid

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Secretary of Defense Rock @sodrock.bsky.social · 7d

I was entirely wrong about America being Prussia in 1806, turns out America is Prussia in 1813

Adam Cancryn @adamcancryn.bsky.social · 7d

New: The Pentagon confirms to CNN it will funnel $130M from an anonymous Trump “friend” toward military pay.

Asked about the donor’s identity and any foreign or domestic entanglements, the WH referred questions to DoD. DoD then referred questions back to the WH
www.cnn.com/2025/10/24/p...

Pentagon to use $130 million donation from anonymous Trump ‘friend’ to pay military members | CNN Politics

The Trump administration plans to funnel a $130 million donation from an anonymous ally of President Donald Trump toward paying military service members during the government shutdown, the Defense Dep...

www.cnn.com

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Jes Me in the Corner @jessicamj.bsky.social · 8d

Eh. If I remember middle school social studies, that wasn't even our first Capital. Our country & its history are messy & cobbled together while moving. I say we keep it + the scar of this (important) period of our country's story. However, maybe repurposing it for the ppl (shelter, memorial, etc).

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George Monbiot @georgemonbiot.bsky.social · 9d

We're facing a political emergency: a high likelihood of an shamelessly authoritarian government in 2029. So we urgently need this basic safeguard: a codified constitution.
This week's column explains what we're missing and why it's so important.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

We must act now: without a written constitution, Reform UK will have carte blanche to toxify our nation | Goerge Monbiot

It means breaking with hundreds of years of tradition, but it can’t wait. As hard-right figures spread division and laud autocrats, a fail-safe is vital, says Guardian columnist George Monbiot

www.theguardian.com

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Royal Society Publishing @royalsocietypublishing.org · 12d

We are pleased to announce that throughout Open Access Week, from 20 – 26 October, all Royal Society journal content is freely available. Explore our journals here: royalsociety.org/Journals/ #OAWeek #OAWeek25