Judge questions the Trump administration's plan to suspend SNAP benefits for millions

BOSTON (AP) — A federal judge in Boston on Thursday seemed skeptical of the Trump's administration's argument that SNAP benefits could be suspended for the first time in the food aid program's history because of the government shutdown.

During a hearing over a request by 25 Democratic-led states to keep the funding flowing, U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani told lawyers that if the government can't afford to cover the cost, there's a process to follow rather than simply suspending all benefits. “The steps involve finding an equitable way of reducing benefits," said Talwani, who was nominated to the court by then-President Barack Obama.

Talwani said she expects to issue a ruling later Thursday and seemed to be leaning toward requiring the government to put billions of dollars in emergency funds toward SNAP. That, she said, is her interpretation of what Congress intended when an agency's funding runs out.

“If you don't have money, you tighten your belt,” she said in court. “You are not going to make everyone drop dead because it’s a political game someplace.”

Talwani acknowledged that even ordering emergency funds to pay for SNAP might still be painful for some SNAP recipients because it could mean they get less money and that the money they do get could be delayed. “We are dealing with a reality that absent a 100% win for you, the benefits aren't going to be there on Nov. 1,” she told the plaintiffs.

The hearing came two days before the U.S. Department of Agriculture planned to freeze payments to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program because it said it can't continue funding it due to the shutdown.

Other lawsuits have been filed over the program's suspension, including one filed Thursday in Rhode Island by a coalition of eight cities and community, business and union organizations.

SNAP, which costs about $8 billion per month, serves about 1 in 8 Americans and is a major piece of the nation’s social safety net. Word in October that it would be a Nov. 1 casualty of the shutdown sent states, food banks and SNAP recipients scrambling to figure out how to secure food. Some states said they would spend their own funds to keep versions of the program going.

President Donald Trump's administration said it wasn’t allowed to use a contingency fund with about $5 billion in it for the program, which reversed a USDA plan from before the shutdown that said that money would be tapped to keep SNAP running. The Democratic-led states argued that not only could that contingency money be used, it must be. They also said a separate fund with around $23 billion could be tapped.

Although the states requested the funding continue only in their jurisdictions, the judge indicated that any ruling would apply nationwide, saying it wouldn't be fair to treat recipients differently depending on which state they live in. A ruling that would apply everywhere could defy the intentions of the U.S. Supreme Court, which has limited the use of nationwide injunctions, though it hasn't prohibited them.

Much of the hearing revolved around what Congress intended to do when the agency runs out of money for the program. Talwani pushed back against the Trump administration's argument that suspending the benefits was the best option, saying using emergency funds for benefits, albeit reduced, seemed to make the most sense.

“It’s hard to me to understand that this is not an emergency, when there is no money and a lot of people are needing their SNAP benefits,” she said.

Lawyers for the federal government argued that dispersing the full benefits would violate a law that bars the government from paying for programs without a congressional appropriation.

And in court papers, the government said partial payments would require complicated recalculations of benefits that could take weeks.

The plaintiffs argued in their lawsuit that failing to maintain the SNAP funding would hurt public health, make it harder for children to learn in school, drive up government health care expenditures and hurt the retailers that rely on SNAP payments.

To qualify for SNAP in 2025, a family of four's net income can't exceed the federal poverty line, which is about $31,000 per year. Last year, SNAP provided assistance to 41 million people, nearly two-thirds of whom were families with children, according to the lawsuit.

Mulvihill reported from Haddonfield, New Jersey.

A person shops for produce, which is covered by the USDA Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), at a grocery store in Baltimore, Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

A person shops for produce, which is covered by the USDA Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), at a grocery store in Baltimore, Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

A volunteer sorts items for distribution at the Oregon Food Bank in Portland, Ore., Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, center, is flanked by state lawmakers as she announces the state will temporarily backfill SNAP benefits during a news conference outside a grocery store in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Susan Montoya Bryan)

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, center, announces the state will provide $30 million in emergency food assistance to residents to temporarily backfill SNAP benefits during a news conference outside a grocery store in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Susan Montoya Bryan)

New Mexico House Speaker Javier Martinez talks about state efforts to temporarily backfill SNAP benefits during a news conference outside a grocery store in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Susan Montoya Bryan)

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Real Madrid was jeered by its disgruntled fans before Kylián Mbappé scored to spark a 2-0 win over Levante in La Liga on Saturday.

Spectators at the Santiago Bernabeu whistled, booed and waved white handkerchiefs before the opening kickoff to express their anger after back-to-back losses and a sudden coaching change.

Madrid fired Xabi Alonso after last weekend’s loss to Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final only for the team to then lose to a second-tier side in the Copa del Rey in the debut of Alonso’s replacement.

New coach Álvaro Arbeloa, who was promoted from the B team, as well as his players could have ill afforded another slip against a relegation-threatened Levante in front of their home supporters.

Levante, however, generated as much in attack as Madrid did in the first half. It took a penalty converted by Mbappé in the 58th to break the deadlock after the striker was fouled by Adrián de la Fuente.

Raúl Asencio thumped in a header after a corner kick by Arda Guler to double the lead in the 65th.

“It was important to win today,” Arbeloa said. “We knew where we were coming from. We had had a difficult week that was not easy to overcome. We did so by winning in front of our fans.

"I have always respected (the fans) of the Bernabeu. I was whistled at (when I was a Madrid defender), and what makes this club great is the degree of excellence demanded of it.”

Vinícius Júnior, who reportedly did not see eye to eye with Alonso, was among the players who received the loudest jeers. Some fans also shouted at club president Florentino Pérez for his handling of the Alonso firing and the subpar play of the team.

Mbappé, who appeared in only one of Madrid’s last four games, was back starting after recovering from a left knee sprain.

Jude Bellingham and other regulars were also in the lineup after Arbeloa left the England midfielder and other key players off his squad for the humbling loss at Albacete on Wednesday in the Copa del Rey.

Madrid, despite its trouble, closed to within one point of Barcelona before the leader visits Real Sociedad on Sunday.

Third-placed Villarreal stumbled after losing at Real Betis 2-0, staying eight points off Barcelona's pace.

Aitor Rubial and Pablo Fornals scored in the second half for the hosts as Betis remained in sixth.

Mallorca's Vedat Muriqi scored a hat trick to lead a 3-2 win over Athletic Bilbao.

The Kosovo striker scored early and capitalized on two penalties. He scored a rebound of a save of his first spot kick by Unai Simón before Nico Williams leveled it at 2-2 before halftime. Muriqi then converted a second penalty with 20 minutes left.

Osasuna beat bottom side Oviedo 3-2.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Real Madrid's head coach Alvaro Arbeloa watches from the sideline the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Levante in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Jose Breton)

Real Madrid's Raul Asencio celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Levante in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Jose Breton)

Real Madrid's Raul Asencio, right, celebrates with teammate Kylian Mbappe after scoring his side's second goal during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Levante in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Jose Breton)