Six minutes of news from around the nation.

Judge says she'll likely order Trump administration to send SNAP funds to states; IN families face food crisis as federal shutdown drags on; PA faces high-stakes retention vote for Supreme Court justices; IL conservation groups question McDonald's sustainability pledge; TN's Sevier Co. mayor backs FEMA reforms, faster disaster aid.

TRANSCRIPT

The Public News Service Daily Newscast, October the 31st, 2025.

I'm Mike Clifford.

A federal judge in Boston indicated Thursday she will intervene in a high-stakes fight over the Trump administration's decision to not tap into billions of dollars in emergency funds to help cover food stamp benefits for tens of millions of Americans in November.

That from CNN.

They report U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani said near the end of a hearing, "Right now, Congress has put money in an emergency fund for an emergency, and it's hard for me to understand how this isn't an emergency when there's no money and a lot of people are needing their SNAP benefits."

Though the judge's options vary, one possibility is that she issues an emergency order that essentially compels the administration to tap into the emergency funds.

Meantime, Hoosiers who rely on federal food aid could lose those benefits starting tomorrow.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, runs out of funding on November 1st if Congress doesn't act.

Emily Weichert Bryant, Executive Director of Feeding Indiana's Hungry, says the impact could hit families across the state hard.

So we know that food banks will be one of the first places families turn.

Our member food banks are working with faith-based and community pantries across the state.

Our food banks adapt quickly to meet the moment.

Bryant says Hoosiers who depend on the program include working families, older adults and children.

Republican leaders in Congress have said they won't approve partial funding for SNAP without a full government funding deal.

Democrats insist the House should act to protect food aid now while broader budget talks continue.

I'm Joe Ulori, Public News Service.

Find our trust indicators at PublicNewsService.org.

And with the Pennsylvania general election coming up Tuesday, November the 4th.

Advocates are reminding voters they'll decide whether to retain three liberal justices on the state Supreme Court.

Losing even one could narrow the current 5-2 liberal majority.

J.J. Abbott with Commonwealth Communication says some groups are urging voters to reject the justices and call for term limits.

However, he notes state law already requires retirement at age 75.

Abbott adds the main choice is between keeping the current liberal majority or facing costly and contingent races in 2027 that could shift the court's direction.

Voters will make their decision in the retention race with a simple yes or no vote.

The Pennsylvania Bar Association, for instance, is recommending to keep the court as it is now and to vote yes on all of the three Supreme Court justices, which will really just kind of keep continuity moving forward when comes to some issues.

Abbott points out if voters reject retaining the justices, their seats would become vacant, likely remaining unfilled until a 2027 partisan election.

Danielle Smith reporting.

This is Public News Service.

The McDonald's chain has been praised for committing to invest $200 million in sustainable agriculture practices over the next seven years.

Illinois conservation groups say a lot more is needed to consider this a win for farmers or the environment.

The initiative includes a focus on regenerative livestock systems.

Ryan Slaball with the non-profit Think Regeneration says partnerships with the fast food industry are crucial to establishing a food supply system that prioritizes nutrition.

But instead of investing just one quarter of one percent of its supply chain in short-term sustainability practices, he argues McDonald's and other companies should also work to undo the longer term damage he says they're causing.

The reason we call it the regenerative movement is because we need to decouple some of the food supply systems that are causing pollution and causing health issues and recouple them into something that actually creates positive human health outcomes.

He says concentrated animal feeding operations which companies like McDonald's heavily rely on are a significant contributor to reduced nutritional value in food and negative environmental impacts.

McDonald says the initiative aims to address some of these issues by helping ranchers adopt grazing practices that benefit soil, water and wildlife habitat.

Slaball says there's a common misconception that CAFOs are necessary to feed the world.

He counters that stressed animals and cramped environments become less nutritious food with higher rates of toxins.

However, Slaball emphasizes that CAFO managers should not be seen as the enemy.

"It's a really, really challenging position that this generation of CAFO managers have inherited.

I worry about them.

I worry about their mental health.

I'm Judith Ruiz Branch reporting.

Finally the federal government shutdown didn't stop county leaders in 15 states including Tennessee from visiting Washington DC this week to push for reforms for disaster relief.

The National Association of Counties backs the bipartisan bill known as the FEMA Act which cleared a House committee with 57 to 3 vote and now awaits consideration by the full House.

Sevier County Mayor Larry Water says the bill would strengthen disaster response and recovery, noting his county struggles after the 2016 Gatlinburg fires.

Water says the association has an intergovernmental disaster reform task force focused on improving the system, including changes to the public assistance program.

It's a reimbursement type situation now where the community has to actually write a check and then submit that for reimbursement.

We would prefer moving to a grant where FEMA provides the funds up front and which would allow a community to focus on recovery and to start rebuilding immediately.

Waters says he's meeting with Tennessee Senators Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty to urge them to introduce a Senate version of the FEMA Act.

Danielle Smith reporting.

This is Mike Clifford for Public News Service, member and listener supported.

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