NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 30: A store displays a sign accepting Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) purchases for groceries on October 30, 2025 in New York City. Approximately 42 million Americans rely on food stamps that are deposited monthly onto their EBT cards. Benefits have ended or become uncertain amid the ongoing U.S. government shutdown, leaving households desperate to find ways to put food on the table. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Last Friday, Americans braced themselves for an impending government shutdown. Two hours before midnight,...