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The impact is already being felt and the economic strain is growing, hitting federal workers first. We spoke with several who tell us, among other things, they're feeling hopeless and depressed, already missing one paycheck and now facing the possibility they may miss *** second. I'll just keep on hoping and and uh praying that you know things will change. Feeling *** bit lost. Aimless, um, we're in week 4 now, frustration. Not knowing what's gonna happen next, where your next meal gonna come from. Just blocks from the Capitol outside of the Department of Transportation, that's where many employees who haven't been working since the federal shutdown began lined up at World Central Kitchen to receive *** hot meal. The uncertainty here in DC could soon be felt across the rest of the country as *** memo sent by the USDA to states now says that starting November 1st. SNAP benefits will run out and the department is not going to use the somewhat $5 billion that is in this contingency fund to keep the program running. SNAP helps 1 in 8 Americans buy groceries. As of 2023, nearly 40% of participants are children, 20% are seniors, and about 10% are people with disabilities. Nearly 3 quarters of SNAP households live below the federal poverty line. The USDA says it can't legally use those contingency funds to cover regular benefits during *** shutdown, but Democrats argue the administration is simply choosing not to use those contingency funds and playing politics with food aid at the White House, I'm Christopher Sala.