North Carolinians express lingering concerns over SNAP benefit uncertainty
THE SCHOOL AND ALSO POSSIBLE
LEGAL CONSEQUENCES. ACCORDING
TO THE PRINCE. OK, BRIAN, THANK
YOU. WE GOT A BIG UPDATE TODAY
FOR MORE THAN A MILLION PEOPLE
IN NORTH CAROLINA WHO RELY ON
SNAP BENEFITS. A FEDERAL JUDGE
RULING THAT THE USDA MUST PAY
OUT BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN
EMERGENCY FUNDING TO KEEP THIS
PROGRAM RUNNING BENEFITS WERE
SET TO BE SUSPENDED TOMORROW.
SO AGAIN, A BIG UPDATE. 5 ON
YOUR SIDE'S KEELY, ARTHUR.
JOINING US NOW LIVE KEELEY THIS
COULD BUY EVERYONE SOME TIME AS
LAWMAKERS TRY TO REOPEN THE
GOVERNMENT. YEAH, SOME TIME BUT
NOT A LOT OF TIME. SO I SPOKE
WITH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S
OFFICE IN NORTH CAROLINA TODAY.
OF COURSE, THEY WERE AMONG THE
MORE THAN 20 STATES THAT SUED
THE USDA EARLIER THIS WEEK TO
GET THIS FUNDING RELEASED.
>> THEY TOLD US THEY BELIEVE
THE USDA HAS UNTIL MONDAY TO
COME UP WITH A PLAN TO
DISTRIBUTE THOSE FUNDS MEAN
THERE'S STILL SOME UNCERTAINTY.
WE KNOW THAT THE MONEY IS
SUPPOSED TO COME OUT. NOVEMBER
FIRST SETS TOMORROW, EVEN IF
THE MONEY GOES THROUGH, IT'S
ONLY 6 BILLION DOLLARS. SOUNDS
LIKE A LOT OF WILL JUST LAST A
FEW WEEKS. SO AS LONG AS THE
GOVERNMENT IS SHUT DOWN, IT'S
GOING TO PUT A LOT OF FEAR INTO
PEOPLE WHO WANT TO PUT FOOD ON
THE TABLE AND GET THIS ROUGHLY
ONE IN EVERY 8 AMERICANS IS
ON SNAP. ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE
KALEN LAWSON ALONG WITH HER
PARTNER AND 3 CHILDREN. I SPOKE
TO HER TODAY ABOUT THE STIGMA
SURROUNDING SNAP AND FOOD
STAMPS AND WHY SHE'S SPEAKING
ON CAMERA.
>> I JUST CAN'T KEEP SEEING A
LOT OF PEOPLE SAYING GET A JOB
OR GO TO WORK AND I THINK
MESSAGE WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO
GET OUT THERE IS THAT MOST OF
THESE PEOPLE ARE ALREADY
WORKING MYSELF, INCLUDED IT SO
I MEAN, THE THOSE KIND OF
STATEMENTS, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE
NOT HELPFUL AND IT'S NOT.
IT'S NOT GOING TO HELP THE
COMMUNITY. IT'S NOT GOING TO
CHANGE THINGS. STAND. I THINK
IT'S JUST VERY IMPORTANT TO
REMEMBER THAT THESE ARE PEOPLE
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. NO ONE
SHOULD GO HUNGRY. IT DOESN'T
MATTER WHAT YOUR OPINION IS.
OR HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT THE
SITUATION.
NO ONE SHOULD GO HUNGRY.
THAT'S NEXT. ON THIS CASE.
>> IF HE LOOKS FAMILIAR, IT'S
BECAUSE I SPOKE WITH HER
WEDNESDAY. WE ARE GOING TO
CONTINUE TO STICK WITH HER AS
THIS UNFOLDS. IF YOU'D LIKE TO
SHARE YOUR STORY WITH ME,
PLEASE REACH OUT AND MY BEST
ADVICE TO ANYONE WHO WANTS TO
HELP CALL YOUR LOCAL FOOD BANK.
FIND OUT WHAT THEY NEED.
I SPOKE WITH THE INTERFAITH
FOOD SHUTTLE. THEY TOLD ME
RIGHT NOW THEY NEED THE MONEY
THAT ALLOWS THEM TO BUY THINGS
AT WHOLESALE AND IN BALL TO
WEIGH YOUR, I COULDN'T DO THAT.
SO KNOW THAT GIVING MONEY IS A
GREAT WAY TO HELP AND YOU DON'T
HAVE TO GO THE GROCERY STORE
THAT WE ARE CONTINUOUSLY
UPDATING OUR WEB SITE TO
PROVIDE YOU WITH INFORMATION.
HOW ON HOW TO BEST GIVE AND