As SNAP uncertainty looms, where can Marylanders turn for food assistance?

Tomorrow, the government shutdown reaches the distinction of being the longest shutdown in American history. Ongoing legal cases involving federal judges in Massachusetts and Rhode Island will determine if federal food assistance -- SNAP benefits -- will be funded through the rest of the shutdown. Maryland Secretary of Agriculture Kevin Atticks joins Midday to help navigate the latest news on SNAP, which helps feed 690,000 people in Maryland. Last Thursday, Gov. Wes Moore announced that he would allocate $10 million dollars to assist Marylanders whose SNAP benefits have been halted. The money to food banks, local nonprofits, faith-based organizations, food kitchens, farmers markets, school pantries and mobile food units statewide. Moore’s decision strays from neighboring states’ plans, like Virginia and Delaware, to directly fund SNAP benefits for the month of November, which would cost Maryland around $123 million.