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Food banks and pantries were already struggling after federal program cuts this year, but now they’re bracing for a tsunami of hungry people if a pause in federal food aid to low-income people kicks in this weekend as the federal government shutdown persists.The rush has already begun. Central Christian Church’s food pantry in downtown Indianapolis scrambled Saturday to accommodate around twice as many people as it normally serves in a day.“There’s an increased demand. And we know it’s been happening really since the economy has downturned,” volunteer Beth White said, adding that with an interruption in funding for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, “it’s going to continue to get worse for folks.”It’s a concern shared by charitable food providers across the country as states prepare for lower-income families to see their SNAP benefits dry up. SNAP helps 40 million Americans, or about 1 in 8, buy groceries. The debit cards they use to buy groceries at participating stores and farmers markets are normally loaded each month by the federal government.That’s set to pause at the start of next month after the Trump administration said Friday that it won’t use a roughly $5 billion contingency fund to keep food aid flowing in November in the government shutdown. The administration also says states temporarily covering the cost of food assistance benefits next month will not be reimbursed. [Map: AP Digital Embed] “Bottom line, the well has run dry,” the U.S. Department of Agriculture said in a statement. “At this time, there will be no benefits issued November 01.”It’s the latest in a string of hardships placed on charitable food services, which are intended to help take up the slack for any shortcomings in federal food assistance not replace government help altogether.Charities have seen growing demand since the COVID-19 pandemic and the following inflation spike, and they took a hit earlier this year when the Trump administration ended programs that had provided more than $1 billion for schools and food banks to fight hunger. Food pantry visitors are worried Reggie Gibbs, of Indianapolis, just recently started receiving SNAP benefits, which meant he didn’t have to pick up as much from Central Christian Church’s food pantry when he stopped by on Saturday. But he lives alone, he said, and worries what families with children will do.“I’ve got to harken back to the families, man,” he said. “What do you think they’re going to go through, you know?”Martina McCallop, of Washington, D.C., said she’s worried about how she’ll feed her kids, ages 10 and 12, and herself, when the $786 they get in monthly SNAP benefits is gone.“I have to pay my bills, my rent, and get stuff my kids need,” she said. “After that, I don’t have money for food.”She’s concerned food pantries won’t be able to meet the sudden demand in a city with so many federal workers who aren’t being paid.In Fairfax County, Virginia, where about 80,000 federal workers live, Food for Others executive director Deb Haynes said she doesn’t expect to run out of food entirely, largely because of donors.“If we run short and I need to ask for help, I know I will receive it,” Haynes said. Food banks feel the increased demand Food pantries provide about 1 meal to every 9 provided by SNAP, according to Feeding America, a nationwide network of food banks. They get the food they distribute through donations from people, businesses and some farmers. They also get food from U.S. Department of Agriculture programs and sometimes buy food with contributions and grant funding.“When you take SNAP away, the implications are cataclysmic,” Feeding America CEO Claire Babineaux-Fontenot said. “I assume people are assuming that somebody’s going to stop it before it gets too bad. Well, it’s already too bad. And it’s getting worse.”Some distributors are already seeing startling low food supplies. George Matysik, executive director of Share Food Program in the Philadelphia area, said a state government budget impasse had already cut funding for his program.“I’ve been here seven years,” Matysik said. “I’ve never seen our warehouses as empty as they are right now.” States scramble to fill in where they can New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said she is fast tracking $30 million in emergency food assistance funds to “help keep food pantries stocked,” and New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said her state would expedite $8 million that had been allocated for food banks.Officials in Louisiana, Vermont and Virginia said last week they would seek to keep food aid flowing to recipients in their states, even if the federal program is stalled.Other states aren’t in a position to offer much help, especially if they won’t be reimbursed by the federal government. Arkansas officials, for example, have been pointing recipients to find food pantries, or other charitable groups even friends and family for help.-AP writers JoNel Aleccia in Los Angeles, Anthony Izaguirre in Albany, New York, Susan Montoya Bryan in Albuquerque, and video journalists Obed Lamy in Indianapolis and Mike Householder in Detroit contributed to this report. Margery A. Beck and Geoff Mulvihill, Associated Press
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E-Commerce
The Federal Reserve will almost certainly cut its key interest rate on Wednesday and could signal it expects another cut in December as the central bank seeks to bolster hiring.A cut Wednesday would be the second this year and could benefit consumers by bringing down borrowing costs for mortgages and auto loans. Since Fed chair Jerome Powell strongly signaled in late August that rate cuts were likely this year, the average 30-year mortgage rate has fallen to about 6.2% from 6.6%, providing a boost to the otherwise-sluggish housing market.Still, the Fed is navigating an unusual period for the U.S. economy and its future moves are harder to anticipate than is typically the case. Hiring has ground nearly to a halt, yet inflation remains elevated, and the economy’s mostly solid growth is heavily dependent on massive investment by leading tech companies in artificial intelligence infrastructure.The central bank is assessing these trends without most of the government data it uses to gauge the economy’s health. The release of September’s jobs report has been postponed because of the government shutdown. The White House said last week October’s inflation figure may not even be compiled.The shutdown itself may also crimp the economy in the coming months, depending on how long it lasts. Roughly 750,000 federal workers are nearing a month without pay, which could soon start weakening consumer spending, a critical driver of the economy.Federal workers laid off by the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency efforts earlier this year may formally show up in jobs data if it is reported next month, which could make the monthly hiring data look even worse.Powell has said that the risk of weaker hiring is rising, which makes it as much of a concern as still-elevated inflation. As a result, the central bank needs to move its key rate closer to a level that would neither slow nor stimulate the economy.Most Fed officials view the current level of its key rate 4.1% as high enough to slow growth and cool inflation, which has been their main goal since price increases spiked to a four-decade high three years ago. The Fed is widely expected to reduce it to about 3.9% Wednesday. WIth job gains at risk, the goal is to move rates to a less-restrictive level.Kris Dawsey, head of economic research at D.E. Shaw, an investment bank, said that the lack of data during the shutdown means the Fed will likely stay on the path it sketched out in September, when it forecast cuts this month and in December.“Imagine you’re driving in a winter storm and suddenly lose visibility in whiteout conditions,” Dawsey said. “While you slow the car down, you’re going to continue going in the direction you were going versus making an abrupt change once you lose that visibility.”In recent remarks, the Fed chair has made clear that the sluggish job market has become a signficant concern.“The labor market has actually softened pretty considerably,” Powell said. “The downside risks to employment appear to have risen.”Before the government shutdown cut off the flow of data Oct. 1, monthly hiring gains had weakened to an average of just 29,000 a month for the previous three months. The unemployment rate ticked up to a still-low 4.3% in August from 4.2% in July.Layoffs also remain low, however, leading Powell and other officials to refer to the “low-hire, low-fire” job market.At the same time, last week’s inflation report released more than a week late because of the shutdown showed that inflation remain elevated but isn’t accelerating and may not need higher rates to tame it.Yet a key question is how long the job market can remain in what Powell has described as a “curious kind of balance.”“There have been some worrisome data points in the last few months,” said Stephen Stanley, chief U.S. economist at Santander, an investment bank. “Is that a weakening trend or are we just hitting an air pocket?”The uncertainty has prompted some top Fed officials to suggest that they may not necessarily support a cut at its next meeting in December. At its September meeting, the Fed signaled it would cut three times this year, though its policymaking committee is divided. Nine of 19 officials supported two or fewer reductions.Christopher Waller, a member of the Fed’s governing board and one of five people being considered by the Trump administration to replace Powell as Fed chair next year, said in a recent speech that while hiring data is weak, other figures suggest the economy is growing at a healthy pace.“So, something’s gotta give,” Waller said. “Either economic growth softens to match a soft labor market, or the labor market rebounds to match stronger economic growth.”Since it’s unclear how the contradiction will play out, Waller added, “we need to move with care when adjusting the policy rate.”Waller said he supported a quarter-point cut this month, “but beyond that point” it will depend on what the economic data says, assuming the shutdown ends.Financial markets have put the odds of another cut in December at above 90%, according to CME Fedwatch and Fed officials have so far said little to defuse that expectation.Jonathan Pingle, chief U.S. economist at UBS, said that he will look to see if Powell, at a news conference Wednesday, repeats his assertion that the risks of a weaker job market remain high.“If I hear that, I think they’re on track to lowering rates again in December,” he said. Christopher Rugaber, AP Economics Writer
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E-Commerce
As more and more drivers purchase electric vehicles, some people have voiced concerns about how the EV boom could further strain our aging, stressed electricity grid. More EVs means more electricity demand, which could require costly infrastructure upgrades or limit when drivers can charge if demand is too high. But one long-talked about promise of EVs is that they could actually make our electricity grid more resilient. Through bidirectional charging, EVs could essentially act as batteries parked outside your home, powering houses so that they dont need to rely on outside electricity. They could also even send energy back to the grid. [Image: Ford] A handful of EVs can already power your home during an outage, including the Ford F-150 Lightning. And Ford is expanding how its EV drivers can take advantage of bidirectional charging. [Image: Ford] Through its Home Power Management program, F-150 Lightning owners can use their trucks to power their homes when electricity prices from the grid are high, easing energy burdens and saving people money on their monthly bills. It also gives customers the ability to send energy from the trucks back to the grid, in some instances earning them money from their electricity company for doing so. We see an opportunity here where our vehicles can be part of the solution rather than compounding the problem, Dave McCreadie, director of Fords EV-Grid Integration Strategy and Business Development, said during a recent press briefing on the program. The rollout is currently limited, but Ford expects to expand a Home Power Management pilot in 2026. At a time when EV sales are lagging and EV tax credits have expiredand as homeowners across the country are seeing their energy bills increaseFord hopes potential customers see these features as another benefit to owning an EV. [Image: Ford] A personal power plant to lower energy bills Backup power has been a feature in the F-150 Lightning since its release in 2022. After major hurricanes like Helene in North Carolina and Beryl in Texas, F-150 Lightning owners used their trucks as generators, allowing them to keep the lights on and the refrigerator running when the power went out. A fully charged F-150 Lightning can power a home for three days; if that power is rationed, it can last up to 10 days. Backup power only works when the grid goes down. Home Power Management, however, allows EV owners to use their trucks to power their homes even when the grid is up and running. The idea is that customers can charge their EVs overnight during offpeak hours, when electricity rates are low. Then, when demand peaks and rates go up, they can use their EV to power their homes. That both offsets a homeowners electricity bills and frees up power from the grid to go elsewhere. The home in question is now essentially invisible to the grid, the automaker explains. [Image: Ford] In June 2024, Ford partnered with Baltimore Gas & Electric (BGE) and Sunrun, a home solar and battery company, to launch the countrys first vehicle-to-home pilot program, allowing EV owners to use their vehicles to power their homes anytime, not just during an outage. Brian Foreman, an F-150 Lightning owner in Highland, Maryland, was the first customer to do so, essentially turning his EV into his own personal power plant. Ford didnt share exactly how much Foreman saved on his electricity bills, but says that customers can save an average of $42 per month, or $500 per year, by using the vehicle-to-home capability. When most people would be concerned, Ive got an electric vehicle, my electricity bill is going to go up, well now you have this offset. Your vehicle is actually working for you in your driveway while its parked, said Ryan OGorman, senior manager of energy services business strategy and delivery at Ford. Brian Foreman [Image: Ford] Sending energy to the gridand making money In the summer of 2025, Foreman joined two other BGE customers for another pilot, this time one that allowed customers to use their F-150 Lightnings to send power to the grid. This turns the EVs into distributed power plants, per the utility company, which also paid customers for the energy they shared. Instead of just saving customers money on their electricity bills, this next step in Fords Home Power Management program lets EV owners make money through their EVs. The participants could earn up to $1,000 for the power they provided between July and September. Using your F-150 Lightning to power your home during peak energy demand or to send power to the grid does require extra equipment: an inverter called the Home Integration System, created by Ford and Sunrun. That equipment is also needed if you want to use your truck to provide backup power during an outage, so some customers already have it installed. The Home Integration System costs $3,895, and installation can be another $3,000, though those prices vary. That expense is on top of the price to buy and install a home EV charger. Some Ford customers received a free charger and installation through the automakers Ford Power Promise program, but for those that missed out on that opportunity, a level 2 Ford Charge Station Pro costs another $1,310 plus installation, which can vary from $200 to $1,000, depending on any wiring upgrades your home needs. That means there is an upfront cost to eventually being able to offset your energy bills or make money by providing power through your EV. But Ford says its F-150 Lightning is cost competitive to buying a 10-kilowatt stationary backup generator for your homeplus, it’s a generator you can drive around. [Image: Ford] Looking ahead for Ford Currently, a handful of customers in just nine states are using Fords Home Power Management capabilities, including Maryland, Georgia (where Ford did a six-month pilot program with energy provider Southern Company focused on commercial fleets), and Vermont (where energy expert Peter Schneider tested the program with Ford, using it to power his home, and reduce grid strain, during extreme heat there this past summer). Getting this system set up requires working with utility companies, which have to provide approval and permits for EVs to be interconnected with the grid in these ways. Automakers also work with utilities to communicate about peak demand, with software that automatically charges an EV at grid-friendly times. Ford trying to maintain communications with hundreds and even thousands of electric utilities across the country is an untenable business solution, McCreadie said. We found that other automakers were having the same problem. Ford worked with BMW and Honda to create ChargeScape, a joint venture that launched in 2024, which basically acts as connective tissue, McCreadie explained, to link utilities and automakers, and integrate EVs into the grid. Though vehicle-to-home and vehicle-to-grid charging is a goal for the EV industry at large, Ford says it’s ahead of the pack with its recent pilot programs. Ford and Michigan-based DTE Energy have also recently launched a new program piloting the vehicle-to-home capabilities, starting with a group of 15 Ford employees. Through that pilot, DTE Energy will pay participants for using their EVs to power their homes during times of high electricity demand. But EV owners dont have to do anything themselves; the system is entirely automated. DTE Energy will send notifications to ChargeScape to schedule when participants EVs provide power for their homes. Though its only available to Ford employees right now, the automaker says its working with DTE to hopefully expand the program to the general public later on in 2026.
Category:
E-Commerce
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