Government Shutdown

With the shutdown appeared to be headed to a conclusion, Stein visited a Raleigh food bank on Tuesday to present a donation of more than $3 million.

The flight cancellations at airports across the U.S. are expected to persist even after the government shutdown ends.

The Senate has taken the first step to end the government shutdown after a group of moderate Democrats agreed to proceed without a guaranteed extension of health care subsidies.

Diaper Bank of NC is a nonprofit that serves residents in need across the state. The organization has received requests for products like formula for babies, including diapers due to recent furloughs and layoffs from the federal government.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture will offer 50% of typical benefits in November using a reserve fund. North Carolina was one of the states that sued to require it to use that money amid federal shutdown.

The federal program provides food, formula and support to about 262,000 people in North Carolina.

While Virginia’s Republican governor announced plans this week to continue SNAP benefits in November using state funding, North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein doesn’t have the power to make a similar move.

The Trump Administration has said it will not use reserve funds to continue providing SNAP amid the federal shutdown. More than 1.3 million North Carolinians use the program to buy food.

North Carolina federal employees and others across the nation aren’t getting paid, leaving them to lean on their communities for basic necessities like food.

Federal employees impacted by the government shutdown can apply for unemployment benefits from the state while they are furloughed. However, if they receive backpay from their employer, the benefits must be paid back to the state.