End to government shutdown averts food stamp suspension

Just after midnight, President Obama signed a bill to restore government funding and increase the debt limit temporarily, in a move that prevented the shutdown of nutrition assistance programs while restoring funding to USDA, FDA and other food-related government agencies. USDA had sent a letter to states instructing them to suspend the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for November if no resolution was reached by the end of the month to fund the government.

USDA's website has partially reopened, but displays a message requesting patience while all of the site's functionality is restored following the shutdown.