SNAP benefits are being restored now that the shutdown is over

Question

One of the biggest impacts of the government shutdown was the halting of SNAP benefits, which should be returning now that the shutdown has ended.

Answer 1

1. Write a brief overall summary of your findings.

I found two articles that provide insight into the claim at hand:

• The first article was published by PBS News and outlines what the end of the government shutdown means for SNAP benefits, stating that it varies by state. They also broke down their article into separate sections explaining an overview of the subject, how this has impacted families, and the federal government's role in restoring SNAP funding. 

• The second article was published by 19thnews.org and they specifically go into the details of how quickly the benefits will be restored. They go into detail about the many layers to this issue and include quotes from various establishments.

2. What primary sources did you find (e.g., transcripts, videos of politician speeches, tweets from public figures, scientific studies)? For each source, write at least one or two sentences explaining what you learned. Include all links.

• The first article, while being a secondary source as a whole, uses a primary quote from the U.S Department of Agriculture, who runs the program. They detail an email from the department in which they say that “funds could be available ‘upon the government reopening, within 24 hours for most states’”. This quote directly provides information to those affected and gives them information on what to expect from the department.

• The second article includes a statement from the platform Truth Social, in which President Trump shared that “SNAP benefits would only be restored ‘when the Radical Left Democrats open up government, which they can easily do, and not before!’”. This primary quote provides insight into the current administration's priorities, and can explain to families why there might be a delay to their benefits. 

3. What secondary sources did you find (e.g., newspapers, magazines)? Only use secondary sources if sufficient primary sources are not available. For each source, write at least one or two sentences explaining what you learned. Include all links.

• Both sources, being written articles, are secondary sources. They both detail a background to how the SNAP benefits help Americans and even share how “1 in 8 Americans” use SNAP, exemplifying the need for restoration. While the 19thnews article dives into more detail on the inner workings of the SNAP benefits coming back, both articles provide information and insight into what American families can expect to happen in the upcoming months.

4. What potential biases or interests might each of your sources have?

• Both articles are left leaning, so that political association could provide bias into their articles and persuade written language.

5. What evidence supports the claim you are fact-checking?

• I think that finding multiple sources and cross referencing information helps support the claim that I am fact checking. Additionally, I think both sources have added credibility due to their educational association with both links ending in .org.

6. What evidence undermines the claim you are fact-checking?

• I think the potential bias is the most evidence that could undermine the claim that I am fact checking, but both articles seem credible and accurate. 

7. What happened when you tried contacting the person or group who made the original claim? 

• There will most likely be no response due to the nature of the publishers being big corporations.

Answer 2

Claim:Snap benefits are being restored now that the shutdown is over  

Yes, now that the government shutdown is over most SNAP benefits are restored or actively being restored in each state. Some sources that I found are PBS which claims that most states are actively trying to or have already restored SNAP benefits, however it has been hard due to states' different systems and said “it will not happen instantly”. Along with this Politico has said that the USDA claimed they would resume SNAP payments as soon as the shutdown is over, and that the USDA started delivering up to 65 percent of partial benefits last week. Lastly USA Today claims that some people could be seeing their SNAP benefits as little as 24 hours after the shutdown ended. These are secondary sources and I used them because I could not find many if any primary sources on the issue since it has happened so recently.  Some potential biases these sources could have would be wanting people to tune into their news and not telling the full truth to get more clicks. They could also have certain political agendas and not want to promote the government if they disagreed with the people who are running it and make it seem like they are more intricate than  they are. All my sources support the evidence I am factchecking, in this case none of the sources go against what I am fact checking however still have biases and should be taken into account when going over their information. When I tried contacting the original writer of the post they did not respond to my message, however I will update this if that changes. Thank you very much!