California National Guard to support food banks due to expected food assistance delays

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Wednesday he will deploy National Guard troops to support food banks in November, a move that comes in light of anticipated delays to federal food assistance amid the government shutdown. About 40 million low-income people across the U.S., including roughly 5.5 million in California, receive federal food assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps. But Newsom, a Democrat, warned families should expect an interruption to those benefits next month. “This is serious, this is urgent – and requires immediate action,” he said. That's a starkly different mission from President Donald Trump’s deployment of California National Guard troops to guard federal buildings