WASHINGTON ‒ Democratic governors and attorneys general from 25 states sued to stop the White House from ending Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits on Nov. 1 as the government shutdown reached Day 28.

The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in Boston, called a looming food aid cutoff "contrary to law and arbitrary and capricious."

The Agriculture Department in a recent memo said it can't use contingency funds to pay for SNAP benefits, commonly known as food stamps, contradicting earlier guidance that the money was available "in the event that a lapse occurs in the middle of the fiscal year." About 42 million Americans would lose their SNAP benefits.

"Bottom line, the well has run dry," the department said on its website. "At this time, there will be no benefits issued November 1. We

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