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A federal judge says the Trump administration has until "no later than Monday" to consider whether to pay at least partial SNAP food benefits to 42 million low-income people. Judge Indira Talwani acknowledged this will leave millions of people without assistance starting Saturday.

Two dozen Democratic-led states had sued the U.S. Department of Agriculture over the administration's decision to suspend the nation's largest anti-hunger program for the first time in its history. The judge wrote they are correct in challenging that as unlawful. But she declined to issue a temporary restraining order, saying resuming payments at some point can still avoid irreparable harm to SNAP recipients.

Talwani said the Agriculture Department must use emergency funds t

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