KEY TAKEAWAYS:

Louisiana will fund SNAP benefits as the federal government halts payments.

About 793,000 residents will receive weekly installments of food aid .

Gov. Jeff Landry redirected $147 million to cover November benefits.

53,000 “able-bodied” recipients will not receive benefits and are referred to food banks.

Louisiana intends to step in for the federal government in November and provide food aid for most of the state’s needy. But those benefits will trickle out in weekly installments instead of all at once.

Plus, the federal government shutdown that will halt Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program payments starting Saturday has also led the state to furlough 786 employees who help distribute benefits, the Louisiana Department of Health announced Friday. They have

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