WASHINGTON — With the longest government shutdown in history officially over, states are scrambling to send full SNAP food benefits to millions of people.

A back-and-forth series of court rulings and shifting policies from the Trump administration have led to inconsistent distribution of November benefits as part of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program . About two-thirds of states had issued only partial or no benefits before the shutdown ended Wednesday night, according to a tally from the Associated Press.

The federal food program serves about 42 million people, about 1 in 8 Americans, in lower-income households. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which runs the program, issued new guidance Thursday, instructing: “State agencies must take immediate steps to ensure households

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