The action comes two days after states sued the federal agency that administers SNAP benefits. Funds were set to stop flowing Saturday.

The USDA notice comes after the Trump administration said it would not tap roughly $5 billion in contingency funds to keep benefits through SNAP.

Food banks and hunger relief organizations are seeing an increase in the number of people lining up for food packages since SNAP benefits were halted on Nov. 1.

None of this is normal. Food-stamp benefits have never been cut like this in the current program’s more-than-60-year history. “It is a significant inflection point in the program’s history,” Christopher Bosso, a political scientist at Northeastern University who wrote a book on SNAP, told me. “Where we go from here is anyone’s guess.”

With benefits expected to run out Saturday because of the government shutdown, Democratic leaders of 25 states allege the USDA is required to keep providing funds.

The USDA releases its annual food security report today, possibly for the last time, after the Trump administration moved to end the survey and tighten SNAP rules.

USDA reminds retailers they must give SNAP and non-SNAP shoppers the same prices, with sales tax exempt only for SNAP purchases.

A federal judge granted a temporary restraining order Friday that would compel the government to distribute food stamp benefits for November.

First Baptist Church of Panama City will open its food pantry every Monday until the government shutdown ends.