A U.S. shutdown threatens 42 million SNAP recipients as $18M daily military spending near Venezuela fuels deadly strikes.

A U.S. government shutdown has left 42 million Americans at risk of losing SNAP benefits as funding expires, while the Trump administration continues a costly military buildup near Venezuela, spending $18 million daily on naval operations since late August. The deployment, including the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Group, has led to at least 14 extrajudicial strikes killing at least 60 people, many civilians, amid escalating tensions and threats of invasion. Critics say the focus on military intervention, driven by strategic interests in Venezuela’s oil, comes at the expense of domestic needs, highlighting a stark contrast between austerity at home and expansive foreign spending.