Current Events in October 2025

• USDA says November SNAP benefits won’t be issued as funding runs out

• About 40 million Americans rely on the program each month

• Political standoff over health care subsidies leaves low-income families caught in the middle

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has posted a notice on its website saying federal food aid will not go out Nov. 1, raising the stakes for families nationwide as the government shutdown drags on.

The new notice comes after the Trump administration said it would not tap roughly $5 billion in contingency funds to keep benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly referred to as SNAP, flowing into November. That program helps about 1 in 8 Americans buy groceries.

“Bottom line, the well has run dry,” the USDA notice says. “At this time, there will be no benefits issued November 01. We are approaching an inflection point for Senate Democrats.”

The shutdown, which began Oct. 1, is now the second-longest on record. While the Republican administration took steps leading up to the shutdown to ensure SNAP benefits were paid this month, the cutoff would expand the impact of the impasse to a wider swath of Americans — and some of those most in need — unless a political resolution is found in just a few days.

The administration blames Democrats, who say they will not agree to reopen the government until Republicans negotiate with them on extending expiring subsidies under the Affordable Care Act. Republicans say Democrats must first agree to reopen the government before negotiation.

Consumers cut off from SNAP benefits have no immediate recourse. Local food banks or community meal programs will try to cover the gap but many are already running short of supplies and funds.

• DoorDash is delivering one million free meals nationwide through its food-bank network.

• The company is waiving delivery and service fees on grocery orders for eligible SNAP (EBT) recipients at partner stores.

• Additional aid: DoorDash is also donating fresh and shelf-stable food and essentials from its DashMart locations to food banks.

With the looming threat of a funding interruption for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) — potentially affecting more than 40 million Americans — DoorDash is mobilizing an emergency response to address the immediate hunger risks. 

Families, working households, seniors, and children could all face increased food insecurity if the program’s benefits pause. Recognizing that gap, DoorDash has stepped up with a suite of consumer-facing and food-bank-facing actions aimed at helping people stretch their resources until the federal program is restored. 

“No one should go hungry in America – period,” Max Rettig, Vice President and Global Head of Public Policy at DoorDash, said in a news release. 

“Millions of families are worried right now about how they’ll put food on the table. Fighting hunger is core to our mission at DoorDash, and we’re stepping up alongside leading grocers and retailers to help bridge the gap. We know this is a stopgap, not a solution. But doing nothing simply isn’t an option.”

The specifics of the effort

Here’s a breakdown of what DoorDash is doing:

• One million free meals via food-bank partners. Through its initiative called Project DASH, DoorDash is supporting over 300 food-bank and pantry partners across the country by waiving merchant/delivery fees and enabling distributions. This effort is estimated to equal about one million meals in November.

• Fee-free grocery orders for SNAP recipients. If you use your SNAP/EBT card and have it linked in your DoorDash account, then at participating grocery stores (including names like Sprouts, Dollar General, Schnucks, Ahold Delhaize brands, Hy-Vee, Giant Eagle, and Wegmans) you’ll get your delivery fee and service fee waived on one eligible order between November 1 and November 30.

• Food and essentials donations from DashMart. DoorDash will also donate fresh produce, shelf-stable items and household essentials from its DashMart fulfillment locations to food banks in communities that are likely to be impacted by any shortfall of SNAP benefits. 

For consumers, this means if you receive SNAP benefits and shop through DoorDash at one of the designated grocery partners, you can take advantage of waived fees this coming November. 

How to claim the deal

1. Make sure your DoorDash account is set up and your eligible Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)/EBT card is added under Account → Payment → Program Cards.

2. Between November 1–30, shop at one of the participating grocery partners (look for names like Sprouts, Dollar General, Hy-Vee, Wegmans, Giant Eagle, etc.) and place a grocery order through DoorDash.

3. At checkout, select your SNAP/EBT card for the grocery portion. Because of the special deal, the delivery fee and service fees on that eligible order will be waived. (If your cart includes items that are not SNAP-eligible, you’ll need a backup payment method for those & any tip.)

4. Tip: Make sure your order meets any minimum subtotal required by the grocery partner to qualify for the fee waiver. Double-check the “Offers” or “Promotions” tab in the app for any additional details. 

• A brand-new drug has been approved that tackles moderate to severe hot flashes without using hormones.

• Called elinzanetant (brand name Lynkuet), it works by targeting neurokinin 1 and neurokinin 3 receptors in the brain.

• The approval is backed by robust clinical trial data and gives women a fresh treatment alternative for menopause-related vasomotor symptoms.

The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Lynkuet (elinzanetant), manufactured by Bayer, for women with moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms (hot flashes) due to menopause. 

This news is important because for many women, hormone therapy either isn’t an option or isn’t the ideal choice. With this new approval, there’s a scientifically-backed, non-hormonal option stepping into the spotlight.

“For more than a century, Bayer has been dedicated to pioneering advances in women’s health, and this FDA approval represents a bold step forward – our first hormone-free treatment for alleviating vasomotor symptoms of menopause,” Christine Roth, Executive Vice President, Global Product Strategy and Commercialization said in a news release. 

“There is a need for more individualized approaches to menopause care, and Lynkuet addresses a significant gap in treatment options. The approval in the U.S. reflects our unwavering commitment to delivering science-driven solutions that meet women’s evolving health care needs and empower them to take charge of their health at every stage of life.”

What you need to know about Lynkuet

Lynkuet works differently from older hormone-based treatments. 

Instead of supplementing estrogen or progestin, elinzanetant blocks two receptors in the brain — neurokinin 1 (NK1) and neurokinin 3 (NK3). These receptors are part of the system that regulates body temperature, and when menopause disrupts that system, it can lead to those infamous hot flashes. 

Grounded in science

The approval is grounded in three Phase III clinical trials (OASIS 1, OASIS 2, and OASIS 3) that together enrolled over 1,400 women. In the first two studies, women who took elinzanetant saw meaningful reductions in both the frequency and severity of hot flashes — both during the day and at night. Study 3 extended the data up to 52 weeks to assess longer-term safety. 

“These three studies investigated the safety and efficacy of elinzanetant for the treatment of moderate to severe hot flashes due to menopause,” JoAnn Pinkerton, M.D., Professor and Director of Midlife Health at UVA Health and Lead Investigator on the OASIS 2 trial said in the news release. 

“Hot flashes, particularly when severe, can have an impact on women’s daily lives and this approval provides health care providers with a new treatment option that can be used first-line for moderate to severe hot flashes due to menopause.” 

What this means for you 

Starting in November 2025, Lynkuet is expected to become available in the U.S. 

If you’ve been holding off hormone therapy or finding your current options lacking, this could offer a fresh route to get your sleep back, reduce those disruptive night sweats, and reclaim more comfortable days and nights.

Of course — as with any treatment — it’s important to talk with your health care provider to see whether this new medication is a good fit for you, especially since individual health situations vary. But the bottom line: menopause relief just got a little more flexible — and for many women, that flexibility may make all the difference.

“It’s important that women know they have choices for treating moderate to severe hot flashes due to menopause, and today’s approval further expands a woman’s options for treating these symptoms,” Claire Gill, President and Founder of the National Menopause Foundation, said in the news release.