Andrew Thomas is a reporter for NTD News primarily covering business, the economy, and technology. 

Andrew Thomas

NTD Plus

News

Breaking news and in-depth analysis from the United States and beyond. We bring you the latest updates, exclusive insights, and sharp discussions on the most pressing issues. NTD Newsroom airs Monday–Friday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. ET.

NTD Newsroom

Senate Commerce Committee Advances Kids Online Safety Act

Don Ma is an anchor and senior business correspondent based at the network's global headquarters in New York City. Don is the anchor and producer of NTD's "Business Matters," which airs weekdays at 4:30 pm ET.

Don Ma

Panelists: Electorate Is Driving Democratic Party’s Sway Towards Far Left

El-Sayed Won’t Beat Rogers in Midterms: Michigan GOP Gubernatorial Candidate

Zachary Stieber is a senior reporter for The Epoch Times based in Maryland. He covers U.S. and world news. Contact Zachary at zack.stieber@epochtimes.com

Zachary Stieber

US News

Politics

Congress

Senate Confirms Trump Pick for CDC Director

Arleen Richards is NTD's legal correspondent based at the network's global headquarters in New York City, where she covers all major legal stories. Arleen holds a Doctor of Law (J.D.).


Arleen Richards

Government Grocery Stores Risks Making Affordability Worse: Economic Policy Researcher

Michigan Reports 11,508 Cyclosporiasis Cases Amid Outbreak

NJ Sues Amazon Over Alleged Antitrust Practices Affecting Delivery Drivers

Blanche Is ‘Uniquely Qualified’ to Tackle the Weaponization of the Justice System: Political Strategist

Union Voters May Swing Michigan Democrat Primary: Panel

Paul Greaney is an NTD news anchor and producer. Since joining the company in 2018, he has anchored the station’s flagship Evening News broadcast, launched the NTD Business show, and produced documentary reports on pointed issues. 

The highlight of Paul’s time in the field was his coverage of the Hong Kong pro-democracy protests in 2019.

Paul Greaney

High or Low Turnout in Michigan Will Influence Likelihood of Fringe Candidates’ Success: Political History Expert

NTD Newsroom Full Broadcast (Aug. 5)

NTD Newsroom Full Broadcast (Aug. 4)

NTD Newsroom Full Broadcast (Aug. 3)

NTD Newsroom Full Broadcast (July 31)

NTD Newsroom Full Broadcast (July 30)

NTD Newsroom Full Broadcast (July 29)

NTD Newsroom Full Broadcast (July 28)

NTD Newsroom Full Broadcast (July 27)

NTD Newsroom Full Broadcast (July 24)

NTD Newsroom Full Broadcast (July 23)

NTD Movies

NTD+ Movies

The Unrestricted War

Reuters is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide writing in 16 languages.

Reuters

Cyber Defense Agency Warns Hackers Are Increasingly Targeting Water Systems

Juliet Song is an international correspondent exclusively covering China news for NTD. She primarily contributes to NTD's "China in Focus," covering U.S.-China relations, the Chinese regime's human rights abuses, and domestic unrest inside China.

Juliet Song

Shows

Fast, compelling, first-hand news from China. China in Focus airs Monday–Friday at 9:30 p.m. ET.

China in Focus

2.8 Million People in China Evacuated Amid Typhoon Bavi

NTD Newsroom comprises teams of reporters, editors, and producers assigned to cover breaking news and other stories.


US Announces Visa Restrictions Targeting Cybercriminals

Joseph Lord is a congressional reporter for The Epoch Times.


Joseph Lord

House Passes Legislation to Make Daylight Saving Time Permanent

News you can trust from the U.S. and around the world. Critical information and insight. We cover the stories that others don’t. NTD News Today airs Monday–Friday at 11 a.m. ET.

NTD News Today

Florida Ticket Wins $800 Million Mega Millions Jackpot

Troy Myers is a regional reporter based in St. Augustine, Florida. His background includes breaking, criminal justice, and investigative writing for local news, producing on a national morning newscast in Washington, D.C., and working with an award-winning, weekly investigative news program. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his dog at the beach.

Troy Myers

Jason Perry is an Army veteran and NTD's national security correspondent. Jason primarily covers border security, national defense, foreign wars, and veterans' issues.

Jason Perry

Courts

Appeals Court Upholds Block on Trump Order to Tighten Mail-In Voting, Citizenship Verification

The Associated Press is an American not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. 

The Associated Press

Melina Wisecup is NTD's congressional correspondent based in Washington, covering Capitol Hill and campaign politics.

Melina Wisecup

Sen. Lindsey Graham Likely Died After Aorta Tear, Medical Examiner Says

Bringing you the latest videos, livestreams, and premieres.


NTD Videos

Label

Live

NTD+ Live

Trump Makes an Announcement on Freedom Hauler in the White House

Jackson Richman is a Washington correspondent for The Epoch Times. In addition to Washington politics, he covers the intersection of politics and sports/sports and culture. He previously was a writer at Mediaite and Washington correspondent at Jewish News Syndicate. His writing has also appeared in The Washington Examiner. He is an alum of George Washington University.

Jackson Richman

House Passes Defense Policy Bill That Attaches SAVE America Act

Federal officials plan to enforce changes to the food stamp program, formally the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), beginning in November.

The changes will <a href="https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R48552">cut</a> federal funding for SNAP by $187 billion through 2034, according to the Congressional Budget Office. SNAP gives money to people to buy groceries.

Here are the changes that are coming.
<h2>Updated Work Requirements</h2>
Under the <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1/text">One Big Beautiful Bill Act</a>, the requirements that SNAP recipients work are being changed.

The <a href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/work-requirements">requirement</a> that recipients work a minimum of 80 hours per month to receive food stamps for more than three months every three years remains the same. While the requirement used to only cover adults aged 18 to 54, it will now be in place for adults who are younger than 65.

Another change regards people with dependent children. Parents with children who are not yet adults used to be exempt from the work requirement. Under the bill, parents will only be exempt if they have one or more dependents aged 13 or younger.

The bill also removes exemptions for people who are homeless, veterans, and individuals aged 24 and younger who aged out of foster care.

States can ask for waivers of the requirement if their unemployment rate is at least 10 percent in a certain area. The bill automatically qualifies Alaska and Hawaii for blanket waivers of the requirement if their unemployment rate reaches or exceeds 150 percent of the national average rate.

The changes will lead to an estimated 2.4 million fewer people in an average month through 2034 receiving food stamps, according to the Congressional Budget Office, although new exemptions for members of Indian tribes are expected to increase participation among Indians. About 41 million people receive SNAP in a given month.

The changes became effective when the bill was enacted on July 4. Officials <a href="https://fns-prod.azureedge.us/sites/default/files/resource-files/OBBB-SNAP-Provisions-Implementation-Memo.pdf">said</a> in a memorandum that states have 120 days to implement the updates.
<h2>Changes for Illegal Immigrants</h2>
The Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, which largely governs SNAP, <a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/COMPS-10331/pdf/COMPS-10331.pdf">states</a> that "no individual who is a member of a household otherwise eligible to participate in the supplemental nutrition assistance program under this section shall be eligible to participate in the supplemental nutrition assistance program as a member of that or any other household."

Exemptions to that clause include if an individual is a resident of the United States and a U.S. citizen, a U.S. national, or an immigrant with legal permanent residence as <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/8/1101">defined</a> by federal law.

Other exemptions used to be made for immigrants who entered the U.S. before June 30, 1948, and had not left; immigrants who were allowed into the country under parole granted by federal officials; and immigrants who were living in the United States that authorities had decided not to deport.

A sign alerting customers about SNAP food stamps benefits is displayed in a grocery store in Brooklyn, N.Y., on Dec. 5, 2019. (Scott Heins/Getty Images)

Those exemptions were removed by the One Big Beautiful Bill.

"The effect is that only U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents (LPRs) (with limited exceptions) would remain eligible for SNAP, eliminating benefits for many undocumented or humanitarian-status immigrants who previously qualified due to their status or long U.S. residency," the League of United Latin American Citizens <a href="https://lulac.org/impact_of_hr_1_one_big_beautiful_bill_act_on_immigrants_and_children_of_immigrants_who_are_us_citizens/">said</a>.

The White House has defended the changes.

"Illegals burden taxpayers with billions in costs for free health care and welfare benefits. The One Big Beautiful Bill ends Medicaid and SNAP fraud and ensures these programs serve only eligible Americans," it <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/articles/2025/06/myth-vs-fact-the-one-big-beautiful-bill/">said</a> in a statement.

The update will lead to about 90,000 people becoming ineligible for food stamps in an average month, the Congressional Budget Office said.

The update "makes changes to non-citizen eligibility for SNAP. Further guidance is forthcoming," the U.S. Department of Agriculture <a href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/obbb-implementation">states</a> on its website.
<h2>Thrifty Food Plan Evaluation</h2>
One change already made, effective Oct. 1, is revising how the food plan on which SNAP benefits are based is updated.

The Thrifty Food Plan analyzes how much a healthy diet would cost a family of four, or a man and woman aged 20 through 50, a child aged 6 through 8, and a child aged 9 through 11. It is the basis of the annual adjustments to the maximum benefits people can receive.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture last updated components of the plan in 2021.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act requires the next reevaluation to take place no earlier than Oct. 1, 2027, and that future revaluations be cost-neutral.

Annual cost-of-living adjustments to benefits are capped at various percentages, based on household size. The law also says that the cost of the plan shall be the basis for all households, regardless of their size.

Officials separately implemented the annual adjustments, <a href="https://fns-prod.azureedge.us/sites/default/files/resource-files/snap-cola-fy26memo.pdf">increasing</a> the maximum allotment for many households. For 5-person households in most states, for instance, the maximum allotment went from $1,158 a month to $1,183 a month.
<h2>Additional Changes Coming</h2>
The federal government can currently pay states 50 percent of the administrative costs involved in operating SNAP.

The new act takes that percentage to 25, starting in fiscal year 2027, which begins Oct. 1, 2026.

Another coming change under the bill imposes a new requirement for states to share in costs if their payment error rates exceed 6 percent. Payment errors refer to when states pay too much, or too little, to recipients, or when they enroll people in SNAP who are not actually eligible.

Only nine states had error rates under 6 percent in fiscal year 2024, according to federal data, and all but one had error rates above 6 percent at some point between 2003 and 2024, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

The first change would cost Florida about $50.6 million, Bridget Royster, an assistant secretary for the Florida Department of Children and Families, told a state House of Representatives panel this month. The second change could result in an annual cost of $1 billion.

Royster said that Florida officials are working to move their error rate below 6 percent to avoid the latter charge.

<em>From <a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/changes-to-food-stamp-program-snap-coming-in-november-5928527">The Epoch Times</a></em>

Latest

Paywall Related

Videos

04_Top Stories

Editors' Picks

Latest Clips

Free for Subscribers

Management

Latest and breaking news, documentaries, movies, and lifestyle content on NTD+.
 
Empower your knowledge and elevate your spirit with NTD+, your go-to destination for truthful news, insightful documentaries, and captivating lifestyle content that enriches your life.

Changes to Food Stamp Program SNAP Coming in November

Stefania Cox is an NTD News anchor and national correspondent based at the network's global headquarters in New York City. Stefania anchors "NTD Newsroom," and co-anchors "NTD News Today" weekdays at 10:00 am ET.

Stefania Cox

NTD News Today Full Broadcast (August 6)

We present news that is truthful and based on facts, outside of the political fog. Instead of focusing on the negative things happening around us, our mission is to give our viewers a good morning with empathetic and uplifting stories. Our aim is to provide an antidote to negativity by shining a light on the best side of people. We speak to inspiring people who positively impact communities, pursue topics that represent our common human values, and will never miss an opportunity to bring you heartwarming stories.

NTD Good Morning

NTD Good Morning Full Broadcast (Aug 6)

Cary Dunst is the news anchor for NTD Evening News. He is also the co-host of NTD Good Morning.


Cary Dunst

News with integrity, from the United States and around the world. Focused reports and analyses that shed light on major issues the world deserves to know. NTD Evening News airs daily at 6 p.m. ET.