🫛 China soybean deal: Area farmers are optimistic after China agreed to buy at least 25 million metric tons of U.S. soybeans annually for the next three years, easing economic uncertainty.
🗳️ Election 2025: Six candidates are running for three seats on Vandalia City Council.
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Judges order the Trump administration to use contingency funds for SNAP payments during the shutdown
Two federal judges ruled nearly simultaneously on Friday that President Donald Trump’s administration must continue to fund SNAP, using contingency funds during the government shutdown.
• SNAP program: The nation’s biggest food aid program, it serves about 1 in 8 Americans and is a major piece of the nation’s social safety net. The program costs around $8 billion per month nationally.
• Legal challenges: Democratic state attorneys general or governors from 25 states, as well as the District of Columbia, challenged the plan to pause the program, contending that the administration has a legal obligation to keep it running in their jurisdictions.
• Contingency funds: The Trump administration said it wasn’t allowed to use a contingency fund with about $5 billion in it for the program. The Democratic officials argued that not only could that money be used, it must be. They also said a separate fund with around $23 billion is available for the cause.
• How the judges ruled:
— A federal judge in Rhode Island ruled from a bench that the program must be funded using at least the contingency funds and asked for an update on progress by Monday.
— A Massachusetts-based judge also gave the administration until Monday to say whether it would partially pay for the benefits for November with contingency money or fund them fully with additional funds.
The rulings are likely to face appeals.
Area farmers react to China’s pledge to buy U.S. soybeans
Area farmers say they hope a new deal that will see China purchase U.S. soybeans again for at least the next three years will mean the end of economic uncertainty.
• The deal: China has agreed to purchase a minimum of 25 million metric tons of U.S. soybeans annually for the next three years as part of an agreement reached by Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
• Trade relations: The deal between the world’s two largest economies comes after months of trade-issue turmoil causing uncertainty around the ability of U.S. soybean farmers to sell this year’s crop.
• Ohio impact: The soybean industry is vital to the state’s economic health, generating approximately $3 billion annually in direct sales and contributing an estimated $8 billion in indirect economic impact.
• What local farmers are saying: “Obviously, it’s great, but ... we’re not going to catch up for this year because they haven’t bought any up to this date and now they’re coming to the table late,” Brian Harbage, whose farm in Clark County’s South Charleston is 50% soybeans, said. “They can’t physically buy enough between now and the end of the year to make up for the losses of this year.”
FREE CONTENT: Preparing the garden for winter
It is great to have a few days of decent weather to prepare the garden for winter. Fall clean-up is especially helpful if you have a big garden.
What to know today
• One big takeaway: The Ohio Redistricting Commission unanimously approved new boundaries for the state’s 15 congressional districts Friday in a plan that would give Republicans a 12-to-3 advantage over Democrats, on paper.
• Time change: Residents across the Miami Valley will gain an extra hour of sleep on Sunday as they turn their clocks back an hour for the end of Daylight Saving Time.
• Dayton Food & Dining: Mun-o-Salwa, a halal restaurant offering anything from BBQ, burgers and fried chicken to paratha rolls, chicken over rice and Indian/Pakistani cuisine, is opening a second location in the Dayton region.
• Tip of the day: Where to get food assistance in the Dayton region.
• Heads up: Taking atorvastatin for cholesterol? This recall should be on your radar.
• Vintage Dayton: Hustler founder Larry Flynt started his empire with a Dayton bar. We looked at how it grew from there.
• In your prime: Frank Beeson, a fixture around Vandalia and Butler Twp. since before Vandalia officially became a city, remains a passionate advocate of his community.
• Athlete of the week: Senior Night was a three-phase effort for Wayne senior Isaiah Thompson.
• Dayton Flyers: Experts are optimistic about Flyers as they prepare to start the regular season on Monday.
• Photo of the day: The Dayton Contemporary Dance Company presented “Reflections” at Victoria Theatre in downtown Dayton on Sunday. Performances featured in this gallery are as follows: “On the Wings of Angels” (tribute to the Tuskegee Airmen), “Promised Land” (inspired by a 1964 speech by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Dayton) and “Splendor.”
