WNBA Legend Sue Bird on the League’s New Era; The Real Impact of SNAP Cuts

Summary

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Podcast Summary: Here's the Scoop – "WNBA Legend Sue Bird on the League’s New Era; The Real Impact of SNAP Cuts"

Date: May 11, 2026
Host: Yasmin Vossoughian (NBC News)
Guests: Sue Bird (WNBA legend, NBC Sports WNBA commentator), Shannon Pettypiece (NBC Senior Policy Reporter)

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Main Themes

1. The WNBA’s New Era:
   Sue Bird reflects on the WNBA's transformation—new teams, revenue growth, and record salaries highlighting greater recognition for women athletes.
2. SNAP Benefits Cuts:
   An in-depth look at how recent federal legislation has cut food assistance for millions of Americans—stories from those most affected and the broader impact on communities and support organizations.

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1. WNBA’s Transformation & Sue Bird’s Perspective

League Growth, Recognition, and New Deals

• The WNBA launched its 30th season with momentum: major contract increases, new teams (Portland Fire, Toronto Tempo), and the return of broadcasts on NBC after more than 20 years.
  • "The league added two new teams, ... they negotiated this collective bargaining agreement, upping salary caps for teams by the million." — Yasmin Vossoughian [00:25]

Sue Bird on the Shift in Narrative

• Double Standard & Changing Perceptions

  • Bird explains battling for recognition while often feeling invisible to mainstream sports media.
  • "We kind of lived like a double life. ... I can think back to my years in Seattle, playing in the Finals, sold out crowds ... then I would turn on the TV and people would be like, oh, the wnba, who cares?" — Sue Bird [02:02]

• Impact of Visibility

  • Now, narrative and visibility have changed, and Bird sees tangible respect for athletes in the league.
  • "It was about changing a narrative for maybe that fan who hadn't seen it yet. And now we've gotten to that point where that narrative has changed. So it's really exciting to be on the other side." — Sue Bird [02:29]

• On Playing in Today’s League

  • "Would you want to play now?"
  • "Absolutely. If I was 23, yeah ... again, to feel valued, I think, is the part that a lot of us older players really missed out on" — Sue Bird [02:49]

Evolution of Compensation

• Early Career Salaries
  • Bird started with a rookie contract “in the $50,000s”, maxing out after two years around $90,000. By retirement, the max was roughly $225,000-250,000.
    • "I was only on a two year rookie deal and that was probably in the 50s." — Sue Bird [03:19]
    • "By the time I finished my career, the max salary was 250,000, give or take." — Sue Bird [03:48]
• Current Contracts
  • New CBA allows “supermax” contracts at $1.4 million annually.
    • "Now the deal includes supermax contracts that pay out $1.4 million annually. It's a heck of a lot different than $90,000 a year cash.” — Yasmin Vossoughian [03:52]
  • "They're all taking me out to dinner now…that table has turned." — Sue Bird, joking about current players' higher salaries [04:12]

Gender Equity and Business Growth

• On Comparing WNBA and NBA Pay
  • Bird resists direct comparisons, citing league age and business stages: "It's apples and oranges ... when they compare the NBA at 30, the WNBA ... you could even argue... we're ahead in a lot of ways." — Sue Bird [05:02, 05:28]
• Obstacles & Turning Points
  • Societal factors (gender, race, sexuality) have slowed progress. “What you’ve seen probably starting in 2020… big shift in how people were talking about our game. And then of course, Caitlin Clark comes along, Angel Reese comes along. That made it kaboom." — Sue Bird [05:41]

Sue Bird’s New NBC Role

• Bird values connecting with a new audience in her broadcast role: “I get to participate in other ways... have conversations with fans on TV every day.” — Sue Bird [03:01]

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2. WNBA 2026 Season – Lightning Round with Sue Bird

Predictions and Key Storylines

• Most Impactful Off-Season Move
  • Satu Sabali to New York Liberty; her health will define their season.
    • “It's going to be Satu Sabali ... she left in free agency and joined the New York Liberty ... that's kind of why I think it's going to be the biggest storyline.” — Sue Bird [06:44]
• Underdog Team to Watch:
  • Washington Mystics — “Super young team ... don't want to see young teams.” — Sue Bird [07:33]
• Rookie Star:
  • Olivia Miles will become a household name [07:44]
• Dynasty Franchise:
  • Minnesota Lynx (with Aces and Seattle Storm in contention): “I would say I'm generationally biased, so I'm gonna say Minnesota Lynx. ... the Las Vegas Aces are arguably ... even better.” — Sue Bird [07:49]
• MVP Prediction:
  • “It’s hard not to say Asia Wilson.” — Sue Bird [08:07]
• Championship Favorite:
  • “Put your money on ... the Vegas Aces. Cause it's theirs to win, it's theirs to lose.” — Sue Bird [08:17]

Expansion and Future of the League

• Additions: Portland Fire, Toronto Tempo (2026), with three more teams (Cleveland, Detroit, Philly) soon.
  • Concerns about “dilution” handled optimistically: more roster spots = better competition over time.
  • “When players are in the wnba, they tend to improve ... more players that are in it ... you up your game and the level of play will just get better and better.” — Sue Bird [08:56–09:46]

Memorable Moment

• Bird admits she hasn’t picked up a basketball since her final game:
  • “Every now and then I have a weird moment where I’m like, so you’re just never going to play basketball again? And then I’m like, no you’re not. And it’s fine. My body’s better off for it.” — Sue Bird [09:50]

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3. The Real Impact of SNAP Cuts

Legislative Background & Overview

• “Big Beautiful Bill” (2025) signed by President Trump cuts $187 billion from SNAP, mainly by expanding federal work requirements and narrowing exemptions.
  • “Included in that bill was a $187 billion cut ... stricter federal work requirements to qualify for snap.” — Yasmin Vossoughian [12:27]

New Eligibility Rules (Explained at [14:05])

• Expanded age range for work requirements: now 18–65 (up from 18–55).
• Exemptions have been drastically narrowed:
  • No longer automatic for veterans, homeless, parents of children over 14.
  • “Anyone between the ages of 18 and 65 has to meet this 80 hour a month work requirement, unless you have a physical disability or you’re caring for a child under the age of 14.” — Shannon Pettipiece [14:05]

The Human Cost: Arizona Case Study

• SNAP rolls in Arizona have fallen by 50% in last year.

Notable Interviewees’ Stories and Quotes

• Jenna Hannon (disabled, awaiting paperwork):
  • “Plus I have heart issues and I have seizures and everything ... I have a hard time getting to the food stamp office.” — Jenna Hannon [17:15]
  • “We supposed to be getting our food stamps before everybody else and I’m not getting anything.” — Jenna Hannon [17:25]
• Dawn Savinsky (senior, retired early due to health):
  • “They told me that I was an able bodied adult, which I’m 62 and newly retired and, and I can’t work and my income is set and it’s low and so ... I’m forced to come out here.” — Dawn Savinsky [18:30]

Key Reporting Insights

• Stricter requirements and paperwork have caused many eligible people to lose benefits.
  • “There are also people losing their benefits who should still qualify because they have a disability, because they have a young child, and they are losing them anyway.” — Shannon Pettypiece [14:58]
• No evidence stricter work requirements have led to higher employment.
  • “There’s certainly no nothing showing up in the labor force data...that would indicate that is happening.” — Shannon Pettypiece [15:41]

Impact on Food Banks and Community Support

• Food banks see record demand—increases of 25% or more in some places.
  • “They weren’t supposed to fill the entire hunger gap in America. ... in some counties told me they’re seeing about a 25% increase in demand.” — Shannon Pettypiece [21:20]

State Strain: Administrative Complications

• States face penalties for “payment errors” (giving too much or too little).
  • Arizona example: Potential for $200M penalty if “payment error rate” isn’t managed, draining resources and slowing processing for returning or qualifying SNAP recipients.
    • "That can include very detailed documentation. ... not only putting a burden on people ... but also state workers who are now inundated ... and are really overwhelmed." — Shannon Pettypiece [20:07]

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4. Headlines Recap (Selected Highlights)

• U.S.-Iran Blockade and Peace Proposal: Iranian Ministry calls U.S. demands “unreasonable”; analysts doubt economic collapse is imminent. [23:42]
• Tech Trial: Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella testifies in Musk vs Altman/OpenAI litigation. Microsoft stands by OpenAI partnership; no ethical breach conceded. [25:33]
• Public Health: Eighteen Americans exposed to hantavirus monitored in Nebraska; risk described as low. [26:02]
• U.S.-China: Joint op busts fentanyl-related drug smuggling ahead of Trump-Xi summit. [26:16]
• White House: Trump to host UFC event on South Lawn for his 80th birthday; major donors and insiders expected in audience. [27:19]

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Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• Sue Bird on WNBA’s Image:
  “We kind of lived like a double life...it was about changing a narrative for maybe that fan who hadn't seen it yet.” (02:02)
• On Salary Progress:
  “Max salary, $90,000 a year...by the time I finished my career, the max salary was 250,000, give or take.” (03:48)
• New Contracts:
  “Supermax contracts that pay out $1.4 million annually. It's a heck of a lot different than $90,000 a year cash.” — Yasmin Vossoughian (03:54)
• On Expansion:
  “More roster spots…you up your game and the level of play will just get better and better.” — Sue Bird (09:46)
• On SNAP Cuts:
  “There are also people losing their benefits who should still qualify because they have a disability, because they have a young child...” — Shannon Pettypiece (14:58)
• Jenna Hannon (SNAP recipient):
  “We supposed to be getting our food stamps before everybody else and I’m not getting anything.” (17:27)
• Dawn Savinsky (SNAP recipient):
  “They told me that I was an able bodied adult, which I’m 62 ... I can't work ... and so I have to, I'm forced to come out here.” (18:30)

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Conclusion

This episode of "Here’s the Scoop" highlighted the historic changes in the WNBA’s structure, visibility, and compensation through the eyes of Sue Bird—with insight into what it means for women’s sports more broadly. The second half provided a sobering, on-the-ground perspective on recent SNAP benefit cuts, revealing serious unintended consequences for some of America’s most vulnerable. The hosts and correspondents foregrounded both the excitement of progress and the struggles of those left behind by policy choices, creating a balanced and highly relevant listen.

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Transcript

[Sue Bird]

I think people actually genuinely loved and liked our game. But it was about changing a narrative for maybe that fan who hadn't seen it yet.

[Yasim Desugin]

Hey, everybody, and welcome to here's the scoop from NBC News. I'm Yasim Desugin. So today on the show, women's basketball is entering a whole new era. Better contracts and better media deals. Hall of Famer Sue Bird is answering the eternal question, why did it take so long? And you will not believe how long it's been since she held a basketball or played basketball at that. Plus, why the big beautiful bill cut millions of Americans off of food assistance programs and where they're turning to now. But first, the WNBA's 30th season kicked off this weekend with more superstars and more money than ever before. The league added two new teams, the Portland Fire and the Toronto Tempo. They negotiated this collective bargaining agreement, upping salary caps for teams by the million. And the WNBA is returning to NBC for the first time in over two decades. So you got new teams, new million dollar contracts and new media deals. Is the league also then upping its game this season? For more on this, I'm bringing in hall of Famer and Olympian Sue Bird, our new leading voice for NBC Sports WNBA coverage. She's joining us today in studio. Hey, Sue. Hi. It's great to have you.

[Sue Bird]

Yeah, it's great to be here.

[Yasim Desugin]

Congrats on the job as well.

[Sue Bird]

Thank you.

[Yasim Desugin]

And also, what a huge moment to be taken on a gig like this with the WNBA also kind of taking a new step, especially when it comes to salary compensation, recognizing the worth of all the players. I want to take a step back and talk about where you started. Right. Seattle Storm 2002. WWE had only been around for five years at that point, Right? Yeah. You were basically just told to play basketball.

[Sue Bird]

Yeah.

[Yasim Desugin]

Right. What is it like to watch the WNBA now kind of like get their stride right, see their value be recognized?

[Sue Bird]

Yeah. Honestly, there's parts of it that's surreal because we did all fight for so long to get people to see our value, to get people to appreciate us. We kind of lived like a double life because on one side of it, you know, I can think back to my years in Seattle, playing in the Finals, sold out crowds, you know, walking around the streets, getting recognized everywhere. I lived that life, but then I would turn on the TV and people would be like, oh, the wnba, who cares?

[Yasim Desugin]

Wow.

[Sue Bird]

And so it was about changing a narrative. You know, I think people actually genuinely loved and liked our game, but it was about changing a Narrative for maybe that fan who hadn't seen it yet. And now. And now we've gotten to that point where that narrative has changed. So it's really exciting to be on the other side of all of that. People always ask me, would you want to play now?

[Shannon Petty P]

Yeah.

[Yasim Desugin]

Would you?

[Sue Bird]

Absolutely. If I was 23, yeah.

[Yasim Desugin]

You'd be like 45 year old change.

[Sue Bird]

I'm good. But yeah, of course, because it's so exciting again to feel valued, I think is the part that a lot of us older players really missed out on. But I get to participate in other ways. You already mentioned this new role with NBC, so I get to maybe to the fans that are new to it, I get to have conversations with them on TV every day.

[Yasim Desugin]

Can you tell me how much you were getting paid in those early days?

[Sue Bird]

Yeah. So I actually came in at a unique time.

[Yasim Desugin]

Okay.

[Sue Bird]

When I got drafted, the league, like the wnba, the league was still owned by the NBA league. It wasn't individually owned. And then I think in my second year, it like switched very fast. So I was only on a two year rookie deal and that was probably in the 50s. So very. 50,000.

[Yasim Desugin]

$50,000 a year.

[Sue Bird]

Yeah. And very quickly, though, because I got off my rookie deal after two years, I bumped up to the max right away. So I was making the maximum salary, which was at probably in the 90s, $90,000.

[Yasim Desugin]

Max salary, $90,000 a year.

[Sue Bird]

And by the time I finished my career, the max salary was 250,000, give or take. Maybe 225.

[Yasim Desugin]

Actually, WNBA just kind of wrapped up this collective bargaining negotiation. It took 17 months to negotiate, but now the deal includes supermax contracts that pay out $1.4 million annually. It's a heck of a lot different than $90,000 a year cash.

[Sue Bird]

They're all taking me out to dinner now. Yeah, exactly. I'm not buying them dinner anymore. When Brianna Stewart was a rookie, I was buy. Now that table has turned.

[Shannon Petty P]

Yeah.

[Yasim Desugin]

You're like, I know what you were just signed for. Thank you very much. And you got a $7 million salary cap for every team.

[Sue Bird]

Yes.

[Yasim Desugin]

That's a huge increase. Huge, Huge.

[Sue Bird]

I don't even know percentages.

[Yasim Desugin]

It's like, why do you think it took so long from 2002 when you were playing 24 years later? Now they're finally being recognized, kind of. But also like, let's compare that to Steph Curry. And he's also saying that NBA players are underpaid.

[Sue Bird]

I mean, I hear his point. He was talking about equity. Yeah, right. Whereas I think we're still building. So for us it was about getting into. For the players, getting into a rev share and, you know, the wnba, NBA comparison. I don't really. I don't like to do. I don't think.

[Yasim Desugin]

How come?

[Sue Bird]

Because it's apples and oranges in terms of like length of the league, like literal age, how long it's been around where we are in our business life. When you are in a business, your business dictates how much money, you know, your employees, I guess, should be making. I don't view WNBA players necessarily as employees. It's more like partners. And I think if you go back to the Steph conversation, I think that's his point is like, we drive a lot of this business, so we should participate and have equity in the community.

[Yasim Desugin]

Sure. Without us, you'd be nothing.

[Sue Bird]

I hope we get to that point for sure. And the way things are trending. But right now, where we are in our existence again, people do crunch the numbers. And when they compare the NBA at 30, the WNBA is in its 30th season this year were actually, you could even argue like ahead of where they were really at least on par. But you could even argue that we're ahead in a lot of ways. But it took a while for a lot of the same reasons in society where women, black women, gay women are held back, same things were happening in our league. And I think what you've seen probably starting in 2020, you saw a big shift in how people were talking about our game. And then of course, Caitlin Clark comes along, Angel Reese comes along. That. That made it kaboom.

[Yasim Desugin]

I can understand why it is that once you retired from the wnba, you started to step a little bit more into journalism and sports journalism and hence the role that you have here at NBC now, which is super exciting because you have a really good way of kind of analyzing not just the game, but understanding kind of the story behind the game, which is also super important. And you're talking about superstars, obviously. Caitlin Clark, who's now coming back from an injury. Can we do a little bit of a lightning round real quick? Some predictors here?

[Sue Bird]

Predictors, let's go.

[Yasim Desugin]

Okay, so what's gonna be the off season move with the big impact on the court?

[Sue Bird]

I think it's going to be Satu Sabali. She was on the Phoenix Mercury last year, a team that went to the Finals, a big piece. And she left in free agency and joined the New York Liberty. This is a team that's led by Brianna Stewart, Sabrina Unescu, they won a couple years ago. It's a franchise that is always at the tippy tops. So Satu joins and the whole obviously idea and premise there is like, oh, she's gonna keep them at the top. But she came back and isn't ready to play yet. And so that's kind of why I think it's gonna be the biggest storyline if she gets healthy. What does it do if she's not healthy? How does it impact their team? Outside of that, I would say Dallas. It's not just one player. I thought they had. They added a bunch of vets to help out Paige Beckers, help out Az Fudd, who's the number one pick this year? You're already seeing it. Pay dividends.

[Yasim Desugin]

Underdog team to watch.

[Sue Bird]

We'll go. Washington Mystics.

[Yasim Desugin]

Okay.

[Sue Bird]

It's a super young team. They're kind of sort of rebuilding ish in that. They're just young. But man, young teams, you don't want to see young teams.

[Yasim Desugin]

Rookie. Who's going to become a household name? Olivia Miles, favorite dynasty team.

[Sue Bird]

Oh man, does Seattle Storm count? I would say I'm generationally biased, so I'm gonna say Minnesota Lynx. It's the team I had to play against. But the Las Vegas Aces are arguably. I would say those teams are arguably even better.

[Yasim Desugin]

The MVP of the season.

[Sue Bird]

Oof. Tough. It's hard not to say Asia Wilson. Asia Wilson.

[Yasim Desugin]

And the team that's gonna take the WNBA title.

[Sue Bird]

Put your money on again, I'm gonna say the Vegas Aces. Cause it's theirs to win, it's theirs to lose. But there's so much that has to unfold. And sadly, in a league of 15 teams, one injury can change a team's whole trajectory. And so there's just so many unknowns. But if the finals were played right now, I'd probably pick the Aces.

[Yasim Desugin]

So you actually mentioned league of 15 teams. And the league's expanding. Yeah, right. Adding a bunch of teams. Portland Fire, Toronto Tempo were added this year. Three more teams are slated to join. Cleveland in 2028, Detroit in 29, Philly in 2030. How is kind of a bigger league gonna impact competition in the sport overall?

[Sue Bird]

It's definitely gonna impact it. You know, I think it's probably gonna be like a five to ten year period where, you know, I don't like using the word diluted cause it has a negative connotation. I don't really mean that. But where it's gon when you change a rule, it's like everybody needs time to Calibrate you know, for a period of time. It could be some teams are top heavy, meaning they have a lot of top players. You might have a team that gets none of them, gets no top players, you know, so you have to. I think it's going to take some time as those teams get added. But the best part is it's more roster spots. It's just like a proven I don't have like actual data other than my experience. When players are in the wnba, they tend to improve as opposed to being out of it. So more players that are in it. You're going against this competition constantly. You up your game and the level of play will just get better and better.

[Yasim Desugin]

The last time you picked up a

[Sue Bird]

basketball in a real way. Yeah, my final game.

[Yasim Desugin]

Wow.

[Sue Bird]

Yeah. I have not played. Every now and then I have a weird moment where I'm like, so you're just never going to play basketball again? And then I'm like, no you're not. And it's fine. My body's better off for it.

[Yasim Desugin]

Stu Bird, thank you.

[Sue Bird]

Yeah, no problem. My pleasure.

[Yasim Desugin]

So NBC Sports's 2026 WNBA coverage is gonna begin this Sunday, May 17th as four time league MVP Asia Wilson and the defending champion Las Vegas Aces visit the Atlanta Dream and Angel Reese at 1pm Eastern on NBC and on Peacock. All right, we're gonna take a very quick break and when we are back, how changes to federal food assistance are putting a strain on million who once relied on food stamps. And also while you're waiting, go ahead and hit the subscribe button. And if you already subscribe, then be sure to rate and review us. It'll really help other listeners find us as well. All right, we'll be right back.

[Sue Bird]

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[Sue Bird]

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[Narrator/Announcer]

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[Yasim Desugin]

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[Narrator/Announcer]

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[Yasim Desugin]

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[Narrator/Announcer]

way to headlining her own Netflix specials like her latest Prodigal Daughter. And she opens up about her religious upbringing, what drew her to stand up

[Yasim Desugin]

and how she feels when she gets on that stage.

[Narrator/Announcer]

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[Yasim Desugin]

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[Narrator/Announcer]

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[Yasim Desugin]

And we are back with here's the scoop from NBC News. So it's been less than a year since President Donald Trump signed the big beautif into law. And for a lot of Americans who rely on government support, the fallout has been big, but not necessarily beautiful. Included in that bill was a $187 billion cut to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. In order to make that cut possible, the legislation implemented stricter federal work requirements to qualify for snap. A White House spokesperson told NBC that changes to food benefits were intended to, quote, crack down on waste, on fraud and abuse. But a lot of the people who have been forced off SNAP in the past year say they should be exempt from the new rule changes. And as they attempt to get their benefits back, they're just struggling to make ends meet. So who do these work requirements really benefit and what happens to Americans who no longer qualify for these benefits for snap? For this, I want to bring in NBC senior policy reporter Shannon Petty P. She recently traveled to Arizona to report on the changes to snap. Hey, Shannon.

[Shannon Petty P]

Hi, Yasmin.

[Yasim Desugin]

So there's this federal data that shows that since this big, beautiful bill was passed, marquee legislation for the president in his second term in the White House, around three and a half million people are no longer on the SNAP rolls. And that's because of a few reasons, one of which is new work requirements explain what they are and how they have actually impacted people.

[Shannon Petty P]

So there were previously work requirements for people who received SNAP. If you were between the ages of 18 and 55, you had to work at least 80 hours a month to qualify for SNAP benefits. There were exceptions to that though. And this law got rid of a lot of those exceptions and they increased the age to 65. So now anyone between the ages of 18 and 65 has to meet this 80 hour a month work requirement, unless you have a physical disability or you're caring for a child under the age of 14. Before, veterans used to be exempt, the homeless were exempt. People with any child of any age was exempt. And so it's narrowed those and it has pushed some people off of the benefits because they are not meeting those requirements. And so my reporting found that among those 3 million who are not only losing their benefits because they can't meet those 80 hour week work requirements, there are also people losing their benefits who should still qualify because they have a disability, because they have a young child, and they are losing them anyway.

[Yasim Desugin]

You actually went to Arizona where the number of people receiving SNAP benefits has fallen by 50% in the last year. Is there any evidence to suggest that the people who are no longer receiving some of these benefits are now working more, are now gainfully employed, are making more money, are able to make ends meet? That it's a, I don't know, a motivator, shall we say, and, or a, you know, it's working, I guess, what the Trump administration is trying to implement.

[Shannon Petty P]

So there's certainly no nothing showing up in the labor force data, labor ports participation rate that would indicate that is happening. For example, I talked to one woman, self employed, she has a transportation company. I talked to her in line outside of a food stamp office one morning. She had lost her benefits because they did not accept the documentation she submitted to prove her hours and her expenses that she should still qualify. I talked to another woman whose schedule varies week by week and month by month. And she had also struggled to show that she was meeting those 80 hour work requirements when her employer give her a letter that said this is her schedule, this is how many hours a week she works. And then of course, I also talked to people, a fair number of seniors who were under that age of 65 still had to meet those work requirements but were not able to work because of physical health. And so I think to your point, the idea of, you know, getting people into the labor force and requiring people to work, you know, obviously in theory that sounds great, but the evidence we're seeing on the ground does not indicate that certainly in Arizona, and I will say I did also talk to some food banks in other states, especially in rural areas, North Carolina, West Virginia, who said, you know, another obstacle they're facing is there's just not a lot of jobs in rural areas right now.

[Yasim Desugin]

So Shannon, I know you spent a lot of time in Arizona talking to folks there that have been affected by this. And you spoke to one woman, Jenna Hannon, on the food bank line.

[Shannon Petty P]

Plus I have heart issues and I have seizures and everything and I've been in and out of the hospital. So I have a hard time getting

[Sue Bird]

to the food stamp office.

[Yasim Desugin]

But us as disabled people, we supposed

[Sue Bird]

to be getting our food stamps before

[Shannon Petty P]

everybody else and I'm not getting anything.

[Yasim Desugin]

Tell us more Shannon about her story.

[Shannon Petty P]

She said that she never received the paperwork she was supposed to receive for her six month recertification. She has tried to in touch with someone at the state's food stamp office but no one answers the phone, which I heard repeatedly from people that the phone line just disconnects them. So many people have gone in person and waited in line outside the food stamp office trying to get help. She said that's been difficult for her because of all of her health issues. So she has gone since December without the benefits for her and her husband who is her friend, full time caretaker. They got around $500 a month in benefits previously and now they're not getting anything.

[Yasim Desugin]

You mentioned how seniors are also affected by this. I know you spoke with Dawn Savinsky. She used to work cleaning jobs but recently retired because of health concerns. You also spoke with her online.

[Sue Bird]

They told me that I was an able bodied adult, which I'm 62 and newly retired and, and I can't work and my income is set and it's low and so I have to, I'm forced to come out here.

[Yasim Desugin]

So how is dawn getting by? How are these folks getting by and how are they holding up psychologically too amidst all of this?

[Shannon Petty P]

You know, she's 62. If she was physically able to still be working, she would be working. She wouldn't have retired early. She was sort of pushed into that because of her health. She had been getting about 200amonth in benefits. So she's lost that income now. And her like other people were waiting in line for food on a Tuesday morning. She got there around 10am the food she got was, you know, a bag of avocados, a carton of strawberries, a few loaves of bread. Didn't look like there was any protein in there. And she said yeah, it was having an impact on her health. You know, other conditions were being exacerbated by this. She was eating more frozen foods. A lot of people talked about eating more packaged foods More processed foods, because those tend to be cheaper. And the stuff, a lot of food that you get from a food bank is often processed or packaged or frozen because it's difficult for them to keep fresh food.

[Yasim Desugin]

So we know that people are being affected by this, but also state funding as well. In the big beautiful bill, there's something called the payment error rate, which penalizes states for paying people too little or too much when it comes to SNAP benefits that they were supposed to be eligible for. Is that playing a role in cases like the ones we just talked about?

[Shannon Petty P]

Yeah, absolutely. And to use Arizona as an example again, which we are focusing on, because Arizona has really been at the forefront of implementing these changes. They have moved particularly fast and aggressive at putting in place these new federal requirements. The state there, if they don't get their payment error rate down, could face as much as $200 million in state expenses they would have to pick up. The state has been trying to put systems in place to manage that. They have required more documentation from people who are applying, and in some instances, that can include very detailed documentation. So that's not only putting a burden on people who are sometimes unable to meet those requirements, but also state workers who are now inundated with forms and documents they need to process and are really overwhelmed.

[Yasim Desugin]

So even if folks are eligible, it's slowing the process because of how much more paperwork and documentation is actually required. And the states just don't have the resources in place to get through it all. Hence why so many people are having to show up on these food bank lines. So now that we're seeing this increase in demand at food banks across the country, really, can they keep up? Can food banks keep up?

[Shannon Petty P]

Food banks were supposed to be a little supplement to help people get by on SNAP benefits or for people who maybe they earn too much to qualify for snap, but not enough to really comfortably feed their family. So the food banks were supposed to fill a gap here. They weren't supposed to fill the entire hunger gap in America. And in places like Arizona, that's what they're worried is happening. They feel like they are just on the very tip of what is to come. But they, in some counties told me they're seeing about a 25% increase in demand, which is on top of an already record demand that they have been seeing year after year after year since the pandemic.

[Yasim Desugin]

Shannon Petty. Peace. Thank you.

[Shannon Petty P]

Thank you.

[Yasim Desugin]

All right, after a quick break, a third tech billionaire takes a stand in California and the MMA fight unfolding on the White House lawn. Yep, you heard it. The White House lawn. That's in the headlines. Coming up next

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[Yasim Desugin]

This week on Meet the Press, we'll have the very latest on the war with Iran. Could a deal be within reach? And a very special common ground conversation

[Shannon Petty P]

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[Yasim Desugin]

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[Shannon Petty P]

Listen to the full episode now wherever you get your podcasts.

[Yasim Desugin]

And we are back with here's the scoop from NBC News. Let's get to some headlines. The Iranian Foreign Ministry is accusing the U.S. of, quote, making unreasonable and excessive demands after President Trump's Trump rejected Iran's peace proposal as, quote, totally unacceptable over the weekend. President Trump did not give details of the proposal, but Iran said its offer called for American sanctions to be lifted and an end to the US Blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. The Trump administration says the blockade is designed to cut off Iran's oil exports and force Tehran to bow to the U.S. s demands at the negotiating table. But energy analysts and government officials familiar with Western intelligence reports tell NBC News that forcing Iran's hand could take longer than expected. They said the reports show that the Iranian regime could withstand the pressure for months without a major economic crisis or lasting damage to its oil fields. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella took the stand on Monday in the ongoing civil trial between Tesla CEO elon Musk and OpenAI leader Sam Altman. Musk takes issue with Altman's decision to convert OpenAI into a for profit enterprise after the two co founded it as a nonprofit research center a decade ago. Altman says this suit is baseless and is actually about derailing a competitor to Musk's own AI company, X AI. Microsoft is a co defendant in this suit because of its partnership with OpenAI. Musk says that Microsoft encouraged OpenAI to sign lucrative deals and violate its nonprofit duty. In response, Microsoft has said it was not aware of any conditions that Musk might have placed on his charitable contributions to OpenAI as an early donor to the company. Our tech reporter David Ingraham was in the courtroom for Nadella's testimony.

[Narrator/Announcer]

Lawyers repeatedly pressed him on whether Microsoft crossed any legal or ethical lines in its commercial relationship with OpenAI. Considering that OpenAI was founded as a nonprofit, Microsoft's stake in OpenAI is now worth well above $100 billion. Nadella did not apologize for Microsoft making money off the intellectual proper of OpenAI, saying that Microsoft took a risk on OpenAI when few other tech companies would.

[Yasim Desugin]

Eighteen Americans who were aboard the cruise ship at the center of a deadly hantavirus outbreak are now in Nebraska where they will be assessed and monitored at a special pathogen treatment center. Health officials say the risk to the general public remains low since the Andes variant of the virus does not spread easily and requires prolonged close contact with someone who is already symptomatic. Chinese authorities say they have arrested five suspects in a cross border drug smuggling and trafficking operation in a joint operation with the United States. The announcement emphasizes Chinese and American cooperation. Just days before President Trump is expected to travel to China to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping, reducing the international flow of drugs, including fentanyl, is expected to be a big part of their talks. And finally, so President Trump's 80th birthday is coming up next month. So to celebrate, the President said, I'm going to host a Ultimate Fighting Championship extravaganza on the South Lawn of the White House. And among a certain crowd of Maga insiders getting one of the 4,000 tickets, the mixed martial arts event, well, it's becoming a little bit of a cage match itself. Here's our senior national politics reporter, John Allen.

[Narrator/Announcer]

President Trump is going to hand pick most of the crowd. Members of the military, members of Congress, members of the President's inner circle, and of course, donors. Sources tell NBC News that sponsorship packages costing as much as $1 million will include passes for the South Lawn. There are seven matches on the June 14 card, but the President is not expected to fight in any of them.

[Yasim Desugin]

Classic Gemini behavior. All right, that is gonna do it for us. And here's the Scoop from NBC News. I'm Yasmin Vasugin. We'll be back tomorrow with whatever the day may bring. And if you like what you heard, subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. And you can also subscribe to our daily newsletter, the Inside Scoop. It is a deeper dive on the main stories of the day that comes out every weeknight straight to your inbox. You can sign up for the Inside Scoop as part of our paid subscription at NBC News. We'll see you tomorrow.

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