SNAP decision, Open Enrollment, Electricity Prices Increase

Summary

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Up First from NPR – November 1, 2025

Episode Theme:

On this episode, hosts Ayesha Rascoe and Scott Simon break down the three top stories shaping the weekend:

1. The unprecedented nationwide suspension of SNAP food benefits.
2. The start of health insurance open enrollment season amidst financial and logistical uncertainty.
3. The political and personal impact of sharp increases in electricity prices, particularly in New Jersey and Virginia.

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1. SNAP Food Benefits Suspended for the First Time in 60 Years

Key Points:

• Historic SNAP Pause:
  For the first time since its creation six decades ago, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is unavailable for millions due to a federal government halt.
  [00:02] – "The Trump administration suspended SNAP food benefits in the US today, the first time since the anti hunger program began 60 years ago." — Ayesha Rascoe

• Judicial Pushback:

  • Two federal judges deemed the pause likely unlawful, citing available congressional emergency funds.
    [02:28] – "Congress has provided more than $5 billion in emergency funds and it's for exactly this kind of situation. They rejected the administration's argument that it cannot legally use that." — Jennifer Ludden
  • Judges called for urgent action, giving the Trump administration until Monday to propose a plan to remedy SNAP funding.

• Logistical & Political Uncertainty:

  • No clear timeline for resuming benefits. The administration may appeal the rulings.
  • Partial or uneven distribution may be required due to funding gaps; such logistics are unprecedented and challenging.
  • Trump responded via social media, signaling willingness to fund SNAP:
    [03:35] – "[Trump] said, it will be my honor to provide funding just like I did with the military and law enforcement." — Jennifer Ludden

• Impact on Recipients:

  • Food banks and local governments, e.g., Oklahoma, are stepping in with temporary measures, but cannot fully compensate for lost benefits. [04:52] – "It is a lot of money that is disappearing from people's food budgets. We don't know for how long. Food policy experts say no amount of amping up food banks can come anywhere close to making up this difference." — Jennifer Ludden
  • Oklahoma committed $1 million per week to food banks for up to 7 weeks.

Notable Segment:

• [02:14–05:21] — In-depth interview with NPR’s Jennifer Ludden about the legal, political, and human dimensions of the SNAP suspension.

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2. Open Enrollment Begins: Health Insurance in an Uncertain Landscape

Key Points:

• Open Enrollment Starts:

  • People not insured through work, Medicare, or Medicaid must shop for coverage on the Affordable Care Act Marketplace starting today.
    [05:30] – "Open enrollment begins today on healthcare.gov the Affordable Care Act Marketplace." — Scott Simon

• Rising Premiums and Expiring Subsidies:

  • Enhanced subsidies that reduced premiums (enacted in 2021) are expiring, potentially leading to doubled costs for many:
    [06:32] – "People will have to pay double next year for the same plan. That's a lot, right? But from person to person, it might be more than that, it might be less. It depends on where you live, your age, your income and more." — Selena Simmons-Duffin
  • A government shutdown further clouds the process, with uncertain Congressional action on extending subsidies.

• Advice for Consumers:

  • Don’t panic or rush—wait to see exact details of your circumstances, but don’t let plans auto-renew since costs may change.
    [07:43] – "What you shouldn't do is be hands off and let your current plan auto renew because the cost for 2026 might be dramatically different." — Selena Simmons-Duffin
  • Navigators, such as Jeremy Smith in West Virginia, report increased anxiety among enrollees.

• Navigator Program Cuts:

  • The Trump administration cut 90% of federal navigator grants, reducing organizations' capacity to help people enroll.
    [08:40] – "That puts us down from around a staff of 12 to only one that's funded through the Navigator program." — Jeremy Smith
  • Private and local organizations are attempting to fill the staffing gap.

Notable Quotes:

• [07:26] – "There's been a lot of stories about rate increases. So they are nervous and we are just encouraging them to go through the process and look at the new plans and prices because we don't know exactly what they're going to be looking at until we do the application." — Jeremy Smith
• [09:16] – "There is a silver lining to the political fight over these plans. There's a lot more awareness of open enrollment than usual." — Selena Simmons-Duffin

Key Segment:

• [05:35–09:29] — Selena Simmons-Duffin and Jeremy Smith offer practical perspective on how to navigate this season’s open enrollment challenges.

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3. Electricity Price Hikes Driving Voter Anger in New Jersey and Virginia

Key Points:

• Election Issue:

  • Sharp increases in electricity costs have become a central issue in upcoming gubernatorial elections in New Jersey and Virginia.
  • New Jersey residential customers saw a 21% jump in the past year.

• Affordability and Frustration:
  [10:42] – "Sometimes in affordability, we're talking about property taxes, sometimes we’re talking about housing prices. Sometimes we’re talking about groceries, but we're always talking about affordability. And electricity is just now the new way to talk about affordability." — Dan Casino (Fairleigh Dickinson University)

• Root Causes:

  • Retired fossil fuel plants, slow adoption of renewables, and surging demand from AI data centers are key factors. [11:08] – "Both New Jersey and Virginia are part of a mid Atlantic power grid that has retired some of its old fossil fuel power plants and has been slower than some other parts of the country to add new clean energy sources. At the same time, we have seen a burst of new demand for electricity in those states from all the new data centers that have sprung up as part of the artificial intelligence boom." — Scott Horsley

• Political Blame Game:

  • Voters attribute blame based on party lines, regardless of underlying causes. [11:42] – "The problem is voters don't understand why this is happening. They just blame whoever it is that they don't like." — Dan Casino

• Wider Implications:

  • Though the effect is largest in NJ and VA, the topic could spread as a campaign issue in 2026 as utility prices and the cost of living remain front-of-mind. [13:08] – "People feel helpless and they want to blame somebody and they want someone in the government to do something about it...If you are that somebody, it is a bad time to be an incumbent." — Dan Casino

• Global Parallel:

  • Politicians worldwide are facing backlash due to rising basic costs.

Core Segment:

• [09:37–13:36] — Comprehensive segment featuring Scott Horsley and Dan Casino on electricity inflation's political fallout.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the uncertainty of SNAP's future:
  [03:08] – "The only answer right now is we really don't know." — Jennifer Ludden
• Navigating open enrollment anxiety:
  [07:43] – "We're just encouraging them to go through the process and look at the new plans and prices because we don't know exactly what they're going to be looking at until we do the application." — Jeremy Smith
• On electricity as a symbol of wider economic anxiety:
  [10:42] – "Electricity is just now the new way to talk about affordability." — Dan Casino
• Voter blame and helplessness:
  [13:08] – "If you are that somebody, it is a bad time to be an incumbent." — Dan Casino

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Timestamps for Major Segments

• SNAP Food Benefits Suspended: [00:02]–[05:21]
• Open Enrollment and Health Insurance: [05:30]–[09:29]
• Electricity Prices & Election Impact: [09:37]–[13:36]

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This episode delivers concise, critical insights into the day’s most immediate policy shifts and public concerns, weaving political, legal, and practical perspectives with accessible expert voices.

Transcript

[Ayesha Rascoe]

The Trump administration suspended SNAP food benefits in the US Today, the first time since the anti hunger program began 60 years ago.

[Scott Simon]

And so what is the plan to bring it back? I'm Scott Simon.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

And I'm Ayesha Rascoe. This is up first from NPR News. It's open enrollment season. If you're not insured through your job or Medicare, it's time to go shopping for coverage.

[Scott Simon]

But with higher premium costs and a government shutdown signing up, this year will be different.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

We'll tell you how the rising cost of electricity has sparked anger in New Jersey and Virginia and is becoming a factor in next week's elections for governor.

[Scott Simon]

And the frustration is sending a current through the country. Please stay with us. We've got the news you need to start your weekend.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

This message comes from Carvana. The Carvana Value Tracker shows you your car's worth. Check it anytime, track changes and sell when the timing feels right. Use Carvana Value Tracker to track your car's value today.

[Scott Horsley]

Hey, I'm Daoud Tyler Amin.

[Scott Simon]

And I'm Ann Powers.

[Scott Horsley]

We are an editor and a critic at NPR Music, and we're also friends who love digging into music histories and thinking about how songs can change over time.

[Scott Simon]

And we're doing that on a new show.

[Selena Simmons-Duffin]

We're totally nerding out about the songs.

[Scott Simon]

That just stick with us and why.

[Scott Horsley]

Find our first episode in the All Songs considered feed on October 23rd on the Throughline podcast from NPR, the story of the undersea cables that run the Internet.

[Selena Simmons-Duffin]

Other historians have compared it to the Apollo missions of going to the moon.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

Listen to Throughline in the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Scott Simon]

For the first time in six decades, there are no SNAP food benefits available for millions of people today. On Friday, two federal judges said this pause is likely unlawful.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

President Trump said he's open to keeping SNAP going despite the government shutdown, but.

[Scott Simon]

The question is how and when. NPR's Jennifer Ludden joins us now. Jennifer, thanks for being with us.

[Jennifer Ludden]

Hi there.

[Scott Simon]

Trump administration says there's just no money available to fund snap. What did both of the federal judges say about that?

[Jennifer Ludden]

Well, they said Congress has Provided More than $5 billion in emergency funds and it's for exactly this kind of situation. They rejected the administration's argument that it cannot legally use that. They said it not only can but must. In Rhode Island, Judge John McConnell Jr. Called for this to happen as soon as possible. The other judge, Indra Talwani in Boston, said officials could also tap money from Customs revenue, but she left that decision up to them. Both judges gave the administration until Monday to come back with a plan for how it will proceed.

[Scott Simon]

But does this mean that people who count on this assistance might see it sometime soon?

[Jennifer Ludden]

That is a good question. And the only answer right now is we really don't know. I mean, first, will the administration appeal? Second, if they agree to only tap the contingency funds, that falls well short of Snap's November budget, which is $9 billion, so the people would get the full amount they qualify for. And in that case, the administration has said, you know, calculating partial payments is a logistical nightmare that could take time, especially in the middle of a shutdown. And then for as for President Trump, a few hours after these rulings, he addressed them in a social media post. He said he's instructed his lawyers to clarify with the court how they can legally fund snap. And if they do, he said, it will be my honor to provide funding just like I did with the military and law enforcement.

[Scott Simon]

Pay if the administration decides to pay people at least some part of their regular SNAP food benefits, how would that break down? How would it work?

[Jennifer Ludden]

We really don't know. Again, this has not happened before. I've not seen a public plan for how to do it. I did speak, though, with an Agriculture Department employee who works on snap, and they agreed it would be challenging. And even beyond logistics, this person asked me not to use their name for fear of retribution. And also they're not authorized to speak with media. But they said, for one thing, if you have partial funding, do you give it only to the most needy or do you give people, you know, half their regular amount, maybe three quarters? And states would want to say in that, but also, how do you divide partial funding among states? And the employee wondered if this administration might decide to give some states more SNAP money than others.

[Scott Simon]

Jennifer, where does this leave the millions of people who aren't getting federal food aid beginning today?

[Jennifer Ludden]

Scott it leaves them in need. You know, it is a lot of money that is disappearing from people's food budgets. We don't know for how long. Food policy experts say no amount of amping up food banks can come anywhere close to making up this difference. But of course, it does help, and we see more states and cities shifting money for it. Soon after yesterday's rulings, Oklahoma's governor announced a vote to send a million dollars a week to food banks for SNAP recipients for up to seven weeks if needed.

[Scott Simon]

NPR's Jennifer Ludden, thanks so much.

[Jennifer Ludden]

Thank.

[Jeremy Smith]

You.

[Scott Simon]

Open enrollment begins today on healthcare.gov the Affordable Care Act Marketplace.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

People who don't get health insurance through their job, Medicare or Medicaid have to now shop for coverage.

[Scott Simon]

And this year's signup season will be different. NPR Selena Simmons Duffin joins us now. Selena, thanks for being with us.

[Selena Simmons-Duffin]

Hi, Scott. Good to be with you.

[Scott Simon]

What do people who enroll in these plans need to know this year?

[Selena Simmons-Duffin]

Well, they need to know that their premiums might be significantly higher, and that is because something called enhanced subsidies that Congress first passed in 2021 are expiring. And that extra help to buy health insurance is something that millions of people have relied on in the last few years. In fact, 24 million people have these plans. They're small business owners, farmers, ranchers. And as open enrollment begins this year, the federal government is shut down. And these subsidies are a central issue. Either lawmakers make a deal and premiums stay about the same as they have been this year or or they don't. And premium costs go way up.

[Scott Simon]

How much could they go up on average?

[Selena Simmons-Duffin]

People will have to pay double next year for the same plan. That's a lot, right? But from person to person, it might be more than that, it might be less. It depends on where you live, your age, your income and more. Also, to be clear, there will still be some federal subsidies even if there's no deal. They just won't be as generous.

[Scott Simon]

What would seem to be the best advice for people who get their health insurance this way?

[Selena Simmons-Duffin]

Yeah, I would say the best advice is don't panic until you see what's happening with your plan and your circumstances. The source of that advice is Jeremy Smith, obamacare. Open enrollment is his busiest time of the year. He works for an organization called First Choice Services in Charleston, West Virginia, and their job is to help people sign up for these plans.

[Jeremy Smith]

We've already booked, I think, over 300 appointments.

[Selena Simmons-Duffin]

And he says, you know, this year people who are calling are anxious.

[Jeremy Smith]

There's been a lot of stories about rate increases. So they are nervous and we are just encouraging them to go through the process and look at the new plans and prices because we don't know exactly what they're going to be looking at until we do the application.

[Selena Simmons-Duffin]

He says what you shouldn't do is be hands off and let your current plan auto renew because the cost for 2026 might be dramatically different.

[Scott Simon]

Celine, is there a chance Congress could make a deal that would extend the enhanced subsidies?

[Selena Simmons-Duffin]

Yeah, I would say there's a decent chance. Democrats are pushing hard to extend the subsidies and many Republicans say they're open to a deal. The problem has just been getting everyone to the table to negotiate. So because of that, one option would be to wait to sign up for a plan for a few weeks in case lawmakers do make a deal and your options change. There is another thing too that I wanted to mention that's different this year that is getting a lot less attention than the premium cost increases.

[Scott Simon]

And what's that?

[Selena Simmons-Duffin]

Well, the Trump administration cut 90% from federal navigator grants available to organizations that help people sign up for plans like First Choice Services. They also did this in President Trump's first term. And I asked Jeremy Smith what that means for his budget.

[Jeremy Smith]

That puts us down from around a staff of 12 to only one that's funded through the Navigator program.

[Selena Simmons-Duffin]

They were able to get some West Virginia foundations to fund three additional staffers. They also made some changes to the website to help walk people through how to enroll by themselves.

[Jeremy Smith]

And then of course, some of our admin like myself, where I haven't done a lot of enrollment work personally the last couple years, I'll be rolling up my sleeves and, you know, I'm salary. So I'll be working as many hours as possible just to get in there and help as many people as we can.

[Selena Simmons-Duffin]

He does say there is a silver lining to the political fight over these plans. There's a lot more awareness of open enrollment than usual. And Smith says he's happy that people are paying attention.

[Scott Simon]

NPR, Selena Simmons, Duffin, thanks so much.

[Selena Simmons-Duffin]

You're welcome.

[Scott Simon]

People in New Jersey and Virginia vote for new governors next week. The high price of electricity has become a deciding factor.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

Both states have seen double digit power price increases in the last year. NPR's Scott Horsley joins us now. Good morning.

[Scott Horsley]

Good morning, Asia.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

So how did electricity become such a hot button issue on the campaign trail this year?

[Scott Horsley]

Well, around the country we have seen power prices climbing faster than the overall cost of living. And that is a problem that politicians ignore at their peril. You know, I lived in California a quarter century ago when anger about both the cost and availability of electricity drove Governor Gray Davis out of office and opened the door for a governor named Arnold Schwarzenegger. So the price hikes in Virginia and especially New Jersey have been particularly large. The cost of electricity for residential customers in New Jersey has jumped about 21% in the last year. Dan Casino, who runs a political poll at Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey, says that just adds to perennial concerns about the high cost of living in that state.

[Dan Casino]

Sometimes in affordability, we're talking about property taxes, sometimes we're talking about housing prices. Sometimes we're talking about groceries, but we're always talking about affordability. And electricity is just now the new way to talk about affordability.

[Scott Horsley]

Now, electricity is still a relatively small part of the typical family's budget, about 2.5% on average. But when so many other things are also getting more expensive, a big power bill can really be a pain.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

What's driving these price increases?

[Scott Horsley]

Well, as usual, it's a mix of supply and demand. Both New Jersey and Virginia are part of a mid Atlantic power grid that has retired some of its old fossil fuel power plants and has been slower than some other parts of the country to add new clean energy sources. At the same time, we have seen a burst of new demand for electricity in those states from all the new data centers that have sprung up as part of the artificial intelligence boom. So it's a complicated puzzle. Casino says it can be kind of a Rorschach voters who are just angry about their rising power bills.

[Dan Casino]

The problem is voters don't understand why this is happening. They just blame whoever it is that they don't like. So Democrats say, oh, it's Donald Trump. Or they blame greedy electric companies. Republicans say, well, it's the Democrats. So everyone just blaming whoever they don't like for it.

[Scott Horsley]

In New Jersey, the incumbent governor is a Democrat. In Virginia, the incumbent is a Republican. Neither of them is on the ballot, but the candidates from both parties who hope to replace them are being asked how they plan to tackle this problem.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

These off year governor's races are often seen as kind of a dress rehearsal for issues that later go national. Are electricity prices going to be a factor in other parts of the country in next year's elections?

[Scott Horsley]

They could be. You know, other states are wrestling with some of these same challenges, although most parts of the country are not seeing double digit price hikes like New Jersey and Virginia are. Nationally, demand for electricity is growing faster now than it did for most of the last two decades. At the same time, the Trump administration has taken steps to limit new solar and wind generation. And natural gas, which is the number one source of electric power generation in the country, is getting more expensive, partly because we are exporting more of our natural gas. Now, Casino says voters may or may not sift through all those details, but if they're unhappy about their electric bills and the overall cost of living, that could be a factor in the voting booth next year.

[Dan Casino]

People feel helpless and they want to blame somebody and they want someone in the government to do something about it. It almost doesn't matter if the helplessness comes from the electricity rates or from the rent going up or from inflation. When voters feel helpless, they're going to blame somebody. And if you are that somebody, it is a bad time to be an incumbent.

[Scott Horsley]

We saw that around the world last year when politicians on the left and the right were punished because people were unhappy with the high cost of Living.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

That's NPR's Scott Horsley. Thank you so much for joining us.

[Scott Horsley]

Good to be with you.

[Scott Simon]

And that's up first for Saturday, November 1st, 2025. I'm Scott Simon.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

And I'm Ayesha Rascoe.

[Scott Simon]

Dave Misdic produced today's podcast with help from Elena Tuarek and Gabe o'. Connor. Our editor has been Hadil Alshalshi, along with Kathryn Laidlaw, Melissa Gray, Rafael Nam and Diane Weber. Michael Radcliffe directed today's program.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

Our technical director was David Greenberg, with engineering support from Neisha Hyness and Damien Herring.

[Scott Simon]

Our senior supervising editor is Shannon Rhodes. E.B. stone is our executive producer and Jim Cain is our deputy managing editor.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

Tomorrow on the Sunday story, we take a look at how decreasing birth rates and smaller families will affect the future of our communities.

[Scott Simon]

And there's so much more that we can give you on the radio. So please find your local NPR [e-mail] and start start listening. Build the weekend around it.

[Jeremy Smith]

Exactly.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

It's like candy. And you don't have to wait for Halloween, right?

[Jennifer Ludden]

Boom.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

Want to hear this podcast without sponsor breaks? Amazon prime members can listen to Up First Sponsor free through Amazon Music. Or you can also support NPR's vital journalism and get up first [e-mail] that's plus.NPR.org this message comes from Monarch.

[Jeremy Smith]

Most people don't even know how many financial accounts they have or their net worth. And when you're not paying attention, you're leaving money on the table. The solution is Monarch, an all in one personal finance tool that brings your entire financial life together in one clean interface on your laptop or phone. Link your accounts in minutes, see your full financial picture and say goodbye to manual spreadsheets forever. Get a full year for half off only $50 with promo code [e-mail].

[Scott Simon]

On.

[Scott Horsley]

This week's books we've loved.

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We're headed to the open range with.

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MORNING edition's Michelle Martin to break down.

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Charles Portis classic True Grit.

[Scott Horsley]

Find books we've loved in NPR's Book.

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Of the Day podcast feed on the.

[Scott Horsley]

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