Main Street Independent

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SNAP and Social Safety Net Cuts

Trump administration's push to impose SNAP work requirements, junk food bans, and freeze federal social spending over Democratic governor objections

Trump nominates acting Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling to permanent post

Illustration accompanying article: Trump nominates acting Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling to permanent post
  • President Donald Trump nominated acting Secretary Keith Sonderling to serve as permanent secretary of labor, Trump announced on Truth Social on June 29.
  • Sonderling previously served as deputy secretary and chief operating officer of the Labor Department and, during Trump’s first term, held roles at the department’s Wage and Hour Division and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
  • In June, Sonderling sent letters to 53 states and union territories demanding action on unemployment insurance fraud and threatening to withhold administrative funds — a move he said would be the first time such a penalty has been used.
  • Sonderling singled out California, New York and Illinois as states with the highest instances of unemployment fraud but did not provide evidence to support the claim.
 2026-06-30 · 3 MIN READ

Judge blocks SNAP restrictions on soft drinks, candy

Illustration accompanying article: Judge blocks SNAP restrictions on soft drinks, candy
  • A federal judge ruled that the Trump administration lacked authority to allow states to bar SNAP recipients from using benefits to buy soft drinks, candy and other snack foods.
  • About 42.1 million low-income individuals receive SNAP benefits nationwide, and 22 states had obtained waivers to restrict purchases of sugary items.
  • Five SNAP recipients from Colorado, Iowa, West Virginia, Tennessee and Nebraska sued in March, arguing the restrictions were vague and harmful.
  • Judge Amy Berman Jackson found the USDA violated the Administrative Procedure Act by acting beyond its authority and skipping required public input procedures.
  • The National Center for Law and Economic Justice, which filed the lawsuit, called the ruling "a major step in restoring essential food assistance."
 2026-06-23 · 3 MIN READ
Illustration accompanying article: Trump warns states to tighten unemployment fraud controls or lose funds

James Freeman's Anti-Senior Tax Break Screed Is a Donor-Class Fleecing

2026-05-29

James Freeman sells a donor-class tax shift as a populist crusade. His May 28 Wall Street Journal column, “Throw Momma from the Gravy Train,” converts a demand to kill property tax relief for senior citizens into a growth gospel sermon, laundering a regressive hit on the elderly through the language of broad-based fairness and the borrowed glow of a socialist city council race. The following excerpt-by-excerpt autopsy shows how a business columnist constructs a permission slip for cutting the taxes of the asset-rich while making the move look like a brave stand against special interests. We built versions of this exact playbook for the Journal's page for years.

Mississippi holds $156M unspent as 19,000 families wait for child care vouchers

2026-01-05

Amaya Jones, a full-time Kroger employee and mother of two in Mississippi, planned to return to school this month to study social work. That plan depends on regaining a child care voucher she lost in June — and she is one of more than 19,000 Mississippi families now on a growing waitlist after pandemic-era federal funding that expanded the state's voucher program ran out, according to the Mississippi Department of Human Services.

HHS bars 'race,' 'women,' and 'disability' from Head Start grant applications

2026-01-05

The Department of Health and Human Services has directed Head Start providers to avoid nearly 200 terms in federal grant applications — including "race," "Black," "Native American," "disability," "women," and "Tribal" — a move plaintiffs in an ongoing federal lawsuit say directly conflicts with the Head Start Act. A coalition of organizations representing Head Start providers and parents disclosed the directive in December court filings, saying HHS told a Head Start director in Wisconsin to cut those and related terms from her application.

Parents find ways to volunteer with young children despite nonprofit age limits

2025-12-26

Families with young children across the United States are finding service opportunities alongside their youngest members despite widespread age restrictions at nonprofit organizations, with some parents founding their own programs after established groups turned toddlers away, the Associated Press reported. Many nonprofits require volunteers to be at least 18 years old, leaving families searching for alternatives during the holiday season, when demand for family-friendly service opportunities rises as parents look for ways to model charitable giving and community engagement.