“It feels like the world is kind of crumbling right now.”

Michaela Thompson, an unemployed mother in the San Fernando Valley, on the looming halt of federal food assistance as the government shutdown stretches into its fifth week. Thompson relies on SNAP benefits to buy specialized baby formula for her 15-month-old daughter, who has a feeding disorder. With payments suspended, she said she doesn’t know how she’ll afford the $47 five-day supply. About 1 in 8 Americans face similar uncertainty as officials warn November SNAP funds will not be issued without a funding deal in Congress. (Los Angeles Times)