Trump’s war on food stamps

Millions could lose access to food stamps due to a new Trump administration rule; Israel begins a controversial demolition of Palestinian housing on the edge of east Jerusalem. Tonight's Sentences was written by Catherine Kim. TOP NEWS 3 million people to lose food stamp eligibility [A sign saying "We accept food stamps"]( Spencer Platt/Getty Images - The Trump administration has rolled out a new rule that would drastically cut the number of food stamp recipients. [[CNN / Tami Luhby](] - The US Department of Agriculture said it wanted to close a "loophole" where those receiving federal benefits through Temporary Assistance for Needy Families can automatically qualify for food stamps through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Forty-three states practice this measure. [[NPR / Pam Fessler](] - Under the current policy, states have the flexibility to raise income eligibility limits so that a low-income family can receive help affording food if housing and child care expenses take up a sizable share of their income. [[Washington Post / Laura Reiley](] - Under the new rule, however, TANF recipients would have to undergo a thorough income and assets review to determine their SNAP eligibility. [[Fox News / Edmund DeMarche](] - By taking away food stamp eligibility from more than 3 million people, the government would save $2.5 billion a year. Currently, about 40 million people –– 12 percent of the population –– receive food stamps. [[Reuters / Tom Polansek and Humeyra Pamuk](] - Experts argue that it will be harder for low-income families to work their way out of poverty because they will no longer be able to save funds while receiving aid through food stamps. [[USA Today / Ledyard King](] - Working families who earn just above the SNAP income cutoff will be hit hard by the new rule, which will increase food insecurity. [[CBS News / Aimee Picchi](] Israel begins demolition of Palestinian housing - Israel has begun demolishing Palestinian housing on the edge of east Jerusalem on Monday, ramping up tensions in an already precarious situation. [[UPI / Nicholas Sakelaris](] - Israel said the buildings are too close to the West Bank separation barrier, and an Israeli court agreed that the structures were a security threat by providing potential cover to suicide bombers and other terrorists. [[NYT / Isabel Kershner](] - Residents, however, have said the buildings were erected lawfully because they were built on West Bank land that is technically under Palestinian jurisdiction with construction permits from the Palestinian Authority. [[BBC](] - According to the United Nations, 17 people have been displaced due to the demolitions and about 350 people have lost property that was still under construction or unoccupied. [[France 24](] - The Palestinian Authority has denounced the demolitions as a war crime and said it would complain to the International Criminal Court. Both the UN and the European Union have criticized Israel for the demolition. [[Al Jazeera](] - As demonstrated by the situation, conflict over land is at the key of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: Israel claimed both east Jerusalem and the West Bank during the 1967 war. The international community sees both as occupied land, although Israel disputes these claims. [[AP / Alon Bernstein](] - The relationship between Israel and Palestine has become increasingly delicate in recent years, and the demolitions put pressure on already strained peace talk attempts. [[NYT / Isabel Kershner](] MISCELLANEOUS The long North Carolina "bathroom bill" battle is now over: In a Tuesday settlement, a judge ruled that transgender individuals have the right to use whichever bathroom matches their gender identity. [[NPR / Merrit Kennedy](] - The NAACP, the nation's oldest civil rights group, has unanimously voted to support the impeachment of President Donald Trump, adding more pressure on Democratic leaders to take action. [[Washington Post / Colby Itkowitz and Wesley Lowery](] - When a Tennessee man was trapped in his car with his son during a standoff with ICE officers, his neighbors came to the rescue, providing him with fuel, water, and food. The officials eventually left "to de-escalate the situation." [[CNN / Catherine E. Shoichet and Theresa Waldrop](] - $48 million worth of elephant ivory and pangolin scales was seized in Singapore on its way from the Democratic Republic of Congo to Vietnam. It's Singapore's largest seizure to date. [[BBC](] - Junk food companies' strategy to promote their food during an era of healthy eating: "mindful snacking." Some tips include focusing on your senses, chewing thoroughly, and minimizing distractions. [[WSJ / Ellen Byron](] VERBATIM "I built this house stone by stone. It was my dream to live in this house. Now I am losing everything." [[Fadi al-Wahash, 37, who lost his unfinished three-story home during Israel's demolition of Palestinian buildings](] LISTEN TO THIS Hundreds of thousands of Puerto Ricans are demanding Gov. Ricardo Roselló resign. David Begnaud from CBS News reports from San Juan. [[Spotify](] [Read more from Vox](#) [The science of regrettable decisions]( [What to expect in Robert Mueller’s testimony about the Trump-Russia investigation]( [Can you taste the difference between plant-based meat and beef? Burger King Sweden is betting no.]( [Thor 4 brings back Natalie Portman’s Jane Foster as Thor. 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