Marisa Kabas
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marisakabas.bsky.social
Marisa Kabas
@marisakabas.bsky.social
220K followers 1K following 25K posts
journalist / founder @ thehandbasket.co

email: MKwrites4000@proton.me
signal: https://signal.me/#eu/VssgH88q6WQu7MtH5wF-08JdgWh4iAPWD13eXiOcXQNGdZUXijJBZInD-UtLJKFG
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marisakabas.bsky.social
California AG Rob Bonta on the question of whether the federal government can take back SNAP benefits that have already been distributed by some states to recipients:
We are fighting tooth and nail as attorneys general to make sure that there is no undoing or reversing of the benefits that our eligible recipients in our states have received. That's what we're going to court on today, in a couple hours, to argue on this temporary restraining order. We feel that we will prevail. We won't know until the court decides, but we're fighting for you, is item number one. Item number two is in California, nearly all—the vast majority of the 5.5 million eligible SNAP beneficiaries—have received full funding, and that was done in compliance with the law and the direction of USDA. I can't imagine any world that is decent, that is dignified, that is humane, that is compassion, that is American, where an eligible SNAP recipient who has funding on their card and needs that money to feed their hungry family and themselves would be forced to pay that money back. I don't know what a court would order in the future, or what this federal government will seek, given their policy of cruelty by design, maybe this isn't off the table to make that request, but I want every SNAP beneficiary to know we are fighting for you tooth and nail, to make sure that you can be fed and that there will be no no revocation or undoing of the benefits that you have voted onto your cards.
November 10, 2025 at 7:20 PM
marisakabas.bsky.social
Remarks by @newyorkstateag.bsky.social at press conference on states' AG's lawsuit to protect SNAP recipients.

"What was the point of the federal government's cruelty this weekend? Why subject people to prolonged anxiety and fear? It is not an abstraction. Real people are hurting. They are hungry."
My name is Leticia James, and I represent the great state of New York, and I want to thank all of you for joining us today as we continue to fight on behalf of the tens of millions of Americans who rely on SNAP. We are fighting for their dignity. We are fighting for their survival. We know what we are fighting for, and we are crystal clear on what we are fighting against. We're standing shoulder to shoulder against the federal government's callous and repugnant cruelty. Democratic attorneys general have been working around the clock to ensure that all Americans have access to food stamps. We filed this new TRO motion last night in response to days of chaos and confusion in Washington, because apparently our federal government will stop at nothing to deny Americans their food benefits. And this morning, the court ruled in our favor yet again, and later this afternoon, we will be in court to continue this fight. Since Friday evening, the federal government has been fighting with equal parts desperation and animus to prevent Americans from using their benefits despite a favorable ruling from the district court. It should shock the conscience of everyone in our country that the federal government would willfully and indeed aggressively fight to keep food off of our tables, food away from children, babies, veterans and senior citizens and the disabled. It is shocking and disgusting. It is all the more galling when you consider that the federal government may reopen soon. What was the point of the federal government's cruelty this weekend? Why subject people to prolonged anxiety and fear? It is not an abstraction. Real people are hurting. They are hungry. They are facing impossibly difficult decisions to take care of one of our most basic human necessities, the need to eat.
November 10, 2025 at 7:10 PM
marisakabas.bsky.social
California AG Rob Bonta:
We're asking the court to block Saturday night's guidance and immediately make full SNAP benefits available. Americans shouldn't have to wait one day more. The American people deserve better. We deserve a federal government that upholds our laws and serves our people, that puts people over political gains, that recognizes that families, seniors and individuals with disabilities, are waiting for the support they rely on that they've been promised and they're owed to buy groceries and put food on the table. I don't care where your political leanings lie. Every American should be outraged that the billionaire sitting in the White House would go to such extreme lengths expend this much energy to prevent hungry Americans from getting food. USDA has the funds to pay SNAP benefits this month. They have the funds to ensure that people who need this money can get it to buy groceries.
November 10, 2025 at 6:03 PM
marisakabas.bsky.social
Starting now: Press conference announcing a motion for a temporary restraining order challenging USDA's unlawful attempt to withhold SNAP benefits, featuring Attorneys General of CA, NY, MN, NJ and leaders from City Harvest, Food Action Research Center and No Kid Hungry.
screenshot of zoom with people speaking on the call
November 10, 2025 at 5:57 PM
marisakabas.bsky.social
I received this email about Democrats caving to end the shutdown from one of the SNAP recipients I spoke to:
I'm sorry, I know this is not your problem, but I just felt like screaming into a void seeing that now Dems may cave and end the shutdown without getting anything they were supposedly fighting for. We've been put through hell for weeks, constantly having our ability to simply feed ourselves dangled in front of our faces, our survival used as a bargaining chip, told it was for a reason. Our suffering would prevent even more suffering and that it would be temporary and worth it to save healthcare for millions. And now it's all for nothing. They stood for nothing. They caused suffering for no reason. They'll cause even more suffering for no reason. It wasn't 40 million people starving that made them cave. They were willing to put up with that. But the threat of holiday traveling being disrupted seems to be the thing to push them to give in. They have failed everyone. I'm so angry.
November 10, 2025 at 2:17 PM
marisakabas.bsky.social
wow we have an official country
Climate Main articles: Climate of Mongolia and Climate change in Mongolia Mongolia is known as the "Land of the Eternal Blue Sky" or "Country of Blue Sky" (Mongolian: "Mönkh khökh tengeriin oron") because it has over 250 sunny days a year.
November 9, 2025 at 9:03 PM
marisakabas.bsky.social
I've added this update to my story about the ongoing torture of SNAP recipients:
(UPDATE 11/9/23 at 11:14am ET — Friday night the Supreme Court issued an emergency order to block full the full SNAP payments ordered by a lower court, per Trump’s request, while the appeals court makes a final ruling on whether the payments must be made. Late Saturday night, USDA issued a memo saying that states must “undo” any work they had done to fulfill it’s previous memo directing states to release full benefits, and instead plan to release partial benefits per yet another memo earlier last week. It is completely unclear what this latest memo means in practice. I’ve reached out to USDA to better understand.)
November 9, 2025 at 4:17 PM
marisakabas.bsky.social
“TOM HOMAN For BEING A BITCH” in the style of Zohran for New York
November 9, 2025 at 2:34 AM
marisakabas.bsky.social
NEWS — The Oregon Department of Human Services has issued 100% of November SNAP benefits, per an alert on their website. I've received reports that the funds have already hit recipients' EBT accounts.

www.oregon.gov/odhs/news/Pa...
November 7, 2025 at 3:53 PM
marisakabas.bsky.social
i try not to be hyperbolic but this NY daily news editorial board piece saying mayor-elect mamdani better support israel OR ELSE is one of the most appalling things i’ve ever read
November 6, 2025 at 4:00 AM
marisakabas.bsky.social
indeed
November 5, 2025 at 11:40 PM
marisakabas.bsky.social
just circling back
me to dave portnoy: Hi again-  Just following up. Have you given any more thought to moving Barstool out of NYC now that Zohran Mamdani will be mayor? Thanks.
November 5, 2025 at 3:00 PM
marisakabas.bsky.social
he's already stimulating the local economy
ebay results for zohran's NY post cover
November 5, 2025 at 2:39 PM
marisakabas.bsky.social
it was so sweet of the NY post to make a special commemorative issue
cover of the ny post with the headline THE RED APPLE and a fake photo of zohran holding a hammer and sickle
November 5, 2025 at 2:13 PM
marisakabas.bsky.social
“tom homan is a bitch” is a winning message
zohran yelling at tom homan earlier this year
November 5, 2025 at 5:06 AM
marisakabas.bsky.social
it’s giving this
November 5, 2025 at 3:45 AM
marisakabas.bsky.social
viva democracy
November 5, 2025 at 3:36 AM
marisakabas.bsky.social
thank you.
November 5, 2025 at 3:28 AM
marisakabas.bsky.social
stay tuned
Subjecy: Barstool leaving NYC? Hi Dave- Now than Zohran Mamdani is the mayor-elect, will Barstool be leaving New York? And if so, when? Thank you, -- Marisa Kabas Independent journalist The Handbasket
November 5, 2025 at 3:13 AM
marisakabas.bsky.social
curtis stays curtis til the bitter end
November 5, 2025 at 2:33 AM
marisakabas.bsky.social
New— Kristi Noem emailed DHS staff this AM thanking them for working w/o pay

"For 5 straight weeks you have screened passengers, protected our leaders, patrolled borders, kept the nation's networks secure, and our homeland safe, knowing the money might be late but the mission never is."

Full text:
November 4, 2025 Thank You For 35 days the paychecks stopped, but you never did. Thank you for showing up. Thank you for doing the job anyway - without complaint and with the utmost professionalism. For 5 straight weeks you have screened passengers, protected our leaders, patrolled borders, kept the nation's networks secure, and our homeland safe, knowing the money might be late but the mission never is. That is patriotism. I'm proud of you. The President is proud of you. The country is proud of you. Your families deserve a special thanks for holding everything together at home while you held the line at work. Thank you. Once more into the fray, Kristi Noem Secretary of Homeland Security
November 4, 2025 at 5:36 PM
marisakabas.bsky.social
YOU NEED ME ON THAT WALL

the wall:
a subway sandwich counter
November 4, 2025 at 4:08 PM
marisakabas.bsky.social
i hope this is how you find out about dick cheney
grim reaper claw machine meme
November 4, 2025 at 11:44 AM
marisakabas.bsky.social
good. now do the rest of the funds. (via the guardian)
Trump administration to use emergency funds to pay partial food aid benefits The Trump administration has said in a court filing that it plans to partially fund food aid for millions of Americans after two judges ruled last week that it must use contingency funds to pay for the benefits in November during the government shutdown.
November 3, 2025 at 5:47 PM
marisakabas.bsky.social
best day of the new york year
November 2, 2025 at 4:57 PM