Food items at the Basic Needs Program site at Los Medanos College in Pittsburg on May 4, 2023. Photo by Loren Elliott for CalMatters
As millions of low-income Californians — most of whom are children and senior citizens — brace for the absence of federal food benefits starting Saturday, local officials, schools and organizations are scrambling to provide support for their communities.
More than 5.5 million Californians depend on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as CalFresh in the state, for food. California issues about $1.1 billion in CalFresh benefits every month, but due to the federal government shutdown — soon entering its second month — benefits for November have been delayed.
In San Francisco, Mayor Daniel Lurie on Wednesday said the city will cover food benefits through the month of November for its nearly 112,000 CalFresh residents. Some of the money comes from a $400-million reserve set up by San Francisco lawmakers to cover possible cuts from federal and state governments, according to KQED.
Staff at California K-12 schools and colleges are also stocking up food pantries and connecting students with local food resources, reports EdSource. San Jose State University, for example, is urging students specifically affected by CalFresh delays to request assistance, and Chico State is offering free meals for food stamp recipients.
Some restaurants in the Bay Area and Los Angeles County are also offering free food to children and seniors, including bowls of pho in Oakland and shelf-stable snacks in Lynwood.
Meanwhile, food banks — already stretched thin since the pandemic and affected by federal and state funding cuts — are preparing for the surge in demand. In Shasta County, nearly one in five residents are on food stamps. The county’s food bank is ordering more food through funds the state set aside to support food banks, reports Shasta Scout. But concerns of being overwhelmed remain.
At the state level, Gov. Gavin Newsom deployed the California National Guard and allocated $80 million to assist food banks. California is also suing President Donald Trump’s administration to use emergency funds to cover food benefits.
🗓️CalMatters Events in your community:
Sacramento: Join CalMatters and Capitol Impact on Nov. 7 for a watch party of the Health Matters: A Conversation with California’s Next Governor forum. Candidates for California’s next governor will respond directly to community voices about what matters most for health — from clean air and safe housing, to good jobs and strong families. Register.
San Jose: What will power California’s AI future? Join us Nov. 18 for a timely conversation on how California can balance the rapid rise of AI-driven data centers with its clean-energy goals. Register.
Other Stories You Should Know
Who’s spending the most on Prop. 50?
A button reads “Vote Yes on Prop. 50” at a Kings County Democrats booth in Hanford on Sept. 25, 2025. Photo by Larry Valenzuela, CalMatters/CatchLight Local
All three of the campaign committees on Proposition 50 — one Yes on Prop. 50, and two No on Prop. 50 — are pouring millions of dollars for their causes, with the Yes campaign outspending and outraising its opponents. But groups not directly affiliated with these campaigns are also pouring big bucks, known as independent expenditures, to influence voters.
As CalMatters’ Jeremia Kimelman explains, anybody can advocate their position on a California ballot measure as long as they follow certain rules, including registering with a state committee, and not coordinating with the primary campaigns.
Entities such as nonprofits, political parties and independent billionaires have reported spending nearly $26 million as of Oct. 30 to pay for ads, mailers and canvassers to promote their stances on the redistricting measure.
The largest spenders outside Prop. 50’s campaigns are billionaire Democrat Tom Steyer, who reported more than $12.8 million in expenditures, as well as the California Republican Party, which reported more than $10.2 million.
More than two dozen county parties and current and former elected officials have also reported spending more than $1 million in total for Prop. 50. Assemblymember Carl DeMaio, a San Diego Republican, spent more than $430,000 from his Reform California committee to oppose Prop. 50 because he didn’t “trust the failed consultants of these mega-committees.”
DeMaio: “My intuition was correct. The ads were horsesh–t, off message.”
OpenAI wants to change things up
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman speaks during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation CEO Summit in San Francisco on Nov. 16, 2023. Photo by Eric Risberg, AP Photo
Artificial intelligence company OpenAI said Tuesday that it plans to restructure as both a nonprofit foundation and a for-profit company after it received approval from California Attorney General Rob Bonta. But concerns remain that the move could set a precedent for the company and others to misuse certain tax benefits, report CalMatters’ Khari Johnson and Levi Sumagaysay.
Originally launched as a nonprofit in 2015, the California-based creator of ChatGPT moved forward with plans last year to set up a for-profit public benefit corporation. The shift would remove certain barriers for raising money, as well as conflict-of-interest issues between its nonprofit and for-profit arms.
Bonta opened an investigation into the restructuring to ensure the company abided with its original stated mission, which was to make artificial intelligence that benefits humanity. He ultimately gave the proposal his blessing on Monday.
But critics say the reorg could allow OpenAI to reap the benefits of charitable tax exemptions, and that even though its nonprofit arm is nominally in control of the for-profit entity, the for-profit company could end up pulling the strings.
And lastly: CA floats Plan Bs for EVs
Hydrogen-powered trucks at IMC headquarters in Compton on Oct. 29, 2024. Photo by Carlin Stiehl for CalMatters
California Voices
CalMatters columnist Dan Walters: Despite Newsom’s braggadocio, California’s economy is sluggish, and its two most revered sectors — the tech and entertainment industries — are in turmoil.
Reader reaction: A recently passed bill confronting antisemitism in schools affirms both academic freedom and equal protection, write David Bocarsly and Miller Saltzman, the executive director and director of policy and partnerships, respectively, of the Jewish Public Affairs Committee of California.
Other things worth your time:
Rude reality check for Californians on insurance prices as shutdown drags on // Politico
CA can enforce its landmark groundwater law, court rules // San Francisco Chronicle
CA faces limits as it directs health facilities to push back on immigration raids // KFF Health News
Secretary of State officials just paid the Shasta County Elections Office a visit // Shasta Scout
These Oakland condos are a dream, but the insurance is a nightmare // The San Francisco Standard
SoCal Edison is changing how it plans to pay Eaton Fire victims // LAist
Two ICE shootings in Southern CA in over a week: Latest confrontation leaves bloody scene // Los Angeles Times
County will pay $16M over 22-year-old’s death in San Diego jail, its biggest such settlement ever // The San Diego Union-Tribune
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Lynn La is the newsletter writer for CalMatters, focusing on California’s top political, policy and Capitol stories every weekday. She produces and curates WhatMatters, CalMatters’ flagship daily newsletter…
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