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Christopher Bosso

@cjbossoboston.bsky.social
263 followers 371 following 121 posts

Professor of public policy and politics emeritus. Farm Bill and SNAP geek. New book: Why SNAP Works: A Political History -- and Defense of -- the Food Stamp Program (Univ. California Press). Cooking is therapy. Wine is food, no matter what my doctor says.

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Reposted by Christopher Bosso
Katie Bergh @katiebergh.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
SNAP update: Another cut from the Republican reconciliation law takes effect today, cutting the federal match for SNAP administrative costs from 50% to 25%. Every state now gets half as many federal dollars to ensure SNAP gets to eligible families on time & in the right amount.
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Christopher Bosso @cjbossoboston.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Sheesh, now I feel inadequate. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
theguardian.com
Hiker, 91, becomes oldest person to complete grueling Appalachian Trail
Dale Sanders said he fell 71 times on the trail, but completed the journey as ‘people are motivated … by my efforts’
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cliodialogues.bsky.social @cliodialogues.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
In this episode of The Clio Dialogues, @cjbossoboston.bsky.social  and I discuss the surprising origins of the Food Stamp Program, how SNAP evolved into one of America's most enduring public programs, and what this history can teach us about today's controversies. 🔗link to episode in bio
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cliodialogues.bsky.social @cliodialogues.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
The Clio Dialogues podcast, episode 3: 𝐒𝐍𝐀𝐏 𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐞: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐁𝐞𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲'𝐬 𝐅𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐦𝐩 𝐃𝐞𝐛𝐚𝐭𝐞 | 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐁𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐨 🔗To watch or listen, see link in bio or www.cliodialogues.com. @cjbossoboston.bsky.social  #foodpolicy #historypodcast #snap
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cliodialogues.bsky.social @cliodialogues.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
Why has one of America's most successful anti-hunger programs remained so controversial? Listen to the Clio Dialogues conversation with @cjbossoboston.bsky.social to find out. #SNAPprogram #hungersolutions
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Christopher Bosso @cjbossoboston.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
Echoing @pamherd.bsky.social , I offer a deeper dive into how the administration can undermine SNAP through new rules: logosjournal.com/article/a-te...
logosjournal.com
A Termite’s Guide to Undermining SNAP - Logos Journal
Conservatives long have had it in for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps.[1] Ronald Reagan hated it so much that he refused to reverse severe program c...
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cliodialogues.bsky.social @cliodialogues.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
Based on his book, 𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘚𝘕𝘈𝘗 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘴: 𝘈 𝘗𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘏𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺—𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘋𝘦𝘧𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦—𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘮𝘱 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘮, @cjbossoboston.bsky.social & I dive into the political history behind America's largest food assistance program. 🔗Link to episode in bio! #SNAPprogram #publicpolicy #hungersolutions
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Christopher Bosso @cjbossoboston.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
It was a great experience! History buffs should subscribe.
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Pam Herd @pamherd.bsky.social · 20/06/2026
As I wrote 9 months ago, this was entirely predictable. donmoynihan.substack.com/p/the-big-be...
Why will so many vulnerable Americans lose their benefits? In short, both beneficiaries and states will be overwhelmed with new administrative burdens. In addition to cuts in the value of SNAP benefits, many beneficiaries will lose coverage because of added work requirements—which have been repeatedly shown to push eligible people off the program, but not improve labor force participation.

Others, however, will lose benefits because *state administrators* are facing new administrative burdens, which will push them to reduce their SNAP caseloads. The bill, by design, is forcing state governments to take the blame for millions of Americans going hungry.
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Christopher Bosso @cjbossoboston.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
Want amidst plenty, Palm Beach version: www.palmbeachpost.com/story/news/e...
palmbeachpost.com
No more free meals for students in Palm Beach County. Here's why.
Federal changes mean 55 Palm Beach schools lose automatic meal aid. Parents must now apply for free lunches.
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Daniel Drezner @dandrezner.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
Some thoughts on how Trump is screwing over American farmers and what it means if many of them still support him. danieldrezner.substack.com/p/american-f...
danieldrezner.substack.com
American Farmers are Reaping a Bitter Harvest
Donald Trump's policies are screwing over farmers. They still mostly support him. How should anti-Trump voters feel about it?
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Christopher Bosso @cjbossoboston.bsky.social · 10/03/2026
My interview with @gastropodcast on SNAP is now out! Thanks to Nichola and Cynthia for the opportunity, and for making me sound good: gastropod.com/snap-to-it-w...
gastropod.com
SNAP To It! Why Food Stamps Matter To All of Us—And Why They're Under Threat - Gastropod
Why does the U.S. government give people money just for food, rather than cash, as in other countries? Does it make sense ban SNAP from being used to buy junk food? And why are so many people still hu...
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States Newsroom @statesnewsroom.com · 15/12/2025
SNAP benefits are back, but the federal government is hinting at changes to the food-assistance program. Don't miss our recent episode of Stories From The States, which explores this issue. Listen now. #FairFearlessFree #LocalJournalism www.newsfromthestates.com/episode/why-...
newsfromthestates.com
Why the SNAP food crisis isn’t over yet | News From The States
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The New York Review of Books @nybooks.com · 11/12/2025
“The prospect that hundreds of thousands—perhaps millions—of people will get kicked off SNAP…gives charitable food sector executives nightmares. They know that SNAP supports far more meals than food banks could ever provide.” —Christopher Bosso
nybooks.com
‘Want in the Midst of Abundance’ | Christopher Bosso
Most of us grumbled through the latest federal government shutdown, vexed by airport delays, minimally staffed national parks, and shuttered local
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Christopher Bosso @cjbossoboston.bsky.social · 10/12/2025
When you don’t want to understand — or admit to — how tariffs work.
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Chris Morran @themorrancave.bsky.social · 09/12/2025
This fall's brief but painful SNAP shutdown was just a sneak preview of the long-term chaos to come in fall of 2026. That's when Trump's Big Beautiful Bill foists billions in SNAP and Medicaid costs onto the shoulders of states that have slashed tax revenue in recent years.
propublica.org
Wave of Tax Cuts Has Left Many States Vulnerable to Trump SNAP and Medicaid Crisis
President Donald Trump’s so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act will shift billions in costs for SNAP and Medicaid to states. But with 26 having cut or eliminated state income taxes just since 2021, the...
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Christopher Bosso @cjbossoboston.bsky.social · 09/12/2025
Ah, this sucks. The Mavericks aren't the same without Ray: www.nytimes.com/2025/12/09/a...
nytimes.com
Raul Malo, Frontman of the Mavericks, Dies at 60
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Christopher Bosso @cjbossoboston.bsky.social · 09/12/2025
My latest. The shutdown stressed food banks, and the Republican attack on SNAP may create a food insecurity crisis that the charitable system cannot meet. www.nybooks.com/online/2025/...
nybooks.com
‘Want in the Midst of Abundance’ | Christopher Bosso
Most of us grumbled through the latest federal government shutdown, vexed by airport delays, minimally staffed national parks, and shuttered local
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Christopher Bosso @cjbossoboston.bsky.social · 02/12/2025
We'll next reopen the alms-houses. How very Dickensian of the rich. www.nytimes.com/2025/12/02/b...
nytimes.com
Michael and Susan Dell to Put $250 in 25 Million Children’s Accounts
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Christopher Bosso @cjbossoboston.bsky.social · 29/11/2025
I did not attend OSU -- I thought it was too big a school even back in the Woody Hayes days -- but I'm from northern Ohio, so my loyalties are clear. (Sorry, family Notre Dame subway alumni.) Hey, it's the best pro football team in the state. O-H-I-O.
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Christopher Bosso @cjbossoboston.bsky.social · 14/11/2025
Who? Didn't even know we had a HUD secretary...
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Christopher Bosso @cjbossoboston.bsky.social · 14/11/2025
What fresh hell is this? Claims of SNAP fraud are overblown but not surprising. Their real objective is to deny benefits, or at least to throw up more roadblocks to households needing them.
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Steve Vladeck @stevevladeck.bsky.social · 08/11/2025
If you’re trying to catch up on what went down with #SNAP late last night at #SCOTUS, here’s my attempt to read the breadcrumbs on the “administrative stay” issued by Justice Jackson—and why a justice so critical of the Court’s grants of emergency relief to Trump still granted temporary relief here:
stevevladeck.com
190. SNAP WTF?
A very quick explainer on why Justice Jackson issued an "administrative stay" in the SNAP case late on Friday night, and on what's likely to happen next
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Christopher Bosso @cjbossoboston.bsky.social · 08/11/2025
Oh FFS. But no surprise: www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
washingtonpost.com
Trump administration asks Supreme Court to block order on releasing SNAP benefits
A federal judge had directed the administration to release full benefits for November. The administration is appealing the order.
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Catherine Rampell @crampell.bsky.social · 08/11/2025
Winning the hearts and minds of the public www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
washingtonpost.com
Trump administration asks Supreme Court to block order on releasing SNAP benefits
A federal judge had directed the administration to release full benefits for November. The administration is appealing the order.
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Leah McElrath @leahmcelrath.bsky.social · 08/11/2025
In the GOP budget bill are provisions that would effectively make substantive cuts to SNAP in terms of future purchasing power—and SNAP already lacks automatic COLA-linked increases, being calculated as it is based on the price of a set group of goods. I’m only surprised USDA began complying at all.
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Miranda Yaver @mirandayaver.bsky.social · 08/11/2025
I’m just a lowly public health professor so what do I know, but I would call starvation irreparably harmful.
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Bonnie Burton ✍️ @bonniegrrl.bsky.social · 08/11/2025
That time the US Postal Service trusted R2-D2 with all our mail. 💌 #StarWars
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Sam Youngman @samyoungman.bsky.social · 07/11/2025
“Nobody has a bigger heart than me.” — Donald Trump, last night
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Christopher Bosso @cjbossoboston.bsky.social · 07/11/2025
Based on what logic or legal grounds? This was sadly predictable.
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Christopher Bosso @cjbossoboston.bsky.social · 07/11/2025
Of course it did...
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Christopher Bosso @cjbossoboston.bsky.social · 07/11/2025
One week w/o SNAP, the stories start to come out. www.wbur.org/cognoscenti/...
wbur.org
Someone you know relies on SNAP. They just don't talk about it
Two years before she went on public assistance, Joanna Rakoff had a best-selling novel that won literary awards. She presented like a middle class working mom. But in reality, she was struggling — wor...
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Christopher Bosso @cjbossoboston.bsky.social · 06/11/2025
We'll see if USDA complies.
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Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 06/11/2025
SNAP surveys SNAP users. Already half of them are saying they are skipping meals.
Families are making impossible trade-offs

51% of respondents have already skipped meals

40% say they have had to buy cheaper or lower-quality food

Nearly 40% are delaying bills to put food on the table, while 42% are relying on help from family and friends

80% say they have not been able to prepare for the possibility of another delayed deposit

49% expect to visit a food pantry next week – up seven percentage points from those who planned to visit in the first days of November
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Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 06/11/2025
What are the effects of the shutdown on SNAP users? Propel provides an app to SNAP users to allow them to track their spending and so can offer real-time estimates of needs. About 70% of SNAP households have a $10 or less balance on their SNAP card accounts. www.propel.app/shutdown-fun...
Map of the US showing wide spread of SNAP shortages
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Christopher Bosso @cjbossoboston.bsky.social · 06/11/2025
Food fight for you federalism geeks. Gift link: www.nytimes.com/2025/11/06/h...
nytimes.com
Big Food’s Fight Against Kennedy Is Heating Up
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Christopher Bosso @cjbossoboston.bsky.social · 05/11/2025
The devil is always in the details. What are odds that nobody gets the benefits to which they are entitled for a while, if at all? Gift article: www.nytimes.com/2025/11/05/u...
nytimes.com
Some SNAP Recipients May Not Receive Food Stamps Under White House Policy
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Christopher Bosso @cjbossoboston.bsky.social · 05/11/2025
The funds are there. It's a political decision not to release them.
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Christopher Bosso @cjbossoboston.bsky.social · 03/11/2025
USDA has adequate funds available, so partial funding is a political decision.
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Christopher Bosso @cjbossoboston.bsky.social · 03/11/2025
The funds are there, so this is a wholly political decision. www.nytimes.com/live/2025/11...
nytimes.com
Trump Administration Live Updates: White House Says It Will Make Only Partial SNAP Payments This Month
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Christopher Bosso @cjbossoboston.bsky.social · 31/10/2025
But will the administration comply? Or stall?
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Christopher Bosso @cjbossoboston.bsky.social · 31/10/2025
We'll see if they comply. Bets? www.nytimes.com/live/2025/10...
nytimes.com
Trump Administration Live Updates: Government Ordered to Pay Food Stamp Benefits During Shutdown
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Gregg Gonsalves @gregggonsalves.bsky.social · 31/10/2025
Spread the word. The Trump Administration can use emergency funds to pay for SNAP benefits during a shutdown. The President and little Mike Johnson are lying to you. How do we know? 1/ www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
washingtonpost.com
Democratic states sue to force SNAP payments during government shutdown
The Agriculture Department has $5.5 billion in backup funds for food stamp benefits but says it can’t use them.
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WBUR @wbur.org · 31/10/2025
A Boston federal judge suggested she was not persuaded by the Trump administration's argument that it is legally barred from using a USDA emergency fund to keep the SNAP benefits coming.
wbur.org
A judge is set to decide whether SNAP benefits can be cut off on Saturday
A Boston federal judge suggested she was not persuaded by the Trump administration's argument that it is legally barred from using a USDA emergency fund to keep the SNAP benefits coming.
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Christopher Bosso @cjbossoboston.bsky.social · 30/10/2025
We’re about to go through a natural experiment: Does SNAP matter? apple.news/A1Mtf-qhZQVq...
apple.news
Food benefits are ending for millions in US. Who is affected – and who is offering help? — The Christian Science Monitor
The U.S. government shutdown is affecting funding for a food assistance program used by nearly 42 million Americans. With benefits set to end Nov. 1, what challenges will people face, and what are sta...
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Christopher Bosso @cjbossoboston.bsky.social · 30/10/2025
Sorry, this is one mealy-mouthed editorial. wapo.st/47z9L04
wapo.st
Opinion | What the SNAP fight is really about
Food stamps are a way to feed hungry kids, not a political bargaining chip or an engine for growth.
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Randall Stephens @randalljstephens.bsky.social · 29/10/2025
In the 60-year history of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, it’s never run out of money. Here are the states suing the federal government over it.
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Christopher Bosso @cjbossoboston.bsky.social · 28/10/2025
We’ll take all the allies we can get. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/28/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | Josh Hawley: No American Should Go to Bed Hungry
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