States Are Excluding Soda from SNAP. Should They?
Should SNAP benefits cover soda and candy? Six states get federal approval to exclude them, and Sarah and Beth debate whether this is smart public health policy or government overreach—wrestling with the tension between the "nutrition" and "assistance" parts of the program's mission. Should tax dollars subsidize products that make people less healthy? Sarah and Beth explore the "common sense politics" of restricting junk food purchases, Sarah's personal experience using SNAP cards during COVID, and whether the Biden administration should have approved state waivers as experiments instead of…
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