P resident Donald Trump said Friday he has instructed White House lawyers to ask courts for more clarity on how his administration can legally fund the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program “as soon as possible,” after two judges ordered the use of emergency funds to continue funding the program during the shutdown.

A federal judge on Friday said the Trump administration is wrong to say it’s not allowed to pay food benefits next month but stopped short of ordering the administration to do so.

“If SNAP benefits are not distributed in November, the effects will be felt immediately,” said Maria Raha of Philabundace, the city’s largest food bank.

The prolonged U.S. government shutdown is putting millions of Americans at risk of missing their November food stamp benefits, a vital lifeline for low-income households.

Wealthy philanthropists across the country are stepping in to help put food on the tables of 42 million Americans set to lose access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — better known as ...