Disclaimer: This isn’t a Sandhills News, Rant or NC Local product—it's The Curious Scout, my personal newsletter exploring culture, politics, and moral courage through community-centered storytelling.
Table of Contents
The King with the Gauntlet
Thanos, Marvel’s Infinity War supervillain who saw himself as a god with ultimate power, chose, with one snap, to erase half the universe.
Donald Trump's presidency feels like that snap—sudden orders, devastating impact, no process, no checks.
SNAP benefits: vanish overnight.
White House walls: come down without review.
Legal residents and citizens: detained without due process.
People: killed in international waters without congressional approval (and likely illegal).
Like Thanos, Trump believes his power justifies any action. The pattern is clear: when power is concentrated and unchecked, vulnerable people disappear first—from their jobs, from their communities, from just being able to exist.
At first, heroes fought alone and failed. But once they united, with a strategy in hand? Power shifted.
Giphy
The SNAP Heard Across America
Disappearing Reality
On October 24, the USDA announced it would suspend November SNAP benefits, affecting 42 million Americans who rely on $8 billion in monthly benefits to feed their families.
For the first time in SNAP's 60-year history, the federal government refused to issue benefits during a shutdown, despite having $6 billion in contingency funds specifically designated for this crisis.
In North Carolina alone, 1.4 million people—including 580,000 children—faced losing food assistance. That's $250 million month to month, vanishing with no process or debate, just an order from the top down.
Signage showing Family Dollar customers that the establishment participates in SNAP in Lee County, NC. September 19, 2025. Credit: Diara J. Townes / NC Local
In my October 30 piece for NC Local, I detailed how recent federal law shifts billions in costs to states starting in 2027, leaving North Carolina scrambling for $700 million it doesn't have.
Jason Kanawati Stephany of the Food Bank of Central & Eastern NC told WUNC that for every meal food banks provide, SNAP provides nine.
“We can certainly keep this going for the next several weeks, but beyond that, it’s anyone’s guess,” Kanawati Stephany said.
Gov. Josh Stein (D) sourced $18 million for food banks, "a critical, but fleeting, lifeline," he said, while the federal government sat on $6 billion specifically designated for this crisis.
Twenty-five state attorneys general sued. Federal judges ordered the administration to use contingency funds. The Supreme Court temporarily allowed the withholding anyway.
The pattern repeats itself across policy areas.
On Nov. 14, Trump signed the “Fostering the Future” executive order, championed by First Lady Melania Trump. The slew of initiatives is aimed at boosting support for older foster youth, expanding partnerships with faith-based organizations, and modernizing technology in state-managed child welfare systems.
But, like other crises created or worsened by this administration, the order identifies problems without providing the resources to solve them. Rev. Starsky Wilson, president and CEO of the Children's Defense Fund, told The Imprint that while the order "names some valid challenges with our child welfare system," it "stops short" of addressing root disparities around race and poverty that drive family separations and offers no accountability for meeting the needs it identifies.
What You Can Do Right Now:
Donate to local food banks. They can't replace federal programs, but every donation helps families eat this week and next.
Know your rights. Organizations like the ACLU and the National Immigration Law Center offer free resources.
Show up. Attend city council meetings. Join community organizations. Your presence matters.
Vote. Local elections, state elections, federal elections—they all matter.
Sources:
Russo, A., & Russo, J. (Directors). (2019). Avengers: Endgame. Marvel Studios.
400 Rogers Park neighbors rally after ICE arrests 4, including a tamale vendor. Block Club Chicago. (Oct. 12, 2025).
WUNC. (Oct. 23, 2025) Jason Kanawati Stephany interview on SNAP and food bank capacity.
Townes, D. (Oct. 30, 2025). SNAP food assistance is set to end Nov 1. What does it mean for NC? NC Local.
Democrats had a big night. Here are five takeaways from the 2025 elections. NPR. (Nov. 5, 2025)
Democrats cruise to victory and other takeaways from Election Day 2025. PBS NewsHour. (Nov. 5, 2025).
How Residents In Chicago And LA Are Building Multiracial Solidarity Against ICE. Block Club Chicago. (Nov. 24, 2025)
For those that don’t know me…I’m Diara J. Townes ~ a researcher, scientist, journalist, and new North Carolina resident.
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The Latest for the Curious
The Shorthand Section
My work with Sandhills News:
My work with NC Local:
Scout’s Screen
My digital obsessions and recommendations
The B Block
Curated articles relevant to my commentary and other broad-stroke national issues
The Battle with my Blood
Published on November 22, 2025, by Tatiana Schlossberg, for The New Yorker
When I was diagnosed with leukemia, my first thought was that this couldn’t be happening to me, to my family.
When you are dying, at least in my limited experience, you start remembering everything. Images come in flashes—people and places and stray conversations—and refuse to stop.
The Bulletin Board
Grants & Fellowships (Upcoming Deadlines):
Knight-Wallace Fellowship at University of Michigan - Deadline: December 1, 2025 (international), February 1, 2026 (U.S.) - $85,000 stipend for eight-month fellowship - Apply here
Grist Rural Reporting Grants - Deadline: December 3, 2025 - apply for up to $5,000 for freelancers and newsrooms to report stories on rural America, focusing on climate or environmental justice - Apply here
Fund for Investigative Journalism - Rolling deadlines; $2,500-$10,000 for investigative stories - Apply here
Conferences & Events:
Be Heard: Pitching Your Op-Ed | Institute for Independent Journalists | Webinar, Recorded | Oct. 17, 2025 | Watch here
[Shameless Plug] NC News & Information Summit Office Hours - NC Local will host an office hours session for anyone with questions about pitching! | Webinar, Thurs. Dec. 4, 2025 | Register here | hosted by me!
Thumbnail Throwback
Trying to open portals in the Dr. Strange photo set in the Avengers Experience at Disneyland Paris, 2023. Photo credit: Dan Richards
That’s all for now!
You’ll hear from me every few weeks with:
Updates on published stories and insights from ongoing investigations
Commentary essays exploring culture, politics, and what it means to show up with courage
Opportunities to share your perspective and get involved
Quick notes on local developments worth watching
Journalism isn't just about reporting in a community—it's about listening, asking, and finding answers together.