Major ruling handed down as Trump fights to avoid using emergency money for food stamps

A federal judge on Friday said President Donald Trump is "required" to use emergency money to fund Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, food benefits during the shutdown.

The benefits begin running out Saturday as the government shutdown drags on and puts nearly 42 million Americans at risk, CNN reports.

A federal judge in Rhode Island said in an emergency hearing that the Trump administration and USDA must release close to $6 billion.

It must be distributed "in a timely fashion," and the administration must deliver an update by noon on Monday.