Weeks of uncertainty during the longest government shutdown in American history have left some states struggling to issue payments to food stamp recipients.

The 2026 New York gubernatorial election will be “existential battle” to save New York and all of Western civilization from socialism, Rep. Elise Stefanik (D-NY) told The Post’s Rich Calder during a nearly 20-minute interview this week, excerpted below, discussing her decision to challenge Gov. Kathy Hochul.