Arkansas asks USDA to let it ban soda, candy from food stamps program

Arkansas on Tuesday became the first state to ask the U.S. Department of Agriculture to allow it to ban soda and candy from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as food stamps. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, with the support of health secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., has signaled she will approve state requests to restrict what SNAP recipients can buy with their benefits. More than 41 million Americans receive SNAP benefits.