In Hunts Point, the bodega on the corner runs close to half its monthly revenue through a card reader the owner does not control. Swipe by swipe, the EBT terminal is the difference between making rent and falling behind. That terminal connects to a federal program, and over the last twelve months Washington has made three moves that decide whether his store stays plugged into it. He has heard about none of them. Most of the operators on his block have not either.
