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Palo Alto Unified School District Henry M. Gunn High School 780 Arastradero Rd Palo Alto, CA 94306
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THEOracle Henry M. Gunn High School
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Friday, December 5, 2025 Volume 63, Issue 3
780 Arastradero Road, Palo Alto, CA 94306
Government shutdown
Community affected by impacts of shutdown Ezra Rosenberg Lifestyle Editor
T
he U.S. government exited a 43day long shutdown on Nov. 12 that delayed funding for and temporarily paused key federal programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Head Start. The shutdown also created many airport and national park service staff reductions, leading to national and local impacts as flights were grounded and national parks provided limited service. When President Donald Trump signed the bill to reopen the government, it marked the end of the longest shutdown in U.S. history. The government shuts down when Congress is unable to reach a majority vote to pass a large bill that determines the budget for the go v e r n m e nt before the end of the fiscal ye a r, or i n t h i s case, Sept. 30. The Democratic-backed funding proposal included an ex tension of the Affordable Care Act — a law that provides h e a l t h insurance t o t h e uninsured — and clashed with the Republicanb a c k e d proposal that aimed to fund the government for a short period of time and excluded an ACA extension. Neither party initially gave in to the other’s demands, beginning the shutdown on Oct. 1. The bill that was passed to end the shutdown did not contain an extension for the federal health
insurance subsidies. SNAP provides funds to low-income households for groceries each month. Nationally, about one in eight Americans receive SNAP benefits, and some 40 million people were impacted by the pause in service. Over five million people receive SNAP benefits in California and over half a million people rely upon it in the Bay Area, according to USAFacts. In response to SNAP services being suspended, the SELF program hosted a food drive to provide resources specifically to Gunn families from Oct. 30 to Dec. 4. The food drive primarily collected canned and dried goods and cooking necessities, as well as gift c a r d s a nd mone t a r y donations to Second Harvest Food Bank of Silicon Valley. Over 21 families — more than 100 people — received food from
the drive. SELF leaders organized a competition bet ween grades of who could donate the most to the food drive, promoting the cause. SELF Coordinators Christina Norberg and Laurel Howard worked for many hours
to organize and execute the food drive. Valley organization with a goal to end Safety and Family Specialist Jose Ordonez hunger in the Bay Area, also responded to made contact with families to efficiently get SNAP service reductions with its own host food to them. of food drives. Norberg feels proud of The Head Start the Gunn community for program educates their effort and support in and supports over the food drive. 85,000 children in “It’s really been a California at around group ef for t, and 1,800 i nd iv idua l of students had flights I feel like that is so locations w ith delayed or canceled hear t warming to about $1.6 billion in due to the recent see people coming federal funds. Head government shutdown together, prov ide Start CA Executive Source: Self-selected survey sent support and then Director Melanee out to Gunn students by The Oracle also be able to C ot t r ill w rote in from Nov. 21 to Dec. 2 with 170 ac t ua l ly do an email that four responses. something prog r a m s acro s s r i g h t ,” California were she said. significantly impacted by the shutdown. Norberg finds it One of those locations, Encompass important that Community Services in Santa Cruz, had c o m m u n i t y to close and will unfortunately not reopen. members are Many of the children were able to transfer constantly looking to a nearby district temporarily, Cottrill out for each other, wrote, and they now face issues with the center being closed. The other three programs were able to continue operating, but the 4,000 communit y members that ECS suppor ted each year now have to s e a r c h for other ways to obtain various health Photo illustration by Vin Bhat and Azuki Radhakrishnan a n d h u m a n ensuring that families are getting the food services. they need. Air traffic controllers, who are employees “I’m glad that we have been able to of the Federal Aviation Administration, provide (resources) to the number of coordinate arrivals and departures of the families we have,” she said.
11.8%
Second Harvest Food Bank, a Silicon
RESOURCES
IN-DEPTH PREVIEW
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On pages 8 and 9, The Oracle presents a one-year update into the Trump administration, spotlighting funding cuts in healthcare and universities as well as local effects in immigration. In healthcare, the Big Beautiful Bill’s large-scale funding cuts to Medicaid will potentially eliminate local essential services like county hospitals, mental health programs and services for the unhoused. The bill has also significantly
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Sec ond Ha r ve st of Si l ic on Valley: shfb.org Community Services Agency of Mountain View and Los Altos: csacares.org Hope’s Corner: hopes-corner.org Samaritan House of San Mateo County: samaritanhousesanmateo.org
cut Stanford University’s funding, leading to massive layoffs and delays in its research programs. Locally, Santa Clara County is considering reevaluating federal grants, if they face conflicting regulations like diversity cuts. Moreover, in Palo Alto, the city has spread messages that it has immigrants’ best interests at heart, a result of growing lack of trust in law enforcement from the immigrant community.
Government shutdown—p.2
2.4% of surveyed students have been impacted by cuts to SNAP benefits S o u r c e: S e l f - s e l e c t e d survey sent out to Gunn st udents by The Oracle from Nov. 21 to Dec. 2 with 170 responses.