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Friday, August 15, 2025 Volume 63, Special Edition
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WELCOME BACK, TITANS State to phase out ultraprocessed food from schools Roy Lao and Vanisha Vig In-Depth Editor and News Editor
On June 3, the California State Assembly passed Assembly Bill 1264, mandating the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment to define and gradually eliminate “particularly harmful ultra-processed foods” from public school meals within the next ten years. With co-authors from both the Democratic and Republican parties and strong bipartisan support, this measure is among the few California bills this year to achieve such cross-party collaboration, according to CalMatters. AB 1264 had unanimous approval by the Senate Education Committee and is currently under review in the Appropriations Committee. The bill is part of a resurgence of national health awareness, particularly for children. This idea also aligns with U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again” campaign and Gov. Gavin Newsom’s January executive order directing the state to limit harm from UPFs. UPFs qualified as “particularly harmful” will be identified based on scientific evidence linking them to long-term adverse health effects or addiction potential. The NOVA system is a classification system which categorizes food into four groups on a scale of “unprocessed” to “ultra-processed.” According to the Global Food Research Program, UPFs are a food class composed of substances not found in home kitchens, and whose formulaic structures have been heavily modified to be convenient, cheap and flavourful. As well as lacking fiber, important nutrients and protein, these products typically contain high levels of saturated fat, sugar and salt. They also include artificial colors, flavours, emulsifiers and additives in order to enhance their taste and longevity. Food safety—p.2
Azuki Radhakrishnan
Santa Clara County gears up for FIFA World Cup 2026 kickoff, prepares youth watch parties and clinics Sylvie Nguyen Editor-in-Chief For the first time in over 30 years, the United States will host the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup, naming Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara among the selected 16 venues. The Bay Area Host Committee launched the one-year countdown on June 11 at the city’s Youth Soccer Park with a plaque dedication, a commemoration ceremony and a youth soccer clinic, according to a committee press release. According to Santa Clara Mayor Lisa Gillmor, who spoke at the event, a lineup of soccer players — from the U.S. men’s and women’s national teams and the San Jose Earthquakes — was featured to inspire the next generation of players. “It’s all about the youth and empowering them to let them know that these are people whom they can look up to, be their mentors and talk to one-on-one through opportunities that we need to give them,” she said. Stanford Stadium was the Bay Area’s first FIFA World Cup site in 1994. With Levi’s Stadium now set to become the second, Gillmor anticipates an arrangement that has teams training in Palo Alto and competing in Santa Clara, but the plans are up in the air. With this year’s tournament marking the first 48team World Cup, the Santa Clara City Council approved a financial assignment agreement on Feb. 12, in which the BAHC will cover funds for public safety preplanning, event
security, training and equipment to ensure “a seamless and financially responsible event,” according to a committee press release. With the sheer scale of this sporting event, Gillmor emphasizes that it will require coordination across the region. “We have to rely on all of our sister agencies in the county and even as far as San Francisco to help us police and make sure that everybody who comes to Santa Clara is safe,” she said.
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It’s all about the youth and empowering them to let them know that these are people whom they can look up to, be their mentors and talk to oneon-one through opportunities that we need to give them.
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—Santa Clara Mayor Lisa Gillmor
Inclusivity has been central to the city’s communitydriven event planning. Namely, officials hosted a session in July to hear pitches for ideas and partnerships leading up to the World Cup. According to Gillmor, community members suggested mural installations, night markets, music festivals and Lunar New Year festivities to engage the city’s largest age group, the millennial generation, and
the largest ethnic group, Asian residents. Santa Clara plans to look for cultural programming tied to the countries whose teams will play at Levi’s Stadium once FIFA announces group stage teams expected on Dec. 5. For Palo Alto American Youth Soccer Organization Regional Commissioner Peter Chen, these kinds of approaches reflect the city’s diversity. “It’s very meaningful for us to actually be a host because we are such a diverse community, and soccer itself has been a very diverse sport, so we can bring opportunities for children...and the international youth fans to see players from all around the world who they relate to,” he said. Senior Oiva Suviala explains that developments have already come into place as the Bay Area prepares for the tournament. He references San Francisco’s Major League Soccer NEXT Pro team set to launch in 2026 or 2027 and planned upgrades for Kezar Stadium — which, according to a city press release, were secured by a $10 million investment, the largest to the facility in over a generation. “I think they are trying to capitalize on the momentum of the World Cup here in the U.S. and try to drive that further, especially here in the Bay Area,” he wrote in a text. For the avid soccer player, this year will bring soccer’s local culture and accessibility to new heights. “I hope that (Santa Clara) partners with local clubs because that’ll help a lot of kids who might not normally get a chance to feel a part of a growing sport community,” Suviala said.