Thorns and Roses: Increased Taxes, Increased Welfare
By Kathryn Tanaka

Every year, Tax Day inevitably pops up, and I hear my parents grumbling. In California, many feel they are being overtaxed. As a kid, these taxes seemed like pointless things to stress out our parents, but they actually serve a greater purpose: funding public services. Yet, compared to other first-world countries, we are really behind in providing residents with welfare programs.

Bye Bye NPR and PBS
By Madeline Crowley

In May 2025, President Donald Trump signed Executive Order 14290, directing the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to stop all federal funding for National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). The administration justified the move by alleging that these organizations disseminate “radical, woke propaganda disguised as ‘news’” and asserted that taxpayer money should not support media with perceived ideological biases.

Cuts to The Trees
By Hailey Kearns

In 2025, the United States’ national parks are confronting a severe chilling crisis due to significant federal budget cuts. The Trump administration;s proposed fiscal year 2025 budget includes over $1 billion in recreation to the National Park Service (NPS), amounting to nearly 40% of its current funding. These cuts had led to widespread layoffs, reduced services, and potential closures across the nation’s cherished public lands. 

Rolling Back Support: The Meals on Wheels Funding Crisis
By Sophia Doan

As promised and predicted, the Trump Administration has made intense budget cuts to many government funded programs. Although the concept of cutting programs remains very true to most Republican candidates, the specific programs President Donald Trump chose to cut were shocking to many citizens across the United States. Slashing the Department of Health and Human Services, the Trump Administration endangers many life saving programs.