All across the country, there are varying forms of Government funded tuition assistance for private schools. These come in primarily three forms, the most common being tax credit scholarships. These programs give tax credits to people or businesses, who donate up to a certain amount to tuition assistance programs. This means that if a taxpayer donated, they would have to pay less in taxes. This money is then given to non-profits, who work to distribute it. These are expensive, because the expenditure per pupil is generally higher than that of a public school student. Tax Credit Scholarships differ from ESAs. While Tax Credit Scholarships pay tuition, ESAs can help with any school related expenses incurred as a result of not going to public school. These are managed by a parent or caregiver, and the spending per pupil is usually equivalent to that of the public school per pupil spending of that state. Lastly, school vouchers. School vouchers are similar to ESAs, but the money goes directly to the school. These, unlike ESAs, are almost exclusively funded by the state.

Each of these programs have their benefits and drawbacks. While tuition assistance programs cover tuition costs, they are expensive and thus have very limited enrollment. ESAs are useful in the fact that they cover a wide range of costs, but this makes them easy to exploit and can lead to non-education related spending. School vouchers also cover tuition, but they might not be enough to cover a wide range of costs. These can also contribute to the lack of funding for public schools, when left unchecked. In fact, part of the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act” signed by Trump in July, could have a drastically negative impact on this funding issue, as it has no cap on the amount the government could spend. It allows for a fully refundable tax credit up to $1,700. In July, an analysis conducted by the Institute on Taxation and Economic policy showed that around 138 million people could take full advantage of this. This could cost the federal government around $235 billion a year, aggressively cutting into the budget of $900 billion - $1 trillion. 

Ultimately, private school education funding from the government helps many people get the education they need and deserve. But the restrictions and limitations on this new bill are not nearly clear enough, which could cripple the government's ability to support the vast majority of students. While the solution to this problem is increased education spending, we have to do the best we can with this limited budget, and the Big Beautiful Bill's new education cause makes it extremely difficult to do so.

The war in Ukraine has exposed significant weaknesses in Europe's security framework, revealing the limitations of NATO and the European Union (EU) in responding to modern conflicts. While NATO, founded on the principle of collective defense, has supported Ukraine politically and with military aid, its refusal to intervene directly highlights the alliance's hesitance and internal divisions. NATO's inability to rapidly and decisively address Russia's aggression has caused frustration, particularly among Eastern European countries that feel most threatened.

At the same time, the EU, traditionally focused on economic integration, has struggled to assert itself as a security actor. Though it has imposed sanctions on Russia and supported Ukraine, the EU's lack of a unified defense policy has hindered its ability to act decisively. Member states remain divided on how to respond to the crisis, exposing the EU's dependence on NATO and the United States for military security.

The war has shattered the post-Cold War illusion of a stable, peaceful Europe. Russia's invasion underscores the fragility of the collective security system Europe has relied on for decades. Europe's security structures were ill-prepared for a conflict of this scale, revealing the need for stronger, more autonomous defense mechanisms.

Going forward, Europe must reassess its security architecture, strengthening both NATO's unity and the EU's defense capabilities. The war in Ukraine serves as a stark reminder that Europe cannot afford to rely solely on external powers for its security. To adapt to the changing geopolitical landscape, Europe must build a more resilient, responsive defense framework for the future.

As we start coming back to school, staying healthy is a top priority. These are the top ten simple, but important ways to keep healthy this holiday season. The first way to stay healthy is staying up to date on vaccinations. Vaccinations work from the inside to put up a barrier to block infections and viruses. Number two, wash your hands. This might seem like a basic task but we all know that some people "forget" to wash their hands. Washing your hands can almost completely exterminate germs on your hands. Use soap and water and scrub in between your fingers for twenty seconds, the amount of time it takes to sing the alphabet. Avoid touching your  mouth and eyes. Cold and Flu germs can infect you through your eyes and mouth. A very important tip to stay healthy is get at least 8-10 hours of sleep every night. When your body is well rested it can better protect you from infections and fight them off faster. Work out. Not only is it good for your exterior it's equally as good for your interior. It can boost your immune system, which protects you from viruses. Avoiding biting your nails, which can hold germs aplenty. And finally, drink plenty of water. Water can flush out germs and help you maintain a healthy imune system. 

New Jersey resident Tina Jump just found out that starting in January her Affordable Care Act health insurance is about to cost more than she can afford. It was originally 400.00 but now it's $1100.00, almost 3 times the price of her original fee. Her job as real estate title officer pays roughly $72,000 a year. She said that she feels financially stretched having to also cover her Blue Cross Blue Shield plan and $415.00 a month she pays for a prescription drug for type 2 diabetes. She said, "I don't know how I'm going to pay for this, I'm just going to have to cut back on whatever else I can. It's just insane. What's going to happen in the next couple of years? Is it going to continue to go up?" 

The senate is trying to fix this problem, however, two health care bills have already failed to pass. This means that the ACA's "enhanced premium tax credits" which about 90 percent of the people who enroll in the government health program rely on, have a huge chance to expire. On Dec 31 this will leave Tina and roughly 22 million other Americans to face some tough financial decisions. If a bill does not get passed this year, the prices are more likely to go up in 2026 even higher which will impact the entire economy as we know it. 

Are the 76ers good?

The Sixers have started the season off hot, currently at 14-11 and 6th in the east. Rookie out of Baylor, VJ Edgecombe got off to a hot start but has since cooled down. And 25 year old Tyrese Maxey looks like a true superstar, averaging 31.5 points a night. This has left many NBA fans believing that the Sixers are legit and have a bright future in the next few years. Well, I’m here to tell you it's not as sunshine and rainbows as it might appear. Our two highest paid players (Embiid and Paul George) taking home almost $110 million dollars average only a combined 32.5 points per game. Assuming each of  play a generous 60 games each that means they will be making roughly $56,000 per point they score. Given that they're both making so much money I don’t see either of them retiring until at least the end of their contracts. This acts as a lock on what moves the front office can do. No one is gonna take either of the horrible contracts, therefore we have no money to spend. The Sixers are in a pit that we dug ourselves into and the only way out is waiting it out.

Last year the Philadelphia Eagles were 14-3 and first in the NFC now however now they are 11-6 just barely scraping by and playing the San Francisco 49ers who are 12-5. Now it may seem like the 49ers are better than the Eagles but we would both have pretty much the same record if the Eagles did not rest our starters against the Commanders. Still, I think the odds are against the Eagles winning because we are the less skilled team. Although an argument that you could make is about the 49ers injury history this season. The 49ers have had some bad injuries some including George Kittle, Brock Purdy, and Nick Bosa. If the 49ers have a star player injured early in the game it could mean an easy victory for the Eagles. However if one of the Eagles players get injured Like Saquon Barkley, A.J. Brown, or Jalen Hurts, we saw how the backups played against the Commanders so it might not be pretty for Eagles fans. There is no way of  knowing  what can happen in the playoffs so make sure you watch!