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"I have some help from a scholarship I've got, but still that's a lot of money I have to pay and budgeting for food, travel, accommodation and other expenses adds up too," said Kardo, 24.

The bond rating downgrades came days after Mayor Karen Bass outlined the city’s stark economic situation in her proposed budget for 2025-26, which includes laying off about 1,650 city workers.

The US federal budget for the last financial year was $6.75tn.

Despite the punishing headwinds, the county balanced its $48-billion recommended budget for the upcoming fiscal year, which officials credit to cautious financial planning.

"The government really need to be ready to set aside a specific budget for these matters," she said.