Latest news with #SchoolhouseRock
USA Today
04-07-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Big Beautiful Bill 101: What you need to know about the new law
In the classic Schoolhouse Rock song 'I'm Just a Bill,' the bill laments the prospect of waiting with other bills, hoping to become a law. But President Donald Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill' didn't have to wait—it sped through Congress in recent days and landed on his desk in time for him to sign it into law by his July 4 deadline. Amid the whirlwind on Capitol Hill, you might have missed what's actually in this massive tax and spending law. Below we've collected some of the most impactful parts for your finances and daily life. The biggest among them: ◾ Extension of the 2017 tax cuts: This is the biggest item, costing about $3.7 trillion over the next 10 years, according to the non-partisan Tax Foundation. That's money the federal government won't collect. ◾ Cuts to health care and food programs: These proposed reductions would save about $1.3 trillion, based on a June 17 report from the Congressional Budget Office. The winners (and losers): Who benefits the most in Trump's "big beautiful" tax bill What's in the 'Big Beautiful Bill' Skip to: OTHER TAX CUTS, BENEFITS | MORE FUNDING | LESS FUNDING The Penn Wharton Budget Model forecasts that the lowest-income households will be left worse off because of cuts to Medicare and SNAP, formerly known as food stamps. Those Americans could lose $27,500 over a lifetime, while the highest-income households would gain more than $65,000. How people at every income level will fare: Unable to view our graphics? Click here to see them. Back to top But wait, there's more. Other tax cuts, credits and gifts In addition to extending the tax cuts from the 2017 tax bill, Americans who live in high-tax states such as California, New York and New Jersey will get a bigger income tax deduction for state and local taxes, known as SALT. That tax break will last only through 2028. In one of the most talked-about provisions and one of Trump's 2024 campaign promises, tips and overtime wages will no longer be taxed − sort of. The final version of the bill set limits on both. Some of the other tax reductions you can expect: Back to top What areas would get more money from the bill Back to top What areas would get less money from the bill Back to top How big is the bill for the tax bill? Depending on whom you ask on Capitol Hill, the cost of the bill could be as little as $440 billion, while other, more conventional estimates put the cost at nearly 10 times higher. As Senate Republicans pushed toward passage, they requested that the Joint Committee on Taxation omit the 2017 tax cuts in a new estimate. Without those portions, the bill's total cost falls to $441 billion. Senate Republicans argue that because the bill extends current tax law, those cuts shouldn't be counted. More traditional methods have pegged the cost around $2.7 trillion to $3.3 trillion. Back to top Contributing: Reuters
The Age
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Age
What does WA taste like? To Hearth's head chef, the most important flavour is potential
From smoked kangaroo and wattleseed tortillas to fun Viennetta remakes, Hearth is a spirited journey into West Australian food and wine. Previous SlideNext Slide What is it about the number three that makes it so auspicious? Good things come in threes. The third time's a charm. In 1973, Bob Dorough's catchy composition Three Is a Magic Number kick-started American children's television show Schoolhouse Rock. (Almost two decades later, his song was also sampled by hip-hop trio De La Soul.) After working my way through most of the winter menu at Hearth, I get the sense that three is also something of a magic number for Brian Cole, the restaurant's Sierra Leone-born head chef. His sourdough is baked with three different barleys including the New Norcia black barley carefully resurrected by late grain grower Roger Duggan; his smoked three-caviar tart features sturgeon, Murray River and Japanese flying fish roe; and the twice-baked three-cheese souffle couldn't have happened without the efforts of local cheesemakers Cambray, La Delizia Latticini and Halls Family Dairy. This year also marks Cole's third year as the big cheese at the Ritz-Carlton Perth's ground floor diner: a lofty riverside cathedral rich in azure, ochre and stone, plus the understated luxury that the global hotel group is famous for. (At the very least, the room is a welcome contrast to the garish Tron -like glow of Elizabeth Quay after dark.) These paint and building material choices are about more than just following brand guidelines. They're also some of the ways that Hearth celebrates its deep West Australian-ness. (See also: the cellar's pronounced local accent, plus the kitchen's fondness for native West Australian flavours and carefully sourced local produce.) Once upon a time, the expectation was that the marquee restaurant in a five-star hotel would be a formal, airless chore of a thing. Not so here. Led by restaurant manager Tom Staples, service is cordial, composed and well-drilled. Engaged staff look equally comfortable hosting big tables as they are cossetting solo diners that hotel restaurants inevitably attract. Just as attentive service might challenge hotel restaurant norms, so too does Hearth's focus on open-fire cooking. Not that this is some macho, full metal smokehouse trading in shock and awe. Rather, the kitchen uses its jarrah-burning grill and smoker fuelled by applewood chips, often in tandem, to help ingredients be their best selves. So Mottainai lamb shanks are smoked, cut into good chunks and folded into a crumbly wattleseed and masa tortilla crisped over the coals. This deftly composed taco and its two-bite ilk are part of a new 'to-start' offering: snacky things that populate various tasting menus but can now be also ordered individually. (They're also offered next door at Hearth Lounge, the restaurant's seven-day bar and lounge offshoot.) Kangaroo gets cured, smoked and charred over the fire to yield a blushing tranche of fillet that's a pleasure to eat. (Shout out to the accompanying glossy, lip-sticking jus of roasted kangaroo tail and chicken wing.) I must admit, while Cole's cooking has always been big on technique and layered flavours, some of his earlier dishes felt bogged down by showy flourishes. Now that he's dialled back the frou frou touches and tightened up what's on the plate, his vision of modern (West) Australian cooking feels so much clearer and, most crucially, delicious. Fennel pollen, bush honey and a native herb salt put an Aussie spin on roast Wagin duck breast. To the side, a cutesy croquette of shredded duck meat made in the image of the Dutch crumbed meatball, bitterballen. Giving Pardoo wagyu oyster blade the low and slow treatment transforms this not especially glamorous cut into a melty paleolithic wonder while its ragu offsider makes a compelling argument for more cooks to slip their customers some (beef) tongue. Could the pumpkin and potato gratin on the menu's sole vego main have been crisper? Possibly. But judging by the endive braised in orange juice served with the duck, team Hearth's barbecuing range is more than just snags and chops. Grilled strawberries rendered fudgy by the hearth prove fruit and fire should catch up more often. A dapper mille-feuille comprising frilly plinths of puff pastry, hazelnut ice cream and native rivermint gel tastes like history's poshest mint Viennetta. Such fun throwbacks – plus the introduction of more flexible menus and large-format share proteins – speak to Hearth's efforts to position itself as a more accessible CBD dining option. Points for proactivity, but Hearth's pricing (still) puts it largely in special occasion territory, especially to those susceptible to menu upsells. Chinese-farmed Black Pearl caviar is sold by weight. Pay a supplement and get black truffle shaved over whatever dish you fancy: a flex that yields good TikTok content but doesn't always flatter this expensive seasonal ingredient. But like the saying goes, you get what you pay for. And if having someone rain black truffle on your camembert ice cream makes you happy, who am I to say otherwise? You do you. And if doing you involves commemorating a milestone or weaving some special into your life, Hearth needs to be on your radar. Firepower plus people power plus the contact high of worldliness that comes from brushing shoulders with a world-famous hotel dynasty equals a compelling class of (West) Australian dining that feels very modern, very Perth and very essential.
Sydney Morning Herald
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
What does WA taste like? To Hearth's head chef, the most important flavour is potential
From smoked kangaroo and wattleseed tortillas to fun Viennetta remakes, Hearth is a spirited journey into West Australian food and wine. Previous SlideNext Slide What is it about the number three that makes it so auspicious? Good things come in threes. The third time's a charm. In 1973, Bob Dorough's catchy composition Three Is a Magic Number kick-started American children's television show Schoolhouse Rock. (Almost two decades later, his song was also sampled by hip-hop trio De La Soul.) After working my way through most of the winter menu at Hearth, I get the sense that three is also something of a magic number for Brian Cole, the restaurant's Sierra Leone-born head chef. His sourdough is baked with three different barleys including the New Norcia black barley carefully resurrected by late grain grower Roger Duggan; his smoked three-caviar tart features sturgeon, Murray River and Japanese flying fish roe; and the twice-baked three-cheese souffle couldn't have happened without the efforts of local cheesemakers Cambray, La Delizia Latticini and Halls Family Dairy. This year also marks Cole's third year as the big cheese at the Ritz-Carlton Perth's ground floor diner: a lofty riverside cathedral rich in azure, ochre and stone, plus the understated luxury that the global hotel group is famous for. (At the very least, the room is a welcome contrast to the garish Tron -like glow of Elizabeth Quay after dark.) These paint and building material choices are about more than just following brand guidelines. They're also some of the ways that Hearth celebrates its deep West Australian-ness. (See also: the cellar's pronounced local accent, plus the kitchen's fondness for native West Australian flavours and carefully sourced local produce.) Once upon a time, the expectation was that the marquee restaurant in a five-star hotel would be a formal, airless chore of a thing. Not so here. Led by restaurant manager Tom Staples, service is cordial, composed and well-drilled. Engaged staff look equally comfortable hosting big tables as they are cossetting solo diners that hotel restaurants inevitably attract. Just as attentive service might challenge hotel restaurant norms, so too does Hearth's focus on open-fire cooking. Not that this is some macho, full metal smokehouse trading in shock and awe. Rather, the kitchen uses its jarrah-burning grill and smoker fuelled by applewood chips, often in tandem, to help ingredients be their best selves. So Mottainai lamb shanks are smoked, cut into good chunks and folded into a crumbly wattleseed and masa tortilla crisped over the coals. This deftly composed taco and its two-bite ilk are part of a new 'to-start' offering: snacky things that populate various tasting menus but can now be also ordered individually. (They're also offered next door at Hearth Lounge, the restaurant's seven-day bar and lounge offshoot.) Kangaroo gets cured, smoked and charred over the fire to yield a blushing tranche of fillet that's a pleasure to eat. (Shout out to the accompanying glossy, lip-sticking jus of roasted kangaroo tail and chicken wing.) I must admit, while Cole's cooking has always been big on technique and layered flavours, some of his earlier dishes felt bogged down by showy flourishes. Now that he's dialled back the frou frou touches and tightened up what's on the plate, his vision of modern (West) Australian cooking feels so much clearer and, most crucially, delicious. Fennel pollen, bush honey and a native herb salt put an Aussie spin on roast Wagin duck breast. To the side, a cutesy croquette of shredded duck meat made in the image of the Dutch crumbed meatball, bitterballen. Giving Pardoo wagyu oyster blade the low and slow treatment transforms this not especially glamorous cut into a melty paleolithic wonder while its ragu offsider makes a compelling argument for more cooks to slip their customers some (beef) tongue. Could the pumpkin and potato gratin on the menu's sole vego main have been crisper? Possibly. But judging by the endive braised in orange juice served with the duck, team Hearth's barbecuing range is more than just snags and chops. Grilled strawberries rendered fudgy by the hearth prove fruit and fire should catch up more often. A dapper mille-feuille comprising frilly plinths of puff pastry, hazelnut ice cream and native rivermint gel tastes like history's poshest mint Viennetta. Such fun throwbacks – plus the introduction of more flexible menus and large-format share proteins – speak to Hearth's efforts to position itself as a more accessible CBD dining option. Points for proactivity, but Hearth's pricing (still) puts it largely in special occasion territory, especially to those susceptible to menu upsells. Chinese-farmed Black Pearl caviar is sold by weight. Pay a supplement and get black truffle shaved over whatever dish you fancy: a flex that yields good TikTok content but doesn't always flatter this expensive seasonal ingredient. But like the saying goes, you get what you pay for. And if having someone rain black truffle on your camembert ice cream makes you happy, who am I to say otherwise? You do you. And if doing you involves commemorating a milestone or weaving some special into your life, Hearth needs to be on your radar. Firepower plus people power plus the contact high of worldliness that comes from brushing shoulders with a world-famous hotel dynasty equals a compelling class of (West) Australian dining that feels very modern, very Perth and very essential.
USA Today
01-07-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Big Beautiful Bill 101: What you need to know about House and Senate versions
The Schoolhouse Rock classic 'I'm Just a Bill' song spared kids some of the complexities of lawmaking. Say, for example, what happens when a party with a thin majority tries to pass a 1,000-page bill through the House and Senate without bipartisan support? A new verse would have to find a way rhyme 'common ground' and 'Independence Day' now that Senate Republicans passed their own version of the 'Big Beautiful Bill' on July 1. To reach President Donald Trump's deadline of July 4, members of both chambers will need to quickly agree on some key specifics of the final bill. The winners (and losers): Who benefits the most in Trump's "big beautiful" tax bill Where is the 'Big Beautiful Bill' now Unable to view our graphics? Click here to see them. Below, we've collected the items that will likely have the biggest impact on your lives and your dollars. The biggest among them: extending the 2017 tax cuts, which amounts to about $3.7 trillion that federal government won't have in its coffers over the next 10 years. Proposed cuts to programs would save about $1.3 trillion, according to a June 17 Congressional Budget Office report. Three in five Americans will continue to have lower federal taxes, which will drive our national debt higher. Within 10 years, this bill alone could ultimately add $3.3 trillion to the current $29 trillion national debt held by the public, according to the CBO. What's in the 'Big Beautiful Bill' Skip to: OTHER TAX CUTS, BENEFITS | MORE FUNDING | LESS FUNDING Back to top But wait, there's more. Other tax cuts, credits and gifts In addition to extending the tax cuts from the 2017 tax bill, the House version would give people who live in high-tax states such as California, New York and New Jersey a bigger income tax deduction for state and local taxes, known as SALT. A recent Senate proposal wouldn't increase the deduction. In one of the most talked-about provisions and one of Trump's 2024 campaign promises, tips and overtime wages would no longer be taxed. A new Senate proposal sets limits on both. The other tax reductions now in the House's tax bill: Back to top What areas would get more money from the bill Back to top What areas would get less money from the bill Back to top How big is the bill for the tax bill? Depending on whom you ask on Capitol Hill, the cost of the bill could be as little as $440 billion, while other, more conventional estimates put the cost at nearly 10 times higher. In recent days, Senate Republicans requested that the Joint Committee on Taxation omit the 2017 tax cuts in a new estimate. Without those portions, the bill's total cost falls to $441 billion. Senate Republicans argue that because the bill extends current tax law, those cuts shouldn't be counted. More traditional methods have pegged the cost around $2.4 trillion − not including the interest costs. Back to top Contributing: Reuters
USA Today
25-06-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Big Beautiful Bill 101: What you need to know about Trump's tax bill
"I'm just a bill. Yes, I'm only a bill. And I'm sitting here on Capitol Hill." As the Schoolhouse Rock song goes, so it may seem it goes with President Donald Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill." Of course, the tax, spending and policy mega-bill hasn't just been sitting on Capitol Hill since House Republicans successfully passed it by their Memorial Day deadline. Senate Republicans have been working to find common ground ever since. But now they are running up against another self-imposed deadline to hand the bill over to Trump to sign into law by July 4. How the bill moves through Congress Unable to view our graphics? Click here to see them. Below, we've collected the items that will likely have the biggest impact on your lives and your dollars. The biggest among them: Extending the 2017 tax cuts, which amounts to about $3.7 trillion that federal government won't have in its coffers over the next 10 years. Proposed cuts to programs would save about $1.3 trillion, according to a June 17 Congressional Budget Office report. Three in five Americans will continue to have lower federal taxes, which will drive our national debt higher. Within 10 years, this bill alone could ultimately add $3.3 trillion to the current $29 trillion national debt held by the public, according to the CBO. Who gets biggest benefits from the 'Big Beautiful Bill' But wait there's more. Other tax cuts, credits and gifts In addition to extending the tax cuts from the 2017 tax bill, the House version would give people who live in high-tax states such as California, New York and New Jersey a bigger income tax deduction for state and local taxes, known as SALT. A recent Senate proposal wouldn't increase the deduction. In one of the most talked about provisions and one of Trump's 2024 campaign promises, tips and overtime wages would no longer be taxed. A new Senate proposal sets limits on both. All the other tax reductions currently in the House's tax bill: What areas would get more money from the bill What areas would get less money from the bill How big is the bill for the tax bill? Depending on who you ask on Capitol Hill, the cost of the bill could be as little as $440 billion while other—more conventional—estimates put the cost at nearly 10 times higher. In recent days, Senate Republicans requested the Joint Committee on Taxation omit the 2017 tax cuts in a new estimate. Without those portions the bill's total cost falls to $441 billion. Senate Republicans argue because it extends the current tax law, those cuts shouldn't be counted. More traditional methods have pegged the cost around $2.4 trillion—not including the interest costs. Contributing: Reuters
