Lai Ching-te's Pacific Tour: A New Era of Value-Based Diplomacy
ROSEN, LEADING INVESTOR COUNSEL, Encourages iLearningEngines, Inc. Investors to Secure Counsel ...’Twas the night before Christmas here on the farm, not a creature as stirring out in the barn. The boots were placed by the back door with care at the hopes of not hearing mama holler, “No mud through the house, don’t you dare!” The children were nestled all snug in their beds with visions of early morning chores fresh in their heads. And Ma in her Wranglers and I in my hat finally sat down at the table dreaming of a much-needed nap. When out in the pasture there arose such a clatter, I sprang from the table to see what was the matter. I reached for my rope and threw up the sash. Out the door with my rifle, I flew like a flash. The moon on the breast of the fresh-cut hay gave a luster of midday to objects that neigh. When what to my wondering eyes did appear but a red F250 pulled by 500 reindeer. With a little ol’ cowboy so tired yet still quick I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick More rapid than red-tailed hawks. His coursers they came And he whistled and yipped and called them by name. Now, Blackjack! Now, Bourbon! Now, Poncho! Now, Dixen! On, Outlaw! On, Sassy! On, Odessa and Blizten! To the top of the barn and every last stall. Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away y’all. As dry crops that before. The wild tornado fly. When they meet with an obstacle. Mount to the sky. So up to the hayloft the coursers they flew. With a sleigh full of toys and cowboy Nick too. And then, in a twinkling I heard on the roof the clipping and clopping of each little hoof. As I was drawing my rope and turning around down the hayloft, ol’ Nick came with a bound. He was dressed in all Carhart from his hat to his boots and his clothes were all tarnished with manure and soot. A bundle of toys he had flung over his shoulder and he looked like a cowpoke standing there with his hand on his holster. His eyes they looked tired. His dimples, how merry! His cheeks were windburned. His nose chapped like a cherry. His handlebar mustache drawn up like a bow and the whiskers on his chin were as white as the snow. The butt of a smoke he held tight in his teeth and the smoke, it encircled. His head like a wreath. He had broad face. And a little beer belly that shook when he laughed like a bow full of jelly. He was chubby and plump. Hadn’t missed many a supper. A well fed ol’ cowboy thanks to mainly to the higher upper. A right jolly ol’ elf And I laughed when I saw him, but only to myself. A wink of his eye and a twist of his head soon gave me to know He approved of my spread. He spoke not a word but went straight to work and filled all the stockings but mine because I’d been a bit of a jerk. And swaying his finger in the air with some cowboy prose. Back up the loft ladder he ascended and rose he sprang to his sleigh to his team gave a yip and away they all flew Like the of a whistle of a whip. But I heard him exclaim as he drove out of sight can’t even one of you damn horses listen to me even for one night? Merry Cowboy Christmas to all and to all a Good Night.
Eat Don't miss out on the headlines from Eat. Followed categories will be added to My News. A fast food chain has released a “world first” menu item in Australia that can’t be purchased in any other country. Macca’s just dropped its new summer range which contains three new burgers, two new desserts and a selection of returning favourites. The “world first” collaboration is the introduction of the Cherry Ripe McFlurry, featuring pieces of the iconic Aussie chocolate bar on top of the brand’s ice cream. Customers can choose to have either vanilla or chocolate soft serve. Other new menu items include a trio of burgers featuring pineapple. This includes the Hawaiian BBQ Deluxe, which features a beef patty, bacon, lettuce, tomato, cheese and smoky BBQ sauce. Macca's has dropped its summer menu. Picture: Supplied There is also the Hawaiian McCrispy and Hawaiian McSpicy. Both are chicken burgers. The other dessert item is a Pineapple Sundae. Just like the Cherry Ripe McFlurry, customers can get it with vanilla or chocolate soft serve. Other items on offer are Cheesey Jalapeno Pops, which are back by popular demand, and Frozen Coke Oreo Zero Sugar. The items will be available from November 27. Customers expressed their feelings about the summer menu drop. “Anything with pineapple. OMG yummmmmmm,” one social media user commented. Another said: “Hurry up and get to summer so the Crunchie McFlurry is back!” “Ew not the frozen Oreo coke,” another person added. “I never got to try the pineapple sundae the last time. Might have to give it a go this time! Cherry Ripe McFlurry should be good too,” one person commented. Another social media user said: “I’m having the Oreo frozen coke atm it tastes better than the non frozen version.” It features two desserts, including the 'world first' Cherry Ripe McFlurry. Picture: Supplied A spokesperson for the restaurant said the new menu is intended to bring “tropical vibes”. “There are so many reasons for a Macca’s run this summer,” Amanda Nakad, marketing director for McDonald’s Australia, said. “Whether you’re a Cherry Ripe fan or love a little pineapple on your burger, we’re ready to serve up the tropical summertime vibes with our brand new summer menu, no matter the time of day. “If it’s a post-swim Soft Serve, cheeky late-night Hawaiian BBQ Deluxe or a road trip Drive-Thru, we’re here for it all and usually right around the corner.” It comes just days after Macca’s confirmed to news.com.au there was a “temporary change” to its orange juice blend. It will also sell Frozen Coke Oreo Zero Sugar. Picture: Supplied The Keri Orange Juice previously had no allergy statements. But, from November 27, it has been changed to include the allergens gluten, wheat and soy. “McDonald’s Australia has advised Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia of a temporary change to our Orange Juice blend nationwide from Wednesday November 27, which will contain allergens including gluten, wheat and soy,” a Macca’s spokesperson told news.com.au. “We always encourage customers to check the ingredient and nutrition information on all menu items, which can be can be found on our website.” News.com.au understands the change has come due to a switch up at the manufacturer. Coeliac Australia said despite the allergen, the drink is safe for those on a gluten-free diet. More Coverage Aussies are ‘stocking up’ on this Woolies item Claudia Poposki ‘Ambitious’: Wild way women calling out men Claudia Poposki Originally published as McDonald’s Australia releases a ‘world first’ collaboration More related stories Eat ‘Give me’: Aussie-first item lands at KFC Australia’s biggest fried chicken chain has launched an “Australian first” menu item that garnered praise when it was released in Singapore in 2018. Read more Eat ‘Do we need?’: Woolies name change divides One major supermarket has renamed a popular festive product, causing outrage among some while others weren’t concerned. Read morePolitical pundits, media anchors, and celebrities might have been surprised by the results of the election, but I wasn't. I've been speaking with manufacturers, innovators, small business owners, and families in Kansas and across the country and they all had the same message: We need to change the economic trajectory of our country. I couldn't agree more—and tax reform that unlocks innovation is how we do that. Now that the stage has been set for 2025, it's time to take action. Tax reform is an issue that all Americans, regardless of their party affiliation, can get behind. The average taxpayer in the Fourth District of Kansas—my district—would see a 27 percent tax hike if provisions from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) are allowed to expire. That equates to the average Kansas family seeing their taxes increase by more than $2,200. After years of elevated inflation no American can afford this extra expense. The expiration of TCJA's business provisions would also hurt families and individuals. Without these provisions, one of which allows immediate expensing for research and development (R&D), businesses—small and large alike—will face increased costs, which ultimately leads to higher costs for consumers. In my district alone, more than 46,900 small businesses would face a 43.4 percent tax rate increase if the 199A Small Business Deduction expires. Failing to renew these provisions would be a mistake. The data confirm the success of TCJA, including its business provisions. Before TCJA, foreign-owned businesses were buying up American businesses using a process called inversion. There has not been a single corporate inversion since TCJA was implemented, and the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) recently reported FY24 corporate receipts of $529 billion. This far exceeds CBO's post-TCJA projection of $421 billion in corporate receipts. All of this means more tax revenue in the U.S. treasury, more jobs in the United States, and more homegrown innovation. And keeping innovation in our country is critical. We are competing globally for innovation, R&D dollars, and jobs. If we don't renew and expand our critical innovation policies, then jobs, manufacturing facilities, and cutting-edge technologies will grow elsewhere. This is why Republicans and Democrats agree that we need a tax code that encourages U.S. innovation, and it is why my bill to restore R&D expensing is one of the most bipartisan cosponsored bills in Congress . My home state of Kansas is bustling with innovation, including breakthroughs to advance defense and aerospace technology, biotechnology, chips and semiconductors, and biofuels and carbon-capture technology. But the companies making these advances are hampered by bad policies, like R&D amortization, that affect more than just businesses; they affect workers as well. Three-quarters of research and development spending goes toward wages and salaries, making R&D amortization not just an investment, tax, and intellectual property issue, but also an important jobs issue. TCJA helped reinvigorate the U.S. tax code and make it more competitive, resulting in hundreds of billions of dollars in new royalties from U.S. intellectual property. These new royalties contributed tax revenue to the U.S. treasury and led to the creation of new American jobs. By preserving, protecting, and improving TCJA next year, we can reignite this same kind of growth. As a member of the Ways and Means Committee and the chair of its U.S. Innovation Tax Team, I've spent countless hours traveling around my district—and around the country—to hear directly from workers, business owners, and manufacturers to understand how TCJA helped them and how they would be negatively affected if its provisions expired. A clear, consistent message has come through: America needs a common-sense, consistent tax code that encourages growth and doesn't penalize our workers and family businesses. The House of Representatives has already shown that it is possible to find consensus on this sort of common-sense, pro-growth policy by passing the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act in January. Not only did this legislation pass, but it passed with overwhelming bipartisan support, 357-70, a rare feat these days. Congress and the American people have an appetite for sensible tax reform that will boost the economy and allow Americans to keep more money in their pockets. It's our job now to come together and deliver it. Ron Estes, one of only a handful of engineers in Congress, worked in the aerospace, energy and manufacturing sectors before representing Kansas' Fourth Congressional District since 2017. He is a fifth-generation Kansan, former state treasurer, and serves on the House Committee on Ways and Means, Budget Committee, and Education and the Workforce Committee. The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.
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