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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Just six months after passing what was billed as the largest tax cut in Missouri history, the Republican-led state House voted Tuesday for an even bigger income tax cut that could return over $1 billion annually to individuals, corporations and retirees. The Missouri legislation is the latest in a series of aggressive tax reductions that swept across U.S. states last year and have continued into 2023 — even as some warn that it might be wise for states to hold on to record large surpluses amid economic uncertainty. “Wouldn’t it be a good idea for us to all just pause for a year?” Democratic state Rep. Deb Lavender asked rhetorically before her Republican colleagues endorsed the tax cut on a 109-45 party-line vote. The Missouri legislation still has a ways to go — it needs a second House approval before it can move to the Senate and then to the governor. But legislatures and governors in several states already have given final approval to tax cuts and … [Read more...] about States cranking out even more tax cuts amid cash surpluses

Houstonians are intimately familiar with the power of water. It's transformative but also destructive, relaxing but strong, cleansing but unstable. So who would be better equipped to handle the challenges of performing a play on a stage made entirely of water? Said play, Metamorphoses , opens March 24 at Houston's Art Factory . Based loosely on the myths documented by the Roman poet Ovid, the show (written by Tony-winning theater and opera director Mary Zimmerman ) unfolds as a series of 10 vignettes, all of which take place in two pools that cover the entirety of the stage. Nearly all of the nine actors in Metamorphoses are either fully submerged or fully drenched at some point during the performance, says Art Factory artistic director Colton Berry. And then there's the puppetry, the music, and other special effects involved in the production, he says. For the stage, Art Factory is building two separate pools. One is about 40 by 20 feet, and a few inches deep. The other … [Read more...] about Theater goes underwater—literally—in the Houston production of ‘Metamorphoses’

Las Vegas is often referred to as Disneyland for adults, but there's plenty of magic in Sin City for the whole family to enjoy. Gondola rides, surreal art installations, chocolate factory tours, hiking trails and more are sure to please travelers of any age. And perhaps the best part? You can visit the city on a budget by booking a cheap flight from Houston and adding free and low-cost activities to your itinerary . To help you plan your trip, we've curated a list of the best things to do in Las Vegas with kids that won't break the bank. Take a sweet tour of a chocolate factory If you're looking for sweet indoor activity to do with kids in Las Vegas, the Ethel M. Chocolate Factory is at your service. Located 20 minutes off the Strip, the gourmet chocolatier offers free self-guided tours of its factory where you can watch confectioners at work (and, yes, there are complimentary samples involved). Stick around to explore the three-acre botanical cactus garden the factory … [Read more...] about Thrilling things to do with kids in Las Vegas that are low cost or free

Listen to this article Fernando Alonso finished a strong third in the season opener at Sakhir, albeit helped by the retirement of Charles Leclerc . Last weekend, Leclerc outqualified Alonso, but the Ferrari driver dropped back on the grid due to a penalty. But in the race, Aston Martin showed much better pace than the Maranello cars and Alonso earned third on merit, with only the two Red Bulls ahead. "I think this weekend confirmed," said Krack when asked if a second strong race had convinced the team that its car can be quick at a variety of tracks. "I think we need to be careful with such conclusions. We have two data samples, from two completely different tracks. And in these two tracks, we were competitive, but there are some others. "And we must also not underestimate it, because it's a relative game, it could also be that one of the competitors has had issues that we are not aware of, and that could remix the order. "So I think we need to wait and … [Read more...] about Jeddah confirmed pace of AMR23, says Aston Martin F1 boss