kk happy hour NoneGuns N' Roses guitarist Slash pays tribute to stepdaughter Lucy five months after her shock suicide at age 25

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Jeremy Clarkson has backpedalled on his previous comments about why he bought his farm, saying he thought it would be a “better PR story if I said I bought it to avoid paying tax”. The TV presenter and journalist defied doctors’ orders by joining thousands of farmers in London on Tuesday to protest against agricultural inheritance tax changes. The 64-year-old, who fronts Prime Video’s Clarkson’s Farm, which documents the trials of farming on his land in Oxfordshire, wrote in a post on the Top Gear website in 2010: “I have bought a farm. There are many sensible reasons for this: Land is a better investment than any bank can offer. The government doesn’t get any of my money when I die. And the price of the food that I grow can only go up.” Clarkson also told the Times in 2021 that avoiding inheritance tax was “the critical thing” in his decision to buy land. Addressing the claim in a new interview with The Times, the former Top Gear presenter said: “I never did admit why I really bought it.” The fan of game bird shooting added: “I wanted to have a shoot – I was very naive. I just thought it would be a better PR story if I said I bought it to avoid paying tax.” Clarkson was among the thousands who took to the streets this week to protest over the changes in the recent Budget to impose inheritance tax on farms worth more than £1 million and he addressed the crowds at the march in central London. He told the newspaper he is not happy to be the public face of the movement, saying: “It should be led by farmers.” The presenter said he does not consider himself a farmer because there are “so many basic jobs” which he cannot do, but he feels his role is to “report on farming”. Earlier this month, it was confirmed Clarkson’s Farm, which has attracted huge attention to his Diddly Squat farm shop, had been renewed for a fifth series. Asked whether the issue behind the tax protest is that rural poverty is hidden, Clarkson agreed and said his programme was not helping to address the situation. “One of the problems we have on the show is we’re not showing the poverty either, because obviously on Diddly Squat there isn’t any poverty”, he said. “But trust me, there is absolute poverty. I’m surrounded by farmers. I’m not going out for dinner with James Dyson. “It’s people with 200 acres, 400 acres. Way past Rachel Reeves’s threshold. They are f*****.” The newspaper columnist also presents Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? on ITV. The Grand Tour, his motoring show with former Top Gear colleagues Richard Hammond and James May, ended in September. Discussing whether he might move into politics, Clarkson said: “I’d be a terrible political leader, hopeless. “I’m a journalist at heart, I prefer throwing rocks at people than having them thrown at me.” However, he said he would be “100% behind any escalation” after the farmers’ march. Clarkson revealed last month he had undergone a heart procedure to have stents fitted after experiencing a “sudden deterioration” in his health which brought on symptoms of being “clammy”, a “tightness” in his chest and “pins and needles” in his left arm. He said in a Sunday Times column that one of his arteries was “completely blocked and the second of three was heading that way” and doctors said he was perhaps “days away” from becoming very ill. Asked if he is thinking about retiring, the Doncaster-born celebrity said: “Probably not. It depends when you die, I always think. “You’d be surprised, us Northerners are made of strong stuff.”Christmas in Scottsdale, Arizona hits delightfully different in all the best peppermint-striped ways. The streets of the popular desert destination are aglow with unforgettable holiday attractions, incredible illuminations and festive opportunities to enjoy glorious sunny days and sweater weather on starry nights. This guide to enjoying Christmas in Scottsdale will get you into the festive spirit with merry and bright holiday events in the Valley of the Sun. The annual is one of the largest holiday celebrations in the state and runs until Jan. 4. Held annually at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, the sprawling luxury property transforms into a magical holiday headquarters, complete with 10 million sparkling LED lights. The illuminations are part of a blizzard of family-friendly activities including ice skating in the desert, the Princess Express Train and 120-foot-tall Ferris wheel, S’moresland at The Village, chances to whisper wishes to Santa Claus himself and more. Visitors can also enjoy exclusive experiences like Aurora Ice a lounge made entirely of real ice, luxury fire tables at the Chateau Champagne and the new entrancing eight-minute show, . The fireplace crackles, lights gleam in the lobby and the smell of hot cocoa fills the air as Great Wolf Lodge Arizona reveals its annual . Get the littles immersed in a desert winter with activities such as daily snow showers, visits from Santa Claus, themed crafts, a hot cocoa bar, games and scavenger hunts until Jan. 6. The grand lobby is home to the nightly Snowfall Celebration, an interactive show for families to ring jingle bells, and dance and sing to holiday classics. The scenic setting of Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North at the base of Pinnacle Peak mountain becomes even more irresistible with the resort’s Desert-A-Glow holiday happenings. Festivities run until Jan. 1 and include gingerbread cookie-decorating classes for kids, weekend Gingerbread Afternoon Teas, showings of beloved holiday classic movies on a big outdoor screen and a very special Breakfast with Santa. Going into its ninth year, the city of Scottsdale’s end-of-year extravaganza, Scottsdazzle, blankets Old Town with seasonal cheer and events like a sing-along and tree lighting ceremony on Nov. 30, brightly decorated canal banks and a holiday-themed Gold Palette ArtWalk. It runs until Dec. 31. With more than 100 local vendors selling everything from handmade gingerbread-scented bath bombs to glass tree ornaments and even baked treats for Fido, the Merry Merchantile Market is a must-visit holiday tradition and takes place on Dec. 14 at the Scottsdale Civic Centre. Celebrating 85 years in 2024, the incredibly popular Desert Botanical Garden has pulled out all the festive stops to put on a stunning new holiday event. Las Noches de Las Luminarias presents a bright celebratory spectacle with by HYBYCOZO where nature and light unite in stunning, geometric light installations alongside luminaria-lit trails, twinkling holiday lights, musical performances and festive food and drinks. It runs until Jan. 20. Trains and the holidays are a perfect fit, and the Holiday Lights at McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park celebration offers a magical winter wonderland perfectly suited to families and kids. Step aboard the Paradise & Pacific Railroad and embark on a journey through the enchanting displays and twinkling lights. Enjoy a musical ride on one of the 30 beautifully carved horses or the meticulously restored Scottsdale Charros Carousel to complete a picture-perfect evening. The event runs until Dec. 30. The nine walkable neighbourhoods of Scottdale’s Old Town get dressed up for the holidays, its popular boutiques offering everything from wine tastings to vintage clothing and artisanal creations. For authentic Native American-crafted gifts and to learn more about the area’s Indigenous culture, head to the indoor Native Art Market on Main Street. The Native-owned and operated market is home to live performances five days a week and showcases the creative works of more than 400 Native American artisans and craftspeople. There’s also an Outdoor Market that occurs seasonally at the Pavilions at Talking Stick. The outdoor market begins Nov. 16 and takes place every Saturday and Sunday to the end of 2024. Arguably one of Scottsdale’s best attractions at any time of year, the Musical Instrument Museum (MIM) showcases how cultures from around the world celebrate their unique winter holidays in its ‘Tis the Seasons: Holidays at MIM exhibition. There are also craft making workshops, storytelling sessions and pop-up caroling performances for the whole family to enjoy on Dec. 14 and 15.

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Argentine superstar Lionel Messi has been named Major League Soccer’s Most Valuable Player. The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain forward played a pivotal role in Inter Miami’s record-breaking regular season points total. The team was however eliminated in the first round of the MLS Cup playoffs in November. Read Also: Iwobi nets brace in Fulham win over Brighton; Spurs lose At 37, Messi led the league in goal contributions, with 20 goals and 16 assists, despite injuries restricting him to just 19 regular-season games and two playoff appearances. The MVP award, determined by votes from players, club technical staff, and journalists, saw Messi secure 38.43% of the votes, surpassing Columbus Crew’s Cucho Hernández, who earned 33.7%. The honor, officially titled the Landon Donovan MLS MVP, has previously been awarded to notable players such as U.S. legend Landon Donovan, Ireland’s Robbie Keane, and Spain’s David Villa. Opinions Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs. As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake. If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause. Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development. Donate NowYou know what makes a gadget great? I do. I review hundreds — if not thousands — of devices every year. The best of the bunch typically solves a common problem. It’s easy to set up and use without a whole lot of fuss or special tech know-how. Most of us love a great deal, but even better, we want to know that no matter how much we spent on a device, we got our money’s worth. Great tech tools are like our trusty companions. They’re dependable, do what they say they will, and keep up with our busy lives. And sometimes, they just make us feel good. Here are several gadgets I just showed off on " The Today Show ," along with a few others ending up under my own tree this year. Gadget gifts under $100 You know all those photos you snap with your smartphone, then never really look at again? We can all agree that paper photos are more fun, and Fujifilm’s Instax Mini Link 3 brings all your favorite digital photos to life — with a twist. For $100, you don’t just get a super-compact, super-portable Bluetooth photo printer . Paired with the instax link app, you get a ton of cool creative tools, too, like collages, stickers and captions. Holiday deals: Shop this season’s top products and sales curated by our editors. Have you noticed how noisy the world seems right now? Whether it’s someone listening to music on the subway without headphones or even just talking loudly on their phone next to you walking down the street — it feels like the whole world turned up the volume button. When I need to drown out the world — super important when working from a plane, coffee shop, or hotel lobby — Loop’s Switch 2 adjustable earplugs are the perfect mute button. They’re discreet, volume-adjustable with a variety of tips that promise a secure fit, and ideal for quick naps, deep sleep or just some time alone with your thoughts. There are four available colors at a price point of $60. We all know that particular young person who loves to tinker, build and create with electronics. Rather than grab them another video game this year, have them build their own. The Create Your Own Video Game Set by Uncommon Goods helps kids as young as eight create their own retro arcade games. The $85 DIY set syncs with web-based software that simplifies popular coding languages like Python and Java, so they can make their own custom space shooter or 2D platformer games. Handheld gaming is a blast, but if you’d rather give the gift of soothed joints, the LifePro Legra ($53) hand massager is another reasonably-priced find to give your texting thumbs a break after a long day. It uses pressure, vibration and heat to to soothe tired and sore hands, fingers and wrists. The company says it’s great for relieving arthritis or carpal tunnel aches and improves blood flow in the hands, so it could be just what the doctor ordered after a marathon gift-wrapping or greeting-card session. A dry-erase board might not be the first thing you think of when giving a techy gift, but this $17 simple light-up board is a family favorite for leaving daily love notes or quick to-do’s. It comes with a white dry-erase marker and a see-through screen with 16 different color LED lights. I use this for family calendars, shopping lists, daily reminders, even leaving notes to my family. The $100 HMD Barbie Phone by Tracfone is one of the gadgets on this list that just makes me smile. Yes, it's a real phone. It delivers full voice and text capability, a camera that can shoot photos and video and 4G hotspot support. There are also a few basic apps like WhatsApp for chatting with friends, but the company is on a mission to reduce screen time, so it’s designed to for minimum obsession and maximum pink pride. Another gadget that puts a smile on my face right now... Nintendo’s Alarmo bedside clock is nothing short of perfect. For $100 (exclusive to Nintendo Switch Online subscribers right now) they’ll wake up to voice-acted scenes and tunes from the Mario, Zelda, Pikmin and Splatoon franchises. Vintage electronics: Retro tech is hot for kids and their parents Gadget gifts that surprised me Harbor’s new do-it-all baby monitor solves some pretty common problems for parents. It works with or without WiFi, keeps personal data secure and is end-to-end encrypted to keep bad guys out. It’s equipped with Apple Watch functionality for custom alerts — waking up just one parent so the other can rest, for example — and there’s even the option to have a living, breathing remote “Night Nanny” keep an eye on the child all night long. It’s not cheap at $336 for the first year , which includes hardware and service ($20/night for nanny service is optional), but if you happen to have one of the eligible older baby monitors to trade-in right now, you can get it for $200 off. Kids a few years older don’t need a baby monitor, but they do still need a way to get in touch with their parents. As tempting as it is to stick a smartphone in their back pocket, you might be better off slapping a new kids’ Bark Watch on their wrist. With no apps or access to the internet, they’ll spend more time gazing at the world around them, but can still snap selfies, chat with friends and phone home at the press of a button. I like it as a set of techy “training wheels” to get kids comfortable with safe gadget use, and at $170 (plus $15/month for service) it’s on par with a budget smartphone. I’m obsessed with ROLI’s Piano M right now. I’ve always wanted to learn to play the piano, but traditional lessons are just so... boring. And expensive. For $200 right now during a holiday promotion, this colorful collection of keys syncs up with an app on your smartphone or tablet and teaches you how to play by lighting up the keys. It walks you through songs and feels more like a game than a music lesson. You can still stray off course and do your own thing, of course, but the family might not be quite as impressed. This article contains affiliate links. If you click on a link and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Jennifer Jolly is an Emmy Award-winning consumer tech columnist and on-air contributor for "The Today Show.” The views and opinions expressed in this column are the author's and do not necessarily reflect those of USA TODAY. Contact her at JJ@Techish.com .

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