Holland was a member of the faith’s governing body, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Holland, who has long been a central figure in the church’s education network, gained national attention in 2021 when he instructed staff and faculty at Brigham Young University, the church’s flagship higher education institution, to take up a metaphorical “musket” to defend “marriage as the union of a man and a woman.”

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is also commonly known as the Mormon Church.

Born in St. George, Utah, in 1940, Holland says he grew up in an idyllic small-town setting. “If he had wanted to, he wouldn’t have gotten into trouble in that town,” Church said. “My mother would have found out before I got home.”

Just before 11 a.m., Mint Hill police first responded to the Edible Arrangements gift shop for an offer to exchange child custody, according to a police statement posted on social media.

During the incident, the man pulled out a firearm, police said.

According to police, a gunfight ensued between the man and the police, in which two officers were shot and the man died. According to an update on Dec. 27, both officers were taken to a local hospital and later released.

The town of Mint Hill is located east of Charlotte and has a population of approximately 28,000.

Eduardo Cuevas is based in New York City. Contact us via email (emcuevas1@usatoday.com) or Signal (emcuevas.01).

It is customary for teams to shake hands after games at the World Juniors, but Canada skated onto the ice without shaking hands after a heated fracas in Minneapolis on Friday that included pregame antics, cheers among players and a scrum after the whistle.

“After last night’s game, the Canadian junior team skated off the ice before shaking hands with the Czech team,” Hockey Canada said in a statement. “Hockey Canada takes full responsibility for this oversight and has apologized to the team, the Czech Ice Hockey Association and the IIHF for the mistake.”

Perennial favorites Canada, who suffered heart-breaking defeats to the Czech Republic in the quarterfinals of the past two World Junior Championships, needed four goals in the third period to secure victory in their first game of the tournament.

A winter storm has battered parts of the Midwest, Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, snarling traffic as people head home after the Christmas holidays. On Dec. 27, some New Englanders woke up to 4 to 8 inches of snow. A second storm is heading toward parts of the same region within days, the National Weather Service said.

Meanwhile, a “Blue Noser,” a sudden cold snap in which temperatures plummet by more than 40 degrees in just a few minutes, spread across the south-central Plains on Dec. 28, and a low-pressure system sweeps through the Midwest.

From subzero temperatures in Montana to thunderstorms and snowstorms in the Great Lakes, here’s what we know about the upcoming severe weather.

The “As It Was” singer’s YouTube channel posted a more than eight-minute video documenting the final show of his “Love on Tour” on July 22, 2023 at the RCF Arena in Reggio Emilia, Italy. The video shows fans outside preparing for the idol’s final show on an over-tour that began in September 2021 and spanned over 170 dates.

“It’s a little sad (to see him go) because this is his last show,” one fan said in Italian.

The video then shows the British musician performing a piano ballad cover of the song “Forever, Forever”, which is also the video’s title. Fans can be seen emotionally stunned and in awe as Styles sings while wearing a sequined vest with dazzling tassels.

New York state is one of the hardest hit states. According to the New York State Department of Health, New York State reported its highest number of positive influenza cases in a single week (71,123) during the week ending December 20th. The ministry said this represents a 38% increase compared to the previous week.

New York was one of 14 states that reported high or very high numbers of outpatient visits to health care providers for flu-like illnesses during the week ending Dec. 13, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The District of Columbia, New York City and Puerto Rico are also reporting many or very high numbers of flu-like cases, the agency said.

As of Dec. 16, the CDC predicted that influenza cases were increasing or likely to increase in 47 states, with only Hawaii showing a decline in cases.

It can be difficult to remember what happened yesterday, let alone at the beginning of the year. Therefore, it may be necessary to summarize.

To help you remember some of those key moments, we’ve summarized them all together. Check out some of the moments that perfectly captured the zeitgeist of 2025.

Americans say ‘goodbye’ to TikTok

Before TikTok went “black” for 12 hours in January, some U.S. users were already preparing for the worst, saying their final goodbyes or posting heartfelt tributes in case they never saw the social media platform again.

The federal law forcing TikTok’s parent company ByteDance to sell the app’s U.S. assets was aimed at allaying national security concerns from lawmakers who feared the Beijing-based company was sharing U.S. user data with China.

TikTok users post emotional farewells

With the app’s future uncertain, TikTok users are posting emotional farewells and heartfelt thanks to their followers.

On December 18, ByteDance announced that it had signed an agreement to transfer majority control of its U.S. operations to a group of investors. Before the deal was reached, President Donald Trump had issued five executive orders to delay the ban.

A deal with TikTok could help it avoid a U.S. ban. What does that mean for users?

The financial terms of the deal remain unclear, with new reports from various news outlets suggesting investors could own less than 50% or as much as 80% of the joint venture, according to the New York Times, Reuters and the Los Angeles Times. But the good news is that the deal offers a glimmer of hope for users who want TikTok to exist forever.

Gulf of Mexico or Gulf of America?

President Trump declares ‘American Bay Day’ as he heads to Super Bowl

“Even bigger than the Super Bowl.” President Trump signed the “American Bay Day” proclamation as he flew over the Gulf Coast.

Gulf of Mexico? More like the American Gulf, President Trump proclaimed on Inauguration Day, January 20th.

The name change went into effect on February 10, the day after the president declared February 9 the “first-ever American Bay Day” on his way to Super Bowl 59. After the Geographical Name Information System officially adopted the new name, Google and Apple moved quickly to honor President Trump’s order.

President Trump’s executive order upset many people, especially Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, who threatened legal action against Google and joked that she would start referring to the United States as “Mexican America” ​​in retaliation.

Katy Perry in space

haters gonna hate. And Katy Perry, one of six famous women sent to the edge of space, got a lot of it.

The pop singer and her crew had the chance to take a short trip beyond Earth’s atmosphere, taking in out-of-this-world views, thanks to billionaire Jeff Bezos’ private space company Blue Origin.

The internet, including fellow celebrities Olivia Munn and Emily Ratajkowski, criticized the voyage, calling it “out of line” and even “a bit gluttonous.” Hate Train was primarily targeted at Perry and continued until the end of the mission on April 14th.

Perry did not comment on the controversy until weeks later, telling fans who celebrated the “Dark Horse” singer’s tour opening that the online world was trying to turn her into a “human piñata.”

Instant replay: Katy Perry, Gayle King and 4 other women head to space on Blue Origin launch

100 Men vs. 1 Gorilla Debate

Will 100 men be able to defeat a gorilla in battle? This hypothetical question sparked discussion (and inspired memes) across social media platforms for several days in late April.

100 people vs. 1 gorilla? Experts weigh in on virus debate

We, like everyone else, were curious about the answer, so we asked the experts. Tara Stoinski, president and chief scientific officer of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Foundation, told us to think about the numbers.

‘Haunted’ Annabelle doll held responsible for assault in New Orleans

When Annabelle was minding her own business, the internet influenced her.

The “haunted” Raggedy Anne doll is on tour in multiple cities across the country and is accused of orchestrating the escape of 10 inmates from the Orleans Parish Jail and the fire that wiped out a plantation just south of Baton Rouge, which coincided with her visit to Louisiana.

Some found this coincidence amusing, while others were convinced that Annabelle had something to do with it.

https://www.facebook.com/ghostcitytours/posts/pfbid0jXsSaQT3N64R4QKwVgkFnHoK1GDRcjKjawrULTmXaEadG4oVfK6HDBkkwcCkMqK8l

Things got so bad that Ghost City Tours, which organizes events featuring Annabelle, released a statement confirming that Annabelle had nothing to do with the fire.

In the photo: Paranormal’s notorious original ‘Annabelle’ doll visits Gettysburg orphanage

‘Kiss cam’ incident at Coldplay concert

Astronomer CEO resigns after Coldplay concert becomes awkward

During a recent Coldplay concert, lead singer Chris Martin unintentionally spotlighted an awkward moment in the audience that quickly went viral.

Things got a little awkward for the couple, who attended a Coldplay concert in Foxboro, Massachusetts in July. you know it.

Two concertgoers were thrust into the spotlight after making cameo appearances on “Kiss Cam.” A man and a woman were seen hugging each other and jumping out of sight after realizing they were visible to everyone in the Gillette Stadium crowd, including frontman Chris Martin, on the jumbotron.

Immediately after the clip went viral, internet sleuths began investigating the case and trying to uncover the identities of the two men.

Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and the company’s chief human resources officer Christine Cabot resigned within days. The company then hired Martin’s ex-wife, Gwyneth Paltrow, as a “temporary spokesperson” to be the face of its latest ad.

The scandal has become something of a spectacle, spawning repeat performances and prompting music artists to issue warnings before performances. Although the two made no public statements after the scandal broke, Ms. Cabot revealed her position to the New York Times on December 18th.

Lovebu’s global takeover

Labbus is the fashion accessory of 2025.

The toy, part of “The Monsters” line, was the star of this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The stuffed monster, designed by Hong Kong-born artist Kasing Lung 10 years ago, has been so popular this year that it has spawned copycats.

Is your love real? Find the difference between Pop Mart dolls and “Rough Fuss”

However, the boom appears to have started a few months after K-pop girl group BLACKPINK’s Lisa mentioned her “secret obsession” with Pop Mart collectibles in a December 2024 Vanity Fair interview.

Since then, the Love Bath has become a popular product, with consumers all over the world vying to get their hands on the original. Those who were lucky enough to get their hands on one may be planning on purchasing their next one, or may be buying costumes for the one they already own.

Jeans or genes? Advertisement starring Sidney Sweeney explodes

Sidney Sweeney’s American Eagle divides the Internet: Tone-deaf or anti-woke?

American Eagle’s fall campaign featuring Sidney Sweeney is under fire over its controversial play on the word “gene.”

straight arrow news

American Eagle tried to promote its jeans through a campaign featuring Sidney Sweeney, but the campaign instead became the subject of controversy online.

Critics quickly condemned the ad, claiming the wordplay was a clever attempt to support eugenics. Many argued that the ad promoted the belief that some genetic traits are better than others by glorifying the actor’s white genetic traits as “superior.”

Trump, Sen. Ted Cruz and White House communications director Stephen Chan rushed to the ad’s defense, saying the backlash was coming from the “crazy left.”

Sidney Sweeney is everywhere! Take a look at her viral ad campaign.

Months after the uproar, Sweeney told GQ that the reaction to the commercial was “surprising” and that it was “unrealistic” for the president and vice president to comment on her ad.

Logo Lessons: Cracker Barrel

On August 19, Cracker Barrel unveiled a new, simplified logo to kick off its fall menu campaign, but it didn’t get the reaction it had hoped for. The new logo still featured the company’s classic gold and brown color palette, but no longer depicted a man sitting next to a wooden barrel.

In the days following its launch, the national restaurant chain and rural locations faced a wave of backlash, with some conservatives hinting that the change was motivated by a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.

Hours after Donald Trump said on Aug. 26 that the company should go back to its old logo, Cracker Barrel announced it would retire its new logo and “keep ‘Oldtimer.'”

Pleased by the reversal, President Trump shared a video compilation of himself breaking the deal with the chain’s popular mascot, an “old guy in overalls,” leaning on a barrel to the tune of “YMCA.” Cracker Barrel is working to rebuild brand and customer trust after its logo debacle.

“Philly’s Cullen” controversy

Multiple women mistakenly identified in ‘Philly’s Karen’ clip that went viral on the internet

A Philadelphia Phillies fan who appeared to demand a home run ball from his father drew criticism online.

what is trending

Philadelphia Phillies fans were eager to catch Harrison Bader’s home run ball, which flew into the stands in the bottom of the fourth inning.

After a scramble in the stands, a man won the ball and gave it to his 10-year-old son. But that special moment between father and son soon changed.

Cameras captured the moment another nearby spectator, a woman known online as “Philly’s Karen,” confronted the man in what appeared to be a tense exchange. In the end, the man who retrieved the ball first gave it to the woman.

Outrage intensified after footage of the exchange spread online, with the man, later identified as Drew Feltwell, calling on the public to leave the woman alone.

what would you do? Lessons the ‘Philly’s Cullen’ incident has for us all

This year’s word is… “6-7”

What is the viral meme trend “6-7”? Explanation

Dictionary.com has announced “6-7” as the word of the year. The Internet slang trend has exploded among Generation Alpha, but it’s causing frustration among parents and teachers.

We’ve all heard the phrase “6-7.” First children, then educators, and now “6-7” has entered the mainstream vocabulary.

Voted Word of the Year by Dictionary.com, “6-7” (also “6-7” or “67”) is slang popularized by Gen Alpha. The meaning of “6-7” is context dependent, so it can technically mean anything you want at that moment. Some people interpret this phrase to mean “so-so” or “maybe this, maybe that,” but it is also used as an exclamation.

Between paperclips and the food trade, I’d like to say that the world was totally unprepared for how the lexicon has tilted in favor of “6-7” over the past few months.

Rocky the raccoon’s drunken bender dies near the toilet

A raccoon robs a liquor store and passes out drunk.

A raccoon ransacked a Virginia liquor store and passed out drunk on the bathroom floor.

Over Thanksgiving weekend, a drunken raccoon (Rocky) spent more than 15 minutes at a liquor store in Virginia, making him undeniably famous.

His antics were deemed “very relatable” by netizens and “Saturday Night Live” and even spawned a series of merchandise. Rocky broke into the Virginia ABC Store in Ashland, about 26 miles north of Richmond, in the early morning hours of November 29th.

Rocky survived by rummaging through shelves and eating whatever he could get his hands on until authorities found him unconscious in the bathroom.

Authorities “drove Rocky home” to a local shelter, where he slept before being safely released back into the wild.

The Upper Midwest, Northeast, and Mid-Atlantic experienced a white Christmas with a mix of snow, freezing rain, and sleet. The second system is expected to bring even colder winter weather and several inches of snow into the weekend, according to the National Weather Service.

Meanwhile, in Southern California, historic rainfall from atmospheric rivers flooded roads, caused massive power outages and caused mudslides. Cities like Los Angeles, Burbank, and Santa Barbara experienced record rainfall during the holiday itself.

As of 1:30 p.m. ET on Dec. 26, more than 4,000 U.S. flights had been delayed and more than 1,300 had been canceled, according to aviation tracking site FlightAware. New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport, and LaGuardia Airport are the most affected, accounting for 22%, 17%, and 18% of canceled outbound flights, respectively.

In the final Thursday Night Football game of the season, the Kansas City Chiefs took on the Denver Broncos in a matchup with AFC playoff implications for the visiting teams.

There will be even more soccer this week leading up to Sunday, as two playoff games begin on Saturday. Here’s what you need to know about Saturday’s NFL game.

NFL Saturday Schedule: Week 17 games today

A Florida man killed his wife and shot his stepdaughter in the face after an argument over watching a football game, authorities said.

Jason Kenney, 47, was drinking and watching Monday Night Football at his cabin in Highland City, just east of Tampa, until about 11 p.m. on Dec. 22, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said at a news conference the next day. Judd said Kenney then went into his home and wanted to continue watching the game in the living room with his wife, Crystal.

The “Dancing with the Stars” host told E! News that in a recent interview, she puts more emphasis on a person’s aura and vibe than anything else.

“It’s all energy-based,” she told the outlet. “I don’t really have a type. It’s more about connection and that’s it.” Hough is preparing to host “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” on our sister station with ex-partner Ryan Seacrest. The two dated for three years starting in 2010 before marrying hockey player Brooks Reich. The latter couple was married from 2017 to 2022.

Ryan Seacrest reveals iconic memory Dick Clark’s New Year’s “Rockin’ Eve” TV essentials

Hough, 37, continued, “I’m always looking for love, both romantically and with friends.” “everytime.”

The lawsuit was filed on Dec. 25 on behalf of Mario Rodriguez, and alleges the filmmaker assaulted him and promised to star in the film. Rodriguez, a model who had a bit role in Perry’s “Boo! A Madea Halloween,” is seeking $77 million in damages.

Rodriguez’s attorney is Jonathan J. Delshad, the same attorney who represented another actor, Derek Dixon, who accused Perry of sexual misconduct earlier this year.

“Mr. Rodriguez looks forward to the day he will hold Mr. Perry accountable for his actions in court. He hopes a jury will award him enough money to make Mr. Perry regret his actions,” Delshad said in a statement to USA TODAY. “Unfortunately, statements like those made by Mr. Perry’s attorneys only enable Mr. Perry to continue victimizing people like Mr. Rodriguez. My client looks forward to a jury determining what happened.”

According to a report by Moody’s Analytics, the top 10% of income earners currently account for about half of all consumer spending. This is a historic high.

America’s economic growth is increasingly dependent on highly paid people. They accounted for 49.2% of spending in Q2 2025. By comparison, it accounted for about 46% of spending for the same period in 2023 and about 43% of spending for top earners in 2020.

“They’re in the best financial position they’ve ever been in,” said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s.

more: Scams are on the rise during the holidays. Here’s how to stay safe.

Consumer spending among less affluent Americans has remained relatively flat. Middle income earners, people in their 40s^th up to 60^th By income percentile, approximately $2.1 trillion was spent in the second quarter of 2025, which is barely more than what was spent in each month of 2023 and 2024.

Consumer confidence is at its lowest drop since June 2022, at the peak of the COVID-19 inflation crisis, according to survey data from the University of Michigan.

The economic disparity that separates high-income Americans from everyone else has led to talk of a K-shaped economy, with one trend line pointing upwards and the other downwards.

more: Best internet deals for Black Friday, Cyber ​​Monday and Holiday Season 2025

Low- and moderate-income Americans face a cash crunch

Rising stock and home prices have allowed high-income earners to escape the cash crunch that afflicts less wealthy people.

Consumer prices have risen about 25% since 2020, according to federal data. Most wealthy Americans can easily cover that spread with stock income, high incomes, and relatively deep savings.

“Their wealth is increasing,” said Taylor Jo Eisenberg, executive director of the Economic Security Project, a nonprofit advocacy group for low-income families. “So they are spending while millions of Americans in very different situations are navigating an affordability crisis.”

Unsurprisingly, retailers and analysts are counting on high earners to drive sales during the upcoming holiday season.

“Upper-income shoppers account for a disproportionate share of the holiday shopping season and are likely to account for the majority of this year’s growth from the 2024 shopping season,” Jennifer Timmerman, senior investment strategy analyst at Wells Fargo Investment Institute, said in a Nov. 24 analysis of Black Friday.

Low- and moderate-income shoppers will seek discounts and rely on buy-now-pay-later financing to get through the holiday season, Timmerman said.

High income earners owe their wealth growth to stocks.

Economists point to stocks and housing as two key factors in the rise in wealth for high-income Americans.

“The AI ​​boom has driven up the stock prices of AI companies, and these companies are owned by households in the top 10% of the income and wealth distribution,” Zandi said. According to the U.S. Census, the top 10% of households earned more than $251,000 in 2024.

The S&P 500 is up 261% over the past decade, according to an August report from The Motley Fool.

This rise primarily benefited the wealthy. The top 1% of Americans own half of all stocks, according to federal data.

“Their sense of the economic situation is based on the stock market,” said Ryan Sweet, chief U.S. economist at Oxford Economics. “And when people generally feel better, they’re more likely to spend a little more money.”

The typical shareholder in the top 10% of income earners held $1.1 million in stock in the third quarter of 2025, up from $624,000 at the end of 2022, according to research from the University of Michigan.

According to the survey, 63% of high-income stockholders expect the market to rise over the next year.

Rising house prices boosted high-income earners

Another major factor driving the prosperity of high-income groups is real estate. And the average home sale price rose 41% from the second quarter of 2020 to the same period in 2022, to $525,100, according to federal data.

According to the 2022 Federal Consumer Finance Survey, 90% of high-income Americans own a home, compared to an overall homeownership rate of about 66%.

Many high-income homeowners benefit from lower borrowing costs. Interest rates on 30-year mortgages hovered around 3% at the peak of the pandemic. Millions of homeowners refinanced at historically low interest rates.

“If they had a mortgage, they got it paid off when interest rates were low,” Zandi said. Currently, “they earn more income from their money market accounts than they pay in interest on their mortgages.”

What happens if high-income earners stop spending?

Thanks to skyrocketing stock prices and soaring home prices, high-income Americans drove consumer spending in the 2020s. Overall spending rose from $14.5 trillion in August 2020 to $21.1 trillion in August 2025, according to federal data.

But if wealthy Americans stop spending, the economy could suffer.

High earners must continue to be employed to maintain their positions. The U.S. unemployment rate was 4.4% in September, the highest since 2021.

more: Are you on a tight budget this season? Buy holiday decorations on sale

“If the labor market starts to collapse, it will hurt confidence up and down the income distribution,” Sweet said.

Wealthy Americans are also particularly sensitive to stocks, which are notoriously volatile assets.

“If stock prices fall significantly and remain that way, that will weigh on spending,” Zandi said. “This group is moving the economic train with their spending. If they pull out, they will take the economy with them.”