And another semester is in the books! While Frederick students crammed for finals and teachers slammed out grading those finals, Frederick basketball started to struggle: Girls varsity broke its win streak with a 60-41 loss to Fruita, and Boys varsity narrowly lost a clincher against Mesa Ridge in overtime. Girls Swim, however, got their first win of the season on Wednesday over Skyline.
Frederick was fortunate to not lose power during finals, as high winds forced Xcel Energy to premptively cut off power to hundreds of thousands of Coloradans on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Colorado politics also heated up despite the cold season, as the 2026 Democratic Primary for CO-08 (Frederick’s congressional district) shrank to a three-way race and State Sen. Faith Winter, who died in a vehicle collision on November 26, was found to have been intoxicated while behind the wheel.
National politics also became Colorado politics for much of the week, as the Trump administration announced that it was shutting down the National Center for Atmospheric Research, cancelled $109 billion in grants to improve Colorado transportation, would continue to block $34.7 billion in FEMA funding that courts have ruled must be paid to Colorado, and would move cannabis to a lower drug schedule (which would reduce the taxes generated by marijuana sales). Colorado’s governor, senators Michael Bennett and John Hickenlooper, and Colorado’s house delegates have accused the White House of making these moves as retribution for not releasing Tina Peters, the Mesa County clerk convicted of meddling in Colorado’s elections.
In sports, the Denver Broncos solidified their playoff position with a 34-26 win over Green Bay, and they will clinch the number one seed next week if they beat Jacksonville and New England loses to Baltimore. The Denver Nuggets had a great week and are now 20-6 (second in their conference), and so did the Colorado Avalanche (who lead their conference 25-2). The Colorado Rapids also announced that their game against Miami next April will move to Empower Field, meaning that Coloradans will have a chance at seeing Lionel Messi play at Mile High.
Hollywood was shaken on Sunday after acclaimed director Rob Reiner and his wife Michelle were murdered in their beds by their son Nick after attending a party at Conan O’Brien’s house. Warner Bros. announced that they’ve rejected Paramount’s takeover bid, while YouTube won the bid to be the home of the Oscars starting in 2029. Zootopia 2 also became the second Hollywood film to make over a billion dollars at the box office this year.
Hannukah began on Sunday, December 14. This was the fifty-first week of 2025, which means that 96.2% of the year is over.
News You Should Know: December 13 to 19, 2025
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10 Total Questions
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Question 1/10
On December 13, two students were shot and killed at this college--this marks the first time in modern history that mass shooting occurred at an Ivy League university, which are considered the most prestigious in the nation.
Correct!
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Question 1/10
On December 13, two students were shot and killed at this college--this marks the first time in modern history that mass shooting occurred at an Ivy League university, which are considered the most prestigious in the nation.
Your Answer
Correct Answer
Colombia University, NY
Your Answer
Princeton University, NJ
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Brown University, RI
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Harvard University, MA
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Question 2/10
Zootopia 2 became only the second American film to gross over $1 billion at the 2025 worldwide box office. The other film that made over a billion this year is...
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Question 2/10
Zootopia 2 became only the second American film to gross over $1 billion at the 2025 worldwide box office. The other film that made over a billion this year is...
Your Answer
Correct Answer
Lilo and Stitch
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Jurassic World: Rebirth
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Superman
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A Minecraft Movie
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Question 3/10
Rob Reiner became a renowned Hollywood director after a string of hit films in the late '80s and early '90s, including Stand By Me, The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally, A Few Good Men, and this Oscar-winning Stephen King adaptation.
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Question 3/10
Rob Reiner became a renowned Hollywood director after a string of hit films in the late '80s and early '90s, including Stand By Me, The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally, A Few Good Men, and this Oscar-winning Stephen King adaptation.
Your Answer
Correct Answer
The Running Man (1987)
Your Answer
Pet Sematary (1989)
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IT (1990)
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Misery (1990)
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Question 4/10
On December 18, Donald Trump's name was controversially added to this DC institution. The change was made after a vote by the insitution's board of directors (most of whom were hand-picked by Trump) while a name change would legally take an act of Congress.
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Incorrect
Question 4/10
On December 18, Donald Trump's name was controversially added to this DC institution. The change was made after a vote by the insitution's board of directors (most of whom were hand-picked by Trump) while a name change would legally take an act of Congress.
Your Answer
Correct Answer
The Lincoln Memorial
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The Kennedy Center for the Arts
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Smithsonian Museum
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Ronald Reagan International Airprot
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Question 5/10
On December 17, 18, and 19. Xcel Energy temporarily cut off power for hundreds of thousands of customers along the Front Range and plains. Why?
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Incorrect
Question 5/10
On December 17, 18, and 19. Xcel Energy temporarily cut off power for hundreds of thousands of customers along the Front Range and plains. Why?
Your Answer
Correct Answer
A critical substation burnt down
Your Answer
Cloudy weather meant there wasn't enough power from solar
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High winds could cause power line fires
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A new AI data center in Weld County had problems tapping into the power grid
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Question 6/10
On December 16, the Colorado Department of Transportation announced that it had complete this road project, which is the largest one of these in the world.
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Question 6/10
On December 16, the Colorado Department of Transportation announced that it had complete this road project, which is the largest one of these in the world.
Your Answer
Correct Answer
I-70 Floyd Hill Project (largest roundabout)
Your Answer
I-25 Greenland Wildlife Overpass (largest animal crossing)
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I-25 Northern Expansion (largest stretch of 8-lane interstate)
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Eisenhower-Johnson Tunnel infrastructure repairs (largest tunnel by volume)
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Question 7/10
On December 17, the Trump administration posted on social media that they would dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research, which would put 830 scientists out of a job in this Colorado city.
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Incorrect
Question 7/10
On December 17, the Trump administration posted on social media that they would dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research, which would put 830 scientists out of a job in this Colorado city.
Your Answer
Correct Answer
Boulder
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Greeley
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Fort Collins
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Durango
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Question 8/10
On December 18, Trump signed an executive order for the DEA to continue work started under Biden to drop cannabis from a Schedule I drug (no medical use, high risk of addiction--same as heroin) to...
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Question 8/10
On December 18, Trump signed an executive order for the DEA to continue work started under Biden to drop cannabis from a Schedule I drug (no medical use, high risk of addiction--same as heroin) to...
Your Answer
Correct Answer
Schedule II (medical use, high risk of addiction--same as fentanyl)
Your Answer
Schedule III (medical use, moderate risk of addiction--same as ketamine)
Your Answer
Schedule IV (low risk of addiction, requires prescription--same as antidepressants)
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Schedule V (low risk of addiction, over-the-counter--same as acetaminophen)
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Question 9/10
The Academy of Motion Pictures and Sciences announced that, in 2029, the Oscars would move to this stream service.
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Incorrect
Question 9/10
The Academy of Motion Pictures and Sciences announced that, in 2029, the Oscars would move to this stream service.
Your Answer
Correct Answer
HBO Max
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Netflix
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Disney+
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YouTube
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Question 10/10
This socially conservative country sentenced rapper Wiz Khalifa in absentia to nine months in prison for smoking cannabis (though it's unlikely the rapper will actually serve this sentence).
Correct!
Incorrect
Question 10/10
This socially conservative country sentenced rapper Wiz Khalifa in absentia to nine months in prison for smoking cannabis (though it's unlikely the rapper will actually serve this sentence).
Your Answer
Correct Answer
Russia
Your Answer
Qatar
Your Answer
United Arab Emirates
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Romania
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You can learn more about these topics here:
- Question 1: Mass shooting rocks Ivy League campus
- Question 2: Zootopia 2 breaks a billion dollars
- Question 3: Legendary director Rob Reiner found murdered in home
- Question 4: Board votes to add Trump’s name to DC memorial
- Question 5: Xcel leaves thousands of Coloradans without power
- Question 6: CDOT finishes major interstate project
- Question 7: Trump administration wants to shut down NCAR
- Question 8: Trump orders reclassification of cannabis
- Question 9: Oscars are leaving TV for streaming in 2029
- Question 10: Wiz Khalifa sentenced to prison for smoking marijuana
