Frederick High students and staff enjoyed their first week of Winter Break while the news stayed relatively quiet. Lawmakers, celebrities, and regular folks of all political stripes lambasted the Justice Department for their haphazard and possibly illegal release of the Epstein files, though consequences won’t be felt until after the holidays wrap when politicians return to Washington. In response to this criticism, the DOJ announced that they had found over a million more Epstein-related documents that would be redacted and released soon. Other than artists cancelling a concert at the Kennedy Center in protest on Christmas Eve, some international conflicts escalating on Christmas Day and precious metal prices soaring the day after, nothing much has the national news talking.
Except, of course, for sports, as the next couple of weeks see the playoffs and most of the major bowl games for college football. After last weekend’s first round of playoffs, Alabama knocked out Oklahoma, Miami trounced Texas A&M, Ole Miss triumphed over Tulane, and Oregon beat James Madison. As for major league sports, the Denver Broncos stumbled with a week 16 loss against Jacksonville but got back to leading the league after a Christmas win over the Kansas City Chiefs. The Denver Nuggets, however, fell to third in the league with a 22-8 record despite also winning on Christmas Day, and the Colorado Avalanche held their conference lead by adding two wins to their 27-2 record.
Avatar: Fire and Ash easily won the weekend box office with an $89m opening and the Christmas Day box office with $24m. Timothée Chalamet’s Oscar-buzzy biopic Marty Supreme and Jack Black and Paul Rudd’s remake of ’90s comedy Anaconda were neck-and-neck on Christmas, while Zootopia 2 had another surge. By contrast, Paramount suffered an underwhelming domestic opening for the latest Spongebob Squarepants movie: it had a lower weekend opening than a faith-based cartoon by Angel Studios and an erotic thriller starring Amanda Seyfried and Sydney Sweeney, and it wasn’t even among the top 25 films on Christmas Day. Netflix also received high viewership but a lukewarm reception to its last batch of Stranger Things episodes on Christmas Eve before its final episode releases on New Year’s
Hannukah ended at sunset on Monday, December 23, Kwanzaa began on Friday, December 26, and Christmas was on Thursday. This was the fifty-second week of 2025 and the last full week of the year—with just five days remaining, 98.6% of the year is over.
News You Should Know: December 20 to 26
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10 Total Questions
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Question 1/10
On December 20, news broke that Justice Melissa Hart is stepping down from the Colorado Supreme Court due to this reason.
Correct!
Incorrect
Question 1/10
On December 20, news broke that Justice Melissa Hart is stepping down from the Colorado Supreme Court due to this reason.
Your Answer
Correct Answer
She's tired of threats from alt-right extremists about her rulings.
Your Answer
She's turning 80 and believes it's time to let a younger judge have a chance.
Your Answer
She's getting a promotion from President Trump to the US Court of Appeals.
Your Answer
She's suffering from health issues related to two severe concussions.
Your Answer
Question 2/10
Sydney Sweeney broke her streak of four box office bombs in 2025 with this weekend's The Housemaid. While the film didn't earn the number one spot at the domestic box office (which went, of course, to Avatar: Fire and Ash), her film landed at...
Correct!
Incorrect
Question 2/10
Sydney Sweeney broke her streak of four box office bombs in 2025 with this weekend's The Housemaid. While the film didn't earn the number one spot at the domestic box office (which went, of course, to Avatar: Fire and Ash), her film landed at...
Your Answer
Correct Answer
No. 2 ($22 million)
Your Answer
No. 3 ($19 million)
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No. 4 ($15.6 million)
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No. 5 ($14.8 million)
Your Answer
Question 3/10
After last week's incendiary two-part profile on Trump's cabinet, this magazine published a follow-up interview with the photographer for the piece Christopher Anderson on December 23. He revealed, among other things, that VP JD Vance offered him $1,000 to make him look better than Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Correct!
Incorrect
Question 3/10
After last week's incendiary two-part profile on Trump's cabinet, this magazine published a follow-up interview with the photographer for the piece Christopher Anderson on December 23. He revealed, among other things, that VP JD Vance offered him $1,000 to make him look better than Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Your Answer
Correct Answer
The New Yorker
Your Answer
Vanity Fair
Your Answer
Harper's Bazaar
Your Answer
Vogue
Your Answer
Question 4/10
On Christmas Day, the US bombed an ISIS-affiliated Islamic extremist group in this country for allegedly persecuting African Christians.
Correct!
Incorrect
Question 4/10
On Christmas Day, the US bombed an ISIS-affiliated Islamic extremist group in this country for allegedly persecuting African Christians.
Your Answer
Correct Answer
Mali
Your Answer
Senegal
Your Answer
Nigeria
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South Africa
Your Answer
Question 5/10
Telluride's ski resort closed the slopes after the sun set on Friday and will not reopen over the holiday weekend. Why?
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Question 5/10
Telluride's ski resort closed the slopes after the sun set on Friday and will not reopen over the holiday weekend. Why?
Your Answer
Correct Answer
There's not enough snow on the mountain
Your Answer
There's was extreme avalanche warning issued by state officials
Your Answer
Members of the local ski patrol went on strike
Your Answer
The bridge leading to the resort is under emergency maintenance
Your Answer
Question 6/10
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment issued a warning that this winter shows signs of an unprecedented spread of this illness, which has already claimed its first death even before the state's first snow.
Correct!
Incorrect
Question 6/10
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment issued a warning that this winter shows signs of an unprecedented spread of this illness, which has already claimed its first death even before the state's first snow.
Your Answer
Correct Answer
Influenza
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COVID
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Measles
Your Answer
Bird Flu
Your Answer
Question 7/10
In order for the Denver Broncos to clinch the AFC no. 1 seed this year, the following needs to happen:
Correct!
Incorrect
Question 7/10
In order for the Denver Broncos to clinch the AFC no. 1 seed this year, the following needs to happen:
Your Answer
Correct Answer
Broncos must win their last remaining game, and Patriots must lose both their remaining games
Your Answer
Broncos must win their last remaining game, and both Patriots and Jaguars must lose both their remaining games
Your Answer
Broncos must win their last remaining game, the Patriots must lose one of their remaining two games, and the Chargers have to win their last game
Your Answer
Broncos only need to win their last remaining game
Your Answer
Question 8/10
Denver International Airport went viral this week for having this shop in Concourse B, which the only one in any airport in the world. After the store's most popular gift item sold out in the Denver area, last-minute Christmas shoppers apparently tussled with TSA to try to shop at the airport location despite not having a flight or boarding pass.
Correct!
Incorrect
Question 8/10
Denver International Airport went viral this week for having this shop in Concourse B, which the only one in any airport in the world. After the store's most popular gift item sold out in the Denver area, last-minute Christmas shoppers apparently tussled with TSA to try to shop at the airport location despite not having a flight or boarding pass.
Your Answer
Correct Answer
Hammond's Candies (Jellycat plushies)
Your Answer
John Lewis (Oura Rings)
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Pop Mart (Labubu blind bags)
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Ray Ban (Meta Gen glasses)
Your Answer
Question 9/10
After the the incomplete and heavily-redacted Epstein files were released last Friday by the Department of Justice, congressional representatives of both parties have vowed to introduce articles of impeachment for this person when the House resumes its session in January.
Correct!
Incorrect
Question 9/10
After the the incomplete and heavily-redacted Epstein files were released last Friday by the Department of Justice, congressional representatives of both parties have vowed to introduce articles of impeachment for this person when the House resumes its session in January.
Your Answer
Correct Answer
FBI Director Kash Patel
Your Answer
Attorney General Pam Bondi
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Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche
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President Donald Trump
Your Answer
Question 10/10
On December 26, silver reached a record high price in the US. While other precious metals like gold, platinum and palladium have also hit record highs, silver has had the steepest rise in value because...
Correct!
Incorrect
Question 10/10
On December 26, silver reached a record high price in the US. While other precious metals like gold, platinum and palladium have also hit record highs, silver has had the steepest rise in value because...
Your Answer
Correct Answer
On January 1, the US government will start their silver buy-back program.
Your Answer
On January 1, Mexico will switch from fiat currency back to a silver standard.
Your Answer
On January 1, China will restrict exports of silver outside the country.
Your Answer
On January 1, Canada will begin a tariff on silver in response to an American tariff on plastics.
Your Answer
You can learn more about these topics here:
- Question 1: Melissa Hart retires from Colorado Supreme Court
- Question 2: Sydney Sweeney breaks box office bomb streak
- Question 3: Magazine does a follow-up to Trump cabinet expose
- Question 4: US conducts African bombing raid on Christmas
- Question 5: Telluride shuts down over holiday weekend
- Question 6: CPHE warns that this winter could be big for illness
- Question 7: Broncos heavy favorites for AFC no. 1 seed
- Question 8: Last-minute shoppers try to buy at Denver airport
- Question 9: US lawmakers threaten legal action over unreleased Epstein files
- Question 10: Silver reaches all-time price high
