• What do you not do when you are smuggling 29 pounds of cocaine through Mesa County? Drive 110 mph on I-70.
• Mike Willis, the director of Colorado’s Office of Emergency Management, looks like a dead man walking after a Denver Post profile of his threatening and bullying behavior. There’s no way Gov. Jared Polis wants this guy on the payroll as he campaigns for re-election.
• Want to take a leisurely stroll through a former Superfund clean-up site? Good news! An appeals court gave its approval to continue constructing trails at the site of the former Rocky Flats Nuclear Weapons Plant.
• Anglers 1, Fish 1: A 100-pound sailfish that was being reeled in lunged onto a fishing boat, impaling a 73-year-old woman.
• A chess-playing robot broke a 7-year-old opponent’s finger during the “Moscow Open.” In understated fashion, the president of the Moscow Chess Federation noted, “The robot broke the child’s finger. This is, of course, bad.”
• Deranged-billionaire-mad-scientist-frenemy Elon Musk made headlines this week for an alleged affair with the wife of Google co-founder Sergey Brin that ended their friendship and led to Brin’s divorce.
• Residents of Yamaguchi, Japan, have come under attack from monkeys “that are trying to snatch babies, biting and clawing at flesh, and sneaking into nursery schools.”
• A jury ordered cable company Charter Communications to pay $7 billion in damages to the family of a woman who was brutally murdered by one of its installers.
• Your boss won’t give you a $1.6 million annual bonus? Just give it to yourself! That line of reasoning led to a guilty plea by Weber Shandwick’s now-former CFO. He embezzled $16 million over a decade from the PR firm.
• Coyotes ate six of Martha Stewart’s pet peacocks. Celebrities … they’re just like you and me!

So, who won the week?

• U2, Gladys Knight and George Clooney are among the honorees at this year’s Kennedy Center Honors.
• The FCC has stepped up enforcement against car warranty spam calls, which means you may get fewer.
• The Denver Broncos started training camp this week, ensuring that 90% of Denver’s sports media coverage will focus on them. The upside? You don’t have to hear about how our last-place Colorado Rockies are doing anymore.

PRSA Colorado announced the Special Award Winners it will honor at its 2022 Gold Pick event in August:

• Dawn Doty, University of Colorado Boulder, Swede Johnson Lifetime Achievement Award
• Jackie Clark, HolcimUS, Public Relations Person of the Year
• Joelle Martinez, Latino Leadership Institute, Business Person of the Year
• Anusha Roy, 9News, Newsperson of the Year
• Nora Thomas, Nora Thomas Ltd., Joe Fuentes Rookie of the Year
• Cori Pope, Keeton Public Relations, Mentor of the Year
• Shannon Hughes, Linhart Public Relations, Chapter Service Award
• Denver Water Public Affairs, Public Relations Team of the Year

2022 Gold Pick Awards Event Details

Thursday, August 25, 2022
Denver Water
1600 W 12th Ave
Denver, CO 80204
4:30-6:00 pm Networking Reception
6:00-8:00 pm Awards Presentation 
Register to Attend

After exiting the U.K. market in the early 2000s, Wendy’s knew it had to up its game when it returned two decades later. Now, the company is letting fans vote for the new face of Wendy’s in the U.K.

Photo: KCENNews screenshot

Contrary to popular belief, I have never been an escort for Senator Ted Cruz.

U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) at the Turning Points USA conference this weekend.

Erik Wemple at The Washington Post: “One line in Bloomberg News’ Wednesday story about the ongoing lawsuit Dominion Voting Systems v. Fox News was unimpeachable: ‘Fox … didn’t immediately respond to a message seeking comment on the filing. ‘Immediately,’ in this case, meant 18 minutes, according to a Fox News spokesperson.”

“That’s how long Bloomberg News reporter Erik Larson gave Fox News to comment for an article alleging that Dominion ‘said some executives and hosts at the network still haven’t handed over any records related to its coverage.’ The headline: ‘Fox Executives in $1.6 Billion Lawsuit Haven’t Handed Over Records, Dominion Says.’ Larson cited a July 18 court filing for the scoop.”

“As it turned out, that July 18 filing was actually the public version of a document filed a month earlier on June 17 relating to a discovery dispute between the two parties. Fox News secured an extension until July 1 to turn over certain documents. After Larson’s initial story was published, Fox News told Bloomberg News that it had met that deadline. Had Bloomberg waited for that comment, it would have avoided some trouble. ‘Eighteen minutes doesn’t sound like fair to me even in this day and age,’ says Leonard Downie Jr., a former executive editor of The Post.”

• Denver Police fired seven shots and hit six bystanders while attempting to shoot a man they say pulled a gun on a LoDo street.
• Two Coloradans were attacked by a crocodile during a vacation at a Puerto Vallarta resort in Mexico.
• Denver’s Westcraft Carpets is ignoring requests from the Denver American Indian Commission to remove its signature caricature sign – “Mohawk Tommy, a shirtless boy sporting a mohawk haircut with a feather in back.”
• A contractor who helped build Tattered Cover’s new location in Westminster has sued the bookstore claiming it was stiffed on $123,000 in work.
• Kenneth Wendt, a Houston-area police officer who coached a 9-and-under baseball team, was placed on suspension after his behavior in a post-game handshake line. Video of the incident showed him aggressively bumping and pushing 8- and 9-year-olds after they defeated his team.
• Pearl Jam cancelled concerts in Europe after lead singer Eddie Vedder’s vocal cords were damaged from smoke caused by wildfires in France.
• American Airlines says it could take three years before it is operating at full capacity again due to ongoing staffing shortages.
• How much faith does Cadillac have in its new Lyriq electric SUV? It’ll give you a $5,500 discount on your purchase if you agree to sign a non-disclosure agreement that prohibits you “from discussing with any parties outside of GM your experience of owning or driving” it.
• Biotech company Biogen paid $900 million to settle a suit that alleged it paid doctors for speaking and consulting services as part of a scam that actually was intended to provide kickbacks to doctors who prescribed the company’s drugs.
• The first polio case in nearly a decade has been detected in New York.
• If you are tired of modern political scandals, here’s one with a retro twist: Loving County (Tex.) Judge Skeet Jones was arrested as part of a cattle-rustling sting operation.
• Candy maker Mars is denying that Skittles are “unfit for human consumption” due to heightened levels of titanium dioxide, a known toxin that is banned in parts of Europe.

So, who won the week?

• U.S. Navy Lt. Amanda Lee became the Blue Angels’ first female demonstration pilot in the 76-year history of the squadron.
• Primatologist Jane Goodall is the inspiration for the latest Barbie doll.

Kraft Heinz has partnered with the BLT Restaurant Group to create the “Veltini,” a Velveeta-infused martini. 

Don’t kill me, I’m just the messenger.

Saudi government media consultant Nicolla Hewitt explaining to representatives of The Washington Post that the Saudis would not allow the paper to attend a government briefing following President Biden’s visit. The background: Washington Post journalist James Khashoggi was murdered and dismembered in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul at the order of Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman. Hewitt works for Qorvis Communications.

• Denver is the third most expensive city in the country for Uber passengers, behind only New York City and Nashville. The average cost of a six-mile ride in Denver is about $33.
• How bad have travel delays and cancellations been in Europe this summer? Delta added a flight from Heathrow to Detroit with no passengers just to deliver 1,000 pieces of stranded luggage.
• Colorado has the fourth-most lightning deaths in the nation, and Coors Field and Rocky Mountain National Park have been identified as “hot spots.”
• Average monthly car payments in the U.S. have hit an all-time high, and 13% of them are more than $1,000 per month.
• Meanwhile, car manufacturers are looking at subscription services offered by tech companies like Microsoft and Adobe with quite a bit of jealousy. How do I know? BMW has just put heated seats on a subscription plan that costs $17/month.
• A second round of mediation between Comcast and Altitude Sports failed to end the stalemate that has prevented a vast majority of Coloradans from watching the Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche over the past three years. So what have you missed? In those three years, the Nuggets have made the playoffs three times and seen center Nikola Jokić win the NBA MVP award twice. And the Avs, you may have heard, won the Stanley Cup.
• If you are tired of listening to people talk about their Wordle wins, it could get worse. Hasbro is launching Wordle: The Board Game.
• The Timberline Steaks & Grille restaurant at DIA is the highest-grossing restaurant in all of Colorado, but competitors will have a chance to take its crown – if only briefly – while it has its liquor license suspended for 30 days (it served a minor). The restaurant has appealed the decision that could cost it hundreds of thousands of dollars. Records show that 35-40% of the restaurant’s $6.3 million in sales are alcohol.
• ABC News published an obituary for Ivana Trump without removing its “Do Not Pub” warning for editors. It’s common practice for news organizations to pre-draft obituaries of notable people and store them in the system for when they are needed.

So, who won the week?

• Beaver Creek, recognizing the social media power of puppies, has introduced two new “patrol puppies” – Ruby and Telli.
• Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has joined the Walton Family’s successful bid for the Denver Broncos. Rice spent her teen years in Denver, and graduated high school from St. Mary’s Academy.
• Red Rocks and the International Church of Cannabis were featured in the premiere episode of TruTV’s “101 Places to Party Before You Die.”
• The Colorado Avalanche promoted GM Joe Sakic to the role of president of hockey operations.
• Wendy Aiello will be able to see her brother-in-law, E Street Band guitarist Nils Lofgren, when he joins Bruce Springsteen for a concert next March at Ball Arena.

Thomas Gounley at BusinessDen: “After selling its real estate at the corner of Speer and Lincoln last year, television station Denver7 is eyeing a move about three miles north. The ABC affiliate with the call sign KMGH, which brands itself ‘The Denver Channel,’ hopes to move its operations to the existing building at 2323 Delgany St., although the deal isn’t completely done, station general manager Dean Littleton told BusinessDen this week.” …

“The two-story 2323 Delgany St. building is about 85,000 square feet, according to property records. It was originally built as a warehouse, but repositioned as an office building several years ago. The property is in the Denargo Market area of Five Points and the RiNo Arts District.” …

“The move will represent the first major real estate shake-up in two decades among Denver’s primary TV stations, which are all clustered within a mile of each other south of downtown. The last change occurred in 2000, when KDVR/Fox31 moved into its building at 100 Speer, across the street from Denver7.”

Associated Press: “As Uber aggressively pushed into markets around the world, the ride-sharing service lobbied political leaders to relax labor and taxi laws, used a ‘kill switch’ to thwart regulators and law enforcement, channeled money through Bermuda and other tax havens and considered portraying violence against its drivers as a way to gain public sympathy, according to a report released Sunday.

“The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, a nonprofit network of investigative reporters, scoured internal Uber texts, emails, invoices and other documents to deliver what it called ‘an unprecedented look into the ways Uber defied taxi laws and upended workers’ rights.'”

“In a written statement, Uber spokesperson Jill Hazelbaker acknowledged ‘mistakes’ in the past and said CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, hired in 2017, had been ‘tasked with transforming every aspect of how Uber operates … When we say Uber is a different company today, we mean it literally: 90% of current Uber employees joined after Dara became CEO.'”

(Editor’s note: Uber Spokeswoman Jill Hazelbaker joined Uber in 2015.)

• One day after the Fourth of July parade shooting in Highland Park, Ill., the Dallas Cowboys announced a sponsorship with Black Rifle Coffee Company, which offers blends such as “Murdered Out” and “AK Espresso.”
• Residents of the 15-story Columbine Towers, which is low-income housing mostly for residents over age 70 or those with disabilities, have not had a working elevator in more than a week.
• A former Montrose funeral home operator, pleaded guilty to stealing and selling hundreds of human bodies and body parts.
• A driver caught on I-70 transporting a record 114 pounds of pure fentanyl powder cut a deal to continue his journey to Indiana to lead DEA agents to the drug “kingpins.” He immediately ditched the tracking device placed in his car and hasn’t been seen since.
• With mortgage interest rates climbing, many experts expect the housing market to cool. And that includes Denver-based Re/Max, which announced it will lay off 17% of its workforce by the end of the year.
• Two weeks after helping the Avs win the Stanley Cup, starting goaltender Darcy Kuemper appears on his way out. The team traded for New York Rangers goalie Alexandar Georgiev.
• U.S. Forest Service researchers have named Evergreen/Morrison as the state’s most at-risk areas for wildfires. Colorado Springs is second, Larkspur is third and Boulder is fourth.
• Tennis player Nick Kyrgios, who will play in Wimbledon‘s men’s finals Sunday, was ordered to appear in court in his native Australia to answer allegations that he assaulted his former girlfriend.
• Leaking fuel from actor Tim Allen’s yacht forced a marina and a nearby beach in northern Michigan to close over the Fourth of July holiday weekend.
• Disneyland’s Instagram account wasn’t the happiest place on earth this week after a hacker seized control and posted content rife with racist and homophobic slurs.

So, who won the week?

• Colorado Mesa University named David Ludlam VP of Communications.
• Grand Junction named Sara Spalding Director of Communications & Engagement.
• New Denver Broncos QB Russell Wilson has the top-selling jersey in the NFL.
• President Joe Biden formally nominated DIA CEO Phil Washington as head of the Federal Aviation Administration.

President Biden’s new anti-corruption czar’s name is “Rich Nephew.”

• A mountain lion continues to roam downtown Denver. On the bright side, maybe he will eat a scooter-rider or two.
• If you are planning to fly out of DIA this holiday weekend, good luck! And if you have a shy bladder, you may not want to use the restrooms at the airport. Passengers on planes may be watching you.
• Tyler Tysdal, husband of former Fox31 anchor Natalie Tysdal, was sentenced to six years in prison for defrauding investors in what prosecutors said was a Ponzi scheme. In June, Tysdal sold the family’s $3.1 million home to help pay back investors. The terms of his sentencing agreement shaved years off his prison sentence based on the amount of restitution he made.
• For the second straight year, life expectancy in Colorado dropped. Experts say COVID-19 and drug overdose deaths are to blame.
• The annual Investigative Reporters & Editors (IRE) conference was held in Denver last week, and things may not be going well for those who attended. Amid reports of a widespread COVID outbreak, the conference organizers issued a post-event alert suggesting attendees be vigilant about symptoms.
• An employee at an Atlanta-area Subway was shot and killed after putting too much mayo on a customer’s sandwich.
• The SEC fined Ernst & Young $100 million after hundreds of the accounting firm’s employees cheated on a … wait for it … ethics test.
• The Pac-12 Conference is reeling after two of its most-historic schools, USC and UCLA, announced they are leaving to join the Big 10.
• Independence Day marks roughly half way through the MLB baseball season, which is a good time to evaluate how the Colorado Rockies are doing. A quick check of the standings shows they currently are in last place in the NL West. Safe to say, the Monforts are not the Kroenkes.
• A bar-hopping Japanese IT consultant overindulged and lost a flash drive that held the birth dates, addresses, bank account numbers and tax details of all 465,000 residents of the city of Amagasaki.
• Ben Affleck’s 10-year-old son backed a $250,000 Lamborghini Urus into a $110,000 BMW SUV. Celebrities … they’re just like you and me!

So, who won the week?

• The Colorado Avalanche won the Stanley Cup for the first time in 21 years. And Denver fans largely managed not to riot afterward.
  • A Denver couple had the Stanley Cup delivered to their home after a mix-up with Avs captain Gabe Landeskog’s address.
  • The Avs completed the 2022 championship sweep – the Denver East Angels won the high school national hockey championship and the University of Denver Pioneers won the NCAA hockey championship.
• Windsor native Sophia Smith was triumphant in her return to Colorado as part of the U.S. women’s national soccer team. She scored two goals in the team’s 3-0 win over Colombia at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.
• Ketanji Brown Jackson was sworn in as the first Black woman in the history of the U.S. Supreme Court.