Who Had the Worst Week?

• There’s a lot of pent-up anger at Winnie the Pooh, apparently. A studio is developing an R-rated live-action/animation hybrid series about Christopher Robin. Variety described the series: “Christopher Robin is a disillusioned New Yorker navigating his quarter-life crisis with the help of the weird talking animals who live beyond a drug-induced portal outside his derelict apartment complex.” Earlier this year, a low-budget indie film, “Winnie the Pooh: Blood & Honey,” had its one-night-only run extended. The plot: Winnie the Pooh and Piglet brutally murder 11 people.
• The biggest drama in the Denver Nuggets-Minnesota Timberwolves playoff series occurred after game 5 when the Nuggets eliminated the Wolves. Frustrated by missing a last-second shot that would have sent the game to overtime, Timberwolves guard Anthony “Don’t Call Me Goose” Edwards went on a one-man tirade, running into a security official as he ran off the court and then allegedly swinging a folding chair that struck two women. Denver Police held up the Wolves’ bus to the airport to cite Edwards for third-degree assault.
• It was a tough week for media scoundrels. Fox News’ Tucker Carlson and CNN’s Don Lemon were both fired for, well, a multitude of sins. And NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell was fired for having an inappropriate relationship with a colleague.
• The Riverside County (Calif.) Sheriff’s Department lost 60 pounds of meth when the target of a sting operation quickly fled in his car after the buy. The chef’s kiss: Sheriff’s Department officials criticized the drug dealer, saying his high-speed escape exhibited a “disregard for public safety.”
• There is nothing worse than a self-inflicted PR crisis, but that is exactly what Bud Light did when it first engaged with a transgender social media influencer and then quickly backed away from that decision. It is the same three-act play I have written about countless times before: Act 1: Tweet something controversial about a 50-50 issue. Act 2: Feel the withering backlash from 50% of the people; try to quickly back away from the issue. Act 3: Incur the wrath of the 50% of people on the other side of the issue for trying to back away from it; slowly realize that you have now pissed off approximately 100% of people.
• New CU Buffs football coach Deion Sanders told the world in his introductory press conference what he planned to do – completely turn over the team’s roster, encouraging players who went 1-11 last year to transfer other places. But seeing the sheer number of CU athletes in the transfer portal has sparked some soul-searching about the real-life impact on players.
• A bipartisan group of county treasurers are warning metro Denver homeowners that they should expect their property taxes to increase as much as 50%.
• Financial realities have sidelined RTD‘s plans to purchase 17 electric buses. The transit system cancelled its order when it realized it does not have the funds to expand its maintenance and operations facilities to accommodate the buses. 
• A German magazine editor was fired for publishing an AI-generated “interview” with racing legend Michael Schumacher. The magazine promoted the interview as Schumacher’s first since he became incapacitated after a 2013 skiing incident in which he hit his head on a rock.
• Singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran has been in a New York City courthouse this week defending himself against a lawsuit brought by the heirs of Marvin Gaye. They allege Sheeran’s song “Thinking Out Loud” stole the musical composition of Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On.”
• New York Times v. Sullivan strikes again. Chad Burmeister, a Colorado businessman suing 9News and Kyle Clark, reportedly wound up paying a $30,000 settlement to cover the media outlet’s legal fees just to extricate himself from his own lawsuit and subsequent appeal.

So, who won the week?

• 9News reporter Luis de Leon announced his departure from the station.
• Actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney bought a bottom-tier Wales soccer team as what appeared a joke. In the intervening two years, they have have become beloved in the team’s town of Wrexham and this week the team finished first in their league and will be promoted next season.
• Mattel has released its first Barbie doll featuring a character with Down Syndrome.
• A Cherry Creek High School senior is getting recognized for his Rubik’s Cube portraits.