Who Had the Worst Week?

• Emico Media, a Denver-based media and planning agency, alleges that its former bookkeeper embezzled nearly $1 million.
• AT&T acknowledged that hackers stole records of calls and texts for nearly all of its wireless customers.
• Denver weather forecasts are only accurate for the next two days. Compare that to South Florida, where forecasts are accurate seven days out, on average.
• A Washington, D.C., woman is accused of killing a man and using his severed thumb for several days to access his electronic devices to steal money from his bank account and pay for Uber rides.
• Only 36% of adults say they have a “great deal” or “quite a lot” of confidence in the value and cost of college, and most say the higher education system is headed in the “wrong direction.”
• Three people have died in the past month while hiking in the Grand Canyon. Temperatures there can reach 120 degrees in the shade during summer months.
• Colorado is on pace to set a new record for drownings in state parks. The post-pandemic increase in parks attendance could be part of the reason, according to state officials. 
• Israel‘s efforts to spoof GPS signals to misdirect incoming Hamas missiles is also creating chaos for airlines serving passengers in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Turkey and Cyprus.
• Former Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist Josh Klinghoffer is being sued for allegedly hitting and killing a pedestrian with his SUV.
• The U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team fired head coach Gregg Berhalter following the team’s disappointing result in the Copa America tournament this month. The USMNT has two years to get its act together before the U.S. co-hosts the FIFA Men’s World Cup in 2026.
• Delta Airlines has apologized after the airline’s X account expressed support for a post that claimed two flight attendants with Palestinian flag pins were wearing “Hamas badges.” Meanwhile, the airline also announced that it will lose more than $100 million in revenue as business and leisure travelers avoid France this summer due to perceived headaches associated with the Paris Olympics.
• A $550 million renovation of the Alamo is running into a vexing issue: the site’s complicated relationship with slavery.
• Hurricane Beryl has left millions of Texans without power during a massive heat wave.
• You think you are unlucky? An 18-year-old was shot and arrested after he attempted to carjack a man in a Chevy Tahoe who was parked on a Washington, D.C., street. The man in the Tahoe turned out to be a U.S. Marshal guarding the home of U.S. Supreme Court justice Sonia Sotomayor.
• ¡Ay no! Activists protesting mass tourism in Barcelona are shooting visitors with water pistols.

Who won the week?

• PRSA Colorado announced the winners of its annual Gold Pick Special Awards:
  • Public Relations Person of the Year: Merideth Hartung | VP, Social and Digital Media, B Public Relations
  • Joe Fuentes Rookie of the Year: Caroline Campbell | Public Relations and Communications Manager, VISIT DENVER
  • Chapter Service Award: Liz Viscardi | Owner, LV Events and PR
  • Jane Dvorak Mentor of the Year: Shawna Seldon McGregor | Founder, Maverick Public Relations
  • Business Person of the Year: Doyle Albee | President and CEO, Comprise
  • Media Person of the Year: Greg Avery | Managing Editor, Denver Business Journal 
  • Public Relations Team of the Year: Gomez Howard Group
• My colleague Ramonna Robinson was featured in a Denver Business Journal “Outstanding Women in Business” panel discussion on work-life harmony.
• Proof PR, which has opened additional offices in New York City and Los Angeles, added Katrina Salon as a PR manager in its Denver office. The agency also announced a number of recent client wins, including Bagel Brands (Einstein Bros.), Tide Cleaners, Lake Hour and Wing Snob.
• History Colorado named its board room in honor of outgoing board members Cathey McClain Finlon and Tamra Ward.
• Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone and his wife Jocelyn purchased a $7 million home in Highlands Ranch. The home has six bedrooms and nine bathrooms.
• Tennis star Serena Williams once tried to deposit a $1 million check at a drive-thru ATM. Said Williams, “I just went through the drive-thru and the guy was like, ‘Uh, I think you need to come inside for this.'”
• Billionaire philanthropist and former New York City mayor Mike Bloomberg has donated $1 billion to Johns Hopkins University to make medical school free for most students and increase financial aid for those in its nursing and public health graduate programs.