Who Had the Worst Week?

• The U.S. Mint pressed its last pennies this week as the Trump administration has ordered the end to the little-used and little-loved coin. That’s especially bad news for Denver and Philadelphia, the only two cities where pennies were minted.
• A generation of kids who have never seen anything other than “A”s on their report cards are freaking out because Harvard has determined it is awarding too many of the superlative grades and is evaluating steps to raise the bar to earn one. One student told the student newspaper she cried “the whole entire day” when she learned the school may adjust its grading strategy.
• Fox31 meteorologist Kylie Bearse‘s recent PR campaign to bring attention to an alleged stalker that the Denver District Attorney’s office was treating with kid gloves has worked. Just weeks after a high-profile Denver Post article, the D.A.’s office announced it would upgrade the charge against the 70-year-old man from a misdemeanor to a felony.
• If you know a Comcast executive, give them a hug. Fifteen years ago, 90% of U.S. homes subscribed to cable TV. Today, it is 50%.
• Denver Mayor Mike Johnston isn’t the most collaborative person, and members of the Denver City Council have recently taken some symbolic actions to express their frustration with his go-it-alone approach. This week, however, they started taking steps that are more than just symbolic, and one of the mayor’s signature projects that is being held hostage is the proposed professional women’s soccer stadium.
• Some guests were given only 10-15 minutes to vacate hotel rooms when the Marriott-backed chain Sonder unexpectedly declared bankruptcy. Blame from guests fell largely on Marriott rather than Sonder, and Marriott has been scrambling to find alternative arrangements for the guests.
• The Wall Street Journal reported that the Colorado Rockies‘ GM position is actually the most coveted in Major League Baseball because it “is viewed as the sport’s ultimate sadistic challenge.” Said the WSJ: “Their major-league roster is a disaster. The farm system is in shambles. They are notoriously slow to evolve and sit years behind their rivals. Oh, and they also happen to play their home games in an environment that is fundamentally incompatible with playing the sport of baseball.” Rockies fever – catch it!
• Ball Corp. is paying the CEO it just fired $6.5 million to go away. That may seem like a lot, but the head football coaches at LSU and Penn State are walking away with a collective $103 million after being fired.
• The Trump administration has finally recognized the causal relationship between tariffs and increased costs of living, and it is frantically trying to implement new trade agreements with countries to lower the costs of staples such as coffee, bananas and beef.
• Colorado Supreme Court Justice Melissa Hart is into her second month on a personal leave with no explanation why and no planned return date.
• CBS4 reporter Shaun Boyd conducted a lengthy interview with the individual behind the controversial social media account DO BETTER DNVR this week, and Boyd allowed that individual to make a number of politically charged allegations while remaining anonymous for no journalistic reason. In Boyd’s 43-paragraph article, the phrase “she said” or “she says” is used in 25 of them. My anonymous sources say that Boyd has long been criticized by some for her approach to reporting that lacks what they consider journalistic integrity.
• Japan is a country trying to overcome its reputation for karoshi – “death from overwork” – so many were stunned when new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi scheduled a 3 a.m. meeting with aides to prepare for an appearance before Parliament that morning.
• The Denver Public School board censured member John Younguist after an investigation found he more likely than not mistreated some staff of color, although “not deliberately.” He said he plans to take legal action.
• Here’s a marketing campaign custom built for passive-aggressive people with frenemies: Oral‘s TheraBreath brand has a contest that allows you to nominate someone who has bad breath and the five winners will receive “a personalized video featuring a pep talk” delivered by TikTok star Jake Shane and a promo code to claim a sample of TheraBreath Toothpaste.

Who won the week?

• Denver was treated to a spectacular “Northern Lights” show this week. The aurora borealis made a surprise appearance when a a severe geomagnetic storm pushed the lights farther in our direction than expected on a clear evening.
• I flew to San Francisco and back over the weekend during the government shutdown and FAA-mandated flight reductions, and both of my flights arrived early. A shout out to Stacey Stegman and all her colleagues at DIA for managing the behind-the-scenes chaos well.
• If you think three chords is exactly the right number any song should have – good news! AC/DC announced it will play Mile High Stadium next summer.
• University of Colorado Athletic Director Rick George announced he will retire next year, which begs the question: will head football coach Deion Sanders join him?