• A high-ranking official at FEMA who sparked controversy for claims that he once was teleported to a Waffle House is on leave from the agency. Said one unnamed official, “He was an image issue, with all the negative stories.” Honestly, if he was teleported to a Waffle House, it would only be the third or fourth strangest thing to happen there on any given day.
• Florida is closing its “Alligator Alcatraz” immigration detention center a year after it opened. Gov. Ron DeSantis is claiming the detention center was a wild success, but the reality is that it cost taxpayers $1.2 million per day and the state is clearing it out now because hurricane season has started.
• FIFA revoked the World Cup credentials of a Paraguayan soccer commentator after he went on an expletive-laden rant against the governing body and match officials during Paraguay’s 1-0 win over Turkey. And he got his money’s worth. He called FIFA President Gianni Infantino and the match referee “f—ing thieves” and used the phrase “sons of b—es” more than 20 times.
• “Love Island USA” has kicked a second contestant off the reality dating show this season for using a racial slur in a video that surfaced online.
• KBCO 97.3 terminated the employment of longtime, beloved morning show host Bret Saunders. Unfortunately for Saunders, KBCO is owned by iHeartMedia, which conducts similar bloodlettings about once per year. Denise Plante from 106.7 The Bull was also let go in this round.
• The Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C., has become must-see TV: “It’s a drama, a farce, a whodunit (and) a murder mystery.” And for some reason, it is President Donald Trump who is doing more to keep the story alive than anyone else. President Trump also didn’t do himself any favors by having his motorcade of heavy SUVs drive over the emptied Reflecting Pool, which experts say may have caused foundational damage.
• JPMorgan Chase fired one of its employees after she was caught on camera dumping out and stealing a New York Knicks-themed public trash can during the team’s championship parade celebration.
• Tennis legend Chris Evert announced that she is experiencing a recurrence of ovarian cancer.
• Golfer Wyndham Clark had to endure brutal heckling on his way to winning the U.S. Open golf tournament this past weekend. Sportswriter Rick Reilly blamed the horrible behavior on young men trying to influence the outcome because they had made online bets.
• A New York Times/The Athletic poll of Major League Baseball players found the Colorado Rockies have the worst reputation in the majors.

Who won the week?

• GroundFloor Media added Sam Kjome as a Director of Paid Media and Anna Petr as a Content Coordinator.
• Linhart PR has added Kierra Vanevenhoven as an intern.
• Companies should increase their PR efforts to stand out in today’s AI-driven environment, according to McKinsey & Co.’s “State of the Consumer 2026” report.
• Denver has designated former Mayor Wellington Webb’s home as an official city landmark. In honoring the site, the city said, “The house became a local hub for civil rights activism, helping expand Black representation and hosting local, state and national leaders.”
• If you are tired of political ads, good news – Colorado‘s primary election is Tuesday. And given that there likely won’t be many competitive races in the general election, the ads should slow to a trickle.
• The U.S. Men’s Soccer Team won its group and advanced to the knock-out stage of the FIFA World Cup, despite a 3-2 loss in a meaningless game against Turkey Turkiye last night.