- More than 200 packages containing $1 million worth of sports and Pokémon cards were stolen from a FedEx truck outside the California headquarters of card-grader Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA).
- A member of the Air Force died from injuries he sustained when he lost control while rappelling from the ceiling of San Antonio‘s Alamodome. The demonstration was part of pregame festivities for the UTSA–Navy football game.
- The Denver Broncos find themselves in an uncomfortable public relations position now that the NFL has reinstated linebacker Jonathan Cooper. Cooper previously was on this list in June when he was arrested not once but twice in a single week – first for domestic violence and then for violating a restraining order. Cooper is out on bond awaiting a spring 2027 trial, and the optics of having him on the field are not great.
- The University of Denver is trying to explain why a professor who was found guilty of sexually harassing a graduate student is still employed by the university, albeit now in an off-campus position that doesn’t interact with students.
- Ohio Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy is in a close contest with Democrat Amy Acton, which made his decision to run an attack ad that even outgoing Republican Gov. Mike DeWine called “deeply troubling” and “wrong” surprising. The ad features Acton’s mother calling her daughter a liar and encouraging voters to elect Ramaswamy. The backstory is that Acton and her mother have not spoken since 1978, when Acton’s stepfather was arrested for raping a then-12-year-old Acton. Acton’s mother chose to stay with her husband and relinquished custody of Acton and her brother.
- CBS News reporter Jan Crawford has apologized for a social media post that she acknowledged was “a violation of CBS News standards.” The post was critical of Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic U.S. Senate candidate from Michigan.
- CNN international anchor Christiane Amanpour announced she will be leaving the network after 43 years amid questions about its editorial independence following its acquisition by Skydance.
- It was a rough week for Catholics:
- The president of Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná in Brazil was killed while touring Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West home in Scottsdale, Ariz. A sudden gust of wind dislodged a piece of roofing that struck him in the head.
- A priest in Ecuador died during a livestreamed Mass when a large wooden crucifix fell from a wall behind him and hit him in the head.
- The Archdiocese of Denver has put a Catholic priest known for performing exorcisms on a media timeout. The Rev. Chad Ripperger has garnered millions of views on social media discussing his beliefs that aliens are demons, that Nikola Tesla received messages from demons, and that evolution is flawed.
- The Front Range Passenger Rail District (FRPRD) has replaced its election official after a district mistake caused about 800,000 voters to receive ballots with an erroneous question about a tax increase. The FRPRD did make a smart hire – former Jeffco Clerk and Recorder Pam Anderson has taken that position.
- The Denver suburb of Bow Mar is moving ahead with its plan to gate off its community from Denver drivers, prompting Denver to consider retaliatory measures. Meanwhile, The New York Times officially made the issue a national story.
- The latest report from commercial real estate broker CBRE finds that Downtown Denver‘s vacancy rate has risen to 40%.
- Shares of automaker Volvo dropped 26% after it announced it would cut another 6% of its workforce – about 2,500 jobs.
- The journalism world is mourning a couple of deaths: Noah Adams, NPR‘s longtime host of “All Things Considered,” passed away at the age of 84 and Ryan Hazelwood, a former news director at KOAA-TV in Colorado Springs, died at the age of 49 after battling cancer.
- The Pentagon has trained curators responsible for moving historical items, but when Secretary Pete Hegseth wanted a floor globe that Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower used during World War II moved to his office, he had his staff handle it instead. They dropped it, causing the base to poke a fair-sized hole in the fragile shell near Antarctica. In a statement to The Washington Post, the Defense Department said, “Accidents happen.”
- The Atlanta Falcons introduced a new logo on social media that is evocative of something out of Nazi-era Germany, and the internet had a field day. Comments included, “I did Nazi that coming,” “I can’t wait for their next Heil Mary,” and some called the team “the Bird Reich.”
Who won the week?
- Nashville-based McNeely Brockman Public Relations has hired former SchroderHaus staffer Lindsey West as an account executive.
- B Public Relations has added Cody Yellowstone and Miami-based donut brand The Salty as clients.
- Ink Communications has joined the PROI international network of PR firms.
- Former 9News reporter/anchor TaRhonda Thomas has joined WWL in New Orleans as an evening anchor. Thomas left 9News in 2018 for Philadelphia, where she worked at WPVI.
- The Tampa Bay Rays will face the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2026 MLB World Series. That two smaller-market teams made it to the World Series is a blow to other team owners – including Colorado Rockies owner Dick Monfort – who are advocating for a salary cap to prevent big-spending teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Atlanta Braves from dominating World Series championships. Fun fact: Either Milwaukee or Tampa Bay will win its first World Series, which will leave the Colorado Rockies as one of just four MLB teams to have never won one.
- The Wall Street Journal is reporting that some of the largest law firms in the country have recently discovered a secret to attracting new business: branding. Who knew?
