Who Had the Worst Week?

August 15, 2025 ~ Jeremy Story ~ Leave a comment

Former Colorado Public Radio host and reporter Vic Vela announced he has been diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. The diagnosis is the latest challenge for Vela, who has been open about his struggles with drug addiction and living with HIV.
The post-COVID hangover, ongoing rider safety concerns and an ill-advised attempt to be all things to all commuting people has caused RTD‘s ridership numbers to continue to drop. The first half of this year saw a 6% ridership decline over the first half of last year.
When fighting a losing battle, some participants will invoke the “Aiken Formula” by simply declaring victory and going home. The Salvation Army appears to have done just that when it announced it had informed the City and County of Denver that it would no longer manage three city homeless shelters next year. The rub: Denver had already notified the Salvation Army that its proposal to run the three shelters had been rejected in favor of other candidates.
Here’s a headline that wouldn’t have seemed plausible 20 years ago but today makes you think, “Yeah, that checks out…” – “Man charged with felony assault for throwing a sandwich at an immigration agent was a DOJ employee.“
It was a tough week in the sports world:
- Retired New York Yankees Hall of Fame reliever Mariano Rivera tore his Achilles tendon playing in the team’s annual Old-Timers’ Day game.
- Two Japanese boxers fighting on the same card but in different fights died following brain injuries sustained in their bouts.
- NASCAR driver Connor Zilisch placed first at Watkins Glen International, but when he climbed atop his car in Victory Lane to celebrate, he slipped, fell and broke his collarbone.
Denver City Council members are not impressed with DIA‘s proposed feasibility study of small nuclear reactors to power the airport.
There are about 1.5 million reasons that this is not “The Official PR Blog of the Denver Broncos.”
Neighbors of an abandoned landmark home on Denver‘s historic 7th Avenue Parkway are staging a “poop protest” by throwing their dogs’ used poop bags onto the front steps.
President Donald Trump‘s jealousy of former President Barack Obama‘s Nobel Peace Prize is well known, and President Trump dropped a not-so-subtle quid pro quo request for one during a tariff conversation with Norway‘s finance minister.
New financial penalties levied against the University of Michigan by the NCAA for the school’s sign-stealing scandal could cost it as much as $30 million.
No new details have emerged following The Wall Street Journal‘s report last week that Nexstar, the owner of Fox31 and CW2, is negotiating to acquire Tegna, the owner of 9News. FCC media ownership rules prevent a single company from owning two of the “Big Four” networks (NBC, CBS, ABC, Fox) in any single market, but analysts suspect that the current FCC would change that rule if it were challenged. If Nexstar owned Fox31, CW2 and 9News, it is likely that a number of positions would be eliminated, including news directors, assignment editors, digital producers, engineering staff, marketing staff, creative services and back-up reporters and meteorologists, among others.
Bad news, Luddites. AOL announced it will discontinue its dial-up internet service effective Sept. 30. Maybe put on some acid-washed jeans and take a moment to pour out a Zima in honor of the OG of the internet.
I shared the results of the recent PRSA Colorado Gold Pick awards last week, but it turns out that the information provided to me was incomplete. Using the highly scientific Denver PR Blog formula (3 points for the Grand Gold Pick, 2 points for Gold Picks, 1 point for Silver Picks), the following were the agency winners:
- Schroderhaus – 10 points
- Sidecar PR – 8 points
- Linhart PR – 7 points
- Barefoot PR – 3 points
- CIG – 3 points
- Jumel PR – 2 points
- Philosophy Communications – 2 points
- ETPR – 1 point
- Prim – 1 point
- Root Marketing & PR – 1 point
- Metropolitan State University was the big overall winner of the night, including winning the PRSA Colorado Grand Gold Pick award for its campaign, “Simulating the Future of Healthcare.” It also won four additional Gold Picks, and barely edged Schroderhaus with 11 points.
- My apologies to Schroderhaus, Linhart and Metro State for shortchanging their scores on the first version.

Who won the week?

President Donald Trump announced this year’s Kennedy Center honorees, and the list was better than many feared: actor Sylvester Stallone, the band Kiss, singers Gloria Gaynor and George Strait, and Broadway performer Michael Crawford.
Jen Pawol became the first female umpire to work a regular-season game in MLB history when she umpired an Atlanta Braves-Miami Marlins game.

Who Had the Worst Week?

March 7, 2025 ~ Jeremy Story ~ Leave a comment

Streaming services may have mastered on-demand content, but they keep having trouble with high-profile live events. Four months ago, Netflix botched the Mike Tyson–Jake Paul boxing match when demand overwhelmed its capacity, and last weekend Hulu‘s stream of The Oscars was plagued with technical glitches, including prematurely ending the feed before the Best Actress and Best Picture awards were announced.
Colorado Community Media is shutting down two of its newspapers – the Washington Park Profile and Life on Capitol Hill.
Data shows that ridership on RTD failed to grow in 2024. New RTD board member Chris Nicholson put it succinctly: “We’ve lost customers who used to trust us with their travel.”
More than 25 people were injured in South Korea when fighter jets participating in a live-fire drill accidentally dropped bombs on a civilian area.
The entire staff of the Michelin-recommended AJ’s Pit Barb-B-Q walked out after allegations that management hasn’t been paying payroll taxes or contributing to their healthcare insurance,
Mark Botnick, crypto-fraudster Sam Bankman-Fried‘s high-profile crisis PR representative, quit after his client went on Tucker Carlson‘s podcast without telling him.
There has been a second death associated with the measles outbreaks in Texas and New Mexico. These are the first measles deaths in the U.S. in a decade. As federal officials worked around the clock to aid the response in Texas, Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was vacationing in Coachella, Instagramming his hike.
The early-bird price for the unrestricted adult Epic Pass for next season has crossed the $1,000 barrier. Next year’s pass is $1,051, compared to $982 a year ago.
It was a tough week for Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser and U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse, who were widely assumed to be the two most viable candidates for Colorado governor when Jared Polis‘ term ends in 2026. But in a surprise move, U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet moved to freeze the field by announcing that he is “very, very seriously” considering a run.
A SpaceX spacecraft disrupted air traffic in Florida when it exploded mid-flight. A previous attempt in January also resulted in an explosion.
Well, it’s official. Former Denver Broncos QB Russell Wilson no longer has any ties to Denver. He and his wife Ciara have shut down the last House of LR&C clothing store location that was at DIA.
If you are wondering what the 2025 version of “Freedom Fries” would be, wonder no longer. Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has proposed renaming the New York strip steak the Texas strip steak.

Who won the week?

The Denver Public Library is hiring a marketing specialist.
Jane Dvorak is accepting applications for her summer class of PR interns.
Denver’s Dumb Friends League has rebranded as Humane Colorado.
After 25 years with the Denver Business Journal, Deborah Sadinsky announced she will retire next month.
Sports talk show host Stephen A. Smith signed a five-year, $100-million contract with ESPN.
China’s Mixue Ice Cream and Tea is now the world’s largest food-and-beverage chain, surpassing McDonald’s and Starbucks in terms of number of locations.

Who Had the Worst Week?

February 7, 2025 ~ Jeremy Story ~ 1 Comment

The Girl Scouts of Colorado say they could lose millions of dollars in cookie sales due to the King Soopers strike. “We’re respecting the strike and the picket lines, but also being creative and really banding together and making calls and doing whatever we can to support the girls,” said Leanna Clark, CEO.
Six years – SIX YEARS – after a Comcast–Altitude Sports carriage dispute blacked out Colorado Avalanche and Denver Nuggets games for most of Denver, the two companies agreed to a new television deal that reflects the terms essentially offered back in 2019. What did fans miss in those six years? Two championships and four MVPs.
9News parent company TEGNA has laid off its 20-member VERIFY fact-checking team whose mission was “to stop the spread of false information.” I’d love to hear the “Next with Kyle Clark” editorial commentary on that decision.
Media outlets have been dismissive of President Donald Trump‘s strategy of using “deceptive advertising” claims as a legal strategy to sue media he doesn’t like (CBS, Des Moines Register, etc.), but now some First Amendment lawyers are growing concerned it could actually lead somewhere with the current U.S. Supreme Court.
Few Colorado school districts are taking the Denver Broncos up on their generous offer of free “smart” football helmets. Districts are concerned about potential liability and student privacy. The Broncos intended to donate more than 15,00 helmets statewide at a cost of about $12 million.
Karla Sofia Gascón, the first openly transgender woman to be nominated for an Oscar for best performance by an actress in a leading role, has apologized for since-deleted social media posts in which she appears to attack Muslims, George Floyd and the lack of diversity at the Oscars. She probably only needed to apologize for two of those.
Waffle House is charging a $0.50 surcharge per egg due to the shortage caused by an aggressive strain of the avian flu. Speaking of bird flu, you may want to stock up on milk and butter now. A new strain has started infecting dairy cows.
The cost to insure a car in Colorado increased 26% last year, one of the largest jumps in the nation. The biggest jump was Minnesota at 58%. Extreme weather, including hail, is driving the increase in our state.
Side hustles are all the rage, but the NFL cannot be happy that the president and head of communications of the New Orleans Saints have gotten caught up moonlighting in a local Catholic diocese sex abuse scandal. Emails show that team representatives may have persuaded city prosecutors to remove some names from a list of clergy members accused of abuse that was released, and the PR head gave media interview critiques to church officials.
Colorado could see fewer federal transportation dollars thanks to a new directive from President Donald Trump that prioritizes projects in places with high birth and marriage rates. Colorado has one of the lowest fertility rates in the country.
It’s been a tough few weeks for “old” Denver. First, we lost preservationist Dana Crawford and now we have lost Dan Ritchie. The impact of both on the development of Denver was immeasurable.

Who won the week?

Former Denver7 anchor Tom Mustin is now the Director of Media Relations for District Attorney George Brauchler.
Denver Broncos CB Pat Surtain II was named the NFL‘s Defensive Player of the Year. He is only the second Bronco to win the award (Randy Gradishar won in 1978).
Denver’s Alan Roach, the PA voice of the Colorado Avalanche, the Colorado Rapids and the Minnesota Vikings will be the in-stadium announcer for the Super Bowl this weekend, his 17th time.

Who Had the Worst Week?

January 10, 2025 ~ Jeremy Story ~ Leave a comment

Ten people are dead and nearly 200,000 people have been ordered to evacuate their homes due to wildfires in the Los Angeles area. Like the Marshall Fire in Boulder several years ago, these wildfires are fueled by high winds that are growing fires faster than firefighters can respond. The scale of the fires may impact Coloradans as insurers further evaluate their premiums in what they consider areas vulnerable to wildfires.
- Meanwhile, ABC News anchor David Muir has made his own headlines for using clothes pins to make his flame-retardant coat appear more form-fitting on air as he covered the fires.
Could the Denver Broncos build a new stadium in Lone Tree? 9News reports the team is considering it.
The public relations team was among the hardest hit departments from recent layoffs at The Washington Post.
The Colorado State Patrol is walking back its initial claims that a driver involved in a New Year’s Day crash that killed two people fell asleep at the wheel. The CSP did not explain why potentially inaccurate information was released, but they did apologize to friends and families of the deceased.
Colorado is expensive and full, a finding underscored by the U-Haul Growth Index that ranks states by the number of people moving into vs. out of states. Colorado ranked 40th. Before you get too excited about the potential for lower rents, 50.3% of one-way U-Haul trips were out of Colorado, while 49.7% were to Colorado.
9News traffic and entertainment reporter Erica Lopez is taking some time off to have a cyst removed from one of her vocal cords.
Denver City Auditor Tim O’Brien has spent the past decade justifying his existence by finding all manner of problems – real and imagined – with numerous city-related programs and departments. This time he has his sights on DIA, and he is threatening to conduct multiple audits if the airport doesn’t bend to his will.
TikTok influencers who have made a living off the social media platform are bracing for its potential ban in the United States effective Jan. 19. The U.S. Supreme Court is hearing arguments today attempting to overturn the legislative ban.
States in the Southeast are getting hammered by a rare snowstorm, with cities such as Atlanta and Nashville expected to get 2-4 inches (which affects them the way 12-24 inches of snow would affect Denver – Atlanta doesn’t own very many snowplows).
Vince McMahon, the founder and former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) agreed to pay the SEC $400,000 and reimburse the WWE $1,3 million to settle allegations that he “failed to disclose multimillion-dollar settlements he had reached with two women when he led the W.W.E.”
ESPN, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery abandoned plans to launch Venu, what would have been a new streaming service featuring content from each. The three announced the new network a year ago, but Fubu had sued alleging that the service was anticompetitive.

Who won the week?

KOSI 101 saw its ratings number nearly double in December as it made its annual month-long transition to Christmas music.
The University of Colorado Boulder helped launch 35 start-ups over the past fiscal year, a new record. That puts CU Boulder in very good company. For context, Stanford launched 35 start-ups and MIT launched 32.
The Denver Broncos are in the NFL playoffs for the first time in a decade. They play the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.

Who Had the Worst Week – 2024 Year in Review

December 13, 2024December 13, 2024 ~ Jeremy Story ~ Leave a comment

Once again, we learned there is no shortage of people doing stupid things. It’s like that is humanity’s superpower. Below is a stroll down memory lane as we remember some of the dumber things that happened in 2024.

JANUARY 2024

A Peloton instructor complained that a Christopher Nolan movie was a waste of time not knowing the director was in her class.
A firearms instructor with the Denver Sheriff’s Department was suspended for 14 days after accidentally shooting his neighbor’s house.
Boeing faced yet another public relations crisis when its 737 Max aircraft was grounded again after a side door plug blew out mid-flight on an Alaska Airlines jet.
Disgraced former Denver Public Schools board member Auon’tai Anderson first chose not to run for school board re-election because polls showed him with the support of only 9% of voters. Then he announced he would instead run for a state house seat. Well, it turns out those voters also recognized his name, and in January he dropped out of that race as well.
The L.A. Times was thrown into a state of mayhem as it laid off 115 positions – about 20% of its newsroom. Said one staffer, “I cannot overstate the level of chaos.” It was a harbinger of what was to come.

FEBRUARY 2024

About 3,000 DNA samples needed to be retested – at a cost of about $7.5 million – after problems were discovered in one longtime Colorado Bureau of Investigation employee’s lab work.
A Delta pilot sued after his foot was “swallowed” by a moving walkway at DIA. The complaint alleges that the pilot suffered “inflamed joints, a strained left Achilles tendon and bone contusions.” The chef’s kiss: the complaint also claims that the pilot’s shoe and sock were “severely damaged” in the incident.
Former 104.3 The Fan program director Raj Sharan took a DJ position at Colorado Springs‘ Cat Country 95.1. The only catch – for the country station, he needs to go by the name Roger Sharan on air.
Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser filed a lawsuit to block King Soopers’ parent company Kroger’s $24.6 billion merger with Albertsons. Critics argue the merger would lead to higher food prices and lower employee salaries. How would that end? See December.

MARCH 2024

We learned that about a dozen people who attended the bitterly cold playoff game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Miami Dolphins suffered such severe frostbite that amputations were required. Unfortunately for Broncos fans, Patrick Mahomes was not one of them.
Colorado Public Radio eliminated 15 employees in its audio and podcast production departments, although the station’s newsroom was spared.
Comedian Nick Swardson had a melt-down on-stage in Beaver Creek that forced organizers to yank him from the stage. He blamed the effects of alcohol and edibles for his bizarre behavior.
Russia added the “LGBT movement” to its list of terrorists and extremists.
To political progressives, it must have felt like mommy and daddy were fighting. Former Colorado Public Radio host Vic Vela lawyered up and accused CPR of “belittling and mocking his mental health concerns” related to his ongoing struggles with addiction. Meanwhile, CPR contends that Vela was fired because he “demonstrated behaviors that are not in alignment with the values, culture and environment we have at CPR.”

APRIL 2024

We learned that everyone in Japan could have the same last name – “Sato” – by the year 2531, according to calculations by university professors. Sato is currently the most common last name in Japan.
9News investigative reporter Jeremy Jojola had to jump out of an Uber mid-trip when the driver started on a #FakeNews rant directed at him.
The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) criticized Westword’s cover promoting an article on gun violence as “play(ing) into the worst stereotypes and innuendoes.” Westword apologized for the cover art that depicted a young black boy carrying a gun, saying the image was “a major mistake that created harm and hurt.”
Former Denver Broncos linebacker Bill Romanowski filed for bankruptcy amid DOJ allegations that he and his wife owe more than $15 million in back taxes. Unfortunately for Romanowski, you can’t spit at IRS agents.
The iconic Brown Palace closed its Palace Arms restaurant after 74 years.

MAY 2024

Former longtime CBS4 reporter Rick Sallinger passed away.
A California mother was fined $88,000 after her children “collected clams — thinking they were picking up seashells — on the beach without a fishing license.” A judge has agreed to reduce the fine to $500.
A Denver woman wrote a letter to the editor of The Denver Post complaining about all the growth that Denver has experienced since she relocated here in 1995.
The Town of Morrison‘s new radar camera system ticketed more than 10,000 speeders in its first two weeks.
American Airlines fired its outside law firm after its lawyers filed court documents blaming a 9-year-old girl for allegedly being secretly recorded in one of its airplane’s bathrooms by a flight attendant. The filing claimed that the young girl “knew or should have known” about the secret recording device.

JUNE 2024

German tennis star Alexander Zverev agreed to pay $220,000 to settle charges that he physically abused his former girlfriend who is the mother of his child. The agreement was announced just hours before Zverev was scheduled to play in the French Open semifinals.
Recognizing the state of American politics, Canada began game-planning for what a U.S. civil war would mean for our polite neighbors to the north.
Barnes & Noble emerged as the top bidder for the beloved-but-bankrupt independent Denver bookstore chain Tattered Cover.
Presumably tired of hearing complaints from co-workers and others, Denver Public Schools superintendent Dr. Alex Marrero spent nearly $100,000 soundproofing his office.
Two American astronauts became stuck at the International Space Station while engineers tried to sort out some technical problems with the Boeing Starliner spacecraft. Fun Fact: They are still stuck there.

JULY 2024

A Chinese company accidentally launched its prototype rocket during what was supposed to be a ground test.
A Washington, D.C., woman was 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.
Investment company BlackRock pulled a two-year-old viral online ad that coincidentally included footage of Thomas Crooks, the man who was killed while trying to assassinate former President Donald Trump.
Former Denver Bronco and Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Terrell Davis was handcuffed and removed from a United Airlines flight by FBI agents after a flight attendant alleged Davis hit him. Davis said he and witnesses to the incident were left confused because he simply tapped a flight attendant’s arm to ask for ice.
The Clocktower Cabaret in the basement of the Daniels & Fisher Tower on 16th Street was flooded with raw sewage during a construction mishap.

AUGUST 2024

A Florida woman was arrested after being pulled over during a traffic stop when an officer spotted a bag in her car labeled “Bag of Drugs.” It contained crack, meth and pills.
The new Ford Amphitheater in Colorado Springs celebrated its opening weekend with a concert by OneRepublic and 144 noise complaints from neighbors.
Critics weren’t impressed with an 8-foot statue of his wife that Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg commissioned.
Taliban leaders in Afghanistan banned the sound of women’s voices in public.
You think your co-workers suck? A hiker had to be rescued when was left behind by 14 coworkers on a “team-building” climb of Mount Shavano in Chaffee County.
The U.S. Surgeon General released his office’s latest warning: parenting may be harmful to your mental health.

SEPTEMBER 2024

Following being fired by Colorado Public Radio (see March), journalist Vic Vela announced he suffered a relapse and was fired from his new position with New Mexico PBS.
Former Denver Broncos star Shannon Sharpe accidentally livestreamed a video on Instagram of him having sex.
Rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs was arrested, charged with activities including sex trafficking, forced labor, interstate transportation for purposes of prostitution, drug offenses, kidnapping, arson, bribery and obstruction of justice.
Boar’s Head‘s listeria-contaminated deli meats killed 10 people and drove the company’s CEO into hiding.

OCTOBER 2024

Jonathan Davis, a self-styled food influencer who runs The Denver Foodie social media accounts, was accused of taking hundreds of dollars from small restaurants and then failing to profile them.
One person died and 12 people were stranded 1,000 feet underground at a Colorado gold mine when an elevator malfunctioned.
TD Bank was hit with a record $3 billion fine from federal regulators for, among other things, laundering money for drug cartels.
Bath & Body Works apologized for its “Snowed In” scented candle whose design looked suspiciously like a KKK hood.
A Mesa County resident died and 26 other Coloradans were sickened by an E. coli outbreak linked to McDonald’s restaurants.
Former Denver Broncos QB and reality TV star Jay Cutler was arrested in Tennessee and charged with driving under the influence, possession of a handgun while under the influence and failure to exercise due care to avoid a collision.

NOVEMBER 2024

Mattel apologized for printing the URL of a porn site on the packaging of its line of dolls for the movie “Wicked.” Mattel may be a toy manufacturer, but it doesn’t make those kind of toys, and it intended instead to drive consumers to the website for the movie.
A Russian court fined Google $20,604,600,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 (that’s $20.6 decillion for you math nerds). The fine, for allegedly blocking access to Russian media outlets, literally exceeds all the money on Earth.
UCHealth agreed to pay $23 million to settle claims that it systemically over-billed the federal government for care.
The University of Denver disclosed it was cutting jobs and tightening its budget amid an $11 million budget deficit. Officials cite decreasing enrollment as the cause.
Kraft Mac & Cheese inexplicably launched a new flavor – Everything Bagel.

DECEMBER 2024

Edelman announced it is laying off 330 employees as it navigates what it expects to be an 8% decline in revenue in 2024.
The CEO of UnitedHealthcare was shot and killed while arriving at an investor conference Manhattan. After a five-day manhunt, the alleged shooter is found in Altoona, Pa. wearing essentially the same clothes and mask, and still carrying the murder weapon. DB Cooper, he is not.
The Morrison Police Department, most known for running the most brazen speed traps in the state, has disbanded.
Albertsons officially ended its merger agreement with Kroger after federal and state rulings against it, ending what would have been the largest supermarket acquisition in U.S. history. Albertsons then sued Kroger for breach of contract and accused it of failing to exercise its “best efforts” to get regulatory approval.
Consulting firm McKinsey & Co. will pay $650 million to resolve a U.S. DOJ investigation into its work advising opioid manufacturer Purdue Pharma on how to boost sales.

Who Had the Worst Week?

November 22, 2024 ~ Jeremy Story ~ Leave a comment

Colorado Rockies third baseman Kris Bryant had his Lamborghini stolen as part of an elaborate ruse involving the shipping company with whom he contracted to move it to his home in Las Vegas during the offseason. Lamborghinis are expensive and break down a lot, so it is the perfect car for Bryant.
Netflix has been hit with a $50 million class-action lawsuit related to its botched streaming of the Mike Tyson-Jake Paul boxing match. Netflix claims 60 million people watched, but many of those experienced significant buffering delays or were kicked out of the stream entirely, judging by viewers’ reactions on social media. Netflix’s next concern: it is scheduled to stream two NFL games on Christmas Day.
Denver is canceling the city’s long-running Five Points Jazz Festival, citing what city officials say are changing neighborhood needs and rising production costs.
A 10-year-old girl in Arizona sold her prize chickens in the county fair for $2,100, but Chase Bank confiscated the funds and refused to give them back to her because the phone number of the county fair association that wrote the check was no longer in service.
Colorado Springs is bracing for the loss of the headquarters of the U.S. Space Command when the Trump Administration resumes in January.
Guy Fieri and Sammy Hagar – two men who apparently bonded over their love of alcohol and hair dye – had $1 million-worth of their Santo Spirits tequila hijacked as it crossed the Mexico–U.S. border.
The Associated Press plans to cut its staff by 8 percent in a move that will impact both news and business employees.
DirecTV is canceling its agreement to buy Denver‘s Dish Network after Dish bondholders refused to agree to a debt exchange that was part of the acquisition. The collapse of the deal leaves Dish with an uncertain future.
The Denver-based data center company Cologix has acquired 154 acres in Johnstown and plans to invest $7 billion to build an AI-ready data center campus. Unfortunately for Colorado, this Johnstown is in Ohio.
A frustrated Douglas County school bus driver dropped 40 kids off mid-route after they refused to comply with his demands to sit down and remain quiet.
The Boulder Daily Camera may need to rename itself the Boulder County Daily Camera. It has moved its offices from Boulder to Longmont in what is apparently yet another cost-cutting move.
A conceptual piece of art – literally a store-bought banana duct taped to a wall – sold for $6.2 million in an auction hosted by Sothebys.

Who won the week?

Outside magazine released its annual list of the Best Places to Work, and it included GFM|CenterTable (#5), TDA_Boulder (#9), Turner PR (#19), Fortnight Collective (#24) and Cactus (#44). Twenty of the 50 companies recognized are from Colorado, and this is GFM|CenterTable’s 12th straight year appearing in the Top 10.
Cori Keeton Pope and the team at Keeton Public Relations are celebrating the firm’s 20th anniversary.
9News reporter Kelly Reinke, wife of fellow 9News reporter/anchor Marc Sallinger, announced she is leaving the station effective today. She has not yet shared yet where she is headed.
The University of Colorado announced it is launching a new line of apparel honoring Peggy Coppom, the team’s 100-year-old super fan.
University of Connecticut women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma now holds the record for most NCAA Division 1 wins with 1,217. For good measure, he also owns a number of other records with his 11 national championships, 23 Final Fours, six undefeated seasons and 111 wins in a row.

Who Had the Worst Week?

October 18, 2024November 11, 2024 ~ Jeremy Story ~ Leave a comment

Tennis great Serena Williams had a grapefruit-sized cyst removed from her neck. Tests confirmed that it was not cancerous.
Thieves have stolen $110,000 worth of copper from RTD track signals, switches and rail crossings since April, actions that have caused significant disruptions to train service.
Bath & Body Works has apologized for its “Snowed In” scented candle whose design looks suspiciously like a KKK hood.
Former Canadian Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding is wanted by the FBI in connection with charges that he ran a drug trafficking ring that shipped vast amounts of cocaine across the Americas and killed several people. I guess Shaun White isn’t the most entrepreneurial snowboarder after all.
El Paso County leads the state in a bizarre demographic trend: It has more men than women, with 103.5 men for every 100 women. Denver isn’t far behind at 101.8 men per 100 women, leaving many to wonder—where are all the women?
Wimbledon is ditching human line judges and replacing them with the high-tech Hawk-Eye system. That’s 300 temporary workers out of a job as the tournament fully embraces the future of electronic line calls.
The headquarters for the Mountain West conference will leave Colorado Springs for Las Vegas as soon as its current lease expires.
The precision of meteorologists’ forecasts for where hurricanes will make landfall has some conspiracy theorists convinced the meteorologists are directing where they hit. Relatedly, MLB‘s Tampa Bay Rays will not be able to open the 2025 season at home at Tropicana Field because of extensive damage caused by Hurricane Milton. That is, of course, all Al Roker‘s fault.
Germany‘s Lufthansa Airlines was fined a record $4 million for discriminating against Jewish passengers who were wearing traditional Orthodox clothing.
Former One Direction singer Liam Payne died after falling from a third floor window at a hotel in Argentina. Meanwhile, after intense criticism TMZ quickly removed a partial photo it said was of Payne’s body following the fall.
The Archdiocese of Los Angeles has agreed to pay $880 million to 1,300 people who say they were sexually abused by Catholic priests. The payment brings the L.A. archdiocese’s total payments for abuses to more than $1.5 billion.
Boeing plans to lay off 17,000 workers and take $5 billion in charges. Those actions follow a crippling labor strike and continued quality issues that date back years.
Chess scandal! Grandmaster Kirill Shevchenko was booted from a tournament in Spain after he was accused of using a cell phone in a bathroom to get help from a computer program.
High cocoa prices, combined with a growing preference among Millennial and Gen Z consumers for chewy and sour treats, will make Halloween hand-outs look different this year.
The press release is dead. Long live the press release. Bonus press release news: the terms “thrilled” and “cutting edge” in press releases may have peaked in 2023.

Who won the week?

Erin Rist has accepted the position as Director of Marketing and Development at BGOLDN.
Denver‘s Turner PR been reappointed as the PR agency of record for the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism.
Publicis Groupe, which owns PR agencies MSL and Kekst CNC, saw organic revenue increase 5.8% in Q3. And Omnicom Group increased its organic revenue 4.3% in Q3.
Ent Credit Union has signed Denver Broncos QB Bo Nix and KOA NewsRadio announcer Dave Logan as brand ambassadors.
Recently retired Colorado Rockies star Charlie Blackmon didn’t waste any time getting out of Colorado. He and his family have relocated to Atlanta and his home in the Belcaro neighborhood is now listed for $4.3 million.
We are seven weeks into the NFL season, and the Denver Broncos have a winning record.

Who Had the Worst Week?

September 27, 2024 ~ Jeremy Story ~ Leave a comment

Boar’s Head‘s new line of listeria-flavored deli meats has now killed 10 people and driven the company’s CEO into hiding.
Two of the nation’s five most expensive “micropolitan” areas – those with 10,000 to 50,000 residents – are in Colorado: Breckenridge and Steamboat Springs.
The electronic surveillance systems CDOT uses to monitor toll lanes generated more than $57 million in fines over the past year, but some drivers who try to dispute what they say are unfair or inaccurate tickets have found the appeals process to be something straight out of Russia.
CNN will introduce a subscription paywall starting in October. Let’s hope it goes better than its CNN+ streaming service that blew through $300 million before being shut down just a month after it launched.
Telluride ended its perk that allows people aged 80 or older to ski for free. Said Corina Gordon, who has launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise money to buy passes for octogenarian skiers, “I mean, come on, how many 80-plus skiers use these passes? I’m guessing 15.”
Meanwhile, Vail Resorts plans to cut 14% of its corporate staff after posting a $175 million Q4 loss.
If you are nostalgic for the 1970s, good news! A debate over fluoride in public drinking water is simmering again.
The UNLV football team has gotten off to a 3-0 start, but star quarterback Matthew Sluka abruptly left the team last week after it failed to deliver the $100,000 in NIL money he was allegedly promised.
Longtime Colorado Rockies outfielder Charlie Blackmon – known as much for his homeless-chic beard and “Your Love” walk-up song as for his baseball prowess – announced he will retire after this season.
Colorado again leads the country in percentage of residents who use cocaine.
Coca-Cola has withdrawn its highly touted “Spiced” flavor just six months after its introduction.
China launched its newest nuclear submarine, and it promptly sank.
Since leaving the Denver Broncos as the team’s GM, former QB John Elway apparently has been reduced to hitting the reality TV circuit. He was the first contestant eliminated on this season’s “The Masked Singer.”
Reporter Anna Wolfe won a Pulitzer Prize for exposing an $80 million welfare fraud scandal in Mississippi that involved Hall of Fame QB and native son Brett Favre. She now faces potential jail time for refusing to divulge her sources to a judge.
When the baseball regular season ends this weekend, the city of Oakland – known as Titletown in the 1970s thanks to championships from the Raiders, A’s and Warriors – will be without a single major professional sports team.

Who won the week?

Jamie Duklas is now VP of Digital at Margle Media.
Julie Wagoner has taken the position of digital marketing director at Presidio.
CBS4 GM Tim Wieland has been promoted to regional GM and will oversee stations in Denver and Los Angeles.
For five years, a carriage dispute with Comcast has prevented most Coloradans from watching Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche games. This week, however, the teams’ owner introduced a streaming service that will make games available to anyone willing to pay $19.95 per month,
Tamra Ryan announced she will step down as CEO of the Women’s Bean Project after 21 years with the organization.
Dan Haley, the CEO of the Colorado Oil & Gas Association, will step down after nine years when a replacement is found.
Three Colorado restaurants – Sắp Sửa and Yuan Wonton, both in Denver, and Pagosa Springs‘ Meander Riverside Eatery – made the list of The New York Times‘ 50 best restaurants.
ESPN and Aspen Snowmass announced that the Winter X Games will return to the mountain resort in 2025.
Twelve years later, U.S. Olympian Shannon Rowbury will receive a bronze medal for the 2012 London Olympics after three of the five participants who finished ahead of her were officially disqualified due to doping. The 2012 women’s 1,500 track event is considered one of the dirtiest races in Olympics history, with five of the 13 participants ultimately disqualified for violating doping rules.

Who Had the Worst Week?

September 20, 2024 ~ Jeremy Story ~ Leave a comment

The Wall Street Journal ranked colleges nationally, and the Colorado results were … interesting? Colorado School of Mines led the state rankings, which is plausible, but then Colorado College was ranked lower than the University of Colorado Denver and Colorado State University.
Search and rescue officials made the “agonizing” and “gut-wrenching” decision not to try to retrieve the body of a 31-year-old Colorado man who died climbing Arikaree Peak. Teams made two attempts to retrieve his body but determined it couldn’t be attempted safely.
Former longtime 9News investigative reporter Ward Lucas passed away at the age of 75. And Jim Green, the musician and sound artist who created the iconic jingle on the Denver International Airport trains, passed away, also at the age of 75.
It was a tough week for musicians:
- A fight broke out on-stage at a Jane’s Addiction concert when lead singer Perry Farrell became enraged and threw a punch at guitarist Dave Navarro. Crew members had to break up the fight, and the band has now canceled the rest of the tour.
- Rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs has been arrested, charged with activities including sex trafficking, forced labor, interstate transportation for purposes of prostitution, drug offenses, kidnapping, arson, bribery and obstruction of justice.
Zimbabwe announced plans to kill about 200 elephants to feed communities facing severe hunger after the worst drought in four decades.
The latest profession to be squeezed financially? Oscar-winning Hollywood producers. Meanwhile, you think your job is tough? X just hired a new head of global marketing.
Amazon has told all its employees to be back in the office five days a week. Some staff have speculated that the demand is an attempt to conduct a layoff without actually having to fire people.
Home Depot has agreed to pay a $2 million fine for false advertising.
River otters look pretty cute, but don’t believe the hype. One attacked a young child in the Seattle area, biting them on the head and briefly dragging them underwater. The child’s mother came to the rescue.
The Denver Broncos are 0-2, and the oddsmakers’ predictions of only 4-5 wins is starting to look optimistic.
A news anchor running for mayor of São Paulo, Brazil, threw his chair at his opponent during a live television debate.

Who won the week?

Boulder is now one of three finalists to play host to the Sundance Film Festival.
Casa Bonita ended its formal lottery for reservations and transitioned to an informal lottery. On the first day anyone could make a reservation, more than 50,000 wannabe diners fought for about 60 days’ worth of slots.

Who Had the Worst Week?

July 19, 2024 ~ Jeremy Story ~ Leave a comment

Former Denver Bronco and Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Terrell Davis was handcuffed and removed from a United Airlines flight by FBI agents after a flight attendant alleged Davis hit him. Davis said he and witnesses to the incident were left confused because he simply tapped a flight attendant’s arm to ask for ice.
Colorado native Ingrid Andress was the buzz of social media after she butchered the national anthem at the MLB Home Run Derby in a performance that made people nostalgic for Roseanne Barr‘s version. Afterward, Andress acknowledged being drunk and said that she had made the decision to enter rehab.
Denver Nuggets first-round draft pick DaRon Holmes II tore his Achilles tendon during his first NBA Summer League game. He is expected to miss the 2024-25 season.
Colorado is the fourth most expensive state for home insurance — a metric that reflects the state’s propensity for hail and wildfires.
Russia sentenced Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich to 16 years in prison following a very short sham trial. The surprisingly quick nature of the trial led some to speculate that a prisoner swap is being negotiated between Russia and the U.S.
A global data network outage related to Microsoft and the cybersecurity firm Crowdstrike has shut down everything from airlines to banks to media companies to 911 service. Not the Denver PR Blog, however. We only use time-tested technologies such as AOL dial-up internet service and Netscape browsers.
Facebook parent company Meta is walking away from half of its office space in downtown Denver. The tech giant originally had about 40,000 square feet in the Union Station building located at 1900 16th St.
Investment company BlackRock has pulled a two-year-old viral online ad that coincidentally included footage of Thomas Crooks, the man who was killed while trying to assassinate former President Donald Trump.
Actor Kevin Costner‘s second western-themed “Horizon” movie has been cancelled after the first installment fizzled at the box office.
Colorado mortgage holders lead the nation when it comes to average locked-in interest rate vs. the current interest rate. Coloradans who have mortgages average a 3.8% interest rate compared to the 7.25% rate today. That difference, known in the industry as “golden handcuffs,” creates a strong disincentive to sell.
The Hard Rock Stadium in Miami failed its off-Broadway test as one of the sites for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Hosting the final of the 2024 Copa America tournament last weekend, the stadium and its security teams were overrun by Colombia and Argentina fans, forcing the venue to close and lock its gates to try to regroup.
Actress Shannen Doherty, star of the 1990s iconic TV show “Beverly Hills, 90201,” passed away at the age of 53 following a series of battles with cancer.
A 19-year-old member of the Japan women’s artistic gymnastics team headed to the Paris Olympics has been booted off the team after she was caught smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol. If that’s the standard, expect the U.S. Mens Basketball Team to be replaced by the BYU men’s team.
Pity the Hamptons elite during this summer’s social season. Many are expressing frustration at the dress codes shared for parties that include things like “red carpet royal core,” “garden party retro” and “Nancy Meyers Meets Wyoming.”
Three Colorado newspapers – the Lamar Ledger, the Burlington Record and the (Springfield) Plainsman Herald – announced they are shutting down.
It turns out Hello Kitty is not actually a cat, according to its creators.
Want to buy a house in Aspen? Good luck. The Colorado Sun reports that the price-per-square-foot of real estate in the first half of the year averaged $3,427. That means a million-dollar budget would get you … 291 square feet of living space.

Who won the week?

GBSM promoted Lauren Seibert to Vice President of People and Strategy and Emma Harrison to Senior Associate.
PRSA Colorado is hosting an “Influencer Mix & Mingle” event at 5:30 pm on Wed., July 24, at The Night Owls Bar at Colorado Mills in Lakewood.
VISIT DENVER announced that our city set an all-time record for tourism in 2023. Denver attracted 37.4 million domestic tourists who spent $10.3 billion in the metropolitan area.
Boulder‘s Safehouse Progressive Alliance for Nonviolence shelter for domestic violence victims will soon accept pets. Research shows many survivors wait longer to leave abusive situations if they can’t take their pets with them.
The Paris Olympics have not started yet, but Mongolia seems to have already won the unofficial gold medal for their uniforms.
An extremely rare orange lobster is now living its best life at Denver‘s Downtown Aquarium after it was mistakenly included in a shipment to a Red Lobster restaurant in Pueblo.

Who Had the Worst Week?

July 12, 2024 ~ Jeremy Story ~ Leave a comment

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.

Who Had the Worst Week?

May 17, 2024 ~ Jeremy Story ~ Leave a comment

Vail has cancelled the residency of Native American artist Danielle SeeWalker because one of her unrelated paintings, “G is for Genocide,” commented on the war in Gaza.
Two young Black girls spoke during the public comment session of a Denver City Council meeting to ask for financial support for their elementary school, but they were quickly cut off by an anonymous voice on the Zoom livestream who shouted “go back to f–king Africa,” followed by a series of even worse racial slurs.
Online dating app Bumble has removed ads that featured the tagline “A vow of celibacy is not the answer” after a backlash from users.
It was quite a week in the sports world:
- Novak Djokovic, the world’s No. 1 ranked tennis player, was hit in the head by a metal water bottle that slipped out of the backpack of a fan leaning over the stands seeking an autograph. Djokovic jokingly wore a bicycle helmet when he returned to the stadium.
- Meanwhile, Scottie Scheffler, the world’s No. 1 ranked golfer, was arrested outside the PGA Championship golf tournament after trying to drive through a police barricade in an effort to make his tee time.
- Colorado Avalanche forward Valeri Nichushkin has been suspended six months and re-entered the NHL‘s Player Assistance Program. It is the second year in a row that Nichushkin has left the team in the middle of the playoffs due to personal issues.
- Being a Denver Nuggets fan is a roller coaster ride right now. The team lost its first two games in its playoff series with the Minnesota Timberwolves and looked like they were finished. Then the Nuggets won three straight games and looked unbeatable. And last night they were blown out again, forcing a winner-take-all seventh game Sunday to determine who goes to the Western Conference finals.
- Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker gave a commencement speech that went viral for all the wrong reasons. Even the NFL issued a statement distancing itself from his comments that Pride Month is a “deadly sin” and that women would be more fulfilled at home raising children than in the workplace.
- The NFL released its 2024 schedule, and The Denver Post expects the Denver Broncos to win only six or seven of their 17 games.
- If you want to watch Christmas Day NFL games this year, you’ll need to sign up for Netflix.
Denver civil rights attorney Mari Newman acted unethically and must reduce the fee she is trying to collect from Elijah McClain’s family by more than $2 million, a Colorado appeals court ruled.
Climatologists are predicting a potentially record-breaking hurricane season this year due to record high temperatures in the North Atlantic waters.
Actors Sharon Stone and Liam Neeson are publicly supporting their colleague Kevin Spacey as he attempts to return to acting following numerous accusations of sexual misconduct. Stone and Neeson may want to ask Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis what the downsides of publicly supporting an alleged sexual predator are.
1,500 applicants to Georgia State University mistakenly received acceptance emails.
Astronomers say infrared heat signatures from about 60 stars obtained from newly developed detection technologies could point to signs of advanced alien civilizations. You can stream “Independence Day” to see how that turns out.
Looking for a silver lining to the whole “aliens are going to destroy earth” thing? It could be that the scientists are wrong. It turns out that a wave of retracted articles in academic journals is roiling the scientific community.
A presumably white Superior Court judge In Indiana ruled that tacos and burritos are “Mexican-style sandwiches.”
9News mountain reporter Matt Renoux is recovering from surgery for thyroid cancer.
Former Denver Post police reporter Marilyn Robinson passed away.

Who won the week?

Former Denver Post reporter Sara Hindi has been named senior communications manager at the Colorado Trust.
I’m not sure what got into the woeful Colorado Rockies, but the team that had won only eight games all season suddenly went on a seven-game winning streak. They are now 15-28 and in last place in the NL West.
The Colorado Springs Independent has officially relaunched.
Women now lead 45.8% of global offices of the world’s biggest PR firms, according to a survey by PR Week. That is a 3.6% increase over the prior year.
The 150-year-old Colorado School for the Deaf has hired its first deaf superintendent.
Skateboarders at the Denver Skate Park downtown were surprised to see the legendary Tony Hawk drop in. He apparently was in town for his son’s graduation from the University of Colorado Boulder, and he spent a couple of hours signing autographs and giving tips to young skateboarders.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average topped 40,000 for the first time.

Who Had the Worst Week?

March 1, 2024 ~ Jeremy Story ~ Leave a comment

Edelman, the world’s largest independent public relations firm, posted a 9.7% drop in revenue in the U.S. in 2023 and a 3.7% decrease globally.
The Denver Nuggets were rated as having the least fan-friendly arena in the NBA for food. The survey found that Ball Arena has few concession stands, hot dogs that cost $6.50 and beer that runs nearly $1 per ounce.
AT&T is giving wireless customers a one-time $5 credit after its massive network outage last week.
WeightWatchers’ stock dropped 25% after Oprah announced she was leaving the company’s board of directors.
An Irish woman lost her $820,000 injury claim after a picture emerged of her winning a contest to see who could toss a Christmas tree the farthest.
Wendy’s tried to introduce something it called “dynamic pricing,” but it wasn’t ready for the backlash from consumers who rebranded it “surge pricing.”
The FAA has given Boeing 90 days to develop a plan to address “systemic quality-control issues.”
A Houston man who goes by “Christopher” discovered that his legal first name is “Infant” thanks to a mistake with his birth certificate 23 years ago. He tried to change the name, but it requires a notarized form and must first show ID with “Infant” listed as his first name, which he does not have.
Experts say that Mexico City may just be months away from a severe water crisis. The city has depleted its underground aquifers at such a high rate that the city is sinking by around 20 inches per year.
Denver7 parent company Scripps saw its stock drop below $4 this week, setting yet another 52-week low. Meanwhile, 9News parent company Tegna also hit a 52-week low after it reported a 21% drop in Q4 year-over-year revenue.
Colorado State has unceremoniously dumped Athletic Director Joe Parker, an apparent victim of the football’s team’s lack of success. He has been replaced by John Weber, the head of the school’s NIL collective.
Jefferson County is considering closing Lookout Mountain Road – the Lombard Street of Colorado – due to a rash of “robberies, felony assaults, overdose deaths, stolen vehicles, sex assaults, pass-outs behind the wheel, minors in possession, (and) suicides.”
Madonna removed Luther Vandross from a tribute to artists who died from AIDS-related complications after his family notified her that Vandross died from a stroke and never was diagnosed with AIDS. The tribute is a regular part of Madonna’s concerts.
You’d think alcohol sales would be the root of unruly fan behavior, but Philadelphia Phillies executives have identified a different culprit – $1 hot dog night. Apparently many (drunk?) fans buy the aerodynamic projectiles just to throw them on the field. That the Phillies are banning cheap hot dogs and not beer tells you everything you need to know about the margins on beer sales.
Former 104.3 The Fan program director Raj Sharan has taken a job as the promotions director and afternoon-drive DJ at Colorado Springs‘ Cat Country 95.1. The only catch – for the country station, he will go by the name “Roger Sharan.”

So, who won the week?

Fox31/KWGN Assistant News Director Linda Kicak has been named news director at 9News. She replaces Tim Ryan.
“Dry January” helped lead to a spike in sales of nonalcoholic beers in Denver.
Two years ago, professional golfer Jake Knapp had to also work as a bouncer to make ends meet. This week, he won the PGA Tour’s Mexico Open and the $1.5 million that goes with it.
IHOP has introduced a Girl Scouts Thin Mint pancake.
The satirical French newspaper La Bougie du Sapeur is rarer than Punxsutawney Phil – it is only published every four years on Leap Day. The 2023 edition appeared this week covering news events of the past four years.

Who Had the Worst Week?

January 26, 2024 ~ Jeremy Story ~ Leave a comment

Vogue released its 2024 list of best Denver restaurants, which is great. One of its selections, Populist, closed in 2019, however, which is not. I expect Racines to be on next year’s list.
AI-generated fake photographs of a “nude” Taylor Swift spread across the internet this week. The silver lining: it may spur federal legislation making the creation and dissemination of deepfake images illegal.
Gov. Jared Polis claims he wants a high-speed transportation option to connect Denver and Colorado Springs, but when a motorcyclist posted a video showing him making the commute in just 20 minutes (he was, at times, traveling 180 mph), the Colorado State Patrol issued an arrest warrant.
CDOT has made $4 million so far from the cameras that identify drivers illegally weaving in or out of carpool lanes. I expect potholes to now be fixed faster, CDOT.
Speaking of CDOT, thoughts and prayers to I-70 this weekend. It is that time of year when the Aspen X Games, the Breckenridge International Snow Sculpture Championship and the Freestyle Competition in Vail all happen on the same weekend.
Tesla lost about $80 billion in market cap this week after its Q4 2023 earnings disappointed analysts. CEO Elon Musk didn’t help much when his earnings conference call was described by analysts as a “train wreck.”
Thefts from online payment apps such as Venmo, Cash App, PayPal and Zelle are “skyrocketing.”
Director Greta Gerwig and lead actress Margot Robbie – the driving forces behind the billion-dollar “Barbie” movie – did not receive Oscar nominations for their work while actor Ryan Gosling did for his portrayal of Ken. That, some say, “kind of proves the point of the movie, that the patriarchy is still with us.”
Denver-based VF Corp. – parent company of brands such as Vans, The North Face, Timberland and Dickies – had personal information for 35.5 million customers stolen by cyber criminals.
Atomic scientists are keeping the “Doomsday Clock” at 90 seconds to midnight – as close to midnight as ever – as conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza drive the risk of global catastrophe.
Former WWE CEO and current board member Vince McMahon has been sued for allegedly engaging in human trafficking.
The L.A. Times “has been thrown into a state of mayhem as it laid off 115 positions – about 20% of its newsroom. Said one staffer, “I cannot overstate the level of chaos.”
Speaking of layoffs, those in the tech industry continue. This week, eBay announced plans to lay off 1,000 employees, SAP 8,000 employees, and Microsoft, 1,900 employees. Those cuts follow recent ones from Amazon, Google, Twitch and Audible and TikTok.
The CEO of Kyte Baby, a manufacturer of infant clothing, has now had to apologize twice for refusing to allow an employee to work remotely from a NICU where the employee’s newborn was being treated. The first apology was immediately shouted down for being robotic and insincere.
The CEOs of Alaska Airlines, United Airlines and American Airlines are all expressing frustration and anger at Boeing’s ongoing quality-control problems. That’s not exactly a recipe for Boeing getting past this quickly.
Closing retailer H&M has removed and apologized for a school uniform ad that critics said sexualized children.
Beloved University of Colorado and Denver Broncos announcer Larry Zimmer passed away. He was 88.

So, who won the week?

Former Colorado Rockies star Todd Helton was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Kelly Brough, the former president and CEO of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, has been named a policy fellow at the Common Sense Institute.
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson cut a $30 million promotional deal with the newly combined WWE and UFC that will see him also join as a member of its board of directors.
A family-run butcher shop in Japan has a 43-year waitlist for its Kobe beef croquettes.

Who Had the Worst Week?

January 12, 2024 ~ Jeremy Story ~ Leave a comment

The Boeing 737 Max has become the Ford Pinto of jets. The aircraft faced a global grounding for 20 months starting in 2019 due to malfunctions in its flight control system, leading to two fatal crashes that claimed 346 lives. This week, it has been grounded again after a side door plug blew out mid-flight on an Alaska Airlines jet.
A Texas man accused of shoplifting filed a handwritten lawsuit against Walmart demanding either $100 million or “unlimited lifetime free shopping” at the store.
There are a lot of talented reporters in Denver, but I have never used regional Emmy award wins as a measure for who is among the best. The number of reporters, both great and average, who have more than a dozen of the things speaks to how liberally they hand them out. That belief was further confirmed this week when ESPN acknowledged submitting fake names to the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) to obtain more than 30 fraudulent Emmy awards for members of its “College GameDay” show who were technically ineligible. ESPN then re-engraved the Emmys with actual names and gave them to the employees.
Frigid weather has caused more than 10,000 flight delays today across the country.
The National Association of Realtors is a bit of a dumpster fire at the moment. CEO Tracy Kasper abruptly resigned this week after allegedly receiving a blackmail threat, five months after her predecessor resigned after being accused of sexual harassment.
The Wall Street Journal reported concerns among leaders and board members at Tesla and SpaceX regarding alleged illegal drug use by CEO Elon Musk. The mercurial CEO responded in part with a couple of statements, including “Whatever I am doing, I should obviously keep doing it” and “If drugs actually helped improve my net productivity over time, I would definitely take them.”
It will be 78 degrees in Miami this weekend, but weather forecasters are predicting 0-degree weather with a negative 30-degree wind chill for Saturday’s Kansas City Chiefs–Miami Dolphins playoff game in Kansas City.
Some members of the Gambian national soccer team passed out mid-flight on their way to an Africa Cup of Nations tournament when the oxygen supply on their Air Cote d’Ivoire flight failed. Said the team’s coach, “I am ready to die for Gambia, but on the football pitch, not off it. I had short dreams where my life passed, I had moments where I thought I was dying.”
Quote of the week: “I am not trying to villainize my mom,” uttered by Denver restaurateur Frank Schultz as he attempted to villainize his mom in court regarding a lawsuit about the finances of his company, Tavern Hospitality Group. Schultz’s mom handled the company’s financial accounts.
Disgraced former Denver Public Schools board member Auon’tai Anderson first chose not to run for school board re-election because polls showed him with the support of only 9% of voters. Then he announced he would instead run for a state house seat. Well, it turns out those voters also recognized his name, and he has now dropped out of that race as well. And now he has founded an education nonprofit, but of course there is already an issue: 9News reported that “the nonprofit is not currently recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)3 nonprofit, which would allow for tax-deductible contributions while requiring more financial transparency and conflict of interest protections.”
Even winners at this year’s Golden Globes weren’t aware of who is behind the awards. Many thanked the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, a now-defunct organization that had been heavily criticized over the past few years for a lack of diversity, transparency and competency. It turns out that Dick Clark Productions actually owns the Golden Globes, having acquired the brand earlier this year.

So, who won the week?

CPR‘s Vic Vela is leaving the station and will announce some “big news” soon.
Colorado News Collaborative‘s Susan Greene will serve as the Israel-based correspondent for The Forward for the next six months.
Kelly Reinke has been named the crime and justice investigative reporter at 9NEWS.
PRSA Colorado is hosting a Happy Hour event on Thursday, Jan. 18, at the Ship Tavern at the Brown Palace.
Among those hiring for PR jobs this week are McWhinney, Ball Corp., Office of Gov. Jared Polis, Denver Dumb Friends League, Colorado Rockies, City of Denver, Aurora Higher Education Center, DIA, Engineers Without Borders, Craig Hospital, MSU Denver, DaVita, MSU Denver and Regis Jesuit.
A University of Colorado study found that cannabis can motivate users to exercise. Researchers did note that the drug is not a performance enhancer and actually impairs performance, even if it increases motivation.