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A Jersey shorebird faces possible extinction; Sports bars want to get in on the betting action | Morning Newsletter

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The saltmarsh sparrow, Ammospiza caudacutus, is found on coastal marshes across the East coast, but is in danger of going extinct.
The saltmarsh sparrow, Ammospiza caudacutus, is found on coastal marshes across the East coast, but is in danger of going extinct.Read moreGetty Images
    by Josh Rosenblat
    Published 

    The Morning Newsletter

    Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter

The Birds struggled to hold off the Lions yesterday, falling to 1-2 on the season. And, in New Jersey, a different kind of bird is trying to stave off something much more serious: extinction. Climate change and predators have put a Jersey shorebird at risk.

— Josh Rosenblat (@joshrosenblat, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

Climate change + predatory rats = possible extinction for a Jersey shorebird

University of Delaware researchers have found that, because of flooding, habitat destruction, and predators, one of New Jersey’s most extraordinary birds could go extinct. While the saltmarsh sparrow is similar in size to house sparrows found throughout the country, this specific type is found only on the Atlantic Coast.

Climate change has begun to change the birds’ habitat and increased development along the Shore has brought new predators — such as rats — into the fold.

Corner bars want a piece of the action as sports betting moves out of the shadows

“Hey, bartender. Can I see a draft list ... and today’s sports betting odds?"

With sports betting — especially mobile wagering — booming in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, local bars don’t want to miss out on any action. In short, they want to morph into virtual sportsbooks. Already, big bar chains such as Buffalo Wild Wings have struck deals to stream betting odds into their establishments.

What you need to know today

  1. 🦅 vs. 🦁 recap: “In short, this was as bad of a loss as a team like the Eagles can suffer when the days are still long and the sun is still burning bright," columnist David Murphy writes.

  2. N.J. Sen. Cory Booker made a dramatic appeal to Democratic donors this weekend, telling them he is in danger of dropping out of the presidential race.

  3. This week, the Roman Catholic archbishop of Philadelphia Charles J. Chaput turns 75. And that means he’s obligated to offer his resignation.

  4. A dangerous and mosquito-borne brain disease has been detected in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

  5. Getting REAL ID cards could be tough for seniors. But changes to the application process could be on their way.

Through Your Eyes | #OurPhilly

A book is always better on a park bench. Nice picture, @yellaphant.

Tag your Instagram posts or tweets with #OurPhilly and we’ll pick our favorite each day to feature in this newsletter and give you a shout out!

That’s Interesting

  1. ICYMI: Here are the 10 most Philly things we saw during the opening of the Fashion District Philadelphia.

  2. The first show at the new City Winery will feature a Grammy lifetime achievement winner.

  3. A 24-year-old African-American woman has been tapped to be the first coach of Arcadia University’s new women’s ice-hockey program. Kelsey Koelzer is a former top draft pick in the National Women’s Hockey League and her team will start play beginning in the 2021-22 season.

  4. Three young Native American girls were among 456 Oneida students who forcibly left the Wisconsin reservation to go to the Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Pennsylvania around the turn of the 20th century. Their bodies were returned to the Oneida Reservation, a community that is still healing.

  5. Just before a Philadelphia Orchestra musician died in 2016, he donated his instrument to the Curtis Institute of Music. But he also donated a small sailboat to the Seaport Museum that he was in the middle of restoring. His friends came through to finish the job.

Opinions

“We out here in the 'burbs know the place has been getting jampacked in recent years with formerly hip Philly-ites. Thank you, Pew, for telling the rest of the world. Maybe now Pew can examine the implications of having so many city bodies scrambling for suburban real estate.” — Columnist Maria Panaritis writes about a recent study that cited reasons why so many people are leaving Philadelphia for the suburbs.

  1. The Inquirer turned to researchers and health care experts to debate banning flavored e-cigarettes.

  2. Will the Fashion District succeed? The Inquirer Editorial Board says it could, but it needs something from Philadelphians.

What we’re reading

  1. Celebrities have seemingly made a habit of popping up in Philly. And we’re pretty chill about it, Philadelphia Magazine writes.

  2. The New York Times asks: Are millennials and Gen Z lazy? Or are they about to teach everyone the actual role work should play in our lives?

  3. Deadspin profiles two farmers from Kentucky who came to dominate a sport that never wanted them: croquet.

A Daily Dose of | The UpSide

Meet Twitcha, a new superhero with Tourette’s Syndrome. Created in part by a woman from Mantua, N.J., Twitcha uses her powers to stand up for others who are different, too.