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N.J. sportsbooks take aim at Vegas; Philly factories feel heat from China tariffs | Morning Newsletter

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Abel Robinson, left and Jay Kirkland both from West Philadelphia betting during the Sixers-Raptors game six at Super House Casino. Next Tuesday will be the one-year anniversary of the supreme court ruling legalizing sports betting, Thursday, May 9, 2019.
Abel Robinson, left and Jay Kirkland both from West Philadelphia betting during the Sixers-Raptors game six at Super House Casino. Next Tuesday will be the one-year anniversary of the supreme court ruling legalizing sports betting, Thursday, May 9, 2019.Read moreSTEVEN M. FALK / Staff Photographer

    The Morning Newsletter

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

This morning’s news is all about the money. New Jersey is making it after sports betting became legal, stock market investors are losing it in the trade war with China, and Philadelphia-area manufacturers are feeling the heat as the cost of parts and labor rise. Plus, Mayor Jim Kenney took on his two challengers — State Sen. Anthony Hardy Williams and former City Controller Alan Butkovitz — for an hour-long televised debate Monday night ahead of next week’s primary.

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— Oona Goodin-Smith (@oonagoodinsmith, morningnewsletter@philly.com)

It’s officially been a year since the Supreme Court overturned the federal ban on sports betting outside Nevada, and New Jersey has hit the jackpot.

While Nevada is still king when it comes to sports betting revenue, New Jersey is closing in on the crown, drawing customers from New York and Philadelphia to both its retail outlets, and more importantly, online. But the odds are likely the Garden State’s early success will tumble after New York legalizes sports betting and Pennsylvania adds mobile access.

Sports writer Ed Barkowitz takes stock of the sports betting scene one year after the Supreme Court’s decision.

As the Trump administration’s escalated tariffs on Chinese imports take hold, Philadelphia-area manufacturers are feeling the pain. In Warminster, low-cost Chinese parts have made Teikoku USA Inc.'s grocery and frozen-food pumps competitive in the market.

But as the cost of parts and labor rise, the company still faces a strong demand to produce, struggling to fill orders on time because it can’t find enough factory workers.

After China retaliated in the explosive trade war Monday, the stock market slid, and neither side appears like they’re ready to compromise.

When they do, however, it may be the Philadelphia Orchestra that entices the Chinese to do business in the City of Brotherly Love.

The controversial soda tax is paying off for five Philadelphia schools, Mayor Jim Kenney and Superintendent William Hite announced Monday.

The five schools joined a pool of 12 “community schools,” earning them extra resources from the city’s Office of Education.

A signature initiative of the Kenney administration, community schools each target a different focus, embedding social services and other supports inside Philadelphia School District buildings in an effort to remove barriers to learning.

What you need to know today

  1. Mayor Jim Kenney and his two primary challengers — State Sen. Anthony Hardy Williams and former City Controller Alan Butkovitz — faced off Monday in an hour-long televised debate. The three tackled issues varying from the sweetened beverage tax to supervised injection sites. One area where they could all find common ground? Supporting Philly’s “sanctuary city” policy. “I didn’t think that was going to happen tonight," Kenney said.

  2. Sen. Elizabeth Warren made her first Pennsylvania presidential campaign event stop in Northeast Philadelphia on Monday, promising a room of educators a pro-public school administration. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has announced a presidential campaign rally in Montoursville, Pa.

  3. The Phillies rallied last night after a diving catch from Bryce Harper — one manager Gabe Kapler labeled “sensational” — beating the Brewers, 7-4.

  4. Facing backlash, PATCO has halted its plans to cut back the number of trains and stations served late at night, saying it will instead review security issues along the line.

  5. After a judge denied a request to suppress his confession tapes, a jury will hear Sean Kratz tell investigators how he and Cosmo DiNardo murdered three young men on a Bucks County farm in July 2017.

  6. Actress and singer Doris Day, 97, the songbird who soared to screen stardom on a Technicolor sunbeam, died early Monday at her home in Carmel Valley, Calif.

Through Your Eyes | #OurPhilly

Filed under: “Perks of sitting in a window seat.” 🌇 Thanks for the photo, @travel_pel.

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. We’ll take “patience” for $1,000, Alex. Fans of reigning Jeopardy! champ James Holzhauer will have to wait another week for the professional sports gambler to return to the show.

  2. Can a video game really help you to get healthier? Drexel University researchers think so. According to them, Diet DASH may not only curb your sugar addiction, but help you to lose weight.

  3. Star chef Marc Vetri is taking his business to Philly’s Italian Market, and he’s bringing the character and tradition of century-old Fiorella Sausage with him.

  4. Russell “Dr. Brain Dude” Buono has been picking people’s brains for years — in addition to the cerebral matter of pigs, rats, and dolphins — and last week, the biologist encouraged the public to do the same.

Opinions

“City elections can signal a new chapter in the story of the city. While that’s not true of the somewhat sleepy mayor’s race, it certainly is of the race for seven at-large City Council seats. The highly-qualified field of 35 is notable for its youth, diversity, and direction, leaning decidedly progressive,” writes the Inquirer Editorial Board. Read its endorsements for city council at-large here.

  1. Are our newest teachers being adequately prepared for success in a Philadelphia classroom? The evidence seems to suggest they are not, writes Elliot Weinbaum, program director for William Penn Foundation’s Great Learning grant-making program.

  2. America’s criminal justice revolution can start with Philadelphia’s primary election and the vote to end cash bail, writes Vermont senator and 2020 presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders.

What we’re reading

  1. Has Philadelphia recovered from the MOVE bombing — where city officials dropped a bomb on a home on Osage Avenue in West Philly, killing 11 people including five children — 34 years ago? The only way to move past avoidance and numbing is to deal with the pain, writes Larry Platt for The Philadelphia Citizen.

  2. Sharing a wall and backyard leads some Northeast Philly duplex owners to mark their spaces in distinct and imaginative ways. The Washington Post’s In Sight blog depicts this “border in the backyard.”

  3. In this personal essay, Buzzfeed News showcases the rich, black culture of Southern hip-hop majorettes, the marching band front-liners recently highlighted in Beyonce’s Netflix concert film Homecoming, Lifetime’s Bring It! and more.

A Daily Dose of | History

As the nation’s birthplace, history is everywhere in Philadelphia. But how much of that dates back to the 1600s? Here’s where you can see 400-year-old buildings around the city.