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Stephen Stirling @sstirling.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Crazy satellite for a nor'easter. Are there clear skies on LBI as the 'eye' makes landfall?

Stephen Stirling @sstirling.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Winds have been howling at the coast. Tropical storm-force gusts from Delaware to Massachusetts. Peak so far is 74 mph in Surf City.

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Stephen Stirling @sstirling.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Wind gusts have peaked at 74 mph (Surf City) thus far as the nor'easter approaches the region.

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Stephen Stirling @sstirling.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Major flooding now occurring in Belmar as high tide approaches along the Jersey Shore. Locally, widespread structural damage becomes possible at this stage.

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Stephen Stirling @sstirling.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Tides are rising and expected to peak at major flood stage this morning up and down the Jersey coast. Stay safe out there.

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Stephen Stirling @sstirling.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Gonna be a long weekend at the Jersey Shore. Major flooding now predicted up and down the coast.

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Stephen Stirling @sstirling.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick's voting record has been a point of contention in his race for re-election, so we analyzed it. With @fallonroth.bsky.social www.inquirer.com/politics/nat...

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Stephen Stirling @sstirling.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

A lot of the people I see fondly remembering Reporter's Roundtable are reporters, and I think that's telling. I hope @njpbs.org can revitalize the idea in a way that's more inclusive of NJ's changing press corps and the audience they hope to reach.

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Stephen Stirling @sstirling.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

After legislators clamored for changes following a string of deaths along Route 55, Lizzie Mulvey and Sarah Nicell looked at every 0.5 mile stretch of highway in South Jersey. inquirer.com/south-jersey...

inquirer.com

South Jersey highways have seen hundreds of fatal crashes in the last 6 years. Here are the most dangerous spots.

NJDOT's fatal crash data gives a glimpse into how dangerous South Jersey highways are.

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Stephen Stirling @sstirling.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

So is this to say that there were no Bergen County emergency officials stopping these runners from going down a dangerous path? I'm not endorsing the runners' behavior, but I just don't understand how they weren't stopped if Bergen officials knew this was a problem. www.nj.com/news/2026/09...

nj.com

Did runners caught in flood ignore safer route? Cops investigating shocking video of N.J. race.

The Bergen County's Sheriff's Office is reviewing the conduct of participants in a half marathon who got caught in rising flood waters.

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Stephen Stirling @sstirling.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

Asbury Park's revitalization is undeniable, but is it equal? The median home in Asbury Park has risen in value by 4.3x since 1996 (compared to 1.88x in NJ). But you can also drive less than a mile from many places in the city and watch the property value dip by nearly $1M.

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Stephen Stirling @sstirling.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

While searching for something this morning, I found an old interview with an NJ legend: Spiro "The Greek" Drake. The Greek ran Greek's Playland, a bizarre, homemade amusement park he designed for special needs children. Admission was free. He was an NJ original. Some interview excerpts:

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Stephen Stirling @sstirling.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

The thing that's struck me most about Gloria Steinem's death — how many women I know have personal stories about how she touched their lives through some kind of interaction. She always seemed to make time for people. A true life of service.

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Stephen Stirling @sstirling.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Can we stop with sea-level rise inundation maps? Sea-level rise is real, but these maps present a non-reality where humans do nothing. There are so many impacts of sea-level rise that are *actually happening*. Tell people what's changing instead of doomsday scenarios they've seen, and can ignore.

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Stephen Stirling @sstirling.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Back in 2014, I quit drinking. The most underrated thing I learned through that process was being able to ask for help when I need it. If you can do this in life without shame or guilt, it will pay dividends endlessly. And it will lift your spirits, because you are rarely alone.

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Stephen Stirling @sstirling.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

There have been more flash flood warnings issued in 2026 by NWS Mount Holly than in any year since 1986, and we still have four months to go. Reporting with Tony Wood: www.inquirer.com/weather/phil...

inquirer.com

The Philly region has been a national hot spot this year — for flood warnings

"Ring of fire" thunderstorms and a warm ocean may help explain the summer of floods in the Philly region.

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Stephen Stirling @sstirling.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Did your phone seem to be constantly buzzing with flood warnings this summer? It wasn't your imagination. The NWS at Mount Holly has already issued more flash flood warnings in 2026 than in any year since 1986, as Summer Storm Season nears its end. www.inquirer.com/weather/phil...

inquirer.com

The Philly region has been a national hot spot this year — for flood warnings

"Ring of fire" thunderstorms and a warm ocean may help explain the summer of floods in the Philly region.

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Stephen Stirling @sstirling.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

50 years and 100 versions of "Jolene" Dolly Parton's "Jolene" is one of my favorite songs. One of the things I love is how it's taken on a life of it's own since its release in 1973. I put together a timeline of 99 versions. A minor tribute to a major icon. RIP. sstirling.github.io/jolene/

sstirling.github.io

50 years, and 100 versions, of Jolene

I found 99 different versions of Dolly Parton's Jolene since she released the original in 1973. Here they are, oldest first, with 30 seconds of each.

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Stephen Stirling @sstirling.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Two people in PA died from measles, the first deaths in more than 30 years. More PA kids are vulnerable to measles than at any time in recent history. That number is rising fast. @sarahgantz.bsky.social, @aubreywhelan.bsky.social and Lizzie Mulvey report www.inquirer.com/health/schoo...

inquirer.com

New vaccination data shows hundreds of Philly-area schools vulnerable to a measles outbreak

Measles vaccination rates continue to decline in the Philadelphia area as an outbreak spreads across Pennsylvania.

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Stephen Stirling @sstirling.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

Following my friend as he e-foils Lake George.

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Stephen Stirling @sstirling.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

A double-edged sword. Home values are increasing in Black and Latino neighborhoods in Philly. Not a bad thing. It also means some will see a major hike in their property taxes, which in this moment could be difficult to deal with. www.inquirer.com/politics/pen... via Anna Orso and Yaelle Tang

inquirer.com

Thousands of Philly homeowners are facing property tax increases of 50% or more after this year’s reassessment

Homeowners across the city saw a median 3% increase in their property assessments this year. Steeper property assessment hikes are concentrated in predominately Black and Latino neighborhoods.

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Stephen Stirling @sstirling.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

Went deep into e-bird data. Based on 19.6 million observations, these are the spots in NJ birders find the largest diversity of birds. Go birds

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Stephen Stirling @sstirling.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

Near perfect morning on Lake George

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Stephen Stirling @sstirling.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

Bald eagle encounters in NJ via iNaturalist. Shows two cool things. There are more citizen nature observers than ever before, which is great. But more importantly, nesting pairs of bald eagles more than doubled in this timeframe. From one nesting pair in 1980, now visible in every corner of NJ.

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Stephen Stirling @sstirling.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

It seems like the pandemic was a boon to some citizen science efforts. Exploring NJ's biodiversity using iNaturalist data. More than 1 million nature sightings have been reported in NJ through the service. Look what happened to sightings/reporters in 2020. Big, sustained growth.

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Stephen Stirling @sstirling.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

To me the debate over AI-assistance labeling on news stories is silly. We should go further. People don't innately know how newsgathering works. Why don't we just normalize putting "methodology" or "how we did this" sections on most articles? My hot take: Tell people how you did it, every time.

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Stephen Stirling @sstirling.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

It is profoundly weird to me that we created all this real-world pageantry around a 1989 film with Kevin Costner about ghosts playing baseball. Not knocking that people enjoy it. It's a good movie! It's just weird. www.inquirer.com/phillies/fie...

inquirer.com

The Phillies break out of their rut enjoying the sights of Field of Dreams — and deliver a needed win

There was a sense that this Iowa excursion couldn’t have come at a worse time for the reeling Phillies. Actually, it proved to be quite the opposite.

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Stephen Stirling @sstirling.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

For my money, today is a near-perfect start to a summer day. Mostly sunny, headed to the low-to-mid 80s. Humidity down. Cicadas chirping. 10/10. No notes.

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Stephen Stirling @sstirling.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

An immigration attorney on people facing deportation: "You’re going to have to go back [to your home country], so you might as well keep your money and go find somewhere to live." via @joeyerardi.bsky.social Story: www.inquirer.com/news/pa-nj-d...

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Stephen Stirling @sstirling.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

There have been more than 200 reports of flooding in the Philly metro during the last two summers alone. Can the area's aging infrastructure keep up? Story via Denali Sagner: www.inquirer.com/science/clim...

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Stephen Stirling @sstirling.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

Severe-warned storm heading into Morris County.

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Stephen Stirling @sstirling.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

“We’re starting to operate in this perverse universe where people who become public figures are demanding more privacy than the average person.” - @cjgriffinesq.bsky.social to Matt Friedman on Daniel's Law impacts www.politico.com/newsletters/...

politico.com

New Jersey Playbook

The New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission, one of the main functions of which is to disclose campaign finance reports, this summer took decades' worth of them off its website.

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Stephen Stirling @sstirling.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

It's so disappointing that a company founded by artists, Veeps, so unceremoniously pulled the rug on storied music pubs like Brooklyn Vegan and Alt Press. pitchfork.com/story/brookl...

pitchfork.com

BrooklynVegan, Alt Press Hit With Mass Layoffs

Music publications Revolver and Goldmine have also been gutted by owners Veeps and Live Nation

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Stephen Stirling @sstirling.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

Near surface smoke across North America during the summer of 2026 (to date) simulated using RAP initialization frames across six weeks.

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Stephen Stirling @sstirling.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

What people don't prepare you for when you're caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's: The absolute flood of people offering zero assistance but who still want me to talk to them about how sad they are.

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Stephen Stirling @sstirling.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

The HRRR's simulated radar shows another potential flash flood event for our area today. Heavy rain expected to push through the region this afternoon/evening. Flood watches out for most of the region.

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Stephen Stirling @sstirling.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

This is the headline for the day, but this isn't the story. This kid's dad did this to him. Anthony Knox Jr. went to help his dad, who had started a fight in the crowd. Yes, Knox Jr threw punches. But again, his father started a brawl at a high school sporting event. www.nj.com/highschoolsp...

nj.com

All-time great N.J. wrestler stripped of historic HS state championship for role in brawl

Anthony Knox received an unprecedented penalty from the NJSIAA

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Stephen Stirling @sstirling.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

Trained spotter reported witnessing a tornado touch down near I-80 and Route 206 in Morris County. Unofficial, but surely will be investigated. www.weather.gov/wrh/TextProd...

weather.gov

Text Product Viewer

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Stephen Stirling @sstirling.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

A rather gnarly shield of heavy rain and storms already developing to our west. Flash flooding could be a problem when storms reach the Philly region. More from Nick Vadala: www.inquirer.com/weather/floo...

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Stephen Stirling @sstirling.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

The summer of storms continues. Another round of severe weather expected across the region tomorrow.

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Stephen Stirling @sstirling.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

Four days of smoke. I did this by stringing together the initial state of the HRRR model, so these are model estimations, not measurements. But given HRRR's initialization is, in part, based on real measurements, should be pretty close to reality.

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Stephen Stirling @sstirling.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

A hazy sunrise in Morris County, NJ

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Stephen Stirling @sstirling.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

Satellite shows the heaviest smoke sitting across Pa., the Philly region, South Jersey and points south. Conditions in NYC and North Jersey are improving. In Morris County, where I live, the haze and smell have largely dissipated. Updates here: www.inquirer.com/weather/air-...

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Stephen Stirling @sstirling.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

The summer of storms! There was a single thunderstorm in our region last night, but it was another nasty one in Ocean Co. This storm produced: - Multiple 75 mph+ wind gusts - Widespread tree damage - Intense flash flooding - Half-dollar sized hail www.weather.gov/wrh/TextProd...

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Stephen Stirling @sstirling.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

Smoke-choked air from Canadian wildfires is hanging over the Mid-Atlantic. Philadelphia will wake up to some of the most unhealthy air of the year. At these levels, all people should avoid outdoor activity. Monitor here: www.inquirer.com/weather/air-... This message brought to you by jet lag.

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