promoearn: We're down 2.9 billion birds

Thursday, September 19

North America has lost nearly three billion birds since 1970, a new study says, which also found significant population declines among hundreds of bird species, including those once considered plentiful.

Nevada prepares for "Storm Area 51" and birds are disappearing. It's Thursday's news

Ashley Shaffer writes The Short List newsletter for USA TODAY. To subscribe to this snappy news roundup, click here.

Birds are vanishing at alarming rates. Storms are "forming like roaches." And we're wondering if anyone is actually planning to "Storm Area 51" tomorrow.

Here's the news you need to know Thursday.

Birds of a feather disappear together

•	1970: 🐦🐦🐦🐦
•	2019: 🐦

If you've noticed fewer birds in your backyard, you're not wrong. North America has lost nearly 3 billion birds since 1970, according to a study that found significant population declines among hundreds of bird species. Overall, the drop was from about 10 billion birds in 1970 to about 7 billion, which the study's authors say is a sign of a widespread ecological crisis. The cause? Primarily habitat loss – birds are losing the places they need to live, find food, rest and raise their young. Not all species are on the decline – probably because of conservation efforts and endangered species legislation, the study says.

A Baltimore oriole. The study found that the U.S. and Canada have lost 1 in 4 breeding birds since 1970, which is 2.9 billion birds gone in less than a human lifetime.

Gary Mueller, Macaulay Library at Cornell Lab of Ornithology

40 inches of rain 'worse than Hurricane Harvey'

Hundreds rescued from floods in Texas: First responders were overwhelmed by 911 calls for high water rescues in East Texas on Thursday as Tropical Depression Imelda drenched residents with unrelenting rain measured in feet. Officials in Houston said there have been more than 1,000 rescues and evacuations because of rising waters. Dramatic photos and video show vehicles nearly covered by flooding that some residents called "worse than Hurricane Harvey." Authorities in Jefferson County said some areas have seen more than 40 inches of rain in the past three days. And more is coming.

Imelda & Jerry & Humberto & Kiko & Mario & Lorena: Sure, it's the middle of hurricane season. But this is a lot. The six named storms whirling at once in the Atlantic and Pacific have set a record, forecasters reported.

Terry Spencer carries his daughter, Trinity, through high water in Galveston, Texas, on Sept. 18, 2019, as heavy rain from Tropical Depression Imelda caused street flooding on the island.

Jennifer Reynolds, The Galveston County Daily News via AP

Real quick

•	"America's Got Talent" has a new champion: Soulful singer Kodi Lee.
•	No future, no children: Teens refuse to have kids until there's action on climate change.
•	The FDA launched a criminal probe into the recent spike in vaping-related illnesses.
•	Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau apologized for a 2001 brownface photo.
•	Should D.C. become America's 51st state? Sen. Elizabeth Warren says so.
•	Nike cut ties with Patriots WR Antonio Brown amid a sexual assault lawsuit.

A whole lot of mystery surrounding a whistleblower complaint

A whistleblower reportedly filed a formal complaint against President Donald Trump, claiming he made a troubling "promise" to a foreign leader. The House Intelligence Committee demands to see the whistleblower's complaint, and Trump denies anything "inappropriate" happened. The Washington Post, citing unnamed sources, reported that "Trump's interaction with the foreign leader included a 'promise' that was regarded as so troubling that it prompted an official in the U.S. intelligence community to file a formal whistleblower complaint." Who was that foreign leader? That's a mystery (for now). Who is the whistleblower? Another mystery (for now). And what was the "promise"? Also a mystery (for now).

President Donald Trump

NICHOLAS KAMM, AFP/Getty Images

Tap water might not be as safe as you think

A new study warns that even "safe" drinking water poses cancer risk. In the peer-reviewed study published Thursday, the Environmental Working Group found that 22 carcinogens commonly found in tap water – including arsenic – could altogether result in more than 100,000 cancer cases over the span of a lifetime. Although most tap water meets legal standards set by the federal government, researchers found that contaminants are still a risk. What can be done? EWG suggests installing a water filter that can remove contaminants, but some filters that specifically remove arsenic can cost thousands. On a broader scale, the technology to remove contaminants in tap water is costly, too.

What I'm reading: Alex Connor, USA TODAY audience editor

Once a week, we feature some 🔥 story picks from my USA TODAY colleagues. This week: TikTok connoisseur Alex.

•	This neutron star is "almost too massive to exist." Yet here it is – teetering on the edge of existence.
•	Shane Gillis did not hold back at his first stand-up post-"SNL" firing. Maybe he should have?
•	An ~adorable~ hug between these two toddlers went viral. Ellen DeGeneres says, "This is what the world needs."
•	Brad Pitt is out of this world and focusing his time on getting sober, fatherhood and his new film, "Ad Astra."
•	It's no longer impossible to get the Impossible Burger. The plant-based patty is hitting (some) grocery stores Friday.

Domestic violence red flags are easy to find, but did NFL teams spot them?

Since 2014, the NFL says, addressing domestic violence has been a priority. But a USA TODAY investigation found issues in the backgrounds of coaches. Teams missed clear and obvious red flags during the hiring process. The cases reveal that NFL and team officials have fallen short of the type of thorough background checks they claimed they do to hold employees to a higher standard when it comes to violence against women.