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How Joe Biden won Pa. | Morning Newsletter

And voters are processing the outcome.

    The Morning Newsletter

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

Good morning from The Inquirer’s newsroom.

Now that Pennsylvania has vaulted Joe Biden over the top in the 2020 election, reporters Jonathan Tamari and Julia Terruso take a look at how he did it.

Our politics team has blanketed the entire state to lay the groundwork for this very moment, from reporting on how a town once known as “communism on the prairie” became transformed into Trump country central to talking to voters who looked to this pandemic election to save their lives.

And over the weekend, they brought that same fearless commitment to elevating the voices of Pennsylvania’s voters to our coverage of the climax.

We cover the factors that set up Pennsylvania to have such an influential role in landing Biden in the Oval Office, what Kamala Harris’ appointment means, and how Trump supporters are feeling right now.

— Ashley Hoffman (@_ashleyhoffman, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

Pennsylvania was the state that would seal Biden’s fate as the president-elect, and from the beginning, he campaigned as if he knew it. His campaign led him down roads all over Pennsylvania, but a number of factors helped him vanquish Trump.

We cover the many elements that played a huge role in deciding the 46th president’s narrow Pennsylvania win, without which Trump may have won a second term.

Saturday was a powerful day for Philly’s women, and particularly Black women who support Sen. Kamala Harris, who expressed joy over how her vice presidency represents history being made.

Trump’s supporters have taken Biden’s victory hard. Many felt that the surge in loyalty among his electoral coalition did not stack up with the end result.

We visited the “Trump-house” in Latrobe, Pa. a hub for grassroots supporters, to speak to voters grappling with concerns now that their candidate has lost.

What you need to know today

  1. Trump is still fighting. His legal team doubled down on its vow to bring a barrage of new lawsuits contesting Joe Biden’s win of the presidency yesterday. Today, a lawsuit is to be filed with allegations of voter fraud in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh without evidence.

  2. No, not that Four Seasons. Here’s how Team Trump’s weekend news conference ended up at a landscaping company in Holmesburg.

  3. Beloved Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek, who mastered his form, has died.

  4. The city’s dance party was no accident. Activists worked to plan Philly’s joyful celebration to lower the temperature before the result.

  5. A doctor from the University of Pennsylvania has been named to President-elect Joe Biden’s coronavirus task force.

Through your eyes | #OurPhilly

This shot captured plenty of activity that erupted in the city over the weekend, topped off with a nod to Philly’s history in the caption. Thanks for sharing @GerardRunsPhilly.

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. 😷 This is what it will take to ensure scientists can tell whether the COVID-19 vaccines are actually working.

  2. 🦅 Here’s a look at the challenges facing Eagles in the eight games left.

  3. 🏈 A coalition of Black football coaches has formed to create more opportunities for players.

  4. 🎖️ We get into how the Navy Yard business center is returning to its roots.

  5. 🎄 Here’s what to do with kids this week from virtual dance-athons to an early-bird Christmas in South Jersey.

Opinions

“The glorious tweets about Philly shining through are too numerous to count. But whether it’s turning a vote-counting counter-protest into a marathon socially distanced line dance while McFadden and Whitehead blared on the speakers, or the ever-maligned Philadelphia Parking Authority ticketing the QAnon Hummer that drove up from Virginia to fight us, the city’s done us proud this week, and we showed the world.” writes South Philadelphian Jeffrey Barg of many outside of Philly throughout the world being grateful for what they see of the city.

  1. Columnist Maria Panaritis writes about the suburban blitz beyond Philly that helped get out the vote for Joe Biden in Pennsylvania that should not be overlooked.

  2. Deputy opinion editor Erica Palan writes that Alex Trebek was her comforting constant on good days and bad.

What we’re reading

  1. The New York Times explores how voters in the Keystone state showed that Pennsylvania is a mirror refracting the country’s divided electorate back to us.

  2. The Atlantic covers how Kamala Harris’ ascent to the vice presidency is “certainly a reflection of what’s possible.”

  3. Billy Penn put together playlists of Philadelphia-flavored songs for those celebrating Joe Biden and Kamala Harris’ victory locally.

Your Daily Dose of | Snow

Passersby enjoyed a winter wonderland on the early side thanks to a frosty scene at the 2100 block of Spruce Street. The fake snow-blanketed area is being used by M. Night Shyamalan for his TV series Servant about a creepy nanny, but the spot does make for lovely pictures.