The power of the suburbs | Morning Newsletter

It’s Friday, Philly. Good news for those who are enjoying this week’s streak of sun: Winter forecasts for the region suggest warmer temperatures and more dust on snow shovels.

Voters in Philadelphia’s collar counties have long been considered a vital piece of the electoral puzzle. The Election Day countdown continues with today’s lead story, which digs into the tactics being used by the campaigns of both Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump to win them over.

And the real start of fall in Philadelphia has arrived: It’s fire barrel season on Ninth Street.

Welcome the weekend with these stories and many more.

— Julie Zeglen (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

P.S. The Inquirer’s latest news quiz is here. Find questions on astronomical phenomena, a viral sandwich, and eight more.

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Donald Trump hosted a dance party Monday in Oaks. Two days later, Kamala Harris made an across-the-aisle plea in Washington Crossing. And they’ll both be back soon.

Frequent visitors: The presidential candidates have spent plenty of time in the Philadelphia region and in Pennsylvania at large this election cycle, with at least 90 campaign appearances in the state between them, their running mates, and President Joe Biden.

What’s at stake: The increasing focus on the four collar counties — Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery, which are home to around 30% of Pennsylvania’s voters — is a reflection of the state’s and region’s importance in an exceedingly close race.

The bigger goal: The city is overwhelmingly Democratic, and Bucks is the lone purple county. But for Trump, picking off even a modest number of collar voters “could make a major difference statewide,” a Muhlenberg College political science professor told The Inquirer. “There are no delusions Trump will win the non-Bucks Philly suburbs. But that’s not the game.”

Reporters Katie Bernard and Alfred Lubrano explain the messaging both parties are using to influence suburban voters.

P.S. The Republican National Committee has abandoned a lawsuit against Montco that could have slowed mail ballot counting.

Philly has scores of unique seasonal markers.

🔥 The first “Go Birds” shared between neighbors suggests the end of summer, for instance. Social media clips featuring Jordan Mailata’s pitch-perfect voice means a new Eagles Christmas album is coming soon (and Christmas, too, eventually). Pole climbing either means spring, or a team has just won something important.

🔥 Another time-based indicator returned this week: The temperatures dropped low enough to prompt South Philadelphians to light fires in trashcans. Yes, it’s the start to fire barrel season in the Italian Market.

🔥 The tradition has been around for decades. But it almost died in 1990, when Mayor Wilson Goode banned fire barrels amid concerns about safety and air quality.

Editor Evan Weiss explains the beloved burning of the cardboard, and the hard-won law that now allows vendors to warm their hands all through the cold months.

Welcome back to Curious Philly Friday. We’ll feature both new and timeless stories from our forum for readers to ask about the city’s quirks.

This week, we’re resurfacing (eh?) reporter Ximena Conde’s explainer from last summer on the sometimes long and disruptive process of street repair — the rumbling, bumpy bane of Philadelphia drivers and cyclists alike. We’re glad the paving is happening, to be sure, but must it take weeks?

Inclement weather can set a project back, but that’s not the only cause for delay. Here’s the full explanation.

Have your own burning question about Philadelphia, its local oddities, or how the region works? Submit it here and you might find the answer featured in this space.

Developer Bart Blatstein is bringing what to the former movie theater site in South Philly’s Riverview Plaza?

A) A 17-screen movie theater

B) A Five Below superstore

C) The Sixers arena

D) Dave & Busters

Think you know? Check your answer.

🎶 Remembering: When Bandstand kicked off an American obsession from a West Philly TV studio.

🚲 Cruising with: Erlton Bike Shop, the Cherry Hill shop that’s still going strong after 50 years.

💚 Impressed by: The dedication of the couple who got married in an Eagles tailgate ceremony.

The Newtown native behind the mega-popular Call Her Daddy podcast

CAROLE EXPO

Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here. Cheers to Bernice Kaplan, who solved Thursday’s anagram: Leon Sullivan. The granddaughter of the civil rights figure who led North Philadelphia’s Zion Baptist Church, Elisabeth Sullivan Johnson, wrote about his social justice work — and about her grandmother, who was always by his side.

🍁 One last orange thing: It’s just about time to see peak fall color on Philadelphia’s trees, according to the latest foliage forecast for Pennsylvania. I hope you’re able to get outside and enjoy the hues this weekend.

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