Your Daily Guide

A Court of Common Pleas judge ordered an independent investigation and new oversight of the Sheriff's Office following complaints from property buyers about delayed deed processing. Complainants who purchased properties via sheriff sales (public auctions of property seized due to unpaid mortgages or taxes) said they’ve had to wait more than a year for the sheriff’s office to process their deeds.

• The Final Straw. The judge was fed up after learning thousands of pages of requested documents tied to the delayed deeds post-2023 were withheld or missing. It remains uncertain if those records will ever surface.
• Scandal After Scandal. Rochelle Bilal’s tenure as sheriff has been rife with controversy including (but not limited to) slush funds financing stun guns and a $9,000 mascot costume, deputy shortages, missing firearms, and a reelection campaign site populated with fake articles. That hasn’t stopped fellow politicians in city government from still supporting her and refusing calls from the Committee of Seventy and State Rep. Jared Solomon to abolish the office.
• Doubling Down. Bilal has pushed back against accusations of mismanagement, stating that the Sheriff’s Office is performing its core responsibilities and that those calling for its abolishment have never offered to help improve it.
• Attempts To Clean Things Up. Despite Bilal’s staunch defense of her office, she knew some changes were necessary. In June, she announced restructuring improvements including a deeds processing tracker, a new sheriff sale technician, and an undersheriff to oversee daily operations.
• Corruption Runs Deep. The Sheriff’s Office’s problems don’t start or stop with Bilal. For over 40 years, the office has been plagued by FBI investigations and allegations of fraud, bribery, and sexual harassment.

To learn more about the outcome of this week’s hearing and the Sheriff’s Office’s controversies, listen to today’s Friday News Roundup.

Shapiro & RFK Jr. Clash As Measles Cases Rise in PA

Two unvaccinated Pennsylvania residents are dead after contracting measles, the first such deaths in decades. Gov. Josh Shapiro blames U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. for espousing anti-vaccine rhetoric and downplaying the harms of measles, while Kennedy questioned if the Lancaster County deaths actually happened. [NOTUS]

• Related: Shapiro isn’t the only Pennsylvania politician sparring with MAGA. District Attorney Larry Krasner is under fire from U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche for saying in the future he’ll have a paperweight that’s “a piece of the [White House’s] ballroom after we blow it up.” [The Hill]

You’d Have To Yell ‘Fire’ in This Theater

Old City’s Landmark Ritz Five is closed for the foreseeable future after Licenses & Inspections found it violated the city’s fire code. It won’t reopen until it acquires an electrical permit and installs an alarm system, along with rectifying other violations. [Philly Voice]

• Related: Here are other places to catch a flick in the city and where you can befriend fellow film buffs. [📝 City Cast Philly]

Philly Sets Sail

After several delays, Philadelphia’s new cruise terminal is officially open. The partnership between the Port of Philadelphia and Norwegian Cruise Line currently sends travelers to Bermuda, the Caribbean, Canada, and New England. [Axios]

• Related: Meanwhile in Northeast Philly, developers plan to build a $80 million marina complete with a yacht club and restaurants. [🔒 Philadelphia Business Journal]

Every other Friday, we play a crossword puzzle that tests your knowledge of Philly trivia and news. Can you get all the answers right?

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