SS United States update; Honoring Dr. Walter Palmer; Deed fraud reports surge

#BILLYPENNGRAM OF THE DAY

SEPTA still-life
(Photo by @kslouf)

SS United States gets date for its final voyage to the bottom of Florida’s coast

The SS United States — the fastest-ever ocean liner to cross the Atlantic Ocean in either direction, which had been docked and inactive in Philadelphia for nearly 30 years — has been given the approvals and timeline for its next and final record voyage — being sunk off the coast of Florida as the world’s largest artificial reef.

“The vessel will be deployed in the Gulf about 22 (nautical miles) southwest of Destin-Fort Walton Beach, the second week of November 2026,” the Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners announced Friday. Continue reading…

The remediated SS United States in Mobile, Alabama. (Courtesy of Okaloosa County)

At Penn Treaty Park, Indigenous Peoples’ Day is a homecoming

“People want to see the history and continued culture and impact of the indigenous people who’ve called this land home for thousands of years,” said Carolin Mejia, an organizer with Indigenous Peoples’ Day Philly.

That history and culture were quite literally on display at Penn Treaty Park on Monday, through vendor and educational booths and a stage where indigenous song, dance and language were taught and performed. Such public displays were once restricted by the federal government, which banned certain Indigenous ceremonial dances in 1883, restrictions that remained in place until 1934. Continued reading…

Philadelphia celebrated its 10th annual Indigenous Peoples’ Day gathering Monday, Oct. 12, at Penn Treaty Park in Fishtown, bringing together Indigenous communities for cultural performances, education and celebration. (Davis Cuffe/Billy Penn)

BP Quizzo Question of the Day

Sci-fi author Phillip Francis Nowlan, who was born in Philly and lived in Bala Cynwyd, created which 1930s comic strip that was later turned into a TV series?

RECAP: What else happened?

$ = paywalled

• President Trump urged Sen. John Fetterman to switch parties and become a Republican. [AP]

• Public records give a closer look at the hardware — or paper fallbacks — behind voter check-in throughout Philadelphia and its collar counties. [Technical.ly]

• Philadelphia deed fraud reports surge, with the city receiving 152 reports thus far in 2026, nearly matching last year’s total. [NBC10]

• The 3600 block of Market Street block is now renamed to honor civil rights leader Dr. Walter Palmer and the historic Black Bottom neighborhood. [West Philly Local]

• James Beard-nominated Càphê Roasters is set to expand out of Kensington and into Grays Ferry‘s Herringbone Lofts building with a second Vietnamese coffee shop. [PhillyVoice]

• A Fairmount Park sheep barn finds new life as a preservation workshop. [Hidden City]

When you donate to Billy Penn, you’ll be automatically entered for a chance to win a pair of 76ers tickets to the Monday, Nov. 23 home game against the Portland Trail Blazers!

No donation is necessary, though. For details on how to enter and the eligibility requirements, see the official rules online here.

MAYOR WATCH

Mayor Parker has no public events scheduled for Tuesday.

Highlights from Billy Penn’s City Guide

Bread, belief and the churches of Frankford in Northeast Philadelphia
Along a mile-and-a-half stretch of Frankford Avenue, dozens of churches preserve centuries of history while providing food, clothing, youth programs and other neighborhood support.
From the 215: The cultural imprint of Philadelphia’s area code
The 215 area code is an instant cultural identifier for the Philadelphia region. When you see it, you know it’s local.

ON THE CALENDAR

Have a Spooky Ladies Night Out at Yards Brewing (Wednesday),
watch this year’s Reading Terminal Market Scrapple Sculpting Competition (Thursday),
the 35th Philadelphia Film Festival begins (Thursday through Oct. 25)
AND MORE!

See the **FULL LIST** of this week’s events calendar at BillyPenn.com!