Philly News Briefs: 12/12/16

1.) Las Vegas isn’t the only “Sin City” in the United States. According to a – scientifically spurious – study by personal finance site WalletHub, Philadelphia ranks as the 28th “most sinful” city in America. The study took into account factors inspired by the seven deadly sins: lust, gluttony, sloth, wrath, envy, pride, and greed. In news that should come as a shock to absolutely no one, the OG Sin City of Las Vegas took home the number 1 slot on the list. It was followed by St. Louis; Cincinnati; Orlando; and Springfield, Missouri. Philadelphia scored third in the nation on vices of excess (i.e., gluttony), which isn’t a surprise given how much Philadelphians love their food. All those cheesesteaks pack on the pounds, and obesity statistics were taken into account when determining the rankings. Based on its number of strip clubs and online dating sites for people already married, Philly hit #13 on the lust-meter. Its best feature was a lack of vanity, or excessive pride.

2.) A Philadelphia judge has struck down Jill Stein’s request for a recount of the presidential election votes in Pennsylvania. Judge Paul Diamond called accusations of a rigged election “irrational” and determined that there was no good reason to continue with a recount. Diamond added that Stein presented “no credible evidence” of any tampering that would warrant a recount. He said that he had to weigh the slim possibility of a hacked election against “the real risk that a 12th hour recount order would disenfranchise the six-million Pennsylvanian’s [sic] who voted.” Attorney Lawrence Tabas who represents President-Elect Trump and the Republican Party, accuses Stein of simply seeking publicity with her recount efforts. Tabas posits that Stein simply wanted to “create chaos, disrupt and delay the Electoral College in Pennsylvania.” Given that she had about one percent of the vote, he concluded, there was “absolutely no chance” of a recounted vote swinging in her favor.