ARIES (March 21-April 19). Your resources seem limited, and that’s exactly what inspires you to embark on the quest. Adventure begins with need. The search will reward you as much as the prize.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Few skills take longer to develop than knowing yourself. Since you are always living from the inside, you need the outside world to fill in the blind spots. Today brings a perspective that helps the picture come into focus.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21). People tend to be happy around you, but you cannot make people happy without their cooperation. The same goes for the other emotions. You’ll offer your good company without trying to steer their reaction. The rest is up to them.
CANCER (June 22-July 22). You have a stellar sense of humor, but humor is not a one-size-fits-all situation. Take a beat to read the room before taking things in a funny direction. A joke intended to charm could put people on the defensive instead.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You’ll have a lovely moment of warm reciprocity. You catch the small signals and bounce them back — a glance across the table, someone reaching for your sleeve during a crowded walk… how exciting!
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Why do some people seem to delight in tearing down other groups? Often it’s not inherent meanness as much as a lazy way of bonding with teammates. Whatever the reason, avoid the dynamic. The sunshine of social life is kindness.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Looking back, you can see where the progress stopped and what stopped it. But this time around, you’re determined to push through. This time, you treat setbacks as part of the route instead of the end of the road.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Even though butterflies in the stomach doesn’t rank among your favorite feelings, you recognize the sensation as a sign that you, too, are about to attempt flight. Only those brave enough to attempt it have a chance at soaring.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). You can be whoever you want to be at any moment. It’s just easier to invent when people around you aren’t keeping you in the same role. Among strangers, you won’t have to manage your image. No one there has anything to compare it with anyway.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). When you’re too comfortable, you want excitement, and when you’re overstimulated, you want comfort. At the movies, you can get both at the same time plus a bag of popcorn and a soda pop.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Friendship is shared errands, inside jokes, borrowed tools and long drives with bad coffee. Life doesn’t have to be ideal when the company is. Today brings one of those small bonding moments that keeps the tie interesting.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Interaction will be more purposeful and personally satisfying when everyone involved understands what you’re about. Find a cool way to reveal your story indirectly so that they feel they are discovering you instead of listening to your pitch.
TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (Aug. 20). It’s your Year of Breakthroughs. You’ve an instinct for finding, following and sharing the guidance that works. You will solve problems of all kinds with your generous attention, rare generosity and signature tenacity. More highlights: A side venture gives you an appetite for profit, more invitations than you can accept, and a fresh signature look that attracts the ones you most want to know. Aries and Libra adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 2, 11, 24, 35 and 41.
DEAR ABBY: I am 70 and consider my mental faculties to be normal. One aging issue my wife and I have noticed is that I tend to repeat stories to our children, grandchildren and friends. Our children can be less than forgiving toward this old boomer as they deliver a comment like, “Yeah, we’ve already heard about that,” sometimes in a rude or caustic tone. We think this phenomenon is common to a lot of people our age. I have started prefacing my stories with “Did I tell you about …” before talking. They could be nicer by saying early on in the story: “Yes, Dad, you’ve told that story. Is anything new?” What does Dear Abby think?
— RECOLLECTIONS ON REPEAT
DEAR RECOLLECTIONS: I agree that your family and friends could be more polite when they point out that they’ve “heard this one before.” However, if you find people are interrupting your “greatest hits” too often, it’s time to mention it to your doctor.
** ** **
DEAR ABBY: My thoughtful staff bought me a Fitbit last Christmas. It’s a generous gift, but I haven’t used it, and I don’t think I will. How do I tell them I appreciate the gift and their generosity but I just don’t want it and won’t wear it. They have already addressed the fact that they haven’t seen it on my wrist.
— WON’T USE IT IN FLORIDA
DEAR WON’T USE IT: Your staff must be devoted and wish you a long and healthy life. I find the fact that they gave you a Fitbit to be quite impressive. In fairness, I must warn you. If you put it on, I know from experience that you may find yourself immediately addicted. The way to handle this might actually be to give it a try and tell your employees that you are using it at home. It may prod you off your behind and into a healthier lifestyle.
** ** **
DEAR ABBY: My husband and I were together for 10 years, married for nine. He recently passed away at the age of 42. His death was unexpected, and I was the one who found him. He’d had an epileptic seizure while home alone. I have serious anxiety driving home every day now. I’ve been looking for grief counseling, support groups, etc., but there seems to be a recurring theme: Young widows and widowers (under 50) are underserved. I don’t mean to diminish anyone else’s grief, but at the same time, I do not want to hear “We had a great long life together” from a much older woman when my experience has been nothing like hers. Members of the younger generation need different support, and it just isn’t there.
— YOUNG AND GRIEVING
DEAR YOUNG AND GRIEVING: Please allow me to offer my deepest sympathy. Losing your husband at such an early age must have been a terrible shock. It’s not surprising that you have trouble relating to people whose loss happened much later in life. For a support group geared toward younger people, you might have better luck online. Search for “young widow support group,” and you will find chat forums and video meetups as well as resources to help you rebuild your life. It’s not the same as meeting face-to-face, but it may help.
A Pennsylvania State Police helicopter was involved in a midair collision with a small plane Wednesday night at an airport west of Harrisburg, officials said.
One person from the crashed plane is dead, Lt. Col. George Bivens, acting state police commissioner, said at a late-night news conference at the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center.
Two members of the state police who were aboard the helicopter, Cpl. Bryce Corman and Trooper Jason Mills, were listed in stable condition at the hospital, said Ashley Ludwig, trauma medical director at Penn State Hershey.
A state police helicopter was seen on its side and a plane was mangled after the two collided at the Carlisle Airport.
The coroner was called to the scene shortly after.
Gov. Josh Shapiro said he was “pleased and relieved” that the state police members survived and were not seriously hurt.
‘Tonight could have been much worse,” Shapiro said.
The Federal Aviation Administration, which is investigating the incident with the National Transportation Safety Board, reported that a state police Bell 407 helicopter collided in midair with a Cessna 150 airplane at the Carlisle Airport, about 20 miles west of Harrisburg.
Bivens said that around 6:30 p.m., the state police were conducting a training exercise at the airport and were hovering the helicopter a few feet off the ground in a grassy when they were struck from behind by a Cessna that unexpectedly veered from a runway.
The plane crashed and was torn apart into pieces, Bivens said.
CBS21 posted photos on social media showing the crash scene and the helicopter lying on its side.
Earlier Tuesday night, Shapiro posted on social media that he had been briefed on the crash “and I am heading there now,” he said.
“Lori and I are praying hard and we ask all of our fellow Pennsylvanians to join us,” Shapiro said.
The Union still can’t solve Lionel Messi, but this time it was a heck of a game.
It was a 2-2 tie, played before a standing-room-only crowd at Subaru Park with thousands of pink-clad fans rooting for Messi’s Inter Miami. They got what they came for, but the home team was the better side for much of the night.
Indiana Vassilev scored the opener (5-10-5, 20 points) just 11 minutes in off a terrific team play. Cavan Sullivan sprung Frankie Westfield down the right wing, and he hit a cross that had Vassilev and Bruno Damiani charging toward Miami’s net. The ball soared over Damiani’s head, but Vassilev was right there to stick it in against a team he used to play for.
Frankie Westfield keeps it alive, and finds Indiana Vassilev for the first-time finish 🤩@PhilaUnion take the early lead over Miami at home! ⚡ pic.twitter.com/zws8dKmSS4
But just two minutes after Damiani failed to finish on a breakaway, Messi helped Miami (11-3-6, 39 points) tie the score in the 21st. He chipped a pass to Luis Suárez, who nodded a header down for one of Inter’s top young players, Dániel Pintér, to finish near the goal line.
Messi ➡️ Suárez ➡️ 19-year-old Dániel Pintér for his first @InterMiamiCF goal!
Messi then struck for the lead in the 26th, cutting left on Kai Wagner with a classic move and curling a shot around a frozen Nathan Harriel. That was the Argentine legend’s sixth goal in six career games against the Union. (Perhaps surprisingly, the only one of the contests where he didn’t score was the Union’s 6-4 loss in Miami in May. He had two assists instead.)
For as much attention as was on Sullivan all night — and he justified a lot of it with a dazzling run that drew a yellow-card foul from ex-Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur defender Sergio Reguilón — another young Union sensation scored the equalizer.
It was Neil Pierre in the 58th, heading in Milan Iloski’s free kick with a dive on the goal line at the near post. As narratives go, an 18-year-old American centerback prospect beating Suárez to a ball is a pretty good one.
Iloski then put the ball in the net in the 61st off another free kick sequence, and the crowd erupted. But the goal was taken off via a video review that caught Pierre offside when Kai Wagner hit the initial service. (The reversal was correct, as frustrating as it was, with Pierre’s position clearly shown on the broadcast.)
Union interim coach Ryan Richter made his first substitution in the 68th, a withdrawal of Vassilev for Quinn Sullivan.
The Union failed at another breakaway attempt in the 71st, this time with Iloski and Cavan Sullivan combining on a pretty give-and-go. But Iloski couldn’t get his shot past Dayne St. Clair, and Damiani couldn’t stick the rebound past a sliding Reguilón.
It genuinely could have been 4-2 Union at that point — 5-2, even, had Pierre stayed onside on that free kick. But as has so often been the case over the years, the Union didn’t have Miami’s quality of talent up front.
71' | HUGE CHANCES for Milan Iloski and Bruno Damiani
Again, beautifully played out of the back by the Philadelphia Union with great combo play from Quinn Sullivan, Iloski and Cavan Sullivan.
So it felt inevitable when Wagner tripped Messi just outside the 18-yard box for the second time on the night. But stunningly, Messi shot low into the Union’s wall both times.
Ezekiel Alladoh and Alejandro Bedoya entered in the 82nd for Damiani and Jesús Bueno, then had to help their teammates endure minutes of stoppage time.
The game was capped off with a melee after Quinn Sullivan went down in the box in what was officially the 101st minute. He got into a wrestling-esque scrum with Ian Fray, which led to a scuffle among the teams.
Within that, Cavan Sullivan and Yannick Bright got in a shoving match that included both players putting hands on each other. At one point, it looked like Bright aimed and landed a punch. They were both red-carded, and the Apple TV broadcast showed security restraining Bright from going toward the Union’s locker room in the tunnel.
Sullivan will now miss Saturday’s game at Austin FC. It remains to be seen too if the league’s disciplinary committee will levy fines or further suspensions for the fracas after its review of the match on Thursday.
A 16-year-old was shot early Wednesday evening in the Kensington section of Philadelphia, and police said surveillance video recorded the teen also firing shots in a gun battle with an unseen shooter.
Around 5:45 p.m., police responded to the area of D Street and Indiana Avenue and found the teen with gunshot wounds to a leg and a foot, Chief Inspector Scott Small said.
Police took the teen to Temple University Hospital, where he was listed in stable condition.
Police found 18 spent shell casings at the scene, Small said.
Surveillance video captured the teen firing shots but not the person who shot the 16-year-old, Small said, adding that the teen will be held by police.
Ahead of Wednesday’s series finale against the Marlins, interim manager Don Mattingly said he would be happy with five innings from starter Aaron Nola.
“That’s really what you’re asking from really any of our guys,” he said. “Keep us in the game, through the middle of the game.”
After a rocky start to the season, Nola has been reliably doing just that. But he surpassed those expectations Wednesday, delivering seven innings of one-run ball in the 4-1 win over Miami.
It was just the second time Nola has finished seven innings this season. He kept the Marlins off balance with his knuckle curve on the way to the Phillies’ series sweep and sixth straight win. He recorded seven of his eight strikeouts and 12 total whiffs on the pitch. Nola did not walk a batter.
“He’s been good here a long time,” Mattingly said afterward, “and he’s actually been pretty good this year, for a long time now. So it was good.”
Nola surrendered a solo homer to Javier Sanoja in the sixth — marking his eighth straight start allowing a home run — but that was one of just five hits he allowed. Homers have continued to be an issue for Nola, who is averaging a career-high 2.04 home runs per nine innings, but that can be manageable when he limits them to solo shots.
Nola kept his composure, even as the Marlins threatened with back-to-back singles. After a mound visit from pitching coach Caleb Cotham, he rebounded to strike out Griffin Conine and Heriberto Hernández on curveballs.
“Breaking ball was really good tonight, but still the mix is good with him,” Mattingly said. “He’s always mixing, and not really ever giving in to the middle of the plate.”
Although Nola had escaped a jam in the sixth inning, Mattingly was confident enough in how he had been throwing the ball to send him back out for the seventh. Nola pitched a 1-2-3 inning, capping it with his eighth strikeout on his 100th pitch of the night.
He exited to a standing ovation.
“It was good. It’s been a while since I’ve been in the seventh,” Nola said.
In four starts in the month of August, Nola has a 2.74 ERA. His ERA across the first four months of the season was 5.61. He can’t pinpoint one single adjustment that has spurred his turnaround, but Nola said that all his pitches have felt sharper recently.
“Lately I’ve been feeling pretty good. Body and arm, arsenal’s been feeling pretty good, and I just want to keep it up and keep having good work weeks,” he said.
The Phillies didn’t homer in their first two wins against the Marlins this series, but on Wednesday, they finally found the seats. And it was from the unlikeliest suspect.
Luis Arraez hit a two-run shot off his former Miami teammate Sandy Alcantara in the third inning, just his sixth homer of the season and second in a Phillies uniform since the Aug. 3 trade.
“I just tried to find a barrel, and thank God I hit it out,” Arraez said. “And I mean, I think that ball in San Francisco is a double, but here it’s a homer.”
According to StatCast data, Arraez was right. The long line drive would not have cleared the wall in 11 other major league ballparks, including his former haunt of Oracle Park.
Luis Arraez hit his second home run with the Phillies in the third inning.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
But since it happened at Citizens Bank Park, Arraez drove in Bryce Harper, who extended his on-base streak to 23 games and his walk streak to 10 games by working a seven-pitch walk from Alcantara.
Also an unusual sight was Kyle Schwarber scoring from first on a double from Trea Turner in the seventh. The relay from the outfield beat Schwarber to the plate, but he managed to swim around the tag for an insurance run. He was initially called out, but it was overturned after replay review.
“Schwarber hit him with the hesi. That was pretty cool,” said Brandon Marsh. “Big insurance run that we needed. Big hit out of Trea, and yeah, that was that was a big run for us.”
Marsh had some highlight-reel plays of his own in left field. He made a sliding grab on a line drive in the seventh inning to help out Nola, and then climbed the wall in the corner to snag a foul ball over the outstretched gloves and hats of the fans in that section in the eighth.
“I got to thank the guy standing over there for kind of pulling away at the last second because I think he had first dibs on it before me, I feel like,” Marsh said. “So he moved over a little bit and helped me have the room to catch it.”
The Phillies scored a run in the second inning on three consecutive two-out singles. With the bases loaded, catcher Garrett Stubbs sent a soft grounder to shortstop and managed to beat out Otto Lopez’s throw to first for an infield hit. Stubbs had another single in the seventh.
Nola passed the baton to Jonathan Bowlan and Jhoan Duran for a scoreless eighth and ninth inning, respectively. Duran recorded his 28th save of the season.
After being swept out of South Florida by the Marlins last month, the Phillies have now returned the favor.
“It was big for us,” Marsh said. “Just not been the second half that we’ve really wanted, but we’re still in it, and love where we’re at. It’s a good team over there. They pitched well, so it was really big for us to take three, especially here at home.”
LONDON — Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, have decided to return to the United Kingdom, but they won’t resume their roles as working members of the royal family, British news media reported late Wednesday.
The couple’s children, Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, have already enrolled at British schools and will start classes in September, according to the Daily Telegraph, which broke the story. The family plans to live at a private, nonroyal residence outside of London, the newspaper said.
Harry and Meghan gave up their royal duties and moved to California more than six years ago to earn their living through lucrative contracts with Netflix and Spotify. Although relations with the rest of the royal family have soured since then, Harry has recently expressed an interest in reconciliation so he could spend more time with his father, King Charles III, who is being treated for an undisclosed form of cancer.
Charles was informed of the couple’s plans on Sunday and wasn’t told about them during Harry and Meghan’s visit to the U.K. last month.
Buckingham Palace has a policy of not commenting on speculation about non-working members of the royal family. A representative for Harry and Meghan declined to comment.
Harry and Meghan have had a stormy relationship with the royal family ever since they decamped to a mansion in the exclusive Southern California enclave of Montecito.
In a series of interviews and Harry’s memoir Spare, the couple said they left Britain to escape the restrictions of royal life and criticized palace officials for being insensitive to Meghan’s mental health while alleging that at least one member of the royal family had expressed racist views when she was pregnant with their first child. Meghan describes herself as biracial.
Those tensions were exacerbated by Harry’s long-running legal battle with Britain’s tabloid newspapers, which he alleges illegally hacked his phones and invaded his privacy when he was younger. The prince has lost a series of lawsuits against the media, including one against the publisher of the Daily Mail, which concluded last month.
The latest trial has left Harry facing a potential bill for millions of pounds after the court ruled he and other plaintiffs in the case were liable for the publisher’s legal fees. Associated Newspapers has filed documents showing that its legal costs amounted to 34.5 million pounds ($47 million).
Harry has also been embroiled in a legal wrangle with the British government after a government committee refused to authorize police protection for the prince and his family when they are in the U.K. The prince says he and his family need armed police protection because they are at risk simply because they are members of the royal family, regardless of whether or not they are working royals.
After losing a court battle over the security issue last year, Harry said he hoped to rebuild relations with his family.
“I would love reconciliation with my family. There’s no point in continuing to fight anymore,” Harry told the BBC. “I don’t know how much longer my father has.”
A tentative step toward that reconciliation came last month when Harry returned to the U.K. for a series of charity engagements. Meghan and the children joined Harry for part of the visit and they spent time with the king at his Highgrove estate in western England. It was the first time Archie and Lilibet had seen their grandfather since the late Queen Elizabeth II’s platinum jubilee in 2022.
While Harry has recently met with his father, there are no signs of a warming of relations with his brother, Prince William, the heir to the throne.
Peter Hunt, a former BBC royal correspondent, said the surprise announcement would make William “apoplectic.”
“In the short term, Harry will be able to deepen his rapprochement with his father,” Hunt told Britain’s Press Association. “And his presence back home will make it harder for his brother to duck a reconciliation.”
Since the 33-year-old cornerback was released from the Eagles in March 2025, Bradberry hasn’t played with another NFL team. Over the last couple of months, Bradberry posted on his Instagram account about taking part in golf charity events and hosting an event through the James Bradberry IV Foundation.
Now, he’s taking on a different football role.
On Wednesday, Camden Catholic High School announced that the former defensive back, who spent nine seasons in the league, will serve as an assistant football coach.
Bradberry played for three teams during his NFL career. He was drafted in the second round by the Panthers in 2016, joined the Giants in 2020, and spent three seasons with the Eagles, which included winning Super Bowl LIX.
He was a second-team All-Pro in 2022. However, he spent the entire 2024-25 season on injured reserve after suffering an Achilles tendon injury in August.
Bradberry didn’t express hard feelings after the Eagles released him. Instead, he said he was grateful for being part of it. Maybe that’s what led him back to the area.
“I’m glad I got to experience, one, I would say, the Philadelphia Eagles fan base,” Bradberry said after the Eagles won the Super Bowl in February 2025. “Greatest fan base in the world. I’m glad I got to experience the highs and the lows of being a part of the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Camden Catholic Fighting Irish are led by second-year coach John Martino and finished 2-9 last season.
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The Eagles held the 13th practice of their 2026 training camp — and the first of two joint practices with the Patriots — on Wednesday at the New Balance Athletics Center. Here were my observations from Day 13 (and links to Days 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12):
Roll call
The Eagles arrived in New England relatively healthy, especially their first units, and managed to exit the first day of scrimmages without any significant injuries. Receiver Dontayvion Wicks got dinged at one point, but he returned. Tackle Fred Johnson apparently got hurt and didn’t finish. But the Eagles did accomplish one of their goals on Day 1 and that was to avoid injury.
They were missing about a dozen players. Defensive tackle Byron Young (shoulder) was the latest to be sidelined. The following were also out: cornerback Jonathan Jones (shoulder), tight end Grant Calcaterra (back), wide receiver Johnny Wilson (knee), cornerback Jakorian Bennett (knee), tackle John Ojukwu (pectoral), running back Dameon Pierce (hamstring), and cornerback Shaun Wade (eye/shoulder).
DeVonta Smith (hamstring) was limited for a second straight practice. He didn’t participate in 11-on-11s or seven-on-sevens. The Eagles have been careful with their No. 1 receiver. Cornerback Tariq Castro-Fields (heel) and outside linebacker Keyshawn James-Newby (ankle) were also limited. The Eagles listed receiver Makai Lemon (hamstring) as limited, but he wasn’t in full uniform and did almost nothing.
A.J. Brown had a strong practice against his former team. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
A.J.’s big day
While the Eagles seem to have their top receiver in bubble wrap, new Patriots receiver A.J. Brown was full-go in facing his old team. Brown had a strong performance and, quite frankly, looked rejuvenated. The first competitive play of the session pitted the receiver vs. cornerback Quinyon Mitchell in one-on-ones. Brown ran a go route and had a half step of separation, but he couldn’t reel in Patriots quarterback Drake Maye’s pass. He joked afterward that Mitchell held him and it sure looked like Mitchell grabbed the back of Brown’s pants just before the ball arrived.
Nevertheless, Brown’s burst off the line was impressive. Maybe he hasn’t lost a step. I spent most of the day focused on the Eagles offense, but every time I looked over to the far field, Brown seemed to be hauling in another pass. He beat cornerback Riq Woolen on a deep crosser in team drills and later got behind him on a fade into the end zone. Social media replays seemed to indicate that Brown didn’t get both feet in. Still, he gave the Eagles secondary fits — as did the Pats pass offense apparently on many occasions — and he caught all three targets in seven-on-sevens.
Afterward, Brown mostly dodged questions about last season and why he wanted out of Philly. It’s understandable why he didn’t want to look back, but he avoided media obligations for the last month of the season. “It’s love. I won a Super Bowl ring with them. … I love Philly and I will always love Philly,” Brown said. When I asked him if he had spoken to Jalen Hurts since the trade, he said no. Would he catch up with his so-called friend later this week? “I’m sure if our paths run across,” Brown said.
Saquon Barkley and the running game had an impact on Wednesday. Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
Running it back
There is still a lot of uncertainly about the Eagles’ pass offense without Brown and if Sean Mannion’s new system can scheme open receivers consistently enough. And those questions remain after an inconsistent day through the air from Hurts and Co. The bigger issue may be how the Eagles handle blitzes and simulated pressures. But the run game came out firing and really set the tone in the first two periods.
Saquon Barkley ran inside and out on his first two carries and picked up modest gains. But he reached the second level on a rush up the middle, followed by a nice pickup off right tackle, and turned the corner into space on an outside zone run. Later on, Mannion added a few new wrinkles, once motioning Barkley into the backfield for a Hurts handoff from the shotgun. Center Cam Jurgens exploded into the second level and sealed off a lane for the running back.
It wasn’t just Barkley on the ground, and it wasn’t just the first unit that saw daylight. Tank Bigsby, who returned after missing one day with a toe injury, got north to south on back-to-back rushes. Will Shipley found a seam on a stretch run with the backups and then chugged through a huge hole opened by Jurgens and right guard Tyler Steen with the starters.
The Patriots’ run defense struggled last week in joint practices with the Colts according to some New England-area reporters I spoke to. On this day, New England was also without a few key pieces in defensive tackle Christian Barmore and linebacker Christian Elliss, who were limited to passing downs. But the Shanahan-style scheme needs early down run production to thrive and the Eagles had some positive signs of it in this outing.
Jalen Hurts hooked up with Elijah Moore and Hollywood Brown through the air, among others. Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
Explosive devices
The early ground success set up some play-action throws downfield, in particular a bomb from Hurts to receiver Elijah Moore on a corner route. The pass arrived just before the post safety arrived and Moore made the grab just short of the goal line. Earlier, Hurts hooked up with receiver Hollywood Brown on a naked bootleg off outside zone action — one of the core base plays of the Shanahan offense.
He went back to Brown on a short hitch. There was also a nicely set up screen to Barkley in which left guard Landon Dickerson kicked out to seal the perimeter and sprung the running back. And then Hurts found Shipley wide-open on a mesh-wheel concept. The quarterback was “hot” vs. an “A” gap blitz, but he got the ball off for a big play down the sideline.
Hurts tossed an interception in the team period, but his pass clanked off Wicks’ hands to Patriots and former Eagles safety Kevin Byard. In seven-on-sevens, a throw intended for receiver Britain Covey went directly to a Patriots defensive back who went the other way for a pick-six. There had to be a miscommunication there. Hurts had another turnover, though, when he sailed a middle-field pass on a crossing route.
Former Eagle Milton Williams (right, with Riq Woolen) was part of the action on Wednesday. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Rushing roulette
The Eagles’ starting offensive line all scored wins in their one-on-ones by my count. Right tackle Lane Johnson stoned Patriots edge Elijah Ponder. Steen anchored well against a Barmore bull rush. Jurgens was all over defensive tackle Cory Durden. Dickerson held on vs. former Eagles defensive tackle Milton Williams. Patriots edge Dre’Mont Jones was able to get left tackle Jordan Mailata on his heels, but not enough to affect the pocket.
Key reserves stood out, as well. Tackle Markel Bell blocked edge Jesse Luketa to the ground. Guard Drew Kendall used a strong initial punch to ward off defensive tackle Joshua Farmer. Center Willie Lampkin briefly lost his balance against nose tackle Isaiah Iton. But Lampkin rebounded and brawled to victories vs. defensive tackle Casey Rogers and Eric Gregory. Bell and Kendall also had later wins.
Tackles Myles Hinton and Cam Williams got overwhelmed, especially the former. The second-year projects still seem far off from being ready. Hinton got completely dusted by edge Bradyn Swinson. He did better against Quintayvious Hutchins. But he got beat by a Ponder outside speed rush and was run over by Gabe Jacas and nearly knocked over simulated quarterback Connor Barwin. Williams did fine vs. end Amari Gainer, but he held Jacas and got knocked to the turf by Swinson.
Jalyx Hunt (58) was solid for a defense that had its moments Wednesday. Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
Full frontal
The Eagles’ defensive front had a solid showing in one-on-ones. Edges Jalyx Hunt and Nolan Smith Jr. were standouts. Tackles Morgan Moses and Marcus Bryant each lost to Smith — the first on outside speed. Hunt was able to get around tackle Dametrious Crownover, but Patriots tackle Will Campbell was able to lock him down. A.J. Epenesa and Arnold Ebiketie also had strong turns with their edge rushes.
Moro Ojomo had the most success of the Eagles’ interior starters. He beat guard Alijah Vera-Tucker in both of their matchups. Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis were kept in check by guard Mike Onwenu and center Jared Wilson. Ty Robinson continued his recent strong performances with two decisive wins over guard Mehki Butler. “He came to life,” Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said of Robinson, who had a sack in the preseason opener. “He’s been on life support since he’s been here.”
Colleague Jeff Neiburg reported that the Eagles’ defense kept the Patriots mostly contained on the ground in team drills. Hunt and linebacker Jihaad Campbell, who blitzed up the “A” gap, also recorded sacks. But this wasn’t the pure defensive domination we saw from Fangio’s unit vs. an overmatched Patriots offense two years ago here.
Cornerback Riq Woolen struggled at times against the Patriots on Wednesday. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Woolen worth
Woolen was having a decent camp, but with Smith sidelined for most of the summer, he hasn’t faced anyone in Brown’s class. He also struggled against some of the other Patriots receivers. When the full teams came together for the final two-minute period, Woolen got beat in a zone by Romeo Doubs, who dropped a perfect strike. A few plays later, Pats receiver Mack Hollins caught a slant inside the cornerback.
Woolen is known for his man-press cover skills. But he likely won’t be asked to do it as much in the Eagles defense. He has to learn to master Fangio’s match-zone coverages. He did get up on the line on third down during two-minute, but he jumped offside and the penalty resulted in a first down. After tight end Hunter Henry caught a pass ahead of cornerback Cooper DeJean, the Patriots rushed to kick a 45-ish yard field goal.
Eagles cornerback Cooper DeJean with New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel before a joint practice on Wednesday. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Pressure packed
The Eagles’ run game fortunes turned during the third period. The Patriots adjusted to their stretch plays and Barkley and Shipley were met in the backfield. Hurts did gobble up some yards on a zone read keep with tight end E.J. Jenkins as his lead blocker. But Bigsby was run down from the backside on a carry. Someone then committed a false start. And Hurts was pressured into a throwaway on third down.
In two-minute, Hurts’ first pass was thrown slightly behind tight end Dallas Goedert. Byard sacked Hurts after blitzing from the slot. Barmore was somehow unblocked up the middle for another sack. Hurts made up some ground with a quick toss to receiver Darius Cooper. But there was another Eagles false start.
Hurts was then forced to take throws underneath to Wicks with the Patriots in prevent defense. And the Eagles never crossed midfield before time ran out.
Tanner McKee (16) and Andy Dalton (14) continued their pursuit of the QB2 job behind Jalen Hurts (1). David Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Back in the high life
Andy Dalton was first up with the twos at quarterback, but Tanner McKee got a number of snaps. They each looked sharper than they did in Baltimore. Dalton had to throw the ball beyond tight end Eli Stowers when he was double-covered deep. McKee hit an open Danny Gray on an intermediate route, but the receiver dropped the ball. Jacas had a sack after he toasted Williams from the edge.
McKee bounced back, though, and found Shipley for a long gain on a busted coverage. Receiver Samori Toure found a soft spot in the zone and McKee eventually got the ball there.
Dalton had one of his best periods and completed all five of his attempts late in the workout. He hit receiver Quez Watkins on a quick out. Covey made a contested catch. Dalton found Toure alone downfield. He ripped a seed to Gray over the middle. And with the pocket collapsing on him, Dalton hooked up with Toure near the sideline.
Extra points
Rookie quarterback Cole Payton got one set. He threw behind Covey and tossed another interception that went to Patriots safety John Saunders Jr. Eagles coach Nick Sirianni rushed over to Payton and seemingly had unkind words to say. … Kicker Jake Elliott had missed only one kick that I counted during the first two weeks of camp. But he struggled away from home and missed 2 of 5 field goal attempts wide right. … Day 2 of joint practices resume Thursday. The Eagles will have a closed walkthrough on Friday ahead of Saturday night’s preseason game at the Patriots.
Temple University for the first time in fall 2027 will require freshmen under the age of 21 to live on campus, with certain exceptions for students living locally with parents or guardians and others facing financial hardship.
It is a significant change for a university that for much of its history was largely a commuter school and only transitioned to a major research university with an on-campus living community in recent decades.
“The policy gives Temple an important opportunity to strengthen student success by creating a more intentional first-year experience and connecting students earlier to the people, resources and support that can help them persist and thrive,” Temple president John Fry said in a message to the campus community Wednesday.
Last fall, 63% of first-year students and 22% of all undergraduates lived on Temple’s campus, according to the university.
Many four-year colleges already require their freshmen to live on campus to better connect them to the college community, ensure they have access to support services, and improve their chances at academic success. It also brings in revenue and eases the burden of off-campus housing in surrounding communities.
The University of Pennsylvania and Drexel University require students to live on campus their first two years. Pennsylvania State University — like Temple, a state-related university — calls for freshmen to reside on its main University Park campus. Some colleges, including Dickinson in Carlisle, mandate that students live on campus all four years.
Not all schools have such a requirement, however: West Chester University, which has been tight on student housing over the years, does not, though the majority of first-year students live on campus.
“We want over time for people to think about Temple as a great residential campus that’s also very friendly to commuter students,” Fry said, “as opposed to a commuter campus that is doing some residential things.”
Temple will create “an intentional focus on belonging, connection, academic success, wellness, help-seeking and personal growth” during that first year, Fry said.
Peer mentorship, early intervention and academic support initiatives, mental health resources, and financial counseling for students and families are among the resources that the university will offer, the school said.
“This work will include stronger coordination across housing, advising, academic support, wellness and other student services so that students experience a more connected first year at Temple,” Fry said.
Creating closer connections is especially important for first-generation college students and those coming to Temple from outside the area, the school said.
The university’s recently released strategic plan calls for the construction of a new 1,000-bed residence hall on Broad Street, with work beginning next year. That would increase the current 5,000-bed capacity on the main campus by 20%. Temple welcomed a record-breaking 5,379 first-year students last fall.
“We think we’re at a minimum several thousand beds short of where we need to be,” Fry said in January when the plan was released. “A stronger residential experience really does make for a much more fulfilling undergraduate experience. The more kids living on campus, the more dense campus is, I think the better we’re going to do on safety.”
The university has ramped up its safety efforts in recent years following the shooting death of a student outside his off-campus residence in 2021 and the shooting death of a Temple police officer in 2023. But challenges continue in the school’s North Philadelphia neighborhood. In April, a Temple student was chased into the lobby of the school’s Morgan Hall dormitory and attacked by a group of juveniles.
When the new residence hall opens, Temple will upgrade Johnson and Hardwick Halls, which have an additional 1,000 beds, Fry said in January.
The Annenberg Hall/Tomlinson Theater building, whose programs will relocate to a new arts and communication building in 2027, could also be converted into more residential space if needed, Fry said.
Fry expects the new first-year residency policy will lead to increases in persistence and graduation rates in future years, he said in Wednesday’s announcement.
About a decade ago, 90% of freshmen returned to Temple for their sophomore year, but by last fall, that percentage had slid to 82%, and Temple said in an internal report in April that the figure could fall below 80% this fall.
Fry said that more than 60% of all four-year residential colleges have some kind of first-year residency requirement. That includes many colleges that belong to the national University Innovation Alliance, which Temple joined in March 2025.
“Decades of research have shown that students who live on campus ultimately benefit from a more productive and rewarding college experience,” Elizabeth Wentz, Temple’s new senior vice president and provost, said in a statement.
Temple will offer several exemptions to the requirement, including those living with a parent or guardian in Philadelphia or other approved nearby zip codes. Students facing financial hardship verified through the university; those who are part-time, nontraditional, married, or have custody of one or more dependent children; and those with extenuating medical or personal circumstances that cannot be accommodated in university housing also are exempt, the school said.
