DEAR ABBY: My husband, “Dirk,” cheated on me more than 20 years ago. He has kept in touch with the woman since then. Sixteen months ago, she told him she was “in a bad place.” He offered to let this (married) woman move in with us and didn’t tell me until two weeks before she got here.
Abby, this woman lives like a pig. Her room is filthy, and she has broken several things in my house without paying for anything. Before she moved here, Dirk wanted to get her teeth fixed. I ended up paying for it with my credit card. She promised she was going to pay me back, but she has given me exactly $510 of the $5,000 that she owes me. She has a job, so there’s no reason why she is not giving me the money.
I’m not worried about Dirk cheating with her again, as she has not maintained her looks or figure over the years. Still, how much more of this should I take? I asked her to leave once, but he got her to come back. He will not go to marriage counseling as he doesn’t think we need it. When I ask him why he keeps her around, he tells me he enjoys her company. Do you think I should contact a lawyer and start divorce proceedings or let this go?
— LOSING MY MIND IN TEXAS
DEAR LOSING MY MIND: My dear, you should have left long ago. Call a lawyer immediately. However, since this woman is not a physical threat, resist the urge to move out until you have your attorney’s approval. Abandoning your home may harm your case in the divorce proceedings.
** ** **
DEAR ABBY: I became close with an attractive, younger coworker last year. Realizing I was starting to get a crush, I told her I needed to stay away because of my feelings and, being married, couldn’t risk losing my family. She went through a hard time during our breakup, but we started getting close again. The breakup led her to do something she regrets so much it has affected her work. It has alienated pretty much everyone she knows except for me. I have encouraged her to seek professional help because her emotional state is very draining. I also feel I have reached a point where I no longer want to be around it, but I don’t know how to tell her without feeling guilty for turning my back on her when she’s begging for help. She’s in such a depression; she’s killing herself slowly. What should I do?
— REMOVING MYSELF IN THE EAST
DEAR REMOVING: What you should do is reiterate to her firmly, but as kindly as you can, that she needs to get professional help for her depression. If she balks, explain that, because of her emotional state, she has alienated friends and coworkers and that you are not equipped to give her the support she needs. Then learn from this experience and back away.
ARIES (March 21-April 19). You think you’re doing what everyone does, but actually, there’s something special and unique about your particular way. Today, someone notices and asks, “How did you do that?”
TAURUS (April 20-May 20). New circumstances can make your body react as though you are in danger. It’s useful chemistry when it keeps you safe, but not so much when it makes ordinary problems feel like emergencies. You’re learning to work with your responses.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21). So many outcomes depend on luck that you’re really motivated by endeavors with outcomes dependent on effort. Practicing an instrument, tending a garden, showing up for a friendship — it’s really heartening when you get what you put in.
CANCER (June 22-July 22). Like the sun after a beautiful sunset, someone has gone from view while leaving color behind. You still feel their effect in your thoughts. Whether you meet again or not, the relationship was real, and it changed the way you see things.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). There’s something you wish you could learn quickly. Here’s a hack: Start with the intention of teaching it to someone else soon. You’ll pay closer attention, remember more and spend extra time on the parts that stump you.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Like the sinking sun under a beautiful sunset, someone has colored the sky of your mind before disappearing. But the sun will rise again, and so will your relationship. The connection is somehow both illusory and real.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Today’s stars offer you a warning not to judge people’s knowledge by how confident they sound. A shy, awkward or hesitant person may know a great deal. A loud, commanding person may know very little.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). The people you want to impress have your full attention because they are still a bit of a mystery. Familiar people may get the shorthand. Today, a new detail gives you a better question to ask and a reason to listen.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Other people’s approval can feel rewarding because acceptance can feel safe. Even so, your own approval matters more. You’ll be mindful not to change too much of yourself or give too much away in exchange for the gold star.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). You would not call a dishwasher broken because it cannot bake a cake; baking is not its job. In the same way, a relationship may be working exactly as it is built to work, while still being unable to give you the particular thing you want.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). You’ll treat other people’s attention as the precious resource it is. It’s a piece of their day they can never get back, and you’re sure to give them the kind of attention, care or entertainment that ensures they wouldn’t want to.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). You can miss a person and still know the arrangement did not work. Missing someone does not prove you should go back, forgive them or make grand decisions. It means you were close. It won’t always feel so sharp.
TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (Sept. 23). What worked once will earn another round in this your Year of the Encore. People need your talent and they’ll ask you to share it again and again, often with a larger audience or a better reward. More highlights: You’ll return to a place you loved. Admirers come out of the woodwork. You’ll be in the room where decisions get made and your influence can change lives. Leo and Libra adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 10, 6, 19, 33 and 14.
A former Philadelphia correctional officer was sentenced Tuesday to 42 months in federal prison for repeatedly pepper-spraying inmates and falsifying records about the incidents, U.S. Attorney David Metcalf said Tuesday.
Christopher Knight, 48, of Philadelphia, pleaded guilty in March to five counts of depriving individuals of their civil rights under color of law and two counts of falsifying records, Metcalf said.
U.S. District Judge Paul S. Diamond also sentenced Knight to one year of supervised release after he serves his prison term.
While a sergeant at the Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility, Knight pepper-sprayed five subdued victims, prosecutors said.
Knight admitted that he sprayed his first victim in January 2023 while the inmate was lying face down on the ground with his hands behind his back, prosecutors said. Knight also struck the inmate during and after the inmate was being handcuffed.
Two days later, Knight sprayed two more inmates in separate incidents.
He sprayed a fourth inmate in March 2023 while the inmate was writing on a piece of paper and not posing a threat, prosecutors said. Knight continued to spray the inmate while he was lying on the ground and in pain.
Later that month, Knight attacked a fifth inmate, spraying the victim while he was lying on the ground face down, prosecutors said.
Knight falsified multiple use-of-force reports and knowingly omitted key details about his own actions, prosecutors said.
“Correctional officers have significant authority over the inmates in their charge and it’s their duty to wield that power responsibly,” Metcalf said in a statement.
“If they fail to meet this standard, and violate prisoners’ civil rights, as Christopher Knight did, they will be prosecuted and held accountable.”
Less than 48 hours after losing forward Denver Barkey to a lower-body injury that has him out day-to-day, the Flyers have added No. 1 goalie Dan Vladař to the list.
“I think we dodged a bullet,” coach Rick Tocchet said on Wednesday. “He’s in good spirits today.”
Tocchet’s update came following an anxious few hours for the Flyers and their fans after Vladař exited the team’s preseason game Tuesday in Boston with an “upper-body injury.” The 29-year-old goaltender was the team’s MVP last season, and any significant injury to the franchise goaltender would have curtailed the team’s elevated expectations entering the season.
Vladař’s status for the home opener, which is set for a week from Wednesday against the Pittsburgh Penguins (7:30 p.m., TNT, truTV), is unknown at this time. But the Flyers are hopeful their standout netminder has at least avoided the worst, and a lengthy spell on the shelf.
The injury occurred in the Flyers’ second preseason game when Vladař left 13 minutes, 31 seconds into the first period after allowing a deflection goal by Michael Eyssimont. The Czech netminder did not have his stick when the goal was scored.
Before Eyssimont scored, Vladař had mishandled a dump-in and was spread down with his arms extended on the ice when Tanner Jeannot crashed the net for the rebound. It didn’t look like there was significant contact between Jeannot’s leg and Vladař on the play, but the netminder let go of his stick immediately and appeared to be holding his right arm awkwardly in the sequence that led up to Eyssimont’s goal.
Afterward, Vladař skated over to the bench and, while leaning over in discomfort, talked with the Flyers assistant athletic trainer Joe Mele before heading down the tunnel. Vladař, who did not return to the game, was replaced by Aleksei Kolosov, who allowed four goals on 18 shots in a 5-1 loss.
Coach Rick Tocchet told the Flyers website after the game that Vladař was still being evaluated and that he did not have an update.
The worry with Vladař was that just a few short months ago, in Game 3 of the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, he took a knee to the hand or right arm from Bryan Rust as the Pittsburgh Penguins forward tried to cut across the crease during a power play.
On that postseason play, Vladař immediately appeared to be in pain after losing his blocker and was seen flexing his hand while being checked by then-Flyers head athletic trainer Tommy Alva. He stayed in the game and played the rest of the playoffs but was unable to represent Czechia at the 2026 men’s World Championships.
Vladař, who posted a 29-14-7 record with a .906 save percentage and 2.42 goals-against average last season, signed a five-year, $27.5 million contract extension that starts next season with the Flyers on July 1.
If Vladař is unable to go on opening night, that honor would likely fall upon the shoulders of Joseph Woll, who was acquired in June from Toronto. Woll, 28, boasts a .906 career save percentage and had some excellent spells as a tandem goalie while with the Maple Leafs.
Durability has been a major question for Woll, though, as he has only played 40 games once so far in his career and has battled a litany of injuries over the past few seasons.
A woman was killed when she tried to enter a neighbor’s apartment and was shot through the door by a woman inside the unit early Tuesday in North Philadelphia, police said.
Around 3:10 a.m., the woman, described only as in her 50s or 60s, was trying to enter a key code to an apartment in a complex on the 1500 block of West Girard Avenue when she was shot at least one time in the chest, said Chief Inspector Scott Small.
The shot was fired through a door that did not have a peep hole or other way to see outside, Small said.
Police had been called to the scene initially for a report of a break-in, Small said. An officer arriving to the apartment complex heard at least one gunshot and found the victim unresponsive in the hallway.
Police transported the victim to Temple University Hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 3:30 a.m., Small said.
The alleged shooter, described as 56 years old, remained at the scene and was taken for questioning by homicide detectives, Small said.
“She did cooperate with police,” Small said, adding that a gun inside her apartment was taken as evidence.
A security guard told police he saw the woman trying to enter a code for the door and questioned her, then proceeded with his duties elsewhere, Small said.
It was not immediately known if the two women knew each other or had any type of prior interaction, Small said.
The victim’s unit was across the hallway from where she was shot, Small said.
Bordered by a riverfront park to the north and Broad Street to the south, a roughly quarter-mile stretch of High Street has long been the commercial heart of Burlington City.
Today, the historic corridor is still home to the traditional businesses that locals expect downtown, like law offices and insurance agencies, but the street is also showing signs of new life as taprooms, art studios, and more have begun moving in.
Yet mixed in among all of these businesses, both old and new, remains a smattering of closed or vacant storefronts. Tucked between bustling barber shops and antique stores, some buildings are boarded up entirely while others still boast sun-faded window displays.
A “permanently closed” sign is posted to the front door of Waitz Jewelers at 320 High St. in Burlington, N.J. on Sept. 1, 2026.Lacey Latch
It’s these empty storefronts that are, in part, holding Burlington back from reaching its full potential, according to the New London Alliance (NLA), a neighborhood group based just south of Broad Street.
The group argues that the number of inactive storefronts makes the area feel unwelcome for pedestrians, especially at night, said NLA member Donnamarie Mazzola.
In an effort to address this, the group is calling for dedicated police foot patrols downtown — not necessarily because crime is increasing, Mazzola said, but to help create a more comfortable environment for locals and visitors alike.
“We’re asking the city to consider restoring regular police foot patrols and community policing downtown,” Mazzola said. “We believe having officers present and engaging with residents, businesses, and visitors can help strengthen both public safety and the relationship between the police and the community.”
A sidewalk along High Street in downtown Burlington was largely empty in the early afternoon of Sept. 1, 2026.Lacey Latch
Simply knowing cops are walking around downtown might be enough to make people feel more safe to do the same, she said.
“We have a huge problem with abandoned buildings and absentee landlords, so our downtown is nowhere near the kind of vibrant downtown that people would love,” she said. “And it kind of detracts from that sense of safety and walkability that people really come here searching for.”
Since the NLA began circulating a community petition at the end of July, Mazzola said, the group has collected a few hundred signatures in support of the foot patrols.
The petition itself, Mazzola said, is essentially a way to come to city officials with hard data demonstrating a desire for these services beyond just the NLA.
“We’re hoping that [the petition] sends a signal to the mayor that this is an important priority for the community and that he then kicks off an initiative with the stakeholders and community input,” she said.
While it is still just an idea, some longtime High Street business owners are already on board.
After more than two decades operating Virtu Millinery & Accessories on the corner of Union Street, Marie Salter recently began locking her front door after a frightening incident with someone who appeared to be suffering from mental illness, she said.
Marie Salter’s specialty hat boutique, Virtu Millinery & Accessories, has been on High Street in Burlington for more than 20 years. Salter said she would welcome community foot patrols in the area.Lacey Latch
If police were walking around the area throughout the day, it might prevent a similar situation from happening again, she said.
“I would welcome it,” Salter said of possible foot patrols outside her boutique hat shop. “I could keep my door open.”
Down the block, Philip Augustyn, another longtime High Street business owner, agreed that it would be a welcome sight.
Augustyn and his wife, Maryanne, have operated Philip’s Antiques & Furniture at 307 High St. for more than 20 years — enough time to remember “years and years ago” when police would regularly walk by, Philip Augustyn said.
“I’ve been here a long time,” he said. “There’s not a lot of crime down here to begin with, but I think people would just feel better to see the police walking up and down. The merchants, plus any of the tourists or local people, they’d like to see the police on patrol.”
A few stores down, Olde City Quilts co-owner Rob Engime also looked back fondly on a time when foot patrols were commonplace in the area.
In the early years of their shop, Engime said, he and his wife would sometimes get calls from police officers who noticed their storefront was unlocked as they made their nightly patrols. Once, when cops found the door cracked open, they walked a police dog through the property just to make sure no one had broken in, he said.
A storefront available for lease on High Street in Burlington, N.J. on Sept. 1, 2026.Lacey Latch
There was a neighborly energy with law enforcement at the time, he said, in large part because locals often recognized officers from growing up in the city.
“It was great,” Engime said of that time. “It did have a sense that it was much friendlier.”
After 20 years on what he calls “the busiest street that doesn’t go anywhere,” Engime said, he still loves the neighborhood but would welcome the return of the foot patrols he used to know.
“It was a lot of fun and we felt a connection with them,” he said. “But now you never see them.”
It is unclear when Burlington last had dedicated foot patrols downtown or if the department has the staffing capabilities to have any officers on foot. The Burlington City Police Department did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
“Obviously I’m sure any police department would love to have enough staffing to have somebody on every corner,” Burlington Mayor Barry Conaway said. “But we know that’s not reality.”
Two shuttered storefronts sit side by side on High Street in Burlington, N.J. on Sept. 1, 2026.Lacey Latch
When asked about the NLA’s petition, Conaway said he was unable to comment more specifically on the matter until it is officially filed with the city.
But he did share the group’s desire to bring more pedestrians downtown.
“Every small town, including Burlington, wants to have more foot traffic downtown,” Conaway said, noting that the River Line and nearby bus stops give the city a unique opportunity to bring in people.
Amid the community’s efforts to boost foot traffic along High Street, the belief held by many residents and business owners — that crime downtown is not increasing — is hard to verify.
The city did not respond to a public records request seeking crime statistics specifically for this stretch of High Street and instead referred the request to the New Jersey State Police. The state police in turn pointed to Burlington’s citywide crime statistics, which are compiled annually.
Still collecting signatures, the NLA plans to finally bring the petition to city officials in the fall, Mazzola said. In the meantime, she said, the group is working to get the proposal in front of as many residents as possible.
“In Burlington, there are pockets of community groups that are very, very interested in making Burlington better, and the NLA is really one of those groups,” Mazzola said.
“There’s just so much potential that’s been untapped,” she said.
Don Mattingly stands alone among baseball’s interim managers after the Mets and Red Sox announced Tuesday that they will retain Andy Green and Chad Tracy, respectively, with each receiving a three-year contract to stay at the wheel of those clubs.
The Phillies aren’t ready to make a similar commitment to Mattingly.
Asked if there has been more thought to Mattingly’s future in the dugout beyond this season, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski replied in a text message, “No, there has not been.”
“[We] have felt it is better to wait,” Dombrowski added, “until our season is complete.”
Mattingly, whose son Preston works under Dombrowski as general manager, agreed to a two-year contract in January to be the Phillies’ bench coach. He took over for deposed manager Rob Thomson on April 28 — but only after Dombrowski offered the job to Alex Cora, who had been fired a few days earlier by the Red Sox.
Under Mattingly, the Phillies were 77-51 entering play Tuesday night and closing in on a National League wild card, with a four-game lead over the Diamondbacks with six games remaining. It was the third-best record in baseball in that span behind the Brewers (84-45) and Rays (78-49).
Mattingly, 65, said in July that he would be interested in staying on as manager, even though he previously believed his days of leading a team were over. He previously managed the Dodgers and Marlins.
Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski (left) won a World Series with Alex Cora (right) as his manager with the Red Sox in 2018.Elise Amendola
“I like doing it,” he said during a series in Cincinnati before the All-Star break. “I didn’t come here to do it, but I actually like doing it. And I’d committed two years [as bench coach]. In my mind, I told Dave two years, right? So, at that point you make a commitment with your family and what’s going on with everything, that you’re going to do this for two years.
“So, if that’s something that Dave wanted me to do, I would be fine with it.”
But Dombrowski’s relationship with Cora has prompted speculation throughout the sport that they may be poised for a reunion with the Phillies. They won a World Series together in 2018 with the Red Sox as manager and president of baseball operations.
Cora got fired by the Red Sox on April 25. Dombrowski spoke with him that day and offered him the Phillies’ job the day after, even though Thomson hadn’t been let go yet. But Cora, who was owed $13 million by the Red Sox through the end of the 2027 season, opted to take time with his family in Puerto Rico.
Video: Baseball legend Don Mattingly on his son’s journey to becoming a Phillies executive
“I’d really come to the conclusion that, if [Cora] took it, I was going to make a change,” Dombrowski said after firing Thomson with the Phillies off to a 9-19 start. “And I thought that he might take it.”
If Cora wants to return to managing next season, maybe Dombrowski is keeping the Phillies’ seat warm. In April, he referred to Cora as “one of the finest managers in the game of baseball” and compared him favorably to Hall of Fame managers Jim Leyland and Tony La Russa.
In 2022, after Thomson was elevated from bench coach to replace fired Joe Girardi in May, Dombrowski removed the interim tag after the Phillies won the wild-card series. It’s possible Mattingly may need to lead the Phillies on a longer playoff run to shed the interim tag. Then again, he does have one year left on his initial contract and his son in the front office.
In any case, it all figures to play out over the next few weeks.
Phillies ace lefty Jesús Luzardo, sidelined by a shoulder strain, continues to play catch but hasn’t thrown from a mound yet.David Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Luzardo update
One week after being placed on the 15-day injured list with a strained shoulder, ace lefty Jesús Luzardo is “still trending in the right direction,” according to Mattingly.
“He just continues to throw and continues to feel good,” Mattingly said after Luzardo played catch for a third day in a row from as far as 120 feet. “Keep moving.”
If the Phillies have a target date for when Luzardo may progress to a mound, Mattingly wasn’t saying.
“Every day is kind of like, how he comes back tomorrow,” Mattingly said. “We’re moving in the right direction. He feels good every day. He hasn’t come back with any kind of inflammation or lack of range [of motion] or anything like that, so it’s been good.”
Luzardo, who hasn’t pitched since Sept. 7, is eligible to return from the injured list Sunday, though it’s doubtful he will pitch in the regular-season finale. The Phillies remain hopeful Luzardo will be ready for the wild-card miniseries, likely in a relief role.
Video: Former Phillies GM Matt Klentak ‘happy’ the team has found sustained success
Extra bases
Setup reliever Jonathan Bowlan also continued to throw with more intensity after straining his right groin last Thursday night. “I don’t know about [getting] in a game yet,” Mattingly said. “But he’s been throwing and doing better every day.” … The Phillies named righty reliever Alex McFarlane and infielder Bryan Rincon as recipients of the Paul Owens Award, presented annually to the organization’s top minor league pitcher and player. … Aaron Nola (7-10, 4.49 ERA) will be opposed at 6:40 p.m. Wednesday by Brewers righty Logan Henderson (10-3, 2.51).
Masked thieves stole half a pallet of Black Angus beef ribs from a tractor-trailer overnight in the Food Distribution Center area of South Philadelphia, police said.
The heist occurred around 1 a.m. Tuesday when four men approached a 2026 Freightliner on the 3300 block of South Third Street and cut the hinges from the rear door of the unattended trailer, police said.
The thieves then loaded the beef ribs into the rear of a dark-colored Ford F-150 and fled south on Third Street in the Ford, which was accompanied by an unknown make and model of Jeep, police said.
No arrests were reported.
In recent years, large cargo thefts have increased in frequency around the Philadelphia region.
Reddy pleaded guilty to cargo thefts in 2023 that had a total estimated value of more than $1.5 million.
He admitted to participating in heists that made off with hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of frozen crab legs and more than $360,000 worth of Samsung TVs.
He also admitted to his involvement in a widely reported theft of more than $230,000 in dimes.
Philadelphia police are investigating an overnight meat heist after responding to a call outside Ritter Foods on South 3rd Street. Officers arrived around 1 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 22, to find the rear doors of a meat-hauling tractor-trailer wide open. This incident follows a pattern of similar cargo thefts reported across Philadelphia and the surrounding suburbs over the past few years.
A large new study confirms what many people have long suspected: A sizable number of people taking drugs like Ozempic have no medical reason to do so.
The study, an analysis of the medical records of more than 92 million U.S. adults, identified more than 1.1 million who were taking GLP-1 medications, without any record of an issue that would make them eligible, like obesity or diabetes. While the researchers didn’t examine why people took these medications, doctors said many people are probably using them simply to shed some pounds or in the hope they might deliver other, buzzy potential benefits.
“You see it all over the place. You have people describing publicly their experience with these medications, some good, some bad,” said Dr. Babak Orandi, an obesity medicine specialist and transplant surgeon at NYU Langone Health. Orandi is the lead author of the study, published Tuesday in the journal Obesity.
The positive anecdotes, he said, “may open up people’s curiosity to say, ‘Hey, maybe that could work for me.’”
Technically, GLP-1s have only been approved for a few conditions, including obesity and diabetes. The Food and Drug Administration has also approved some GLP-1s to prevent heart attacks and other cardiovascular issues and to treat sleep apnea, both in people with obesity, and to treat kidney disease in those with type 2 diabetes.
But the drugs have become a cultural phenomenon, with the public discourse about them and the aggressive marketing of the medications generating far broader interest.
“It’s the first time that I can recall that the general public knows so much” about a drug, said Dr. Nils Krüger, a researcher at Harvard Medical School who has studied GLP-1s.
These “off-label” prescriptions, as doctors call them, became far more common as the study went on, jumping 15-fold between 2021 and 2025. And researchers say those findings are almost certainly an undercount, since they may not capture people who are accessing the drugs through telehealth platforms or taking compounded versions.
Shedding some weight is perhaps the most obvious reason people without obesity or diabetes might turn to the drugs. More than one in three of those taking a GLP-1 drug off-label had a normal body mass index. Patients taking the drugs off-label were also much more likely to have had a documented eating disorder than those who were not taking one of these medications. While the number of patients with eating disorders was a small fraction of patients, doctors said it was still cause for concern.
Beyond weight loss, there are a host of other reasons people may be seeking out these drugs, outside experts said. For example, the study found that patients taking a GLP-1 drug off-label were more likely to have high blood pressure or high cholesterol.
People might think, “‘Oh, it’s being used for vanity purposes,’” Orandi said. But he said that he has talked with patients who are interested in whether the drugs might help for other issues that aren’t included on their labels.
Scientists are in the early stages of studying the drugs for other possible uses, including improving fertility, curbing cravings for alcohol, and alleviating brain fog. While researchers need far more data to determine if the drugs work for these purposes, doctors said they are already seeing patients try them, in the hope that they will.
Dr. Andrew Kraftson, a clinical professor at the University of Michigan Medical School who treats patients with obesity, noted that the new study also highlights how many doctors seem to be prescribing these drugs to patients who do not appear to qualify for them.
Busy primary care doctors whose patients request the drugs may think, “Well, what can it hurt,” he said.
“But still,” Kraftson added, “we totally are not giving comprehensive care in these situations.”
Kraftson expressed concern that some doctors might not fully be assessing whether a patient could benefit from the medication, and whether any potential benefits outweigh the possible risks.
There is little data on how the drugs might affect people without obesity or diabetes because they were largely excluded from major clinical trials.
These medications might pose unique risks to people who are not overweight, Krüger said. Those risks include malnutrition, as well as muscle mass loss, side effects of the drug that can affect anyone but that could be especially concerning in people with lower starting BMIs.
“We don’t know how this will play out,” Krüger said. “It’s like this big Ozempic experiment.”
Last season, for the first time in his career, Cam York posted a positive plus-minus. It wasn’t the largest number on the Flyers — that belonged to Noah Cates at plus-26 — but considering the defenseman averaged more than 22 minutes a night, a plus-5 isn’t too bad.
York, of course, always wants to work on his defensive game, but if his offense can take a step forward — without sacrificing or cheating the game in the Flyers’ end — it could be huge for both his game and the Orange and Black’s success as a team.
“I liked a lot of what I did last year, but I also feel like there’s a lot more there, and that’s on me to try to tap into those things and try and become the best guy I can be,” York told The Inquirer on Tuesday.
“Obviously, you want to win [and] obviously, really want to make the playoffs again, but I guess for me, individually, continue to take steps. I feel like offensively, there’s a lot there for me still.”
Although the Californian has 23 goals and 103 points in 309 NHL regular-season games, his offensive game does feel untapped. York’s 103 career points rank third all-time among defensemen in U.S. National Team Development Program history, and his 65 points in his draft year (2018-19) are second among blueliners in a single season. Two years later, as a sophomore at the University of Michigan, he not only had 20 points in 24 games but captained USA Hockey to World Juniors gold, chipping in six points in seven games.
After refining his puck retrievals and outlet passes on Tuesday, York also spent time firing off one-timers from the point. His defensive partner and good buddy Jamie Drysdale fed him puck after puck that York shot off the pass following a spirited practice.
Cam York (left) and Jamie Drysdale have helped embody the Flyers’ strong chemistry. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
It was just another layer added to what the defenseman worked on over the summer to have an effective shot, whether on the ice or off it.
“A lot of footwork. A lot of it’s hands too; you’ve got to be able to stickhandle in tight quarters, tight spaces. So all that little stuff goes into … creating more from the blue line,” said York, who also focused on upper-body strength in the gym.
“Guys are really good at blocking shots nowadays,” he added. “So it’s a challenge to get pucks through, but I think that’s what makes it so fun … [and] being able to try and change the angle of your shot or use your feet to get you into better ice,” York said. “You look at the top guys in the league that work the blue line — the [Cale] Makars and the [Quinn] Hugheses — they’re so good at creating space for themselves and giving them that extra foot that they need to get the puck through.”
York spent time watching video of the aforementioned guys and Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski, who is also a left-handed shot. “He just generates so much from the blue line, so that’s definitely something that I want to try and get better at this year,” the Flyers defenseman said.
According to Natural Stat Trick, York had 198 shot attempts and 89 shots on goal last season. His career high in shots was 134 in 2023-24, which also happened to be when he potted a career-best 10 goals and 30 points. His overall goal this season is to generate more chances and shots.
“I want to have five shots a game, if possible,” he said.
Another added boost? His overtime shot from the blue line during Game 6 in the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs sent the Pittsburgh Penguins golfing.
“That’s obviously probably one of the biggest goals of my career, so it should give you confidence, right?” he said. “Scoring a big goal in a huge game like that, that was obviously something I’ll never forget. But I feel really good going into the season. Healthy, mind’s in a really good spot, so just really excited to get going again with these guys and seeing what we can do.”
Video: Cam York is reunited with the stick he threw after beating the Penguins
Denver Barkey update
Flyers forward Denver Barkey left Monday’s preseason game against the Washington Capitals less than 30 seconds into the second period with a lower-body injury.
“Barks is day-to-day,” Tocchet said on Tuesday, noting he believed Barkey was getting evaluated as he spoke to the media.
Is it serious? “I don’t think it’s serious,” Tocchet added. “But … I don’t want to put myself out here (saying it’s not serious) and next thing, he’s out for four months. But it’s not going to be out four. It’s just day to day. Trust me.”
Barkey appeared to sustain the injury in the first period with under 5 minutes to go. The 5-foot-10, 171-pound forward carried the puck down the right side in the Capitals zone and was crushed into the boards by 6-2, 215-pound defenseman Martin Fehérváry.
Barkey got up and seemed unfazed, but as he tried to take a few steps, it was apparent he was having issues. He quickly went to the bench but returned with just over a minute left in the first period. The return was short-lived, as it was readily apparent he was still struggling to generate speed with crossovers.
Centering the top line between Zach Aston-Reese and Porter Martone, Barkey took the opening faceoff of the second and, again, when he tried to generate speed after swinging low in the Flyers’ zone, it looked uncomfortable. He pulled up once he hit the neutral zone, went to the bench, sat for a few seconds, and then went down the tunnel.
Flyers goaltender Dan Vladař will see extensive action on Tuesday night. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Breakaways
Goalie Dan Vladař will play the first two periods on Tuesday against his former team, the Bruins, in Boston (7 p.m., NBCSP). Aleksei Kolosov will go in net for the third. … Forwards Alex Bump, Jack Studnicka, Cole Knuble, Jett Luchanko, Matthew Gard, Carl Grundström, and Aston-Reese, and defensemen David Jiříček, Hunter McDonald, Ty Murchison, and Oliver Bonk will play for the second straight game. … NHL regulars Noah Cates and Owen Tippett, who both ended last season injured, will also play Tuesday. … Washington Capitals forward Andrew Cristall was fined $2,250.86, the maximum allowable under the collective bargaining agreement, for cross-checking Flyers defenseman Hunter McDonald on Monday night. Cristall received a five-minute major and a game misconduct for cross-checking McDonald in the face after the blueliner hit and knocked down Ryan Leonard along the boards.
