DEAR ABBY: My 33-year-old daughter is getting married, and the mothers have taken over her wedding plans. They want more than 200 guests, a full Catholic ceremony, fine wines, a full bar, plated dinner and a live band.
My daughter wants to please everyone but is not a practicing Catholic. She wants a small, intimate wedding with twinkling lights, a DJ and house wines from the California vineyard venue. Nothing she suggests is acceptable to the mothers, who see the ceremony as a means to impress their friends and business associates.
I divorced her mom years ago, but I’m still involved in my daughter’s life. How can I advise her to take control of her wedding?
— DOTING DAD
DEAR DAD: I tend to agree with you that a bride is entitled to the ceremony she wants, but sometimes there is no clear path to that end. No one will ever convince these moms to back off, and the repercussions of an elopement would be devastating.
My advice to the bride and groom is to grin and bear it. Let the mothers impress their friends (as long as they are willing to pay for it all), and the relaxation of the honeymoon will be all the sweeter.
Your daughter can save her more intimate plans for a renewal of vows ceremony held on a milestone anniversary. Obviously, she will want to avoid telling the moms about it until after all the arrangements are in place!
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DEAR ABBY: Our son, daughter-in-law and only grandchild live 1,400 miles away. We are able to see them only about three times a year. We have a warm, wonderful relationship. When we last visited, I noticed a picture in his room of our grandson, who is a year-and-a-half old, with his babysitter. There are no pictures of us with him in the entire house. I would like our grandson to have pictures of us so he will remember us. Should I say anything?
— REALLY HURT IN CALIFORNIA
DEAR HURT: Because you have a warm, wonderful relationship with your son and his family, the lack of photos of you with your grandson is likely not a deliberate slight. The next time you visit, ask them casually why there isn’t one. Then ask one of them to snap some of the three of you and offer to have one framed for them.
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DEAR ABBY: My parents are retired. They live on a limited income and still support my 31-year-old brother, who lives rent-free in their basement. They told me how expensive their electric bill is becoming, and I asked why they don’t have my brother help with expenses or pay rent? Abby, he makes close to $100,000 a year. They quickly changed the subject, and when I tried to circle back, I was told to drop it.
How can I help my parents see that what they are doing is hurting them, not helping their adult son?
— THEIR OTHER SON IN MAINE
DEAR SON: There is truth to the adage, “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.” Understand that your parents must be deriving some satisfaction from encouraging your brother’s dependency. Your attempt to help them resulted in their becoming defensive, so stop talking to them about it. HOWEVER, you should consider talking to your brother about the fact that the electric bills are now so steep it is causing your parents hardship and suggest he help out. It’s worth a try.
ARIES (March 21-April 19). Your emerging talent: Making ambitious goals doable, or even easy. New Moon Mantra: Big accomplishments are built over time with manageable steps. I keep stacking smart decisions until one day people call it an overnight success.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Your emerging talent: Disarming powerful people with your authenticity. New Moon Mantra: Titles are not inherently impressive. It’s the person who makes the title and not the other way around. I relate easily to those who value what I do.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Your emerging talent: You take a kernel of hope and grow it into something substantial. New Moon Mantra: Life-changing achievements start with little beginnings. I sense the promise in myself and others and keep investing in what works.
CANCER (June 22-July 22). Your emerging talent: Reading the room. New Moon Mantra: I take a moment to assess the vibes and guess at the wants, needs and interests of the people around me so my conversations, presentations and general way of showing up begin on a strong footing.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Your emerging talent: Landing on your feet. New Moon Mantra: Wherever life drops me, I find my way. I figure out how to work the scene, stay balanced and keep serving the purposes that are important to me.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Your emerging talent: Sensing and taking your moment. New Moon Mantra: I somehow know when to jump in and I simply trust the instinct and follow through. I’m patient, I’m confident, and I’m always paying attention.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Your emerging talent: Mastering what’s difficult and explaining what’s complicated. New Moon Mantra: I don’t stop asking questions until I understand it so thoroughly that I can explain it over lunch with a napkin and a pen.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Your emerging talent: Getting to the right question and being bold enough to ask it. New Moon Mantra: With careful observation, relentless curiosity and the patience to pursue an issue until the logic adds up, I get to the bottom of things.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Your emerging talent: Finding the ethical shortcut. New Moon Mantra: My instinct is for directness and efficiency. I save myself and others from meandering and needless labor. I move with confidence and forge new paths.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Your emerging talent: Becoming unforgettable. New Moon Mantra: I turn ordinary things into adventures, do remarkable work and deliver a unique experience. Knowing me is a treat.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Your emerging talent: Astounding discernment. New Moon Mantra: I see what’s worth fixing and what’s worth leaving alone. I don’t waste time polishing things that don’t matter. My eye goes straight to the one adjustment that changes everything.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Your emerging talent: Envisioning and creating the future. New Moon Mantra: I believe in a better tomorrow. I see things that don’t exist yet. With endless creativity, I find ways of bringing beautiful visions into reality.
TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (Aug. 12). It’s your Year of the Observatory. There are marvels, solutions and breakthroughs to be drawn into focus. What you learn will make many lives richer, including your own. More highlights: Your interests expand, and you’ll learn cultures, communication styles and operational methods to become masterful in new realms. You gain access Gemini and Capricorn adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 6, 25, 13, 1 and 40.
ST. LOUIS — The Phillies could smell blood in the water.
Bryce Harper had just won a nine-pitch battle, fouling off four of them, to draw a third consecutive walk from Caleb Ferguson. The Cardinals reliever walked the bases loaded without recording an out in the eighth inning on Tuesday.
While St. Louis went back to its bullpen to bring in Ryne Stanek, cleanup hitter Luis Arraez and his vaunted batting average were lying in wait.
On paper, he was exactly the hitter you’d want for that situation. Arraez has the lowest strikeout rate in the majors. He is hitting .363 with runners in scoring position this season. The Phillies were trailing, 1-0, and a ball out of the infield would tie it. A hit could give them the lead.
“You know he’s going put it in play, and just who he is, he’s going to hit the ball hard somewhere,” said interim manager Don Mattingly.
But Arraez also happens to be in the midst of his longest hitless streak of the season. And while he did put the ball in play and he did hit it hard, it was a grounder directly at Cardinals first baseman Alec Burleson. He combined with catcher Pedro Pagés to turn a deflating double play, getting a force out at the plate to prevent a run.
And suddenly, the momentum had completely shifted back to St. Louis. J.T. Realmuto flew out two pitches later to end the inning, and the Phillies had nothing to show for it. In what would become a 2-0 loss to the Cardinals, the missed opportunity loomed large.
Bryson Stott has taken his move to third base in stride.Joe Puetz
Arraez is 0-for-15 in his last three games. He declined to comment postgame through a team spokesperson.
“We had a few chances. Still like our at-bats,” Mattingly said. “You want to get a hit in there with guys on base and stuff, but still putting pressure on guys. Tonight, obviously, double plays hurt us.”
The infields on both sides were kept busy. The eighth-inning double play was one of four turned by the Cardinals, while the Phillies turned two. That included a key moment in the second inning, the only time the Cardinals had really threatened against starter Cristopher Sánchez.
Sánchez allowed back-to-back singles to put runners on the corners, and Blaze Jordan hit a chopper to Bryson Stott at third base. Stott charged in, fielded it, and threw across his body to second. It was in time to catch a speedy Masyn Winn, before Arraez’s subsequent throw to first ended the inning.
It was one of several strong plays from Stott, who has taken immediately to his new position after moving over from second base.
Sánchez scattered four singles and struck out seven. He retired the final seven Cardinals he faced, but after the sixth inning, Mattingly could tell the Missouri heat was affecting the lefty.
Trea Turner hits a single in the sixth inning, one of just five hits for the Phillies in their 2-0 loss to the Cardinals on Tuesday.Joe Puetz
“I didn’t want to pull Cristopher to start with, but checking on him after the inning, he was done,” Mattingly said.
Sánchez’s pitch count was still in good shape at 89, but Mattingly made the call to bring in reliever Alex McFarlane for the seventh. Through a team interpreter, Sánchez said it was a “joint decision.”
“It was really uncomfortable today,” he said. “The weather was a little uncomfortable, but you can’t use that as an excuse. We have to perform out there every day. It doesn’t matter how it is, we just have to go out there on the field and try to put the team in the best position we can to win the games.”
McFarlane, recalled earlier on Tuesday, entered the game to face the heart of the Cardinals order. With the Phillies bullpen still depleted, he was one of a few arms available. He recorded his first major league strikeout after blowing a 100.5 mph fastball by Burleson. But the Cardinals capitalized on a walk, stolen base, and a single to finally break the stalemate against the rookie reliever, taking a 1-0 lead.
After the Phillies wasted their opportunity to strike back in the eighth, St. Louis doubled its advantage with a homer off lefty Tim Mayza.
Cardinals catcher Pedro Pages throws out Phillies’ Luis Arraez at first base in the eighth inning to complete a double play.Joe Puetz
The Phillies went down in order against Riley O’Brien in the ninth. In total, they left eight men on base, and were 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position.
Compounding their frustration was the fact that they made a lot of hard contact overall. Collectively, the Phillies clocked exit velocities harder than 95 mph 12 times, and only two of those fell for singles.
In the fifth inning, Alec Bohm was halfway through a home run trot before realizing that Pereira had pulled off a leaping catch right at the center field wall. According to StatCast, it would have been a homer in 17 out of 30 major league parks.
Justin Crawford tossed his helmet in frustration after hitting a 105.8 mph liner directly at right fielder Jordan Walker, which stranded a pair in the seventh inning.
“Feel like I was squaring the ball up a little bit, not just me personally, but for a lot of guys in here in our lineup,” Crawford said. “Just frustrating, but it’s part of it. Just got to continue to keep going, keep stacking at-bats, keep competing, and putting together good at-bats.”
The loss dropped the Phillies to a 64-57 record. After the Padres pulled off an 11-2 rout of the Brewers in San Diego on Tuesday night, they moved into a three-way tie with the Phillies and Diamondbacks for the final two wild-card spots.
The Phillies hold the tiebreaker over the Padres after sweeping the season series, but their playoff position has become vulnerable with 41 games remaining.
The Cheltenham school board said it would review safety procedures and assess the culture in all of its athletic programs as it pledged to rebuild community trust after an explosive grand jury report condemned the district’s response to the assaults of a football player last season in a high school locker room.
The attacks on the 15-year-old, which took place in August and September 2025, “arose in the context of a culture of intimidation and acceptance of violence,” board president Leah Mulhearn said Tuesday night at the board’s first meeting since criminal charges were announced against four coaches and six players.
Mulhearn, who also announced that veteran educator Chris McGinley would be tapped as interim superintendent, promised the board would move quickly to fix problems.
The district already canceled the 2026 football season in May. “Football will not return until we address this, no matter how long it takes,” Mulhearn said.
Parents, who lined up behind a microphone in the district’s administration building awaiting their turn to speak, expressed skepticism and demanded more from the board after a grand jury report accused the district of endangering students through a failed response to the assaults, one of which was captured on video.
In emotional comments, some parents said their children had been assaulted in the schools, while others questioned how they could believe the board, when they had warned against hiring a coach who has since been charged with conspiracy and endangering the welfare of a child.
“We entrusted our children to this district,” said Chowan Cowans, who withdrew her son, a rising senior and former Cheltenham football player, because “I don’t feel safe with him being there anymore.”
Cowans accused the district of a lack of transparency, which “has to mean something when the truth is uncomfortable,” she said.
PTO president Stephanie Curry (center) waits in line to speak during the Cheltenham School Board meeting in Elkins Park on Tuesday, August 11, 2026. The school board was meeting for the first time since criminal charges against four football coaches and six players were announced, and since Brian Scriven resigned as superintendent. .Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
Employees at the high school appeared to minimize the Sept. 3 assault after it was reported to them by the 15-year-old victim’s mother, according to the grand jury report. They also took the head coach, Terence Tolbert, at his word that he had not instructed the player not to tell his parents what happened, and they included the coach in their investigation — which failed to uncover that there were two assaults, the report said.
It also noted that employees were also confused about their mandatory reporting requirements.
On Tuesday, Mulhearn said that while the board “may differ with the grand jury with respect to some of its findings about how the district and board responded, the hard truth is that we must acknowledge that mistakes were made.”
Mulhearn said the board would “move with deliberate speed to address these issues.” She said the board would enlist an outside attorney, Leigh Dalton — who was hired by the Central Bucks School District last year to investigate special-education abuse allegations — to review the district’s policies and procedures and make recommendations within 60 days.
She did not comment on Superintendent Brian Scriven’s resignation last week. Some parents questioned whether and when the board’s position on Scriven had shifted, after the board praised the superintendent’s leadership in May.
A district spokesperson did not respond to a question this week about whether Scriven, who received a new five-year contract in December, would receive any payout following his resignation.
Nor did the board indicate whether it was considering taking action against any employees at the high school. One parent, for instance, asked whether Mark Hoff, the former vice principal at Cheltenham High School, would still become the vice principal at Wyncote Elementary, in light of the grand jury report faulting high school employees.
Taryn Knox (left) speaks to School Board President Leah Mulhearn and Director of Business Joshua Sweigard during the Cheltenham School Board meeting in Elkins Park on Tuesday, August 11, 2026. The school board was meeting for the first time since criminal charges against four football coaches and six players were announced, and since Brian Scriven resigned as superintendent. .Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
The board, which appointed director of business services Joshua Sweigard acting superintendent on Tuesday, will hold a special meeting next week to appoint McGinley as interim superintendent, Mulhearn said. McGinley previously led both the Cheltenham and Lower Merion districts and more recently served on the Philadelphia School Reform Commission and Philadelphia school board. His most recent position was as the faculty program coordinator of the Educational Leadership and Policy program at Temple University.
Parents’ pleas
Parents urged the board to commit to more steps. In a joint statement, the United Parents Group, the Special Education Alliance of Cheltenham, and the Cheltenham African American Alliance called for numerous actions, including a community town hall ahead of the first day of school and an assembly on the first day “to enforce a zero-tolerance policy regarding sexual harassment, bullying and hazing.” They also called for safety data to be a part of every school board meeting.
“We are demanding a fundamental shift in how our school district operates,” Aubria Nance, reading from the groups’ joint statement, told the board.
“Every time I hear a commitment to our students’ safety, I want to see the proof,” said Erin Fadako, a parent at the school.
The Inquirer reported last week that some football parents had urged the district not to hire Tolbert, saying he had allowed bullying while previously serving as head coach in Abington, where he left after one season.
“Everyone from the administration on down that has failed these students, you all have approved them to be hired here,” said Taryn Knox, who was among the football parents who had asked the district not to hire Tolbert.
After a year of negative news coverage, Knox said, “we’re now about to go into the next school year, and the news is still here.”
The Cheltenham school board meeting Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026, in Elkins Park.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
As they voiced their frustration, parents pleaded with the board to make real changes.
“Stop being risk averse and do what you need to do to make it safe for our children,” said Stephanie Curry, president of the high school’s parent teacher organization. “Our kids are the ones that are suffering.”
When Joshua Ryan woke up in his Norristown home on Tuesday morning, he was very calm, his mom Michelle said.
On Monday, Ryan shot 3-under 67 at Philadelphia Country Club during the first round of the 126th U.S. Amateur at Merion Golf Club, just seven miles away from his home course 1912 Club.
“There’s no experience like staying in my own bed, eating my mom’s food,” he said about competing close to home. “She made chicken parm last night, so couldn’t complain. And just excited to be in my style of golf.”
Sleeping in his own bed and eating his mom’s home cooked meal seemed to fuel Ryan to shoot a 5-under 65 at Merion Golf Club Tuesday, earning medalist honors and the No. 1 seed heading into match play on Wednesday.
Ryan had only played Merion four times prior to the tournament. He competed in the 2021 Pennsylvania Amateur, but otherwise didn’t have much experience with the course. However, the bent grass and thick rough were conditions he’s used to.
Ryan, who recently won the Pennsylvania State Amateur at Oakmont Country Club in Pittsburgh, started playing golf when he was younger because his older brother, Caleb, played. He consistently attended his brothers’ tournaments and kept begging his mom and dad to let him play. Eventually, they signed him up and his love for the game took off from there.
Ryan was homeschooled and graduated from Commonwealth Charter Academy, a cyber charter school based in Harrisburg, before playing golf at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va. When he received the offer to play golf from head coach Jeff Thomas, he accepted because of the school’s strong emphasis on Christianity, his mom said.
This is Ryan’s second USGA event and competing so close to home has made it even more meaningful.
“It’s awesome. There’s a lot of people who’ve never seen me play who were able to get out to watch this week,” he said. “It was super special.”
Michelle said Josh thrives under the pressure of competing in front of a crowd. Luckily for him, the crowd showed out on Tuesday.
Members from the 1912 Club, his home course, took a bus and traveled to Merion to watch him. Former Liberty teammates were there, along with friends from his church.
“The first hole, I chunked a 3-wood and it went like 280 [yards]. The hands were shaking. We were pretty excited,” he said. “I wasn’t super nervous, just more excitement. Everyone kind of started buzzing right away.
“That was fun.”
Ryan graduated from Liberty in May, and is looking to become a professional golfer after the amateur at Merion.
On Friday, Ryan will turn 23. If he can continue the momentum he built during the first two days, it could make for a memorable birthday, he said.
Joshua Ryan hits from the fairway on the second hole during the second day of the 126th U.S. Amateur Championship at Merion Golf Club on Tuesday.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
“I mean, anytime you can tee it up at Merion, it’s going to be a good day. So on the birthday, that’d be really cool,” he said.
Ryan will compete in the first round of match play Wednesday, with the top 64 still to be determined after play was suspended due to darkness at 8:09 p.m. on Tuesday night. Play will resume at 7 a.m. on Wednesday.
ST. LOUIS — When Bryce Harper volunteered to move back to the outfield, he wasn’t concerned about his knee.
Harper said Tuesday that he “banged up” his left knee in the Phillies’ final series before the All-Star break in Detroit. It happened when he slid into second on a double in the Phillies’ July 11 game against the Tigers.
He was sore. Not enough to miss any time, but Harper said it was bothering him during the Home Run Derby, from which he was eliminated in the first round.
After the All-Star break, it started to improve. But now that Harper is back in right field to open an infield spot for newly acquired second baseman Luis Arraez, his knee is starting to bother him again.
“Just time on feet,” Harper said. “It’s more when I stop than when I run, so it’s more like braking on it. But when I’m at full speed, I feel fine. When I hit, I feel fine. It’s just coming down from it.”
It’s still not bothering him enough that he needs a full day off, but the knee is part of the reason Harper has started at designated hitter twice in the last three days, including Monday’s series-opening 6-5 win against the Cardinals. Kyle Schwarber started at first base both times to allow Harper a half day.
Harper returned to right field on Tuesday, though, with Alec Bohm drawing back in the lineup at first. Interim manager Don Mattingly plans to keep finding opportunities to rest Harper as he builds up as a right fielder. He has removed Harper for a defensive replacement late in games when the Phillies are leading to give him a break, which Harper has said he’s fine with.
But Harper doesn’t expect his DH days to be quite this frequent going forward.
Bryce Harper switched to the outfield after the Phillies acquired Luis Arraez at the trade deadline last week.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
“I didn’t really think [Monday] was that type of day for me. That was more of just like a DH spot. It’s hot, that kind of stuff,” Harper said. “Obviously, it’s bothering me a little bit, but I don’t know. We’ll see. I’ll take a DH anytime I can get it, but I don’t think we’re there at that point yet.”
In fact, it’s important to Harper that he continues to get everyday outfield reps in order to get acclimated.
“I think the more I play, I think it’ll help me just like getting in condition more,” he said. “I feel like I’m in spring training again, trying to get through everything. So I think the more I play, the more I get my body accustomed to playing the outfield. I think it’ll kind of weasel its way out.”
Harper, 33, has started all 120 Phillies games this year. Mattingly said it’s feasible for him to start all 162 — which would be a first in Harper’s career — provided that the knee is manageable and he stays healthy otherwise.
“It just depends if the health stays good, right? That’s all it is. I mean, we’re not going to not have him in there unless he can’t be in there, and he absolutely has to have a day,” Mattingly said. “So I think it’s realistic.”
Harper is looking forward to getting in the outfield on Thursday during the Phillies’ Field of Dreams game against the Minnesota Twins in Dyersville, Iowa. The stadium is located adjacent to the field shown in the 1989 film, with a cornfield in center field that the players walk through at the beginning of the game.
Harper said that he has corn on the cob-related gear that he plans to wear during the game.
“It’ll be cool, the corn behind me, stuff like that. So I’m excited,” Harper said. “It’ll be fun for all of us. I mean, we all grew up watching that movie, so being able to kind of walk through the corn and do some pretty cool stuff with the older generation will be a lot of fun.”
Alex McFarlane was recalled on Tuesday to the Phillies’ bullpen.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
McFarlane back up
The Phillies bullpen got a reinforcement on Tuesday, with righty Alex McFarlane called back up to the major league club. He filled the spot of Alan Rangel, who was optioned after pitching 2⅔ innings in the Phillies’ win on Monday.
Rangel was one of two arms available in relief behind Monday’s starter Andrew Painter, along with Jonathan Bowlan.
Chase Shugart was recalled Monday even though he was unavailable to pitch. To be eligible to return less than 15 days after being optioned, Shugart had to replace an injured player on the 26-man roster. Caleb Kilian’s oblique strain provided that opportunity.
This marks the third stint with the major league club this season for McFarlane. The right-hander had a scoreless appearance against the Dodgers for his major league debut on July 22. With the bullpen still stretched thin, however, it’s possible the Phillies might need to call on him in higher-leverage situations.
“He’s going to have to get big [outs],” Mattingly said. “Bigger ones than before. So we’ll see. We’re looking for him to just throw the ball the way he’s been throwing it, and he’ll be fine.”
Extra bases
Zack Wheeler (10-3, 2.69 ERA) is scheduled to start Wednesday’s series finale opposite Cardinals right-hander Kyle Leahy (8-4, 3.45).
Gina LaPlaca, the former mayor of Lumberton Township who pleaded guilty earlier this year to driving drunk with her toddler in the car, has been charged with faking signatures on a nominating petition to run for township committee, the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office said.
LaPlaca, 47, and her husband, Jason Carty, 49, were both charged by summons with third-degree knowingly filing a false petition, two counts of third-degree tampering with public records or information, and fourth-degree falsifying or tampering with records.
LaPlaca also was charged with fourth-degree making a false statement under oath.
According to the prosecutor’s office, multiple people whose names and purported signatures appeared on LaPlaca’s nominating petition indicated that they had neither signed the petition nor authorized anyone to do so on their behalf.
The petition was submitted by Carty to the Lumberton Township municipal clerk and contained an affidavit signed by LaPlaca that she “personally circulated the petition [and] that such petition was signed by each of the signers thereof in his/her own handwriting,” the prosecutor’s office said.
Carty also allegedly collected signatures for the petition.
Without the allegedly fake signatures, the prosecutor’s office said, LaPlaca’s petition would have lacked the needed number of signatures required to qualify for the primary.
Both LaPlaca and Carty are scheduled to appear in Superior Court in Mount Holly on Sept. 21.
In March, LaPlaca, who served as mayor until December and is still a member of the township committee, pleaded guilty before Burlington County Superior Court Judge Craig Ambrose to driving under the influence and child endangerment.
Under a deal with prosecutors, LaPlaca entered a three-year diversionary program for first-time offenders. She also agreed to attend regular Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and install an ignition interlock device in her vehicle. LaPlaca told the judge she had installed an interlock device last October. And she had already completed inpatient and outpatient treatment, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors said cell-phone video showed LaPlaca driving a blue 2019 BMW erratically on Route 38, swerving across the center line and nearly striking a utility pole. After the motorist who recorded the video alerted police, officers located LaPlaca and found an open container of alcohol in her vehicle, authorities said.
LaPlaca told police she had been drinking before picking up her 2-year-old son from daycare, prosecutors said. At the time, her blood-alcohol concentration measured 0.30% — more than three times New Jersey’s legal threshold for intoxication.
Despite calls from state lawmakers to step down, she declined to resign as mayor and remained in office until her term ended in December.
In a text message Tuesday, LaPlaca said: “I’m still in process of retaining counsel so there’s not much I can say other than these charges are absolutely baseless.”
Carty could not be reached for comment Tuesday. A lawyer for Carty also could not be reached.
In a separate case, Carty was arrested in late May and charged with aggravated assault and harassment, court records show.
The New Jersey Globe news outlet reported last month that LaPlaca had alleged that Carty tried to strangle her. But then she allegedly wrote a letter to the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office saying that her husband did not assault her and that she wished for the charges to be dropped, the New Jersey Globe reported.
A spokesperson for the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office declined to comment on the alleged letter, but did say that the case had been transferred to the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office.
A spokesperson for the Mercer County’s Prosecutor’s Office could not be reached for comment.
A teen sought in connection with the killing of a Pennsylvania State University student in South Philadelphia surrendered to police on Tuesday, the U.S. Marshals Service said.
Kadafi Fleming, 19, is also a suspect in the theft of a Philadelphia police officer’s car during a Monday morning robbery that ended in a shootout, according to the U.S. Marshals Service.
Fleming surrendered around 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Philadelphia Police Department’s headquarters at 400 N. Broad St., the U.S. Marshals Service said.
Authorities previously charged Azzubair Outen-Fleming, 16, and Kaiseem Smith, 16, with murder, robbery, and related crimes in the killing of 22-year-old William “Billy” Schmidt, who was robbed of his cell phone and shot on June 6 on the 1900 block of Durfor Street. This week, the marshals announced that they were seeking Fleming on a robbery charge in connection with the killing.
Fleming is Outen-Fleming’s older brother, authorities said.
The announcement of the marshals’ manhunt for Fleming came after another crime in South Philadelphia: About 3:15 a.m. Monday on the 6900 block of Grosbeak Place, authorities said, thieves stole a green Dodge Charger belonging to an off-duty police officer.
Supervisory Deputy U.S. Marshal Robert Clark said the officer found the thieves a few blocks from where his car had been stolen and exchanged gunfire with them before they fled.
Fleming has been named a person of interest in that theft, Clark said.
It was unclear Tuesday whether anyone had been injured in the shootout. Philadelphia police did not respond to requests for information about the incident.
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Clark added that he did not expect the search to last long, noting that marshals had captured Fleming’s brother in June more than 1,700 miles away at a home in Colorado Springs, Colo.
Smith, who is accused of being the triggerman in Schmidt’s killing, turned himself in to authorities shortly after Outen-Fleming’s arrest. Outen-Fleming’s stepfather, Donte Abdulmalik, 35, has also been arrested and charged with helping his stepson evade the authorities.
The Eagles held the 10th practice of their 2026 training camp on Tuesday at the Jefferson Health Training Complex. Here were my observations from Day 10 (and links to Days 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9):
Medical ward
The Eagles had no changes to their injury report. The following didn’t practice: Wide receiver DeVonta Smith (hamstring), receiver Makai Lemon (hamstring), cornerback Jonathan Jones (shoulder), receiver Johnny Wilson (knee), running back Dameon Pierce (hamstring), safety Cole Wisniewski (hamstring), outside linebacker Keyshawn James-Newby (ankle) and receiver Danny Gray (concussion). Receiver Britain Covey (hamstring) and linebacker Chance Campbell (groin) were again limited.
Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said that outside linebacker Jonathan Greenard wouldn’t be back “for a couple more weeks, at least.” If “a couple” is two, than the earliest Greenard could return would be Aug. 25. Even if it’s a little later, it seems likely that he could be available by the season opener on Sept. 13.
Greenard’s level of involvement, however, would depend on his conditioning and comfort in a new defense. Fangio said as much about Jones and that he would need a ramp-up period to be “calloused” enough to play at full speed.
Vic Fangio hinted on Tuesday that the first-unit defense would play in the first preseason game, as has been customary under Fangio. Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
Start your engines
I don’t expect coach Nick Sirianni to reveal his plans for the first preseason game on Saturday at the Ravens, just as I don’t expect him to play the first-unit offense. There’s an argument for playing the starters considering the new scheme, but I just don’t see Sirianni taking the risk. The old-school Fangio has a different view and has been given free rein to play his starters. When I asked about his usage plans, he said, “We’ll see how that goes, but you guys have been around here.” In other words, the first defense will play some.
As for the offense, another sign that Jalen Hurts and Co. won’t play in Baltimore came with the lopsided number of practice repetitions they took over the second and third groups on Tuesday. Saquon Barkley has been getting as much work as he normally does in camp, but there was a slight uptick in his touches. He had nine carries in team drills and was targeted once as a receiver.
Barkley had some positive runs. It’s difficult to say for certain how many yards he would have gained with no tackling. But there was really only one rush when I felt he would have lost yards. He had far too many negative-yard runs last season. Obviously, there is hope the new blocking scheme will help keep defenders out of the backfield. I do wonder how Barkley will adjust to more outside zone, but he should thrive in any system.
As for the notion that he will have more opportunities as a receiver, that hasn’t been the case through most of camp. That could certainly change once the season begins. Hurts did go to his running back over the middle at one point on Tuesday, but his pass was a touch behind and Barkley couldn’t make the grab.
There have been encouraging signs in run-blocking during Sean Mannion’s first camp with the Eagles. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Blocking the run
There will be more horizontal stretching of defenses with increased outside zone runs, but Sean Mannion’s offense will have plenty of inside zone, gap schemes, and more. Guard Landon Dickerson downplayed a question about the Eagles employing more duo runs — an inside gap scheme play — this season. But it has long been a complement to the outside zone in the Shanahan offense.
We saw some of it on Tuesday with the O-linemen firing off the ball and creating double-team blocks — hence the name “duo” — that opened holes for Barkley and the other tailbacks. But we saw other concepts, too. Dickerson and tackle Jordan Mailata pulled and Barkley followed for a nice gain. And we saw tight end Johnny Mundt featured in the two-minute offense. He had successful back-to-back blocks on edge Jalyx Hunt — a wham and another at the point of the attack — that helped spring Barkley.
There were some struggles on the ground, too. Tight end Dallas Goedert couldn’t sustain a backside block on defensive tackle Jalen Carter — understandably so — and Carter caught Barkley by his jersey. Linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. diagnosed two outside runs during one period and center Cam Jurgens didn’t stand a chance of getting to him at the second level.
Hunt later got the stop when he got around Mailata, but it was Carter and nose tackle Jordan Davis who clogged the interior and forced Barkley to the edge.
Drew Kendall (66) has had a strong camp to date. Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
Drew carry more
Drew Kendall is getting closer to locking down the top interior O-line spot among the backups. He could be first off the bench at both center and guard. He more than held his own at left guard against defensive tackle Moro Ojomo in one-on-ones. And he had little trouble vs. Zion Wilson during his two repetitions at center.
Defensive tackle Byron Young got the better of Kendall at guard and sacked quarterback Andy Dalton during second-unit team drills. Later on, Kendall spelled Dickerson with the starters. Young appeared to win early with his pass rush, but Kendall recovered in time for Hurts to step up and heave a bomb.
Tyler Steen (56) was in the center of the action again on Tuesday. Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
Point of attack
Willie Lampkin continued to shine in one-on-ones. Eagles coaches keep upping the ante. Lampkin took his first turns at center against Ojomo and locked him up pretty good. Could Carter and Davis be next? That’ll be the true test for the 5-foot-11, 290-pound Lampkin.
Guard Tyler Steen and defensive tackle Ty Robinson matched up a day after their scrum in team drills. Steen was the aggressor. Robinson tried to power through, but Steen tied him up. Rookie tackle Markel Bell made easy work of edge Joshua Weru. Edge Tarron Jackson, a former Eagles draft pick who was re-signed on Monday, used a spin move to blow by tackle Cameron Williams.
Tarron Jackson appeared in 21 games with the Eagles in 2021-22 and is back on the squad. HEATHER KHALIFA / Staff Photographer
Edge of tomorrow
Jackson gives the Eagles some much-needed depth on the edge. With Greenard and James-Newby sidelined, the top four outside linebackers — Hunt, Nolan Smith Jr., Arnold Ebiketie, and A.J. Epenesa — have shouldered a lot of snaps. Weru and Jose Ramirez haven’t done enough to earn time with the top two units.
Epenesa had an up-and-down day. He beat Mailata on the outside for a would-be sack. He also was in position when Hurts checked down to tight end Grant Calcaterra. But he was flagged later for holding Calcaterra (!) when he tried to release into a route. A few plays later, Epenesa’s false start gave the second-unit offense a first down in the two-minute period.
Ebiketie has been relatively quiet of late, but he did have a tackle for loss at one point.
Jalen Hurts and Elijah Moore hooked up for a nice connection on Tuesday.
Bombs away
Hurts’ longest completion of the day came on the play in which Kendall recovered to block Young. Slot receiver Elijah Moore was open deep when he got safety Andre’ Sam to bite on his corner fake and Hurts hit him in stride for a walk-in touchdown. It was a beauty.
Moore and Darius Cooper have been Hurts’ go-to guys for the last week. Cooper wasn’t as active today, but as the quarterback said after practice the receiver has strong hands. Hurts was talking about the catch point, but you can also see Cooper’s strength vs. man press. Cornerback Kelee Ringo tried to lock him up at the line in one-on-ones, and Cooper simply swatted his hands away.
Dontayvion Wicks hasn’t seen the ball as much of late, but he did well to drag his feet inbounds on a Hurts pass he pulled in down by his shoelaces. Hollywood Brown has been underwhelming so far.
Will Shipley will need to show some growth in blitz pickup. Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
Blitz grits
The blitz remained a prominent part of team and individual drills. Barkley fared the best out of the running backs during one-on-ones. Technique has never been his biggest problem. It’s been recognizing where the extra rusher is coming from. He may have missed his assignment when Dickerson needed help with Trotter.
Tank Bigsby has been hot and cold in blitz pickup. He was ice cold when linebacker Smael Mondon cruised by him in team drills. Mondon notched another pressure when running back Will Shipley was late to block him. Shipley had a long conversation with running backs coach Jemal Singleton and O-line coach Chris Kuper after watching the video board replay.
Eli Stowers (87) made an impact with the third unit on Tuesday. Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
This and that
Hurts took advantage of a clean pocket at one point and fired a missile to Goedert with safety Marcus Epps in man coverage. An unblocked Hunt chased Hurts from the pocket, but the quarterback couldn’t be caught. Rookie tight end Eli Stowers logged a few more grabs despite few reps for third-unit players.
Tight end E.J. Jenkins had a nice lead block on a Bigsby run. The Eagles keep him around for a reason. I was watching practice on another field, but my colleague Jeff Neiburg reported that Dalton tossed an ill-advised pass into a crowd that cornerback Cooper DeJean intercepted when the second-unit offense faced the starting defense.
Jake Elliott was again a perfect 6-for-6 during the field goal period. He was good from 33, 38, 40, 44, 45, and 50 yards. He’s missed only one kick so far this camp. … Cooper took the first return on kickoffs. Moore, Covey, and Bigsby also had returns. Lemon and Pierce watched nearby. … The Eagles have a closed walkthrough on Wednesday and return to practice on Thursday.
A South Philadelphia babysitter, originally from Argentina, was released from ICE detention Monday after being arrested at Philadelphia International Airport last month.
Iliana Lick’s arrest made national headlines as the Trump administration steps up efforts to increase immigration enforcement at American airports.
Lick, 30, had been in Philadelphia since September 2024. She had a valid work authorization and a pending asylum application, but had overstayed her visa, according to the Department of Homeland Security. She was arrested as she headed to Kansas City to watch Argentina play in the World Cup, transported by Immigration and Customs Enforcement to Louisiana, Texas, and New Mexico instead.
“After nearly a month in custody, countless phone calls, legal proceedings, and several transfers across different states, this is a moment we have been praying and hoping for,” her boyfriend, Steven Melchiorre, 35, wrote in an update to supporters on Facebook and a GoFundMe page that has raised more than $18,000 for legal fees.
Though Lick’s release is a victory, the fight to stay in the country is far from over.
As a condition of her release on $10,000 bond, Lick had to surrender her passport and has to wear an ankle monitor.
Immigration advocates keeping track of those being arrested at the Philadelphia airport have said at least 10 people have been detained since mid-July. Of those, Lick is only the second to be released from custody.
Immigration advocate Vivian Chang, executive director of Asian Americans United, said the release of people arrested by ICE, whether at airports or during immigration check-ins, can be a crapshoot.
“You need like a CNN story and so many news articles, so much fundraising, all of that,” Chang said. “The vast majority of people can’t access that. They don’t get coverage, and that’s what the Trump administration is counting on.”
The Inquirer wrote about Lick’s case, and her story was most recently featured on CNN.
For its part, the Department of Homeland Security has said it is making sure undocumented immigrants are flying only to self-deport, offering them a $2,600 payment and a free flight home as an alternative to detention.
A New York Times report found instances of immigration arrests in at least 15 airports, with many of the cases getting follow-ups in local media markets.
Britni Zahodnick, who with her husband, Zane Schultz, has employed Lick as a babysitter for their two young children, ages 4 and 1, for more than a year, said she is grateful for the media attention.
When Zahodnick first learned of the arrest, she said, she was not seeing people talking about the issue on social media platforms. That changed in recent weeks.
In Philadelphia, people have rallied behind Lick, she said.
Donations have helped her to retain counsel, post bond, and pay fortransportation back to her South Philly home.
Zahodnick hopes attention to cases like Lick’s highlights how immigration enforcement is affecting people who have deep roots within their communities.
“A lot of the campaigning on this increased enforcement of immigration was really around criminals, and it just hasn’t panned out that way,” she said.
