DEAR ABBY: Our 33-year-old daughter is on the verge of walking down the aisle, but her wedding day is being hijacked by the mothers. They envision an extravagant affair with over 200 guests, complete with a lavish Catholic ceremony, high-end wines, a fully stocked bar, a gourmet plated dinner, and a live band.

However, my daughter’s vision sharply contrasts this grand spectacle. As someone who doesn’t practice Catholicism, she dreams of a small, cozy celebration with twinkling lights, a DJ spinning tunes, and Californian house wines served at an idyllic vineyard. Yet, her suggestions are consistently dismissed by the mothers, who seem more focused on dazzling their social circles and professional contacts.

Although my ex-wife and I parted ways years ago, I remain an integral part of our daughter’s life. I wonder, how can I guide her to reclaim her wedding day? — DOTING DAD

DEAR DAD: The bride truly deserves a wedding that reflects her desires, but navigating family dynamics can be complex. Convincing these determined mothers to relinquish their grip appears unlikely, and eloping could spark significant fallout.

My recommendation for the couple is to endure the pomp and circumstance with a smile, allowing the mothers to showcase their flair—provided they foot the bill. As a silver lining, the post-wedding honeymoon will provide the perfect sanctuary for relaxation and reflection.

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.

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Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.

Meghan Markle faced what seemed like an uncomfortable moment with David Foster, a close friend of Prince Harry, during a recent charity event hosted in Canada last Friday.

In an online clip that has since gone viral, Foster appeared to bypass Markle, who was eagerly extending a greeting on the red carpet. Instead, he moved directly to join his significantly younger wife, Katharine McPhee, for a group photograph.

Displaying poise, the Duchess of Sussex, 45, gracefully transitioned from the encounter by repositioning her arm behind her, and leaned into her husband, Prince Harry, 41. The couple then posed alongside Foster, 76, and McPhee, 42, for the cameras.

Yet, this seemingly awkward interaction is not as it appears. Insiders close to Foster clarified the situation to the Daily Mail, revealing the reality behind the incident.

According to the exclusive source, Foster was genuinely keen to engage with Harry and Meghan. The source assured that the renowned composer ‘simply didn’t see’ Markle reaching out during the bustling red carpet affair.

‘He’s always been a big fan of Diana and he’d never snub either of them,’ the source explained, referring to Harry’s late mother Princess Diana.

‘It was a genuine moment where he didn’t see them and nobody really thought much of it. It’s nothing.’ 

A second insider added that Foster was ‘so excited to see Harry and Meghan’ as he is ‘longtime friends’ of the couple, who also reside in Southern California’s affluent town of Montecito. 

Foster’s snubbing of Markle was a complete accident, the source claimed, noting that he was likely distracted by his hosting duties.

‘As host of the evening, David had a lot going on at the moment. David was doing interviews in that moment too.’

The insider then revealed that Foster had ‘already said hi [to Meghan and Harry] before’ the now-viral red carpet moment.

‘They had already said hi before that photo moment. There were lots of hugs and David introduced Harry & Meghan to his other family there.’ 

The Daily Mail has reached out to representatives for both Markle and Foster for comment but has yet to hear back.

The now-viral moment between Markle and Foster was also dissected by body language expert Judi James for the Daily Mail.

According to James, Markle was in ‘pose-alert’ as Foster and McPhee arrived on the red carpet.

‘Smiling at David Foster, she graciously extends an arm with hand palm-up to sweep them onto the red carpet and into the pose beside her, beckoning and gesturing to announce that they should step in front of her as they do so,’ James shared.

‘When Foster appears to walk past without replying to Meghan’s smile of greeting, she lowers her head and busies herself arranging her dress as an act of distraction. 

‘Meghan looks happy and slightly relieved when everyone has locked into her line-up and she returns to her professional mode – although Harry rather impolitely disrupts the arrangement by leaning back to chat to the man known as his “surrogate father” behind the wives’ backs.’

At this, the Duchess ‘performed an act of realignment by pulling Harry closer and laughing for no apparent reason apart from to perhaps negate any suggestion of rebellion and a lack of manners on his behalf’.

Friday night marked the 40th anniversary of the David Foster Foundation, which the 16-time Grammy winner hosted in his hometown of Victoria, British Columbia. 

He founded the organization in 1986 to provide financial support for Canadian families with children who need life-saving organ transplants and raise awareness of organ donation in Canada and the US. 

Meghan and Harry were the clear guests of honor as they were notably seated next to Foster and wife McPhee inside the event’s venue. 

The red-haired royal wore a black tuxedo and bow tie while his wife was dressed in a black maxi one-shouldered gown by Canadian designer Greta Constantine.

The Suits actress dazzled in an elegant black one-shoulder gown and accessorized with Princess Diana’s diamond and sapphire earrings.

She also owns the late Princess of Wales’s butterfly earrings and matching cuff bracelet as well as a diamond tennis bracelet, a Cartier Tank Louis and Diana’s ‘divorce ring’, an emerald-cut aquamarine surrounded by diamonds gifted to her by close friend Lucia Flecha de Lima in 1996.

Markle has previously worn Diana’s earrings at public events and chose to sweep her hair into an updo to show off the stones on the red carpet at the charity gala.

Meghan and Harry have long been friends with Foster and McPhee, who are considered an A-list musician couple.

They were even previously pictured on a double date with Foster and McPhee.

In 2019, Foster arranged for the Duke and Duchess to stay at a close friend’s mansion on Vancouver Island.

He told the Daily Mail at the time: ‘I felt honored that I was able to help Meghan there because I’m a Canadian, and we’re a Commonwealth country – we’re the Crown’s.

‘It’s important to us, so I grew up with that kind of sentiment. I was really happy to be able to help them to find a respite just to take a little time off.’

The mansion, a secluded waterfront estate in North Saanich, British Columbia, was owned by Mr Foster’s close friend, whose identity he refused to give away.

McPhee went to school with the LA-born Duchess and told Access Hollywood in 2020 that her husband and the Duke had a ‘really, really beautiful relationship’.

‘They’re so cute. They’re like father and son,’ she gushed. ‘We just stay in touch with them [the Sussexes].

‘But mostly, Meghan and I knew each other from childhood, but really Harry and my husband are friends. It’s really nice.’

The murder trial of Lindsay Clancy took an unexpected turn Tuesday, sparked by a disagreement involving a viral TikTok video. At the heart of this controversy was a request from Clancy’s defense lawyers to include a former employee of a psychiatric institution on their list of witnesses. This individual had publicly criticized other witnesses for allegedly perpetuating “lies and misrepresentations” about the mental health facility where Clancy had received treatment just weeks before the tragic incident involving her children.

Kevin Reddington, Clancy’s defense attorney, made an appeal to Judge William Sullivan. He proposed adding Emily Thorndike, a former clinical social worker at McLean Hospital, to the witness lineup. Reddington argued that Thorndike’s extensive experience working in the hospital’s short-term unit could counteract what he characterized as an inaccurate portrayal of the facility as a “five-star” establishment brimming with treatment opportunities that Clancy allegedly declined.

Reddington expressed his concerns, stating, “One of the prosecutors suggested during direct examination that McLean is almost like a luxury institution, with a surplus of doctors, psychiatrists, and therapists, supposedly clambering over each other to assist Miss Clancy, who was apparently refusing their help. This narrative is simply inaccurate.”

He further explained, “This has left jurors with the misleading impression that McLean, due to its ties with Harvard, operates as a five-star hospital, which is not representative of the reality.”

Reddington explained that he tracked down the TikToker, later identified as Thorndike, after she took to the social media platform to expose the level of treatment at the mental health facility.

“I saw her video saying that she could not stand for, and I quote, ‘the lies and the misrepresentations from that witness stand about McLean Hospital’.”

Prosecutors, meanwhile, fired back that Thorndike had left McLean roughly a year before Clancy’s stay, had no firsthand knowledge of her treatment and had been following the trial online before posting her opinions online.

Sullivan appeared hesitant to let Thorndike to grade the quality of Clancy’s hospital care.

“This is not Tripadvisor,” the judge quipped, saying he would not permit a battle over whether McLean deserved five stars or two.

This is not Tripadvisor…

But Sullivan called the narrower question of staffing and available programs a “closer call” and took the defense motion under advisement. He has not ruled about whether or not to allow Thorndike to take the witness stand.

The witness list dispute came before jurors heard a series of desperate messages Clancy sent to her psychiatric nurse practitioner, Rebecca Jollotta, in late 2022 as she struggled with insomnia, medication changes and intrusive thoughts.

• After saying her depression had worsened, Clancy told Jollotta she was “not at the point of being suicidal” but added, “I’m really feeling as if I can’t go on like this.”
• Later that day, on , she described the worsening depression as “feeling completely hopeless and unmotivated to do anything at all.”
• She said she had started having “very intrusive thoughts that I never had before” and wanted to change her medication plan.

• In another message, she apologized for repeatedly contacting the clinic: “It’s just a scary, very scary, stressful time for me. And starting new meds with side effects is very scary to me.”
• She said she woke with “horribly intrusive thoughts of wanting it to be all over.”
• “I’m willing to try anything,” she later said, adding, “I feel like we are throwing all these different meds at my insomnia” and “I feel completely numb.”
• Clancy reported that after going without Ativan, “all day I had horrible intrusive thoughts and felt deeply depressed.” She said that after taking 0.5 mg of Ativan, “now the thoughts are gone and I feel good.”

Jollotta testified Tuesday that she interpreted the message as symptoms of depression and anhedonia, the inability to experience pleasure, rather than suicidal ideation, and did not direct Clancy to immediately go to an emergency room.

News Media reached out to McLean Hospital for comment.

Former New Jersey mayor Gina LaPlaca, previously caught driving under the influence with her young child in the car, is enveloped in further controversy as she and her husband allegedly falsified signatures to secure her spot on the Democratic primary ballot, which subsequently ended in a massive defeat.

Charges were filed against LaPlaca, currently serving as a Lumberton Township Committeewoman, and her husband, Jason Carty, for allegedly engaging in fraudulent activities to include the 47-year-old’s name in the ballot during her bid for reelection in south-central New Jersey, as announced by the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office on Tuesday.

The pair reportedly engaged in collecting signatures, yet are accused of adding individuals’ names to a nomination petition without their consent to bolster LaPlaca’s support for the upcoming June 3 primary.

Numerous purported supporters of the contentious political figure informed investigators they neither signed the petition nor authorized anyone to advocate for LaPlaca on their behalf, according to officials.

In a sworn statement, LaPlaca claimed she “personally circulated the petition [and] that such petition was signed by each of the signers thereof in his/her own handwriting.”

Carty then submitted the falsified petition to the Lumberton Township clerk.

Officials did not reveal how many signatures the couple forged, but specified LaPlaca wouldn’t have made the ballot without them.

“Without the fraudulent signatures, the investigation revealed, LaPlaca’s petition would have lacked the requisite number of signatures required to be a candidate for the primary,” the county prosecutor’s office said.

LaPlaca, who was one of three candidates vying for two spots in the Democratic primary, garnered a measly 323 votes, finishing dead last.

She was effortlessly defeated by current Mayor Terrance Benson and former committeewoman Kendra Hatfield, who received 1,100 and 1,052 votes, respectively.

LaPlaca was charged by summons with Making a False Statement Under Oath, Knowingly Filing a False Petition, two counts of Tampering with Public Records or Information and Falsifying or Tampering with Records.

Carty was charged with Knowingly Filing a False Petition, two counts of Tampering with Public Records or Information and Falsifying or Tampering with Records.

Their first court appearance is scheduled at Superior Court in Mount Holly on Sept. 21.

LaPlaca alleged voter intimidation five days before the election when she claimed people in dark suits had visited at least 10 of her supporters demanding to know if they signed her petition.

“I can’t believe these kind of tactics have come to Lumberton, but I guess if someone is that scared of me winning, I must be doing something right,” she wrote on Facebook.

LaPlaca is currently serving a three-year supervision sentence for the March 17, 2025, arrest where she had a Blood Alcohol Concentration of .30%, nearly four times the legal limit in the Garden State.

She pleaded guilty in March to DUI and child endangerment over her dangerous St. Patrick’s Day stunt while she was mayor.

Her light sentence was a “second chance” for her because she was a first-time offender and was accepted into an intervention program.

Days before the June 3 primary, LaPlaca accused Carty of aggravated assault, claiming he “literally tried to kill me,” according to the New Jersey Globe.

Carty allegedly strangled his wife inside their home during an early morning incident.

He was told to leave the home and later charged with aggravated assault by strangulation and harassment with the intent to cause alarm, the outlet reported.

One of the responding officers reported LaPlaca being inebriated and smelling like alcohol, but she denied the allegations, saying she wasn’t the one drinking and had been

“My husband was the one drinking, not me,” she wrote on social media, according to the outlet. “I am on antidepressants and anti-anxiety meds, and this incident happened at 6:45 AM when, frankly, I’m not at my best. Never been a morning person.”

A pre-indictment conference is scheduled for Aug. 19, according to court records.

Former President Donald Trump has recently downplayed the incident where he discreetly switched planes on his return from last month’s NATO summit.

In a stealthy maneuver, Trump was moved from his iconic Air Force One to a less conspicuous C-32A aircraft, facilitated by a catering truck. This strategic shift followed intelligence warnings about a potential assassination plot by Iran.

On Tuesday, Trump acknowledged he agreed to this precautionary measure after it was suggested by the Secret Service.

“I just follow what they’d like me to do,” Trump remarked when questioned about the incident during his trip back from the 2026 Patriot Games in Ohio. “They wanted me to fly on a different aircraft, which offered the same level of safety, so that’s what I did. I follow their lead.”

Additionally, he played down the importance of the intelligence that had triggered the need for such a covert operation.

‘I guess there was a threat out there. I didn’t really ask too much about it. I get a lot of threats,’ Trump added.

The president also said he felt the C-32A he was aboard was more dangerous than the Air Force One jet which took off with unsuspecting journalists and White House staffers on board as a decoy.

‘I think actually the plane that I flew on was at greater risk! I think it was at greater risk because that would be the plane, I think that they would be more likely to go for it,’ he said.

The president initially flew to the summit in Turkey aboard a new Qatari-gifted 747-8 jet before announcing he would return via the UK on an older Air Force One model ‘for old times’ sake.’

He was seen boarding the legacy Air Force One jet in Ankara before he covertly entered a food container that had been fitted to the belly of the plane, The New York Times reported.

From there, a catering truck drove the container to the waiting C-32A and it was lifted to the plane, according to the Washington Post.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made a prominent show of boarding the C-32A, helping to sell the illusion that it was a routine flight to anyone watching. 

The elaborate ruse fooled those on board the old Air Force One, leaving unsuspecting journalists and even some senior White House staffers none the wiser as they flew aboard the ‘decoy’ Air Force One. 

Journalists, believing Trump was aboard, were instructed to close their window shades.

After the two planes landed in the UK, Trump was apparently smuggled from the C-32A back to the legacy Air Force One jet and was seen descending on external stairs.  

From there, he embarked on the Qatari-donated plane to travel back to Washington with the White House press pool.

Onboard that aircraft, the President spoke to journalists for about 15 minutes, highlighting the threat that Iran poses.

When asked why reporters were ordered to lower their window shades on the plane in Turkey, Trump said it was ‘because you’re probably on a dangerous flight because of the sleaze bags that we have to deal with.’

He then added that he has a ‘threat all the time’ on his life and that he is ‘number one’ on Iran’s ‘list.’

Tehran has been vocal in its threats and last week a massive, custom-made banner featuring a caricature of Trump under a large, blood-red painted ‘bullseye’ scope was seen dominating Tajrish Square in the capital, according to photos exclusively obtained by the Daily Mail.

Below the image of the targeted President, in large crimson English capital letters, is the chilling phrase: ‘There will be blood.’

Iranian media has also threatened to go after First Lady Melania Trump and Barron Trump, with a recent AI-generated video highlighting the locations the First Lady likes to shop and how would-be assassins could target her. 

The report on Trump’s escape comes weeks after White House communications director Steven Cheung first suggested administration officials engaged in subterfuge as Trump was departing the summit.

‘As the President has said recently, there are many enemies of America who have their sights on him and we use every tool at our disposal – including distraction and misdirection – to address those threats,’ Cheung previously told the NY Times. 

The statement suggested that administration officials viewed the Iranian threat as credible, taking extreme precautions to ensure the president’s safety amid renewed military strikes on Iran.

But the threats were not directed at the Qatari-donated jet itself, Cheung noted, as he denied that the plane posed a security risk. 

‘The new Air Force One is a state-of-the-art aircraft that has been fitted with high-level security protocols that ensure the safety of the President and his staff,’ he said in a statement to the Washington Post.

The White House also released a statement insisting that the Qatari-donated aircraft is ‘secure and equipped with the most advanced technologies necessary to meet requirements of the presidential mission.’

‘Those requirements were carefully created to prioritize mission over aesthetics, leaving much of the previous head of state interior layout minimally changed,’ a spokesman for the Air Force told the Washington Post.

‘No risk was taken in security, safety or mission communications, but the collective team made trades on some of the less-commonly used mission sets that Boeing must deliver to support the next 40 years,’ it added.

In a heartening yet somber moment, Florida’s brave K-9 Ace made a triumphant return to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, marking just days since a gunshot led to the amputation of his front leg. The dedicated German Shepherd, despite his injuries, was warmly welcomed back by the department on Tuesday.

At seven years old, Ace has been with the Polk County team since March 2020, forging a reputation for unwavering loyalty and bravery. His recent brush with danger occurred during an operation to apprehend 27-year-old Angel Bowers, which turned volatile.

According to authorities, Bowers had evaded a court appearance and, in resisting arrest, allegedly discharged multiple shots at the deputies. The situation concluded with deputies ending Bowers’ life during the confrontation.

Speaking on the incident, Sheriff Grady Judd praised Ace’s actions during the critical moment. The shots from Bowers not only shattered Ace’s leg bone but also tore through an artery, resulting in significant blood loss. Ace’s sacrifices underscore the dangerous reality officers, both human and canine, face every day.

Ace’s partner and handler, Deputy Natalie Oestreich, treated his wounds and carried him to safety, according to the sheriff’s office.

Ace was rushed to Parkway Veterinary Emergency Clinic in Lakeland, where he was stabilized before a Tampa General Hospital Aeromed helicopter transported him to the Veterinary Medical Center at Lakewood Ranch. Veterinarians there performed a several-hour surgery to amputate his left front leg.

On Sunday, the sheriff’s office posted video showing deputies arriving at the veterinary medical center to greet an energetic Ace as he prepared to return home.

“Upon waking from the anesthesia, Ace attempted to walk out of there,” the sheriff’s office wrote. “He has not been deterred since. In fact he outran the camera attempting to film his release this afternoon!”

Video shows Ace interacting with deputies before walking out of the medical center under his own power to thunderous applause while wearing a shirt that read “ride or die.”

Two days later, Ace made his first trip back to the sheriff’s office since being shot in the line of duty.

“Look at Ace. He’s happy; he’s eating; he bit my finger,” Judd said. “We are so proud of Natalie and Ace. They stood in the gap between good and evil and they saved three deputies’ lives. That’s why we’re so proud of him. He did so good.”

Judd said Oestreich will spend time with Ace as he continues to recover before she returns to work. Ace, however, will retire from law enforcement.

“Chill out and enjoy your retirement Ace,” Judd said.

The sheriff’s office also honored Ace in a social media post, writing, “His days of chasing bad guys may be over, but Ace will always be one of our heroes!”

Polk Sheriff’s Charities Inc. has established a K-9 fund to help support Ace’s care. The sheriff’s office said those interested in helping can donate directly to the fund through the organization’s website.