Ashley McBryde is opening up about her long-strained relationship with her father in a new interview. Continue reading…

Former Press Secretary Katie Zacharia said it was an honor to work for President Donald Trump in a statement posted hours after her ouster from the White House. “President Trump is a kind, wonderful, gracious, thoughtful, enthusiastic, and hardworking man. I wish more Americans appreciated him. No one will ever make America great the way he has and continues to,” she said. “It was an honor to work for him.” Zacharia posted the statement on Friday night, the same evening she and her family reportedly joined Vice President JD Vance and his family for dinner at the vice president’s residence. She also shared a photo of herself standing beside Trump as he sat at the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office. Earlier that day, five days into her tenure, Trump said he had urged her to reconsider staying on. “I said to her, honestly, if I were you, I’d reconsider,” he told reporters outside the White House on Friday. “I would reconsider.” “I told Katie that in my opinion she was treated very, very unfairly, very unfairly by the news,” Trump said disclosing more of the conversation.  “And I said, Katie, do you need this? I don’t think you need this, and we’re talking about doing something. We like Katie a lot.” Zacharia was thrown into the role on short notice, accepting the job last Friday and holding her first press briefing on Tuesday. After a halting debut at the podium and questions over whether she had misrepresented herself as a lawyer, she was out exactly one week after Trump offered her the position. At the time, Trump had said, “I am confident that Katie will deliver strong results for our Country as the next White House Press Secretary, as she has the respect of, and will work fantastically with, the Media, the American People, and my Administration.” Anthony Scaramucci — whose 11-day stint as White House communications director in 2017 had long been the benchmark for brief tenures in the Trump White House — offered Zacharia some advice on X. “Dear Katie Zacharia,” he said. “Speaking as the world’s leading expert on short White House tenures: turn off the news and go enjoy your family. In time you’ll realize that the Universe did you a major favor. Before serving as Press Secretary, Zacharia briefly worked for the Department of Homeland Security as a spokeswomen for former Secretary Kristi Noem but left six weeks later after the schedule became too difficult to manage with her family.  Noem reportedly congratulated President Trump on choosing Zacharia for the role. 

A Florida man is facing first-degree murder and child abuse charges after allegedly shooting his girlfriend in the face and running her over with an SUV while his 5-year-old daughter was inside the vehicle. Christopher “Dodge” Smith, 40, allegedly attacked Jessica Antolini, 30, following an argument outside a bar in Safety Harbor, Florida, on Tuesday night, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. Witnesses told investigators that Smith arrived at the bar shortly before 9 p.m. and appeared to be “hunting” for Antolini. Some described him as looking “possessed,” according to a criminal complaint cited by the New York Post. After finding Antolini, Smith provoked an argument with her outside the bar before shooting her in the face. Authorities said he then drove his SUV over her and fled the scene with his 5-year-old daughter and a dog still inside, leaving Antolini critically injured. “Detectives say multiple 911 calls reporting the shooting were received from witnesses who also provided information about Smith’s vehicle,” the sheriff’s office said in its incident report. Deputies later located Smith’s SUV and attempted to pull him over. Smith allegedly refused to stop, forcing deputies to immobilize the vehicle, according to the New York Post. Smith was initially charged with attempted first-degree murder and child abuse. He is being held without bond at the Pinellas County Jail. After Antolini died from her injuries, his murder charge was upgraded to first-degree murder. Safety Harbor Mayor Joe Ayoub announced Antolini’s death in a Facebook post, describing the community as grieving following a “devastating act of domestic violence.” “It is with a profoundly heavy heart that I must share that our neighbor, Jessica Antolini, has passed away from the severe injuries she sustained during the attack,” Ayoub wrote. “As a father to a 5-year-old daughter myself, my heart completely breaks for the innocent young child who was caught in the middle of this horrific event. No child should ever have to witness or endure such trauma,” he added. Ayoub also praised law enforcement and community members for their swift response, crediting them with helping apprehend the suspect and ensuring the child was safely reunited with loved ones. “I want to extend my gratitude to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office and the brave community members who stepped forward instantly on Tuesday night,” he wrote. “Because of your quick actions and the rapid response of our deputies, the suspect was immediately apprehended and remains in custody facing upgraded charges of First-Degree Murder.” Christopher Dodge mugshot. Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office (credit: NYP)