WASHINGTON — Talk about understated.

Katie Zacharia used Halloween to highlight her slim figure and designer wardrobe online after serving the shortest stint as a White House press secretary in U.S. history.

On Oct. 30, Zacharia shared a “fit check” featuring the outfit she wore for her sole White House press briefing on Oct. 13. Her look included heels priced at about $1,000, an expensive blazer and other clothing that brought the total cost to roughly $2,500.

She also pointed out that she wears a size 00 “even after four kids” and emphasized that she does not use hair extensions or dye her naturally blonde hair.

“Good luck,” she wrote in the X post.

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She later shared photos of her dogs in Halloween costumes parodying Politico as “Paw-litico” and The Washington Post as the “Woofington Post.”

Zacharia served as White House press secretary for five days, from Oct. 12 through Oct. 16. Her brief tenure broke the previous record of 10 days, set by Anthony Scaramucci during the first Trump administration.

President Trump had chosen Zacharia to replace Karoline Leavitt, whom he had repeatedly praised.

Unlike many of her predecessors, Zacharia held a briefing on her second day in the position. Previous White House press secretaries often spent more time preparing before facing reporters for the first time.

The briefing lasted approximately 14 to 15 minutes, making it unusually short by historical standards. Her performance drew widespread criticism, with many reporters saying she appeared intimidated and lacked control of the room.

She also came under scrutiny over her claims of being a lawyer, despite never having passed the bar exam.

Amid the backlash and difficult interviews on Fox News, Zacharia was pushed out of the role. She is moving into another position within the Trump administration, though the details of that job remain unclear.

Last week, Zacharia jokingly said on Instagram that she was disappointed not to be a more popular Halloween costume among trick-or-treaters this year.

“I hope you do dress up as me because it’s absolutely hilarious. We will be dressing up as a family. I will wear the OG costume and stay tuned to what my kids will be,” she told Newsweek.

Since leaving the White House press secretary position, Zacharia has suggested that she would consider taking the job again in the future if Trump asked her to return.

In the latest wave of fraternity hazing investigations across the country, law enforcement officials are examining evidence seized from the Lambda Chi Alpha house at West Virginia University.

On Oct. 26, loud music blared while hundreds of shouting onlookers crowded the street and surrounding properties near the multilevel brick fraternity house on the Morgantown campus.

At the same time, campus and local police officers executing a search warrant connected to hazing allegations carried bags and cases of evidence from the house and loaded them into police vehicles.

The university placed the Lambda Chi Alpha chapter on interim suspension Oct. 9, slightly more than two weeks before the search, after receiving “anonymous allegations of hazing,” a university spokeswoman told News Media.

Search warrants were also executed Oct. 26 at the West Virginia University house of Pi Kappa Alpha, according to posts from WVU Safety and Wellness on social media.

The organization, commonly called PIKE, is likewise being investigated over hazing allegations. Unlike Lambda Chi Alpha, however, the university had not suspended its PIKE chapter as of Oct. 26.

New interest in longstanding ritual

The two WVU chapters are the latest Greek-life organizations to face scrutiny amid a nationwide influx of fraternity hazing investigations.

Hazing can involve forcing prospective or new members of military groups or college fraternities to complete strenuous, humiliating or dangerous tasks.

The rise in law enforcement involvement does not necessarily mean hazing itself has become more common, said Michael Ayalon, a hazing-prevention expert and CEO of Greek University.

Instead, Ayalon told News Media, the trend may reflect growing awareness of hazing prompted by changes in federal law.

Congress passed the bipartisan Stop Campus Hazing Act in December 2024. The law requires greater transparency surrounding hazing allegations nationwide, Ayalon said.

“We certainly are seeing increased visibility and scrutiny of hazing on college campuses, particularly as universities face greater expectations for transparency and accountability,”

“With that transparency and accountability comes greater visibility.”

Still, Ayalon said, increased visibility does not necessarily indicate that hazing is occurring more frequently.

Hazing has long been underreported, he said, largely because people fear retaliation.

‘A wake-up call’

Fraternity members should understand that these investigations are also shaping public perceptions of fraternity life, Ayalon said.

“The positive contributions of thousands of fraternity members can get overshadowed by allegations involving a handful of chapters,” Ayalon said.

“So every hazing incident makes it harder for the good chapters to go out and recruit more new members, makes it harder for alumni to defend the fraternity experience, and it makes it harder for universities that are working with these organizations.”

“For students, I think this is a wake-up call.”

Despite decades of education about the dangers of hazing traditions, national policy changes and tragic deaths, “some chapters continue to believe that hazing is a necessary part of earning membership,” he said.

It’s based on flawed thinking, he said.

Members justify the abuse, he said, by telling themselves, “I had to go through it, so you have to go through it, too.”

Fraternity chapters promote the idea that hazing builds brotherhood and creates loyalty, he said.

“But there is a profound difference between working through a meaningful challenge as equals and being humiliated or controlled by people who hold power over you.”

Historically, hazing methods have followed patterns based on the kind of fraternity of sorority involved, Ayalon said.

Fraternities that are traditionally white, known as IFC fraternities, are known for forced alcohol consumption, he said. Eighty-two percent of hazing deaths involve forced alcohol consumption.

In historically white sororities, hazing typically takes a different form, he said. In Panhellenic organizations, hazing looks like mental abuse—mean-girl behavior that ostracizes new female members.

In historically black fraternities and sororities of the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) —often called the Divine Nine—abuse may be physical or mental, Ayalon said.

And some recent high-profile cases of hazing have involved drugs, he said.

“West Virginia University takes seriously the safety and well-being of our students,” a spokeswoman for West Virginia University said.

“Due to the nature of the investigations, no other details will be released at this time. We will provide updates as they become available.”

News Media reached out to Lambda Chi Alpha and Pi Kappa Alpha for comment.

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Trina Parks believes Sydney Sweeney could be an excellent choice for the next Bond girl, as reports suggest final screen tests for the new 007 film took place over the weekend.

Parks, 79, made cinematic history when she became the first African American actor to portray a Bond girl.

She appeared opposite Sean Connery in the 1971 classic Diamonds Are Forever, playing the lethal henchwoman Thumper.

Speaking about the future of the James Bond franchise, Parks said the next leading woman should be confident, independent and fully comfortable with her sexuality.

In an interview with the Telegraph, she praised Sweeney’s versatility and self-assurance, saying: ‘Sydney has taken on a wide variety of roles and clearly has ownership of her sexual identity.

‘She is not only a gifted actress, but also has a classic Hollywood sense of style and poise that fits naturally with her work and public image.’

‘For modern audiences and filmmakers, the future of Bond should include a woman opposite 007 who is independent and owns her sexuality. Sydney has those qualities,’ Parks added.

Her comments come as James Bond fans attempt to identify the unnamed actor who reportedly joined Callum Turner and Jack Lowden in the latest auditions to become the next 007.

Following years of speculation, reports emerged over the weekend that a final group of contenders had been carrying out screen tests at Bray Studios.

Turner was said to have begun the testing process on Friday, while an unidentified star was photographed or spotted leaving the studio the following day.

The mystery surrounding the actor has sent Bond fans into detective mode online, with Joe Alwyn repeatedly mentioned as a possible candidate.

Alwyn, known for appearances in Conversations With Friends, The Brutalist and Hamnet, has prompted fans to suggest that his reported connection to the casting team makes him a plausible choice.

One Reddit user wrote: ‘I can’t think of another reason they would keep the actor’s identity secret. Joe has a good reason to be kept hidden.’

They continued: ‘Nina Gold, one of the casting directors, knows Joe extremely well. She met him at drama school, cast him in his first film and is now working with him again.’

The user also questioned the secrecy surrounding the actor, writing: ‘If they were already close to deciding who the next Bond would be, why would they announce the other three names?’

The theory, shared on Reddit, quickly attracted a wave of responses from other fans who agreed that Alwyn could be the hidden contender.

They included: ‘Never thought about him as a contender before, but it makes sense;’

‘He is supposed to be filming in NYC for a Rom com, but was in London this week for a friend’s wedding and potentially this audition.’

Screen tests were said to be taking place throughout this weekend, with between three and five actors understood to have reached the last stages of the process.

A source told the Daily Mail: ‘Daniel Craig’s replacement has been years in the making and Callum was called today [Friday] to have his chance to impress the bosses. The next three days are going to be very interesting indeed.’

Bray Studios is a historic production house on the River Thames, home to The Rocky Horror Picture Show, but was acquired by Amazon MGM Studios, which now controls the Bond franchise, in 2024.

Turner’s meeting with chiefs spells the end of almost a decade-long search to replace Daniel Craig as the world’s most famous spy.

The Emma actor, who married the popstar Dua Lipa earlier this year, has long been the front-runner for the role.

Scottish actor Lowden and Josh O’Connor, both 36, are more recent names to be thrown into the ring and Australian actor Jacob Elordi, 29, also in the running, will no doubt anger die-hard fans who believe Bond should be played by a British actor.

Confirming that the audition process was reaching an end, Bond producer Amy Pascal in August said: ‘I would say the end of the year is a good bet.’

Casting by December would allow Amazon MGM Studios to start filming the next movie in 2027.

Dune director Denis Villeneuve, who is taking on the project and bosses at Amazon, announced in May that the casting process was under way.

Ms Pascal said: ‘We are being really, really methodical. Having worked with Barbara Broccoli at the studio, I mean, Daniel Craig is a hard act to follow.

‘And it’s got to be something really different that is stirring and exciting and different.’

Other stars who were previously linked with the role include The King’s Man star Harris Dickinson, along with SAS: Rogue Heroes’ Jack Barton.

Only six actors have ever played novelist Ian Fleming’s British Secret Service agent in the official film series – Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig.

Silicon Valley’s artificial intelligence industry is pouring money into California Democratic campaign accounts with voters set to head to the polls in just days.

Anthropic, the San Francisco-based AI company, has contributed $900,000 to Democratic Party committees and voter-turnout initiatives, according to a disclosure filed Friday with the California secretary of state.

The largest share—$525,000—went to the California Democratic Party. An additional $150,000 was given to an independent, statewide get-out-the-vote organization. Five Democratic groups in San Francisco, San Mateo, Orange, Fresno and Siskiyou counties each received $45,000.

The donation to San Francisco’s local Democratic Party is especially significant because the organization has directed substantial spending toward competitive state Senate races beyond the city. Anthropic’s $45,000 contribution was also the company’s sole donation to the local party during this election cycle.

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The latest funding arrives as Anthropic executives have openly advocated for stronger government oversight of artificial intelligence, including mandatory safety rules.

CEO Dario Amodei has said advanced AI could carry a 10% to 25% risk of triggering an existential catastrophe—or even ending humanity—if it operates without meaningful regulation.

California Democrats say Anthropic’s financial support will strengthen their election operations, including efforts to defeat a Trump-backed ballot measure.

Party spokeswoman Robin Swanson told The San Francisco Standard that the contributions to the state party “help us elect Democrats up and down the ballot, defeat the Trump-backed Prop. 39, and continue our robust voter-protection programs across the state,”

Authorities are searching for a Wyoming mother of two who has been missing for several days. Concern intensified after she did not arrive to pick up her children from an after-school program, leading her sister to contact police.

The Casper Police Department said Kandice Gunter, 30, was last seen Thursday morning in Natrona County. Her sister, Kayla Gunter, told Cowboy State Daily that she reported Kandice missing after the children, ages 9 and 6, were not collected from the Boys & Girls Club on Wednesday.

“That’s when I started freaking out,” Kayla told the newspaper. “It’s completely unlike her not to come get her kids.”

Investigators said Gunter was believed to be driving a gray 2016 GMC Canyon pickup displaying a temporary Wyoming registration. Her cellphone was last detected at about 12:30 p.m. Mountain Time Friday near Highway 387 and the Natrona County line.

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Kayla said she last spoke with her sister by phone at 10:41 a.m. Wednesday. Nothing during the call suggested that Kandice was in trouble, but she stopped responding afterward. According to the report, the family was later informed that Gunter’s phone had registered near Gillette around noon Wednesday.

Gunter had moved from Nevada to Casper roughly a month ago, reportedly to live closer to her children. She had been staying with their father and assisting with the children’s care.

“I looked so hard but there’s so much wide open spaces with one set of sad eyes hope you’re okay!! 14 years you’ve been in my life and can’t end it like this Kandice Gunter,” Facebook user TK Kentopp wrote early Saturday.

Kayla said the relocation seemed to be going smoothly and that her sister had given no indication she intended to leave or sever contact. The two women usually spoke by phone at least three times each day.

The Casper Police Department said Gunter was last seen in person in Natrona County on the morning of Oct. 29 and was reported missing later that night. She was reportedly traveling in a gray 2016 GMC Canyon pickup with temporary Wyoming plates. Her phone was last located around 12:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30, along Highway 387 near the Natrona County line.

Gunter is 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighs about 185 pounds. She has black hair, blue eyes and a butterfly tattoo on her neck.

Anyone who has seen Gunter, spotted the gray pickup or has information about her whereabouts is urged to contact the Casper Police Department at 307-235-8278. Anonymous information may be provided to Crime Stoppers of Central Wyoming at 307-577-8477 or through crimestopperscasper.org.