'He's in our hearts': Family and friends still seek answers one year after Nathan Wise’s disappearance
It’s been a year since Nathan Wise went missing and his family is no closer to finding out what happened to him.
Melania Trump announced Tuesday morning that she is holding an auction of the white hat she wore during the visit of the French first family, the Macrons, to the White House in 2018.
In a statement from her office, Trump said that, in addition to the hat, the auction lot will include a watercolor by Marc-Antoine Coulon -- a French artist who drew her eyes for her NFT last month -- as well as what the statement defines as "an exclusive digital artwork NFT with motion." The NFT, the second Trump has sold in less than a month, features the drawing of the hat with some animation.
Trump's office says some of the proceeds will go toward an initiative that is a part of the former first lady's Be Best program, but it's not clear how much will be donated.
The centerpiece of the auction, the custom white hat, which Trump has signed, was created for Trump by her personal stylist, Hervé Pierre, to match the US$2,105 white crepe Michael Kors Collection suit Trump wore for the daytime ceremonies at the White House attended by Emmanuel Macron and Brigitte Macron.
The visit by the French President and his wife was the Trump administration's first official state visit from a foreign leader, and it came in April 2018, a handful of weeks after scandalous headlines about the former President's alleged extramarital affairs. Melania Trump's appearance in the hat for the French visit was closely watched by the media, as it was one of the first times she had appeared with her husband following the news about her marriage. CNN has also reached out to Pierre for comment on the auction.
The three items will have an opening bid of US$250,000, and bidding will only be accepted via SOL, a form of cryptocurrency.
Trump's delving into the world of NFTs and cryptocurrency is not a traditional avenue for former first ladies, many of whom write memoirs or continue charitable work outside of the White House.
Many first ladies donate significant items of clothing or other personal items associated with historic moments of an administration to the presidential library associated with their husbands for display, or to other museum-level institutions or organizations. What a first lady wore for certain official occasions, such as a state visit like the one from the French first family to which Melania Trump donned the hat, become part of an administration's account of history and are considered tangible assets to a period of American politics. For example, several items of Jacqueline Kennedy's wardrobe as first lady are part of an exhibition within the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum.
Donald Trump has yet to announce his intent for presidential library plans. Questions to Melania Trump from CNN about the thought process behind her NFT sales have gone unanswered.
On December 16, Trump announced her first NFT, a limited release which closed December 31 that consisted of a watercolor drawing of her eyes by Coulon for sale for US$150. CNN has reached out to Trump's office for clarity on the number of NFTs sold and the profits, as well as what portion would go to support foster children, which Trump's statements have indicated will be the case. The last paragraph of Trump's latest announcement about the three auction items on her personal website includes the line: "A portion of the proceeds derived from this auction will provide foster care children with access to computer science and technology education. "
CNN has sought clarity numerous times from Trump's spokesperson about the "portion of the proceeds" the statement says will be donated to "Fostering the Future," which is described as a "Be Best Initiative." The statement about the auction says Trump will "grant the opening round of scholarships to recipients during the first quarter of 2022," though details about the scholarships were not included.
A preview of the items on Trump's website began Tuesday, with bidding on the lot, entitled "The Head of State Collection," set to open January 11 and run through January 25.
It’s been a year since Nathan Wise went missing and his family is no closer to finding out what happened to him.
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
The fire burning near Fort McMurray grew from 25 hectares to 5,500 hectares over the weekend.
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin began a Cabinet shakeup on Sunday, proposing the replacement of Sergei Shoigu as defence minister as he begins his fifth term in office.
Police are searching for a male suspect after a man was “slashed in neck” on Sunday morning in downtown Toronto and died.
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.
Health Canada announced various product recalls this week, including electric adapters, armchairs, cannabis edibles and vehicle components.
English, history, entertainment, math and geography: high school trivia teams could be quizzed on any of it when they compete at the Reach for the Top Nationals in Ottawa in June.
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
A Listowel, Ont. man, drafted by the Hamilton Tigercats last week, is also getting looks from the NFL, despite only playing 27 games of football in his life.
The threat of zebra mussels has prompted the federal government to temporarily ban watercraft from a Manitoba lake popular with tourists.
A small Ajax dessert shop that recently received a glowing review from celebrity food critic Keith Lee is being forced to move after a zoning complaint was made following the social media influencer’s visit last month.
The Canada Science and Technology Museum is inviting visitors to explore their poop. A new exhibition opens at the Ottawa museum on Friday called, 'Oh Crap! Rethinking human waste.'
The Regina Police Service says it is the first in Saskatchewan and possibly Canada to implement new technology in its detention facility that will offer real-time monitoring of detainees’ vital health metrics.
Just as she had feared, a restaurant owner from eastern Quebec who visited Montreal had her SUV stolen, but says it was all thanks to the kindness of strangers on the internet — not the police — that she got it back.