Melania Trump Absent From Mar-a-Lago New Year’s Eve Party

Plus, how Betty Ford confronted addiction stigma.

Weekly Wrap is a collection of headlines from the past week. Some publications have paywalls.

East Wing Magazine

Betty Ford Shared Her Story and Changed Addiction Treatment Forever

Jan. 3, 2024 — On a spring day in 1978, former First Lady Betty Ford shared a story. She told the world she had been struggling with alcohol and opioid medications, and was seeking help for substance use disorder. For any average person at the time, that admission might have turned them into a societal outcast. But for Betty Ford, it saved her life. It restored her family. And it blasted a fissure into what is considered the biggest barrier to drug and alcohol addiction treatment: stigma. Read more

The Palm Beach Post

Trump Hosts New Year's Eve Party at Mar-a-Lago as Melania Cares for 'Very Ill' Mom in Miami

Jan. 2, 2024 — Donald Trump hosted his annual New Year’s Eve party Sunday night at Mar-a-Lago, which was often billed “The Southern White House” when he was president because of the time he frequented the club. It was a star-studded affair with a performance by ‘90s rapper Vanilla Ice and a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. But notably absent? Trump’s wife, former First Lady Melania Trump, and one of his children, Ivanka Trump.  Read more

Washington Examiner

Biden and First Lady Join Ryan Seacrest for New Year’s Eve Interview 

Dec. 31, 2023 — The president and first lady described what they’ve been eating for the holidays and their hopes for the new year in a New Year’s Eve interview with Ryan Seacrest. Read more

Journal Courier

Holy Cow! History: Meet the First White House Woman Staffer

Dec. 31, 2023 — The first day on a job is always filled with jitters. Especially when your workplace is at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. in Washington. The young woman battled the butterflies in her stomach and put on a brave face. She needed it. For when she walked through the columned entrance at the north portico and stepped into the White House on Jan. 2, 1890, she was walking into history. Read more

The New York Times

Biden Lies Low in St. Croix During Holiday Week

Dec. 31, 2023 — First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, the president, and their granddaughter Natalie are in St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands, according to a White House official. Joe Biden is enjoying a working vacation while locals hope to bring attention to the Virgin Islands’ economic troubles. Read more (This publication has a paywall.)

The List

What Former First Ladies Look Like Without Makeup

Dec. 30, 2023 — They are the style icons of today, the trendsetters who make an impact on history with their fashion choices, and as such, there must be some pressure to present themselves as nearly flawless. But as much as these ladies like to step out dressed to the nines at public events, even they, like the rest of us, enjoy having a day where they can go makeup-free. Read More