Category: Business

• The FAA conducted a three-hour meeting with Boeing leaders to address safety and quality issues.
• The FAA "doesn't have a timeframe" for when Boeing can increase production of 737 Max planes.
• An investigation into Boeing manufacturing began after an Alaska Airlines door plug detached mid-flight.

Boeing won't be expanding its fleet of its 737 Max planes anytime soon, according to the FAA.

The airplane manufacturer is still navigating the fallout from January 5, when a door plug on an Alaska Airlines passenger plane detached mid-flight, forcing pilots to make an emergency landing. Although no passengers were seriously injured, the FAA barred Boeing from expanding production on Max plane models until quality and safety issues were addressed.

The incident prompted the FAA to crack down on Boeing and implement aggressive oversight measures that the agency discussed with reporters last week. The FAA hosted a press conference after a three-hour meeting with Boeing leaders at the agency headquarters.

FAA administration Michael Whitaker answered a question from a reporter who asked when Boeing might be able to expand production of its 737 Max planes.

"We don't have a timeframe, but I don't think it will happen in the next few months," Whitaker said in a video shared by CBS News.

The FAA grounded 171 Boeing 737-9 Max planes in January before launching its investigation into Boeing's production lines and manufacturing practices. It also halted production of all Max planes that month.

"This is about systemic change, and there's a lot of work to be done. Boeing must meet milestones, and the timing of our decisions will be driven by their ability to do so," the FAA said in a statement to Business Insider.

Boeing's safety 'road map'

The FAA also published a news release on Thursday that shared details about its meeting with Boeing leaders, who presented an 11-page 'road map' for how the company will improve quality and safety.

The news release says Boeing developed the proposed Product Safety and Quality Plan over 90 days with "detailed" input from the FAA.

A Boeing representative told Business Insider that its Product Safety and Quality Plan fits into four categories of action:

• Invest in workforce training
• Simplify plans and processes
• Eliminate defects
• Elevate safety and quality culture

The plan identified "attention areas" that Boeing would prioritize, which included strengthening its Safety Management System and reducing supply chain defects.

Boeing also identified short- and long-term improvements it will prioritize going forward, like "improving employee training" and "simplifying installation and build plans."

"We listened to our employees, engaged transparently with our regulator, welcomed the findings and recommendations from the FAA's ACSAA panel review, and invited scrutiny from customers and independent experts," President and CEO Dave Calhoun said in a statement.

In response to Boeing's plan, the FAA said it will continue to review progress and laid out stipulations for the company.

"Senior FAA leaders will meet with Boeing weekly to review their performance metrics, progress, and any challenges they're facing in implementing the changes," the news release said. "They also will conduct monthly reviews to gauge Boeing's progress."

Other measures included hiring more safety inspectors at Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems facilities.

The FAA said in its statement that it will ensure Boeing "implements the changes they have outlined."

"We will not approve production increases beyond the current cap until we're satisfied they've followed through on implementing corrective actions and transforming their safety culture," the statement read.

• Australian billionaire Gina Rinehart asked for a portrait of her be removed, reports said.
• Rinehart wanted Vincent Namatjira's painting of her taken down from Australia's National Gallery.
• Gallery visits have surged by 24% since the first stories on the issue emerged, its director said.

Visitors to the National Gallery of Australia have surged by 24% since reports first emerged that the country's richest person had tried to get an unflattering portrait of her taken down, the gallery's director has said.

Speaking at a Senate estimates hearing, meetings where Australian senators examine how the government is spending taxpayers' money, on Friday, gallery director Nick Mitzevich said: "We're expecting the visitor numbers to continue to be dynamic."

It comes after Gina Rinehart, 70, the billionaire mining magnate, and associates from her company, Hancock Prospecting, approached the gallery several times to try to get her portrait removed from an exhibition by the renowned Indigenous artist Vincent Namatjira, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

But their attempts to remove the painting backfired quite spectacularly, with news outlets worldwide picking up the story and sharing images of the portrait — a classic example of the "Streisand effect."

The term became popular following singer Barbra Streisand's attempt in 2003 to suppress the use of a photo showing her Malibu home.

Streisand filed a lawsuit against the photographer behind the image, which was one of around 12,000 photos he had posted on www.californiacoastline.org.

But the case was eventually dismissed, with Streisand having to pay $177,000 in legal fees and see the photo garner far more attention than it otherwise would have had she not taken legal action.

According to the National Gallery of Australia's website, Namatjira is known for "producing paintings laden with dry wit" and "has established himself in the past decade as a celebrated portraitist and a satirical chronicler of Australian identity."

In a statement shared by the gallery, Namatjira said: "People don't have to like my paintings, but I hope they take the time to look and think, 'Why has this Aboriginal bloke painted these powerful people?'" he wrote. "'What is he trying to say?'"

"Some people might not like it, other people might find it funny, but I hope people look beneath the surface and see the serious side too," he added.

The estimates hearing was called to discuss Rinehart's donation of an approved portrait of herself to Australia's National Portrait Gallery.

The Portrait Gallery's director, Bree Pickering, told the hearing that the portrait was not hanging in the gallery because Rinehart had attached conditions relating to how it should be displayed, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported.

When asked whether Australia's richest woman was happy with this portrait, Pickering added, "The gift came from her, so she's quite happy with it."

She did not disclose the nature of the conditions laid out by Rinehart.

Rinehart is the daughter of iron ore magnate Lang Hancock. Following his death in 1992, Rinehart became the executive chairwoman of Hancock Prospecting.

She has a net worth of $20.2 billion, per the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, and is in 87th place.

One of the company's main assets is the Roy Hill iron ore mining project.

The project is located in Western Australia's Pilbara region and currently delivers "60 million tonnes per annum of iron ore to international markets," according to the official website.

• Facebook is targeting young adults to boost usage, and the company says it's working.
• In the US and Canada, there are 40 million daily active users aged 18-29, Facebook said.
• Still, Facebook's young adult usage trails behind most other social media apps, data shows.

Facebook is targeting its young adult audience to increase usage, and the social media giant says it's succeeding.

More than 40 million people ages 18 to 29 in the US and Canada are "daily active users" on Facebook, the company said in a press release.

That's the highest usage for the young adult group Facebook has seen in the last three years, the company said, noting that comes after "five quarters of healthy growth in young adult app usage."

The company said part of its strategy to attract these young adult users is honing in on ways for creators to monetize their content and broadening the services it provides, such as Facebook Marketplace and Facebook Dating.

"Young Adults are making big transitions — moving, going to college, getting their first job or apartment. And Facebook can help with all of this, whether it's finding great deals on furniture on Marketplace, exploring their interests with Reels and in Groups, connecting with their local communities and small businesses, or finding someone they like on Facebook Dating," the company said.

However, when it comes to adults ages 18-29, Facebook still has ground to make up to catch up to other social media apps.

According to a Statista survey of 60,115 respondents from 2022 to 2023, Snapchat, TikTok, and BeReal are the leading apps for that age group. Instagram, Reddit, X, and Pinterest followed close behind. Of the nine social media platforms the respondents were asked about, Facebook ranked second to last, only higher than LinkedIn.

"While we don't have internal data to share that ranks individual apps against one another, among surveyed apps, Facebook is the preferred social media app for communities among US adults," a spokesperson told Business Insider.

• Video appears to show a MaxxPro armored vehicle resisting Russian attacks in Ukraine.
• The MaxxPro is part of the US Mine Resistant Ambush Protected program.
• The US supplied 200 MaxxPros to Ukraine last year.

A Ukraine battlefield video appears to show a US-made MaxxPro armored vehicle resisting a series of direct Russian blasts.

Despite experiencing at least three powerful explosions, the MaxxPro can be seen successfully weaving its way along a dirt track. The episode occurred in Chasiv Yar area in Ukraine's Donetsk Oblast, reports said, where fighting between Russia and Ukraine has been intense in recent months.

Rob Lee, a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, said on X that the robust MaxxPro was being attacked with mortar and drone strikes.

Business Insider could not independently verify where or when the footage was taken.

The MaxxPro, designed by Navistar Defense and the Israeli company Plasan Sasa, is part of the US Military's Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) program.

Ex-Design Director for Plasan Nir Kahn wrote on X, alongside the footage of the vehicle under fire, "I'm very proud of my involvement in the design of the Navistar MaxxPro MRAP. It's saved thousands of lives, now in Ukraine too."

The MaxxPro was built to help protect soldiers in Iraq from improvised explosive devices, according to Navistar Defense's website.

It has a "V-shaped" hull that deflects blasts away from the crew and is designed "to withstand ballistic arms fire, mine blasts, IEDs, and other emerging threats."

The vehicle has a seating capacity for 12 personnel. Its single turret houses a 7.62 or 12.7 mm machine gun and space for one gunner, Navistar says.

Last year, the US announced that it would send 200 vehicles to Ukraine as part of a military aid package. The vehicles have since proved crucial to Ukraine's war effort.

In June last year, soldiers from Ukraine's 68th Jaeger Brigade became stranded as they tried to advance in the village of Blahodatne in Ukraine's southern Kherson region.

While some were killed as they attempted to flee, others managed to escape in a MaxxPro despite facing heavy artillery fire.

"The MaxxPros are like a red rag to the Russians. They target it with everything they have," Stepan, a Ukrainian fighter, told The Times. "But they are almost indestructible."

One of the vehicles was hit by shelling and another by mortars, but "everyone inside survived. They truly saved our soldiers' lives," Stepan said. 

Dutch open-source intelligence website Oryx puts visually confirmed Ukrainian M1224 MaxxPro losses at 90.

• I moved from the US to Ireland years ago and decided to attend college here. 
• My college education cost about 1/4 of what I would've paid going to a popular university in the US.
• We have great, high-quality produce in Ireland and the people here have been very friendly. 

At 15, I embarked on an adventure of a lifetime when my dad's job reassigned him from Chicago to Dublin.

After completing secondary school, I decided to stay in Ireland and go to college while my parents returned to the US after my dad's assignment was finished.

After graduating from college at 21, I knew what I'd found in Ireland was special and that I should try to hold onto it as long as I could. I stayed, and immersing myself in the way of the Irish has benefited my life in so many ways, even though living here isn't perfect.

After all, Ireland is one of the most expensive countries to live in in 2024, ranked just under the US. Life's not always easy here, as Ireland goes through a cost of living and housing crisis.

Even so, I believe my quality of life here is much better than it would be if I'd stayed in the US.

Here are a few of my favorite parts of living here.

The Irish culture and people are unmatched

The Irish people have a great reputation and are pretty loved around the world for a reason.

In my experience, many Irish folks are willing to stop and ask tourists if they need help if they look lost, give advice from across bus seats if they overhear a conversation, or just talk someone's ear off in a pub.

Locals I've met are animated storytellers who always leave me hanging on the edge of my seat, before I nearly fall off of it laughing.

But one of the things I love about the Irish is the pride they have for their country, culture, and history. Since I've lived here, Irish locals have always been happy to educate me and allow me to actively participate in their culture.

The quality of food and drink — both out and about and at home — is truly incredible

Beyond Ireland's drinking culture lies an innovative and exciting nightlife, especially with Dublin's growing cocktail scene. Bars all over Dublin experiment with spirits in new ways.

Pubs and bars are beyond just places to drink — they are social beacons, places where people congregate after a long day to spend time with one another.

And with a budding nightlife comes a bustling restaurant scene. I've found there's at least one excellent restaurant on every street in the city center if you're willing to shell out a good few quid.

But, part of what makes the drinking and eating culture so vibrant in Ireland is the quality of the food and drink here.

Ireland is ranked as the second country in the world with the best access to food. We have strict produce laws and regulations, and our produce is labeled with what country it comes from if it's grown outside of Ireland. There's also plenty of Irish homegrown beef.

Plus, it's cheaper for me to shop for fresh produce in Ireland than it ever was in the US. I can get carrots, celery, leeks, onions, and leafy greens for under €1, and find a dozen apples or bag of oranges for less than €4.

Four years of college here cost the same as one year at a school I'd wanted to attend in the US

It was way cheaper for me to attend an Irish university than it would've been to attend a popular one in the US, even with international fees applied.

Before moving to Ireland, I wanted to go to New York University — which would've cost me over $76,000 a year in 2018. At University College Dublin (UCD), I paid about €72,000, or about $78,000, for all four years of school and received a bachelor's degree in English.

And, with Ireland and The United States having great relations, I was eligible to use federal student aid for my degree in Ireland.

My education was invaluable, and I got to study at the same university as famous writers such as James Joyce, Roddy Doyle, and Mary Lavin.

I wouldn't trade my decision to study at UCD for anything in the world regardless of how expensive living in Ireland is.

• Tribeca Festival will feature five short films made with OpenAI's Sora on June 15.
• Filmmakers received early access to Sora and created the films in just weeks.
• Creatives who've used it say it's facilitated their artistic process.

Generative AI is making its debut at the Tribeca Festival, a 20-year-old New York film festival founded by actor Robert de Niro.

In collaboration with OpenAI, the Tribeca Festival is set to premiere five short films created using artificial intelligence on June 15. This marks the first time OpenAI's text-to-video tool, Sora, will be featured at a festival.

The filmmakers — all festival alumni — have committed to following the AI-related terms established by last year's agreements with directors, actors, and writers in the movie industry, according to a statement from the festival. They were given education on OpenAI's tools, early access to Sora, and the freedom to create their videos independently and asked to complete their projects in just a few weeks.

Jane Rosenthal, cofounder and CEO of Tribeca Enterprises, said that "stories come to us as a feature film, an immersive experience, a piece of art, or even an AI-generated short film. I can't wait to see what this group of fiercely creative Tribeca alumni come up with."

OpenAI introduced Sora back in February to "understand and simulate the physical world in motion." While the tool hasn't yet been released to the public, OpenAI claims that it generates videos up to a minute long from text.

Some Hollywood veterans initially saw it as a threat. Filmmaker Tyler Perry paused plans for an $800 million studio expansion after he saw Sora's capabilities. Since then, however, creators who've gotten access to Sora say it has enhanced their creative process. They're able to communicate abstract concepts more clearly and visualize ideas in new ways. And they don't feel replaceable.

• Realtor.com ranked top retirement spots based on home prices and amenities for older residents.
• Florida is a popular retirement destination, but California and New Jersey had a few in the top 10.
• Many seniors face financial constraints and depend on Social Security for retirement.

As many Americans prepare to retire, many are wondering just how far their finances can take them.

After all, a majority of seniors live on meager incomes, and many are reliant on ever-imperiled Social Security. But for the workers who have put in their time, a cheaper spot to throw in the towel might be one solution for their economic woes. And, of course, many older adults are also combatting rising loneliness — making a strong community even more key to a comfortable retirement.

Some states have more retirees than others; perhaps unsurprisingly, nearly a fifth of Florida is retired.

Indeed, Florida hosts some of the best spots to retire, according to a new ranking from real-estate website Realtor.com. Realtor.com compiled a list of the top 10 places to retire, looking at a combination of housing prices, median ages, and real-estate listings that point to a retiree-friendly area — keywords like "55+," "clubhouse," "tennis courts," etc.

While Florida is showing up and showing out, you don't necessarily have to head south to find an ideal post-career destination — your affordable retirement might just be down the Jersey Shore.

Here are the top 10 spots to retire, according to Realtor.com, what it costs to live there, and what they're best known for.

10. Whiting, New Jersey

Percentage of retiree-friendly listings: 78%

Median age of residents: 69

Median list price: $179,000

Known for: With by far the cheapest median list price of the top 10, Whiting, located in the Pine Barrens, is home to over 33,000 residents attracted by the plentiful greenery, relatively inexpensive prices, and proximity to Philadelphia and New York City.

9. Laguna Woods, California

Percentage of retiree-friendly listings: 99%

Median age of residents: 75

Median list price: $409,900

Known for: Laguna Beach in Orange County has cheaper retirement-friendly listings than the rest of the county, drawing beach lovers and nature enthusiasts to spots like Newport Beach and Dana Point.

8. Sun City, California

Percentage of retiree-friendly listings: 86%

Median age of residents: 58

Median list price: $370,000

Known for: Sun City — a neighborhood in the city of Menefee in Riverside County, California — is located on the periphery of Joshua Tree National Park and is home to resort-style retirement facilities like Sun City Palm Desert.

7. Seal Beach, California

Percentage of retiree-friendly listings: 72%

Median age of residents: 61

Median list price: $369,000

Known for: Located in Orange County, Seal Beach is known for its moderate weather that rarely jumps above 90 degrees, close proximity to Long Beach, and wildlife at the Seal Beach National Wildlife Refuge. California has no state Social Security taxes, meaning retirees may feel slightly more inclined to spend at the many restaurants along Main Street.

6. Monroe, New Jersey

Percentage of retiree-friendly listings: 70%

Median age of residents: 56

Median list price: $424,000

Known for: Monroe, about 15 miles east of Princeton, boasts condos priced in the $200,000s with quick access to Philadelphia, New York City, Atlantic City, and state parks such as Cheesequake State Park.

5. Manchester, New Jersey

Percentage of retiree-friendly listings: 83%

Median age of residents: 65

Median list price: $309,900

Known for: Manchester, a town west of Toms River by the Atlantic Ocean, has relatively affordable retiree-friendly listings at various 55+ communities, each with amenities such as clubhouses, indoor pools, and fitness centers. Residents get all four seasons and lots of open space, though taxes are rather high compared to other states.

4. The Villages, Florida

Percentage of retiree-friendly listings: 84%

Median age of residents: 71

Median list price: $315,000

Known for: The Villages experienced a population boom of 4.7% between July 2022 and July 2023. The giant complex's over 50 golf courses, diverse restaurants, and several town squares — all accessible for $195 a month — have driven this quick growth among the 55+ community.

3. King City, Oregon

Percentage of retiree-friendly listings: 81%

Median age of residents: 63

Median list price: $375,000

Known for: Twelve miles outside Portland, King City is in the Tualatin Valley. It was first established as a retirement community in the '60s but is now considered a quiet suburb of Portland.

2. Green Valley, Arizona

Percentage of retiree-friendly listings: 83%

Median age of residents: 74

Median list price: $349,900

Known for: Green Valley has become a popular winter retreat destination. Only 30 miles outside Tucson, Green Valley has a lot to do — clubs, trips, and concerts are all sponsored by the nonprofit Green Valley Recreation.

1. Sun City Center, Florida

Percentage of retiree-friendly listings: 84%

Median age of residents: 71

Median list price: $315,000

Known for: Located between Tampa and Sarasota, Sun City Center is essentially its own retirement community. There are plenty of golf courses as well as indoor and outdoor pools. During waking hours, it's legal to drive golf carts on the streets.

• Iowa recently passed a law banning local governments from providing basic income programs.
• But one providing $500 a month to low-income residents says it will continue using private funds.
• Most participants said they spent the money on food and housing in the first year.

Conservatives in Iowa voted to ban local governments from sponsoring basic income programs earlier this year. But one program in the middle of the state says it's seeing successful results — and will keep going.

The "UpLift" program in central Iowa provides up to $500 a month for 110 low-income residents. Though the legislation could threaten its future, its organizers say it will continue — for now — using private funding. They said the program is showing similar results to other basic income programs around the country: Residents are mostly spending the money on food and shelter.

Ashley Ezzio, a senior project coordinator at The Tom and Ruth Harkin Institute for Public Policy and Citizen Engagement, which is conducting the study, told The Des Moines Register that most participants are spending the money on essentials.

A study of the program, which started last May, found that food and groceries made up about 42% of costs in the first year, Ezzio said.

Uplift tracks spending categories and asks participants to take periodic surveys through the University of Pennsylvania and Des Moines University. About 80% of the participants completed the first survey, Uplift said.

Last month, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a bill into law that bans county and city governments from providing basic income programs. State Rep. Steve Holthave called for the bans, calling basic income programs "socialism on steroids" and "an attack on American values."

Guaranteed basic income programs typically offer no-strings-attached monthly payments between $500 and $1,000 to specific groups, like new moms, Black women, or trans people, all low-income residents. They differ from their idealistic cousin — a universal basic income. UBI, made famous by Andrew Yang during the 2016 presidential election, would provide a monthly payment to all citizens.

UpLift's findings in Iowa mirror those of basic income programs across the country.

In Austin, one study found that residents in a program that received $1,000 monthly payments for a year spent the no-strings-attached cash mostly on housing and food.

Still, conservatives in Texas are also pushing back against such programs. The state Supreme Court temporarily blocked a Houston-area program in April that gave low-income residents $500 a month after the state attorney general called it "unconstitutional."

• President Franklin D. Roosevelt maintained a lifelong connection with Springwood, his family home.
• He was raised at the property in Hyde Park, New York, and hosted dignitaries there as president.
• Measuring about 21,000 square feet, Springwood has 49 rooms and eight bathrooms.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt's estate in Hyde Park, New York, is the only place in the US where a president was born, maintained a connection throughout his life, and is buried, according to the National Park Service.

Widely regarded as one of the most influential US presidents, Roosevelt was elected in 1932 and led the country through the Great Depression and World War II. Known for expansive government programs such as the New Deal, he died in office while serving an unprecedented fourth term in 1945.

Roosevelt's 21,000-square-foot family home, an Italianate-style villa known as Springwood, is open to the public as part of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum in Hyde Park. Everything inside is original to the home.

Take a look inside the historic site.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt's home, known as Springwood, is in Hyde Park, New York.

The Vanderbilt family's 45,000-square-foot Gilded Age mansion is also in Hyde Park, which is about 95 miles from New York City.

It's located on the grounds of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum.

The National Park Service operates both the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum and the Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site, while the National Archives manages the library's collections.

The National Park Service offers 40-minute guided tours of Springwood from May through October. Tickets cost $15 each and are sold in person on a first-come, first-serve basis.

As I began my walk to Springwood, I passed bronze statues of Roosevelt and his wife, Eleanor Roosevelt.

The statues were modeled after a 1933 photograph of the Roosevelts at their Hyde Park home.

A park ranger told me to follow the sign for the stables to reach Roosevelt's home.

Further along the path, I began to see signs for Springwood, which is located next to the stables.

The stables still featured the names of the Roosevelt family's horses.

Roosevelt was an avid equestrian and continued riding even after his legs became paralyzed due to polio.

The tour started outside Springwood as a park ranger spoke about the history of the home and the Roosevelt family.

Roosevelt's father, James Roosevelt, was a Harvard-educated lawyer who earned his fortune as a businessman for various railroad and coal companies. He purchased the original farmhouse on the property in 1867 and named it "Springwood."

In 1915, Roosevelt and Eleanor added two stone wings and most of the third floor to make more room for their six children.

The guide also pointed out a front portico that resembled the South Portico of the White House.

"Perhaps a little political foreshadowing?" he said.

The Entrance Hall was decorated with prints from Roosevelt's naval collection and editorial cartoons from the 18th century.

Roosevelt served as assistant secretary of the Navy under President Woodrow Wilson. His fondness for Navy ships was evident in the decor throughout Springwood.

The Entrance Hall also featured Roosevelt's boyhood bird collection and a bronze statue of him at age 29.

As a child, Roosevelt collected birds and had them stuffed in order to study them up close.

The bronze statue depicts Roosevelt in 1911 when he was serving his first term in the New York State Senate.

In the Dining Room, Roosevelt sat at the head of the table in the seat pulled out on the left.

The small round table in the back of the room was the kids' table.

After dinner, guests would move to the Dresden Room, which functioned as a sitting room.

The room is named for the Dresden chandelier and sconces that Roosevelt's father brought back from Dresden, Germany.

A foldable ramp made the stairs leading into the Library accessible for Roosevelt's wheelchair.

At 39 years old, Roosevelt was diagnosed with polio and became paralyzed from the waist down. He didn't want people to know that he used a wheelchair, so the ramp could be folded up and hidden away when guests were present.

When Roosevelt took business meetings at Springwood, his aides positioned him in an armchair and put a stack of papers in his lap to give him a plausible reason not to stand when his guests arrived.

In the Library, Roosevelt met with world leaders and dignitaries.

Roosevelt's famous guests included King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (the Queen Mother), Prince Frederik and Princess Ingrid of Denmark, Prince Olav and Princess Martha of Norway, and Winston Churchill.

The room also featured a portrait of Roosevelt painted by Ellen Emmet Rand.

Roosevelt sat for the portrait after he was elected to his first term as president in 1932.

The tour continued upstairs with the Pink Room, which functioned as a guest room.

King George VI and Winston Churchill slept in this room during their visits to Hyde Park.

Another guest room was used by his political advisors.

Louis Howe and Harry Hopkins, two of Roosevelt's close political advisors, stayed in this room.

The Chintz Room was also used as a guest room for important visitors.

Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, Russian pianist Madam Knavage, and Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, stayed in the Chintz Room during their time at Springwood.

Roosevelt was born in the Blue Room on January 30, 1882.

His father, James Roosevelt, wrote in his diary on the night of Roosevelt's birth that he was a "splendid, large baby boy" who weighed 10 pounds. Everything in the Blue Room is original, including the mattress Roosevelt was born on.

James and his wife, Sara Roosevelt, slept in the Blue Room. After James' death, Sara moved into another room down the hall when the home was renovated in 1915, bringing her furniture with her. The Blue Room was then redecorated and repurposed as a guest room.

Sara requested that the original furniture be moved back into the Blue Room after her death to restore it to the way it looked when Roosevelt was born.

Growing up, Roosevelt slept in this bedroom until he married Eleanor in 1905.

When the Roosevelts had children of their own, the oldest son living at home slept here.

The hallway leading to the primary bedrooms included a unique piece of decor: a mirror mounted on a 45-degree angle.

The Secret Service used the mirror to monitor activity down the hall and around the front of the house.

Roosevelt's mother, Sara Roosevelt, slept in a bedroom at the end of the hall.

Roosevelt's father, James, died in 1900, while Sara lived for another 41 years. She moved from the Blue Room into this room after the home's 1915 renovation.

Eleanor moved into a smaller bedroom connected to Roosevelt's room after he became sick with polio.

The space was originally intended to be a morning room.

After Roosevelt's death in 1945, Eleanor moved to Val-Kill, a cottage she built with friends Nancy Cook and Marion Dickerman. Located around 2.5 miles from Springwood, the property is now known as the Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site.

Roosevelt's bedroom windows featured views of the Hudson River.

Roosevelt would often spend early mornings in his room reading the paper or meeting with one of his secretaries.

Beside his bed, a designated phone provided a direct, secure line to the White House.

Having direct communication with Washington was state-of-the-art technology at the time, and proved crucial as his health began to fail towards the end of his life.

Our tour guide ended his presentation with a surprising detail: the clothes hanging in Roosevelt's bedroom closet.

"The clothes that are in that room on display, FDR handpicked for you to see," our guide said. "He knew you were coming."

Eleanor turned Springwood over to the National Park Service in 1945, shortly after Roosevelt's death, and spoke at its dedication as a national historic site in 1946.

"I think Franklin realized that the historic library, the house, and the peaceful resting place behind the high hedge with flowers blooming around it would perhaps mean something to the people of the United States," she said at the event, author Olin Dows wrote in his 1949 book, "Franklin Roosevelt at Hyde Park," according to the National Park Service. "They would understand the rest and peace and strength which he had gained here and perhaps learn to come, and go away with some sense of healing and courage themselves."

As I exited Springwood through the south lawn, I was greeted by stunning views of the Hudson Valley.

Roosevelt planted many of the trees on the property as part of his forestry experiments and conservation efforts.

Visitors could also pay their respects at the Roosevelts' burial site in Springwood's rose garden.

Roosevelt wrote that he wanted to be buried where the sundial stood in the rose garden on his Hyde Park estate, according to the National Park Service.

Roosevelt's legacy lives on in his presidential library and museum, the construction of which he oversaw himself.

The Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum was dedicated in 1941.

He was the first US president to establish a library to house papers and artifacts from his political career, a model that every president since has followed.

When I visited my first presidential library, the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta, I bought a passport to fill with stamps from all 15 presidential libraries nationwide. I was delighted to find a desk with stamps to add to my booklet just outside the gift shop.

Springwood remains a meaningful historical site memorializing one of America's most prominent presidents.

Nearly 10,000 people visited Springwood on the first day it was open to the public in 1946, and they haven't stopped visiting since.

• Central Florida's tourism oversight district will soon vote on a development plan with Disney.
• The plan would greenlight $17 billion in development at Walt Disney World over 10 to 20 years.
• It could herald the arrival of the much-rumored "fifth theme park" in Florida.

Rumors that Walt Disney World might build a fifth theme park in Central Florida have persisted for years. Now, there's some good news for anyone hoping those rumors are true.

A potential new development agreement between Central Florida's tourism board and The Walt Disney Company could usher in the rumored expansion.

The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District will host a public hearing on Disney's development plan during a meeting next week before finally voting on June 15.

If approved, the agreement would be a major thaw in relations between Disney and the tourism board, which the administration of Gov. Ron DeSantis effectively commandeered from Disney in 2023. DeSantis appointed five people to the tourism board, but two have since left their positions.

As now written, the agreement would allow Disney to spend $17 billion to further develop Walt Disney World over the next 10 to 20 years, according to a statement from the tourism board.

"With Walt Disney World's substantial investments, we anticipate economic growth, job creation, and support for local businesses, alongside environmental stewardship and workforce housing initiatives, benefiting Central Florida's community," District Administrator Stephanie Kopelousos said in a statement to Business Insider.

The tourism board said the agreement would require Disney to find local contractors for any construction and award a minimum of 50% of all construction work to Florida-based businesses. It also requires Disney to fund "attainable" housing projects.

Disney officials haven't detailed how the billions would be spent, but an industry insider told the Orlando Sentinel that a fifth theme park could join its roster of existing properties.

Magic Kingdom opened to the public in 1971, followed by Epcot in 1982, Disney's Hollywood Studios in 1989, and Animal Kingdom in 1998.

Disney CEO Bob Iger skirted a question about a new Florida theme park during an earnings call in February, according to the Sentinel.

"We're already hard at work at basically determining where we're going to place our new investments and what they will be," Iger said. "You can pretty much conclude that they'll be all over, meaning every single one of our locations will be the beneficiary of increased investment."

Representatives for The Walt Disney Co. and Walt Disney World did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

DeSantis vs. Disney

The pending development agreement between the tourism board and Disney comes after a contentious legal battle — initiated by DeSantis — that began in April 2022.

The legal battle began when Disney publicly opposed DeSantis's so-called "Don't Say Gay" bill. DeSantis lashed out at the entertainment conglomerate and attempted to upend a long-standing arrangement that allowed Disney to self-govern through its Reedy Creek Improvement District.

DeSantis gained control of the Reedy Creek Improvement District in February 2023. His administration renamed it the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District and DeSantis appointed its board supervisors, effectively removing Disney's autonomy over development in the area.

The former Reedy Creek Improvement District board members tried to push through a development deal before they were ousted. But after a series of court battles, Disney and the new tourism board finally reached a settlement in March.

That settlement nullified the last-minute deal the former Reedy Creek board members pushed through. The settlement then suggested Disney and the new board work together on a new development deal.