• SAM 26000 operated as Air Force One from 1962 to 1998, carrying eight US presidents.
• Lyndon Johnson was sworn in on board, and the plane transported John F. Kennedy’s body from Texas.
• SAM 26000 is housed at the National Museum of the US Air Force, where visitors can walk through it.

“If history itself had wings, it would probably be this aircraft,” Vice President Al Gore said of the SAM 26000 Air Force One plane upon its retirement in 1998.

The first Air Force jet designed and built specifically for US presidents, SAM 26000 (pronounced two six thousand) carried eight presidents between 1962 and 1998 — every leader from John F. Kennedy to Bill Clinton.

After 13,000 flying hours over 36 years of service, the plane was retired to the National Museum of the US Air Force in Dayton, Ohio, where it remains on display.

I visited the museum in August and walked through the historic aircraft. Take a look inside.

The SAM 26000 Air Force One jet, a Boeing VC-137C, was completed in 1962 for President John F. Kennedy.

The Boeing VC-137C was a customized and modified version of a civilian 707-320B airliner. It was powered by four Pratt & Whitney TF33 engines, each with 18,000 pounds of thrust.

First lady Jacqueline Kennedy chose the plane’s blue and white paint colors in coordination with industrial designer Raymond Loewy.

The first lady also added the words “United States of America” to the aircraft to signal its importance as the president’s plane.

In a tragic period of American history, SAM 26000 transported President John F. Kennedy’s body home after his assassination in 1963.

President Lyndon Johnson was sworn in as president aboard the plane hours after Kennedy was pronounced dead.

Now an interactive museum artifact, visitors can board the plane the same way US presidents did via a staircase leading into the cabin.

Admission to the National Museum of the US Air Force is free.

SAM 26000 is located in the museum’s William E. Boeing Presidential Gallery, which includes other presidential planes such as the Douglas VC-54C, the first presidential aircraft, which was known as the “Sacred Cow.”

The first stop on my self-guided tour was the cockpit, which featured a four-person crew.

The crew consisted of a pilot, copilot, navigator, and flight engineer. The navigator and flight engineer roles were eventually replaced by GPS and computerized technology on later Air Force One planes.

Two phones were located behind the flight deck.

A plaque above the phones read, “This telephone is subject to monitoring at all times. Use of this telephone constitutes consent to monitoring.”

An equipment storage space featured a first aid kit and firearms.

The closet also had a rack to hang suits and coats.

Next, I walked by the plane’s communication facility.

The secure communication center allowed presidents to place calls anywhere in the world while in flight.

Meals were prepared in the galley.

The galley included a stovetop, oven, and sink.

This seating area was used by presidential staff, members of the press, and Secret Service agents.

The aircraft could hold up to 40 passengers.

The seating area, like many areas of the plane, is now protected by plastic barricades.

I noticed fox decals above the seats, which a museum volunteer told me was a nod to the 89th Airlift Wing, which operates Air Force One.

Stationed at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, the 89th Airlift Wing is tasked with flying the president and high-ranking government officials. The group is also referred to as “SAM FOX,” which stands for “Special Air Missions Foreign.”

The presidential stateroom was located down a long hallway.

The benches in the hallway were hollow to offer additional storage.

The president’s spacious quarters featured a desk, couch, television, and private bathroom.

In 1969, Nixon redesigned Air Force One and moved the presidential quarters over the wings, which was the quietest and smoothest part of the plane during flight.

The stateroom came with two phones, each with different purposes.

Presidents used the white phone to communicate with crew members and other passengers on the plane, while the beige phone could be used to call anywhere in the world.

Behind the presidential stateroom, a conference room provided more meeting space.

The room was furnished with throne chairs, a folding table, and another TV.

Additional conference areas provided more seating for staff, Secret Service members, and VIPs.

Presidents Nixon, Ford, and Carter sat here while flying to attend Egyptian President Anwar El-Sadat’s funeral in 1981.

An office area across the aisle featured an electric typewriter, scanner, and more phones.

Presidents used the electric typewriter to write and edit speeches while on board the plane.

The wall of the office space was decorated with a map of the United States.

President Lyndon Johnson was sworn in as president in this area of Air Force One’s cabin after Kennedy’s assassination in 1963.

Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963, while visiting Dallas. He was pronounced dead at Parkland Memorial Hospital at 1 p.m., and Johnson took the oath of office at 2:38 p.m.

Jacqueline Kennedy‘s pink suit was still smeared with blood when Federal Judge Sarah T. Hughes administered the oath of office on Air Force One. Johnson’s wife, Lady Bird Johnson, stood to his right.

Standing in the very spot where Johnson was sworn in after Kennedy’s assassination was awe-inspiring.

Even blocked off by plastic barricades, the plane’s cabin preserves a pivotal moment in US history.

These four seats toward the back of the plane were removed to make room for Kennedy’s coffin on the flight from Dallas back to Washington, DC, in 1963.

The Secret Service had to break the handles off the casket to make it fit through the plane door.

Air Force security personnel operated out of this area at the back of the aircraft to secure the plane while it was on the ground.

The seating area featured six seats, a phone, and a folding table.

My tour ended at the back of the plane with a view of its call sign on the tail and an American flag.

According to US Flag Code, an American flag decal must always be positioned so that the stars face forward.

Air Force One remains an instantly recognizable symbol of US might, making my walkthrough tour a memorable experience.

Like many modes of presidential transportation, such as the bulletproof limousine known as “The Beast” and the Marine One helicopter, Air Force One is about more than simply getting the president from point A to point B. It symbolizes the power of the United States and its elected leader wherever it goes.

The image projected by presidential planes remains of great interest to President Donald Trump, who opted to accept a luxurious Boeing 747-8 jet from the Qatari royal family instead of waiting for Boeing to deliver its long-delayed new Air Force One jets.

• My mom downsized and still has items from her parents she doesn’t know what to do with.
• I’m torn between preserving our memories and not burdening our kids with an avalanche of stuff.
• When decluttering, we’re talking to our kids about what items are important memories for them.

I’ve seen multiple articles lately about the boomer avalanche — all this stuff people have — and their kids not wanting it. I’m not a boomer, but at 46, I’m already aware that I have too much stuff.

Three recent events made me think about the burden our possessions would place on our kids if something happened to us. So I started decluttering so they don’t have to deal with my stuff.

I helped my mom downsize

The first event was helping my mom downsize.

She moved from a 2,000-square-foot townhome into a much smaller rental home. Doing a pre-move assessment, it was clear that all her stuff wouldn’t fit in the new place.

She saw it as an opportunity and spent two months purging, donating, and selling items.

When scoping out storage spots in her new home, my mom shared that she has a stack of boxes of stuff from her mom’s house. She doesn’t want it, but doesn’t feel like she can get rid of it, and has been holding onto it since her mom passed over 10 years ago.

My kids made sure grandma didn’t get rid of her little rocking chair. They both have memories of climbing on it at Grandma’s house. It’s now in our living room.

Sometimes, there are memories wrapped up in stuff

Decorating our house for the holidays was the second event that confirmed we have too much stuff.

Every year, my husband goes into our crawl space and hauls out a full 19 boxes of holiday decor — trees, lights, ceramic villages, wrapping paper. Our house ends up covered with holidays.

This year, when decorating, I decided to downsize and packed a giant box with ornaments, tablecloths, mugs, and random decorations we haven’t put up in years.

During this process, I was reminded how important it is to check before donating. My husband noticed a few decorations from his mom in the “donation box.” We’re keeping them. We may not display them, but there are memories in those figurines.

I asked my kids what they wanted us to keep for them. Stockings, our Advent calendar, and the holiday village — each of them had items they associated with their holiday memories. These things will never go into the donation box.

Our stuff can be so valuable to others

During our remodel last year — event three — my youngest and I learned how much the things we have sitting on a shelf can mean to someone else. My child’s donation of stuffed animals made a huge difference to volunteers and children at a local soup kitchen.

We had a repeat experience this year, but this time with tablecloths. I have too many tablecloths. The last count was over 20. Even if I can’t get laundry done for weeks, that is many more than we need. I challenged myself to get rid of half of them.

A friend who volunteers at a shelter and soup kitchen happily took the donation. A few weeks later, we learned those tablecloths had a new life as blankets for a family of four who were living in their car at the time.

I have a process to downsize my wardrobe

Remodeling our house was the most eye-opening demonstration of how many things we have. Our storage space is still crammed with stuff that didn’t make it back into the house after the remodel.

Finding a place for everything during the renovation was a huge challenge. We quickly realized we couldn’t fit 50% of our belongings (three bedrooms and my office) in the other 50% of our house.

Taking up the most space — the items in my closet, which filled my entire soccer-mom-sized SUV.

So today, for every new thing I add, I donate at least two items. I’ve designated a section of my closet for things I haven’t worn, and when the seasons change, anything in that section goes. And — the most fun — I invite friends to come “shop” in my closet.

Some things are my memories, not my kids’

In my office are multiple items that remind me of my grandma.

One of my favorite memories is being at her house, spending hours poring over her high school and college yearbooks.

When it was clear the end was near for her, she had me take those yearbooks from the nursing home. She barely remembered who she was, but she remembered how much those books meant to me.

Seeing those yearbooks evokes memories of her, keeping her alive in my mind. But they are my memories of her, not my kids’.

And that’s really the thing, isn’t it? Wrapped up in all this stuff are memories and maybe a bit of guilt about getting rid of it.

So, I will keep cleaning out that closet, clearing out the storage unit, and reducing our holiday decor, but one day, my kids may have to get rid of those yearbooks.

• Disney’s IP is under siege by the AI industry’s ‘ask for forgiveness, not permission’ culture.
• Disney sent a cease-and-desist to ByteDance, saying it ‘hijacked’ its characters with Seedance 2.0.
• When OpenAI’s Sora was used to create Disney characters, however, the House of Mouse struck a deal.

No, Disney did not release footage of a never-before-seen fight sequence between Marvel’s Wolverine and Thanos (spoiler: Thanos won).

That clip, which amassed over 142,000 views on X over 48 hours, was created using Seedance 2.0, an AI video generation model that ByteDance debuted last week. The tool created a buzz on social media, where one user made a hyperrealistic AI video of Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt fighting over Jeffrey Epstein.

ByteDance’s decision to let users create content based on Disney’s IP without permission isn’t all that surprising given the AI industry’s well-established strategy to “ask for forgiveness, not permission.”

Disney, which is infamous for aggressively protecting its intellectual property, isn’t having it — though how it responds to the threats is not always the same.

On Friday, the entertainment company sent ByteDance, the Chinese company that owns Seedance and TikTok, a cease-and-desist letter, a spokesperson confirmed to Business Insider.

In the letter, Disney accused ByteDance of supplying Seedance 2.0 with “a pirated library of Disney’s copyrighted characters from Star Wars, Marvel, and other Disney franchises, as if Disney’s coveted intellectual property were free public domain clip art.”

“Over Disney’s well-publicized objections, ByteDance is hijacking Disney’s characters by reproducing, distributing, and creating derivative works featuring those characters,” the letter said.

Seedance is only the latest AI company Disney says is ripping it off.

Disney and NBCUniversal sued Midjourney, an AI image generator, in June last year. In the lawsuit, the companies compared Midjourney’s tech to “a virtual vending machine, generating endless unauthorized copies of Disney’s and Universal’s copyrighted works.”

Then Disney accused Character.AI of copyright infringement in a September cease-and-desist letter last September. In December, it sent one to Google in response to the AI image generator Nano Banana Pro and its other AI models, accusing the Big Tech giant of stealing its IP on a “massive scale.” Both companies have since removed Disney characters from their platforms.

Disney is not anti-AI, however, and its strategy is not one-size-fits-all. The company took a much less adversarial approach with OpenAI, the world’s leading AI startup.

When OpenAI debuted Sora 2, an AI-powered text-to-video platform, in September, users began uploading IP-heavy content featuring Disney characters to social media. Instead of a cease-and-desist letter or legal action, though, Disney negotiated a deal.

By December, Disney and OpenAI had announced a three-year licensing agreement that gives Sora users, with some guardrails, access to 200 Disney characters. As part of the deal, Disney would also invest $1 billion in OpenAI.

Although Disney hasn’t shared plans to develop its own AI model or video generator, Disney CEO Bob Iger said the company ultimately sees the tech not as a threat but as a new path to connect with audiences.

During an earnings call late last year, he said AI would “provide users of Disney+ with a much more engaged experience, including the ability for them to create user-generated content, and to consume user-generated content, mostly short form, from others.”

• Sarai Saez Rogers bought a house and moved in with her best friend in Utica, New York.
• Both women have said that this has been the best living situation they’ve ever had.
• Living together hasn’t affected their romantic relationships with others.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Sarai Saez Rogers, a 36-year-old mom. It has been edited for length and clarity.

When Claire, my best friend for over 10 years, and I laid eyes on the late-18th-century duplex with a big front yard, we knew it was the perfect house to buy together.

We’d gotten to know each other in New Mexico, where both of our husbands were stationed while in the military. For 10 years, we were each other’s community. Neither of us had family around, so we had to make our own support systems.

We both got divorced

My husband and I divorced, and there was a six-month period when Claire’s husband was deployed. The two of us practically lived together for those six months. We cooked and ate together, picked each other’s kids up from school (she has two, and I have one), worked out together, and even had family sleepovers. I found that being a single mom didn’t mean I had to shoulder the load alone.

I moved to Maryland for a new job. I quickly found out how expensive it was to be a single parent, and relocated to upstate New York to live with my parents.

Claire and her husband then divorced, and she moved in with her parents in Wisconsin.

We stayed in touch, both dreaming about what it would be like to buy a house, but knowing we couldn’t afford it as single parents. Although we both appreciated living with our parents, it wasn’t an ideal situation after being used to living independently for so long.

We bought a house together

At some point during our phone calls, we considered moving in together. We trusted, respected, and liked each other. We’d both say that for the first time in a long time, we knew what it was to feel safe with another person, to be loved for who we were, rather than for who someone wanted us to be.

I had a steady income and credit, and Claire had savings, so we’d be a team if we were to buy a house together.

In the summer of 2024, Claire visited us in New York, and on somewhat of a whim, we decided to look at houses for sale.

We saw a happy, yellow duplex, one that our real estate agent tried to dissuade us from viewing, as it was a bit odd, and both fell in love. It was built in the 1800s with period features, located on a quiet street, with a huge yard speckled with trees. It had originally been a farmhouse with different families, so it was a perfect setup for us. There are two bedrooms upstairs, and three downstairs, with a bathroom and kitchen on each floor.

We bought it, and every day, even on the days we have arguments, I’m so glad we made the decision to live together.

I get to live with my best friend

In a world where friendships aren’t always cherished because we’re too busy, I get to see my best friend every single day. We support, love, and are there for each other at the drop of a hat.

Recently, we had gin and tonics and watched “Mulan” together, belting each song. By bucking the trend that says our setup is reserved for youth, we’re experiencing the closeness many people have when they share rooms or houses in their early 20s.

One of the questions people have asked us is what we’ll do if we develop romantic connections. I tell them we both are in romantic relationships. Claire and I have boyfriends, but why should that impact our home situation? We don’t have to move in with partners out of necessity, but only if we choose to.

We’ve also discussed the possibility of partners moving in — splitting the house right down the middle and having separate rather than shared living spaces.

Another question people ask is what happens if and when we argue. This is an easy one. I don’t think deep, authentic relationships can exist without conflict. In any relationship, romantic or platonic, there will be disagreements. It’s healthy if it’s dealt with in a caring, respectful way.

When we argue or get on each other’s nerves, we take space and then come back together to talk it through. It’s made us closer, rather than driving us apart.

I’m never taking friendships for granted

After my divorce, I thought a lot about how, for years, romantic love had been the epitome of a relationship, the most ideal love to build a life around.

Since living with Claire, I’ve realised I was wrong. My friendship with Claire is one of the deepest relationships I’ve ever had. Why would I not move in with her? Why would I not build a life alongside her? With her, with my friend, I feel like I’m not just surviving, but thriving.

Even though I am in a romantic relationship with someone else now, I’ll never take friendship for granted again.

Bucking convention, buying a house and living with my best friend has made me incredibly happy, happier than I ever have been.

• I sailed on Celebrity Constellation in interior, ocean-view, veranda, and concierge-class cabins.
• Some lower-tier rooms felt similar to me, mostly just differing in configuration and floorspace.
• Concierge class was great, but if I were paying full price I’d go for a standard veranda room.

Last fall, my husband and I sailed on the Celebrity Constellation for 51 nights in a row on six back-to-back cruises.

We did so using offers for discounted sailings that we received while playing in the onboard casino on a Celebrity cruise we’d taken earlier that year.

Our almost two-month journey began in Rome and ended in Tampa, and we spent each sailing in a different cabin trying the various room classes Celebrity offers.

Ultimately, we were able to sail in interior, ocean-view (standard and deluxe), and concierge-class cabins. Here’s how they compared, and which I’d book next time if I were paying full price.

We started in a cozy interior cabin without windows.

On every cruise ship, interior staterooms tend to be cheaper and smaller than the other cabin types.

Prices vary widely depending on demand, itinerary, and dates, but I’ve generally seen these rooms listed on the Constellation for about $550 to $700 per person.

It was a well-appointed and basic room of 171 square feet that included a small desk area, refrigerator, television, closet, bed, and bathroom.

The king-sized bed was comfortable and the bathroom felt spacious. I especially liked the generous counter space and large rectangular shower.

After a late night, our interior room’s the lack of morning sunshine was a blessing. It was always easy to sleep in without windows, but I did miss seeing the stellar sunsets at sea from my bed.

I spent two voyages in ocean-view staterooms.

In my experience, upgrading from interior to ocean-view can add around $50 to $100 per person to the cost of the cruise.

This room was the same size as the interior one and elements of the space, from the bed to the nightstands, looked nearly identical.

However, the various ocean-view rooms can have different layouts. In one, the window was above the head of the bed, and in the other, we were able to use our window well as a bench or storage area.

These were appointed similarly to the inside cabin, but are located on the outside part of the lower decks, featuring windows of various sizes.

Lower floors tend to experience less movement, so these sailings felt especially quiet and smooth — this is one perk interior and ocean-view rooms tend to have over ones with balconies.

The deluxe ocean-view room offered more space and a larger window.

A cut above the regular ocean-view cabins, the deluxe room size took us from 171 to 242 square feet.

In comparison, this room felt massive, and the (slightly bigger) window provided outstanding views of the sea. The bathroom was similar-sized to the other classes, and the bed and vanity appeared to be the same.

It was nice to have space for in-room yoga and additional chairs that I used to host friends in the room.

These typically cost about $100 per person more than standard ocean-view cabins. Though it was a pleasant week, I am not convinced the larger room and window are worth the extra cost.

The veranda room featured an outdoor balcony.

On one voyage we stayed in a standard veranda room, which is also commonly referred to as a balcony cabin. It was slightly longer than the previous staterooms, but at 175 square feet, it was not as large as the deluxe ocean-view.

The setups were quite similar, though I liked that the outdoor balcony added another 40 square feet for relaxing.

The best part of a balcony room is the access to fresh, salty air. I loved leaving the door open to hear the waves lap against the side of the ship.

Again, prices can vary, but I’ve seen balcony rooms on this ship cost about $300 more per person than a typical ocean-view cabin.

The cabin we most enjoyed was the concierge class.

The room itself is a balcony cabin, but is slightly larger than the basic veranda level at 191 square feet plus a 42-square-foot balcony.

Some of that extra space was used for additional shelving, and an even longer couch that could fold out to a queen-size bed.

Most notably, though, this class comes with access to a dedicated concierge to assist us with anything we need around the ship, such as booking excursions.

Our bathroom looked the same as it did in the other rooms.

The bathroom and closet we had in concierge class resembled the ones in the other rooms. All of them were simple and functional with a good amount of counter space and a decent-sized shower.

However, our bathrobes in here seemed to feel more plush than the ones in the regular cabins — but maybe we just imagined it.

Concierge class comes with many perks.

This room class comes with an abundance of perks like complimentary binoculars to use and a bottle of sparkling wine, plus a menu of pillow options to choose from for the bed.

Throughout our week sailing in concierge class, we were able to attend exclusive events, like a lecture on our upcoming ports and a party on the ship’s helipad, where we enjoyed complimentary drinks with the officers as we sailed out of port.

As much as I enjoyed the in-room benefits of concierge class (especially the plush pillows), I do think these exclusive events would get old on a repeat cruise.

This luxe-feeling class can get pricey — and it’s not even Celebrity’s top offering.

Oftentimes, concierge class costs nearly twice as much as an interior cabin. I’ve seen rooms on this ship for about $928 a week per person to over $1,000.

Although the service we received felt like what we’d find at a fine hotel, this isn’t even the top class that Celebrity offers.

Next up is AquaClass, which offers similar balcony rooms, but with additional spa-related perks and better locations on the ship (like aft-facing balconies). I’ve seen these for a few hundred more than concierge.

Then, Celebrity has its highest-end suites in The Retreat, a ship-within-a-ship concept with a private restaurant, lounge, and team of dedicated employees. These can be double the price of a concierge room.

Ultimately, the sweet spot for me is the veranda room.

Celebrity offers cabins for all budgets and I relished the opportunity to try several of them.

It’s no surprise that concierge class — the most expensive offering with the most luxurious perks — was my favorite. However, if I were paying full price for a sailing I’d book a standard veranda room.

In my opinion, it feels like a great value at a more reasonable cost, and paying a few hundred dollars to upgrade from ocean-view or interior room seems worth it.

And, at the end of the day, when the ship is sailing out of port, I just want to be able to watch from my private balcony — not looking through a window or crowding on a shared deck.

• Becoming a mom of two has been one of the hardest transitions of my life.
• Parenting one more child feels like you are parenting about six more.
• Embracing the chaos has been the only way to survive.

When I was a mom of one, I nailed motherhood. I was calm and patient; my child was well-dressed; the car was pristine; the chores were completed; and there was very little shouting. But as a mom of two, I just can’t parent to the same standards. Everything is messier, louder, more rushed, less organized, and good enough, just has to be enough.

Going from one child to two has, without a doubt, been one of, if not the hardest, adjustments of my entire life. One plus one does not equal two in this scenario. As a mom to a 1.5-year-old, a 3.5-year-old, a 16-year-old stepson, and two needy cats, it sometimes feels like I care for a dozen creatures.

I thought I was prepared

When I was pregnant with my second, I wasn’t naive. I didn’t think two would be easy. From the moment I brought my second home from the hospital, and he met my first with a cry that brought my first to tears as well, it has been a pinball game of crying, clinging, grabbing, and fighting.

Each child seemingly has a different, urgent need that requires individual attention and the patience of someone who has had a full night’s sleep. They both want “mommy!” all the time, especially when the other wants me.

Most days, I’ll be lucky to have a sip of water and finger brush my hair into a ponytail before the madness ensues. Once spotted, I’m bum-rushed as they joust for a prime spot on my lap or in my arms. Even with one on each leg with my legs spread as wide as they possibly can, they are still fighting over me, while likely trying to bat each other away. At 40 and 30 pounds each, holding both for more than a moment is back-breaking.

Why is parenting 2 kids so hard?

Countless times since becoming a parent of two, I’ve wondered why I’m not better at this. I’ve always excelled at what I put my energy toward, but this has absolutely shattered me. Most of the time, I’m able to rescue myself from the rabbit hole of feeling like a failure by reminding myself that it feels hard because it IS hard.

Adding a child when you already have one changes every dynamic in your life, including your relationship with your first child, and adds a whole new dynamic: your children’s relationship with each other.

Corners are cut, patience and sleep are limited, and the breaks you used to have when your partner had the other child no longer exist. Oh, did I forget to mention my partner? There’s hardly any time for him. That relationship, the one that is most important in keeping everything afloat, is tested to the absolute limits.

I’m finding joy in the chaos

As I write this, both kids are at day care. It’s my one day a week without them (if they haven’t contracted the latest day care bug), and I’m surrounded by chaos.

There’s a tent in front of me and a play mop on top of what was once our living room table, now a receptacle for apple cores, half-eaten bananas, board books, sippy cups, tissues (some used), and a rotating selection of kitchen utensils.

Amid all the clutter, I see the literal and figurative crumb trails my boys have left: crackers and playdough ground into the carpet, a red fire engine toy on the armchair of the sofa, a wooden spoon deposited in boots as one exited the front door that morning.

Despite the messy, loud, hectic life I now have, I can’t wait to pick them up from day care, even though I know it will be pandemonium from the moment they see me.