Author: openjargon

• Ukraine is operating US-made Hawk air-defense systems from the 1960s.
• Though the US retired these tools decades ago, Kyiv is now using them to kill Russian missiles.
• One Ukrainian operator recently praised the effectiveness of the antiquated system.

The Ukrainians are using an American-made air-defense system that the US retired from service more than two decades ago to successfully shoot down Russian cruise missiles.

The MIM-23 Hawk is a medium-range, surface-to-air system that was first fielded in the 1960s and has long considered obsolete, with militaries favoring more portable systems. But the hand-me-down weapons have found new life in Ukraine, proving they are still useful tools after all these years.

A Ukrainian soldier who operates the Hawk system, which stands for "Homing All the Way Killer," said that although it's not a new weapon, it is "effective in skilled hands." He has more than two dozen kills to his name, including Russia's Kh-59 cruise missiles and Iranian-made Shahed one-way attack drones.

The soldier, Oleksandr, was featured by the Ukrainian Air Force on Wednesday. In an interview, which was published to the AFU's Telegram messaging app, he said Shahed drones are the most annoying to engage because they fly very slow, so its tiring to battle them over long periods of time.

"'Working with missiles is much easier, even when they are aimed at you," Oleksandr said. "It was a little uncomfortable when three Kh-59 missiles, constantly changing altitude, flew right at us. But all the targets were captured and destroyed one by one."

"The main secret is not even in the weapon we work on, but in the synchronous and coordinated work of the unit," he said, according to a translation of his remarks. "We perfectly understand the risks and consequences if we do not hear or ignore each other."

The Hawk system was deployed all around the world during its four decades in service with the US military, and it saw combat in the Middle East. By the 1990s, though, with the Cold War over, the aerial threat to American forces had changed, and the Hawk was retired and replaced with lower-altitude systems like the FIM-92 Stinger and Avenger. The MIM-104 Patriot was also available to meet other US air-defense needs.

Though the US no longer use them, several countries still operate the Hawk and its multiple variants, including Spain, which first sent Ukraine a handful of launchers in October 2022. The Biden administration has since donated an unspecified number Hawk systems and munitions to Kyiv and has committed to procuring more for the country over the long term.

Ukrainian officials have routinely pressed the US and its NATO allies for more air-defense capabilities to battle the Russian threat. While the Hawk is an antiquated capability, it still helps plug crucial gaps in the sky.

The Hawk is not the only 1960s-era — and seemingly outdated — weapon to find successes in Ukraine. German-made Gepard cannons have also proven to be very effective at shooting down low-altitude Russian drones and cruise missiles.

• E-receipts from apps like Instacart give a highly personal view into the impact of inflation.
• Shoppers using "reorder items" on years-old orders can see exactly how much prices have increased.
• In some cases, baskets have seen price hikes exceed the overall official rate of inflation.

Paper receipts are fast becoming a relic of a bygone era at the grocery store, especially as app-based ordering and tracking have gotten more popular.

And while few shoppers would save their old grocery receipts, using apps like Instacart keep your order history for years.

Now, some customers are using those past orders to discover inflation's highly personal impact on them.

For Crisman White, a 33-year-old escape room designer from Virginia, the price of a basket of groceries from his local Publix nearly doubled since October 2019.

In a video on TikTok, White shared his experience using Instacart's "reorder items" function, explaining how a $35 order skyrocketed to more than $62 in the past five years.

"I went back to my first Instacart because that was the only thing that I could really track exactly what I purchased," he told Business Insider.

White said he was motivated to try the feature after another TikTok user posted an outlandish story about their Walmart+ order tripling in price in just the past two years. (Several commenters suggested this was due to the app replacing some out-of-stock items with more expensive offerings from third-party sellers.)

Even though price increases have slowed significantly in recent months, the cumulative inflation in the past five years is about 23%, meaning that what once cost $1 now costs $1.23.

But that figure is calculated across a lot of different spending categories, and groceries, in particular, have seen some uneven increases during that time.

Add a dose of shrinkflation to the mix, and it can take a bit of work to replicate a past cart's contents on a unit-per-dollar basis.

"A lot of the items either have changed names, or the quantity or the weight has changed, so it doesn't exactly translate," White explained. "So I actually had to go through each individual item and place it into my cart."

White noted that his penchant for lox (which more than doubled in price for him) accounted for much of his cart's increase, but he told BI that national brand items like the 12-pack of Pepsi and the Pedigree dog food packed a punch too.

By way of comparison, BI analyzed two other past Instacart orders from editorial staff in Los Angeles and New York City.

The first — preparing for a pandemic Passover meal in 2020 from Gelson's in LA — had a subtotal of $76.24 before taxes, tip, and fees. That order now costs $93, an increase of 22% that is almost exactly in line with overall inflation during that time.

The second — a frugal-but-balanced basket from Wegman's in Manhattan — came out to a subtotal of $89 in May of 2022, jumping to nearly $105 today: a 17% increase that far exceeds the official 7% inflation effect during that time.

White told BI the response to his video, which has nearly a million views, has been very polarized.

"People are super divided on the issue," he said. "Some people are saying that it's inflation. Some people are saying that it's corporate greed. I think that it might be a little combination of both."

Graphics contributed by Andy Kiersz.

• President Joe Biden already had a narrow path to reelection before his disastrous debate.
• But if the bottom drops out, Democrats could be fighting to defend states like New Mexico or Virginia.
• At that point, Trump's victory would be a near foregone conclusion.

President Joe Biden's already narrow path to reelection is getting even harder to navigate.

Biden's best-case scenario before last week's disastrous debate likely required him to run the table in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennslyvania while holding onto to the Omaha-based Nebraska 2nd congressional district. Trump, as Nate Silver pointed out, had much more flexibility in reaching 270 electoral votes and potentially reaching even higher.

Four years ago, Biden had the luxury of deciding whether to base his campaign on the Upper Midwest or bet on Sun Belt states like Arizona and Georgia that hadn't gone for Democrats in decades. Trump has held a steady lead in both states, according to RealClearPolitics' polling averages.

Biden's underdog status can get much worse. In its latest update on Wednesday, Sabato's Crystal Ball moved Michigan and Minnesota closer to Trump. As Kyle Kondik, managing editor of Crystal Ball, warned, this isn't rock bottom.

"It does seem like from the polling that Biden has taken a small hit, but he needed to be catching up as opposed to falling back," Kondik told Business Insider.

The Crystal Ball moved Michigan from "Lean Democratic" to "Toss Up" and Minnesota from "Likely Democratic" to "Lean Democratic." Under the University of Virginia Center for Politics' current projections, there are five true toss-up states: Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Arizona, and Nevada.

If Biden continues to decline, Virginia, New Mexico, and Maine (statewide) could all come into play.

A Republican hasn't carried Virginia or New Mexico in 20 years. Maine, which like Nebraska only awards two of its Electoral College votes to the statewide popular vote winner, hasn't crowned a Republican as a winner since then-Vice President George H.W. Bush in 1988.

"There's the possibility that maybe Trump is able to win the popular vote that is a roughly five-point improvement from 2020 and if that sort of thing happens you would expect Trump to win the states where Biden won in 2020 but did worse than the national popular vote," Kondik said. "That is also the situation where you would start to see a Minnesota or a New Hampshire or maybe even a Virginia or Maine be closer certainly like there were in 2016 and certainly even closer than that."

A post-debate poll in New Hampshire showed the race there is too close to call. According to A Saint Anselm College poll, Trump leads Biden 44% to 42%. Independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is at 4% in the state. Biden won the Granite State just over 7 points four years ago.

In a memo after the debate, Biden campaign manager Jen O'Malley Dillon said that data showed the faceoff did not change the minds of voters in battleground states. She also claimed that if polling does show a drop it would be a temporary dip due to media coverage.

"If we do see changes in polling in the coming weeks, it will not be the first time that overblown media narratives have driven temporary dips in the polls," O'Malley Dillon wrote in the June 29th memo.

Kondik stressed that there's still time for Biden to turn it around and that one possibility for a post-debate slump is that Democrats remain depressed about the president's performance. He pointed out that both the Democratic National Convention and the second debate remain. There's also the chance that Biden is pushed out of the race before either of those things happen. The president could also remain in the race and struggle to mount the comeback campaign he needs to.

It wasn't supposed to be this way. In April, the president's campaign boasted that they could win in Florida, Trump's adopted home and a state that has moved away from Democrats. Now, even a top Biden official has said Florida isn't a battleground.

The issue for Biden is that he needed the debate to begin his upswing. Instead, his faceoff with Trump could lead to the president dropping out of the race entirely. Biden himself has acknowledged he did not debate well.

As CNN's Harry Enten has detailed, every incumbent president that went into the first debate trailing and was viewed as having lost that debate went on to lose their reelection. Biden's only saving grace is the debate's early time on the calendar.

For now, prominent Democrats are sticking behind Biden. Most critically, this includes the list of potential replacements, including Vice President Kamala Harris, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, and California Gov. Gavin Newsom. On Tuesday, Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas became the first member of Congress to call on the president to drop out.

The reality is that if Biden is stuck playing defense in states Democrats usually win, Trump's return to the White House will be a foregone conclusion. The only question then will be how many Electoral College votes would the former president win.

"If Biden's position gets worse, that's when you see maybe a Virginia or New Mexico get in play," Kondik said. "But again, if that's what we're actually going to be talking about in October then the election itself shouldn't be that dramatic. Virginia, New Hampshire, New Mexico, or Minnesota are not going to be the states that put Trump over 270. They are the states that would get him well north of 300 electoral votes."

• On Air New Zealand's Boeing 777-300ER, flight attendants rest in a room hidden above economy class.
• I explored the secret bedroom with an in-service flight manager. 
• As I scaled the steps up to the room, I entered a cramped space with eight beds and storage. 

For travelers, long-haul flights typically involve cramped quarters and attempts at sleeping.

It's not just the passengers who get a rest. When flight attendants and pilots work long shifts, they also take a break — in tiny rooms hidden on planes.

On the way back to the US from New Zealand in 2022, I went behind the scenes for a firsthand look at flight attendants' break room on Air New Zealand's Boeing 777-300ER. 

On Air New Zealand's long-haul flights, a flight attendant's job doesn't pause until the plane's completed takeoff, dinner service is finished, and passengers are resting. Even then, their breaks last only a couple of hours.

As someone who has survived several long-haul flights, I was curious about where those breaks occur. So, on a 12-hour flight from New Zealand to Los Angeles, I boarded early to tour the crew area, which is off-limits to passengers.

Read more: I took a 13-hour flight to New Zealand from LA. Here are 8 mistakes I made and what I'll do differently on my flight home.

Sarita, the in-service manager for my flight, met me at the entrance of the plane. Together, we navigated to the crew rest area.

We walked past business class, premium economy, and the last row of economy seats into the rear galley.

Read more: I went inside Air New Zealand's future plane cabin that has bunk beds in economy and wireless chargers in business class. Take a look.

At the very back of the plane, Sarita approached a door camouflaged by a wall. After pressing a sequence of buttons, a latch popped open, revealing a steep stairwell.

Each step was covered in a non-slip tread that led up to a bedroom for flight attendants. I grabbed onto the handrail and scaled the steps.

As I entered the rest area, I was surprised by its small size. While the room was large enough to fit eight beds, low ceilings and narrow hallways made it feel cramped.

At 5'8'', I was too tall to stand comfortably. Instead, I crouched and crawled around the dimly lit room

While there are eight beds, Sarita said six are occupied at a time. That's because most long-haul routes have 12 flight attendants who take breaks in shifts once meal service is finished, she said.

When it's their turn to rest, a flight attendant will unlock the door, climb up the stairs, and pick one of the eight nooks for their two-and-a-half-hour break.

Sarita also told me the room can't be used during takeoff and landing. While the rest of the aircraft cabin is pressurized during these times, she said there's no ventilation in the bedroom space until the aircraft reaches 25,000 feet.

As the flight manager, Sarita said her bed had a telephone so she could communicate with the pilots and crew.

Each sleeping nook had a heavy curtain designed to dampen the sound, block out light, and create a sense of privacy.

Each bed had a seat belt for potential turbulence, with blankets and pillows strapped underneath.

I also spotted a mirror and two storage compartments inside each nook …

… as well as a panel to control the lighting in the sleeping space.

Sarita allowed me to crawl into her nook, and it felt surprisingly cozy. It wasn't nearly as supportive as my bed back home, but the thick mattress topper was comfy enough for a nap.

Once out of her bed, I moved to the front of the room, where there was another mirror and storage for flight attendants to stash their personal belongings.

Also in the front was a control panel for the room's temperature and an outlet.

At the very back of the cabin, I noticed a closet. Sarita told me it's for uniform storage.

Besides the lights and mirrors, the cabin rest area appeared bare. There were no windows, and I didn't spot any TVs for entertainment. Sarita said that's because the flight attendant's main focus in the room is relaxing and resting.

Sarita said she usually falls asleep during her break. Other flight attendants on board told me they struggle to sleep on planes, so they just use their breaks to rest.

Sure enough, as I walked around the airplane before I went to sleep, I noticed fewer flight attendants in the cabin.

After watching them prepare the cabin, serve dinner, and complete countless behind-the-scenes tasks, I was glad to know these hardworking flight attendants had a comfortable place to take a well-earned break.

• Law enforcement is investigating the death of a retired US Marine Corps major general in California.
• Maj. Gen. William Mullen's body was found Saturday at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center.
• Mullen served for 34 years before retiring in 2020 as head of the Training and Education Command.

Law enforcement is investigating the death of a retired major general whose body was found Saturday at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California, officials confirmed to Military.com.

Retired Maj. Gen. William Mullen, 59, a former Marine Corps officer with multiple deployments to Iraq, was found on the installation at Building 1651 over the weekend, according to San Bernardino County Coroner records.

A spokesperson for the Naval Criminal Investigative Service told Military.com on Tuesday that the military law enforcement entity is investigating the death.

"I can confirm that NCIS is conducting a thorough investigation into the death of retired Maj. Gen. William Mullen, as we do in response to any non-combat, medically unattended fatalities involving Navy and USMC equities, service members, and affiliated civilian personnel," said Darwin Lam, a spokesperson for the agency.

When asked, NCIS did not disclose the manner of Mullen's death.

"Out of respect for the investigative process, NCIS will not comment further while the investigation remains ongoing," Lam said.

Gloria Huerta, a spokesperson for the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department, told Military.com on Tuesday that the local coroner's office responded to Mullen's death at around 3 p.m. Saturday afternoon.

She said that the autopsy is ongoing and that the sheriff's department is not directly involved in the investigation with NCIS, only that its coroner's office is "handling the cause and manner of death."

Mullen assumed command of Twentynine Palms in 2016 as a brigadier general. Commissioned as an artillery officer, he served with the Marine Corps in a bevy of roles for 34 years, to include Marine Aide to the President of the United States, according to his official biography. Before retiring in 2020, he served as the commanding general of Training and Education Command.

"Maj. Gen. Mullen's dedicated service to our nation and the Marine Corps will always be remembered," Maj. Gen. Thomas Savage, head of the Marine Air Ground Task Force Training Command, said in a statement shared Tuesday with Military.com. "Our thoughts and prayers are with his loved ones."

The Los Angeles Times first reported that NCIS is investigating the former general's death. Twentynine Palms is the largest Marine Corps base in the world, according to the installation's website.

In May, Gunnery Sgt. Robert McDonald, a Marine at the installation, was killed when an 18-year-old fired a weapon into McDonald's vehicle while he was sitting with his dog at a park just 10 miles south of Twentynine Palms.

• The women's sports merch industry is worth an estimated $4 billion annually, per a new report.
• But fans have complained about a lack of retailers, minimal options, and low inventory.
• Small companies are stepping up, but questions remain over how bigger brands will meet fans' demand.

As a two-time All-American, two-time World Cup winner, and National Women's Soccer League champion, Ali Krieger has had many unforgettable experiences throughout her career.

One was the first time she saw a fan wearing her jersey.

It was 2007, and Krieger, then 23, was playing for FFC Frankfurt, now known as Eintracht Frankfurt, in the German women's league, Frauen-Bundesliga, when she saw her name emblazoned across a fan's black-and-white jersey.

"It was a moment I'll never forget," Krieger told Business Insider. "Where you just see at a game and someone says, 'Hey, can you sign my jersey?' And they turn around and it's your name on the back."

For her, the experience was a reminder of the passion fans have for the sport and its athletes.

"When you invest in a jersey, that means you really appreciate that person, their character, and what they bring to the game," Krieger said. "And I think if you're worth spending money on that, then, you know, you must be doing something right."

But not all professional female athletes and their fans get to experience a moment like Krieger's.

Female athletes are fighting to get their names on jerseys

At the beginning of the 2023 Women's World Cup, England Lionesses goalkeeper and eventual Golden Glove winner Mary Earps questioned Nike's decision not to sell goalkeeper kits, The New York Times reported. (Other companies, including Adidas and Puma, also did not sell goalkeepers' jerseys throughout the competition.)

What followed was social media backlash from fans and Earps, a statement from Nike, thousands of signatures on a Change.org petition, and a motion from a then-member of Parliament before the company publicly reversed its decision in August.

When Earps' kit was finally released in October, she said it sold out the same day.

The frustration endured at the club level in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) until April 2024. In a Washington Spirit press release celebrating the league's decision to sell goalkeeper kits, the team's goalkeeper, Aubrey Kingsbury, said, "To have goalkeeper kits available for fans in the women's game as they have been for so long in the men's game is not only a long-awaited move in the right direction, it's just good business."

After the league's announcement, Chicago Red Stars and USWNT starting goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher's jersey sold out in less than three hours, Just Women's Sports reported.

While these examples are a good indicator of demand, they also reveal one of the many problems — low inventory — plaguing women's sports merchandising.

Klarna, an AI-powered shopping and payments company, and Sports Innovation Lab, a sports data company, are spotlighting these issues in a new report, "Rep Her: Unveiling the Unmet Demand for Women's Sports Merchandise."

The report used data, including Klarna payment trends, survey responses, Google Trends, transactional data, and an inventory audit, to identify the status of the women's sports merchandise industry, the inequities present in fans' shopping experiences, and the potential size of the market. It also considered a variety of merchandise across professional women's sports leagues, including the WNBA, NWSL, WTA, LPGA, PWHL, and women's volleyball.

Ultimately, Sports Innovation Lab estimates the women's sports merchandise industry is worth $4 billion — conservatively.

Sales are hindered by 'a broken buying experience'

Klarna and Sports Innovation Lab's report identifies what it calls "a broken buying experience," which needs to be addressed before this market can be fully realized.

For starters, people simply don't know where to find merchandise — 32% of fans reported having an issue finding a seller for women's sports merch compared to just 18% of fans looking for men's, according to Sports Innovation Lab's 2024 Women's Sports Merchandise Survey.

And when they do find a seller, some fans are disappointed with the available options. Over a quarter of respondents reported having difficulty finding women's sports merchandise styles they liked, and nearly four-fifths said they think men's merchandise is better quality and has a wider variety.

But even when there is an item fans are interested in, there's a good chance it will be out of stock — more than half of those who intended to buy an item but didn't blamed a lack of inventory.

Ultimately, 79% of fans surveyed said they would purchase more women's sports merchandise if more options were available.

Major brands have made strides but are falling short

While major brands, such as Nike and Adidas, partner with women's professional teams to create merchandise, the report found there are notable shortcomings.

Nike, for example, partners with both the NBA and WNBA, and has provided signature shoe deals to star WNBA players like A'ja Wilson and Caitlin Clark.

However, Sports Innovation Lab's inventory audit found that when comparing products available for men's and women's teams in five of the same cities, 311 pieces of women's apparel were available on the NBA team shops compared to just 38 pieces of women's apparel available on the WNBA team shops.

In February, for the first time, Nike also provided all 14 NWSL teams with "new, reimagined primary and secondary kits," which fans can purchase, and has made NWSL goalkeeper jerseys from all teams available on its website.

Other brands like Adidas and Puma are more prominent in the international women's sports market, thanks to their investments in major international soccer teams, like Manchester United and Germany and AC Milan and Morocco, respectively. On the company websites, these jerseys are also for sale.

In response to low inventory complaints, major brands have previously said it's hard to predict demand. In 2023, Bloomberg reported that retailers like Nike, Adidas, and Puma decided "how many replica and authentic jerseys to manufacture for each of the women's teams" months before the Women's World Cup began in July.

Adidas CEO Bjørn Gulden told Bloomberg "there is no formula" for forecasting demand, while Puma CEO Arne Freundt told the outlet "demand was significantly higher" than they had anticipated.

Still, the numbers suggest it's worth the investment.

Merchandise boosts community and exposure

Looking at ticket sales, the NWSL saw a 101% increase, while the WNBA saw a 92% increase from the 2022 season to the 2023 season, per StubHub's 2023 Year in Live Experiences report.

Meanwhile, the WNBA reported that the 2023 season was "its most-watched regular season in 21 years." And of course, there's the Caitlin Clark effect.

Merchandise is also a key factor in how fans of women's sports build community, perhaps even more so than actually attending games. Some 67% of respondents in Sports Innovation Lab's survey reported purchasing women's sports merchandise without ever going to live games.

What brands are missing out on, then, isn't just a revenue opportunity, it's exposure.

"You're a walking billboard when you have a team's logo on your chest or a league's logo on your chest," Angela Ruggiero, cofounder of Sports Innovation Lab and a four-time Olympic hockey player, told Business Insider.

Ruggiero cited the WNBA's signature orange hoodie, which created buzz when NBA stars wore it during the 2020 season. It generated feelings of "That represents me, that's more than sport. I want to wear it, I want to go to a game now because I see all these people in orange hoodies and famous people in orange hoodies and like, wow, this is cool," she said.

As more leagues emerge, like the Professional Women's Hockey League, Athletes Unlimited, and League One Volleyball, the fact that the conversation has shifted to merchandise is a reminder of how far the women's game has come in the last 20 years.

"At the very beginning," Krieger said, "it wasn't really a concern for all of us because we were just so focused on getting our own gear for training and trying to have the accessibility and the resources, and all the things that we needed in order to perform our best just from a player's perspective and then just getting paid what we deserve."

Now that some women's sports, like soccer and basketball, are reaching mainstream conversation, merchandise is another step toward building profitable, sustainable leagues and fanbases.

"It is just such an untapped opportunity," said Megan Gokey, head of business-to-consumer marketing and brand partnerships at Klarna. "The opportunity is there, but brands, retailers, etc. are actually just not keeping up with the demand, which is insane."

Smaller businesses are stepping up

To respond to the increasing excitement around women's sports, smaller brands are paving the way with merchandise.

Media and commerce company Togethxr, which was founded by athletes Alex Morgan, Chloe Kim, Simone Manuel, and Sue Bird, is partnering with Klarna and Krieger to release a limited-edition merchandise collection with a percentage of proceeds going to Billie Jean King's Women's Sports Foundation.

Esther Kim's Playa Society is also making waves with its self-proclaimed "best women's sports merch in the game," with items geared toward fans of NCAA women's basketball, the WNBA, and the USWNT. And Athletes Unlimited sells softball, volleyball, basketball, and lacrosse merchandise.

Business Insider reached out to Nike, Adidas, and Puma about what each company further plans to do in women's sports merchandise. Adidas said it was "unable to identify a spokesperson" for this subject, while a Puma spokesperson was also unavailable. Nike did not respond.

Beyond retailers, team sponsors and partners have a responsibility, too. CarMax, for example, is the marquee partner of the New Jersey and New York NWSL team Gotham FC, as well as a partner of WNBA team New York Liberty. In 2023, the company helped support a "first-of-its-kind" joint merchandise collaboration between the teams featuring the tagline "Pass Her The Torch."

Building the women's game takes an ecosystem of collaboration involving fans, athletes, leagues, team sponsors, and retailers. Whoever steps up to the plate could reap major rewards.

"We've been in this movement as female athletes, but everyone thinks it's now just the moment," Krieger said. "This has been the moment for a long time and we've been moving it along for decades. And so now people are just finally getting interested in it and knowing and seeing that we are valuable and that the investment is real and that it's worthwhile."

• Jeff Bezos filed a plan to sell 25 million Amazon shares worth nearly $5 billion on Tuesday.
• Bezos' move follows Amazon stock hitting a record of $200.43 and a $2 trillion market cap last week.
• Bezos, the world's second-richest person, still holds over 900 million Amazon shares.

Jeff Bezos is cashing out some of his Amazon shares as the stock hit an all-time high this week.

The Amazon cofounder filed a notice with the SEC to sell 25 million Amazon shares worth close to $5 billion on Tuesday.

Bezos filed the notice after Amazon stock prices hit $200.43. Last week, Amazon's market cap also reached $2 trillion for the first time. The company stock was up 32% year-to-date through Tuesday.

Bezos will still have over 900 million Amazon shares after this share sale, Bloomberg reported, so he's nowhere near handing off his stake in the company. But it's yet another big sale he's made this year.

He sold off about 1.1 million Amazon shares at the end of May, which he said would be to fund his nonprofit preschools. The billionaire sold 431,426 shares on May 29 and 667,260 shares on May 30, which were valued at about $117 million at the time.

Bezos also made a big sale earlier this year in February, selling about 50 million Amazon shares worth roughly $8.5 billion. The February sales were the first the billionaire made since 2021, when he stepped down as CEO of Amazon.

Since leaving the top job at Amazon, Bezos has focused on philanthropy and his rocket company, Blue Origin. He still holds about 8.8% of Amazon and serves as the company's executive chairmen.

Bezos' net worth is estimated at $222 billion, according to Bloomberg's Billionaires Index. That places him as the second wealthiest person in the world, behind Elon Musk.

• Google is testing facial recognition security at its Kirkland campus to prevent unauthorized access.
• Some employees have privacy concerns about facial data collection. Others were fine with the tech.
• Google has faced past security issues, including protests and a 2018 shooting at YouTube's HQ.

Google is testing a new security system that uses facial-recognition technology at its campus in Kirkland, Washington — and early reaction from Google employees in the US is mixed.

The interior security cameras collect facial data and are designed to help prevent unauthorized individuals from entering Google's campus, the company said. Google said its security team uses the data to identify people who may pose a security risk.

After news of the system was first reported by CNBC, Business Insider talked to Google employees at various campuses to find out what they thought about the change. The employees requested anonymity to speak freely but their employment has been verified.

One employee who frequently visits the Kirkland office where the technology is being tested told BI that they found out about the new system from reading about it in the news. They said the cameras are discretely placed on ceilings and don't look different from other security cameras.

But the employee said it's a "little dystopian" and people in the office have privacy concerns about the new system.

"A lot are concerned about facial data being stored by Google," the employee said. "Data is extremely valuable."

While people at the testing site can't opt out of facial screening when entering the building, a Google spokesperson said the data is for immediate use and isn't stored. The facial data was initially compared with ID badge images during early testing, but employees could fill out a form to opt out of their badge photo being stored, the spokesperson said. The badge ID images are no longer being used, they added.

Google said the new technology is solely implemented in its Kirkland office at the moment, but employees BI talked to wondered if the system could eventually be rolled out more widely.

An employee who works in the New York office said that they have no privacy concerns with facial recognition technology at the office. They said Google already has security surveillance all over its campuses so this will just make it easier for the security team to do their job.

However, an employee who works in San Francisco said they think the system could be used as a secondary method for monitoring office attendance. That employee said they've been previously flagged for not meeting the minimum number of in-person days.

A Google spokesperson said there were no known plans in place to use the security system for attendance tracking.

The Kirkland employee said some workers suspect the technology is a response to the sit-in protests against Google's $1.2 billion joint contract with Amazon that provides services to Israel's government.

The protest resulted in nine total arrests in Google's New York and Sunnyvale offices, and about 50 employees being fired or placed on leave, according to a complaint filed with the National Labor Relations Board. Google said in a memo that protesters violated multiple company policies, including its code of conduct and policy on harassment, discrimination, retaliation, standards of conduct, and workplace concerns.

Google's vice president of global security Chris Rackow, said at a staff meeting in May that video camera footage helped identify some of the employees who participated in the protest, CNBC reported.

Google has faced security threats in the past.

In 2018, a woman opened fire and injured three people at YouTube's headquarters in San Bruno, California. The shooter's relatives said that, prior to the shooting, she was "upset" with YouTube because of how her vegan-themed videos performed.

A Google spokesperson told BI that for years, the company has tested and implemented "new systems and protections to help keep our people and spaces as safe as possible." In 2021, Google implemented fences at its headquarters in Mountain View, California, according to local publication Mountain View Voice.

An employee who works outside the Kirkland location said they think the new system would impact people working at larger offices who have experienced "some crazy" situations. They said the new system will "hopefully prevent those events from happening."

"I personally don't have too much of an issue with it and maybe even welcome it assuming it works well," the employee said.

Do you have a story about Google? We want to hear from you. Contact the reporter at aaltchek@businessinsider.com from a non-work device and email.

• I spent 12 hours in a regular seat on an overnight train from Berlin, Germany, to Vienna, Austria.
• For less than $50, I got a reclining seat in a seating carriage cabin with five other people.
• I've traveled on Amtrak sleeper cars but in private rooms. I didn't adjust well to the shared space.

In October 2022, I spent 12 hours traveling in a sleeping carriage on an overnight train from Berlin, Germany, to Vienna, Austria.

I had taken overnight trains in the US before, where I'd booked private cabins.

But this was my first time on a sleeper train in Europe — and my first time in an accommodation shared with other guests.

I thought an overnight train would be the best way to travel through Europe and maximize my time exploring during the day. And at $40, it was the cheapest overnight train ride I've ever booked. But ultimately, the ride was too cramped and bumpy to sleep, and I arrived in Vienna feeling exhausted.

To get from Berlin to Vienna in 12 hours, I took Austrian Federal Railway's OBB Nightjet train.

The rail line operates overnight routes between Austria, Italy, France, and the Netherlands, and it goes as fast as 143 miles per hour, according to the company's website.

Nightjet trains have sleeper cars with bunks of three, four, or six, as well as seating carriages.

I booked the latter; they're cabins with six regular assigned seats that deeply recline. Some routes have private cabins, but mine didn't.

"We recommend the sleeper or couchette car for night travel. There is enough space to stretch out. Seated carriages are recommended for shorter journeys," OBB Nightjet wrote in a statement to Business Insider.

"The quality of travel depends not only on the carriages, but also on the route," the statement also said.

To travel by train, I bought a Eurail pass for $477, which gives access to most European trains for a set number of days.

Some trains only require a Eurail pass to ride, while others, including overnight trains, incur an additional discounted price.

Without the pass, the ticket would have been about $40.

With my seven-day Eurail pass, the train trip cost $14. It was the cheapest overnight accommodation.

My journey began at Germany's Berlin Ostbahnhof train station.

I arrived about an hour and a half before my 6:53 p.m. train so I'd have ample time to find the platform.

Since my ticket didn't include a meal, I grabbed food from the McDonald's inside the station.

McDonalds in Germany has different menu items from locations in the US, like the hash brown burger.

Then I went to platform three after viewing on a screen that it was where my train would be arriving.

The train arrived on time and I found and boarded my assigned car, number 254.

Once inside the seating carriage sleeper cars, I saw narrow, dimly lit corridors that opened to small enclosed cabins with six seats in each.

I made my way to my assigned seat in one of these cabins.

During my leg of the journey, three travelers were already in my room when I boarded.

Two others arrived within the first few hours.

I thought the seat was slightly wider than a typical train coach seat.

It had two cushions and reclined far enough to almost lay flat, but not fully.

Each seat came with a small table that slid out from the armrest.

It was large enough to fit my ticket and phone but not much else.

Right away, I thought the room was cramped and lacked enough legroom for each traveler.

However, I was surprised to find ample luggage space on two rows of storage racks above the seats.

I wanted to charge my phone, but I only saw two outlets next to the window in my carriage. I had to communicate with other passengers to take turns using them.

An OBB Nightjet rep told BI that new cars that began running in 2023 have more outlets.

Even though my ticket didn't come with a meal, I checked out the menu to see what was available for purchase.

I thought it had a wide selection with snacks, pasta, and wraps.

Since I had already eaten, I skipped the food and used one of the two shared bathrooms in the car to brush my teeth. The bathroom looked like it hadn't been cleaned in a while.

"Toilets are always cleaned when the trip starts," OBB Nightjet said in a statement to BI. "In addition, our staff is doing regular checks during the night."

Back in my room, someone had turned the lights off. I tried to fall asleep but found it impossible with the constant bumps on the ride and so many people around me.

I had hardly any personal space.

I reclined my seat all the way, but I thought the gap between the seat back and the bottom of the seat made it tough to get comfortable. I didn't see any pillows or sheets provided for guests, either.

The rep for OBB Nightjet told BI that pillows and sheets are only provided for guests in the bunk-style sleeping cars because the seating carriage is not recommended for long-haul trips.

Although seats were assigned, I quickly caught on that other passengers were moving around the car to find less crowded rooms. I followed suit.

I ended up switching to a different cabin with only two other people.

But I knew that someone boarding at one of the many overnight stops could kick me out at any time if the seat I switched to was assigned to someone else.

Even in a less-crowded cabin, I couldn't get comfortable on such a bumpy journey or with the knowledge that someone might wake me up to move.

I ended up staying awake until the morning.

My train arrived in Vienna at 7 a.m., and I was so exhausted that I ran around town looking for any hotel that would take me in so early in the morning.

Splurging on a hotel room upon arrival for a few hours of sleep made me feel like the cheapest ticket on an overnight train ultimately wasn't worth it.

Next time, I'll book a flight or take a train with private cabins.

• Here are the famous people who died in 2024.
• O.J. Simpson, Glynis Johns, Carl Weathers, Chita Rivera, Robert Towne, Donald Sutherland, and Louis Gossett Jr. passed away.
• So did broadcaster Charles Osgood, fashion designer Roberto Cavalli, producer Roger Corman, NBA legend Jerry West, and MLB Hall of Famer Willie Mays.

Below, we look back at those we lost in 2024.

Seth Binzer (aka Shifty Shellshock)

With his tattoos, frosted tips, and high energy, Crazy Town lead singer Shifty Shellshock was the epitome of the late 1990s-early 2000s rap-rock front man.

With that also came a hit song: 1999's "Butterfly," which hit No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and was a staple on the radio and MTV's "Total Request Live."

By 2003, the band had disbanded, and despite an attempt to reunite a few years later, Crazy Town was relegated to one-hit-wonder status.

Shifty Shellshock, whose real name is Seth Binzer, appeared on the first season of VH1's "Celebrity Rehab" in 2007 and the spin-off "Celebrity Rehab Presents Sober House" a few years later.

Binzer died at his home in Los Angeles on June 24 from an accidental drug overdose, according to his manager.

Eric Carmen, 74

Carmen was a rock ballad king whose songs still get constant play to this day.

"All by Myself" was a hit in the mid-1970s. It became an even bigger hit when Celine Dion did her own rendition in 1996.

The Grammy-nominated "Almost Paradise" from the soundtrack to the hit 1984 movie "Footloose" became a staple at school dances and weddings.

Carmen repeated the feat when his song "Hungry Eyes" showed up on the soundtrack for the 1987 classic "Dirty Dancing."

Carmen's death was announced on his website on March 12, stating he "passed away in his sleep, over the weekend." No cause was given.

Roberto Cavalli, 83

The Italian fashion designer was known for his flamboyant designs and game-changing innovations.

Cavalli's use of leopard prints beginning in the 1970s became one of his trademarks. His revolutionary method of printing leather and patchwork denim was beloved by everyone from Madonna to Gwyneth Paltrow.

Cavalli died on April 12. No cause of death was given.

Bill Cobbs, 90

From playing the concerned manager opposite Whitney Houston in "The Bodyguard" to the kind-hearted coach in "Air Bud," Bill Cobbs' ability to play the voice of reason in his roles made him a memorable character actor for decades.

Cobbs' other titles include "The Color of Money," "New Jack City," "The Hudsucker Proxy," "Demolition Man," and "Night at the Museum."

He died at his home in California on June 25 following a recent bout of pneumonia.

Dabney Coleman, 92

Dabney Coleman became a captivating scene stealer in the 1980s thanks to his gruff demeanor and booming voice. Whether he was playing the mean boss opposite Dolly Parton, Jane Fonda, and Lily Tomlin in 1980's "9 to 5," or the nasty TV producer in "Tootsie," or chasing Matthew Broderick in "WarGames," Coleman had a talent for playing the heel.

The Emmy winner most recently starred in the HBO hit series Boardwalk Empire from 2011 to 2014 and a 2019 episode of Yellowstone.

Coleman died on May 16. No cause was given.

Eleanor Coppola, 87

As the wife of Francis Ford Coppola, Eleanor had to navigate the stress and complexities of living with one of the greatest directors of all time.

She channeled that by filming her husband while he made his landmark 1979 Vietnam movie "Apocalypse Now."

Her documentary, "Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse," has gone down as one of the most honest accounts of the making of a movie.

Eleanor died on April 12. No cause of death was given.

Roger Corman, 98

To say Roger Corman was the king of B-movies is too simple of a characterization.

For decades, Corman made ultra-low-budget genre movies that featured everything from cheesy monsters to crazed bikers. Corman-produced titles almost always made a profit, and many of them became proving grounds for the directors and actors who would go on to change Hollywood.

After directing the 1967 acid-trip fantasia "The Trip" starring Dennis Hopper and Peter Fonda and written by Jack Nicholson, the trio went on to make "Easy Rider," which would usher in the New Hollywood era of the 1970s.

Corman also produced titles directed by then-unknowns like Francis Ford Coppola, James Cameron, and Martin Scorsese before they went on to mainstream studio success.

Corman died on May 9 at his home in Santa Monica, Calif., surrounded by family members.

Joe Flaherty, 82

As one of the original cast members of the Canadian sketch comedy show "SCTV" in the late 1970s, Joe Flaherty — alongside the likes of John Candy, Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara, Dave Thomas, Andrea Martin, Martin Short, and Rick Moranis — created a brand of comedy that was edgier and more outlandish than their competition "Saturday Night Live."

In later decades, Flaherty made scene-stealing appearances as the Western Union worker who gives Marty McFly the 70-year-old letter from Doc Brown in "Back to the Future Part II" and the heckler Donald in "Happy Gilmore."

He was also a regular on TV through the decades, with roles in "Married… with Children," "Freaks and Geeks," and "The King of Queens."

Flaherty died on April 1 following a brief illness.

Louis Gossett Jr.

Born in Brooklyn, New York, Louis Gossett Jr. made his stage debut at 17. After building his craft onstage through the 1960s, Gossett Jr. made the jump to screen and in 1977 was cast in the acclaimed miniseries "Roots" opposite the likes of Ben Vereen, LeVar Burton, and John Amos. He went on to win an Emmy for his performance as Fiddler.

He was nominated for seven more Emmys after that, most recently in 2020 for playing William Reeves in the HBO limited series "Watchmen."

He made history in 1983 when he won an Oscar for best supporting actor for his portrayal of the strict drill instructor Emil Foley in "An Officer and a Gentleman." It would mark the first time a Black actor won the prize in that category.

Gossett Jr. went on to star in hit movies and TV shows like "The Principal," "Toy Soldiers," "Iron Eagle," and "Boardwalk Empire."

Gossett Jr. died on March 29. No cause was given.

Norman Jewison, 97

The legendary director was best known for his eclectic filmography that included the drama "In the Heat of the Night," the musical "Fiddler of the Roof," and the beloved comedy "Moonstruck," all of which garnered him best director nominations at the Oscars.

The Canadian filmmaker's specialty was getting top-notch performances out of A-list actors like Steve McQueen ("The Thomas Crown Affair") and Denzel Washington ("The Hurricane").

It often led to Oscar glory for his movies and their stars. Twelve actors received nominations over his 40-year career, with five of his movies earning best picture noms.

Jewison died on January 20. No cause of death was given.

Glynis Johns, 100

The English actor starred in over 60 films and 30 plays, and is known best for playing Mrs. Banks in the beloved 1964 Disney movie "Mary Poppins."

Legend has it that Johns originally thought she landed the role of Poppins. To let her down easy, Walt Disney made sure that she got to sing a big musical number in the movie. It led to the famous "Sister Suffragette" sequence.

In 1973, Johns' breathy voice caught the attention of legendary composer Stephen Sondheim, who cast her in the original Broadway production of "A Little Night Music." Sondheim wrote "Send in the Clowns," the song she performs, with her in mind. Johns would earn a Tony Award for her performance.

She was also nominated for an Oscar for her work in "The Sundowners" (1960).

Johns died on January 4. No cause of death was given.

Toby Keith, 62

Keith became prominent in the 1990s thanks to his hit single "Should've Been a Cowboy."

It would make him one of the decade's top draws in country music.

Keith released 19 studio albums, two Christmas albums, and dozens of songs that topped the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts in his career.

Keith died on February 5 following a bout with stomach cancer.

Richard Lewis, 76

In an era in the 1970s where stand-up comedy could be a path to superstardom, Richard Lewis was one of the biggest acts.

Often dressed in black and holding his hand up to his temple, his self-deprecating and neurotic style made him a constant visitor to Johnny Carson's "The Tonight Show."

By the 1980s, he hit it big on TV, starring opposite Jamie Lee Curtis on the series "Anything but Love," which ran for four seasons.

His movie credits include the Mel Brooks comedy "Robin Hood: Men in Tights," "Leaving Las Vegas," and John Candy's final role before his death, 1994's "Wagons East." Lewis has said Candy's death was one of the things that finally got him sober.

Lewis introduced himself to a new generation when Larry David's "Curb Your Enthusiasm" premiered on HBO in 2000. For 11 seasons, Lewis played a fictional version of himself as one of David's friends. Though he didn't return as a series regular for the series' final season, season 12, he popped up in a cameo in an episode that aired on February 18.

Back in April, Lewis revealed via a video on X, formerly known as Twitter, that he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and would be retiring from stand-up comedy after undergoing four surgeries.

Lewis died on February 27 of a heart attack in his Los Angeles home.

Willie Mays, 93

Regarded as one of the greatest baseball players who ever lived, Willie Mays was astounding to watch.

He could hit and catch, had speed, and pulled off amazing feats that are still remarkable to this day.

One of his most memorable plays happened in Game 1 of the 1954 World Series, which is simply known as "The Catch."

Mays' New York Giants were facing the Cleveland Indians at the Polo Grounds in New York. With the score tied 2-2 in the eighth inning and runners on base, Indians player Vic Wertz hit a towering 420-foot blast to dead center that in today's baseball would be deep in the seats for a homerun. But due to the Polo Grounds' massive outfield, it was in play, and Mays used practically all of it to track down the ball on the run with an incredible over-the-shoulder catch and then threw it into the infield quickly so no runner could score. The Giants went on to win the game in extra innings 5-2, and would go on to win the World Series. Many still regard Mays' catch as one of the greatest moments in baseball history.

Mays would go on to play 21 seasons with the Giants before being traded to the New York Mets for the 1972-73 season, which would be his last. He finished his career with 3,293 hits and 660 home runs.

He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1979.

Mays died on June 18, no cause was given.

Cindy Morgan, 69

A 1980s icon, Morgan found instant stardom in her film debut playing the stunning Lacey opposite Chevy Chase in the classic 1980 comedy "Caddyshack."

Two years later, she found herself in another iconic work, Disney's "Tron." As Dr. Lora Baines in the real world and Yori, who helps Jeff Bridges after he's sucked into the game world, Morgan once again showed she can shine opposite Hollywood's biggest leading men.

Though Morgan worked steadily the rest of her career, including a multi-episode run on the soap opera "Falcon Crest," she'll be forever known for her performances in two of the biggest movies of the '80s.

Morgan's death was first reported on January 6, though she died on December 30, 2023. No cause of death was given.

Martin Mull, 80

Mull could expertly play self-deprecating or the know-it-all jerk in everything from hit TV shows and movies to commercials. He was known for his roles in movies like "Clue" and "Mr. Mom," and in TV shows like "Rosanne," as boss Leon Carp, and "Arrested Development," as private detective Gene Parmesan. He was also the voice of Red Roof Inn commercials for many years.

Mull died on June 27. No cause was given.

Charles Osgood, 91

The face of "CBS Sunday Morning" for over two decades, Osgood became a fixture in Americans' homes at the end of every weekend thanks to his wit, calming demeanor, and that bow tie.

Osgood had been at CBS since the early 1970s, first as a reporter, then the anchor of the "CBS Sunday Night News" from 1981 to 1987. From 1987 to 1992, he was often on "CBS This Morning."

In 1994, he became the face of "Sunday Morning," replacing Charles Kuralt. He would go on to earn two Daytime Emmys and a Peabody for his work on the show. He ended his run 2016, passing the reins to Jane Pauley.

Osgood died on January 23 after suffering from dementia.

Chance Perdomo, 27

Perdomo was a rising star in Hollywood, having starred in Netflix's reboot "Chilling Adventures of Sabrina" and "The Boys" spinoff "Gen V."

The British-American actor died on March 30 as a result of a motorcycle accident, his publicist confirmed.

Tamayo Perry, 49

Perry, a professional surfer, appeared on screen in 2002's "Blue Crush" and 2011's "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides."

Perry died on June 23 after being attacked by a shark while surfing off the island of Oahu in Hawaii, according to the Associated Press. He was brought to shore by paramedics and pronounced dead at the scene.

Chita Rivera, 91

Rivera was a Broadway legend who originated some of the stage's most memorable characters, including Anita in "West Side Story," Velma Kelly in "Chicago," and Rose in "Bye Bye Birdie." She would go on to be nominated for 10 Tony Awards and win twice.

With Broadway credits spanning seven decades, Rivera's singing and dancing shaped generations of performers.

Rivera died on January 30 following a brief illness.

Marian Robinson, 86

Former First Lady Michelle Obama's mother, Marian Robinson, was often described as the matriarch of the White House during the Obama administration, but the Chicago-born daughter of seven never felt quite at home on Pennsylvania Avenue, according to her family.

"The trappings and glamour of the White House were never a great fit for Marian Robinson," a statement from former President Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, and other family members said. "'Just show me how to work the washing machine and I'm good,' she'd say."

Robinson's death was announced on May 31.

A cause and place of death was not revealed.

O.J. Simpson, 76

O.J. Simpson had a life of high highs and low lows.

Finding fame initially on the football field, he became one of the greatest running backs ever to play in the NFL in the 1970s. He had an MVP season in 1973 when he set a single-season rushing record and was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 1985 after his retirement.

He was set to live out his days as a hero and grow even more famous thanks to endorsements, movie roles, and broadcasting.

But all of that changed in June of 1994 after his ex-wife Nicole and her friend Ron Goldman were found stabbed to death outside her condo. Days later, Simpson, who was a person of interest in the murders, led Los Angeles police on a slow-speed chase in his Ford Bronco, finally giving up when he got back to his home.

Simpson's televised trial for the deaths of Nicole and Goldman a year later became one of the biggest spectacles in modern-day American history.

Simpson was acquitted of the murders, was found guilty in civil court in 1997.

The story of Simpson's incredible rise and fall still fascinates people to this day. The 2016 ESPN docuseries "O.J.: Made in America" won an Oscar and Emmy, and Ryan Murphy's 2016 scripted series "The People vs. O.J.: American Crime Story" won eight Emmy Awards and two Golden Globes.

Simpson died on April 10. He had been diagnosed with cancer, his family said.

David Soul, 80

Soul found instant fame in the mid-1970s playing Detective Kenneth "Hutch" Hutchinson, one half of the hip crime solvers in "Starsky & Hutch."

Before hitting it big on the show, Soul was a folk singer through the 1960s, opening for the likes of Frank Zappa and The Byrds. At one time he even sang while his face was covered with a mask, calling himself "The Covered Man."

After "Starsky & Hutch," Soul went back to music and scored the No. 1 single on the Billboard Hot 100 with "Don't Give Up on Us."

Soul also made appearances on shows like "Star Trek," "Gunsmoke," the Clint Eastwood movie "Magnum Force," and a miniseries adaptation of the Stephen King novel, "Salem's Lot."

Soul died on January 4. No cause of death was given.

Morgan Spurlock, 53

In 2004, an unknown documentary filmmaker arrived in Park City, Utah, for the Sundance Film Festival. Overnight, his life was changed — because he made a movie about eating McDonald's.

If there's one thing Morgan Spurlock knew how to do, it was get people's attention. With a big personality and an unusual idea, Spurlock changed the way we look at fast food when he made "Super Size Me," a documentary in which he ate nothing but McDonald's for a full month, to stomach-churning effect.

The documentary earned an Oscar nomination and became a box-office sensation. Weeks after its release in theaters, McDonald's discontinued its supersize portions.

Spurlock used that success to become one of the stars in the documentary medium, which was growing in popularity in the early 2000s. He would go on to direct and produce dozens of documentaries for the big screen and TV, focused on everything from Osama bin Laden to One Direction.

His legacy would be tarnished in late 2017, at the height of the #MeToo movement, when Spurlock confessed to multiple acts of sexual misconduct in his past.

Spurlock died on May 23 due to complications related to cancer.

Donald Sutherland, 88

Donald Sutherland had the incredible talent to be the life of the party in one performance or a wallflower in the next. Need a dark and disturbing presence for a role? He's your guy. Or he could do a wise-cracking know-it-all character.

What we're trying to say is whatever the role, Sutherland could pull it off. And he did it so well that he delivered some of the most memorable roles ever put on screen over the last six decades.

Playing a Nazi-killing grunt in "The Dirty Dozen" (1967), creating one of the greatest screen duos ever opposite Elliott Gould in "M*A*S*H" (1970), acting as a laid-back professor in "Animal House" (1978), delivering one of the best surprise endings ever in a remake of "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" (1978) — he could do it all. He was both the man who knew the truth behind the Kennedy assassination in "JFK" (1991) and the villain in the "Hunger Games" franchise (2013-2015).

He was a fixture in our lives over generations.

Sutherland died on June 20 in Miami following a "long illness."

Robert Towne, 89

Towne is regarded as one of the greatest screenwriters who ever lived thanks to his contributions during the New Hollywood era of the 1970s.

Known best for penning the acclaimed script for Roman Polanski's 1974 classic noir "Chinatown," which earned Towne his only Oscar win, he was also Oscar-nominated for "The Last Detail" (1973), "Shampoo" (1975), and "Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes" (1984). For the latter, Towne famously removed his name from the credits and replaced it with the nom de plume P.H. Vazak, which was later revealed to be the name of his sheepdog.

Towne's other credits include Tom Cruise movies like "Days of Thunder" (1990), "The Firm" (1993), and the first two "Mission: Impossible" movies from 1996 and 2000.

He also was a prolific script doctor, an uncredited but paid position in which the screenwriter helps punch up a movie. Classics like "Bonnie and Clyde," "The Godfather," and "Marathon Man" all received tweaks from Towne.

Towne died on July 1. No cause of death was given.

Johnny Wactor, 37

Wactor was best known for his role as Brando Corbin on the soap "General Hospital." He appeared in more than 160 episodes during his two seasons on the series before leaving in 2022.

His résumé included guest roles on "Westworld," "The OA," "Station 19," "Siberia," "Agent X," "Vantastic," "Animal Kingdom," "Hollywood Girl," "Training Day," "Criminal Minds," "Struggling Servers," "Age Appropriate," "NCIS," "The Passenger" and "Barbee Rehab."

He also starred in the 2016 Mario Van Peebles-directed movie "USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage" alongside Nicolas Cage, Tom Sizemore, and Thomas Jane.

His family confirmed that Wactor was shot and killed on May 25 in Los Angeles during a robbery.

M. Emmet Walsh, 88

You may not know the name, but you definitely know this face.

Character actor M. Emmet Walsh showed up in more than 150 movies over his career, many of which have gone on to become classics: "Blade Runner," "Blood Simple," "Slap Shot," "Fletch," "The Jerk," "Back to School," "My Best Friend's Wedding," and "Knives Out."

He also has appeared in many popular TV shows over the decades, including "Home Improvement," "The X-Files," and "Frasier."

Walsh died on March 19. No cause was given.

Carl Weathers, 76

Thanks to his bravado and astounding physique, Weathers found fame when he was cast as heavyweight champion Apollo Creed in 1976's "Rocky."

The following years and decades brought more memorable roles, whether he was sizing up biceps with Arnold Schwarzenegger in 1987's "Predator," or trying to teach Adam Sandler how to play golf in 1996's "Happy Gilmore."

Most recently, he played Greef Karga in the "Star Wars" series "The Mandalorian." Along with appearing in front of the camera, he also showcased his talents behind it, directing multiple episodes.

Jerry West, 86

You can give several examples to show just how great a basketball player Jerry West was. He won an NBA title, an Olympic gold medal, and is the only player on the losing team of an NBA Finals to be named MVP.

But there's one that overshadows all of these accomplishments: he was the logo.

That's right. The actual NBA logo is a silhouette of Jerry West dribbling a basketball.

Known for his tenacious play and ability to score in the clutch, West was one of the stars in the NBA before its enormous popularity in the 1970s, when players like Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, and later, Michael Jordan, became household names.

After his retirement, West became an executive of the Los Angeles Lakers and was instrumental in the "Showtime" Lakers' championship dynasty through the 1980s. He made the key signings to get Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant to the Lakers, creating another dynasty in the early 2000s.

West died on June 12. No cause was given.