Category: Business

• Leasing deals abound for EVs this month.
• Leasing an EV can get you more access to the $7,500 federal discount.
• If leasing isn't your style, look for financing deals.

If you want a deal on an electric car this summer, you just need to know where to look.

EV prices have come down from their peak in the summer of 2022, but remain volatile. Expensive new offerings like Tesla's Cybertruck drove up the average price paid for an EV last month, according to Cox Automotive.

But a closer look at the segment shows plenty of deals to be had among less flashy models, especially if you're willing to lease or are flexible with what you want. Many of these newer models have ranges above 300 miles and can often cost in line with a similar gas-powered car.

The automotive industry is facing a dilemma heading into the summer car shopping season. Electric vehicles are coming off the assembly line in greater numbers, while demand for battery-powered cars is cooling.

That leaves these companies looking to stoke demand without doing too much damage to their bottom line.

Rather than initiating fire sales on all of the EVs that have started to pile up on dealer lots, companies are being more targeted with their incentives. That means using tactics like leasing and financing deals over big cash-back offerings.

EV leasing deals

A lease can be a good option for someone who's curious about electric vehicle ownership but not quite ready to commit.

These deals usually include a lower monthly payment, lower maintenance costs, and bumper-to-bumper coverage for the duration of the lease.

Leasing deals can be found for almost every electric model right now, but the best value appears to be among mainstream brands like Hyundai and Kia which are both offering leasing deals with monthly payments below $300.

According to deals compiled by car shopping website CarGurus, this month you can lease a 2024 Hyundai Ioniq 5 for $242 a month for 24 months with a down payment of $3,507.

If you don't have three grand to drop on a down payment, the Ioniq 6 has a 24-month lease deal for $189 a month with $1,999 due at signing.

Thanks to a loophole, choosing to lease an EV also gives you more access to the $7,500 federal EV tax credit. Automakers can apply to leasing deals on cars that have since become ineligible for the credit on a purchase because they're not built in North America.

Financing deals and the EV tax credit

If leasing isn't your style, you're going to want to look for financing deals. These incentives, which have become more popular as interest rates rise, can help bring down your monthly payment without extending the length of your loan.

This month you can finance a Kia EV6 or a Ford F-150 Lightning with a 0% interest rate for 60 months, according to deals compiled by TrueCar.

If you're looking to purchase an EV rather than leasing, you'll also want to make sure you know which electric cars qualify for the $7,500 federal EV tax credit.

New rules that went into effect at the start of this year narrowed the list of cars that qualify for this government-funded discount, and you may be surprised what was knocked off the list.

Some of the most popular models lost their tax credit eligible status, including US-based brands like Ford's Mustang Mach-E and most versions of the Tesla Model 3.

• Instagram chief Adam Mosseri has shed some light on what it's like working with Mark Zuckerberg.
• Mosseri said Zuckerberg is "very results-focused" and has "very high expectations."
• He added that while they "argued a lot in the early years," they've since struck a balance.

The head of Instagram is giving a glimpse into what it's like to work with Mark Zuckerberg.

Instagram chief Adam Mosseri described his working relationship with the Meta CEO on an episode of the podcast "The Colin and Samir Show" released Monday, calling Zuckerberg "very results-focused."

"Mark is very consistent," Mosseri said. "He is always going to hold a really, really high bar. He's always going to push you really, really hard. He's always going to have very high expectations."

Mosseri spoke of striking a delicate balance, for anyone, with your manager.

"You can, when you've worked with anybody for long enough, start to anticipate what their feedback's going to be, what they care about," he said. "So as long as you make sure you embrace that in addition to embracing whatever you believe in and how you want to approach the role, you have to find that balance."

As for how that applies to the two of them in particular, Mosseri said they "have that balance most of the time."

"We argue a decent amount, we argued a lot in the early years," he added. "I remember pushing back a lot on a number of random unimportant design specifics in like 2009, probably not good career advice. I look back at my 26-year-old hothead self, but over time you build up that trust."

Meta CTO Andrew "Boz" Bosworth has also spoken about Zuckerberg's management style in the past.

Boz spoke of Zuckerberg's famous "Eye of Sauron," referring to the omniscient gaze of the Dark Lord in "The Lord of the Rings," in an interview on "Lenny's Podcast" in March.

He said Zuckerberg is laser-focused when an employee is working on a very important project, not hesitating to bring up even the smallest details.

Boz also broke down the way Zuckerberg responds to feedback.

"He'll most often tell you that you're wrong," Bosworth said.

Though Zuckerberg can initially disagree, he'll go to several more meetings and ask people their opinion of the feedback or proposed idea, seemingly trying to "pressure test" it, the Meta CTO said.

In the end, Zuckerberg can end up making the changes he'd previously dismissed.

"It's uncanny," Boz said. "Over the course of the next like week or two, you'll just see shifts."

• Here are the famous people who died in 2024.
• O.J. Simpson, Glynis Johns, Carl Weathers, Chita Rivera, Dabney Coleman, Morgan Spurlock, and Louis Gossett Jr. passed away.
• So did broadcaster Charles Osgood, fashion designer Roberto Cavalli, producer Roger Corman, and NBA legend Jerry West.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

• I traveled to Greece with three of my best friends to see Athens, Santorini, Mykonos, and Naxos.
• Our Airbnb host gave us the best local food and activity recommendations.
• Next time, we'd avoid renting a car — two flat tires were enough to scar us for life.

Following our college graduation last May, three of my best friends and I traveled to Greece for eight days.

We flew to Athens and took a ferry between Mykonos, Santorini, and Naxos.

Although there were many highlights, there are also things we'd do differently next time.

If you're part of the new surge of tourists heading to Greece this summer, here's what I learned.

We chose the perfect itinerary.

Since Athens is a big walking city and Mykonos is known to be a party island, we were grateful to have the two relaxing islands, Naxos and Santorini, at the latter end of the trip.

After an exhausting few days, I appreciated the serenity of the quiet islands that much more.

A daytime boat ride had swimming opportunities and the best views.

We were torn between morning and sunset when deciding when to book a boat ride.

I was grateful that we took the daytime cruise because it allowed us to see the island in broad daylight and swim while it was still nice and sunny.

Befriending our Airbnb host was key.

I'll admit it, when our Airbnb host wouldn't stop messaging me in the days leading up to Santorini, I thought it was a red flag.

But befriending our host, Antonis, was the best thing we could've done.

As four girls who always wait until the last minute to plan, having someone point us in the direction of the best boat tours, wine tastings, and restaurants was a big advantage.

Trusting local food recommendations led to delicious meals.

Our favorite meal of the entire trip was when we took Antonis to his favorite lunch spot and gave him full ordering responsibility.

Had we been alone, we probably would've ordered the basics, but he encouraged us to try new foods and gave us the local experience.

One of the best things Antonis introduced us to was a traditional dessert made from Greek yogurt and mastic (dried tree resin). We've been on the hunt for it in the US ever since.

Greece has underrated wine tastings.

We didn't plan on going wine tasting in Greece, but when Antonis insisted we do it, we couldn't resist.

It gave us a unique view of the vineyards that we didn't even know were right in our Airbnb's backyard. And after a few jam-packed days, this was the perfect activity to pause and take it all in.

Roaming around led to us discovering some hidden gems, too.

We set aside a day to explore Naxos with no itinerary, and we got to take our time shopping in markets, sitting by the ocean, and discovering new food spots.

It was nice to be spontaneous and stumble upon hidden gems that day instead of stressing about making it to another activity on time.

Next time, we won't rent a car.

We thought we were being smart by renting a car to explore Naxos, but it turned out to be the biggest mistake of the trip.

Our GPS service wasn't always great, and it often took us down smaller roads full of sharp rocks. We ended up with not one but two flat tires.

When we returned the car, we split the bill for the tire repair. But as we were boarding the ferry to leave the island, the owners came down on their motorcycle demanding more money for more damages.

There went our budget — and our dignity.

I wish we'd packed some reusable water bottles.

Athens was extremely hot in the middle of May, and walking around the Acropolis was a challenging feat.

We had to take many breaks, and I think I nearly passed out from dehydration. Plastic water bottles were expensive, so it would've been nice if we'd packed our own to fill up.

The popular Mykonos beach clubs weren't worth it.

We felt pressure to go to a beach club in Mykonos because it's famously a party island. But the club wasn't worth it for us.

We went in the daytime, only to find out the real party starts at night. Our entrance fee included access to a daybed but not food and beverages, which added up quickly.

The following day, we went to a public beach, paid a fraction of the price for lounge chairs, and enjoyed ourselves just as much.

I wish we'd taken the accommodation reviews more seriously.

When booking our Airbnb in Mykonos, we saw a few comments about it being a bit of a walk to get to. As young, relatively in-shape people, we ignored the warnings.

But our accommodation was right on top of a massive hill and walking home (often in dresses and sandals) wasn't ideal.

It would've been better to splurge on nicer ferry rides.

We optimized our time by booking early ferry rides on travel days.

But the ferries were crowded, so I wish we paid a little more to upgrade to bigger, more nap-friendly seats.

This story was originally published on February 18, 2024, and most recently updated on June 12, 2024.

• Trooping the Colour honors the monarch each year. 
• But the younger generation of royals often steal the show with their antics at Buckingham Palace.
• In 1988, Prince Harry stuck his tongue out, and Prince Louis has made a splash the past two years.

The royal family will gather at Buckingham Palace for Trooping the Colour on Saturday.

Trooping the Colour is the British sovereign's official birthday celebration, and the 2024 event marks King Charles III's second as monarch. 

The parade offers one of the few times the whole royal family gathers in public together throughout the year, so the event is always heavily photographed.

For decades, royal children have been pictured greeting the public from the balcony of Buckingham Palace during Trooping the Colour, and they're often documented in candid moments of joy and silliness as their powerful parents look on in both exasperation and laughter.  

From Prince William to Prince Louis, take a look at times royal children have stolen the show at Trooping the Colour.

At the 1984 Trooping the Colour, a blond Prince William distracted his cousins on the Buckingham Palace balcony.

In 1985, young Prince William again distracted his cousins by pointing during the parade.

Prince Harry sweetly mimicked his older brother at the 1987 Trooping the Colour.

Prince Harry was photographed sticking his tongue out at cameras while Princess Diana held him at the 1988 parade.

At the same parade, Prince William caused a stir by covering his face in apparent exasperation.

At the 1989 Trooping the Colour, Prince Harry and Prince William waved in a silly manner as they honored their grandmother.

Prince William and Prince Harry were playful with their cousins on a carriage at the 1990 Trooping the Colour.

Harry was photographed sweetly looking down at the crowds in front of Buckingham Palace at the same celebration.

Although they were a bit older, Prince William and Prince Harry still managed to cause a bit of a distraction at the 2003 Trooping the Colour by pointing and staring at the crowds.

At his first Trooping the Colour in 2015, Prince George stole the show before he even walked out onto the balcony by waving at crowds from a window.

When he did reach the balcony, photographers captured the young prince pointing at the crowds as his father and uncle did years before him.

In 2016, Princess Charlotte adorably waved at the crowds assembled for the Queen.

Both Charlotte and George appeared to get tired later the same day.

The pair both appeared stressed out by the planes flying over the palace in 2017.

Savannah Phillips playfully covered George's mouth during the 2019 Trooping the Colour while William looked on.

But later, Savannah, Charlotte, and George all grinned and clapped as they watched the parade.

In 2019, George, Charlotte, and Prince Louis all looked cutely overwhelmed by the planes flying above them.

At the same event, George looked at the sky unhappily while Charlotte covered her ears.

At the 2022 Trooping the Colour, George, Charlotte, and Louis made funny faces as they looked down at the crowds in front of the palace from a window.

The siblings were then seen sweetly interacting with their great-grandmother during the event.

But Louis really became the star of the day when he dramatically reacted to the planes flying overhead by screaming and covering his ears.

The young prince's face even turned red from the force of his yell.

Louis was photographed covering his ears again at the 2023 Trooping the Colour, though he didn't look quite as unhappy as in 2022.

Both George and Louis made silly faces as they watched the fanfare in matching blazers and ties.

Meanwhile, Charlotte shared a sweet moment with William, holding his hands over her shoulders as they stood together on the balcony.

And Louis stole the show again by pretending he was flying the overhead planes, miming revving an engine.

• Elon Musk is finally hiding "likes" on Twitter/X.
• You can still see who liked your own tweets, but you won't be able to see someone else's likes.
• Good! Likes were an embarrassing bad thing!

The move to make "likes" private on Twitter — something first announced a few weeks ago — looks to finally be going live across the platform.

Elon Musk has made a lot of bad choices about how to run Twitter — including renaming it X! —  but this one? This is good, actually.

Musk tweeted on Tuesday, responding to a post from The Verge that said likes would soon be hidden: "Important to allow people to like posts without getting attacked for doing so!" He tweeted Wednesday: "Important change: your likes are now private."

He's right — there's no big value in having likes be public, but there IS a big downside in terms of potential for embarrassment.

Likes had been visible in two places: on a person's profile page, you had been able to see a tab of all the tweets that person liked through history. And on an individual tweet, you could see who liked it.

The former is more likely to cause some embarrassment. Let's keep in mind that most users probably don't really think about the idea of likes being public, and have no clue that their profile publicly lists all their past likes.

Consider, for a moment, Vince Neil, the singer of Motley Crüe. Neil isn't particularly active on the platform; his last tweet was from March 31, saying, "Happy Easter everyone!"

But in the last week or so, the TikTok Crüniverse (I just made that term up; that's not a thing, but honestly … you'd be surprised how much Motley Crüe content is on TikTok) has been abuzz about Neil's X account. Someone noticed that his likes tab has a few tweets of adult content.

I don't mind sharing this because I think that Vince Neil, who has made his immense sexual appetites part of his personal mythos and has also gotten a facelift as part of a VH1 reality show, is unlikely to be immensely humiliated by this.

But other people might feel very embarrassed if their likes of adult content were discovered. Musk is right: People should feel free to like stuff without embarrassment.

Musk might like us to think that empowering people to like things privately is more about the freedom to like unpopular speech without repercussion. Musk has personally offered to pay the legal bills of people fired for their tweets or likes. However, the legal cases Mush is helping with — actress Gina Carano and a former Square employee — are from people allegedly fired over posts they wrote themselves, not their likes.

I think this it's a bit of free speech LARPing to think that removing public likes is meant to protect people who like a tweet with some edgy "wrongthink" ideas. That's not what is causing huge problems in private people's lives. Let's be realistic: It's getting caught liking porn. And X is now happy to be encouraging porn consumption on the platform — just last month, they created guidelines for adult content. Nudity and porn was never banned on Twitter, but this was the first time that an unofficial policy of allowing it had been formalized.

Instagram, a platform that is far hornier than X, despite its ban on nudity, used to have a feature where you could see the stream of activity and likes from the people you followed. That was like a sting operation for the thirsty, ruining all sorts of relationships. Eventually, in 2019, Instagram killed the feature.

Liking a sexy tweet isn't a thought crime, but it's very likely to be embarrassing. Shutting down the public likes is long overdue. For once, as much as it pains me to say, Elon has it right.

• Elon Musk has a lot of legal problems.
• BI scoured the dockets to find the biggest court cases and investigations posing a threat to the billionaire.
• If Musk throws his support behind Donald Trump, he stands to gain if Trump wins the presidency.

It's not unusual for a high-profile businessman to attract a lot of lawsuits. But by any standard, Elon Musk is spending a lot of time and money on lawsuits.

Musk and his companies — especially Tesla, SpaceX, and X (formerly known as Twitter) — keep running into controversies, whether it's over whether the products actually work as well as they're supposed to, the billionaire's pay structure, his hiring practices, and even his firing practices.

He has also become a magnet for personal lawsuits. Musk is involved in messy litigation with Claire Boucher, AKA Grimes, the mother of three of Musk's children. He has also launched lawsuits of his own through his companies, wading into arguments about free speech on the internet. Musk often relies on Alex Spiro, his longtime personal lawyer, to fight and coordinate the lawsuits.

Business Insider has combed through court records and created a list of the most significant legal challenges on Musk's docket. Tesla shareholders are weighing some of these issues as they decide whether he should receive $44 billion worth of Tesla stock — which would be the largest pay package in history.

The lawsuits and government investigations into Musk and his companies range from discriminatory hiring practices to allegations that some of Tesla's features don't work as advertised. Some of his highest-profile battles — such as the court victories over Musk's "funding secured" tweet and "pedo guy" tweets, his losses against an anti-hate group and the SEC over a "Twitter sitter" and an anti-hate group, and his settlement with a Black Tesla employee who was the victim of racist discrimination — have been resolved, and aren't included on this list.

With his vast wealth, Musk could stand to gain from supporting Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in the 2024 election. Over the past several years, Musk's politics have drifted rightward, and there were reports he was being considered for an advisory role in a second Trump administration if the former president wins the election. As the leader of the executive branch, Trump — who in his first term used the levers of the federal government for his own benefit — could seek to force agencies to drop investigations and ongoing cases against Musk and his companies.

Spiro and representatives for Elon Musk did not immediately respond to BI's requests for comment.

Lawsuits brought by Musk

Musk v. OpenAI

The issue: Musk sued OpenAI, CEO Sam Altman, and co-founder Greg Brockman, alleging they perverted a promise to keep the artificial intelligence company as a nonprofit organization for the good of humankind.

What's going on: Musk was one of the earliest donors to OpenAI. He claimed Altman and Brockman assured him that its code would not be used for the profit of private companies. Since making ChatGPT public last year, OpenAI has entered into an agreement with Microsoft valued at billions of dollars, which Musk says jeopardizes its nonprofit mission.

OpenAI has struck back, calling such a promise fictitious. Musk has also developed a competing chatbot, Grok, which he calls "non-woke" and is available to users on X.

What's next: Musk and OpenAI will exchange motions over whether a judge, in San Francisco county court, should dismiss the case before it goes to trial.

Musk v. Media Matters

The issue: Musk's company X Corp. filed a lawsuit in Texas against the liberal advocacy group Media Matters in November, alleging the group launched a "blatant smear campaign" against X.

What's going on: Last year, Media Matters published a report that indicated X was placing advertising content next to pro-Nazi posts on the social media site. The nonprofit's report appeared to launch another advertising exodus from Musk's social media site.

Musk claims in his lawsuit that the group manipulated its findings and cherry-picked information. In response, Media Matters president Angelo Carusone called it "a frivolous lawsuit meant to bully X's critics into silence."

The issue has broadened into investigations from right-wing state attorneys general in Texas and Missouri, who are examining whether Media Matters broke civil laws with its reporting on Musk's social media company.

Media Matters laid off several employees in May, blaming the "legal assault" that it says restricted its resources.

What's next: Media Matters filed a motion to dismiss Musk's lawsuit in March, but a judge has yet to rule.

Gina Carano v. Disney

The issues: Actress Gina Carano is suing Disney after it fired her from "The Mandalorian" after she made posts on X comparing the treatment of conservatives in America to Jews in Nazi Germany. One post also engaged in Holocaust denial, claiming that "thousands" of Jews were "rounded up," rather than millions. X is funding the lawsuit, and Musk has championed it on the platform.

What's going on: Musk has promised to support lawsuits supporting people who were fired because of their X posts, and Carano's is a test case for that project, which Musk says is meant to protect free speech.

The lawsuit, crafted by boutique conservative law firm Schaerr Jaffe, focuses on California labor laws that protect political activism outside the workplace.

Disney has filed a motion to dismiss the case, arguing the company has a First Amendment right not to associate with Carano's views, which also include criticism of vaccine mandates and questioning the results of the 2020 election.

What's next: The judge overseeing the case has yet to rule on the motion to dismiss the lawsuit.

Musk v. NLRB

The issues: Musk's Tesla is fighting a decision by the National Labor Relations Board that the electric-car company CEO violated labor laws back in 2018 when he tweeted that Tesla employees could lose their stock options if they unionized.

What's going on: A three-judge panel of the 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals last year upheld the NLRB's finding that Musk's tweet unlawfully threatened Tesla employees' benefits. Musk's May 21, 2018 tweet at the center of the matter read: "Nothing stopping Tesla team at our car plant from voting union. Could do so tmrw if they wanted. But why pay union dues & give up stock options for nothing? Our safety record is 2X better than when plant was UAW & everybody already gets healthcare."

Attorneys for Tesla — which argued that Musk's tweet could not be interpreted as a threat — asked the federal appeals court to reconsider the ruling. That request was granted.

What's next: The full 5th Circuit heard oral arguments in the case earlier this year, and the 17-judge panel has yet to issue a ruling.

Government lawsuits and investigations

SEC investigation into Musk's Twitter takeover

The issues: The Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating Elon Musk's Twitter purchase.

What's going on: The SEC and Musk have a long history together. In October, the agency announced it had opened an investigation into his $44 billion purchase of the social media company. The SEC hasn't said specifically what it's looking into — only that the probe concerns his purchase of Twitter stock and his 2022 statements and SEC filings relating to his purchase.

What's next: In May, Musk agreed to testify in the investigation, which remains ongoing.

Tesla Autopilot investigation

The issues: Justice Department prosecutors — as well as regulators from other federal agencies — are looking into Tesla's claims of self-driving.

What's going on: Federal prosecutors are examining whether Tesla committed wire fraud or securities fraud with exaggerated claims of self-driving using the cars' "Autopilot" feature. The Securities and Exchange Commission is also looking into whether investors were misled by the claims, according to Reuters. And in a separate probe, the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is looking into reports of Tesla crashes involving the Autopilot feature.

What's next: Tesla has already issued recalls — which, in its case, just means a software update — to add more safeguards to its Autopilot feature. Tesla recalls are essentially just software updates, and the company already issued a recall on 2 million of its vehicles to add more safeguards to its Autopilot feature. The NHTSA is still looking into whether those updates were sufficient.

The company also recently settled a civil lawsuit over a crash that killed an Apple engineer while one of its cars was in Autopilot mode — one of several dozen Tesla deaths involving the feature.

Tesla steering loss investigation

The issues: The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating thousands of complaints that drivers of Tesla's Model Y and Model 3 vehicles suddenly lost steering control.

What's going on: The investigation began in 2023. Earlier this year, the agency advanced its investigation and sought more records from Tesla.

What's next: The probe's recent upgrade to the "engineering analysis" stage suggests the NHTSA may soon issue a Tesla recall.

NLRB v. SpaceX

The issues: In a complaint earlier this year, the NLRB accused Musk's SpaceX of illegally firing eight employees for criticizing Musk in an open letter.

What's going on: The former employees alleged that they were terminated in 2022 over their involvement in the open letter to SpaceX executives that called Musk's public behavior "a frequent source of distraction and embarrassment for us." The NLRB filed its complaint in connection with the matter earlier this year.

What's next: In response to the complaint, SpaceX sued the NLRB in federal court, alleging that the government agency's structure is unconstitutional. An appeals court handed Musk a legal win in May when it temporarily blocked the NLRB's case against the rocket company.

SpaceX Lawsuit for not hiring refugees

The issues: The Justice Department's civil rights division filed a lawsuit alleging SpaceX illegally discriminated against asylees and refugees by refusing to hire them.

What's going on: The lawsuit, filed in August, pointed to Elon Musk's own social media posts where he claimed that US law requires "at least a green card" to be hired at SpaceX for national security reasons. That simply isn't true, the Justice Department alleged.

Instead of suing in a federal district court under a Senate-confirmed judge, the Justice Department brought the lawsuit through an administrative court, where the judges are appointed by the US Attorney General. SpaceX sued in a federal district court in Texas over this arrangement, and a judge agreed with the company, ruling in November that there were constitutional problems with the arrangement.

What's next: The case has been gummed up in the federal district court in Texas, as the Justice Department and SpaceX exchange volleys over the jurisdiction for different parts of the lawsuit. The US Supreme Court has also shown a willingness to reconsider the constitutionality of administrative law judges in different agencies, and pending decisions from the high court could continue to alter the trajectory of the SpaceX case.

Tesla racism lawsuit

The issues: The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission sued Tesla in September, alleging Black employees at a California manufacturing facility have been subjected to racist harassment.

What's going on: The federal agency's lawsuit joined dozens of other cases from Tesla workers who've said they experienced racist abuse. One employee, Owen Diaz, won a major victory when Tesla was ordered to pay $3.2 million in a racial discrimination case.

What's next: A federal judge denied a motion to dismiss the EEOC lawsuit in March, putting it on the path for a trial.

Personal lawsuits against Musk

Tornetta v. Musk

The issues: Tesla shareholder Richard Tornetta sued Musk and Tesla in a class action lawsuit regarding Musk's compensation package, which was worth $55.8 billion at the time.

What's going on: In 2018, Tesla set up a pay plan for Musk that involved a 10-year grant of 12 tranches of stock options that would vest when Tesla hit certain targets tied to the automaker's market value and revenue. Musk was able to hit all 12 targets in 2023. With each milestone, Musk received stock equal to 1% of outstanding shares at the time of the grant.

Tornetta's lawsuit alleged that the pay package was "beyond the bounds of reasonable judgment" and claims Musk had influenced the board's approval of the plan, including through his close personal relationships with board members such as his brother Kimbal Musk.

Tesla has argued that compensation was needed to maintain Musk's attention and shareholders have benefited from the impact Musk's leadership has had on Tesla's stock, which has climbed dramatically since 2018.

The Delaware Court of Chancery struck down Musk's pay package in January. Musk is trying to regain the pay package by another route, with a Tesla shareholder vote this week.

What's next: Must is expected to use the vote to ask the Delaware Chancery Court to reconsider its decision, hoping that shareholder approval will help convince the judge that the pay package is sensible. He's also likely to continue appealing the case if he loses.

Boucher v. Musk

The issues: Claire Boucher, AKA Grimes, and Musk have each filed dueling lawsuits in a custody dispute in California and Texas, respectively.

What's going on: The Musk-Grimes custody battle began in September when the CEO sued his ex-partner to "establish the parent-child relationship" with their three kids: X Æ A-XII, Exa Dark Sideræl, and Techno Mechanicus. In his petition, the billionaire said he filed the lawsuit after he realized Grimes "was not returning to Texas with their younger children." Three-year-old X has remained with Musk.

A few weeks later, Grimes sued Musk in San Francisco court, seeking primary physical custody and joint legal custody of the pair's three children.

What's next: The case was sealed in January and remained ongoing as of April, when Business Insider was last able to view the docket. Neither side has publicly indicated that the case has been resolved.

Benjamin Brody v. Musk

The issues: California man Benjamin Brody filed a defamation lawsuit against Musk in Texas last year, alleging that the billionaire amplified a conspiracy theory that falsely affiliated the college graduate with a neo-Nazi extremist group.

What's going on: Brody's lawsuit accuses Musk of boosting the claims on his X social media site and says Brody endured "severe personal harassment and permanent damage to his reputation." Musk's "personal endorsement of the false accusation against" Brody reverberated across the internet, transforming the accusation from anonymous rumor to gospel truth for many individuals, and causing others to use Musk's endorsement to justify their desire to harass Ben Brody and his family," the lawsuit says. In a deposition, Musk said he didn't know who Brody was.

What's next: Brody's lawsuit is seeking $1 million in damages and a trial by jury. Musk's attorneys have filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit.

Twitter severance lawsuits

The issues: Hundreds of former Twitter employees are suing X for unpaid severance.

What's going on: When Elon Musk took over Twitter, he quickly fired thousands of employees — he claimed over 80% — and didn't pay any severance to many of them. In court filings, X claims the merger agreement that allowed Musk to control Twitter didn't require any payments and that the former employees have no standing to sue because they weren't part of the merger.

There are several different lawsuits in different districts. Litigation has stalled in most of them as a California court weighs whether to turn one of them — asking for $500 million in damages — into a class-action lawsuit. Several lawsuits also allege Musk discriminated against them because of their race, gender, or disability in choosing to fire them.

What's next: Deciding a class action certification for the California case could take years. In the meanwhile, Twitter has weighed settling some of the claims.

Agrawal v. Musk

The issues: Four former Twitter executives (ex-Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal, ex-Twitter CFO Ned Segal, ex-head of legal, policy, and trust at Twitter Vijaya Gadde, and ex-senior legal counsel at Twitter Sean Edgett) sued Musk and X in March, alleging the company failed to pay out millions of dollars in severance.

What's going on: After Musk took over Twitter in 2023, he terminated the four executives within minutes.

The executives were set to receive golden parachutes, but claim Musk and X have not paid them out. The group says X collectively owes them $128 million in severance.

Musk has said he fired the executives for cause and does not owe them anything. In August, Agrawal, Segal, and Gadde separately sued Twitter for over $1 million, alleging the social media company hadn't paid the legal fees they accrued during their time at Twitter.

What's next: The lawsuits are all in various stages, with judges having yet to rule on motions to dismiss them.

• Hunter Biden's conviction disrupts Trump's claims of a rigged justice system favoring the Bidens.
• Now, the Trump campaign is changing its attack strategy.
• Trump's campaign had hoped an acquittal would support his narrative of political persecution.

Hunter Biden can now be called a convicted felon — just like Donald Trump.

But that throws a wrench into the Trump campaign's messaging that the justice system is rigged against him in favor of the Biden family.

Insiders within the Trump campaign had talked about how a Hunter Biden acquittal would help Trump raise millions of dollars because it would help prove his narrative that he's a victim of political persecution, The New York Times reported, citing a person with knowledge of the campaign.

But the guilty verdict against Hunter Biden has raised an uncomfortable question: if the justice system is rigged by Joe Biden against Trump, why would the system also convict the president's son?

The decision has thrown "a bit of sand in the gears" of those echoing Trump's lines of attack, a GOP strategist told Politico.

Now, his campaign is shifting its strategy to avoid attacking Hunter Biden's conviction on Tuesday of three felony counts related to obtaining a gun while addicted to drugs.

Instead, the campaign is painting the conviction as a distraction from what it says are greater crimes.

"This trial has been nothing more than a distraction from the real crimes of the Biden Crime Family, which has raked in tens of millions of dollars from China, Russia and Ukraine," Karoline Leavitt, the Trump campaign's national press secretary, said in a statement.

"Crooked Joe Biden's reign over the Biden Family Criminal Empire is all coming to an end on November 5, and never again will a Biden sell government access for personal profit," Leavitt added.

Biden has not been charged in either Hunter Biden's gun case or a separate tax case set to go to trial this fall.

Trump himself said in a private meeting last year that Republicans shouldn't "go overboard" attacking the president's son, because it could backfire against him by making the president seem like a sympathetic father, The Times reported, citing a person who was present at the meeting.

The Times noted that references to Hunter have quietly been scaled back in Trump's campaign speeches.

Biden, meanwhile, vowed not to pardon his son and said he'd respect the jury's verdict.

• Denmark's food safety agency has nixed three varieties of instant ramen.
• Their capsaicin content could be harmful to kids, the agency said.
• Ramen brand Samyang said it's the first time its products have been recalled for being too spicy.

These Korean-made ramen packets are too hot to handle — literally, if you ask the Danish.

The Danish Veterinary and Food Administration (DVFA), the nation's food safety agency, announced it was recalling three varieties of instant ramen, saying the noodles are so spicy that they could harm young children and some adults.

In its note about the recall, the DVFA claimed that kids were filming themselves eating super-spicy food for social media challenges.

Several children in Germany were hospitalized after attempting to eat spicy chips, it noted.

DVFA said a customer alerted them to the noodles, which it then assessed through its DTU National Food Institute to determine if they were harmful.

The DVFA said capsaicin content in the noodles could cause burning, nausea, vomiting, and high blood pressure.

The three recalls involve Korean maker Samyang.

The packets consumers should discard or return include: Samyang Buldak 3x Spicy & Hot Chicken, Samyang Buldak 2x Spicy & Hot Chicken, and Samyang Buldak Hot Chicken Stew.

Samyang did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider, but insisted in a statement to the BBC that the food quality wasn't the issue.

"We understand that the Danish food authority recalled the products, not because of a problem in their quality but because they were too spicy," Samyang told BBC in a statement, adding that "this is the first time they have been recalled for the above reason."

The company added it's looking into local regulations, the BBC reported.

• The US has agreed to send a second Patriot system to Ukraine, according to reports.
• Ukraine has been given a handful of the missile systems from its allies, but says it needs more.
• Patriots help stop Russian attacks, but Ukraine's allies are reluctant to reduce their own arsenals.

A second US Patriot system is headed for Ukraine following appeals for further air defenses, according to reports.

The MIM-104 Patriot missile system has been hailed as a major success in Ukraine, shooting down Russian missiles and aircraft as Ukraine fights back against Russia's invasion.

But Ukraine says it does not have enough of them, or enough air defense systems in general.

Ukraine currently has at least three, and possibly five, Patriots, supplied by the Netherlands, Germany, and the US.

Their exact number and deployment has not been disclosed.

But US President Joe Biden approved the transfer of a second battery from the US last week, unnamed senior military and administration officials told The New York Times.

The system is to be relocated from Poland, where it has been protecting US troops in training who are due to return home, officials told the outlet.

Two unnamed officials confirmed the matter to the Associated Press.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in April that Ukraine needs 25 Patriot systems, with between six and eight batteries each, to protect its skies.

Patriots are expensive, and it takes a long time to produce new ones, meaning many of Ukraine's allies have been reluctant to part with ones from their own arsenals.

But Ukraine's foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, said in April that his team had identified more than 100 Patriot air-defense systems that its allies could spare, and said he couldn't understand why its allies were not willing to give Ukraine at least one of their existing systems.

While expressing gratitude for US aid, Kuleba said: "Do you sincerely believe that the whole US Army does not have one spare battery of Patriots that is not on combat duty and that cannot be given to Ukraine? I don't."

Patriots have performed so well in Ukraine that it has dispelled doubts about the effectiveness of the weapons system, which lingered before Russia's full-scale invasion, experts previously told Business Insider.

Germany said in April that it would send Ukraine another Patriot battery, and Ukraine is also set to get more Patriot missiles from other countries.

Germany's defense minister said on Tuesday that 32 Patriot missiles had been delivered to Ukraine from its European allies, and that 68 more would be delivered soon.

He announced the delivery "after I saw how critical Ukraine's air defense is for its survival," he said.

News of further Patriot support comes as Russia continues its attacks across Ukraine.

Kuleba said in May that Ukraine urgently needed two Patriot batteries to help protect the Kharkiv region in the northeast of the country, the Times reported.

The additional defenses come after Ukraine started to run critically low on air defenses and other weaponry, after Republicans stalled further US aid to the country for six months, before finally agreeing to resume it in April.