Tag: News

• The Supreme Court gave Trump a partial victory on Monday.
• A majority of the high court decided that former presidents do hold some immunity
• It's now unclear if Trump's January 6-related case will move to trial before Election Day.

The Supreme Court on Monday handed former President Donald Trump a partial victory by kicking the future of his January 6 criminal case down to a lower court.

Justices rejected Trump's claim that former presidents enjoy absolute immunity from criminal charges related to actions that come under the scope of the presidency. But on a 6-3 vote, a majority of the high court decided that former presidents do hold some immunity.

Chief Justice Roberts wrote that in some circumstances, presidents must know that they have immunity from criminal prosecution otherwise their ability to do the job could be effected.

"We conclude that under our constitutional structure of separated powers, the nature of Presidential power requires that a former President have some immunity from criminal prosecution for official acts during his tenure in office," Roberts wrote for the majority. "At least with respect to the President's exercise of his core constitutional powers, this immunity must be absolute."

U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan must now decide how the court's ruling will affect special counsel Jack Smith's indictment of Trump for efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. It's not immediately clear how quickly Chutkan could move, but it seems unlikely the former president will face trial before the November election. In taking its time to craft this ruling, justices have essentially handed Trump another victory for his delay tactics.

It's likely that Trump's Manhattan criminal trial will now be his only trial before the election. If he were to win the election, he would likely scuttle the January 6 case and Smith's other criminal case in Florida related to Trump's hoarding of classified documents.

The ruling largely falls on the lines that appeared present during oral arguments. Conservative justices, including the Trump-appointed Neil Gorsuch, stressed that the case before them was of far more importance than just the facts of what the former president is accused of doing after the 2020 election.

"We are writing a rule for the ages," Gorsuch said.

While at the time, more liberal justices recoiled at the thought of permanently placing the presidency above the law.

"The most powerful person in the world with the greatest amount of authority could go into office knowing there would be no potential penalty for committing crimes," Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson said during oral arguments. "I'm trying to understand what the disincentive is from turning the Oval Office into, you know, the seat of criminal activity in this country."

The court's ruling came after Justice Samuel Alito refused to recuse himself from the case. Democratic lawmakers had pressed Alito to step aside after The New York Times reported that a flag had been flown upside down at Alito's Virginia home following the 2020 election, an established sign of distress that at the time was viewed as a symbol of solidarity for Trump's false claims the election was stolen. Alito has said Martha-Ann Alito, his wife, decided to fly the flag upside down. In a letter to lawmakers, Alito said the flag was not intended to show support for the "Stop the Steal" movement.

This is a breaking news story stay with Business Insider for more updates.

• Here are the famous people who died in 2024.
• O.J. Simpson, Glynis Johns, Carl Weathers, Chita Rivera, Martin Mull, 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."

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.

• Some of Silicon Valley's biggest names are in their tech bro era.
• It wasn't always like this — many Big Tech CEOs have shed more nerdy personas from their startup days.
• Here's a look at tech's most influential executives then and now.

Mark Zuckerberg isn't the only tech CEO whose style has noticeably evolved over the years.

Other Big Tech leaders have significantly changed up their looks since starting their companies; some are nearly unrecognizable (we're looking at you, Jeff Bezos.)

Here's a look at the style transformations of some of tech's biggest names:

Jeff Bezos

Bezos founded Amazon from his garage in Bellevue, Washington, in 1994. He attributes his new look partly to working out with a celebrity personal trainer and changing his diet.

Mark Zuckerberg

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg started Facebook from his dorm room at Harvard in 2004.

Gone are the days of the Zuck who famously wore the same thing every day to save brainpower for more important decisions. Instead, Zuck can now be seen sporting graphic tees and chain necklaces.

Part of Zuckerberg's physical transformation also stems from hobbies like Brazilian jiu-jitsu and MMA fighting.

Michael Dell

Dell is another member of the college dropouts-turned-tech founders club.

Larry Page and Sergey Brin

Larry Page and Sergey Brin founded Google in 1998.

Elon Musk

The photo at left shows Musk in 1999, around the time the "PayPal mafia" was formed.

Musk has said he doesn't care for exercise and "almost never" works out, though he's credited fasting and the weight loss drug Wegovy with his appearance today.

Bill Gates

Gates and the late Paul Allen cofounded Microsoft from a garage in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in 1975.

Jack Dorsey

Twitter was founded in 2006. Cofounder Dorsey has been seen with a full beard pretty regularly since departing as CEO and focusing his efforts more on cryptocurrency at Block, formerly Square.

Richard Branson

Richard Branson started the Virgin brand in 1970 with a mail order record business.

At 73 years old today, Branson's day-to-day life still features plenty of exercise, from tennis and cycling to kite-surfing.

Jack Ma

Alibaba Group founder Jack Ma disappeared from public view in 2020 after criticizing China's financial regulation system. He resurfaced in Thailand in 2022 and has been teaching as a visiting professor at the University of Tokyo.

Anne Wojcicki

Anne Wojcicki founded genetic testing company 23andMe in 2006.

Whitney Wolfe Herd

Whitney Wolfe Herd founded Bumble in 2014 and stepped down as CEO last year.

Evan Spiegel

Evan Spiegel co-founded Snap, which owns services like Snapchat, in 2011.

• 12 staff members accused "The Umbrella Academy" showrunner Steve Blackman of "toxic" behavior.
• Blackman called the allegations "completely false and outrageous."
• The final season of the Netflix series arrives in August.

A showrunner on "The Umbrella Academy" has been accused by 12 staff members of "toxic" behavior, including bullying and sexism, while working on the cult Netflix show.

"The Umbrella Academy," which was released on the streamer in 2019 and has run for three seasons, follows a group of superheroes who were around the world at the same time before being raised by a mysterious billionaire.

It is adapted from the Dark Horse Comics series of the same name by the singer of the rock band My Chemical Romance, Gerard Way, which helped it garner a cult following, and Brazilian comic book artist Gabriel Ba.

The show has been fairly successful for the streaming service, with audiences watching 2.454 billion minutes in the first week following the season three premiere in 2022, Deadline reported citing Nielsen streaming rankings. Its fourth and final season arrives on Netflix on August 8.

Rolling Stone spoke to 12 writers and support staff who worked on "The Umbrella Academy" who shared their concerns about showrunner Steve Blackman. Most of them chose to remain anonymous because they were concerned their careers may be affected.

The publication also reviewed several documents and complaints regarding Blackman's conduct, which suggested that he pitted writers against each other, made inappropriate comments to staff, and attempted to take credit for other people's work.

A complaint made by the 12 staff members to the HR department of Universal Content Productions, which produces the show for Netflix, in January 2023, alleged that Blackman had a "long history of toxic, bullying, manipulative, and retaliatory behavior," Rolling Stone reported on Sunday.

One writer claimed that her contract wasn't extended in season two because she was pregnant.

"He told me he fired them because one was pregnant and didn't tell him," another writer claimed, referring to the pregnant woman and her writing partner.

Jesse McKeown, the co-showrunner of "The Umbrella Academy" season four, claimed that he butted heads with Blackman over another writer's pay.

"I always sort of carried that around thinking, 'OK, that was clear retaliation, [but] he would never do that to me.' It happened to me eventually, and a whole bunch of other people in between" he claimed.

In 2023, the Writers Guild of America went on strike for better pay and fairer conditions for the people who create our favorite TV shows and movies. Sources who spoke to Rolling Stones said the allegations surrounding Blackman suggested that showrunners themselves can contribute to tough working conditions.

Being in charge of a TV series at a time when streaming services are desperate to make the next era-defining show is no easy task, especially one as complex as "The Umbrella Academy."

But times have changed as a result of the #MeToo movement and the Hollywood strikes, meaning people feel empowered to speak out about any abuse or toxicity that they have faced in the industry.

Blackman's representatives denied the accusations in a statement to Rolling Stone, calling them "entirely untrue" and "completely absurd."

"Over six years and four seasons overseeing thousands of crew, actors, and writers, Steve Blackman led 'The Umbrella Academy' to become a beloved series with devoted fans, enthralling stories, and a dedicated team making it all possible.

"These allegations from a handful of disgruntled employees are completely false and outrageous, and in no way reflect the collaborative, respectful, and successful working environment Mr. Blackman has cultivated," they added.

Representatives for Blackman and Netflix did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.

• Aaron Nichols got certified in solar installation a year ago when he was unsure of his career path.
• Now he has a marketing job for a solar company that offers flexibility and career mobility. 
• This article is part of "Trends to Bet Your Career On," a series about trending professional opportunities.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Aaron Nichols, the marketing and advocacy specialist at Exact Solar. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

My career has been the wildest ride since I got my solar-installation training just a year ago.

I started my career in education and wasn't happy with that path. So I took some time off to travel after the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and supplemented my income with a door-to-door solar-sales job, which I landed through some people I met on my journey.

When I came back from traveling, I didn't know what I wanted to do for work, and I thought solar installation could be an interesting career path. I went through a six-week training program with an organization called Grid Alternatives, where I was paid a stipend based on my income level to get certified by the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners.

I graduated in May 2023 and, after a summer job traveling to Alaska to create educational programs, started job searching in the solar industry in the fall.

Now I'm the marketing and advocacy specialist at a good-size solar-installation company, Exact Solar. To come from the world of teaching and nonprofits and — just a year later — be at this spot in my career is shocking.

My solar-installation training helped me stand out

When I started job searching in the solar industry, I applied to some installer jobs and sales-side jobs, and I started marketing myself on Upwork as a copywriting consultant to make money immediately.

Surprisingly, the consulting work picked up fast, before I was able to land a more traditional job. The fact that I had the installer certification made clients in the solar industry especially excited to work with me on the marketing side. The technical knowledge I brought benefited my work and helped me land exciting clients like SunCast Media, which runs one of the most popular industry podcasts, and Exact Solar, which eventually offered me a full-time job.

In a beautiful twist of fate, part of my job now is designing a curriculum for a workforce training program and helping promote solar installations we're putting in schools; so my teaching and nonprofit experience have ended up fitting into the puzzle of my solar career.

There are so many places you can add value. The solar industry needs everything that any other industry needs, and the growth is happening so fast. Anyone who's in finance, advertising, or any other industry and is struggling should consider applying their skills to the solar industry because it's a much-bigger world than you think.

I'm excited about the freedom and the promise of the industry

I'm deeply enjoying the flexibility this job offers me. I have a good salary, and since I work remotely, I've moved into a farmhouse on 5 acres of land with my girlfriend and built a solar system to power our cell booster. I get to live in the woods and take archery breaks in the middle of the day.

When I envision the future of my solar career, it seems like the sky's the limit. It's a very tight community, so once you know people, it's easy to get referral work if you're a contractor or start connecting with people at a high level who would be hard to reach in other industries.

It's a very financially viable career, too. It's not just hippies hugging trees and trying to save the world — there's a lot of private-industry money coming in. I really like the idea that I can make good money, work a flexible job, and feel good about my impact on the planet.

• Demand for solar jobs is growing in response to clean-energy goals and government incentives.
• Many entry-level solar jobs don't require higher education, and they offer on-the-job training.
• This article is part of "Trends to Bet Your Career On," a series about trending professional opportunities.

The solar industry has some of the fastest-growing occupations, with jobs just in solar-panel installation in the US expected to grow by 22% by 2032.

One reason is the desire to meet environmental goals. The US Department of Energy estimated in 2021 that the solar workforce could add over 1 million workers by 2035 to achieve the goal of decarbonizing the electrical grid.

To support these goals, the federal Inflation Reduction Act provides tax credits for qualifying clean-energy investments. Many states offer additional tax credits and rebates, and utility companies will sometimes cover some costs of solar installation.

Individuals are looking to cash in on these incentives and avoid rising energy costs. The market-research company Grand View Research estimated that the size of the US residential solar market size was $7.5 billion in 2023.

Corporations are getting in on the action, too: One year after the Inflation Reduction Act's passage, the White House said companies had announced more than $10 billion in solar-manufacturing investments.

Compounding this demand is a skilled-labor shortage across clean-energy sectors, including positions in installation and repair. "We're such a nascent industry that there's just not a deep pool of folks who have all of the background needed to do all of the jobs," said Kate Collardson, a senior manager of residential operations at the solar company Omnidian.

Solar jobs offer a low barrier to entry and high growth potential

However, the shortage means there are many affordable, accelerated solar training programs designed to help people get their foot in the door. For example, this year Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee added a free four-week solar-installation program to its career-training lineup. Karl Wendt, the organization's career and technical academy director, said graduates leave with the basic certifications and experience needed to be useful installers.

The mean hourly wage for solar installers in May 2023 was $25.55, which Wendt said was impressive given people can land those jobs with a high-school diploma and four weeks of training. "If you compare it to other jobs for that skill level and that time horizon, it's competitive," he said, adding that starting as an installer is a strong way to begin a green-technology career involving higher-level positions with higher compensation.

Companies are increasingly willing to hire less experienced employees and offer them on-the-job training. Martin Pochtaruk, the CEO of the solar manufacturer Heliene, told Business Insider that many of his employees appreciated advancement opportunities. "Operators that come in at an entry level have become shift supervisors within a year," he told BI.

Collardson added that people with backgrounds in areas such as marketing, engineering, and law could apply their skills to jobs at solar companies.

The solar industry can support long-term careers

While Collardson acknowledged that specific solar jobs could grow or shrink as incentives and demands change, they said they believe there will always be jobs in the solar industry for those willing to be flexible.

Collardson said they see a lot of long-term promise in their career path in operations and maintenance. "It doesn't matter how much solar we install on the planet — if the solar doesn't work, it doesn't mean anything," they said. "Operations and maintenance providers ensure that the solar is working."

Wendt argued that training in solar now would help people get a head start in an industry that will continue to gain relevance. "You get in on the ground floor of anything that's growing very rapidly, and it's always going to be beneficial," he said.

Pochtaruk said solar is far from a passing trend. "This is not stopping," he said. "This is a force that is changing the way we work, the way we power our life, and, as such, is a great employment opportunity."

• My partner and I started a non-alcoholic drink brand called (parentheses) together.
• At first, we were worried about working together, and didn't want to 'mix business with pleasure.'
• But our relationship had a strong foundation, and it has only gotten stronger.

Almost all business books will tell you not to mix business with pleasure. We're in a place as a society where folks can decide which axioms make sense for our own lives and which just didn't age well. To me, hearing "Don't start a business with your partner" sounds as outdated as "Choose a company with a good pension, and you're set for life." While pensions are a relic in the private sector, US Census data shows that 10% of American businesses are owned by couples. My husband and I are in that 10% — and we're stronger than ever.

Countless couples, friends, and family members run successful businesses together. Complications are bound to arise from all interpersonal relationship dynamics, so why not start a business with someone who knows you inside and out? Someone who understands your tendency to bite off more than you can chew or knows which activities help you relax or possess the skills and knowledge that are so complementary to yours that you decided to make them your person until death do you part. For all the aforementioned reasons, starting a business with my husband has actually strengthened our relationship.

We tried not to work together, but realized it was a great fit

Nick and I actively tried not to work together because we obviously both knew that mixing business with pleasure could be risky. But hey, starting a business is one of the riskiest adventures anyway. Go hard or go home, right? We built such a strong foundation as a couple that the possibility of anything, especially work, breaking down our bond felt overwhelming. Then we asked ourselves an important question: Who else could sell this extremely niche seaweed vinegar non-alcoholic drink we created but us? That realization gave us the courage to start a business together.

We started a non-alcoholic drink brand called (parentheses) that was born out of our own personal recovery journeys. Nick and I met in an AA meeting when we both had a few years of sobriety under our belts. Those years before we met (and after!) were filled with peer support and mental health support, unpacking why we each relied on alcohol so heavily in the past.

In addition to my personal experience, I spent years researching, studying, and interviewing people about how their relationship patterns intersect with their alcohol use while writing a book. Nick and I, like many of my subjects, dealt with the emotional upheaval and required boundary-setting that often comes from changing one's relationship with alcohol. After going through emotional hell and back, creating a marketing plan together or debating over bottle sizes just isn't that big of a deal.

Communication is key

Individually, we've learned healthy coping skills — many of which can be distilled into one word: communication. Learning how to communicate before we met each other makes us a strong couple; identifying and accommodating our individual communication styles makes us excellent business partners.

Clear communication only works when you trust the person you're communicating with. How clear can your communication be without honesty? Nick and I learned that admitting that we needed to reevaluate our relationships with booze requires a great deal of honesty with ourselves and others — a virtue we bring into the ethos of our business. That humility also taught us an even more valuable lesson: It's OK to ask for help.

We ask for help all the time, both as a couple and as business partners. Whether asking for assistance with a project or getting advice from people more established in our industry, we don't feel "weak" for knowing we can't do it all. We know which skills we each have, which skills the other has, and which skills we need to outsource or learn.

Having self-awareness about what we each bring to the table helps us work more efficiently (and happily!). Being stubborn just doesn't work. Trust us; we've tried. We often joke that Nick would rather be covered in vinegar-mother slime while making our drink, and I'd much rather make a TikTok of him covered in said slime.

The arduous work we do in our personal recovery programs teaches us to focus on what we can control. We bring this mindful life approach to running a small business, too. We can control producing our small-batch, artisanal product and creating intentional marketing plans, so that's where the bulk of our energy goes.

We can't control that we're an indie brand swimming in a sea of VC-backed brands. We also can't control who likes or dislikes our drink. There will always be drink brands with more capital and stores that don't want to sell our product. The trick to staying (relatively) sane when working with your spouse or romantic partner is finding the nuggets of controllability when life happens on life's terms. Those nuggets also lead to forming a stronger bond as a couple.

The most important aspect of running a business with a spouse or partner is knowing when to clock out to make time for life's other pleasures. There are evenings when we both feel defeated after a day filled with low sales or getting lost in bureaucratic red tape with the Department of Agriculture that makes us want to scratch our eyes out.

But we have each other, a beautiful home, and fur babies who remind us that being silly can alleviate much of life's stressors. We have our healthy, learned coping skills. And we have a nice drink to sip, reminding us why we decided to sell this thing in the first place. Running a business, especially with your partner, is one day at a time, too.

Japan is one of the leading producers of shiitake mushrooms. These mushrooms are notoriously difficult to cultivate on a commercial scale — especially when using the 1,000-year-old Japanese technique of growing them on logs. In the US, indoor-grown shiitakes sell for upwards of $8 a pound, while forest-grown shiitakes have commanded a much higher price, up to $18 a pound. The most premium shiitake mushrooms are called white flower shiitake, and the forest-grown versions can sell for over $160 a pound. White flower shiitakes have noticeable white cracks on the caps and a strong flavor, but even just a few drops of rain can ruin them. Here's why forest-grown shiitake mushrooms are so expensive.

• Jensen Huang is becoming more of a household name as Nvidia's value skyrockets amid the AI boom.
• The CEO has some unusual management practices, including having 50 direct reports and no 1-on-1s.
• Here are some of Huang's most notable tips when it comes to business leadership and management.

Nvidia overtook Apple and Microsoft separately earlier this month to briefly become the world's most valuable company.

With the AI chip company's stock skyrocketing, Huang has also seen his fame — and fortune — grow, and there are plenty of eyes on him to see how he runs one of the world's biggest companies.

Here is some of Huang's most notable advice for leading teams and managing a business.

Manage a lot of people

Huang believes a CEO should have more direct reports than anyone else in an organization. He, in fact, has more than 50 direct reports, considered an unusually high number for any manager.

"The more direct reports the CEO has, the less layers are in the company," Huang said in an interview at The New York Times DealBook Summit in 2023. "It allows us to keep information fluid, allows us to make sure that everyone is empowered by information."

Management exists "in service of all the other people that work at the company," he said in a separate interview with Stanford's Graduate School of Business earlier this year.

"I don't believe in a culture, in an environment, where the information you possess is the reason why you have power," he said.

Skip the 1:1 meetings

Huang has said he doesn't have one-on-one meetings with his many direct reports.

"Almost everything that I say, I say to everybody all at the same time," he said at Stripe Sessions 2024. "I don't really believe there's any information that I operate on that somehow only one or two people should hear about."

Give feedback publicly

In the same vein, Huang also believes in giving someone feedback in front of their peers.

"The problem I have with one-on-ones and taking feedback aside is you deprive a whole bunch of people that same learning," he said at Stripe Sessions. "Feedback is learning. For what reason are you the only person who should learn this?"

He added the learning from other people's mistakes is "the best way to learn.

"Why learn from your own mistakes? Why learn from your own embarrassment? You've got to learn from other people's embarrassment," he said.

Communicate briefly and often

Nvidia employees can expect to receive a lot of emails from their chief executive. Huang sends his staff hundreds of emails a day, many of which are only a few words long, The New Yorker reported last year.

He expects employees to keep their email communications just as concise.

One former Nvidia worker told Business Insider's Jyoti Mann that "you'd get in trouble for sending a super-long email to him."

"The idea was to nail down what you have to say, send it, and if he, or others, need more information, then it's a conversation, not another email," the former Nvidian said.

Show your work

Huang believes showing others how you reason through a problem is "empowering."

"I show people how to reason through things all the time — strategy things, how to forecast something, how to break a problem down, and you're just empowering people all over the place," he said in the Stanford Graduate School of Business interview.

He continued: "If you send me something and you want my input on it and I can be of service to you and in my review of it, share with you how I reasoned through it, I've made a contribution to you. I've made it possible to see how I reason through something."

That can lead to a lightbulb moment.

"You go, 'Oh my gosh. That's how you reason through something like this. It's not as complicated as it seems.'"

• An economist has said, "AI won't take your job, it's somebody using AI that will take your job."
• AI seems to be a positive for many workers, but some roles are more at risk of replacement.
• Experts advise skilling up and leaning into soft human skills as AI becomes embedded in work life.

You may have heard a version of the phrase, "AI won't take your job, it's somebody using AI that will take your job."

Economist Richard Baldwin said the phrase at the 2023 World Economic Forum's Growth Summit, and variations of it have been mentioned since as people discuss the potential impacts of AI.

Baldwin told BI he wasn't sure if he coined the phrase, but the message is that AI won't replace humans, but it will give those who embrace it an advantage in the workforce.

In the 12 months since Baldwin shared his perspective, interest in artificial intelligence has only increased. A recent survey by consulting firm Bain & Company found that 85% of the companies surveyed said adopting AI was a top-five priority.

As companies ramp up their AI offerings and begin restructuring their workforce, many are revisiting the question of whether AI will be a job killer or an enhancer.

While it's still the early days of AI, we asked experts to weigh in. Should you be more worried about losing your job to a human using AI or to the AI itself?

Workers already see the benefit of AI at this stage

Baldwin said that AI is like a lawn mower or a power drill — it makes your job easier but it doesn't replace the human behind it. Other experts seemed to share a similar mindset that it's not advanced enough to function without direction, and for the most part, it helps people do better at their jobs.

Jasmine Escalera, a career coach at LiveCareer said incorporating AI can help automate repetitive tasks and "free up time to focus on upskilling."

Matt Betts, a research and development lead at leadership consulting firm RHR International, says it helps create efficiency so that consultants can focus on more impactful work, like interacting with the client.

Data has shown a similar trend that AI has helped many workers produce high-quality work in a shorter amount of time.

One study by MIT and Stanford from 2023 found that access to AI increased productivity by 14% on average, with a 34% impact on new or lower-skilled workers. A Morgan Stanley report indicated that workers with multiple income streams who used generative AI to increase their productivity made 21% more on average than those who didn't.

AI may also be helping people land jobs. Career service LiveCareer surveyed 1,150 US workers in March and found that 85% of job seekers save time using AI for writing applications and 40% think AI improves their grammar, writing, and vocabulary.

The loss of some jobs is inevitable

AI has already redefined a number of roles and even if it doesn't take all jobs, it's bound to replace some.

IBM used to have 800 people working in HR and now has 60 because it was able to automate repetitive tasks, according to the company's marketing chief.

Klarna seems to be following a similar trajectory. The company said in a blog post in February that its AI assistant was doing the work of "700 full-time agents" after pumping the brakes on hiring.

OpenAI CTO Mira Murati also weighed in on the topic at a Dartmouth event on June 8 and turned heads when she said some creative jobs may disappear, but those that could be replaced by AI "shouldn't have been there in the first place."

Carl Benedikt Frey, a director of future and work at Oxford University, said that transportation and logistics are most likely to see outright automation moving forward. He also said warehousing, manufacturing, receptionists, cashiers, and translators are also roles that are moving toward automation or semi-automation.

It's a good idea to skill up

A March Goldman Sachs report found over 300 million jobs around the world could be impacted by AI. But it's impossible to predict how exactly they will change.

Career coach Escalera said the best path forward is to lean into human soft skills while skilling up and "adopting a mindset of continuous learning." For some who are hiring, AI is becoming a prerequisite.

Tripadvisor cofounder Steve Kaufer said on "The Logan Bartlett Show" that he asked candidates during interviews if they tried out new AI chatbots. He said software engineers who didn't experiment with AI tools usually didn't get the job.

"I just don't understand it," Kaufer said. "And I probably don't want to work with that individual."

CEO of global event company Empire Entertainment, J.B. Miller, said it's an "essential new skill set," especially in an industry that involves improvising. He said it cuts down time and helps with generating ideas for set designs and talent sourcing. He asks all new hires what AI tools they use.

"There's no world where I could employ somebody who's like, I don't know how to use Excel or I don't know how to navigate the internet or do an internet search or something online like that," Miller said.

"I think that the same is true of some of these basic, AI tools," he added.