A class action lawsuit filed by ticket-holders of the ill-fated Fyre Festival can go forward for now, a judge ruled, while also tossing the fraud claims against rapper and festival promoter Ja Rule.
Federal Judge Kevin Castel ruled that Ja Rule, real name Jeffrey Atkins, and the Fyre Festival's chief marketing officer, Grant Margolin, could not have known the festival was going to devolve into chaos when they were promoting it to wealthy attendees and social-media influencers. He gave plaintiffs three weeks to provide new evidence that Rule and Margolin were party to anything more than marketing "puffery."
Ja Rule was a regular presence in the months leading up to Fyre, alongside Billy MacFarland, the Fyre Festival organizer who is now serving a six-year fraud sentence. The two were captured on video in dueling documentaries on Netflix and Hulu boasting about the success of the 2017 concert in the Bahamas, even in the 24 hours leading up to it, when it became obvious to even casual observers that the festival was doomed.
Judge Castel wrote: "There is no assertion that the Festival when first conceived or introduced to the public was intended not to go forward or that defendants intended not to perform by organizing the advertised amenities and accommodation."
Ja Rule's freedom from legal entanglement with the Fyre Festival may help him as he embarks on his latest business endeavor: a music festival that he says he wants to be just like Fyre, only functional.
Chipmaker Nvidia is poised to release a quarterly report that could provide a better sense of whether the stock market has been riding an overhyped artificial intelligence bubble or is being propelled by a technological boom that’s still gathering momentum.
Cracker Barrel said late Tuesday it’s returning to its old logo after critics — including President Donald Trump — protested the company’s plan to modernize.
Low-value imports are losing their duty-free status in the U.S. this week as part of President Donald Trump's agenda for making the nation less dependent on foreign goods. A widely used customs exemption for international shipments worth $800 or less is set to end starting on Friday. Trump already ended the “de minimis” rule for inexpensive items sent from China and Hong Kong, but having to pay import taxes on small parcels from everywhere else likely will be a big change for some small businesses and online shoppers. Purchases that previously entered the U.S. without needing to clear customs will be subject to the origin country’s tariff rate, which can range from 10% to 50%.
Southwest Airlines will soon require plus-size travelers to pay for an extra seat in advance if they can't fit within the armrests of one seat. This change is part of several updates the airline is making. The new rule starts on Jan. 27, the same day Southwest begins assigning seats. Currently, plus-size passengers can pay for an extra seat in advance and later get a refund, or request a free extra seat at the airport. Under the new policy, refunds are still possible but not guaranteed. Southwest said in a statement it is updating policies to prepare for assigned seating next year.
Cracker Barrel is sticking with its new logo. For now. But the chain is also apologizing to fans who were angered when the change was announced last week.
Elon Musk on Monday targeted Apple and OpenAI in an antitrust lawsuit alleging that the iPhone maker and the ChatGPT maker are teaming up to thwart competition in artificial intelligence.
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