Today is Friday, April 25, 2025.
It is the 115th day of the year.
250 days remain.
WHAT’S ON TAP
NOTABLE & NOTEWORTHY: Semis go driverless in Texas.
GORDON RAMSAY gets swatted and BEN AFFLECK wants to sell, sell, sell. More in SHOWBIZ.
GAYLE KING’s brief flight to space gives her CBS morning show and even briefer ratings boost. Details in CASTING CALL.
PRINCE WILLIAM aims for stability in ROYALS.
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Just a few days after news that BILLY MCFARLAND would sell some of the FYRE brand’s assets to a media entrepreneur, he now says he wants to find a buyer for the whole enchilada.
“Since 2017, FYRE has dominated headlines, documentaries, and conversations as one of the world’s most talked-about music festivals,” McFarland wrote on Instagram, apparently unaware of the negative reasons his project captured so much attention, adding, “We know FYRE is big, but we didn’t realize just how massive the wave would become.”
He added that he wants to sell the entire FYRE Festival’s brand, “including its trademarks, digital assets, media reach, and cultural capital, to an operator that can fully realize its vision.”
McFarland indicated that there will be a second festival somewhere in the Caribbean, but that he’ll have no part of it: “For FYRE Festival 2 to succeed, it’s clear that I need to step back and allow a new team to move the vision independently, bringing to life this incredible island.”
To his credit, he says he remains committed to pay restitution to those who were ripped off the first time around.
If you’re interested in bidding on this Fyre Sale, visit the website >
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A freight company is launching the first-ever route of fully autonomous semi trucks, meaning there will be no driver behind the wheel.
Aurora, a company that’s been developing driverless technology, will deploy its fleet across a 200-mile stretch of freeway connecting Dallas and Houston next month on I-45 – beginning with just one truck. If all goes well, Aurora will add more.
Texas is a popular state for developing and training autonomous vehicle technology, thanks to frequently positive road conditions and agreeable regulatory environment. Another 10 companies say they expect to deploy driverless technology in the state before the end of next year. [via Axios]
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FOLLOW UP: A few weeks ago, news started circulating about a woodpecker damaging a few windshields and windows on cars parked along a sleepy suburban street in Rockport, Massachusetts.
The situation has only gotten worse, with locals saying the bird has now damaged more than two dozen vehicles. One neighbor says, "The woodpecker showed up and landed on the windshield wipers of the RV in our yard and was looking at its reflection. And we were like, 'You know what, I bet he was the one that damaged the mirrors as well.'"
Zoologists maintain that the pesky pecker thinks his own reflection is a male competitor he’s attacking. No word what, if anything, local officials can do to end the nuisance. [via NBC News]
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Two Belgian teenagers will soon learn their fate after being arrested for violating wildlife conservation laws in Kenya.
Lornoy David and Seppe Lodewijckx, both 19, were arrested earlier this month with over 5,000 ants at the guest house they had rented. Valued at over $9,200, the boys were allegedly planning to transport them back home to sell.
The teens claim they didn’t know it was illegal to keep ants. [via AP News]
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Just over 40% of young adult Americans aged 18 to 29 say they’re struggling financially.
Of those, half have no college degree and just over one third are currently enrolled in college.
Participants cited the cost of housing, food, and interest rates for their struggles. [via CNBC]
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