The FAA has approved the use of a parachute-equipped drone for use over gatherings of people without waivers. It's the first such approval for drones and the key is the parachute, which was developed by Aerial Vehicle Safety Solutions. In this case the chute is on a DJI M3D or M3TD and can fly over people without restriction. The company is now working on expanding the list of drones that can gain that flexibility with the parachute.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/parachute-equipped-drones-can-fly-over-crowds