A U.S. judge on Tuesday rejected a $30 billion antitrust settlement in which Visa and Mastercard agreed to limit fees they charge merchants who accept their credit and debit cards. U.S. District Judge Margo Brodie in Brooklyn said she was not likely to grant final approval to the settlement, and therefore denied the request by a group of merchants, primarily small businesses, for preliminary approval. Many merchants and retail trade groups opposed the accord, saying fees would remain too high and that Visa and Mastercard would retain too much control over how card transactions are handled.