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Why Waymo cars became sitting ducks during the L.A. protests

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Why Waymo cars became sitting ducks during the L.A. protests

Engineers working on self-driving technology have given a lot of thought to difficult questions over the years, including how to keep pedestrians safe and how to avoid collisions with other vehicles. But last weekend's protests in Los Angeles threw a spotlight on one of the thorny problems that remain for autonomous vehicles: what to do about arson, vandalism or other physical attacks. Five vehicles owned by Google's self-driving spinoff Waymo were set ablaze last Sunday during protests against the Trump administration's immigration policies. Images and video of the flaming cars quickly went viral, illustrating for a global audience how vulnerable robotaxis can be in volatile situations. For all their advanced technology, including expensive cameras and sensors, the cars seemed to be defenseless. Waymo says the five cars were in downtown Los Angeles to serve passengers when they were attacked. There were no drivers to plead for mercy, and with crowds surrounding the vehicles, there was no escape path that didn't include threatening pedestrians — something Waymo vehicles are programmed not to do. 'They're very much sitting ducks,' said Jeff Fong, who has worked at tech companies including Lyft and Postmates and now writes a newsletter about cities and technology. And it wasn't the first time Waymo was a victim of arson. Last year, a Waymo in San Francisco's Chinatown was set on fire during Lunar New Year celebrations. Police later charged a juvenile with starting the blaze, saying they had thrown a lit firework into the vehicle. Waymos have been vandalized in other ways, too, including having their tires slashed, their windshields smashed, their doors torn off and their exteriors defaced with spray paint. Local prosecutors have charged individuals in at least some cases. Part of what makes robotaxis vulnerable is their caution. While it's impossible to know if a human driver behind the steering wheel could have deterred or escaped vandalism in any specific case involving a robotaxi, driverless vehicles are generally designed to stay put if there's any risk that they'd hit a person while moving. 'There's been so much effort into making sure they can't hurt human beings,' Fong said. 'That's the problem Waymo has been solving for, rightfully so, but when you have the problem where a human wants to do harm, these cars have no countermeasures.' Autonomous technology companies, including Waymo, appear to be largely at a loss for ideas on how to deter vandalism over the long term. Their cameras may be a partial deterrent — Waymo says each of its cars has 29 cameras — and the company has cooperated with police to help find vandalism suspects after the fact. But Waymo's collection of street data through its cameras and sensors is also one of the sources of anger against the company and other startups like it. Some Uber and Lyft drivers have said that vandalism incidents bolster the importance of human drivers as a deterrent. A spokesperson for Waymo said that in response to the protests in Los Angeles and elsewhere, it was temporarily adjusting its service area. Waymo declined to make anyone available for an interview about the problems of arson and vandalism and how the company plans to deal with such incidents in the long term. The vandalism problem is mostly limited for now to Waymo, which is the biggest self-driving car company. It has about 1,500 vehicles operating in four regions, with additional cities scheduled to come online this year. But the market is set to become more competitive soon, with Tesla saying it plans to launch a robotaxi service this month in Austin, Texas, and Amazon-backed Zoox planning a service in Las Vegas and San Francisco. Representatives for Tesla and Zoox did not respond to requests for comment about how they plan to avoid incidents like last Sunday's attack on Waymo vehicles. The problem has been gnawing at robotaxi fans on message boards on Reddit. In one thread in January, users tossed around ideas like having dedicated security on motorcycles nearby or equipping Waymo vehicles with pepper spray. Adam Millard-Ball, director of the UCLA Institute of Transportation Studies, said that robotaxis are a symbolic target for some street demonstrators. 'They're attacked not because they're autonomous cars but because they're a symbol of inequality in cities and a symbol of the power of large technology companies,' he said. He noted that electric scooters are also sometimes targets. He also said it's hard to imagine what the companies, police or city officials could do to eliminate the threat entirely. 'I don't think any country in the world has eliminated vandalism in public spaces,' he said. The incidents are problematic for Waymo on multiple levels: not only the cost of repairing or replacing the vehicles, but also the reputational risk when images and videos spread widely online. There's also the possible danger to passengers. And although no passengers were harmed in the arson incidents, some passengers have been delayed or reported feeling threatened when the cars they were riding in were vandalized from the outside. Last year, a San Francisco woman posted a video online after she said two men targeted her while riding in a Waymo. Then there's the lost business from what Waymo calls 'temporary service adjustments.' In Los Angeles and San Francisco this past week, Waymo stopped serving certain areas that are part of its normal service area. People using the company's app in recent days were greeted with a message, alluding to the street protests: 'Pickup times and routing may be affected by local events. Thank you for your patience.' In San Francisco, that meant Waymo refused to take customers through or to several neighborhoods, including parts of the Financial District, the Civic Center area near City Hall and the sprawling South of Market neighborhood. Waymo also limited service to the Mission District, a historically working-class and Latino neighborhood that's also home now to many tech workers and a vibrant nightlife scene. Thousands of people attended an anti-President Trump protest in the Mission on Monday night, and the effects on Waymo reverberated for days: A post on X with an example of rerouting around the Mission went viral Wednesday, getting 1.2 million views. Searches of the Waymo app by NBC News showed the service continuing to refuse service to parts of the Mission throughout the week, including during relatively quiet morning hours and on Friday. The app labeled certain destinations as 'unreachable.' A Waymo spokesperson said: 'We're taking these heightened measures now out of an abundance of caution.' They said the situation was temporary and subject to change quickly in response to conditions on the ground. Waymo hasn't published a map of which areas are restricted. Mass anti-Trump protests advocating for 'No Kings' are scheduled for Saturday nationwide, providing another potential disruption for robotaxis. Though the service restrictions may be temporary, they struck some people as discriminatory against poorer neighborhoods, with some social media users on X calling the practice 'redlining' on the part of Waymo. The term refers to the decadeslong practice of refusing home loans to predominantly Black neighborhoods. In contrast, ride-hailing services Uber and Lyft, which use human drivers, still offered rides to the Mission in recent days, according to NBC News searches of their apps. San Francisco's Municipal Transportation Agency rerouted some buses during the height of anti-Trump administration protests, but then resumed regular service. There have been no arrests for the attacks on Waymo vehicles in Los Angeles last Sunday. On Friday, the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) said it was taking the lead in investigating the Waymo attacks, making them the subject of a federal investigation. 'The cause of these fires is quite obvious,' ATF special agent in charge Kenneth Cooper of the Los Angeles Field Division said in a statement. 'The task at hand now is to determine who is responsible. ATF's National Response Team is going to be a tremendous asset, and we look forward to the results of their efforts to hold the responsible parties accountable,' he said. This article was originally published on

Iran Fires Hundreds of Missiles at Israel as Conflict Escalates

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Iran Fires Hundreds of Missiles at Israel as Conflict Escalates

(Bloomberg) -- Iran fired hundreds of ballistic missiles at Israel in response to an unprecedented attack on its nuclear facilities, escalating a conflict between sworn enemies that threatens to engulf the oil-rich Middle East. Shuttered NY College Has Alumni Fighting Over Its Future Trump's Military Parade Has Washington Bracing for Tanks and Weaponry NYC Renters Brace for Price Hikes After Broker-Fee Ban Do World's Fairs Still Matter? As Part of a $45 Billion Push, ICE Prepares for a Vast Expansion of Detention Space The Islamic Republic targeted Israel with 200 missiles and about 200 drones in four waves of strikes starting Friday evening, according to Israel's military, some of which breached the country's air defenses. US forces helped shoot down the projectiles. Israel maintained its own airstrikes into Saturday, and Defense Minister Israel Katz warned in a statement that 'Tehran will burn' if Iran's assault continues. The intensity of the fighting represents a turning point for both Israel and Iran, testing new limits in terms of their aggression and willingness to escalate. When the pair targeted each other on two occasions last year, there was a greater time lag and a sense that after an exchange of fire, there would be a détente. Israel has indicated this operation — aimed at derailing Iran's nuclear ambitions — could last for weeks, while Tehran has signaled no letup in its retaliation. Three people were killed in the Tel Aviv area and at least 40 were injured in multiple strikes, according to police and emergency services. There was video footage of at least one large explosion in Tel Aviv and reports of blasts over Jerusalem. The full extent of the damage is still being assessed. Israel's air defense systems, including the Iron Dome and David's Sling, boast an interception rate upward of 90%. If combined at varying altitudes, the chance of a successful shoot-down increases exponentially. Israel, which killed top Iranian generals and badly damaged key military infrastructure with its first strikes overnight Thursday, targeted Iran's defense systems on Friday and early Saturday. Four sites in the East Azerbaijan province were struck on Saturday, while several residential buildings in Tehran's suburbs have been hit, according to Iranian media. Tehran's Mehrabad International Airport, where Iran's air force has a base and Iran Air, the national carrier, is headquartered, also came under attack, the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency reported. Amir Saeid Iravani, Iran's ambassador to the United Nations, said 78 people have been killed and more than 320 wounded so far across the country. More than 200 aircraft participated in Israel's initial operation that hit around 100 locations, and another 50 have been struck since then. Markets have taken another hit from the surge in tensions: The S&P 500 lost more than 1% on Friday, wiping out this week's advance. West Texas Intermediate crude futures surged more than 7%, the most since March 2022. Gold and the dollar rose. The fighting casts doubt on the future of US negotiations with Iran on a diplomatic solution to the standoff over Tehran's atomic activities. The two sides have held five rounds of talks on a deal to impose restrictions in exchange for sanctions relief, but an agreement hasn't been reached. 'The other side has done something that makes dialog meaningless,' Esmaeil Baghaei, a spokesman for Iran's foreign ministry, said, although he didn't specify whether renewed negotiations scheduled to take place in Oman on Sunday would be called off. 'The attack on Iran's nuclear facilities will undoubtedly influence the country's future nuclear strategy,' Seyed Hossein Mousavian, Iran's former nuclear negotiator, posted on X. 'In fact, NATO, Israel, and the International Atomic Energy Agency have all played a role in paving the way for this strategic shift.' Further escalation — particularly any targeting of American military or diplomatic facilities in the region — could rally domestic political support for Iran's rulers and dramatically intensify the conflict. It's unclear if Tehran is entertaining last-resort options — such as blocking the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's vital oil arteries, a scenario that would ratchet up concern among investors. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed to 'act forcefully' in a pre-recorded video message carried by state TV. Israel 'should not think that it is over. We won't allow them to escape unscathed from this great crime they have committed,' he said in a statement released after Iran started its retaliation. The semi-official Fars news agency citied an unnamed military official as saying the conflict will soon 'expand' beyond Israel to US bases in the region. So far, Iran has chosen to keep the US out of the conflict — a decision that an analysis by Bloomberg Economics suggested was the most likely since Tehran can't afford to go to war with the world's biggest economy and most powerful military. The damage to Iran's military command structure is considerable. The head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Hossein Salami, and the military's chief of staff, Mohammad Bagheri, were both killed in Israeli strikes. At least two other senior IRGC members died and several nuclear facilities were targeted. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' Aerospace division, was also slain, Iranian state TV reported. While Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Friday's attacks have derailed diplomacy, officials in the region are still pushing for a deescalation. In a phone call with Araghchi, UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan called for 'the highest degrees of self-restraint' to prevent the circle of the conflict from widening. And Oman said its foreign minister is in contact with relevant countries to contain the 'tensions and the dangerous military escalation in the region caused by Israel's direct attacks on Iran,' according to the state-run news agency. Meanwhile, with the Group of Seven leaders gathering in the Canadian Rockies, the attention will focus on US President Donald Trump's reaction. Going into the summit, there was a common desire to keep fraught geopolitical issues off the table, but that will be difficult given the knock-on effects of a spike in oil prices on inflation and energy exports. The region is a big crossroads for shipping of oil and consumer goods, and any all-out war will further strain a global trading system disrupted by the trade tensions. Trump gave brief phone interviews to a smattering of journalists, but otherwise didn't take to the cameras to make public remarks. He warned Iran on social media to make a deal 'before it is too late.' Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Trump spoke by phone Friday to discuss the conflict, according to a White House official. --With assistance from Eltaf Najafizada, Galit Altstein, Jonathan Tirone, Dan Williams and Ethan Bronner. (Updates with details on strikes starting in second paragraph, comment from Israeli defense minister in third.) American Mid: Hampton Inn's Good-Enough Formula for World Domination The Spying Scandal Rocking the World of HR Software New Grads Join Worst Entry-Level Job Market in Years As Companies Abandon Climate Pledges, Is There a Silver Lining? US Tariffs Threaten to Derail Vietnam's Historic Industrial Boom ©2025 Bloomberg L.P. 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Iran Fires Hundreds of Missiles at Israel as Conflict Escalates

(Bloomberg) -- Iran fired hundreds of ballistic missiles at Israel in response to an unprecedented attack on its nuclear facilities, escalating a conflict between sworn enemies that threatens to engulf the oil-rich Middle East. Shuttered NY College Has Alumni Fighting Over Its Future Trump's Military Parade Has Washington Bracing for Tanks and Weaponry NYC Renters Brace for Price Hikes After Broker-Fee Ban Do World's Fairs Still Matter? As Part of a $45 Billion Push, ICE Prepares for a Vast Expansion of Detention Space The Islamic Republic targeted Israel with 200 missiles and about 200 drones in four waves of strikes starting Friday evening, according to Israel's military, some of which breached the country's air defenses. US forces helped shoot down the projectiles. Israel maintained its own airstrikes into Saturday, and Defense Minister Israel Katz warned in a statement that 'Tehran will burn' if Iran's assault continues. The intensity of the fighting represents a turning point for both Israel and Iran, testing new limits in terms of their aggression and willingness to escalate. When the pair targeted each other on two occasions last year, there was a greater time lag and a sense that after an exchange of fire, there would be a détente. Israel has indicated this operation — aimed at derailing Iran's nuclear ambitions — could last for weeks, while Tehran has signaled no letup in its retaliation. Three people were killed in the Tel Aviv area and at least 40 were injured in multiple strikes, according to police and emergency services. There was video footage of at least one large explosion in Tel Aviv and reports of blasts over Jerusalem. The full extent of the damage is still being assessed. Israel's air defense systems, including the Iron Dome and David's Sling, boast an interception rate upward of 90%. If combined at varying altitudes, the chance of a successful shoot-down increases exponentially. Israel, which killed top Iranian generals and badly damaged key military infrastructure with its first strikes overnight Thursday, targeted Iran's defense systems on Friday and early Saturday. Four sites in the East Azerbaijan province were struck on Saturday, while several residential buildings in Tehran's suburbs have been hit, according to Iranian media. Tehran's Mehrabad International Airport, where Iran's air force has a base and Iran Air, the national carrier, is headquartered, also came under attack, the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency reported. Amir Saeid Iravani, Iran's ambassador to the United Nations, said 78 people have been killed and more than 320 wounded so far across the country. More than 200 aircraft participated in Israel's initial operation that hit around 100 locations, and another 50 have been struck since then. Markets have taken another hit from the surge in tensions: The S&P 500 lost more than 1% on Friday, wiping out this week's advance. West Texas Intermediate crude futures surged more than 7%, the most since March 2022. Gold and the dollar rose. The fighting casts doubt on the future of US negotiations with Iran on a diplomatic solution to the standoff over Tehran's atomic activities. The two sides have held five rounds of talks on a deal to impose restrictions in exchange for sanctions relief, but an agreement hasn't been reached. 'The other side has done something that makes dialog meaningless,' Esmaeil Baghaei, a spokesman for Iran's foreign ministry, said, although he didn't specify whether renewed negotiations scheduled to take place in Oman on Sunday would be called off. 'The attack on Iran's nuclear facilities will undoubtedly influence the country's future nuclear strategy,' Seyed Hossein Mousavian, Iran's former nuclear negotiator, posted on X. 'In fact, NATO, Israel, and the International Atomic Energy Agency have all played a role in paving the way for this strategic shift.' Further escalation — particularly any targeting of American military or diplomatic facilities in the region — could rally domestic political support for Iran's rulers and dramatically intensify the conflict. It's unclear if Tehran is entertaining last-resort options — such as blocking the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's vital oil arteries, a scenario that would ratchet up concern among investors. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed to 'act forcefully' in a pre-recorded video message carried by state TV. Israel 'should not think that it is over. We won't allow them to escape unscathed from this great crime they have committed,' he said in a statement released after Iran started its retaliation. The semi-official Fars news agency citied an unnamed military official as saying the conflict will soon 'expand' beyond Israel to US bases in the region. So far, Iran has chosen to keep the US out of the conflict — a decision that an analysis by Bloomberg Economics suggested was the most likely since Tehran can't afford to go to war with the world's biggest economy and most powerful military. The damage to Iran's military command structure is considerable. The head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Hossein Salami, and the military's chief of staff, Mohammad Bagheri, were both killed in Israeli strikes. At least two other senior IRGC members died and several nuclear facilities were targeted. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' Aerospace division, was also slain, Iranian state TV reported. While Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Friday's attacks have derailed diplomacy, officials in the region are still pushing for a deescalation. In a phone call with Araghchi, UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan called for 'the highest degrees of self-restraint' to prevent the circle of the conflict from widening. And Oman said its foreign minister is in contact with relevant countries to contain the 'tensions and the dangerous military escalation in the region caused by Israel's direct attacks on Iran,' according to the state-run news agency. Meanwhile, with the Group of Seven leaders gathering in the Canadian Rockies, the attention will focus on US President Donald Trump's reaction. Going into the summit, there was a common desire to keep fraught geopolitical issues off the table, but that will be difficult given the knock-on effects of a spike in oil prices on inflation and energy exports. The region is a big crossroads for shipping of oil and consumer goods, and any all-out war will further strain a global trading system disrupted by the trade tensions. Trump gave brief phone interviews to a smattering of journalists, but otherwise didn't take to the cameras to make public remarks. He warned Iran on social media to make a deal 'before it is too late.' Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Trump spoke by phone Friday to discuss the conflict, according to a White House official. --With assistance from Eltaf Najafizada, Galit Altstein, Jonathan Tirone, Dan Williams and Ethan Bronner. (Updates with details on strikes starting in second paragraph, comment from Israeli defense minister in third.) American Mid: Hampton Inn's Good-Enough Formula for World Domination The Spying Scandal Rocking the World of HR Software New Grads Join Worst Entry-Level Job Market in Years As Companies Abandon Climate Pledges, Is There a Silver Lining? US Tariffs Threaten to Derail Vietnam's Historic Industrial Boom ©2025 Bloomberg L.P.

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Why Waymo cars became sitting ducks during the L.A. protests

Iran Fires Hundreds of Missiles at Israel as Conflict Escalates

Iran Fires Hundreds of Missiles at Israel as Conflict Escalates

Seattle police searching for suspect after shooting on Aurora Ave.

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Why Waymo cars became sitting ducks during the L.A. protests

Iran Fires Hundreds of Missiles at Israel as Conflict Escalates

Iran Fires Hundreds of Missiles at Israel as Conflict Escalates

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