California
Police pull over a self-driving Waymo for an illegal U-turn,
but they can’t ticket
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Police in Northern California were understandably perplexed when they pulled over a Waymo taxi after it made an illegal U-turn, only to find no driver behind the wheel and therefore, no one to ticket.
The San Bruno Police Department wrote in now viral weekend social media posts that officers were conducting a DUI operation early Saturday morning when a self-driving Waymo made the illegal turn in front of them.
Officers stopped the vehicle, but declined to write a ticket as their “citation books don’t have a box for ‘robot’.”
“That’s right … no driver, no hands, no clue,” read the post, which was accompanied by photos of an officer peering into the car.
Officers contacted Waymo to report what they called a “glitch,” and in the post, they said they hope reprogramming will deter more illegal moves.
The department’s Facebook post has generated more than 500 comments, with many people outraged that police didn’t ticket the company. People also wanted to know how police got the car to pull over.
But San Bruno Sgt. Scott Smithmatungol said they can only ticket a human driver or operator for a moving violation, unlike parking tickets that can be left with the vehicle.
A new state law that kicks in next year will allow police to report moving violations to the Department of Motor Vehicles, which is figuring out the specifics, including potential penalties, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Waymo spokesperson Julia Ilina told the LA Times that the company’s autonomous driving system is closely monitored by regulators. “We are looking into this situation and are committed to improving road safety through our ongoing learnings and experience,” Ilina said.
New York
FTC sues Zillow and Redfin over deal it accuses of
supers competition in rental ads
NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is suing Zillow and Redfin, accusing the real estate companies of entering what the regulator says is an illegal deal to suppress competition in online rental advertising.
In a lawsuit filed on Tuesday, the FTC alleges that this agreement started in February — when Zillow paid Redfin $100 million. In exchange for that and other compensation, the commission said, Redfin agreed to end contracts with advertising partners, stop competing ads for multifamily properties for up to nine years and serve as a syndicator of Zillow listings on its own sites.
Redfin also fired hundreds of employees shortly after the announcement of this plan, Tuesday’s complaint notes, alleging that the company also helped Zillow hire “its pick” of these workers.
“Zillow paid millions of dollars to eliminate Redfin as an independent competitor in an already concentrated advertising market — one that’s critical for renters, property managers, and the health of the overall U.S. housing market,” Daniel Guarnera, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Competition, said in a statement Tuesday.
Guarnera added that Zillow and Redfin’s actions were a violation of federal antitrust laws. The Commission argues that the companies’ “unlawful scheme” maybe reduce incentives for further competition, and could lead to higher prices and fewer choices for multifamily rental advertising customers.
In a statement, a Zillow spokesperson maintained that its “listing syndication with Redfin benefits both renters and property managers” — adding that it had “expanded renters’ access to multifamily listings.” The Seattle-based company said the agreement was “pro-competitive and pro-consumer.”
A spokesperson for Redfin, which was acquired by Detroit-based mortgage giant Rocket Companies earlier this year, added that the company “strongly disagrees with the FTC’s allegations” and was confident about prevailing in court. Redfin reiterated the Zillow partnership had given its users access to more rental listings and advertising customers access to more renters — noting that by the end of 2024, the company had determined that its own number of advertising customers “couldn’t justify the cost of maintaining our rentals sales force.”
The FTC still maintains that the agreement isn’t the partnership Redfin and Zillow say it is. The Commission, which authorized filing Tuesday’s complaint in a 3-0 vote, is seeking to get the companies to end this deal, in addition to other relief from the court — such as potential divestiture of assets or business reconstruction “to restore the competition.”
California
LA County will pay $20M to settle lawsuit over
death of 4-year-old boy who was tortured
PALMDALE, Calif. (AP) — Los Angeles County will pay $20 million to the family of a 4-year-old boy who was tortured to death by his parents six years ago in a case that brought scrutiny of the region’s child welfare system.
Noah Cuatro died at a hospital in 2019, days before his fifth birthday, after being found motionless at the family’s apartment in Palmdale, north of LA. His parents, Jose Maria Cuatro Jr. and Ursula Elaine Juarez, later pleaded no contest to murder and torture charges.
The boy’s great-grandmother, Eva Hernandez, sued the county’s Department of Children and Family Services in 2020, alleging the agency failed to keep Noah safe. Cuatro had been under department supervision from the time he was born because his mother had been accused of fracturing his half-sister’s skull.
The Los Angeles Times reported the department had ignored a court order giving it 10 days to get Noah away from his parents and seen by a doctor after multiple reports of neglect and abuse.
The child welfare department said since Noah’s death it has hired thousands of social workers to decrease caseloads and has retrained staffers on interviewing techniques and use of forensic exams.
“It is DCFS’ hope that this resolution gives Noah’s family a sense of peace,” the department said in a statement. “DCFS remains committed to learning from the past, improving its work, and operating with transparency.”
Attorney Brian Claypool, who represented Cuatro’s family in the lawsuit, told the Times that Noah’s death was a direct result of the county failing to follow the court order to remove him from his parents.
County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, whose district includes Palmdale, said she hopes the settlement announced Tuesday will provide “some measure of support” to help Noah’s surviving siblings and other family members heal.
Police pull over a self-driving Waymo for an illegal U-turn,
but they can’t ticket
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Police in Northern California were understandably perplexed when they pulled over a Waymo taxi after it made an illegal U-turn, only to find no driver behind the wheel and therefore, no one to ticket.
The San Bruno Police Department wrote in now viral weekend social media posts that officers were conducting a DUI operation early Saturday morning when a self-driving Waymo made the illegal turn in front of them.
Officers stopped the vehicle, but declined to write a ticket as their “citation books don’t have a box for ‘robot’.”
“That’s right … no driver, no hands, no clue,” read the post, which was accompanied by photos of an officer peering into the car.
Officers contacted Waymo to report what they called a “glitch,” and in the post, they said they hope reprogramming will deter more illegal moves.
The department’s Facebook post has generated more than 500 comments, with many people outraged that police didn’t ticket the company. People also wanted to know how police got the car to pull over.
But San Bruno Sgt. Scott Smithmatungol said they can only ticket a human driver or operator for a moving violation, unlike parking tickets that can be left with the vehicle.
A new state law that kicks in next year will allow police to report moving violations to the Department of Motor Vehicles, which is figuring out the specifics, including potential penalties, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Waymo spokesperson Julia Ilina told the LA Times that the company’s autonomous driving system is closely monitored by regulators. “We are looking into this situation and are committed to improving road safety through our ongoing learnings and experience,” Ilina said.
New York
FTC sues Zillow and Redfin over deal it accuses of
supers competition in rental ads
NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is suing Zillow and Redfin, accusing the real estate companies of entering what the regulator says is an illegal deal to suppress competition in online rental advertising.
In a lawsuit filed on Tuesday, the FTC alleges that this agreement started in February — when Zillow paid Redfin $100 million. In exchange for that and other compensation, the commission said, Redfin agreed to end contracts with advertising partners, stop competing ads for multifamily properties for up to nine years and serve as a syndicator of Zillow listings on its own sites.
Redfin also fired hundreds of employees shortly after the announcement of this plan, Tuesday’s complaint notes, alleging that the company also helped Zillow hire “its pick” of these workers.
“Zillow paid millions of dollars to eliminate Redfin as an independent competitor in an already concentrated advertising market — one that’s critical for renters, property managers, and the health of the overall U.S. housing market,” Daniel Guarnera, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Competition, said in a statement Tuesday.
Guarnera added that Zillow and Redfin’s actions were a violation of federal antitrust laws. The Commission argues that the companies’ “unlawful scheme” maybe reduce incentives for further competition, and could lead to higher prices and fewer choices for multifamily rental advertising customers.
In a statement, a Zillow spokesperson maintained that its “listing syndication with Redfin benefits both renters and property managers” — adding that it had “expanded renters’ access to multifamily listings.” The Seattle-based company said the agreement was “pro-competitive and pro-consumer.”
A spokesperson for Redfin, which was acquired by Detroit-based mortgage giant Rocket Companies earlier this year, added that the company “strongly disagrees with the FTC’s allegations” and was confident about prevailing in court. Redfin reiterated the Zillow partnership had given its users access to more rental listings and advertising customers access to more renters — noting that by the end of 2024, the company had determined that its own number of advertising customers “couldn’t justify the cost of maintaining our rentals sales force.”
The FTC still maintains that the agreement isn’t the partnership Redfin and Zillow say it is. The Commission, which authorized filing Tuesday’s complaint in a 3-0 vote, is seeking to get the companies to end this deal, in addition to other relief from the court — such as potential divestiture of assets or business reconstruction “to restore the competition.”
California
LA County will pay $20M to settle lawsuit over
death of 4-year-old boy who was tortured
PALMDALE, Calif. (AP) — Los Angeles County will pay $20 million to the family of a 4-year-old boy who was tortured to death by his parents six years ago in a case that brought scrutiny of the region’s child welfare system.
Noah Cuatro died at a hospital in 2019, days before his fifth birthday, after being found motionless at the family’s apartment in Palmdale, north of LA. His parents, Jose Maria Cuatro Jr. and Ursula Elaine Juarez, later pleaded no contest to murder and torture charges.
The boy’s great-grandmother, Eva Hernandez, sued the county’s Department of Children and Family Services in 2020, alleging the agency failed to keep Noah safe. Cuatro had been under department supervision from the time he was born because his mother had been accused of fracturing his half-sister’s skull.
The Los Angeles Times reported the department had ignored a court order giving it 10 days to get Noah away from his parents and seen by a doctor after multiple reports of neglect and abuse.
The child welfare department said since Noah’s death it has hired thousands of social workers to decrease caseloads and has retrained staffers on interviewing techniques and use of forensic exams.
“It is DCFS’ hope that this resolution gives Noah’s family a sense of peace,” the department said in a statement. “DCFS remains committed to learning from the past, improving its work, and operating with transparency.”
Attorney Brian Claypool, who represented Cuatro’s family in the lawsuit, told the Times that Noah’s death was a direct result of the county failing to follow the court order to remove him from his parents.
County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, whose district includes Palmdale, said she hopes the settlement announced Tuesday will provide “some measure of support” to help Noah’s surviving siblings and other family members heal.
