<iframe width="560" height="315" src="
frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Waymo debuted its self-driving minivan taxis in Phoenix, AZ metropolitan area.
- Test riders can sign up for free on Waymo's website as part of the company's program to catalog how people will use the service.
- A human driver will be behind the wheel at all times, but the vehicle will drive with as little human intervention as possible.
- Waymo is a spin-off from Google, the descendant of Google's long-running self-driving car program.
For more: Waymo’s self-driving minivans are now offering rides to real people in Arizona (The Verge)
Twelve things you need to know about driverless cars (The Guardian)
Canada's largest mortgage lender, Home Capital Group, crashes most in history after deposits dropped by 25%
- An emergency credit agreement made with an anonymous lender totals around $1.5B (USD), with a 22.5% effective interest rate on the first $1B (dropping to 15% if the line is fully utilized).
- The credit line effectively doubles available funding, providing a short-term safety net at a high interest rate.
For more: Home Capital Slumps as New Loan Flags ‘Existential Crisis’ (Bloomberg)
Pop Canada’s housing bubble, before it pops the economy (The Globe and Mail)
The Canadian Housing Boom Fueled by China’s Billionaires (Bloomberg)
Russia withdraws half of fighter jets from Syria
- Operational chief cites decrease in the number of terrorist units as catalyst for withdrawal.
- The Russian air group never exceeded 35 planes, and 80 drones.
- Russia has been conducting airstrikes on terrorist groups at the request of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad since late 2015.
For more: Russia Has Withdrawn Almost Half of Its Air Group From Syria's Hmeymim Airbase (Sputnik)
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