Waymo racks up $9,325 in parking fines in Austin since 2024 launch

Summary

• Waymo (GOOG) faces operational challenges in Austin, incurring $9,325 in parking fines since launching its robotaxi service in 2024.
• Nvidia (NVDA) will invest $1B for a 4.5% stake in Naver (NHNCF), supporting Naver's AI factory expansion to 200MW by 2028.

Download this episode on Apple Podcasts / Spotify or listen below:

• Waymo's (GOOG) (GOOGL) costliest stops aren't picking up riders. (00:15)
• Why Nvidia (NVDA) is investing $1B in Naver (NHNCF). (01:09)
• United's (UAL) big merger bid never got airborne. (02:03)

Thanks for joining us this Monday, July 27th. I'm Julie Morgan.

This is an abridged transcript.

Waymo's Parking Woes in Austin

Google's (GOOG) Waymo has accumulated thousands in parking fines in Austin, Texas, since launching its robotaxi service in the city in 2024.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Waymo (WAYMO) vehicles have received 83 parking citations totaling $9,325. The company has paid $7,433, with $1,892 still outstanding as of mid-July 2026.

Most of the citations were for:

• Parking in tow-away zones: 64 violations
• Expired meters: 13 citations
• Double parking: 9 citations
• Disabled parking violation: 1 citation, resulting in a $519 fine

The development comes as U.S. regulators continue to scrutinize autonomous vehicle safety, including guidance on how robotaxis should interact with first responders and safely stop when necessary.

While the fines are modest compared with Austin's overall parking enforcement revenue, they highlight practical challenges for robotaxi operations in an urban environment.

Nvidia Invests $1B in Naver

South Korea's Naver (NHNCF) rose about 10% on Monday on the South Korean exchange.

This happened after Nvidia (NVDA) announced plans to invest $1B for a 4.5% stake in the internet company.

The investment is tied to an expansion of Naver's (NHNCF) AI factory at its GAK Sejong data center in South Korea.

Nvidia (NVDA) will purchase the shares through a private placement at about a 1% discount to the market price, subject to customary closing conditions and Naver (NHNCF) securing additional project financing.

Alternative asset manager Brookfield (BAM) is expected to provide up to $9B in financing for the project, bringing the total planned investment to as much as $10B.

The expanded AI factory is expected to reach 200 megawatts by 2028 and will use Nvidia's (NVDA) Blackwell and Vera Rubin AI platforms.

United Airlines Explored Merger with Delta

United Airlines (UAL) quietly explored a merger with Delta Air Lines last year, but preliminary discussions between the two carriers ended without progressing, The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday.

United (UAL) CEO Scott Kirby approached Delta (DAL) CEO Ed Bastian about a potential merger, and Delta reviewed the proposal before both companies ultimately decided not to pursue the discussions. Neither airline had previously disclosed the talks.

A merger would have combined the two most valuable U.S. airlines. The Journal reported that United and Delta generated more than 90% of the airline industry's profits last year, making any deal a likely target for close review by federal regulators and state attorneys general.