Understanding the U.S. Shutdown | Get Ready for Autonomous Ships

Autonomous ships are set to ride rough waves and a storm of concerns to reshape one of mankind’s oldest modes of transportation.

Although the two offshore vessels were hundreds of miles apart on Dec. 3, 2018 — one off the coast of Aberdeen, Scotland, the other on a voyage between Parainen and Nauvo in Finland — they were bound by technological innovation: Both set sail without a crew and were operated remotely.

In fact, the offshore vessel in Aberdeen was controlled from 5,000 miles away, in San Diego. The two ships were showcasing what country after maritime country is increasingly turning to as the future of commercial shipping: autonomous and remote-controlled ships.

Disoriented Washington cannot find its way out of the shutdown. Is the North Pole to blame?

Complex geologic forces churning in the earth’s core are steadily moving the North Magnetic Pole. Enough so that the U.S. military has requested an early update to the World Magnetic Model, which helps guide everything from aircraft carriers to your smartphone.

Now forces churning inside the Beltway have shut down the Commerce Department and frozen the global positioning update that was scheduled for Jan. 15 — even as geologic movement persists. No wonder Washington seems disoriented.

No one can seem to navigate their way out of this shutdown, now by far the longest in history. Yet Saturday nearly offered signs that D.C.'s polar opposites might break the ice.

Fernando Palazuelo, a Spanish restorer of historic architecture, is making cities’ pasts their future.

Fernando Palazuelo was a key player in Barcelona’s now-famous revitalization in the 1980s, restoring 63 historic buildings in the city center before moving on to Palma de Mallorca. When he arrived there, it was little more than a beach destination. He restored 33 historic buildings there, helping convert Palma into a thriving, global city.

Along the way, Palazuelo, 63, a former soldier in Spain’s foreign legion, grew very wealthy. He owned a plane, one of the best art collections in Spain, and lived in a restored 13th century, 20,000-square-foot Arab palace where original frescoes graced the walls.