The pandemic strands some ship crews at sea, others on shore

PLUS: Elon Musk defies California rules to reopen his Tesla factory, flying cars remain a pipe dream, and the self-driving startup propelling Ford forward. View this email in your browser  |  Manage newsletter subscriptions 05.18.20 Companies are revving their engines, but most Americans are still in park. Last week, we dove into the tumult surrounding Elon Musk's defiance of California's lockdown orders and explored the unpredictable nature of ship-bound work, which has stranded some people on their vessels for months longer than intended and left many others on shore. Meanwhile, the 250 companies involved in the "urban aviation" business are facing a cloudy unknown. Ubiquitous flying cars may stay a pipe dream for a while yet. Finally, our latest long read: When Ford committed to investing $1 billion in Argo in 2017, nobody knew the self-driving company existed. Since then, the scrappy startup has raced to build a safe autonomous machine, taking a less showy approach than its more dramatic competitors. Could the future of self-driving cars be decided in Pittsburgh? Elon Musk Defies Lockdown Orders and Reopens Tesla's Factory The CEO sued a California county over the weekend and threatened to move the company to Texas—his latest tangle with government authorities. The Pandemic Strands Some Ship Crews at Sea, Others On Shore Travel restrictions are blocking some marine workers from reaching their assigned ships. That's forcing others on extended tours.  Covid-19 Casts a Dark Cloud Over the Flying Car Future An economic slump is no good for a long shot business that's just starting to take off.  The Relentless Startup Fast-Tracking Ford's Self-Driving Cars Meet Bryan Salesky and the team of resourceful engineers at Argo, the little company trying to crack a big problem: safe autonomous driving.   SPONSORED CONTENT Get a free security camera and 24/7 protection Most security companies send a technician to your home. SimpliSafe doesn't. Order online. Set it up in 30 minutes. After that you're protected 24/7. GET WIRED   Get unlimited access to our coverage of the coronavirus pandemic.   Subscribe to support our journalism.   Exclusive offer: 1 year for $10     This e-mail was sent to you by WIRED. To ensure delivery to your inbox (not bulk or junk folders), please add our e-mail address, wired@newsletters.wired.com, to your address book.   View our Privacy Policy Unsubscribe or manage your newsletter subscriptions