Weather Report #14: Former governor's corruption case might not go to trial, FERC submits ginormous information request to New Fortress Energy, a book about real world post-post apocalypses, and more

Here's what you're getting this week:

1. A corruption case against Puerto Rico's former governor might not go to trial after "productive meeting" in Washington, D.C. between the AUSA and the defendants' counsel.
2. FERC asks for boatloads of information about New Fortress Energy's fuel handling facility in San Juan, including the emergency plan that communities have been demanding for years.
3. A book that investigates life blooming in real world post-apocalyptic locations.
4. A "true story" movie about one of the legal battles that will come to define the first half of the 21st century.
5. Articles, essays, and videos about the misguided search for a "Joe Rogan of the Left," ICE's surveillance network, the illusionists bringing magic to a West African country, the importance of "documents movies," and why there aren't traditional fantasy novels in Latin America.
6. An album perfect for a Cowboy Western-themed D&D session

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Puerto Rico's Former Governor Might Not Go to Trial on Bribery Charges

All of Puerto Rico was shocked when former Governor Wanda Vázquez Garced was arrested on bribery charges in August 2022. But now, it seems like her case might not go to trial.

On Friday, the U.S. Department of Justice and the counsel for two of the defendants in the case held a "productive meeting" in Washington, D.C. about resolving the case without a trial to "conserve judicial and private resources," according to a recent filing.

While there are scant details as to specifics about the meetings, the parties continued the discussion on Friday and will continue discussing next week "in an effort to resolve the case and alleviate the need for trial."

Vázquez Garced, alongside billionaire banker Julio Herrera Velutini and former FBI agent Mark Rossini, are charged with conspiracy, bribery and wire fraud.

You can find the filing talking about how well the meeting went here.

FERC Requests Boatloads of Information from New Fortress Energy

Communities next to a New Fortress Energy (NFE) fuel-handling facility on the northern coast of Puerto Rico have been claiming that any accident there could be catastrophic for them because they lack an approved emergency plan. That's one of many details about the facility that are incredibly opaque because private companies are significantly less open about things than public ones.

However, on Friday, FERC requested a boatload of information about NFE's facility, including an updated emergency plan, the environmental impact of the facility, the vessels they use for transport, and modifications to the facility, among other things. It could be the first step to uncovering the emergency plan communities in San Juan have been asking for, as well as any modifications that have not been properly vetted to ensure safety.

This request could be the first step in uncovering the emergency plan communities along the coast have been asking for, and also uncovering a bunch of other possible problems with the facility.

I'll remind readers that, according to a lawsuit from their own stockholders, NFE's facility in Altamira, Mexico was "constructed in a manner that risked a catastrophic safety disaster." I'm not saying that's what happened in the case of San Juan's facility, but it's something to keep in mind as people demand accountability from such a big corporation.

You can find the Engineering and Information Request here.

That's it for this week's free stuff. If you want to access the media recommendations and the links, you can become a subscriber for as low as $3!