Weather Report #20: Visions for the planetary future, a movie about lying to the audience, and more

Hello, dear reader! Welcome to your Weather Report, a weekly column where I recommend a book, a movie, some possibly underlooked articles, and music for paying subscribers.

Here's what you're getting this week:

1. An update on last week's scoop about a Puerto Rico tax break beneficiary being indicted.
2. A book about the political structures and ideologies that could dominate our planetary future as the climate crisis worsens.
3. Essays, articles, and columns about: Google reading your messages, liberals' newfound love for race science, Wikipedia deep dives, the West Bank, and flash floods.
4. A movie about playing tricks on the audience from one of the greatest directors of the 20th century (and all time).
5. An instant contender for album of the year

If you're interested in seeing the recommendations – and supporting Heavy Weather's quest to keep tabs on collapse – you can become a paid subscriber by clicking the button below. Paid subscribers get access to the MEDIA LIST, a comprehensive list of every book, movie, and video game I've ever recommended. If you're already a paid subscriber, thank you very much! This newsletter would literally not be possible without your support.

Act 22 Beneficiary Arraigned

Last week, I wrote a short article about Kevin Thobias, an influencer and beneficiary of Puerto Rico's individual investor tax break, being indicted for allegedly using "black hat services" to manipulate Amazon rankings. Thobias was arraigned on Friday, July 11, and later released under his own recognizance. He pleaded not guilty to all the charges against him.

The original article has been edited to reflect that he was arraigned and pleaded not guilty.

That's it for this week's free stuff. If you want to see the media recommendations and the link roundup, you can become a paid subscriber today.