The Journeyman

Introducing Field Notes: These are meant to be timely, digestible updates on stories and ideas I’m already following—not another 1,500-word essay every time the facts move. Think of them as entries in an ongoing research notebook: new data, developing evidence, charts, clips from our shows, and connections to earlier reporting that help put fast-moving events into context.

Hosts: Marlon Weems and Arturo Domínguez Runtime: Approximately 70 minutes Marlon Weems and Arturo Domínguez examine how a sophisticated political disinformation network, allegedly operating from Miami, has influenced elections and destabilized governments across Latin America.

Disruptions at Russian and Middle Eastern refineries are reducing global refined-fuel output. U.S. refineries are operating at full capacity to help absorb the shock. Diesel and gasoil margins remain unusually high. Black Sea attacks are now linking food logistics to economic warfare. Markets are beginning to notice what the media has largely overlooked: the global oil shock is now focused on refined fuels, not just crude oil. These fuels truly keep the economy moving.

In this edition of The Journeyman Unfiltered, Marlon Weems sits down with Greg Thomas, the first Black starting quarterback in University of Arkansas history and author of No Doubting Thomas: The Hawg Whisperer and #Making Believers. What begins as a conversation about Razorback football develops into a much broader discussion about race, opportunity, i…

I’m putting this out as a Hillcrest Strategies Rapid Response Note because I think the bond-market move we’re seeing now deserves attention before the full implications are clear. These notes flag developments that may become much larger stories, lay down an early analytical marker, and then come back with deeper research as the evidence develops.

Editor’s Note: This is part of a new Hillcrest Strategies format we’re calling Rapid Response Notes—short, data-driven analysis for developments that deserve more context than a social media post, but don’t require a full research report. The idea is simple: one development, one chart, and a concise explanation of what the numbers mean and why they matter. No lengthy reports or unnecessary packaging. The data leads.

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Farm bankruptcies are moving in the wrong direction again. Chapter 12 filings more than doubled from their 2023 low by 2025, just as renewed tariff pressures threaten to add another strain to an already stressed farm economy. Farm bankruptcies are rising again — and the timing matters. Chapter 12 filings, designed specifically for family farmers and fishermen, peaked during the last major U.S.–China trade war.

A Note About Supporting The Journeyman Most of the work I publish here remains available to everyone. That is intentional. I believe serious analysis should be accessible, particularly at a moment when so much of the public conversation is shaped by institutions, platforms, and personalities with interests that are not always disclosed. But free does not mean without cost. The Journeyman requires research, production, technology, and, most importantly, time. It also requires independence.

The Democratic Party’s post-2024 autopsy. The politics of fear. AI and the future of writing. And why messaging—not policy—may be deciding American elections. On this episode of Citizens’ Arrest, Marlon Weems and cohost Shari Dunn tackle one of the most consequential questions facing Democrats: what did the party actually learn from its 2024 defeat? The conversation begins wit…