The Legacy Suspect Pack

Semiconductors, sovereignty, and the silence around Taiwan

When Trump met Xi in Beijing, the guest list read like a who's who of American capitalism. But the real subject of the evening was never on the menu. Charlatan dispatches from the room where the next world order is being decided - one chip at a time.

The Thucydides Trap

A Letter from the Editor

As the U.S. government pass their beggar’s bowl petrodollars flow. Charlatan follows those making a killing on the Iran War.

AI-generated image of Trump and Xi Jinping at a state dinner in the Great Hall of the People, Beijing

Peking Duck

China Summit 2026

As a rising power and ruling nation meet in the Great Hall of the People, Charlatan follows their dinner guests to a whodunit murder mystery, and to the death of democratic freedom for totalitarian control.

What We’re Talking About

Policy & Playbooks

Politico, Powerbrokers & Playbooks

“Now or Never"

Peter Magyar didn't just oust Viktor Orbán's sixteen years of iron-fisted rule. He won a supermajority, and fired a warning shot across the bow of nationalism that will be seen, heard, and felt around the world.

The Mother Road

She's holding the keys to life and living. Charlatan follows Mary B. Ashworth to the 100th Anniversary of U.S. Route 66 — and to the warning, hazard, and children crossing signs of the American Dream.

A.I. & Deathcare

Corporations are converting family owned funeral homes into A.I. transactions. Charlatan follows the old guard to the new Ambassadors to the Afterlife.

City of Czars

Charlatan Embarks on the Halls & Corridors of Global Power

Russia's fervent nationalism, religious messianism, and identity as a chosen nation has driven expansion across the world. Charlatan checked in to the Four Seasons Lion Palace before Magyar conquered Budapest, Trump was summoned to Beijing, or Moscow retreated from Ukraine — and saw that all roads no longer lead to St. Petersburg.

Who We’re Talking About

Movers, Shakers & Policymakers

Movers & Shakers

True Colors

Voting Rights. Election Interference. True Threats? Charlatan follows a former FBI director to the red and blue — and to the new wave of mens rea washing up on American shores.

Showdown

The terse back and forth between an American pope and president reflects a movement. Charlatan follows an unlikely skiff reshaping the American moment.

March Madness 2026

A transnational betting scheme shadowed the NCAA's Money Madness. Charlatan follows the fixers to an offer the institution declined to make, and to the women and champions making the case that “It Just Means More.”