RealClearInvestigations Podcast

RCI

Each week J. Peder Zane, Editor of RealClearInvestigations, and RCI Senior Reporter James Varney discuss the week’s best investigative reporting and speak with journalists about cracking challenging stories. Whether it’s culture, politics, or the markets, RealClearIInvestigations should be your source for in-depth reporting from a wide range of perspectives. From the publishers of RealClearPolitics.com

  1. 1d ago

    Nancy Guthrie and the Truth about True Crime | RealClearInvestigations Podcast #129

    On this week’s episode of the RealClearInvestigations Podcast, RCI Editor J. Peder Zane and RCI Senior Reporter James Varney speak with true crime reporter extraordinaire Valerie Bauerlein of the Wall Street Journal about her recent coverage of the Nancy Guthrie abduction, her book on the Alex Murdaugh murder case and her podcast on another South Carolina homicide, “Camp Swamp Road.” On the news round-up, Zane and Varney discuss the Washington Post’s investigation into fraud and abuse at the Veterans Administration and two articles – one from the New York Times on China, the other from the Washington Post on the U.S. – that look at the continuing rise of the surveillance state.  Articles Discussed in This Podcast: Valerie Bauerlein/WSJ: How Savannah Guthrie Lost Her Mom and Cops Lost the Case   Valerie Bauerlein/WSJ: Camp Swamp Road Podcast: Listen to the Full Season - WSJ   Valerie Bauerlein: The Devil at His Elbow: Alex Murdaugh and the Fall of a Southern Dynasty   Washington Post: How Predatory Trade Schools Cheat Veterans   Washington Post: How Some Veterans Exploit $193 Billion VA Program   New York Times: How China Keeps Tabs on Foreigners   Washington Post: Rogue Officers Used Camera Network for Stalking   Sign up for the RealClearInvestigations Newsletter.  Watch each episode on the RealClearPolitics YouTube Channel Contact us with your thoughts and feedback: jpederzane@realclearinvestigations.com

    Nancy Guthrie and the Truth about True Crime | RealClearInvestigations Podcast #129

  2. Aug 3

    Islam’s Rising in America with Aaron Shuster | RealClearInvestigations Podcast #128

    On this week’s episode of the RealClearInvestigations Podcast, RCI Editor J. Peder Zane and RCI Senior Reporter James Varney speak with Aaron Shuster about his Tablet article “Entryism Comes to America,” which argues that the U.S. should follow France’s lead and have a serious inquiry into and discussion of what the rise of Islamism means for the nation’s prevailing culture and politics. On the news round-up, Zane and Varney discuss a trio of articles – two from the New York Times, one from Politico – reporting that President Trump appears to be rewarding states that voted for him and punishing those that did not as his administration dispenses disaster relief and other monies approved by Congress. While praising the legacy media for shining a light on the Trump administration, Zane and Varney also discuss how a New York Times article on Dr. Anthony Fauci’s recent testimony before Congress and a Washington Post article about how Joe Biden’s post-presidential career has been hobbled by health issues (including Stage 4 prostate cancer) reveal the ways legacy media outlets often protect people and parties they support. 00:00 Introduction to Entryism and Political Context 11:23 The Role of Media in Political Reporting 12:20 Understanding Entryism: A Deep Dive 22:50 Cultural Integration vs. Subjugation 30:44 The Future of American Values and Politics 31:43 The Core Values of Civilization 34:57 Immigration and National Identity 36:05 The Influence of Academia on Culture 39:16 The Alliance of Radical Left and Islamic Thought 41:11 Challenges of Immigration in Europe 43:00 Cultural Resistance and the Fight for Identity 45:29 The Need for a Cultural Revival 47:48 Historical Context of Immigration and Assimilation 51:49 Shared Values and Cultural Integration 54:21 Potential Solutions for Immigration Issues Books & Articles Discussed in This Podcast: Aaron Shuster/Tablet: Entryism Comes to America   New York Times:  Trump Sitting on Billions Approved for Transit    Politico: Trump Overrode Agencies To Deny Dem Disaster Requests   New York Times: Trump Administration Admits Canceling Grants to States That Did Not Vote for Him   New York Times: Fauci's Diary Reflections on COVID’s Origins and Fame   Washington Post: Illness Has Transformed Biden's Post-Presidential Life   Sign up for the RealClearInvestigations Newsletter.  Watch each episode on the RealClearPolitics YouTube Channel Contact us with your thoughts and feedback: jpederzane@realclearinvestigations.com

    Islam’s Rising in America with Aaron Shuster | RealClearInvestigations Podcast #128

  3. Jul 27

    Founding Frenemies: Jefferson vs. Adams with author Jim Rasenberger | RealClearInvestigations Podcast #127

    On this week’s episode of the RealClearInvestigations Podcast, RCI Senior Reporter James Varney speaks with author James Rasenberger about his new work of history, “A Perfect Coincidence: The Extraordinary Friendship and Astonishing Deaths of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson.” On the news round-up, J. Peder Zane joins Varney to discuss a reported editorial from the Wall Street Journal and a news article from the New York Times that detail how legislation that aimed to protect patients from surprise medical bills has become a cash cow for health care providers. They also use John Murawski’s 2020 article about the Mott & Bailey switcheroo to discuss a Free Press article reporting on the differences between the warm and fuzzy descriptions of the Democratic Socialists of America advanced by the party’s adherents and many arms of the legacy media and the aggressive goals the DSA’s platform and position papers say it want to achieve.   Books & Articles Discussed in This Podcast: ·       Jim Rasenberger Book Excerpt: A Perfect Coincidence   ·       Wall Street Journal: The ‘Surprise Billing’ Racket ·       New York Times: Trump Administration Says Surprise Billing Law Is Being ‘Gamed’ by Doctors ·       New York Times: $22,000 Per Hour: Assistants Use a Legislative Loophole to Outearn Surgeons  ·       Free Press: I Was in the DSA. Here’s What They Really Believe.  ·       RCI: The 'Motte & Bailey': Political Jousting's Deceptive New Medieval Weapon |        Sign up for the RealClearInvestigations Newsletter.  Watch each episode on the RealClearPolitics YouTube Channel Contact us with your thoughts and feedback: jpederzane@realclearinvestigations.com

    Founding Frenemies: Jefferson vs. Adams with author Jim Rasenberger | RealClearInvestigations Podcast #127

  4. Jul 13

    Has Elon Musk Ruined X? with Lee Smith | RealClearInvestigations Podcast #126

    On this week’s episode of the RealClearInvestigations Podcast, J. Peder Zane and James Varney speak with Tablet writer and RCI contributor Lee Smith about conservative media in the Trump era with a special focus on X.    On the news round-up, Zane and Varney discuss how a ProPublica investigation reporting on the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration efforts, which includes a remake of the courts, is targeting a once protected class for deportation: unaccompanied minors who crossed the border. They also looks at a new report from the White House that assails the leadership of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History for “explicitly adopt[ing] an ideological framework that no longer treats the American story as a shared national inheritance to be taught or celebrated, but as a political instrument to divide, dispirit, and discourage our citizens.”  00:00 Introduction and Overview of Current Events 02:01 Immigration and Deportation Policies 07:01 American History and Political Narratives 13:03 The State of Conservative Media 20:13 Challenges in Modern Journalism 30:03 The Role of Social Media in News Consumption 32:44 Navigating Information Overload 36:27 Censorship and Free Speech Dynamics 40:03 The Role of Propaganda in Media 44:21 The Responsibility of Media Platforms 48:31 Distinguishing Free Speech from Press Freedom 50:10 Acknowledging the Current Media Landscape 55:24 The Importance of Accountability in Media Books & Articles Discussed in This Podcast: Lee Smith: Is the EU’s Spat with Elon Musk Really About Free Speech? https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/eu-spat-elon-musk-free-speech   Lee Smith: The Man Setting Fire to the GOP    ProPublica: Trump Surges Deportation of Minors    White House: Saving America’s Story https://www.whitehouse.gov/releases/2026/07/saving-americas-story/   New York Times: Inside Trump’s Ideological Fight With the Smithsonian https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/06/us/politics/trump-smithsonian-ideological-fight.html   Sign up for the RealClearInvestigations Newsletter.  Watch each episode on the RealClearPolitics YouTube Channel Contact us with your thoughts and feedback: jpederzane@realclearinvestigations.com

    Has Elon Musk Ruined X? with Lee Smith | RealClearInvestigations Podcast #126

  5. Jul 6

    Violence for Me, Not for Thee: A Century of Left-Wing Violence with Noah Rothmann | RealClearInvestigations Podcast #125

    On this week’s episode of the RealClearInvestigations Podcast, J. Peder Zane speaks with Noah Rothman of the National Review about his insightful new book “Blood & Progress: A Century of Left-Wing Violence in America.” On the news round-up, Zane and RCI contributor Ben Weingarten discuss the vast wealth President Trump and his family have accumulated since he began his second term, with a special focus on a New York Times article detail how the president’s sons stand to benefit from a lucrative mining deal his administration struck with Kazakhstan. They also look at articles in the left-leaning Atlantic and right-leaning City Journal detailing the Democratic Socialists of America’s takeover of the Democratic party.  Books & Articles Discussed in This Podcast: Noah Rothman: Blood and Progress: A Century of Left-Wing Violence in America   New York Times: Trump's Sons To Profit from His Mining Deal    Atlantic: There’s Nothing Democratic About These Socialists   City Journal: Actually, a Lot of DSA Members Are Communists   Sign up for the RealClearInvestigations Newsletter.  Watch each episode on the RealClearPolitics YouTube Channel Contact us with your thoughts and feedback: jpederzane@realclearinvestigations.com

    Violence for Me, Not for Thee: A Century of Left-Wing Violence with Noah Rothmann | RealClearInvestigations Podcast #125

  6. Jun 29

    The Physics of Politics with Adrian Bejan | RealClearInvestigations Podcast #124

    On this week’s episode of the RealClearInvestigations Podcast, J. Peder Zane speaks with Duke Professor Adrian Bejan about his new book, “Diversity through Freedom” about the physics of politics. On the news round-up, Zane and RCI Reporter & Editor Vince Bielski discuss an Associated Press investigation detailing how and why the DEA allowed hundreds of thousands of potentially lethal fentanyl pills to enter the US from Mexico; a powerfully reported and illustrated piece by the New York Times explaining why the popularity of S.U.V.s and other large vehicles has led to an increase in pedestrian deaths; and a Washington Post analysis that found left-leaning bias in the information provided by all the major AI chatbots.   00:00 Introduction and Overview of the Podcast 01:00 The DEA's Controversial Fentanyl Policy 05:49 The Rise of SUVs and Pedestrian Safety 11:00 Bias in AI and Chatbots 15:40 Interview with Dr. Adrian Bejan on Design in Nature 37:51 The Challenge of Existence 38:52 Constructal Law and Freedom in Nature 47:40 Diversity and Its Origins 52:04 Natural Diversity vs. Artificial Diversity 58:32 Critique of DEI and Meritocracy Articles Discussed in This Podcast: Adrian Bejan Links: Duke Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science   Adrian Bejan Video: How Cooling Laptops Led to Constructal Theory   Constructal Law Links: Umit Gunes on the Constructal Law   J. Peder Zane: The Physics of Politics | RealClearPolitics   Associated Press: DEA Stood by as Fentanyl Hit Streets    New York Times: The Deadly Rise of Giant Trucks and S.U.V.s    Washington Post: Yes, AI Chatbots Skew Left - Even Musk's  Sign up for the RealClearInvestigations Newsletter.  Watch each episode on the RealClearPolitics YouTube Channel Contact us with your thoughts and feedback: jpederzane@realclearinvestigations.com

    The Physics of Politics with Adrian Bejan | RealClearInvestigations Podcast #124

  7. Jun 22

    He Fought DEI and DEI Won: Dr. Kendall Conger and Duke Health | RealClearInvestigations Podcast #123

    On this week’s episode of the RealClearInvestigations Podcast, J. Peder Zane and James Varney speak with Dr. Kendall Conger who lost his job after challenging a 2021 statement issued by his employer – Duke Health – declaring racism a “public health crisis.” On the news round-up, Zane and Varney discuss the challenges of reporting on the Iran war – and peace deal – when the government seems loath to share details; the Reform Party’s withering report on the Rape Gang controversy in the UK; and the popular support for Luigi Mangione, who is accused of murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City in 2024.  00:00 Introduction and Overview of Current Events 05:04 The Grooming Gangs Report and Its Implications 10:02 Media Bias and the Impact on Society 15:11 Dr. Kendall Conger's Experience with DEI at Duke Health 24:12 The Impact of George Floyd's Death on Institutional Policies 30:04 The Debate Over Racism as a Public Health Crisis 36:02 Personal Experiences and Consequences of Speaking Out 39:58 The Shift in Institutional Values at Duke University   Articles Discussed in This Podcast: Kendall Conger/RCI: I Challenged Duke’s DEI Dogma – and Paid With My Job     Axios: U.S.-Iran deal: Read the full text   Reform Party: UK: The Rape Gang Inquiry   NPR: Public Support Growing for Accused Killer Luigi Mangione  Sign up for the RealClearInvestigations Newsletter.  Watch each episode on the RealClearPolitics YouTube Channel Contact us with your thoughts and feedback: jpederzane@realclearinvestigations.com

    He Fought DEI and DEI Won: Dr. Kendall Conger and Duke Health | RealClearInvestigations Podcast #123

  8. Jun 15

    Crossing the Political Divide with Robert P. George | RealClearInvestigations Podcast #122

    On this week’s episode of the RealClearInvestigations Podcast, J. Peder Zane and James Varney speak with Robert P. George, McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence and director of the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions at Princeton University, about the national civics education he has spearheaded and how to have conversations across the political divide. On the news round-up, Zane and Varney discuss a range of articles responding to the violence that erupted in England and Belfast following racially charged incidents.  00:00 Introduction and Personal Anecdote 01:30 Current Events and Political Climate 03:52 Racial Inequality and Public Response 06:16 Media Framing and Public Perception 09:44 Civics Education and Its Importance 13:01 Interview with Robert George on Civics Education 20:32 The Shift in Academic Focus 24:25 Conservative Perspectives in Academia 31:17 The Pursuit of Truth and Intellectual Humility 32:04 The Role of Academic Freedom in Education 33:25 Bridging the Gap: Intellectual Honesty in Discourse 37:34 Navigating the Age of Feeling and Humility 48:44 The Machinery of Dispute Resolution in Democracy 56:35 Hope vs. Optimism: The Future of American Democracy Articles Discussed in This Podcast: Robert P. George Official Websitehttps://robertpgeorge.com/ Robert P. George X Accounthttps://x.com/McCormickProf Video: Robert P. George in Conversation with Cornel Westhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwBxVjkOeV0 New York Times: In the U.K., a Violent Cycle: Hateful Attacks, Right-Wing Agitation and Riots https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/11/world/europe/northern-ireland-stabbing-immigration.html Atlantic: How Britain Became as Poor as Mississippi https://archive.is/6q9Gp Telegraph: Erect Sea Barrier Off Belgium To Halt Migrant ‘Taxi Boats,’https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/belgians-propose-sea-barrier-halt-151307951.html Sign up for the RealClearInvestigations Newsletter.  Watch each episode on the RealClearPolitics YouTube Channel Contact us with your thoughts and feedback: jpederzane@realclearinvestigations.com

    Crossing the Political Divide with Robert P. George | RealClearInvestigations Podcast #122
See All (97)

Trailer

4.9
out of 5
15 Ratings

About

Each week J. Peder Zane, Editor of RealClearInvestigations, and RCI Senior Reporter James Varney discuss the week’s best investigative reporting and speak with journalists about cracking challenging stories. Whether it’s culture, politics, or the markets, RealClearIInvestigations should be your source for in-depth reporting from a wide range of perspectives. From the publishers of RealClearPolitics.com

Information

You Might Also Like