RealClearInvestigations Podcast

By 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 s... more

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The podcast currently has 103 episodes available.

RealClearInvestigations Podcast episodes:

April 25, 2026California Dream Turns Nightmare with Susan Crabtree | RealClearInvestigations Podcast #115
On this week’s episode of the RealClearInvestigations Podcast, RCI Editor J. Peder Zane and RCI Senior Reporter James Varney speak with RealClearPolitics reporter Susan Crabtree about her new book (co-authored with Jed McFatter) “Fool’s Gold: The Radicals, Con Artists, and Traitors Who Killed the California Dream and Now Threaten Us All.”
In our round-up of the week’s best investigative reporting, Zane and Varney discuss articles in the Washington Free Beacon and USA today on the federal indictment of the Southern Poverty Law Center stemming from its payment of some $3 million from 2014 to 2023 to members of the KKK, Aryan Nations, National Alliance, and other "violent extremist" groups who allegedly served as informants and a New York Times article about people who lost their jobs when the Trump administration shut down the U.S. Agency for International Development.
00:00 Introduction to the Podcast and Guest
01:07 Indictment of the Southern Poverty Law Center
06:08 Critique of USAID and Its Impact
11:11 Introduction to Susan Crabtree and Her Book
13:59 California's Failed Policies and Their Consequences
20:01 Media's Role in California's Issues
22:49 California's Infrastructure and Union Influence
24:30 Transforming Transportation in California
26:20 The Homelessness Crisis: A Deep Dive
29:10 The Role of NGOs and Nonprofits
32:33 Corruption and Accountability in California
36:26 Gavin Newsom's Ties to China
42:25 The Future of California Politics
Articles Discussed in This Podcast:
Susan Crabtree & Jed McFatter: “Fool’s Gold: The Radicals, Con Artists, and Traitors Who Killed the California Dream and Now Threaten Us All.”

Washington Free Beacon: Southern Poverty Law Center's Off-Shore Riches

USA Today: FBI: SPLC Paid Informants Without Donors Knowing. Feds Pay Them Too

Data Republican: How the Charlottesville Rally and SPLC Birthed Billion-Dollar-Plus ‘Democracy’ Ecosystem

New York Times: A Year After U.S.A.I.D.’s Death, Fired Workers Find Few Jobs and Much Loss

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48min
April 17, 2026Al Gore and the Politicization of Science | RealClearInvestigations Podcast #114
On this week’s episode of the RealClearInvestigations Podcast, RCI Editor J. Peder Zane and RCI Senior Reporter James Varney speak with Roger Pielke Jr., a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, about his article detailing how Al Gore’s seminal 2006 book and film on climate change, “An Inconvenient Truth,” helped politicize science.
In our round-up of the week’s best investigative reporting, Zane and Varney discuss Paul Sperry’s article for RCI on newly declassified documents showing how a top government official fast-tracked a politically compromised whistleblower complaint in 2019 that ultimately triggered the first impeachment of President Trump. They also discuss the sexual accusation that forced Rep. Eric Swalwell to resign from Congress – and why this evidently widely-known questions about his conduct had not been reported until now.
00:00 Introduction to the Podcast and Guest
01:00 Impeachment Insights and Partisan Politics
07:05 The Eric Swalwell Controversy
16:05 Legacy of Al Gore's Climate Advocacy
17:01 The Evolution of Climate Change Discourse
22:08 Current Understanding of Climate Science
28:00 Global Perspectives on Climate Change
29:14 Decarbonization and Energy Sources
31:28 The Politicization of Science
38:35 Millenarianism in Climate Science
42:47 Finding Common Ground in Climate Policy
46:38 The Impact of COVID on Public Trust
50:39 The Future of Academia and Climate Policy

Articles Discussed in This Podcast:
Roger Pielke Jr.: The Legacy of Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth" 20 Years Later

Paul Sperry, CI: BREAKING: Newly Declassified Docs Reveal Bias of Impeachment 'Whistleblower'

Paul Sperry, RCI: The Beltway's 'Whistleblower' Furor Obsesses Over One Name

Washington Post: How Eric Swalwell Rose Despite Disturbing Reputation

American Prospect: Eric Swalwell and the Death of Accountability

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1h
April 11, 2026Chinese Communism’s Monstrous Mindset with Jan Jekielek | RealClearInvestigations Podcast #113
On this week’s episode of the RealClearInvestigations Podcast, RCI Editor J. Peder Zane and RCI Senior Reporter James Varney speak with Jan Jekielek, a senior editor at The Epoch Times, about his bestselling new book, “Killed To Order: China’s Organ Harvesting Industry and the True Nature of America’s Biggest Adversary".
On the news roundup, Zane and Varney discuss a CBS News investigation of potential hospice care fraud in California, a Wired article on how a top ranking DOJ official misled a judge regarding voter rolls, a New York Times story reporting that federal prosecutors failed to watch the video connected to a high-profile shooting in Minneapolis before charging the wounded man, and Roger Pielke Jr. Substack piece on the legacy of Al Gore’s influential 2006 book (and film) on climate change, “An Inconvenient Truth.”
Articles & Books Discussed in this Episode
Jan Jekielek Book Excerpt: Killed To Order: China’s Organ Harvesting Industry and the True Nature of America’s Biggest Adversary

CBS News: The Most Connected Hospice Doctor in California

Wired: DOJ Misled Judge About How It’s Using Voter Roll Data
New York Times: Video of Minneapolis Shooting Undermines ICE Account
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/06/us/minnesota-ice-shooting-video.html
Roger Piekle Jr. Substack: The Legacy of Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth" 20 Years Later
https://rogerpielkejr.substack.com/p/the-legacy-of-al-gores-an-inconvenient
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1h 3min
April 10, 2026 Citizen Sleuths Track Government Fraud with Walter Curt | RealClearInvestigations Podcast #112
On this week’s episode of the RealClearInvestigations Podcast, RCI Editor J. Peder Zane and RCI Senior Reporter James Varney speak with Walter Curt – a podcaster and investigative journalist who operates The W.C. Dispatch - about how the Trump administration's push to open source some government payment systems and the rise of artificial intelligence are empowering citizen sleuths to track down fraud, waste and abuse.
In our round-up of the week’s best investigative reporting, Zane and Varney discuss Peter Schweizer’s reporting from his new book, “The Invisible Coup,” about how China is exploiting America’s tradition of granting birthright citizenship, recent articles in the Washington Post, the New York Times and Wall Street Journal that indicate the legacy media is finally acknowledging some successes in the Iran War, and a ProPublica story and how Trump’s pardons of convicted swindlers throws into question his commitment to combatting fraud.
YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/4Xh9mvq32D0
Articles discussed in this podcast:
The W.C. Dispatch, https://wcdispatch.com/

Peter Schweizer: The Invisible Coup
https://www.realclearinvestigations.com/articles/2026/03/31/book_excerpt_-_the_invisible_coup_how_american_elites_and_foreign_powers_use_immigration_as_a_weapon_1173586.html

Washington Post: Iran’s Missile Infrastructure Severely Strained
https://www.realclearinvestigations.com/2026/03/30/irans_missile_infrastructure_severely_strained_1173364.html

New York Times: Iran’s Fractured Leadership Is Struggling to Coordinate
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/30/us/politics/iran-leaders-trump-war.html

Wall Street Journal: Trump’s Foreign Policy Targets Rusia’s Allies
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/why-russia-is-stepping-up-its-support-for-an-embattled-iran/ar-AA1ZFsGW?ocid=BingNewsSerp

ProPublica: Trump’s War On Fraud Doesn’t Include Swindlers He’s Pardoned
https://www.propublica.org/article/joseph-schwartz-trump-pardon-skyline-nursing-home-patients

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43min
April 10, 2026Mass Censorship, Surveillance & Propaganda with Jacob Siegel | RealClearInvestigations Podcast #111
On this week’s episode of the RealClearInvestigations Podcast, RCI Editor J. Peder Zane and RCI Senior Reporter James Varney speak with Jacob Siegel about his masterful new book, “The Information State: Politics in the Age of Total Control,” which details how technology and progressivism have helped give rise to mass censorship, surveillance and propaganda.
In our round-up of the week’s best investigative reporting, Zane and Varney discuss a California Post article on the ongoing epidemic of sexual abuse at public schools, pieces in Reason and the Daily Caller that look at how government subsidies and illegal immigration are beleaguering the trucking industry and making America’s roads less safe, and a Politico story on Russia’s efforts to make sure its soldiers and citizen can only communicate through government-controlled channels.
YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/Tgvz63kdZiw
|
Articles discussed in this podcast:
California Post: California School District Allegedly Buried Teacher Sex Abuse
https://nypost.com/2026/03/20/us-news/el-monte-school-district-buried-teacher-sex-abuse-reports-probe/

Reason: The Truth About the Supposed Truck Driver Shortage
https://reason.com/2026/03/24/welfare-on-wheels/

Daily Caller: The 'Mess' Lying Under Hood of the Illegal Trucker Crisis
https://dailycaller.com/2026/03/26/exclusive-derek-barrs-fmcsa-illegal-trucking-crisis/

Politico: The Race To Cut Off Russia From the Global Internet
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/03/14/russias-self-inflicted-communication-crisis-00827197

Jacob Siegel: Book Excerpt: The Information State - Politics in the Age of Total Control
https://www.realclearinvestigations.com/articles/2026/03/27/book_excerpt_the_information_state_-_politics_in_the_age_of_total_control_1172464.html
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1h 1min
April 10, 2026Me Too Too Far? with Nancy Rommelmann | RealClearInvestigations Podcast #110
On this week’s episode of the RealClearInvestigations Podcast, RCI Editor J. Peder Zane and RCI Senior Reporter James Varney speak with Nancy Rommelmann about her recent RCI article about a man who became a MeToo scapegoat thanks to the New York Times.
On the News Roundup, Zane and Varney discuss Paul Sperry’s RCI exclusive report detailing new evidence of bias and misconduct in Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s probe of President Trump. They also dig into a Semafor piece on Trump’s penchant for answering his own phone, Fox News’ report on Swedish parents who lost their child because they were too Christian and a New York Times story reporting that the revered civil rights leader, Cesar Chavez, allegedly molested and raped girls as young as 12.
YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/odoRXB4Ittc
Articles and Documentaries Discussed in this Episode:
RCI/Nancy Rommelmann: The Scapegoat: How One Man’s Career Was Ended by MeToo
https://www.realclearinvestigations.com/articles/2026/03/17/the_scapegoat_how_one_mans_career_was_ended_by_metoo_1170856.html

RCI/Paul Sperry: FBI Misled Court To Spy on Second Trump Campaign Adviser
https://www.realclearinvestigations.com/articles/2026/03/20/fbi_misled_court_to_spy_on_second_trump_campaign_adviser_1171646.html

Semafor: Why (and How) Everyone's Cold-Calling the President
https://www.semafor.com/article/03/15/2026/why-and-how-everyone-is-cold-calling-the-president

Fox News: Swedish Parents Lose Child for Being Too Christian
https://www.foxnews.com/media/christian-parents-lose-final-appeal-after-swedish-state-took-daughters-following-false-abuse-claim

New York Times: Cesar Chavez Accused of Abusing Girls
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/18/us/cesar-chavez-sexual-abuse-allegations-ufw.html
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40min
April 10, 2026 My Lai to Russiagate: Journalism's March from Skeptic to Mouthpiece | RCI Podcast #109
On this week’s episode of the RealClearInvestigations Podcast, RCI Editor J. Peder Zane and RCI Senior Reporter James Varney use the new Netflix documentary “Cover-Up,” on investigative reporting legend Seymour Hersh as a springboard for a wide-ranging discussion with RCI contributor Aaron Maté about the decline of skepticism and rise of propaganda in the legacy media.
On this week’s News Roundup, Zane and Varney discuss a Washington Post article about Trump’s effort to remake the federal bureaucracy by firing and then hiring workers; two Wall Street Journal investigations of Medicaid and Medicare that suggest that in addition to fraud, waste and abuse, a near criminal lack of oversight costs taxpayers billions and a City Journal article on the politicization of sports reporting.
YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/-ZyNWgiL4z4
00:00 Intro
00:31 News Roundup: Trump Administration's Impact on Federal Workforce
05:29 Fraud, Waste, and Abuse in Federal Government
10:02 Politicization of Sports Writing
16:16 Interview with Aaron Mate on Netflix Seymour Hersh Documentary “Cover-Up”
29:04 Russiagate and Media Accountability
50:15 Conclusion and Upcoming Work
Articles and Documentaries Discussed in this Episode:
Washington Post: After Firing, Trump Admin Now Hiring
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/after-slashing-federal-jobs-trump-administration-ramps-up-hiring/ar-AA1XOlP3?ocid=BingNewsSerp
Wall Street Journal: Seniors Pay for Medicare Overpayments
https://www.wsj.com/health/healthcare/seniors-paid-billions-in-extra-premiums-due-to-alleged-medicare-overpayments-d41f5d79?mod=RSSMSN
Wall Street Journal: Autism Therapy Is Medicaid’s Fastest-Growing Jackpot
https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/the-boom-in-autism-therapy-is-medicaid-s-fastest-growing-jackpot/ar-AA1XWJa7?ocid=BingNewsSerp
City Journal: How Sports Journalism Lurched Leftward
https://www.city-journal.org/article/sports-journalism-writers-media-politics
Seymour Hersh Trailer: “Cover-Up”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CxEnECKs9U&t=3s
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52min
April 10, 2026 Transparency: Hiding Kids' Identities From Parents | RealClearInvestigations Podcast #108
On this week’s episode of the RealClearInvestigations Podcast, RCI Editor J. Peder Zane and RCI Senior Reporter James Varney speak with RCI contributor John Murawski about his article detailing the backlash against policies adopted by thousands of public schools that aim to conceal the gender identity of trans students from their parents.
In our round-up of the week’s best investigative reporting, Zane and Varney discuss an NBC News report about Iran’s reliance on cheap and simple to make drones, a CNN article on the high-tech wizardry Israel has deployed to track and kill Iranian scientists and leaders, a Tablet piece reporting that China may not be as strong as commonly portrayed and an Atlantic report that Cuba may be Trump’s next target. They also discuss Ana Kasparian’s recent article for RCI about chronic fraud and mismanagement in California’s Medi-Cal system and the “billionaire’s tax” leaders are pitching to fund but not reform the $200 billion system.
Chapters
00:00 Intro: News Roundup with Peder Zane and James Varney
01:00 Global Military Dynamics and Drone Warfare
06:15 China's Influence and Economic Challenges
08:11 Cuba's Political Landscape and U.S. Relations
11:30 California's Medi-Cal System and Government Fraud
15:12 Interview with John Murawski
16:30 Backlash Against School Policies on Gender Identity
19:00 Legal Challenges and Parental Rights in Education
23:48 Cultural Shifts and the Role of Parents
31:19 The Impact of Social Media on Gender Identity
37:18 The Cultural Revolution and Identity PoliticsYOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/P3aFw3rjT6U
Articles mentioned in this Podcast:
John Murawski/RCI: Transparency: Suing Schools That Hide Trans Kids’ Identities From Parents
https://www.realclearinvestigations.com/articles/2026/03/05/transparency_suing_schools_that_hide_trans_kids_identities_from_parents_1168501.html
Ana Kasparian/RCI: Can Billionaire Tax Cure California’s Healthcare Woes? https://www.realclearinvestigations.com/articles/2026/03/03/can_billionaire_tax_cure_californias_healthcare_woes_1167959.html
NBC News: Cheap, Effective and Battle-Tested by Russia: Iran Leans on Shahed Drones to Penetrate U.S. Defenses
https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/shahed-drones-iran-us-war-ukraine-russia-rcna261285
CNN: Hacked Traffic Cameras and US Intelligence: How a Plot To Kill Iran’s Supreme Leader Came Together
https://archive.is/NnZiX#selection-3417.13-3429.11
Tablet: Paper Dragon: Behind the Chinese illusion of strength
https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/paper-dragon-china

Atlantic: Cuba Is Next
https://archive.is/g0qSn
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46min
April 10, 2026Waste of the Day | RealClearInvestigations Podcast #107
On this week’s episode of the RealClearInvestigations Podcast, RCI Editor J. Peder Zane and RCI Senior Reporter James Varney speak with Jeremy Portnoy, a researcher for OpentheBooks.com who writes RCI’s Waste of the Day feature, about rampant fraud, waste and abuse in government spending.
In our round-up of the week’s best investigative reporting, Zane and Varney discuss the Daily Caller’s report on Chinese researchers working on US defense projects, the Daily Mail’s article on a Chinese spy’s effort to recruit American figure skater Alysa Liu and the New York Times piece on Russia’s campaign to create mayhem across Europe.YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/UbbcWrjKLYA
0:00 Intro
01:33 Daily Caller: US Funded Defense Projects Riddled with Chinese Researchers
05:15 Daily Mail: Chinese Spies Tried to Turn Skater Aylsa Liu
07:04 New York Times: Ex-Cabbie Driving Russia’s Shadow War
10:30 RealClearInvestigations: Bad Bets: Massive EV Subsidies Not Paying Off
13:18 Jeremy Portnoy, OpentheBooks.com, RCI’s Waste of the Day feature
Articles mentioned in this Podcast:
RealClearInvestigations: Bad Bets: Massive EV Subsidies Not Paying Off
https://www.realclearinvestigations.com/articles/2026/02/26/bad_bets_federal_and_state_ev_subsidies_are_not_paying_off_1167122.html

Daily Caller: US Funded Defense Projects Riddled with Chinese Researchers
https://dailycaller.com/2026/02/23/exclusive-us-intel-defense-grants-chinese-researchers/

Daily Mail: Chinese Spies Tried to Turn Skater Aylsa Liu
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/winterolympics/article-15591857/olympics-alysa-liu-father-china-spy-truth.html

New York Times: Ex-Cabbie Driving Russia’s Shadow War
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/22/world/europe/russia-sabotage-europe.html

RealClearInvestigations: Waste of the Day Archive
https://www.realclearinvestigations.com/stream/?topic=waste_of_the_day
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34min
April 09, 2026 Deporting Censorship: US Targets UK Government Ally | RealClearInvestigations Podcast #106
YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/2YcAFTe3L_A
Articles discussed in this podcast:
Paul D. Thacker for RCI: Deporting Censorship: US Targets UK
https://www.realclearinvestigations.com/articles/2026/02/18/deporting_censorship_us_targets_key_ally_of_british_government_over_free_speech_1165667.html
New York Times: Obama Took On Recession, Health Care and Iraq. What He Didn’t See Coming Was Trump
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/17/us/politics/obama-trump-oral-history.html
RCI: Obama’s Fingerprints All Over Investigations of Trump And Clinton | RealClearInvestigations
https://www.realclearinvestigations.com/articles/2026/01/22/obamas_fingerprints_all_over_investigations_of_trump_and_clinton_1160121.html
Reason: Report: The FBI bent its own rules to spy on 1,100 'sensitive' targets
https://reason.com/2026/02/16/the-fbi-bent-its-own-rules-to-spy-on-1100-sensitive-targets/
Guardian: No water or electricity, and children begging in streets filled with rubbish – but this is why I won’t leave Cuba | Cuba | The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/feb/13/no-water-or-electricity-and-children-begging-in-streets-filled-with-rubbish-but-this-is-why-i-wont-leave-cuba
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41min

FAQs about RealClearInvestigations Podcast:

How many episodes does RealClearInvestigations Podcast have?

The podcast currently has 103 episodes available.