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:

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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 | 

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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:

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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:

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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

Articles Discussed in This Podcast:

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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

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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 Website
https://robertpgeorge.com/

Robert P. George X Account
https://x.com/McCormickProf

Video: Robert P. George in Conversation with Cornel West
https://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

Telegraph: Erect Sea Barrier Off Belgium To Halt Migrant ‘Taxi Boats,’
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/belgians-propose-sea-barrier-halt-151307951.html

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On this week’s episode of the RealClearInvestigations Podcast, J. Peder Zane and James Varney speak with Joel Kotkin about his recent article for RCI exploring how and why fascism has become a buzzword of American politics.

On the news round-up, Zane and Varney use a City Journal piece suggesting why fraud in Medicaid and Medicare seems an unsolvable problem to discuss a Wall Street Journal article detailing how autism therapy has become a hotbed of billing abuse and a Daily Caller story on rampant fraud in Obamacare. They also discuss John R. Lott Jr.’s recent RCI article on data showing that violent crime is declining even as more Americans – especially women, blacks and Hispanics – are carrying firearms and an article in the Free Press reporting on policies that have helped significantly lower the murder rate in Baltimore.

00:00 Introduction and News Roundup

Articles Discussed in This Podcast:

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On this week’s episode of the RealClearInvestigations Podcast, RCI Editor J. Peder Zane and RCI Senior Reporter James Varney speak with author Andrew G. Bostom about the rise of Shariah law in the U.S. and the EU and challenges it poses to those western laws, customs and society.

On the news round-up, Zane and Varney use a Tablet article saying the U.S. has few good options in Iran to discuss some lessons we have learned so far from the ongoing conflict. They also discuss what sky-high tickets prices to see the New York Knicks play in the NBA finals say about America’s wealth gap and what two stories about Sweden – one in Europe Today, the other in the Wall Street Journal – tell us about mass immigration and social cohesion.

00:00 Introduction 

Books & Articles Discussed in This Podcast:

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On this week’s episode of the RealClearInvestigations Podcast, RCI Editor J. Peder Zane and RCI Senior Reporter James Varney speak with Patrick Steel, the former CEO of Politico who is now a Senior Advisor to Antenna Group, about the changing landscape of the media business. 

On the news round-up, Zane and Varney discuss articles published by Reuters and the Washington Post that detail Iran’s confounding stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz as well as a piece in the Atlantic that raises questions about the US government’s official narrative regarding the deadly collision of two American refueling planes over Iraq. They also examine how two articles – the National Review’s analysis of the explosion in autism diagnoses and the City Journal’s report on the transplants driving Los Angeles’ homeless problems – illustrate how the wrong incentives can exacerbate social problems and social spending. 

00:00 Introduction and Overview of the Podcast

Articles Discussed in This Podcast:

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