🎙 Episode 20 — Charlie Kirk, Corruption & The State of America

Retired NYPD helicopter pilot Derin De Vuono (20-year NYPD veteran; Chinatown’s 5th Precinct → 10 years in the Aviation Unit → finished in the 60th Precinct, Coney Island) joins Bruce & Rich for a raw, first-person look at New York City corruption, policing culture, media narratives, and the nation’s mood in the immediate aftermath of the reported shooting of Charlie Kirk (as discussed in this episode’s timeline).

We cover Derin’s path into specialized policing and aviation rescue (East, Harlem & Hudson Rivers), the administrative games and “performance” quotas that warp incentives, and why he believes NYC has been running on endemic financial/political corruption for years. From there, the table talk turns national: how media and social feeds shaped the reaction to the Kirk news, what free speech & satire should look like (yes, South Park comes up), the flags-at-half-mast debate, and gun-law misunderstandings (incl. confusion over a Mauser vs. “military rifles”).

The hosts grapple with division and responsibility—registering as an independent, earning votes, and rejecting celebration of political violence—ending with a straight ask to register and vote if you haven’t yet. Whether you agree or not, this is a candid conversation with someone who’s been in the cockpit over NYC and isn’t shy about how he sees the country right now.

Guest: Derin De Vuono — Retired NYPD Helicopter Pilot (Aviation Unit), 20 years NYPD
Hosts: Bruce & Rich (Podpinions)
Note: Episode commentary reflects the conversation as recorded; real-world claims are discussed as the hosts and guest present them in the moment.

00:00 – Cold open & show intro
00:24 – Meet Derin De Vuono (Ret. NYPD Helicopter Pilot)
00:40 – Career path: 2002 NYPD → 5th Precinct (Chinatown) → Aviation Unit (10 yrs) → 60th Precinct (Coney Island)
02:10 – NYC corruption & spending; Eric Adams mentions
22:02 – Aviation Unit: rivers, rescues, how operations actually work
33:00 – Independent voter & “earn my vote” philosophy
36:20 – Reaction to the reported Charlie Kirk shooting; on people wishing harm
45:33 – What are they afraid of? Motives & narratives
50:13 – Comedy & satire: South Park, free speech, not erasing the past
62:37 – Phone-cam “gotchas,” mayoral pressure, and cop tactics in real calls
64:59 – The Biden years, fear vs. hope, political fatigue
74:40 – Weapon talk (Mauser), TMZ video, timeline chatter; Fox & Friends update
91:35 – Call to action: “Register and vote”
93:27 – Flags at half-mast debate (Whitney Houston comparison)
95:29 – University reactions; gun-law misconceptions & ATF references
103:44 – Supreme Court rulings and executive branch friction
109:21 – First Amendment & tolerating speech you dislike
116:43 – Liberal cops, “change the department from within”
123:12 – “At its root, it’s terrorism” (don’t reward fear)
131:41 – Parents, bad influences & the suspect background talk
155:42 – Rights, rulings, and where we go from here

#Podpinions #CharlieKirk #NYPD #AviationUnit #FreeSpeech #GunDebate #NYC #Corruption #RegisterToVote #Podcast