The John Batchelor Show
1,589 episodes — Page 30 of 32
S8 Ep786: 3. Dr. Francis Townsend's popular pension plan is credited with forcing Roosevelt to introduce Social Security. Pietrusza also describes the break with Father Charles Coughlin, a powerful radio priest. After a failed 1935 meeting at Hyde Park, Coughlin jo
Apr 26, 202613 min
S8 Ep786: 2. Pietrusza discusses Southern populist threats from Huey Long and Eugene Talmadge. Although Long died in 1935, his radical "Share Our Wealth" plan remained a political force. Talmadge, a race-baiting Jeffersonian conservative, further challenged Rooseve
Apr 26, 20267 min
S8 Ep786: 1. Historian David Pietrusza details the April 1936 death of Louis Howe, FDR's longtime political advisor. Howe's passing left Roosevelt to navigate the campaign alone against former mentor Al Smith. Smith and the American Liberty League accused Roosevelt
Apr 26, 202611 min
S8 Ep796: 8. Legacies and Lessons: Looking Beyond 1920 Guest: David Patruchia Summary: Reflecting on the "six presidents," the discussion covers Hoover’s move toward the GOP, FDR’s character growth following his polio diagnosis, and the eventual repeal of Prohi
Apr 26, 20268 min
S8 Ep796: 7. Legacies and Lessons: Looking Beyond 1920 Guest: David Pietrusza Reflecting on the "six presidents," the discussion covers Hoover's move toward the GOP, FDR's character growth following his polio diagnosis, and the eventual repeal of Prohibition. Roose
Apr 26, 202610 min
S8 Ep796: 6. From Prison to the Porch: The Final Push for Votes Guest: David Pietrusza Harding's "front porch" campaign utilized early advertising and Hollywood stars like Al Jolson to reach voters. The results were an overwhelming Republican landslide, with Hardin
Apr 26, 20265 min
S8 Ep796: 5. Bloviating and Blazers: The 1920 Campaign Trail Guest: David Pietrusza The campaign trail featured Harding's "bloviating" speaking style and Cox's pivot to a pro-League stance following a sobering meeting with a frail Wilson. Meanwhile, Socialist Eugen
Apr 26, 202612 min
S8 Ep796: 4. The Two-Thirds Rule and the San Francisco Convention Guest: David Pietrusza The Democratic Convention in San Francisco was marked by Wilson's hidden third-term ambitions and the grueling "two-thirds rule" for nomination. After 44 ballots, Ohio Governor
Apr 26, 20265 min
S8 Ep796: 3. A Roast in Chicago: The Republican Convention Guest: David Pietrusza At the sweltering Republican Convention in Chicago, Warren G. Harding emerged from a field of better-funded candidates like Leonard Wood and Frank Lowden. The party platform remained
Apr 26, 202614 min
S8 Ep796: 2. The Future Giants: FDR, Coolidge, and Hoover in 1920 Guest: David Pietrusza This source profiles the rising stars of 1920: FDR, Calvin Coolidge, and Herbert Hoover. It highlights FDR's early naval career and strained marriage, Coolidge's stoic Vermont
Apr 26, 20266 min
S8 Ep796: The Alpha and Omega of 1920: Wilson's Health and the League of Nations Guest: David Pietrusza This segment explores Woodrow Wilson's debilitating stroke in October 1919 and how it paralyzed his presidency. Historian David Pietrusza discusses the central r
Apr 26, 202610 min
S8 Ep795: SCHEDULE JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW 4-24-2026 1740 BATAVIA
Apr 25, 20267 min
S8 Ep795: STREAM OF THE MAKING OF THE JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW, FEATURING JEFF BLISS AND MICHAEL VLAHOS, 4-24-2026 1748 SOUTH HOLLAND
Apr 25, 202658 min
S8 Ep794: 16. Guest: Bob Zimmerman. Zimmerman provides updates on the Curiosity rover's climb of Mount Sharp, noting unusual tile-like rock formations on Mars. He also explains the significance of the Artemis Accords, an alliance of sixty-three nations favoring
Apr 25, 20266 min
S8 Ep794: 15. Guest: Bob Zimmerman. Zimmerman reviews NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman's testimony regarding budget cuts and the cancellation of the Lunar Gateway project. He compares slow European government space programs with agile commercial startups. Addition
Apr 25, 202613 min
S8 Ep794: 14. Guest: Henry Sokolski. Sokolski discusses modernizing civil defense to address non-nuclear threats like drone strikes on critical infrastructure. Following European models, he suggests Americans should prepare for 72-hour utility failures by securing
Apr 25, 20265 min
S8 Ep794: 13. Guest: Henry Sokolski. Sokolski highlights the overlooked plutonium path to nuclear weapons in Iran, focusing on the Bushehr reactor's spent fuel rods. He explains that while uranium enrichment is publicly monitored, reprocessing these rods could yiel
Apr 25, 202612 min
S8 Ep794: 12. Guest: Andrew Graham Dixon. Dixon discusses Vermeer's primary patrons, Peter van Ruijven and Maria de Knuijt, identifying them as radical Remonstrants. He reveals a "smoking gun" discovery: their home was adjacent to a hidden Remonstrant church. Dixon
Apr 25, 20268 min
S8 Ep794: 11. Guest: Andrew Graham Dixon. Dixon recounts Vermeer's marriage to Catharina Bolnes and his conversion to Catholicism to appease his mother-in-law, Maria Thins. He highlights the unique religious toleration in Dutch society, where diverse faiths worship
Apr 25, 202611 min
S8 Ep794: 10. Guest: Andrew Graham-Dixon. Dixon investigates Vermeer's artistic origins, proposing Gerard ter Borch as his teacher based on archival documents. He notes that Vermeer was fatherless at twenty and likely viewed his master as a father figure. The discu
Apr 25, 20267 min
S8 Ep794: 9. Guest: Andrew Graham-Dixon. Art historian Dixon explores the background of Johannes Vermeer in 17th-century Delft. He details Vermeer's father's role as an innkeeper and the family's involvement with the Remonstrants, a liberal religious group. This gr
Apr 25, 202610 min
S8 Ep794: 8. Guest: Richard Epstein. Epstein examines the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz, noting fuel emergencies in the Pacific. He advocates for opening alternative domestic energy supplies by bypassing regulatory hurdles. Epstein argues that military force may e
Apr 25, 20264 min
S8 Ep794: 7. Guest: Richard Epstein. Epstein critiques the California Supreme Court's disbarment of attorney John Eastman. He argues the decision is a politically motivated "hit job" that ignores First Amendment protections for legal advocacy. Epstein suggests such
Apr 25, 202614 min
S8 Ep794: 6. Guest: Lorenzo Fiori. Fiori addresses the suspicious poisoning of wolves in Italy's Abruzzo National Park, noting conflicts with local farmers. He recommends travelers visit the historic "star city" of Palmanova and nearby Roman sites to escape over-to
Apr 25, 20268 min
S8 Ep794: 5. Guest: Jim McTague. McTague reports on the economic climate in Lancaster County, observing light city foot traffic and high commercial rents. He discusses how rising gasoline prices affect small businesses and seniors on fixed incomes. The segment conc
Apr 25, 20269 min
S8 Ep794: 4. Guest: Josh Blackman. Blackman discusses a 2026 OLC opinion suggesting the 1978 Presidential Records Act is unconstitutional. He draws parallels between Nixon's record disputes and the modern indictments of Donald Trump regarding documents at Mar-a-Lag
Apr 25, 20268 min
S8 Ep794: 3. Guest: Josh Blackman. Blackman reviews the history of the 1974 Presidential Recordings and Materials Preservation Act, which prevented Richard Nixon from destroying White House records. He argues that the Watergate investigation created a political "fe
Apr 25, 202610 min
S8 Ep794: 2. Guest: Jeff Bliss. Bliss analyzes the first gubernatorial debate, where leading Democratic candidates gave Governor Newsom high grades for handling homelessness, while Republicans issued an "F". The discussion highlights the audience's negative reactio
Apr 25, 20263 min
S8 Ep794: 1. Guest: Jeff Bliss. John Batchelor and Bliss discuss potential fuel shortages impacting Las Vegas tourism and airport traffic. They address rising gasoline prices in California, which exceed five dollars due to heavy refinery regulations and reduced dom
Apr 25, 202614 min
S8 Ep793: 4: Andrew Graham-Dixon Previews his biography of Johannes Vermeer, revealing how the artist's paintings reflect the hidden religious beliefs of persecuted movements while navigating the strict and often intolerant Calvinist-led social atmosphere of Hollan
Apr 24, 20265 min
S8 Ep793: 5: Henry Sokolski Previews his discussion on the Non-Proliferation Treaty's failure to prohibit uranium enrichment, highlighting how these legal loopholes allow nations like Iran to develop nuclear weapons capabilities under the guise of peaceful energy p
Apr 24, 20263 min
S8 Ep793: 6: Bob Zimmerman Previews the commercial space startup Atmos, which raised thirty million dollars to develop specialized orbital capsules designed for zero-gravity manufacturing and research, focusing on the business potential of returning valuable produc
Apr 24, 20261 min
S8 Ep792: Summary: Josh Blackman Josh Blackman previews his analysis of a 2026 OLC opinion declaring the Presidential Records Act unconstitutional, discussing how Watergate-era legal precedents regarding executive documents now influence modern criminal proceedings
Apr 24, 202621 min
S8 Ep791: Summary: Jeff Bliss Jeff Bliss previews his Pacific Watch analysis regarding the California gubernatorial debate, where Democrats' high grades for Governor Newsom's handling of the homelessness crisis sparked intense audience disbelief and widespread pub
Apr 24, 20261 min
S8 Ep791: Summary: Richard Epstein Richard Epstein previews his upcoming detailed explanation of John Eastman'sdisbarment, arguing the California State Bar unfairly targeted Eastman for unsuccessful legal arguments rather than traditional ethical violations like br
Apr 24, 20262 min
S8 Ep793: SCHEDULE JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW, 4-23-26 1902 DELONGPRE GARDENE
Apr 24, 20266 min
S8 Ep792: STREAM OF THE MAKING OF THE SHOW, JIM MCTAGUE, 4-23-2026 1905 DELONGPRE INTERIOR.
Apr 24, 202644 min
S8 Ep791: 16. Guest: Cleo Paskal. Paskal reports on Super Typhoon Sinlaku's impact on US Pacific territories. She also discusses the fuel supply crisis in the Marshall Islands caused by the Strait of Hormuz closure. Finally, she details the withdrawal of a contro
Apr 24, 202610 min
S8 Ep791: 15. Guest: Mary Anastasia O'Grady. O'Grady criticizes the stalled transition to democracy in Venezuela, noting the Rodriguez siblings are "buying time" for their criminal regime. Despite the capture of Maduro, corrupt officials remain in power. She highli
Apr 24, 20269 min
S8 Ep791: 14. Guest: Veronique de Rugy. De Rugy warns of a looming debt crisis, suggesting the US is passively choosing inflation over necessary spending cuts or tax hikes. She argues that fiscal credibility cannot be restored without reforming Medicare and Social
Apr 24, 20269 min
S8 Ep791: 13. Guest: Craig Unger. Unger argues Vladimir Putin is the primary beneficiary of the Middle East conflict as rising oil prices bolster Russia's economy. He describes Donald Trump as a Russian "asset" whose interests align with Putin's. Additionally, he d
Apr 24, 20268 min
S8 Ep791: 12. Guest: Eric Cline. Cline discusses the 1177 BC collapse of the globalized Late Bronze Age network due to drought, famine, and invasions. He emphasizes modern lessons from this collapse, including the need for innovation, resilience, and multiple backu
Apr 24, 20268 min
S8 Ep791: 11. Guest: Eric Cline. Using social network analysis, Cline maps connections between Bronze Age rulers, identifying messengers as critical "power brokers". He notes the difficulty of identifying specific Pharaohs in the letters. Finally, he discusses the
Apr 24, 202611 min
S8 Ep791: 10. Guest: Eric Cline. Cline explores the letters of Abdi-Heba, the ruler of Jerusalem, who balanced local conflicts while appealing to the Egyptian Pharaoh for military aid. The correspondence reveals a world of backstabbing vassal politics and frequent
Apr 24, 20267 min
S8 Ep791: 9. Guest: Eric Cline. Archaeologist Cline discusses the Amarna letters, focusing on the prolific correspondence of Rib-Hadda of Byblos. He characterizes these ancient conflicts as proxy wars between the Hittites and Egyptians. Cline notes that the regiona
Apr 24, 202610 min
S8 Ep791: 8. Guest: Evan Ellis. Ellis reports Panama is seeing increased canal revenue due to Middle East instability, but faces Chinese retaliation for revoking a port concession. China is using economic leverage to punish Panama, pressuring major shipping compani
Apr 24, 20265 min
S8 Ep791: 7. Guest: Evan Ellis. Ellis discusses a suspicious car crash in Chihuahua, Mexico, that killed four officials, including two CIA personnel. He also covers a diplomatic rift between the US and Brazil involving mutual expulsions of police liaisons, sparked
Apr 24, 202614 min
S8 Ep791: 6. Guest: Evan Ellis. Ellis details spillover violence in Trinidad and Tobago, where drug flows and gangs necessitated a state of emergency. He addresses Venezuela's opposition leader Maria Corina Machado's delayed return to the country. Additionally, he
Apr 24, 20269 min
S8 Ep791: 5. Guest: Evan Ellis. Ellis examines Peru's political turmoil surrounding a multi-billion dollar F-16 deal. An interim leftist government attempted to delay payments, potentially seeking Russian or Chinese alternatives. Despite the resignation of two key
Apr 24, 20268 min
S8 Ep791: 4. Guest: Titus Techera. Techera reviews Project Hail Mary, calling it a family-oriented film celebrating space exploration and "manly professionalism". However, he highlights Hollywood's decline as streaming and private gaming erode the shared cinematic
Apr 24, 202610 min