The John Batchelor Show
1,843 episodes — Page 4 of 37
S8 Ep1240: Edmund Fitton-Brown describes the Houthis' methodical campaign, likely coordinated with Iran, to intimidate Saudi Arabia and prevent its entry into the Abraham Accords. Recent strikes on Mocha and Jazan highlight a resurgence of the 12-year-old Yemeni civ
Aug 11, 202619 min
S8 Ep1239: Bridget Toomey reports the Houthis have escalated their regional campaign by striking Saudi Arabia's Jazan refinery, demonstrating their ability to disrupt global energy markets despite recent defense pacts. Within Yemen, the Houthis are intensifying at
Aug 11, 202617 min
S8 Ep1238: Mariam Wahba reports the Sudanese civil war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), now entering its fourth year, has left over 400,000 dead. The conflict has evolved into a complex proxy war; the UAE supports the RSF t
Aug 11, 20268 min
S8 Ep1237: David Daoud explains Iran is currently leveraging negotiations with the U.S. to secure a ceasefire that protects Hezbollah from further Israeli military pressure while allowing the group to rebuild. Critics argue that U.S. security assistance to the Leban
Aug 11, 202610 min
S8 Ep1236: Malcolm Hoenlein discusses a new mutual defense pact between Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan that has emerged to counter Iranian influence and the Muslim Brotherhood. Meanwhile, in Gaza, empirical data from UNICEF and the WHO challenges international n
Aug 11, 202617 min
S8 Ep1235: Ernesto Araújo and Alejandro Peña Esclusa report Venezuelan negotiators have established a timeline for a political transition, aiming to restore rights and select new electoral authorities by December. However, there are significant concerns regarding th
Aug 11, 202619 min
S8 Ep1234: John Hardie reports North Korea is deploying a specialized unit equipped with KN-23 and KN-24 short-range ballistic missiles to assist Russia's war efforts. This shipment, potentially totaling 120 missiles, significantly bolsters Russia's magazine depth a
Aug 11, 202617 min
S8 Ep1233: Christopher Mason, a geneticist and NASA investigator and author of The Next 500 Years: Engineering Life to Reach New Worlds, outlines a 500-year plan to enable human survival beyond Earth. Central to his vision is the deontogenic ethical framework, which
Aug 10, 202638 min
S8 Ep1232: Gaius and Germanicus: Reflecting on Roman sophistication, the hosts contrast their world's vigiles and urban planning with the squalor of later centuries. They conclude that modern incompetence is a terminal bane, as the current administration fails to en
Aug 10, 202617 min
S8 Ep1231: Gaius and Germanicus: The debate shifts to the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a financial bane that has already cost nearly a billion barrels in oil losses. Iran's punitive mood and demand for reparations reflect a shift where the US can no longer dict
Aug 10, 202614 min
S8 Ep1230: Gaius and Germanicus: In their expanding Londinium wine bar, the hosts discuss the unraveling of Ukraine. Germanicus describes a strategic bane where Russia utilizes siege tactics to destroy the Ukrainian economy, targeting water treatment plants and fuel
Aug 10, 202622 min
S8 Ep1229: Craig Symonds, Part Two: This phase of the war focuses on the Central Pacific campaign, beginning with the brutal amphibious landing at Tarawa in 1943, where the Marines had to "invent" amphibious operations under fire. Nimitz continued to manage complex
Aug 10, 202639 min
S8 Ep1228: Craig Symonds, author of Nimitz at War: Command Leadership from Pearl Harbor to Tokyo Bay, Part One: Following the devastating attack on Pearl Harbor, Admiral Chester Nimitz assumed command of the Pacific Fleet with a mission to stabilize a wrecked comman
Aug 10, 202639 min
S8 Ep1227: Serhii Plokhy, Part Two: The second part focuses on the 2022 full-scale invasion, defined by Putin's catastrophic miscalculation that his troops would be welcomed as liberators. Instead, Ukraine demonstrated remarkable resilience under President Zelenskyy
Aug 10, 202637 min
S8 Ep1226: Stephen Moss, Part Two: Moss explores the Raven, a bird of deep mythology and intelligence, appearing in Norse legends as Odin's messengers and in modern culture like Game of Thrones. Though often seen as harbingers of doom in works by Shakespeare and Poe
Aug 10, 202637 min
S8 Ep1225: Stephen Moss, author of Ten Birds That Changed the World, Part One: Moss discusses how birds shaped human history, starting with the Wild Turkey, which nearly became America's national bird and was essential to pilgrim survival. The naming of the Turkey s
Aug 10, 202637 min
S8 Ep1224: H.W. Brands, Part Two: In 1941, the debate intensifies over the Lend-Lease Act, which Lindbergh argues supports British imperialism rather than democracy. Lindbergh testifies before Congress, asserting that air power makes the Western Hemisphere more defe
Aug 9, 202637 min
S8 Ep1223: H.W. Brands, author of America First: Roosevelt vs. Lindbergh in the Shadow of War, Part One: In April 1939, world-famous aviator Charles Lindbergh returns to the United States as global tensions escalate. Lindbergh, who moved to Europe following the "tri
Aug 9, 202637 min
S8 Ep1222: Anne Stevenson-Yang, author of Wild Ride: A Short History of the Opening and Closing of the Chinese Economy, provides an account of China's economic arc over five decades. The narrative begins in the mid-1980s, transitioning from a Maoist culture characte
Aug 9, 202637 min
S8 Ep1216: William Taubman, Part Two: Taubman examines McNamara's "double life" during the Vietnam War under Lyndon Johnson. While acting as the public architect of escalation, including his role in securing the 1964 Gulf of Tonkin Resolution through omitted facts,
Aug 9, 202637 min
S8 Ep1215: William Taubman, author of McNamara at War: A New History, Part One: Taubman discusses Robert McNamara's early career and rise to power, beginning with his role as a World War II statistician on Guam. McNamara advised General Curtis LeMay on low-altitudee
Aug 9, 202637 min
S8 Ep1222: Jeremy Zakis, Part Two: Zakis joins John Batchelor to explore accounts of animal mischief and human deception. Two beagle puppies, Jada and Scooter, consumed 2.4 pounds of gummy snakes after breaking into a pantry in Queensland; while Scooter was the prim
Aug 9, 202634 min
S8 Ep1221: Jeremy Zakis, Part One: Zakis discusses the looming threat of a Super El Niño, characterized by sea surface temperatures in the Eastern Pacific rising 2.5°C above normal, resulting in extreme atmospheric turmoil and more severe weather patterns than a sta
Aug 9, 202611 min
S8 Ep1221: **Mary Roach**, author of *Replaceable You*, explores the past, present, and future of reconstructing or replacing human anatomy. Roach details the treatment of severe third-degree burns using allografts from cadavers or unconventional biological dressing
Aug 9, 202637 min
S8 Ep1221: Sebastian Smee, Part Two: The narrative follows the 1871 Paris Commune and "Bloody Week," where civil war left the city in ruins. Amidst this trauma, Berthe Morisot resolved to become a professional artist, developing a radical style focused on domesticit
Aug 9, 202638 min
S8 Ep1221: Sebastian Smee, author of Paris in Ruins: Love, War, and the Birth of Impressionism, Part One: In 1874, artists staged a revolutionary independent exhibition in Paris, marking the birth of Impressionism. Smee explores how painters like Monet and Morisot r
Aug 9, 202637 min
S8 Ep1220: SCHEDULE THE JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW, 8-7-2026. Kevin Frazier addresses the growing misinformation surrounding data centers, particularly in rural America where they are often viewed as threats to water and power.
Aug 8, 20269 min
S8 Ep1219: Kevin Frazier addresses the growing misinformation surrounding data centers, particularly in rural America where they are often viewed as threats to water and power. He argues that these facilities provide massive tax base contributions and high-paying co
Aug 8, 202619 min
S8 Ep1218: Henry Sokolski discusses the stalled nuclear cooperative agreement between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia, noting that the lack of enrichment restrictions has left the deal in limbo. He explains that a new condominium between Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan
Aug 8, 202617 min
S8 Ep1218: Harry Sidebottom explores the world of Roman gladiators, describing the Colosseum as a building that reinforced social hierarchy through strictly assigned seating. The day's events began with a stylized procession representing Roman dominance over nature
Aug 8, 202637 min
S8 Ep1217: Bob Zimmerman highlights several developments in space, starting with the startup Catalyst's daring mission to rescue the decaying Swift space telescope. Despite thruster failures, engineers are attempting to use the remaining hardware to move the telesco
Aug 8, 202619 min
S8 Ep1217: Lorenzo Fiori guides listeners through the Piedmont region, focusing on Vercelli and Vigevano, areas famous for rice production but currently suffering from a severe drought. He reports that a massive "heat dome" sitting over Europe has pushed temperature
Aug 8, 20269 min
S8 Ep1216: Jim McTague analyzes the July jobs report, which unexpectedly showed a loss of 23,000 jobs, signaling a cutback in spending by those "with little." He describes a "K-shaped economy" where the wealthy continue to spend while others struggle with high gas p
Aug 8, 20268 min
S8 Ep1216: Richard Epstein critiques the contempt of Congress referral against Dr. Anthony Fauci, arguing Fauci made "egregious mistakes" regarding pandemic regulations like masking and social distancing. Epstein contends Fauci was a "lousy scientist" who suppressed
Aug 8, 202619 min
S8 Ep1215: Jeff Bliss begins with the Super El Niño building in the Pacific, reaching record-high temperatures that promise severe drought and wildfires for California, a state currently unprepared for these atmospheric changes. In Seattle, Mayor Wilson recently fir
Aug 8, 202617 min
S8 Ep1214: **Anatol Lieven** reports the conflict in **Ukraine** has devolved into a war of infrastructure, with Ukraine targeting **Russian** retail warehouses while **Russia** destroys Ukrainian road transport and blocks the port of **Odesa**. Lieven expresses skR
Aug 7, 20267 min
S8 Ep1213: Mary Anastasia O'Grady reports Keiko Fujimori has secured the Peruvian presidency by a narrow margin, inheriting a nation plagued by organized crime and Chinese influence. Fujimori faces an immediate crisis with the expected arrival of El Niño in Septembe
Aug 7, 20268 min
S8 Ep1212: Jack Burnham explains the FCC's efforts to prohibit military-grade, foreign-produced drones, specifically targeting Chinese firms like DJI due to security concerns. These "dual-use" systems are defined by their ability to carry heavy loads and utilize adv
Aug 7, 202610 min
S8 Ep1211: Peter Berkowitz analyzes the work of Professor Patrick Deneen, who argues that liberal democracy is a "curse" that has atomized American society. Deneen presents contradictory accounts of whether liberalism was a founding principle or a 20th-century impos
Aug 7, 202617 min
S8 Ep1210: Harry Sidebottom describes the reality of Roman gladiators, noting they were often heavy-set due to a carbohydrate-rich diet designed to provide protective fat. These fighters were glamorous figures who enacted Roman virtues of courage and physical streng
Aug 7, 202637 min
S8 Ep1209: Bradley Bowman warns of the unprecedented military cooperation between Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea, documented in 616 instances of security collaboration. Russia has transferred advanced technology, such as Su-35 fighters and submarine quieting t
Aug 7, 202619 min
S8 Ep1208: Evan Ellis explores the landscape of Uruguay, a stable country navigating the trade interests of its neighbors, Brazil and Argentina. The discussion shifts to Colombia's newly elected president, Abelardo de la Espriella, whose inauguration in a high-secur
Aug 7, 202617 min
S8 Ep1207: Kevin Hoy discusses the detection of a Jupiter-mass object orbiting the brown dwarf CD-35 2722b, which may represent the first confirmed exosatellite or exomoon. Using the radial velocity method, researchers identified a "wobble" in the spectrum of the br
Aug 7, 202619 min
S8 Ep1206: Anatol Lieven reports the conflict in Ukraine has devolved into a war of infrastructure, with Ukraine targeting Russian retail warehouses while Russia destroys Ukrainian road transport and blocks the port of Odesa. Lieven expresses skepticism regarding Ru
Aug 7, 202617 min
S8 Ep1204: SCHEDULE THE JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW, 8-5-2026. Michael Bernstam discusses how August is historically a "month of curses" for Russia, citing the 1991 coup and the 1914 start of WWI. Currently, Russia is facing a severe fiscal and production crisis driven by
Aug 6, 20267 min
S8 Ep1205: Colonel Grant Newsham challenges the assumption of inevitable Chinese dominance, labeling it a "fake it till you make it" strategy intended to intimidate foreigners. He points out that China's property market is a "crater" and its currency is not freely c
Aug 6, 20268 min
S8 Ep1204: Mary Kissel analyzes the "stuck" state of global diplomacy, arguing that China and Russia are actively judging the strength of U.S. deterrence in the Strait of Hormuz and Ukraine. She disputes the idea that China is a neutral bystander, noting that Beijin
Aug 6, 202610 min
S8 Ep1203: Simon Constable reports on the extreme weather and energy pressures facing Europe, with Brent crude prices up 12% and natural gas up 22% in a single month. He details a "semi-invasion" of Spain, where 60,000 migrants recently attempted to cross from Moroc
Aug 6, 202617 min
S8 Ep1202: Humberto Briceño describes Venezuela as a state captured by a transnational alliance of criminal organizations, including colectivos (paramilitaries) and narco-traffickers. He criticizes the decision to leave "gangsters" like Delcy Rodríguez in power whil
Aug 6, 202619 min
S8 Ep1201: Peter Huessy provides a historical overview of nuclear arms control, starting with the 1972 SALT I agreement, which actually codified a buildup of weapons while banning missile defenses. He describes the "window of vulnerability" in the 1980s when Soviet
Aug 6, 202617 min