The John Batchelor Show

1920 SYRIA AND THE FRENCH MANDATE Syria Resolves Nuclear Noncompliance Case Investigation Andrea Stricker discusses the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) unanimously closing Syria's formal nuclear non-compliance finding from 2011 after Damascus permitted access to historical nuclear sites. Inspectors visited the destroyed Al-Kibar reactor at Deir ez-Zor and Site 99, where they uncovered 73...

SUDAN Sudan Conflict Faces Foreign Power Interference Hussain Abdul-Hussain details the ongoing civil war in Sudan between General Burhan's Sudanese Armed Forces(SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces. Foreign powers are actively influencing the conflict; Turkey supports the SAF through Muslim Brotherhood ties and drone strikes launched from Egyptian airfields. At the UN Security Council, the United St...

1902 Borgotaro Celebrates Porcini Mushrooms And Culture Lorenzo Fiori explores Borgotaro in the Italian province of Parma, calling it the capital of porcini mushrooms owing to its rich forests, varying altitudes, and unique microclimate. He describes local culinary highlights, recommending pairings of dark and light porcini varieties preserved in olive oil alongside authentic Parmigiano Reggiano c...

1945 LANCASTER COUNTY CInflation Drives Divided Spending In Pennsylvania Jim McTague shares observations on inflation while traveling across Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, illustrating a bifurcated K-shaped economy. High gasoline prices, averaging over $4.20 to $4.39 per gallon, are heavily squeezing lower-income families and reducing convenience store spending. Conversely, wealthier residents an...

1880 IRISH AT THE EMIGRRANT SAVINGS BANK Congress Must Aid Fed Against Inflation Veronique de Rugy argues that the Federal Reserve cannot defeat inflation solely by raising interest rates without fiscal assistance from Congress. Higher interest rates increase national debt service payments, which have surged from $250 billion to over one trillion dollars, fueling further inflation through governme...

1900 NWT Navigating Canada Trade Relations With America Conrad Black examines Canada's evolving trade dynamics following the Prime Minister's address to the European Parliament advocating for broader international partnerships. While expanding trade with Europe is positive, Black emphasizes Canada's deep economic vulnerability, given that nearly half of its GDP is tied to trade with the United Sta...

1926 HUNTINGTON BEACH California Coastline Destruction And Economic Shifts Jeff Bliss highlights severe coastal erosion along Southern California beaches during El Niño storms, noting how homeowners unsuccessfully battle nature despite strict Coastal Commission permit restrictions. Fuel prices in California have reached record highs, with low-grade gasoline exceeding six dollars per gallon and die...

CAPTION 1868 FROM THE EARTH TO THE MOON, JULES VERNE. CONTENTS -JOHN-BATCHELOR-SHOW-9-17-2026  Foreign Conflicts Escalate Global Energy Crisis Anatol Lieven and Jonathan Guyer, co-authors of the report The Iran Trap, discuss interconnected conflicts in Ukraine, Iran, and Yemen threatening critical global energy infrastructure and driving up global diesel costs. Houthis disrupt Red Sea maritime rou...

CAPTION  1945 TRINITY TEST LOS ALAMOS Live Streaming weekdays 8-9 AM ET on The John Batchelor Show Substack pageNuclear Deterrence, Broken Treaties, and the Pocketbook Electorate    Peter Huessy, Anatol Lieven, and Jonathan Guyer join John Batchelor. The discussion begins with historical reflections on Cold War-era civil defense drills, illustrating how early memories of nuclear anxiety contrast w...

1895  VENEZUELA Latin American Political Instability And Security Evan Ellis assesses complex geopolitical shifts across Latin America. In Venezuela, opposition leader María Corina Machado struggles to return home as the U.S. navigates high-stakes oil deals alongside interim leaders Delcy and Jorge Rodríguez. Meanwhile, non-traditional U.S. counter-narcotics reporting reflects shifting diplomatic...

CAPTION  1945 INSPECTION FROM USS APPALACHIAN Grim Human Reality Of Hiroshima Bombing Charles Pellegrino, author of Ghosts of Hiroshima, explores the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, detailing military logistics and human tragedy. Radar engineer Jacob Beser helped calibrate the detonation altitude, while Enola Gay pilot Paul Tibbets performed a sharp escape maneuver to avoid the explosion. On the grou...

1917 PRINCESS OF MARS Early Solar System Magnetism Shaped Planets Cauê Borlina and David Livingston: Purdue Professor Borlina analyzed pristine Antarctic meteorites, notably DOM 08006, to investigate the early solar system's magnetic history. By studying calcium-aluminum-rich inclusions (CAIs)—the oldest known solids formed 4.5 billion years ago—researchers discovered preserved primordial magnetis...

1941 BRAZIL Brazilian Election Scandal Shakes Supreme Court Mary Anastasia O'Grady reports Brazil's presidential campaign between incumbent Lula da Silva and Flavio Bolsonaro has tightened significantly amidst mounting financial and judicial scandals. Flavio Bolsonaro initially suffered in polling after soliciting movie funding from jailed banker Daniel Vorcaro of collapsed Banco Master. However,...

1905 HOLES AND TAFT Supreme Court Rejects Postal Voting Regulation Richard Epstein discusses the Supreme Court's refusal to permit the U.S. Postal Service to implement new mail-in voting regulations ahead of federal elections. Justice Kavanaugh concurred, emphasizing that election administrators lack sufficient time and software systems to process millions of mail-in ballots without causing severe...

CAPTION 1638 PERSIAN EMPIRE Foreign Conflicts Escalate Global Energy Crisis Anatol Lieven and Jonathan Guyer, co-authors of the report The Iran Trap, discuss interconnected conflicts in Ukraine, Iran, and Yemen threatening critical global energy infrastructure and driving up global diesel costs. Houthis disrupt Red Sea maritime routes while damaged Russian oil refineries reduce worldwide fuel expo...

1943 WAR EMERGENCY PIPELINE CONTENTS THE JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW 9-16 Global Diesel Shortage Spans Multiple Continents Michael Bernstam explains Ukrainian drone strikes against Russian refineries impact domestic Russian consumption rather than global markets because Moscow previously banned refined petroleum exports. The worldwide diesel crisis stems from losing 2.5 million barrels daily due to Middle...

CAPTION 1970 IRAN STREAMING MAKING JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW WITH CHANG, BURTON, GRANT, TOZZI, 9-16-2026 Canada's European Pivot and the Pacific HellscapeTonight's broadcast outlines a shifting geopolitical landscape characterized by Canada's pivot away from the United States toward a new "associate membership" with the European Union. Experts discuss how this transition is fueled by a perception of Ame...

CAPTION 1922 FRANCE Commercial Space Programs Advance Amid Shakeups Bob Zimmerman reports SpaceX is preparing Starship Super Heavy for an orbital test carrying commercial Starlinksatellites, while Amazon booked extra Ariane 6 launches to deploy its constellation. Meanwhile, NASA awarded Blue Origin a $700 million Mars communication satellite contract based on its Blue Ring orbital tug, prompting a...

1920 TOUR DE FRANCE European Inflation Escalates Under Energy Pressures Simon Constable reports a severe heatwave in southern France damaged sunflower harvests while diesel prices soared to $9.20 per gallon, causing widespread agricultural and logistical distress. Rising European natural gas costs pushed electricity rates up 12% in one month, driving price hikes across essential agricultural commo...

1954 YEMEN Gregory Copley explains the ongoing conflict in Yemen reflects deep historical, cultural, and tribal divisions stretching back to pre-Islamic Jewish roots. Mountainous North Yemen, led by Hashemite Zaydis, maintains historical claims as traditional guardians of Mecca and Medina predating Saudi control. Demonstrating sophisticated defense capabilities, North Yemeni forces recently downed...

1931 YAKS IN JACO Addressing Transnational Repression Before Summit Meeting Piero Tozzi, co-host Gordon Chang: Ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping's summit in Washington, Tozzi urges increased protections against Beijing's transnational repression targeting dissidents, Tibetans, and Uyghurs on American soil. China operates clandestine police stations in cities like New York and Boston while usin...

CAPTION 1919 VERSAILLES CONFERENCE Diplomatic Strains Impact Global Western Alliances Mary Kissel notes global polls indicate declining trust in American leadership as both the United States and China are perceived as international threats. Friction over tariffs and rhetoric pushed Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to pursue European Union associate membership and deeper ties with Beijing. In Uk...

CAPTION 1954 Hellscape Defense Strategy Deters Taiwan Invasion Rebecca Grant reports the United States Indo-Pacific Command developed an offensive tactical framework named Hellscape to counter potential Chinese invasions of Taiwan. Designed by Admiral Samuel Paparo, Hellscape deploys swarms of cheap drones, loitering munitions like Damocles, and unmanned vehicles to confuse attacking Chinese force...

1929 OTTAWA Canada Seeks EU Integration Amid Realignment Charles Burton reports Canada is rapidly reorienting its economic and defense relationships away from dependency on the United States. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed opening associate membership to Canada, creating a unique alliance covering defense, trade, and personnel movement. Supported by former Prime Minist...

CAPTION NOVEMBER 1953 America Deploys Operational Space Control Weapons Rick Fisher reports Air Force officials publicly confirmed that the United States deployed operational space control weapons capable of protecting joint military forces. A French Space Agency graphic recently detailed orbital assets operated by America, Russia, and China, including telemetry jamming, proximity operations, and...