The John Batchelor Show

SHOW SCHEDULE 1-26-261808 GREAT HALL BANK OF ENGLAND Bill Roggio and Husain Haqqani discuss global turmoil and confrontation, examining U.S. policy failures in Afghanistan. The conversation addresses the ongoing consequences of American withdrawal and the resurgence of threats in the region, highlighting how strategic missteps continue to destabilize the area and embolden adversaries. Bill Roggio and Husain Haqqani examine how Africa remains unprotected from jihadists and plunderers. The discussion explores the continent's vulnerability to extremist expansion and resource exploitation, with weak governance and insufficient international attention allowing terrorist networks and predatory actors to operate with increasing impunity across multiple nations. Ernesto Araujo and Alejandro Pena Esclusa analyze Venezuela's posture of public defiance while remaining privately obedient to the Trump administration. The segment explores the contradictions in Caracas's diplomatic stance, suggesting the regime's theatrical resistance masks behind-the-scenes accommodations driven by economic pressure and political survival calculations. Ernesto Araujo and Alejandro Pena Esclusa report on a spontaneous Rio rally supporting the Bolsonaro family. The demonstration reflects continued popular backing for the former Brazilian president despite legal challenges, indicating that conservative movements in Latin America retain significant grassroots energy and organizational capacity. Malcolm Hoenlein and Thaddeus McCotter discuss Iran's ongoing executions and mass murders. The segment details the regime's brutal crackdown on dissent, highlighting the systematic use of capital punishment against protesters and minorities as Tehran intensifies domestic repression amid international isolation and internal unrest. Malcolm Hoenlein and Thaddeus McCotter examine Saudi Arabia's internal disagreements over a potential air campaign against Iran. The conversation explores Riyadh's strategic calculations, balancing regional security concerns against the risks of direct military confrontation with Tehran and the complexities of American alliance dynamics. Mark Simon and Gordon Chang address Hong Kong's persecution of democracy advocates through show trials. The discussion highlights Beijing's systematic dismantling of civil liberties, using the judicial system to silence opposition figures and signal that resistance to Communist Party authority will face severe consequences. Brandon Weichert and Gordon Chang analyze the PRC using ground-based nodes to influence states. The segment examines China's expanding infrastructure of political and economic pressure points, demonstrating how Beijing leverages physical assets to project power and shape foreign government policies. John Hardie reports that Russia continues targeting heat and light infrastructure in Kyiv, while Ukraine retaliates by striking Russian infrastructure. The segment examines the escalating war of attrition against civilian utilities as both sides seek to undermine morale and economic capacity through systematic attacks on essential services. Jack Burnham reveals that Chinese academics have been granted easy access to Energy Departmentsupercomputing resources used in nuclear weapon simulations. The discussion highlights alarming security lapses allowing potential adversaries to benefit from sensitive American technology with direct military applications and strategic implications. Cleo Paskal and Bill Roggio examine the PRC threat to Oceania from Guam's perspective. The segment details China's aggressive influence peddling and buying throughout the Pacific islands, as Beijing systematically works to undermine American strategic positioning and cultivate dependent relationships across the region. Cleo Paskal and Bill Roggio discuss the UK's giveaway of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, highlighting China's influence over the Mauritian government. The transfer raises concerns about Beijing potentially gaining strategic access to a critical Indian Ocean location near vital shipping lanes and military installations. Ahmad Sharawi reports that Al Sharaa continues attacking minorities in Syria, with Kurds being driven back while the U.S. stands aside. The Druze community also faces assault as the new regime consolidates power through ethnic persecution despite initial promises of inclusive governance. Janatyn Sayeh describes Iran's mass murders amid a broken economy with no communications or internet access. The segment portrays a regime in crisis, resorting to extreme violence against its population while infrastructure collapse and international isolation accelerate the government's deteriorating grip on power. David Daoud examines how Hezbollah reigns over villages in Lebanon. The segment details the organization's methods of social control, combining armed intimidation with provision of services to maintain dominance over Shia communities and enforce loyalty to the movement's political and military agenda. David Daoud explores what Hezbollah will manage if Tehran fails. The discussion considers the organization's future autonomy and survival prospects should its Iranian patron collapse, examining whether the group can sustain itself independently or faces inevitable decline without external support.

David Daoud explores what Hezbollah will manage if Tehran fails. The discussion considers the organization's future autonomy and survival prospects should its Iranian patron collapse, examining whether the group can sustain itself independently or faces inevitable decline without external support.1899 BEIRUT

David Daoud examines how Hezbollah reigns over villages in Lebanon. The segment details the organization's methods of social control, combining armed intimidation with provision of services to maintain dominance over Shia communities and enforce loyalty to the movement's political and military agenda.1947 LEBANON

Janatyn Sayeh describes Iran's mass murders amid a broken economy with no communications or internet access. The segment portrays a regime in crisis, resorting to extreme violence against its population while infrastructure collapse and international isolation accelerate the government's deteriorating grip on power.1882

Ahmad Sharawi reports that Al Sharaa continues attacking minorities in Syria, with Kurds being driven back while the U.S. stands aside. The Druze community also faces assault as the new regime consolidates power through ethnic persecution despite initial promises of inclusive governance.1924 ALEPPO

Cleo Paskal and Bill Roggio discuss the UK's giveaway of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, highlighting China'sinfluence over the Mauritian government. The transfer raises concerns about Beijing potentially gaining strategic access to a critical Indian Ocean location near vital shipping lanes and military installations.1789 BOURBON MAURITIUS

Cleo Paskal and Bill Roggio examine the PRC threat to Oceania from Guam's perspective. The segment details China's aggressive influence peddling and buying throughout the Pacific islands, as Beijing systematically works to undermine American strategic positioning and cultivate dependent relationships across the region.1870 HAWAII

Jack Burnham reveals that Chinese academics have been granted easy access to Energy Department supercomputing resources used in nuclear weapon simulations. The discussion highlights alarming security lapses allowing potential adversaries to benefit from sensitive American technology with direct military applications and strategic implications.1957, OPERATION PLUMBBOB

John Hardie reports that Russia continues targeting heat and light infrastructure in Kyiv, while Ukraine retaliates by striking Russian infrastructure. The segment examines the escalating war of attrition against civilian utilities as both sides seek to undermine morale and economic capacity through systematic attacks on essential services.1855 CRIMEA

Malcolm Hoenlein and Thaddeus McCotter examine Saudi Arabia's internal disagreements over a potential air campaign against Iran. The conversation explores Riyadh's strategic calculations, balancing regional security concerns against the risks of direct military confrontation with Tehran and the complexities of American alliance dynamics.

Malcolm Hoenlein and Thaddeus McCotter discuss Iran's ongoing executions and mass murders. The segment details the regime's brutal crackdown on dissent, highlighting the systematic use of capital punishment against protesters and minorities as Tehran intensifies domestic repression amid international isolation and internal unrest.

Ernesto Araujo and Alejandro Pena Esclusa report on a spontaneous Rio rally supporting the Bolsonaro family. The demonstration reflects continued popular backing for the former Brazilian president despite legal challenges, indicating that conservative movements in Latin America retain significant grassroots energy and organizational capacity.

Ernesto Araujo and Alejandro Pena Esclusa analyze Venezuela's posture of public defiance while remaining privately obedient to the Trump administration. The segment explores the contradictions in Caracas's diplomatic stance, suggesting the regime's theatrical resistance masks behind-the-scenes accommodations driven by economic pressure and political survival calculations.

Bill Roggio and Husain Haqqani examine how Africa remains unprotected from jihadists and plunderers. The discussion explores the continent's vulnerability to extremist expansion and resource exploitation, with weak governance and insufficient international attention allowing terrorist networks and predatory actors to operate with increasing impunity across multiple nations.

Bill Rogigo and Husain Haqqani discuss global turmoil and confrontation, examining U.S. policy failures in Afghanistan. The conversation addresses the ongoing consequences of American withdrawal and the resurgence of threats in the region, highlighting how strategic missteps continue to destabilize the area and embolden adversaries.

Ahmad Sharawi Sharawi provides analysis on the situation in Syria, confirming that the self-declared president, Ahmed al-Shara, enjoys "full support" from regional powers, specifically Saudi Arabia and Turkey. Sharawi explains that while some US officials have expressed disappointment regarding al-Shara's military campaign against the SDF (a US counterterrorism partner), Turkey actively backs the campaign because it views the SDF as an enemy it wants removed from northeast Syria.

Cleo Paskal Paskal discusses the geopolitical and legal complications regarding the transfer of the Chagos Islands (which include Diego Garcia) from the UK to Mauritius. She highlights a critical oversight: a 1966 agreement between the US and the UK mandates that sovereignty over the Chagos archipelago must remain British for 50 years plus an additional 20 years, meaning the territory should legally remain British until 2036. Paskal notes that Washington has recently "woken up" to the dangers of the transfer—which President Trump has labeled as "stupid"—largely due to concerns regarding the heavy influence of the Chinese Communist Party in Mauritius.1939 guam

Bill Roggio Roggio characterizes Western policy as an "absolute mess," arguing the US has conceded safe havens to jihadists in both Afghanistan and Syria. He criticizes the normalization of Ahmed al-Shara, noting that al-Shara never denounced his oath of allegiance to Al-Qaeda, yet is being treated as a potential partner. Roggio warns that while the US focuses on the Islamic State, jihadists are on a rampage across Africa and Syria, capitalizing on the strategic failures of multiple US administrations.1935 Abyssinians

Janatyn Sayeh Sayeh describes a "total blackout" of information in Iran, where the regime is using military-grade jammers to block Starlink satellite signals, a tactic he notes is dangerous to people on the ground. Beyond throttling the internet, authorities are cutting landlines and targeting electricity in specific neighborhoods to ensure they disconnect Iranians from both the outside world and each other during the unrest.1868 DAMASCUS

John Hardie Hardie reports that Ukraine's deep strike campaign against Russian territory intensified in mid-2025, focusing primarily on energy infrastructure like oil refineries. Despite a "very bitter winter" leaving Kyiv without heat, there is talk of potentially reviving a failed energy truce from earlier in Trump's second term. Hardie suggests this could serve as a confidence-building measure toward de-escalation and a broader deal.1859 ODESSA

Ahmad Sharawi Sharawi confirms that self-named president Ahmed al-Shara enjoys full support from regional powers, specifically Saudi Arabia and Turkey. While some US officials have expressed disagreement with al-Shara's campaign against the SDF (a US counterterrorism partner), Turkey actively supports the move because it views the SDF as an enemy it wants removed from northeast Syria.1920 AMERICAN ORPHANAGE ALEPPO 

Mark Simon Simon offers a harsh retrospective on US-China relations, arguing that the engagement strategy dating back to 1972 has never really worked for the United States. He dismisses the economic trade-off of "cheap stuff at Walmart" as a poor return for allowing China to flood US markets. Simon specifically criticizes the George H.W. Bush administration (and Brent Scowcroft) for making a grand strategic and moral mistake; he contends that by ignoring "blood on the streets," the US propped up a regime that it should have realized could not be changed, missing a critical opportunity to do better.1930S HONG KONG

Londinium Winter 92AD. Reflecting on military history, the speakers contrast the strategic genius of Hannibal and the eccentric audacity of WWII commando Lord Lovat with the current state of American forces. Germanicus asserts that the "marauder" spirit of figures like Andrew Jackson or the Normans has vanished from the U.S. military, which he describes as a "submissive subculture" focused on maintaining privilege rather than victory. He concludes that the American system is too ossified for reform, arguing that the nation is in a period of rupture that requires a "new empire" to survive.1910 CARTHAGE THEATER EXCAVATED

Londinium Winter 92AD. In this dialogue, the "Emperor" (the U.S. President) is chastised by King Charles III for disparaging the British military, leading to a swift reversal by the American leader. Germanicus argues that despite the 18th-century revolution, the U.S. never truly disentangled itself from Great Britain, eventually inheriting its imperial role and institutions. The speakers note that American elites retain a deep, nostalgic reverence for the British monarchy, often viewing the U.K. as a cultural font similar to how Rome viewed Greece, though they observe that modern Britainstruggles to defend its borders and identity.1690 CHARLES II AND JANE LANE

Londinium Winter 92AD. The debate shifts to the "Greenland affair," which Germanicus contextualizes as part of a long, often "piratical" tradition of American territorial expansion, comparable to the Louisiana Purchase. Rather than a mere real estate deal, this is portrayed as an attempt to establish a sovereign American sphere of influence over the entire Western Hemisphere, the Pacific, and the "American republic" itself, rejecting post-Soviet globalism. Germanicussuggests this aggressive posture is necessary because the U.S. is governed by "sclerotic" elites and domestic instability.1899 GREENLAND

rBrett Forrest explores grim theories regarding Billy's fate with a Russian contact. Later, at a Department of Justiceevent, he confronts high-ranking FBI official Paul Abbate. Abbate admits immediate knowledge of the unpublished Riley case, confirming the bureau's deep awareness of their missing Confidential Human Source.1892 WEST SIBERIA

In Russia, Brett Forrest investigates Billy's path, visiting a Rostov-on-Don volunteer camp and seeking associates like Mikhail Polynov. He analyzes Billy's strange travel photos and highlights the suspicious timing of FBI handler Tim Reintjes' visit to the Riley family immediately following Billy's disappearance.1917 ROSTOV ON DON

Brett Forrest recounts receiving a tip about a missing American FBI source in Russia. He investigates, visiting Riley'sparents in Michigan to review Billy's WhatsApp travel logs. Forrest details Billy's journey to Rostov-on-Don near the Ukrainian war zone and his sudden, final communication with his parents in June 2015.1890 BANK RUN MOSCOW

Brett Forrest introduces Billy Riley, a Michigan youth recruited as an FBI Confidential Human Source after 9/11 due to his online skills. Forrest details Billy's cancelled mission to the Philippines and his parents' concerns regarding his mysterious 2015 departure for Russia to join a humanitarian effort near the Ukraine war.1917 MOSCOW

The Jesse Scouts crippled Lee's retreat by intercepting supply trains, forcing the Confederate surrender at Appomattox. Rejecting guerrilla warfare to preserve the nation, Lee accepted Grant's respectful terms. Post-war, former partisan Mosby surprisingly became a Republican and close friend of President Grant, aiding national reconciliation.

Lewis Powell worked with the Confederate Secret Service on a plot to kidnap Lincoln, while Union scout Harry Youngtook command of the Jesse Scouts. Young's disguised scouts provided crucial intelligence, enabling Sheridan to communicate with Grant via messages hidden in tin foil and leading the Union breakout.R

General Grant ordered Philip Sheridan to destroy resources and hang partisans, leading to a "burning season" in the Shenandoah Valley. After Blazer's scouts were annihilated by Mosby's rangers at Kabletown, Blazer was captured and escorted to Richmond by Lewis Powell, a future conspirator in the Lincoln assassination plot.

Confederate General Jubal Early marched on Washington, D.C., hoping to free prisoners, but was delayed by Union resistance at Monocacy. Although Early reached Fort Stevens, where President Lincoln famously stood under fire, the attack failed partly due to a lack of coordination with Mosby's partisan forces.1865

A failed 1864 Union raid led by Dahlgren intended to burn Richmond and kill Confederate leaders, prompting a Confederate Secret Service response involving political subversion. Meanwhile, author Herman Melville embedded with Union cavalry, writing poetry about the terror of facing Mosby's elusive rangers in the "shadows."1865 FIVE FORKS

Union manhunter Richard Blazer led the "Legion of Honor" to hunt Confederate partisans like the ruthless Thurman brothers in West Virginia. Blazer utilized detective work to build a "mosaic" of enemy locations, conducting lightning raids in rugged terrain to protect vital Union supply lines.CHANCELLORSVILLE

The Confederate Partisan Ranger Act attempted to regulate irregular guerrilla fighters, leading to the rise of John Singleton Mosby in Northern Virginia. Though General Lee was ambivalent about the lack of discipline among partisans, he recognized the value of asymmetric warfare to counter Union manpower advantages.1864 MOUNTJOY OF MOSBY'S RAIDERS

John Batchelor introduces Patrick K. O'Donnell and his book The Unvanquished, focusing on the "Jesse Scouts" and their leader, Captain John Charles Carpenter. Named after Jesse Frémont, these Union scouts utilized disguises and "trade craft" to infiltrate Confederate lines, though Carpenter was eventually cashiered for theft.1861

Leila Philip describes how a flow device installed by Mike Callahan saved an Audubon sanctuary pond during Hurricane Ida, proving that coexistence strategies are often more cost-effective than repairing flood damage. She concludes by emphasizing beavers as agents of hope, noting their wetlands store vast amounts of carbon and provide critical resilience against droughts and floods.1890

Leila Philip at the Hubbard Brook watershed discusses how beavers act as a keystone species that aids environmental recovery, challenging the necessity of lethal culling given modern non-lethal management options. She notes that beaver complexes actually increase trout and salmon populations and provide millions of dollars in free ecosystem engineering services.1892

Leila Philip visits the Yale Myers Forest with ecologist Dr. Denise Burchsted and learns to view river systems not as single channels but as interconnected veins where beaver ponds act like "beads along a chain." This perspective reveals how beavers restore "paleo rivers," complex systems comprised of flowing water, wetlands, and meadows that effectively manage water tables.

Leila Philip explores beaver intelligence through the work of Harvard researcher Jordan Kennedy, who studies their collective behavior and connections to Indigenous Blackfeet knowledge. Beavers possess sensors in their tails to measure water flow rates, allowing them to make sophisticated decisions about where to build dams without being overwhelmed by strong currents.

Leila Philip shares the story of Dorothy Richards, who established "Beaver Sprite" in the 1930s as the country's first beaver sanctuary, eventually living with over a dozen beavers inside her home. Anecdotes illustrate the animals' engineering instincts, such as a beaver moving a plumber's chair to maintain the most efficient path for its construction work.

Leila Philip discusses 19th-century anthropologist Lewis Henry Morgan, who documented beaver dams in the Lake Superior Basin, where Philip recently observed centuries-old dams still continually cleansing water. Philip also details her immersion into the world of modern fur trappers, finding unexpected ecological knowledge and a deep connection to nature within that culture.

Leila Philip describes observing a local beaver pond, noting how these animals create wetlands that act as the "coral reefs of North America" by supporting immense biodiversity. She also recounts the Algonquin legend of the Great Beaver, a story that explains geological formations while serving as an environmental parable against resource hoarding and greed.

Leila Philip explains how John Jacob Astor founded America's first multi-millionaire fortune by overhearing traders discuss the massive profit margins on beaver fur. Astor leveraged the Lewis and Clark expedition to establish global trade routes, utilizing beaver pelts—which functioned as a literal currency—to jumpstart American capitalism before the species was nearly wiped out.

Headline: The Failure of "Bazball" and Post-Ashes Fallout Guest: Jeremy ZakisFollowing a devastating Ashes loss to Australia, the English cricket team is reevaluating their aggressive "Bazball" strategy, admitting it acts as psychological warfare that only works against weaker teams. Amidst the fallout, selector Luke Wright has resigned. Meanwhile, an intense heatwave has cancelled local cricket matches and Australia Day festivities.1927

Headline: Managing Snakes and Kangaroos During Extreme Heat Guest: Jeremy ZakisExtreme heat drives snakes into homes seeking cool air, hiding in shoes and behind furniture. Official advice for spotting dangerous snakes is to stay calm, "grab a beer," and call a professional catcher. Meanwhile, kangaroos conserve energy by resting under trees on golf courses, observing humans without reacting

Headline: Fatal Shark Attacks and Catastrophic Heat Disrupt Australia Day Guest: Jeremy ZakisA tragic shark attack killed a 12-year-old boy near Sydney, prompting beach closures across the region. Simultaneously, a severe heatwave causing temperatures near 120°F has triggered total fire bans, cancelling Australia Day fireworks and barbecues. Bushfires threaten Victoria while a cyclone approaches Western Australia.1842

FILE 8. INDUSTRIAL ESPIONAGE AND D-DAY DELAYS. GUEST AUTHOR SEAN MCMEEKIN. The author details how the Soviets utilized Lend-Lease to plunder American intellectual property and entire factories, often with Harry Hopkins's facilitation,. McMeekin notes that Stalin delayed Operation Bagration until weeks after D-Day to let the Allies absorb German strength, while Hopkins consistently overruled officials like Averell Harriman who tried to condition this aid,.1942

FILE 7. SPHERES OF INFLUENCE AND FAILED NEGOTIATIONS. GUEST AUTHOR SEAN MCMEEKIN. During 1940 negotiations in Berlin, Hitler attempted to align the Soviets with the Axis powers, but talks failed due to Stalin's insistence on expanding influence into Finland and the Balkans. Consequently, Hitler decided to invade Russia to break their economic stranglehold, while Soviet leadership simultaneously began preparing their own military deployments for a future war with Germany,.1931

FILE 6. DOMESTIC OPPOSITION AND SECRET LEND-LEASE. GUEST AUTHOR SEAN MCMEEKIN. McMeekin describes how Harry Hopkins bypassed military skeptics to ensure the Soviet Union received unrestricted supplies, such as studebakers and aircraft, starting in July 1941. The administration kept this full support secret from a skeptical American public until late 1941, as polls showed a majority of states opposed aiding the Soviets against Hitler.1930