The John Batchelor Show

SHOW SCHEDULE 2-9-20261828 BANK OF ENFGLAND Guests: Bill Roggio and Husain Haqqani. Al-Qaeda has grown significantly since 9/11, maintaining a long-term vision for a global caliphate and establishing safe havens in Afghanistan and Syria, unlike the more isolated ISIS. Guests: Husain Haqqani and Bill Roggio. Al-Qaeda veteran Ahmed al-Shara's presidency in Syria highlights the group's diplomatic manipulation and Western naivety in accepting jihadists who adopt modern suits and polished personas. Guests: Ernesto Araujo and Alejandro Peña Esclusa. Conservatives gathered in Brussels to champion freedom of speech and consolidate the "Foro Madrid," a transatlantic alliance uniting Latin American and Europeanleaders against socialism. Guests: Ernesto Araujo and Alejandro Peña Esclusa. Venezuelan regime factions clash over detaining opposition figures, while Brazilian conservative Flavio Bolsonaro seeks international support to combat totalitarianism ahead of the upcoming national election. Guests: Bill Roggio and Jonathan Schanzer. Reports indicate Iran's regime has killed thousands to suppress ongoing unrest, feigning diplomatic willingness while maintaining a paranoid grip on power and refusing real concessions. Guests: Bill Roggio and David Daoud. Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem pledges loyalty to Iran, threatening asymmetric attacks on global U.S. assets if the "mothership" is struck, while organizing for Lebanese elections. Guests: Gordon Chang and Peter Huessy. China reportedly conducted secret underground nuclear tests to develop battlefield weapons for coercion, ignoring arms control treaties while the U.S. struggles to modernize its own deterrents. Guests: Gordon Chang and Brandon Weichert. NASA's Artemis 2 moon mission faces indefinite delays due to SLS rocket flaws, leading experts to urge replacing the bureaucratic program with SpaceX's efficient Starshipsystem. Guests: Bill Roggio and Bridget Tumi. The Houthis maintain improved military capabilities despite a temporary lull in attacks, remaining a persistent threat to Red Sea shipping and eager to support Iran if conflict erupts. Guests: Bill Roggio and John Hardie. Trilateral peace talks regarding Ukraine show limited progress on core issues, while Russia faces communication disruptions from Starlink denials and continues striking Ukrainianenergy infrastructure. Guests: Marianna Yarovskaya and Lyuba Sobol. Filmmaker Yarovskaya and activist Sobol discuss their documentary "Lyuba's Hope," highlighting the severe repression in Putin's Russia and the struggle of exiles fighting for democracy. Guests: Marianna Yarovskaya and Lyuba Sobol. Lyuba Sobol represents democratic Russian forces at the Council of Europe, aiming to delegitimize Putin, while facing continued threats and surveillance alongside other exiled activists. Guests: Bill Roggio and Ahmed Sharawi. Syrian leader Ahmed al-Shara secures resources by integrating the Kurdish SDF into his forces, while the U.S. watches for red lines regarding threats to Israel or regional stability. Guests: Bill Roggio and Edmund Fitton-Brown. The U.S. deploys military assets to pressure a defiant Iran, but the weakened regime refuses concessions to avoid looking vulnerable, relying on bluster and proxy distractions. Guest: Peter Berkowitz. Berkowitz argues that "National Conservatism," which seeks to root public life in a specific Christian vision, contradicts America's founding principles of religious pluralism and constitutional liberty. Guest: Craig Unger. Unger details Donald Trump's early alleged ties to Russian state security and the mob, beginning with the Commodore Hotel deal and continuing through real estate money laundering.E

Guest: Craig Unger. Unger details Donald Trump's early alleged ties to Russian state security and the mob, beginning with the Commodore Hotel deal and continuing through real estate money laundering.1885 NYSE

Guest: Peter Berkowitz. Berkowitz argues that "National Conservatism," which seeks to root public life in a specific Christian vision, contradicts America's founding principles of religious pluralism and constitutional liberty.1780 TRENTON

Guests: Bill Roggio and Edmund Fitton-Brown. The U.S. deploys military assets to pressure a defiant Iran, but the weakened regime refuses concessions to avoid looking vulnerable, relying on bluster and proxy distractions.1890 TEHRAN

Guests: Bill Roggio and Ahmed Sharawi. Syrian leader Ahmed al-Shara secures resources by integrating the Kurdish SDF into his forces, while the U.S. watches for red lines regarding threats to Israel or regional stability.1836 DESERT MARCH

Guests: Marianna Yarovskaya and Lyuba Sobol. Lyuba Sobol represents democratic Russian forces at the Council of Europe, aiming to delegitimize Putin, while facing continued threats and surveillance alongside other exiled activists.1917 MOSCOW

Guests: Marianna Yarovskaya and Lyuba Sobol. Filmmaker Yarovskaya and activist Sobol discuss their documentary "Lyuba's Hope," highlighting the severe repression in Putin's Russia and the struggle of exiles fighting for democracy.1900 NICHOLAS II AT ST. PETERSBURG

Guests: Bill Roggio and John Hardie. Trilateral peace talks regarding Ukraine show limited progress on core issues, while Russia faces communication disruptions from Starlink denials and continues striking Ukrainian energy infrastructure.1917 odessa

Guests: Bill Roggio and Bridget Toomey.  The Houthis maintain improved military capabilities despite a temporary lull in attacks, remaining a persistent threat to Red Sea shipping and eager to support Iran if conflict erupts.1969 yemen

Guests: Gordon Chang and Brandon Weichert. NASA's Artemis 2 moon mission faces indefinite delays due to SLS rocket flaws, leading experts to urge replacing the bureaucratic program with SpaceX's efficient Starshipsystem.1963

Guests: Gordon Chang and Peter Huessy. China reportedly conducted secret underground nuclear tests to develop battlefield weapons for coercion, ignoring arms control treaties while the U.S. struggles to modernize its own deterrents.1954

Guests: Bill Roggio and David Daoud. Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem pledges loyalty to Iran, threatening asymmetric attacks on global U.S. assets if the "mothership" is struck, while organizing for Lebanese elections.15th century

Guests: Bill Roggio and Jonatyn Sayeh. Reports indicate Iran's regime has killed thousands to suppress ongoing unrest, feigning diplomatic willingness while maintaining a paranoid grip on power and refusing real concessions.1870

Guests: Ernesto Araujo and Alejandro Peña Esclusa. Venezuelan regime factions clash over detaining opposition figures, while Brazilian conservative Flavio Bolsonaro seeks international support to combat totalitarianism ahead of the upcoming national election.1922 CARACAS

Guests: Ernesto Araujo and Alejandro Peña Esclusa. Conservatives gathered in Brussels to champion freedom of speech and consolidate the "Foro Madrid," a transatlantic alliance uniting Latin American and European leaders against socialism.1810 BRUSSELS

Guests: Husain Haqqani and Bill Roggio. Al-Qaeda veteran Ahmed al-Shara's presidency in Syria highlights the group's diplomatic manipulation and Western naivety in accepting jihadists who adopt modern suits and polished personas.1924 ALEPPO

Guests: Bill Roggio and Husain Haqqani. Al-Qaeda has expanded significantly since 9/11, establishing safe havens in Afghanistan and Syria while maintaining a long-term vision for a global caliphate, unlike rival ISIS.1870 PESHAWAR

PREVIEW: John Batchelor speaks with Edmund Fitton-Brown of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies regarding the ongoing tragedy in Iran. Fitton-Brown, a former UK ambassador to Yemen, discusses the regime's brutality and reports of hundreds of thousands dead or missing. The conversation critiques the US administration's approach, noting that while the president encouraged protesters with promises of support, that "rescue has been fatally delayed."1955

PREVIEW: Peter Huessy joins the show to discuss the end of the New START treaty and the modernization of nuclear arsenals since 2011. Huessy highlights the disparity in battlefield nuclear capabilities, noting that while the US assumes its systems work without testing, Russia and China are actively testing to develop "battlefield nukes." He warns that in military war games, once nuclear weapons are introduced, "nothing holds," and conventional US superiority becomes irrelevant.1958

PREVIEW: Bill Roggio provides a grim assessment of Al-Qaeda's status looking ahead to 2026, contradicting official narratives that the group has been "decimated" or "defeated." He explains that Al-Qaeda has grown significantly since 9/11, now effectively controlling two countries: Afghanistan in conjunction with the Taliban and parts of Syria. Roggio describes these areas as safe havens with training camps and weapons depots, noting that Somalia is also largely under Al-Qaeda control via Al-Shabaab.1836 BEIRUT

PREVIEW: Bridget Toomey discusses the resilience of the Houthis in Yemen following the end of active campaigns in Gaza. She explains that the Houthis are difficult to target due to their mountainous geography and their status as both an Iranian proxy and an indigenous movement. While Israeli strikes successfully targeted some political leadership, Toomey notes that the group has largely recovered and replaced those figures, though they have become significantly more paranoid and repressive internally as a result.1800 YEMEN

PREVIEW: Journalist Craig Unger presents allegations from his books regarding Donald Trump's relationship with the KGB in the 1980s. Unger cites Yuri Shvets, a former KGB major, who claims Trump was cultivated as an asset by Soviet state security. The discussion covers a timeline from 1980 to 1987, detailing how a trip to Moscow allegedly led to Trump publishing a full-page ad in the New York Times that echoed KGB talking points.1870 CASTLE GARDEN

PREVIEW: Brandon Weichert of The National Interest critiques NASA's plans for the Artemis 2 mission and the Space Launch System. Weichert argues that the SLS is likely to fail to meet expectations and suggests that NASA may ultimately be forced to rely on Elon Musk's SpaceX and the Starship program to reach the moon, rather than continuing with the government's expensive, single-use rocket.

Michael Vlahos as Germanicus compares the fall of the Roman Republic to modern American corruption, arguing that while Augustus and even Putin could contain oligarchic excess, American oligarchs possess unchecked power several orders of magnitude greater, with lawfare transforming crime into legal immunity in ways more dangerous than historical precedents.1900 CARTHAGE

Michael Vlahos as Germanicus analyzes Polish Premier Donald Tusk's invocation of Jeffrey Epstein as a Russianintelligence asset, interpreting this as geopolitical warfare positioning Poland as Europe's bastion against Russia, potentially forming a central European bloc while ironically creating a symbiotic arrangement dividing Ukraine between Polish and Russian spheres. 1918 UKRAINE

Michael Vlahos as Germanicus argues the Russo-Ukrainian war has transcended material goals to become a mythic struggle like the Iliad, with Ukraine cast as Troy creating heroic sacrifice narratives while Russia achieves false transcendence through a phoenix-like resurrection story, as the United States fails to grasp the existential dimensions that transformed both societies.1940

HEADLINE: Exotic Theories and the Ongoing Quest. GUEST: Govert Schilling. SUMMARY: The conversation explores anomalies like dark-matter-free galaxies and alternatives like primordial black holes, highlighting the enduring mystery of the universe's composition. 1952

HEADLINE: Hunting Particles Underground and in Space. GUEST: Govert Schilling. SUMMARY: Schilling discusses Cosmic Microwave Background evidence and direct detection efforts, including underground xenon tanks and antimatter searches on the International Space Station.1956

HEADLINE: The Rise of Dark Energy. GUEST: Govert Schilling. SUMMARY: After ruling out MACHOs, astronomers discovered the universe's expansion is accelerating, revealing that mysterious Dark Energy dominates the cosmos alongside dark matter. 1959

HEADLINE: Challenging Gravity: MOND vs. Matter. GUEST: Govert Schilling. SUMMARY: Modified Newtonian Dynamics is discussed as a rival theory, though gravitational lensing and the Bullet Cluster strongly support dark matter's physical existence.

HEADLINE: Cold Dark Matter and WIMPs. GUEST: Govert Schilling. SUMMARY: Neutrinos are ruled out for Cold Dark Matter as Schilling describes the WIMP search at CERN and how computer simulations validate the model.

HEADLINE: From Big Bang to Radio Astronomy. GUEST: Govert Schilling. SUMMARY: Schilling explains dark matter's essential role in cosmic structure formation and highlights Albert Bosma's radio astronomy work confirming galactic rotation anomalies.2023

HEADLINE: Spinning Galaxies and Stable Halos. GUEST: Govert Schilling. SUMMARY: Ostriker's theory of galactic halos and Rubin and Ford's observations of flat rotation curves solidified the case for unseen matter stabilizing galaxies. 2023

HEADLINE: Early Hints of the Invisible. GUEST: Govert Schilling. SUMMARY: Schilling introduces pioneers Kapteyn, Oort, and Zwicky, whose early 20th-century observations of stellar motions and galaxy clusters first hinted at dark matter's existence. ESA EUCLID, 2020

HEADLINE: The Return: "There is a Santa Claus." GUEST AUTHOR: Bob Zimmerman. SUMMARY: After a successful engine burn to leave lunar orbit, the crew navigates home using stars and a sextant, splashing down safely to conclude the mission. 1968 SFRIVING YORKTOWN

HEADLINE: Earthrise and the Genesis Message. GUEST AUTHOR: Bob Zimmerman. SUMMARY: The crew captures the iconic Earthrise photo and, struggling to find words for the moment, reads from Genesis to the world on Christmas Eve.1968

HEADLINE: Space Race in the Shadow of the Cold War. GUEST AUTHOR: Bob Zimmerman. SUMMARY: Amidst the political turmoil and violence of 1968, NASA's civilian mission offers a positive contrast to the Cold War, striving to demonstrate American excellence.1968

HEADLINE: Arrival: Entering Lunar Orbit and the Grey World. GUEST AUTHOR: Bob Zimmerman. SUMMARY:Apollo 8 successfully enters lunar orbit using the SPS engine, allowing the crew to witness the moon's desolate, cratered surface and confirm its impact origins.

HEADLINE: The Bold Gamble: NASA's Decision to Go. GUEST AUTHOR: Bob Zimmerman. SUMMARY: Facing Soviet competition from Zond missions, NASA managers make the aggressive decision to send Apollo 8 to the moon early without the lunar module. 1968

HEADLINE: Leaving Earth: The Historic Launch of Apollo 8. GUEST AUTHOR: Bob Zimmerman. SUMMARY:The Saturn 5 launches successfully, and for the first time, humans leave Earth's orbit, watching their home planet shrink while navigating with primitive computers.

HEADLINE: Meeting the Crew: Borman, Lovell, and Anders. GUEST AUTHOR: Bob Zimmerman. SUMMARY:Profiles of the Apollo 8 astronauts reveal a mix of duty-driven command and exploration zeal, all supported by their resilient families amidst intense media scrutiny. 1968 CREW AND BACKUP CREW

 HEADLINE: Tragedy and Rebirth: The Apollo 1 Fire. GUEST AUTHOR: Bob Zimmerman. SUMMARY: A tragic launchpad fire kills three astronauts, forcing NASA to admit carelessness, overhaul safety protocols, and redesign the capsule before the moon race continues. 1938

HEADLINE: The Wuhan Lab and General Chen Wei. GUEST: Brandon Weichert. SUMMARY: Weichert links Wuhan Institute of Virology security failures to PLA Major General Chen Wei, alleging military control over research and a political cover-up of the lab leak theory. 1903

HEADLINE: Protecting US Data and Seeking Damages. GUEST: Brandon Weichert. SUMMARY: Weichert urges stricter tech transfer laws and stronger investment screening through CFIUS, arguing the US must hold China financially accountable for the COVID-19 pandemic's global damage. 1915

HEADLINE: Charles Lieber and the CRISPR Threat. GUEST: Brandon Weichert. SUMMARY: Weichert highlights Charles Lieber's conviction and He Jiankui's unethical gene experiments, illustrating how China exploits dual-use biotechnology to advance military goals and defeat Western rivals.PEKING 1904

HEADLINE: China's "Field of Dreams" Espionage Strategy. GUEST: Brandon Weichert. SUMMARY: Weichert details China's strategy to build innovation hubs that attract Western scientists, using the "Thousand Talents" program to lure researchers and students, facilitating the transfer of proprietary technology to China for military dominance. Q956 UNIVERSITY OF ELECTRONIC SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, OPENING

HEADLINE: The Extended Mind, Tools, and Placebos. GUEST: Professor Andy Clark. SUMMARY: Clark discusses the "extended mind" using tools, orangutans reducing uncertainty, the placebo effect's power over pain, and the brain's innate drive to forage for information. 1932

HEADLINE: Sentience, Emotions, and Bodily Consciousness. GUEST: Professor Andy Clark. SUMMARY: The conversation covers the body's role in perception, emotions as prediction error markers, animal sentience, and the "taste of honey" concept explaining consciousness. 1952

HEADLINE: Autism, PTSD, and Depression via Prediction. GUEST: Professor Andy Clark. SUMMARY: Clark interprets autism as sensory overweighting, views PTSD as reacting to unexpected negatives, and describes depression as disordered internal bodily predictions regarding energy budgeting. 1941

HEADLINE: The Predictive Brain and Auditory Hallucinations. GUEST: Professor Andy Clark. SUMMARY: Clark explains how brains predict reality, using "White Christmas" auditory hallucination experiments and a deer-spotting anecdote to illustrate that expectation strongly shapes perception. 1917

2-5-261900 SINGAPORESHOW SCHEDULE2-5-2026SINGAPORE 19401Mary Anastasia O'Grady of the Wall Street Journal discusses the Panama Supreme Court's ruling removing Chinese port contracts, correcting misconceptions about Chinese military control or ownership of the canal.2.Veronique de Rugy of the Mercatus Center argues that while Trump's deregulation aids growth, erratic tariffs and government industrial subsidies create uncertainty, functioning effectively as taxes that hinder the economy.3.Josh Birenbaum explains that while the Forever Fleet ensures Venezuelan oil compliance, long-term stability requires establishing the rule of law rather than indefinite military blockades off the coast.4.Eric Berger details NASA's urgent need for a new Mars telecommunications orbiter, debating between traditional builds or commercial partnerships to meet the critical 2028 launch window for future missions.5.Mary Anastasia O'Grady of the Wall Street Journal discusses the Panama Supreme Court's ruling removing Chinese port contracts, correcting misconceptions about Chinese military control or ownership of the canal.6.Veronique de Rugy of the Mercatus Center argues that while Trump's deregulation aids growth, erratic tariffs and government industrial subsidies create uncertainty, functioning effectively as taxes that hinder the economy.7.Josh Birenbaum explains that while the Forever Fleet ensures Venezuelan oil compliance, long-term stability requires establishing the rule of law rather than indefinite military blockades off the coast.8.Eric Berger details NASA's urgent need for a new Mars telecommunications orbiter, debating between traditional builds or commercial partnerships to meet the critical 2028 launch window for future missions.9.Professor Eve McDonald discusses Dido's legendary founding of Carthage, the city's strategic Mediterraneangeography, and its origins as a wealthy Phoenician trade hub connecting ancient civilizations.10.Professor Eve McDonald covers Carthaginian religion, including the controversial Tophet child sacrifices, and Hanno the Navigator's legendary exploration of the African coast expanding Punic knowledge of the world.11.Professor Eve McDonald explains how the First Punic War erupted over Sicily, transforming former allies Rome and Carthage into bitter enemies competing for Mediterranean dominance and trade supremacy.12.Professor Eve McDonald describes how Hamilcar Barca expands Carthaginian power into Spain to secure silver mines, raising his son Hannibal with military training to eventually fight Rome.13.Anatol Lieven critiques US hypocrisy regarding spheres of influence, comparing the Monroe Doctrine in Latin America to Russia's geopolitical stance toward Ukraine and its near abroad.14.Anatol Lieven discusses Estonia's call for dialogue with Moscow and the need for Europe to develop realistic defense and negotiation strategies regarding Russia rather than relying solely on American protection.15.Professor John Yoo of Berkeley Law compares actions against Venezuela to Jefferson's Barbary pirate war, arguing the executive has broad authority to initiate conflict without prior congressional approval.16.Professor John Yoo cites Hamilton to argue the president is constitutionally designed to act decisively against hemispheric threats like Venezuela, while Congress retains control over funding military operations