POPULARITY
Preview: Europa: Colleague Bob Zimmerman reports all well with the Europa Clipper NASA probe to the Jupiter satellite Europa in 2030. More. 1955
FIREFLY: RAISING INVESTORS. BOB ZIMMERMAN BEHINDTHEBLACK.COM JUNE 1953
TMT: CANARY ISLAND BID. BOB ZIMMERMAN BEHINDTHEBLACK.COM APRIL 1959
SHOW SCHEDULE 7-30-25 THE SHOW BEGINS IN THE AIR WAR OVER EURASIA...1931 CBS EYE ON THE WORLD WITH JOHN BATCHELOR FIRST HOUR 9:00-9:15 Jeff McCausland 9:15-9:30 Jeff McCausland 9:30-9:45 Lance Gatling 9:45-10:00 Lance Gatling SECOND HOUR 10:00-10:15 DPRK agitprop aggression. David Maxwell, Gordon Chang 10:15-10:30 USN: No easy fix. Rebecca Grant, Gordon Chang 10:30-10:45 Taiwan: What is the Trump policy? Steve Yates, Gordon Chang 10:45-11:00 PRC: Addiction to exports. Charles Ortel, Gordon Chang THIRD HOUR 11:00-11:15 PRC: No peacekeeper. Victoria Herczegh, @GPFUTURES 11:15-11:30 Budapest: Orban complains of the EU deal. Victoria Herczegh, @GPFUTURES 11:30-11:45 CNMI: PRC soft power in the Marianas. Grant Newsham 11:45-12:00 AI and FTC: The pursuit of bigness. Jessica Melugin, Civitas Institute FOURTH HOUR 12:00-12:15 France plums and blackberries. Simon Constable 12:15-12:30 UK: POTUS asks after North Sea. Simon Constable 12:30-12:45 Raising investors. Bob Zimmerman, BehindTheBlack.com - Firefly 12:45-1:00 TMT: Canary Island bid. Bob Zimmerman, BehindTheBlack.com
SPACEX: WATER'S FOR FIGHTING. BOB ZIMMERMAN BEHINDTHEBLACK.COM 1958
MARS: PURE WATER. BOB ZIMMERMAN BEHINDTHEBLACK.COM 1958
PREVIEW: MARS Colleague Bob Zimmerman reports the major discovery on Mars that can solve colonies. [MORE] 1956
NASA: LAYOFFS AND PROTESTS. BOB ZIMMERMAN BEHINDTHEBLACK.COM HG WELLS 1926
MARS: AND EYESIGHT. BOB ZIMMERMAN BEHINDTHEBLACK.COM
PREVIEW: EYESIGHT IN LEO Colleague Bob Zimmerman reports what NASA has learned of the changes in eyesight from long stays in space. [MORE] MAY 1953
INTERSTELLAR. 31/ATLAS BOB ZIMMERMAN BEHINDTHEBLACK.COM SUMMER 1940
SHOW SCHEDULE 7-18-25. THE SHOW BEGINS IN A BORING COMPANY TUNNEL IN LAS VEGAS... 1955 SANDS CBS EYE ON THE WORLD WITH JOHN BATCHELOR FIRST HOUR 9:00-9:15 #PACIFICWATCH: #VEGASREPORT: BORING COMPANY AT WORK. @JCBLISS 9:15-9:30 ITALY: MONA LISA BACKGROUND. Lorenzo Fiori. 9:30-9:45 IRS: WEALTH LEFT OUT. Richard Epstein.9:45-10:00 TARIFFS: BEFORE THE COURTS. Richard Epstein. SECOND HOUR 10:00-10:15 NVDA AND AI: COMPETITION PRC. Brandon Weichert. 10:15-10:30 LANCASTER COUNTY: AMAZON DELIVERY WITH AN INFANT IN THE BACKSEAT. Jim McTague, former Washington Editor, Barron's. @MCTAGUEJ. Author of the "Martin and Twyla Boundary Series." #FRIENDSOFHISTORYDEBATINGSOCIETY 10:30-10:45 AMERICA AND THE YOUNG DOUBTERS. David Rose, Civitas. 10:45-11:00 AMERICA AND THE YOUNG DOUBTERS. David Rose, Civitas, continued. THIRD HOUR 11:00-11:15 UKRAINE: CONTINUES IS THE EASIEST. Anatol Lieven. 11:15-11:30 UKRAINE: CONTINUES IS THE EASIEST. Anatol Lieven, continued. 11:30-11:45 FOUNDERS PAINTED BY JOHN TRUMBULL. William Anthony Hay, Civitas. 11:45-12:00 FOUNDERS PAINTED BY JOHN TRUMBULL. William Anthony Hay, Civitas, continued. FOURTH HOUR 12:00-12:15 TRINITY TEST AND NONPROLIFERATION. Henry Sokolski. 12:15-12:30 TRINITY TEST AND NONPROLIFERATION. Henry Sokolski, continued. 12:30-12:45 AXIOM AND TICKET PRICES. Bob Zimmerman, BehindTheBlack.com 12:45-1:00 AM INTERSTELLAR. Bob Zimmerman, BehindTheBlack.com
AXIOM: AND TICKET PRICES. BOB ZIMMERMAN BEHINDTHEBLACK.COM OCTOBER 1957
PREVIEW: INTERSTELLAR: Colleague Bob Zimmerman reports the discovery of the third recorded object from another solar system passing through our system. More to come. 1957
SHOW SCHEDULE 7-16-2025 THE SHOW OPENS IN CANADA, ASKING IF CHINA IS REPLACING THE US AS A TRADE AND SECURITY PARTNER... 1950 ONTARIO CBS EYE ON THE WORLD WITH JOHN BATCHELOR FIRST HOUR 9:00-9:15 CANADA AND CHINA. Charles Burton @GORDONGCHANG, Gatestone, Newsweek, The Hill. 9:15-9:30 CANADA AND CHINA. Charles Burton @GORDONGCHANG, Gatestone, Newsweek, The Hill, continued. 9:30-9:45 SYRIA AND THE IAF. Ahmad Sharawi, Bill Roggio. 9:45-10:00 SYRIA AND THE IAF. Ahmad Sharawi, Bill Roggio, continued. SECOND HOUR 10:00-10:15 PRC AND DEFLATION. Andrew Collier, @GORDONGCHANG, Gatestone, Newsweek, The Hill. 10:15-10:30 PRC AND FAKERY. Blaine Holt @GORDONGCHANG, Gatestone, Newsweek, The Hill. 10:30-10:45 UKRAINE AND DC. Rebecca Grant @GORDONGCHANG, Gatestone, Newsweek, The Hill. 10:45-11:00 BUCKLEY AND THE BOSTON PHONE BOOK. Peter Berkowitz. THIRD HOUR 11:00-11:15 RUSSIA AND FROZEN ASSETS. Michael Bernstam. 11:15-11:30 WALL STREET AND FIREFLY. Douglas Messier, David Livingston. 11:30-11:45 CONSTITUTION AND DISCONTENTS. Bradford Wilson.11:45-12:00 CONSTITUTION AND DISCONTENTS. Bradford Wilson, continued. FOURTH HOUR 12:00-12:15 COPPER. Simon Constable. 12:15-12:30 UK TAXES AND INFLATION. Simon Constable, continued. 12:30-12:45 AXIOM AND SPACEX. Bob Zimmerman. 12:45-1:00 AM GRAVITY AND BLACK HOLES. Bob Zimmerman, continued.
AXIOM AND SPACEX. BOB ZIMMERMAN MAY 1953
GRAVITY: AND BLACK HOLES. BOB ZIMMERMAN CONTINUED
PREVIEW: LEO: Colleague Bob Zimmerman explains why the successful startup Varda had to shift operations from the US to Australia. More to come. NOVEMBER 1954
SHOW SCHEDULE 7-11-25 Good evening. The show begins in Las Vegas downtown, well away from the luxury casinos... 1940 DOWNTOWN ... CBS EYE ON THE WORLD WITH JOHN BATCHELOR FIRST HOUR 9:00-9:15 #PACIFICWATCH: #VEGASREPORT: BRAD PITT AND STEVE MCQUEEN IN VEGAS. @JCBLISS 9:15-9:30 AI: WHAT ABOUT IP THEFT? Brandon Weichert, National Interest. 9:30-9:45 SCOTUS: BIRTHRIGHT GAME-PLAYING. Richard Epstein, Civitas. 9:45-10:00 SCOTUS: FIRING DC STYLE. Richard Epstein, Civitas. SECOND HOUR 10:00-10:15 LANCASTER REPORT: CORN SIX FEET HIGH ALREADY. Jim McTague, former Washington Editor, Barron's. @MCTAGUEJ. Author of the "Martin and Twyla Boundary Series." #FRIENDSOFHISTORYDEBATINGSOCIETY 10:15-10:30 ITALY: CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS IN THE REPUBLIC OF GENOA'S ZOAGLI. 10:30-10:45 SPACEX: MAKING OXYGEN. Bob Zimmerman, BehindTheBlack.com 10:45-11:00 SPACEX: LANDING ZONE MARS. Bob Zimmerman, BehindTheBlack.com THIRD HOUR 11:00-11:15 1/4: "The Optimists: Sam Altman, OpenAI, and the Race to Invent the Future" by Keach Hagey 11:15-11:30 2/4: "The Optimists: Sam Altman, OpenAI, and the Race to Invent the Future" by Keach Hagey11:30-11:45 3/4: "The Optimists: Sam Altman, OpenAI, and the Race to Invent the Future" by Keach Hagey 11:45-12:004/4: "The Optimists: Sam Altman, OpenAI, and the Race to Invent the Future" by Keach Hagey FOURTH HOUR 12:00-12:15 NATO: PRC ALWAYS WINS TABLETOPS AND WAR. Henry Sokolski, NPEC. 12:15-12:30 NATO: RUSSIA ATTACKS BY 2030. Henry Sokolski, NPEC. 12:30-12:45 TEXAS: GROWTH AND A TEXAS STOCK EXCHANGE (TXSE). Mike Toth, Civitas Institute. 12:45-1:00 AM TEXAS: GROWTH AND A TEXAS STOCK EXCHANGE (TXSE). Mike Toth, Civitas Institute.
SPACEX;MAKING OXYGEN. BOB ZIMMERMAN BEHINDTHEBLACK.COM MAY 1932
SPACEX: LANDING ZONE MARS. BOB ZIMMERMAN BEHINDTHEBLACK.COM 1953
PREVIEW: IS THERE WATER ON MARS? Colleague Bob Zimmerman presents the unsolved puzzle of did water flow on the surface of Mars once upon a time? More to come. FEBRUARY 1951
MARS: METEORITE FOR SALE, BOB ZIMMERMAN BEHINDTHEBLACK.COM 1954
ULA: IS THE VULCAN READY? BOB ZIMMERMAN BEHINDTHEBLACK.COM 1961
SHOW SCHEDULE 7-9-25. Good evening. The show begins in Ukraine still waiting for air defense supply... 1856 BLACK SEA FLEET CBS EYE ON THE WORLD WITH JOHN BATCHELOR FIRST HOUR 9:00-9:15 #Ukraine: Air power cannot win a war. Colonel Jeff McCausland, USA (Retired) @mccauslj @cbsnews @dickinsoncol 9:15-9:30 #Ukraine: NATO prepares Rotterdam. Colonel Jeff McCausland, USA (Retired) @mccauslj @cbsnews @dickinsoncol 9:30-9:45 Harvard: What is to be done? Peter Berkowitz, Hoover. 9:45-10:00 Harvard: What is to be done? Peter Berkowitz, Hoover continued. SECOND HOUR 10:00-10:15 Atomic bomb education. Peter Huessy, @gordongchang, Gatestone, Newsweek, The Hill 10:15-10:30 LEO: Weaponizing lasers vs Germany EU. Rick Fisher, @gordongchang, Gatestone, Newsweek, The Hill 10:30-10:45 PRC: Rumors of Xi. Charles Burton, @gordongchang, Gatestone, Newsweek, The Hill 10:45-11:00 PRC: Weaponizing LEO. Brandon Weichert, @gordongchang, Gatestone, Newsweek, The Hill THIRD HOUR 11:00-11:15 Solomons vs PRC. Cleo Paskal, FDD 11:15-11:30 Solomons vs PRC. Cleo Paskal, FDD continued 11:30-11:45 End of Russiagate. @andrewcmccarthy @nro @thadmccotter @theamgreatness 11:45-12:00 Russia asset seizures. Michael Bernstam FOURTH HOUR 12:00-12:15 France: Wildfires at Marseilles. Simon Constable 12:15-12:30 England: Bayeux comes to the UK. Simon Constable 12:30-12:45 ULA: Is the Vulcan ready? Bob Zimmerman behindtheblack.com 12:45-1:00 AM Mars: Meteorite for sale. Bob Zimmerman behindtheblack.com Key corrections made:
Interstellar: Found object from another system. Bob Zimmerman behindtheblack.com 1953
NASA: Senator Cruz wants more. Bob Zimmerman behindtheblack.com 1936
SHOW SCHEDULE 7-3-25 GOOD EVENING. The show begins in Vietnam, and the news that Trump advisers have reached a deal for a 20% tariff cap on goods into the US. 1920S VIETNAM CBS EYE ON THE WORLD WITH JOHN BATCHELOR FIRST HOUR 9:00-9:15 Trade: Vietnam settles for 20% and why China protests. #ScalaReport: Chris Riegel CEO, Scala.com @stratacache. 9:15-9:30 Ohio: Ambition to be the new Texas for investors and high tech. #ScalaReport: Chris Riegel CEO, Scala.com @stratacache. 9:30-9:45 Oceania: PRC attacks with lawfare in the Solomons. Cleo Paskal, FDD. 9:45-10:00 Argentina: New court proceedings to prosecute Iran and Hezbollah agents in absentia. Mary Anastasia O'Grady. SECOND HOUR 10:00-10:15 Iran: Ayatollah still hiding. Mohsen Sazegara, Malcolm Hoenlein @conf_of_pres @mhoenlein1 10:15-10:30 PRC: Teaching Yiddish in Beijing. Meng Yang, Malcolm Hoenlein @conf_of_pres @mhoenlein1 10:30-10:45 Israel: PM Netanyahu to the White House. Malcolm Hoenlein @conf_of_pres @mhoenlein1 10:45-11:00 Cosmology: Discovering most early galaxies as little red dots. Ken Croswell, Science News. Galaxies THIRD HOUR 11:00-11:15 5/8: Plato and the Tyrant: The Fall of Greece's Greatest Dynasty and the Making of a Philosophic by James Romm (Author) https://www.amazon.com/Plato-Tyrant-Greatest-Philosophic-Masterpiece/dp/1324093188/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0 Plato is one of history's most influential thinkers, the "sublime philosopher" whose writings remain foundational to Western culture. He is known for the brilliant dialogues in which he depicted his teacher, Socrates, discussing ethical truths with prominent citizens of Athens. Yet the image we have of Plato—an ethereal figure far removed from society and politics, who conjured abstract ideas in peaceful groves—is a fiction, created by Plato's admirers and built up over centuries. In fact, Plato was very much a man of the world. In Plato and the Tyrant, acclaimed historian and classicist James Romm draws on personal letters of Plato—documents that have long been kept in obscurity—to show how a philosopher helped topple the leading Greek power of the era: the opulent city of Syracuse. There, Plato encountered two authoritarian rulers, a father and son both named Dionysius, and tried to steer them toward philosophy. At the same time, he worked on his masterpiece, Republic, in which he conceived a ruler who unites perfect wisdom with absolute power. That dream has echoed down through the ages and given rise to a famous term, one that Plato himself didn't actually use: philosopher-king. As Romm reveals, Plato's time in Syracuse helped shape Republic—and also had disastrous results for Plato himself and for all of Greek Sicily. The younger Dionysius, emotionally unstable but intellectually curious, welcomed Plato with open arms, but soon the relationship soured. Plato's close friendship with Dionysius's uncle, Dion—possibly a bond of romantic love—created a rift in the ruling family that led to a chaotic civil war. Combining thrilling political drama with explorations of Plato's most cherished ideas, Romm takes us into the heart of Greece's late classical age, a time when many believed that democracy had failed. Plato's search for solutions led him to write his fervent plea for a new political order, and also led him to a place where he believed his theories might be put into practice. But Plato and the Tyrant demonstrates how Plato's experiment with enlightened autocracy spiraled into catastrophe, and also gives us nothing less than a new account of the origins of Western political thought. 11:15-11:30 6/8: Plato and the Tyrant: The Fall of Greece's Greatest Dynasty and the Making of a Philosophic by James Romm (Author) 11:30-11:45 7/8: Plato and the Tyrant: The Fall of Greece's Greatest Dynasty and the Making of a Philosophic by James Romm (Author) 11:45-12:00 8/8: Plato and the Tyrant: The Fall of Greece's Greatest Dynasty and the Making of a Philosophic by James Romm (Author) FOURTH HOUR 12:00-12:15 Canada: Measuring the Trump White House first five months. Conrad Black. 12:15-12:30 Ukraine: Will NATO follow through? Anatol Lieven 12:30-12:45 Interstellar: Found object from another system. Bob Zimmerman behindtheblack.com 12:45-1:00 AM NASA: Senator Cruz wants more. Bob Zimmerman behindtheblack.com
PREVIEW SUNSPOTS: Colleague Bob Zimmerman reminds that little is known and much less is understood of the 11 year trough to peak observed cycle of sunspots. More. 0CT0BER 1960
SPACEX: DAMAGED LAUNCH PAD. BOB ZIMMERMAN BEHINDTHEBLACK.COM 1953
MARS: SOLVING A VOLCANO FROM ORBIT. BOB ZIMMERMAN BEHINDTHEBLACK.COM 1958
SHOW SCHEDULE 7-1-25 GOOD EVENING: The show begins in Israel, illustrating errors made in the reporting of the war with Hamas. 1959 CHE IN GAZA CBS EYE ON THE WORLD WITH JOHN BATCHELOR FIRST HOUR 9:00-9:15 Israel: Five errors of reporting the war. Peter Berkowitz, Hoover 9:15-9:30 Israel: Five errors of reporting the war. Peter Berkowitz, Hoover continued 9:30-9:45 Israel: Iran and its surrogates pause to talk. David Daoud, FDD 9:45-10:00 Israel: Iran and its surrogates pause to talk. David Daoud, FDD continued SECOND HOUR 10:00-10:15 Lancaster County: Stress fractures in the economy. Jim McTague, former Washington editor, Barron's. @mctaguej. Author of the "Martin and Twyla Boundary Series." #FriendsOfHistoryDebatingSociety 10:15-10:30 PRC: Military-civil scholars study the US grid to what end? Jack Burnham, FDD 10:30-10:45 NATO: Spending and Spain's waver. Judy Dempsey, Senior Scholar, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Berlin. 10:45-11:00 EU: Switzerland and migrants. Judy Dempsey, Senior Scholar, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Berlin. THIRD HOUR 11:00-11:15 War in the Belgian Congo. Gregory Copley, Defense & Foreign Affairs 11:15-11:30 Regime change and disorder. Gregory Copley, Defense & Foreign Affairs 11:30-11:45 USA: What is the plan? Gregory Copley, Defense & Foreign Affairs 11:45-12:00 King Charles Report: Royal train retired. Gregory Copley, Defense & Foreign Affairs FOURTH HOUR 12:00-12:15 SpaceX: Damaged launch pad. Bob Zimmerman behindtheblack.com 12:15-12:30 Mars: Solving a volcano from orbit. Bob Zimmerman behindtheblack.com 12:30-12:45 Russia: Trump Tower and the Russian mob. Craig Unger, "House of Trump, House of Putin." Continued 12:45-1:00 AM Russia: Trump Tower and the Russian mob. Craig Unger, "House of Trump, House of Putin." Continued
PREVIEW SLS: Colleague Bob Zimmerman reports more anomalies for SLS and the MOST EXPENSIVE Senate favored road to the moon for NASA and SpaceX. 1953
MOON: Search for water in the polar craters continues. Bob Zimmerman BehindtheBlack.com
SPACEX: MEXICO POINTS TO DEBRIS ON THE BEACH. BOB ZIMMERMAN BEHINDTHEBLACK.COM 1963
NÅSÅ: LOOKING FOR PRIVATE FUNDING FOR MISSIONS. BOB ZIMMERMAN BEHINDTHEBLACK.COM MAY 1954
BIG ASTRONOMY: : NEW NOVA.. BOB ZIMMERMAN BEHINDTHEBLACK.COM DECEMBER 1961
PREVIEW: Colleague Bob Zimmerman reports that the Mexican President Sheinbaum is pressing the complaint of a governor that SpaceX debris is damaging Mexican beaches. More. 1953
SHOW SCHEDULE 6-26-25 GOOD EVENING: The show begins in Canada where the government much disdains Tehran's conduct... 1920 CBS EYE ON THE WORLD WITH JOHN BATCHELOR FIRST HOUR 9:00-9:15 Canada: Decrying Tehran via the Italian Embassy. Conrad Black, National Post 9:15-9:30 PRC: "Underwhelming" performance by Xi and his favorites. Chris Riegel. #ScalaReport: Chris Riegel CEO, Scala.com @stratacache. 9:30-9:45 Energy: Pipeline politics in New York State. Richard Epstein, Civitas Institute 9:45-10:00 Energy: Pipeline politics in New York State. Richard Epstein, Civitas Institute continued SECOND HOUR 10:00-10:15 Israel recovery with successes. Jonathan Conricus, Malcolm Hoenlein. Malcolm Hoenlein @conf_of_pres @mhoenlein1 10:15-10:30 Iran: The ethnics hold back. Brenda Shaffer, author "Iran Is More Than Persia" 10:30-10:45 Iran: Goals for the negotiations. Dennis Ross, Washington Institute. Malcolm Hoenlein @conf_of_pres @mhoenlein1 10:45-11:00 Israel security for the American synagogues and schools. Malcolm Hoenlein @conf_of_pres @mhoenlein1 THIRD HOUR 11:00-11:15 Nukes: The path to atomic weapons is atomic power. Henry Sokolski, NPEC 11:15-11:30 OAS: Brazil seeking to tilt the OAS toward ally PRC. Mary Anastasia O'Grady 11:30-11:45 SpaceX: Mexico points to debris on the beach. Bob Zimmerman behindtheblack.com 11:45-12:00 Moon: Search for water in the polar craters continues. Bob Zimmerman behindtheblack.com FOURTH HOUR 12:00-12:15 #NewWorldReport: Iran in the Americas. Latin American Research Professor Evan Ellis, U.S. Army War College Strategic Studies Institute. @revanellis #NewWorldReportEllis 12:15-12:30 #NewWorldReport: The adversaries. Latin American Research Professor Evan Ellis, U.S. Army War College Strategic Studies Institute. @revanellis #NewWorldReportEllis 12:30-12:45 #NewWorldReport: BRICS in Rio. Latin American Research Professor Evan Ellis, U.S. Army War College Strategic Studies Institute. @revanellis #NewWorldReportEllis 12:45-1:00 AM #NewWorldReport: Argentina is the good news. Latin American Research Professor Evan Ellis, U.S. Army War College Strategic Studies Institute. @revanellis #NewWorldReportEllis
SHOW SCHEDULE 25 JUNE 2025 GOOD EVENING. The show begins in Iran over the Fordow suspect nuclear weapon tunnels that have as yet unknown certain fate... 1879 TEHRAN CBS EYE ON THE WORLD WITH JOHN BATCHELOR FIRST HOUR 9:00-9:15 #Iran: BDA low probability. Colonel Jeff McCausland, USA (Retired) @mccauslj @cbsnews @dickinsoncol 9:15-9:30 NATO: #Ukraine: 5% of GDP is the goal. Colonel Jeff McCausland, USA (Retired) @mccauslj @cbsnews @dickinsoncol 9:30-9:45 Tariffs: Cannot delegate the delegated. Rob Natelson, Civitas Institute. 9:45-10:00 Russia: Losing money with oil and gas. Michael Bernstam, Hoover SECOND HOUR 10:00-10:15 PRC: What did PLA learn from the B-2 mission? Blaine Holt Gordon Chang 10:15-10:30 PRC: Oil reserves? Andrew Collier Gordon Chang 10:30-10:45 PRC: Xi fading? Charles Burton Gordon Chang 10:45-11:00 PRC: PLA Navy carriers and airwings ready 2027. James Fanell Gordon Chang THIRD HOUR 11:00-11:15 1/8: The Spy Who Changed History: The Untold Story of How the Soviet Union Won the Race for America's Top Secrets by Svetlana Lokhova (Author) Format: Kindle Edition On a sunny September day in 1931, a Soviet spy walked down the gangplank of the luxury transatlantic liner SS Europa and into New York. Attracting no attention, Stanislav Shumovsky had completed his journey from Moscow to enroll at a top American university. He was concealed in a group of 65 Soviet students heading to prestigious academic institutions. But he was after far more than an excellent education. Recognizing Russia was 100 years behind the encircling capitalist powers, Soviet leader Joseph Stalin had sent Shumovsky on a mission to acquire America's vital secrets to help close the USSR's yawning technology gap. The road to victory began in the classrooms and laboratories of MIT – Shumovsky's destination soon became the unwitting finishing school for elite Russian spies. The USSR first transformed itself into a military powerhouse able to confront and defeat Nazi Germany. Then in an extraordinary feat that astonished the West, in 1947 American ingenuity and innovation exfiltrated by Shumovsky made it possible to build and unveil the most advanced strategic bomber in the world. Following his lead, other MIT-trained Soviet spies helped acquire the secrets of the Manhattan Project. By 1949, Stalin's fleet of TU-4s, now equipped with atomic bombs could devastate the US on his command. Appropriately codenamed BLÉRIOT, Shumovsky was an aviation spy. Shumovsky's espionage was so successful that the USSR acquired every US aviation secret from his network of agents in factories and at top secret military research institutes. In this thrilling history, Svetlana Lokhova takes the reader on a journey through Stalin's most audacious intelligence operation. She pieces together every aspect of Shumovsky's life and character using information derived from American and Russian archives, exposing how even Shirley Temple and Franklin D. Roosevelt unwittingly advanced his schemes. 11:15-11:30 2/8: The Spy Who Changed History: The Untold Story of How the Soviet Union Won the Race for America's Top Secrets by Svetlana Lokhova (Author) Format: Kindle Edition 11:30-11:45 3/8: The Spy Who Changed History: The Untold Story of How the Soviet Union Won the Race for America's Top Secrets by Svetlana Lokhova (Author) Format: Kindle Edition 11:45-12:00 4/8: The Spy Who Changed History: The Untold Story of How the Soviet Union Won the Race for America's Top Secrets by Svetlana Lokhova (Author) Format: Kindle Edition FOURTH HOUR 12:00-12:15 France: Heat wave and country lanes. Simon Constable, Occitanie. 12:15-12:30 NATO: On Starmer struggles to find the money for defense pledge of 5%. Simon Constable 12:30-12:45 NASA: Looking for private funding for missions. Bob Zimmerman behindtheblack.com 12:45-1:00 AM Big Astronomy Key corrections made: Added proper time formatting with colons "BATCHELORFIRST" → "BATCHELOR" (separated) "enrol" → "enroll" (American spelling) "Recognising" → "Recognizing" (American spelling) "NÅSÅ" → "NASA" "PLADGE" → "pledge" "aM" → "AM" Applied proper sentence case throughout Fixed spacing and formatting for readability
PREVIEW: Colleague Bob Zimmerman reports on the vision of Jared Isaacman to build teams of individuals to support NASA missions. More later. 1958
SHOW SCHEDULE FRIDAY 20 JUNE 2025: Good evening. The show begins in California and Nevada, a diamond heist from Brink's and a baseball diamond in the rough. 1948 HOLLYWOOD PLAZA HOTEL CBS EYE ON THE WORLD WITH JOHN BATCHELOR FIRST HOUR 9:00-9:15 #PacificWatch: Jewel heist pursuit. #VegasReport: Stirring at the ballpark grounds. @jcbliss 9:15-9:30 Lancaster Report: Quiet central market. Busy diners of grayheads. Jim McTague, former Washington editor, Barron's. @mctaguej. Author of the "Martin and Twyla Boundary Series." #FriendsofHistoryDebatingSociety 9:30-9:45 #SmallBusinessAmerica: All is right for hiring Gen Z. @genemarks @guardian @phillyinquirer 9:45-10:00 #SmallBusinessAmerica: Boomers reluctant to sell the small business to millennials. @genemarks @guardian @phillyinquirer SECOND HOUR 10:00-10:15 Iran: Is this the end of the NPT? Henry Sokolski, NPEC. 10:15-10:30 Italy: Responsible tourism: The broken chair of Verona. Lorenzo Fiori 10:30-10:45 SCOTUS. Ninth Circuit rules that POTUS does have authority of the National Guard in an emergency. Richard Epstein, Civitas Institute. 10:45-11:00 Iran: Israel's choices. Richard Epstein, Civitas Institute. THIRD HOUR 11:00-11:15 1/4: Rogue Allies: The Strategic Partnership between Iran and North Korea Paperback – April 29, 2025 by Bruce Bechtol (Author), Anthony N. Celso https://www.amazon.com/Rogue-Allies-Strategic-Partnership-between/dp/1985902176 In Rogue Allies: The Strategic Partnership between Iran and North Korea, Bruce E. Bechtol Jr. and Anthony N. Celso examine the influence of two rogue states whose rebellion against the United States and US-backed countries has serious consequences for international relations. Iran and North Korea have profited from illegal activities, such as the arming of terrorist organizations, in attempts to disrupt peace efforts in the Middle East and East Asia and to destabilize the rules-based order of the world. Bechtol and Celso uncover the origins of this decades-long alliance, consider elements that these two nation-states have in common, and explain how their relationship undermines neighboring regions. The authors draw from revealing interviews with Iranian and North Korean defectors as well as firsthand accounts from other sources, providing crucial additions to this body of research. While some scholars have compared and contrasted Iran and North Korea, few have delved into how this partnership works to achieve its far-reaching impact. By assessing key aspects of the Iran–North Korea nexus—including military, ideological, economic, and environmental forces—Rogue Allies investigates the link between two volatile states and the ensuing implications for global security. 11:15-11:30 2/4: Rogue Allies: The Strategic Partnership between Iran and North Korea Paperback – April 29, 2025 by Bruce Bechtol (Author), Anthony N. Celso 11:30-11:45 3/4: Rogue Allies: The Strategic Partnership between Iran and North Korea Paperback – April 29, 2025 by Bruce Bechtol (Author), Anthony N. Celso 11:45-12:00 4/4: Rogue Allies: The Strategic Partnership between Iran and North Korea Paperback – April 29, 2025 by Bruce Bechtol (Author), Anthony N. Celso FOURTH HOUR 12:00-12:15 Colombia: Surging violence. Mary Anastasia O'Grady 12:15-12:30 Russia: Falling oil falling Kremlin. Michael Bernstam, Hoover 12:30-12:45 SpaceX: No 10 unscheduled end. Bob Zimmerman behindtheblack.com 12:45-1:00 AM Mars: Missing matter found? Mars mysteries.
SPACEX: STATIC TEST FOR NO 10 UNSCHEDULED END. BOB ZIMMERMAN BEHINDTHEBLACK.COM 1953
PREVIEW COSMOLOGY: Colleague Bob Zimmerman comments on the new theory to solve the famous missing matter problem. More later.
MARS: UNSOLVED FROM CURIOSITY POV.. BOB ZIMMERMAN BEHINDTHEBLACK.COM 1957
Show schedule 17 June 2025: Good evening. The show begins in the ever escalating Eurasian wars. 1951 KOREAN WAR CBS EYE ON THE WORLD WITH JOHN BATCHELOR FIRST HOUR 9:00-9:15 #Ukraine: War powers. Colonel Jeff McCausland, USA (Retired) @mccauslj @cbsnews @dickinsoncol 9:15-9:30 #Ukraine: Will Europe arm its own? Colonel Jeff McCausland, USA (Retired) @mccauslj @cbsnews @dickinsoncol 9:30-9:45 Oceania: 50 years of Pacific Mission Airways in Micronesia. Cleo Paskal, Amos Collins 9:45-10:00 Oceania: 50 years of Pacific Mission Airways in Micronesia. Cleo Paskal, Amos Collins SECOND HOUR 10:00-10:15 PRC trade: Alan Tonelson and Gordon Chang 10:15-10:30 G-7: Absent Russia and China. Rebecca Grant and Gordon Chang 10:30-10:45 North Korea arsenal and ROK: President Lee. Greg Scarlatoiu, and Gordon Chang 10:45-11:00 PRC and biowar: Arrested. Sean Lin and Gordon Chang THIRD HOUR 11:00-11:15 Russia: Navalny's sacrifice. Juliana Pilon, Civitas Institute 11:15-11:30 Russia: Navalny's sacrifice. Juliana Pilon, Civitas Institute 11:30-11:45 Iran: From the North Korean arsenal. Bruce Bechtol 11:45-12:00 Iran: From the North Korean arsenal. Bruce Bechtol FOURTH HOUR 12:00-12:15 France: Heatwave and AC, and haying. Simon Constable 12:15-12:30 UK: Starmer the Trump whisperer. Simon Constable 12:30-12:45 NASA: Ted Cruz defends the Senate NASA budget. Bob Zimmerman behindtheblack.com 12:45-1:00 AM Mars: Unsolved. Bob Zimmerman behindtheblack.com
NASA: TED CRUZ DEFENDS THE SENATE NASA BUDGET. BOB ZIMMERMAN BEHINDTHEBLACK.COM APRIL 1959
PREVIEW MARS: Colleague Bob Zimmerman reports on the Curiosity images of the many odd, eery, sharo-toothed peaks it passes on the ascent of Mt. Sharp. More later. 1951
ISS: PERIL IN MODULE ZVEZDA. BOB ZIMMERMAN BEHINDTHEBLACK.COM 1957