x

75% of people globally want unbiased news (Pew Research) but are concerned they're not getting that.

Get balanced coverage with Symby. See how stories are covered across diverse outlets and spot when one side covers a story the other skips.

PODCAST

The John Batchelor Show

The John Batchelor Show is a hard news-analysis radio program on current events, world history, global politics and natural sciences. Based in New York City for two decades, the show has travelled widely to report, from the Middle East to the South Caucasus to the Arabian Peninsula and East Asia.

news books

All Episodes

9:05

99: x China's Role in Global Drug Epidemics: Meth...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/11/18

China's Role in Global Drug Epidemics: Meth Precursors and Weaponizing Chemicals. Guests: Kelly Currie and Gordon Chang. Kelly Curry and Gordon Chang detailed China's crucial role in the global drug trade, asserting that China's chemical exports are fueling a "tsunami of meth" across Asia. Chinese manufacturers supply meth precursor chemicals to warlords, notably the Chinese-aligned, US-sanctioned United Wa State Army in Myanmar. This production (Yaba/ice) is believed to have been diverted from

en-us

10:40

99: China's Economic Slump: Export Decline, Policy...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/11/18

China's Economic Slump: Export Decline, Policy Failures, and Property Market Stagnation Guests: Anne Stevenson-Yang and Gordon Chang Anne Stevenson-Yang and Gordon Chang discussed the unprecedented slump in China's economic activity, noting cooled investment and slowing industrial output, with exports falling 25% to the US, attributing this long-term decline to the government's 2008 decision to pull back economic reforms and the current 15th Five-Year Plan lacking viable solutions or bailouts for

en-us

8:15

99: CONTINUED Pakistan's Military Dominance: Field...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/11/18

CONTINUED Pakistan's Military Dominance: Field Marshal Munir's Power and US Relations Guest: Ambassador Husain Haqqani Ambassador Husain Haqqani detailed the institutional dominance of Pakistan's military, noting that Parliament recently granted Field Marshal Asim Munir legal immunity for life and expanded his power 1945 CHAPPAR RIFT

en-us

9:34

99: Pakistan's Military Dominance: Field Marshal...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/11/18

Pakistan's Military Dominance: Field Marshal Munir's Power and US Relations Guest: Ambassador Husain Haqqani Ambassador Husain Haqqani detailed the institutional dominance of Pakistan's military, noting that Parliament recently granted Field Marshal Asim Munir legal immunity for life and expanded his power by designating him Chief of Defense Forces, giving him control over the entire military, as Munir aims for presidential privileges without directly taking power, backed by a national narrative

en-us

1:56

98: PREVIEW John Hardie discusses how poor weather,...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/11/17

PREVIEW John Hardie discusses how poor weather, including fog, rain, snow, and cold, fundamentally impacts military operations around Papovsk and the Donbass. Poor weather is often a boon to Russians, as they time assaults during rain and fog to impede Ukrainian aerial reconnaissance and drone operations. However, the subsequent loss of foliage in deep winter provides less concealment for Russian forces, making conditions tougher for them due to Ukrainian aerial reconnaissance capabilities. Guest:

en-us

1:39

98: PREVIEW Ahmad Sharawi explores current Russian...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/11/17

PREVIEW Ahmad Sharawi explores current Russian interests in Syria, noting that Russia previously assisted Assad in brutalizing the Syrian people. Recent discussions included defense agreements, military ties, and the status of two Russian bases in Western Syria. While Syria tries to balance world powers, the guest expresses concern because the Syrian people are domestically unhappy with a close relationship with Russia due to past atrocities. Guest: Ahmad Sharawi. ALEPPO

en-us

1:24

98: PREVIEW Anne Stevenson-Yang focuses on the...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/11/17

PREVIEW Anne Stevenson-Yang focuses on the decline of China's economic miracle, which was fueled by borrowing and falsehoods and is potentially headed toward japanification or worse. The idea that China was continuously rising and overtaking the United States is now largely disregarded. Although some asset investors hold hope that Asia, specifically China, will provide yield, few believe the downturn is temporary. Guest: Anne Stevenson-Yang. 1918 PEKING

en-us

1:11

98: PREVIEW Janatyn Sayeh highlights the severe,...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/11/17

PREVIEW Janatyn Sayeh highlights the severe, unacceptable air quality and pollution crisis in Tehran, where she grew up. The pollution is described as poison, with carbon dioxide levels reported to be ten times higher than the World Health Organization's recommended average. The pollution is so severe that schools are sometimes shut down during winter, and residents constantly smell and ingest the high carbon dioxide levels. Guest: Janatyn Sayeh. 18TH CENTURY TEHRAN

en-us

2:20

97: PREVIEW Kelly Curry discusses the chain of poison...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/11/17

PREVIEW Kelly Curry discusses the chain of poison where China is the driver and controller of dangerous drug production out of Myanmar. China supplies precursors but demands the resulting methamphetamines be diverted away from China, flooding markets across Asia and reaching North and South America. China continues to abet this trade because the chemical makers are a source of revenue. Future co-production and transmission of methods between Chinese-backed drug groups and Mexican cartels is

en-us

1:20

97: PREVIEW Professor Barry Strauss discusses the Bar...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/11/17

PREVIEW Professor Barry Strauss discusses the Bar Kokhba Revolt, which occurred in the 130s to 140s, long after the Temple fell in 70 AD. The main thing motivating the revolt was the Roman declaration that the Temple would never be rebuilt and that Jerusalem would never again be a Jewish capital. Rome maintained its vast empire through brutal intimidation. While the Romans were brutal, the sources suggest the Jews were not intimidated, though there was some disagreement among rabbis about the

en-us

28:55

96: Londinium 91 AD: The Aging Emperor's Urgency....

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/11/17

Londinium 91 AD: The Aging Emperor's Urgency. Gaius and Germanicus discuss the physical and mental state of emperor Trump, noting his senior age and frantic, restless pace as potentially signs of an aging brain or alternatively adrenaline and confidence. Germanicus believes the emperor is acutely self-aware of his limited time, driven by tremendous brutal urgency to secure a lasting legacy including fiscal stability, border control, and eliminating principles like DEI. However, the stress of this

en-us

17:53

96: Londinium 91 AD: Corruption and the Imperial...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/11/17

Londinium 91 AD: Corruption and the Imperial Slip. Gaius and Germanicus shift attention to Washington, observing that wealth has grown more powerful than government in the U.S., similar to Rome's path into empire. Evidence includes Washington insiders like Rudy Giuliani and Hunter Biden allegedly operating on payrolls of corrupt foreign interests such as the Democratic Republic of Congo. Republicans typically avoid registering foreign work under the Foreign Agents Registration Act by using cutouts

en-us

11:06

96: Londinium 91 AD: The Debate Over Venezuela. Gaius...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/11/17

Londinium 91 AD: The Debate Over Venezuela. Gaius and Germanicus of the Friends Mystery Debating Society discuss at a cold wine bar by the choppy Thames the potential decision by emperor Trump to invade Venezuela, noting the presence of a sizable, powerful military force gathered deliberately off its shores. Germanicus argues that American engagement in the Caribbean is a deep-rooted tradition dating back to the Monroe Doctrine, with the current military buildup serving as a symbolic initiative

en-us

6:22

95: Legacy, Loyalty, and the Nationalist Leader....

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/11/17

Legacy, Loyalty, and the Nationalist Leader. Joseph Turigian concludes with Xi Zhongxun's death in 2002 after suffering cancer, noting his epitaph speaks of a life of struggle and happiness. Xi Jinping wrote to his father, listing qualities he wished to emulate: never persecuting people and never losing faith in the cause. The suffering endured often rededicated communists to the party. Xi Jinping once told Prime Minister Abe that if he were American, he would join the Republicans or Democrats, not

en-us

13:18

95: Princlings, Grassroots, and the Politics of...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/11/17

Princlings, Grassroots, and the Politics of Restoration. Joseph Turigian discusses how Xi Jinping gained entry to Qinghua University based on political reliability rather than merit in 1975, although his father remained un-rehabilitated. While princlings were generally unpopular, Xi Jinping made the atypical choice to climb the ranks from the grassroots. Xi Zhongxun's full rehabilitation was slow and politically sensitive because Mao himself had persecuted him. Xi Jinping served as secretary to a

en-us

7:09

95: Xi Jinping's Exile and Family Betrayal. Joseph...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/11/17

Xi Jinping's Exile and Family Betrayal. Joseph Turigian describes how political torment extended to Xi Zhongxun's family, forcing Xi Jinping's mother to denounce her teenage son when he fled incarceration, a difficult moral judgment made to protect the remaining siblings. During the Cultural Revolution, Xi Jinping was exiled to the countryside near Yanan, a sacred site of Chinese Communist Party history. This mass "sending down" of youth was intended to toughen them up and instill revolutionary

en-us

10:41

95: The Purge by a Novel and Mao's Fear of...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/11/17

The Purge by a Novel and Mao's Fear of Revisionism. Joseph Turigian explains that Xi Zhongxun's 1962 downfall stemmed from supporting the publication of a fictionalized biography of his deceased mentor, Liu Zhidan. Mao Zedong saw the novel as a counter-revolutionary plot and a manifestation of revisionism, fearing that others would claim credit for leading the revolution. Mao aimed to transform persecuted individuals through humiliation and torment, unlike Stalinist purges, which emphasized

en-us

9:03

95: Xi Zhongxun's Radical Youth and Peasant Roots....

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/11/17

Xi Zhongxun's Radical Youth and Peasant Roots. Joseph Turigian introduces Xi Zhongxun's biography, emphasizing the Confucian view that a father explains the son. Xi Zhongxun was born into a poor peasant family in Shaanxi province in 1913, an area marked by violence and poverty. At age 15, he poisoned a school administrator on orders from the local Communist Party, leading to his imprisonment, where he formally joined the Chinese Communist Party in 1928, an early mark of prestige. Xi was motivated

en-us

10:33

95: Loyalty, Loss, and the Shadow of Mao. Joseph...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/11/17

Loyalty, Loss, and the Shadow of Mao. Joseph Turigian focuses on Mao's famous phrase about Xi Zhongxun, emphasizing his unwavering loyalty despite repeated suffering at the party's hands. Following the 1949 victory, Xi moved to Beijing, where his son Xi Jinping was born. Xi Zhongxun held complicated views of Mao, feeling gratitude for his survival but recognizing Mao's transformation into a disastrous dictator post-1957. The segment discusses Xi's 1962 purge, which foreshadowed the Cultural

en-us

7:53

95: Mao, Purges, and Ideological Jargon. Joseph...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2025/11/17

Mao, Purges, and Ideological Jargon. Joseph Turigian explores Mao Zedong's description of Xi Zhongxun: "The Party Interests Come First." The segment recounts Xi Zhongxun's detention in 1935, nearly facing execution before Mao's Long Marchers arrived. The discussion clarifies the legend that Mao personally saved him versus the complex facts of his eventual release and incomplete rehabilitation. Turigian defines confusing Chinese Communist Party jargon, explaining "leftist" as too ambitious and

en-us

9,215 results

Similar Podcasts

Expres Ráno

Expres FM

PBS News Hour - Full Show

PBS NewsHour

CD Voice

China Daily

Israel Today: Ongoing War Report

Noa Levi

Jeffrey Epstein: The Coverup Chronicles

Bobby Capucci