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The John Batchelor Show

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 & politics history

All Episodes

1:25

S8 Ep804: Grant Newsham explores the CCP's obsession...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2026/04/29

Grant Newsham explores the CCP's obsession with Japan, noting how the party avoids wartime history. He observes that while officials promote disdain, many Chinese citizens actually admire and visit Japan frequently.1900

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1:18

S8 Ep804: Mark Simon reports on Jimmy Lai's...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2026/04/29

Mark Simon reports on Jimmy Lai's persecution and solitary confinement in Hong Kong. He argues Xi Jinping'shardline stance reflects internal insecurity, using Lai as a deterrent while his public awareness grows.1903

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1:08

S8 Ep804: Steve Yates examines China's crumbling...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2026/04/29

Steve Yates examines China's crumbling economy, describing the CCP's system as a fragile house of cards. He highlights how US pressure is exposing the party's long-term dependence on rule-breaking and opportunism.

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2:21

S8 Ep804: Bob Zimmerman details an interstellar comet...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2026/04/29

Bob Zimmerman details an interstellar comet with unusually high deuterium levels passing through our solar system. This discovery suggests that solar systems across the galaxy formed under diverse physical and chemical conditions.1958

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4:55

S8 Ep786: 8. Roosevelt achieved a historic landslide,...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2026/04/26

8. Roosevelt achieved a historic landslide, winning 46 states and defying the Literary Digest poll. This victory signaled a major political realignment, as FDR carried 104 of 106 major cities. Pietrusza emphasizes that the support of urban immigrant populations solidified the modern Democratic coalition for decades. 81936 LEND YOUR BINOCULARS TO THE NAVY

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15:45

S8 Ep786: 7. During the campaign, Eleanor Roosevelt...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2026/04/26

7. During the campaign, Eleanor Roosevelt emerged as a powerful asset, bridging gaps with the African-Americancommunity. While Landon's polling momentum faded, Roosevelt campaigned aggressively. He famously concluded at Madison Square Garden by declaring he "welcomed the hatred" of the nation's "economic royalists". 71937 MIAMI

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9:20

S8 Ep786: 6. Republicans struggled to find a...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2026/04/26

6. Republicans struggled to find a challenger, eventually selecting Kansas Governor Alf Landon. Known as the "Kansas Coolidge," Landon had balanced his state's budget but lacked Roosevelt's charisma. Pietrusza notes Landonwas an unremarkable campaigner whose poor radio presence proved a significant disadvantage in the modern era. 61936 WARM SPRINGS

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9:30

S8 Ep786: 5. Media tycoon William Randolph Hearst...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2026/04/26

5. Media tycoon William Randolph Hearst turned against Roosevelt as the New Deal's tax policies targeted the wealthy. Pietrusza recounts Hearst's controversial 1934 meeting with Adolf Hitler and his immense media influence. Ultimately, Hearst's "soak the rich" tax concerns led him to break definitively with the president. 51936 OPENING SHENANDOAH NATIONAL PARK

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6:55

S8 Ep786: 4. The election featured threats from the...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2026/04/26

4. The election featured threats from the Socialist and Communist parties. While Norman Thomas drew urban votes, Earl Browder's Communist Party supported Roosevelt through a "popular front" to oppose fascism. Radical agrarianism in the Midwest, led by figures like Minnesota's Floyd Olson, added further instability. 41936 FEDERAL SURPLUS

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13:45

S8 Ep786: 3. Dr. Francis Townsend's popular pension...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2026/04/26

3. Dr. Francis Townsend's popular pension plan is credited with forcing Roosevelt to introduce Social Security. Pietrusza also describes the break with Father Charles Coughlin, a powerful radio priest. After a failed 1935 meeting at Hyde Park, Coughlin joined other radicals to form a third-party challenge. 31936 ROCKVILLE HIGH SCHOOL

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7:35

S8 Ep786: 2. Pietrusza discusses Southern populist...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2026/04/26

2. Pietrusza discusses Southern populist threats from Huey Long and Eugene Talmadge. Although Long died in 1935, his radical "Share Our Wealth" plan remained a political force. Talmadge, a race-baiting Jeffersonian conservative, further challenged Roosevelt from the right by refusing to fund New Deal welfare programs in Georgia. 21936 WPA ART PROJECT

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11:15

S8 Ep786: 1. Historian David Pietrusza details the...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2026/04/26

1. Historian David Pietrusza details the April 1936 death of Louis Howe, FDR's longtime political advisor. Howe'spassing left Roosevelt to navigate the campaign alone against former mentor Al Smith. Smith and the American Liberty League accused Roosevelt of abandoning Democratic principles for socialist ideals and engaging in class warfare. 1FDR AND FIRST LADY GREETING.

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8:41

S8 Ep796: 8. Legacies and Lessons: Looking Beyond...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2026/04/26

8. Legacies and Lessons: Looking Beyond 1920 Guest: David Patruchia Summary: Reflecting on the "six presidents," the discussion covers Hoover’s move toward the GOP, FDR’s character growth following his polio diagnosis, and the eventual repeal of Prohibition. Roosevelt’s later creation of the United Nations is presented as a successful application of Wilson’s failed League lessons.1936

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10:59

S8 Ep796: 7. Legacies and Lessons: Looking Beyond...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2026/04/26

7. Legacies and Lessons: Looking Beyond 1920 Guest: David Pietrusza Reflecting on the "six presidents," the discussion covers Hoover's move toward the GOP, FDR's character growth following his polio diagnosis, and the eventual repeal of Prohibition. Roosevelt's later creation of the United Nations is presented as a successful application of Wilson's failed League lessons. 71916

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5:08

S8 Ep796: 6. From Prison to the Porch: The Final Push...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2026/04/26

6. From Prison to the Porch: The Final Push for Votes Guest: David Pietrusza Harding's "front porch" campaign utilized early advertising and Hollywood stars like Al Jolson to reach voters. The results were an overwhelming Republican landslide, with Harding winning 60% of the popular vote as the nation rejected Wilsonian internationalism in favor of a return to normalcy. 61936

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12:38

S8 Ep796: 5. Bloviating and Blazers: The 1920...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2026/04/26

5. Bloviating and Blazers: The 1920 Campaign Trail Guest: David Pietrusza The campaign trail featured Harding's"bloviating" speaking style and Cox's pivot to a pro-League stance following a sobering meeting with a frail Wilson. Meanwhile, Socialist Eugene Debs campaigned for the presidency from a prison cell, advocating for radical ideas like social security. 51905

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5:33

S8 Ep796: 4. The Two-Thirds Rule and the San...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2026/04/26

4. The Two-Thirds Rule and the San Francisco Convention Guest: David Pietrusza The Democratic Convention in San Francisco was marked by Wilson's hidden third-term ambitions and the grueling "two-thirds rule" for nomination. After 44 ballots, Ohio Governor James Cox secured the nomination, selecting the young, charismatic Franklin D. Roosevelt as his vice-presidential running mate. 41929 HOOVER

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14:12

S8 Ep796: 3. A Roast in Chicago: The Republican...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2026/04/26

3. A Roast in Chicago: The Republican Convention Guest: David Pietrusza At the sweltering Republican Convention in Chicago, Warren G. Harding emerged from a field of better-funded candidates like Leonard Wood and Frank Lowden. The party platform remained vague on the League of Nations to maintain unity between isolationists and those favoring international cooperation. 31923 COOLIDGE

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6:51

S8 Ep796: 2. The Future Giants: FDR, Coolidge, and...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2026/04/26

2. The Future Giants: FDR, Coolidge, and Hoover in 1920 Guest: David Pietrusza This source profiles the rising stars of 1920: FDR, Calvin Coolidge, and Herbert Hoover. It highlights FDR's early naval career and strained marriage, Coolidge's stoic Vermont roots and rise via the police strike, and Hoover's international reputation as a humanitarian "great engineer". 21922 HARDING

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10:44

S8 Ep796: The Alpha and Omega of 1920: Wilson's...

The John Batchelor Show ·

2026/04/26

The Alpha and Omega of 1920: Wilson's Health and the League of Nations Guest: David Pietrusza This segment explores Woodrow Wilson's debilitating stroke in October 1919 and how it paralyzed his presidency. Historian David Pietrusza discusses the central role of the League of Nations, detailing how Wilson's crusade split the Republican party and ultimately shaped American internationalism for decades to come.1. The Available Man from Ohio: Warren G. Harding's Rise Guest: David Pietrusza The

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