S8 Ep653: SHOW SCHEDULE JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW, 3-27-2026. 1925 STALIN AND TROTSKY, MOSCOW
The John Batchelor Show
John Batchelor
4.5 • 2.8K Ratings
🗓️ 28 March 2026
⏱️ 11 minutes
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Summary
SHOW SCHEDULE JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW, 3-27-2026.
1925 STALIN AND TROTSKY, MOSCOW
1. Iran's Nuclear Status and the NPT Framework Guest: Henry Sokolski Summary: Sokolski analyzes Iranian hardliners' threats to withdraw from the Non-Proliferation Treaty. He explores the military risks of targeting nuclear sites like Dimona and the strategic complexities of attacking national electric grids. (1)
2. Taiwanese Nuclear Policy and Barksdale Drone Incursions Guest: Henry Sokolski Summary: Taiwan considers restarting nuclear plants to mitigate energy desperation. Meanwhile, jam-resistant drone swarms at Barksdale Air Force Base suggest potential Chinese interference intended to delay American responses to nuclear-related operations. (2)
3. The SAVE Act and the Debate Over Voter Eligibility Guest: Richard Epstein Summary: Epstein discusses the SAVE Act, which requires documentary proof of citizenship for voting. He weighs the balance between preventing election fraud and the potential burdens placed on legitimate voters by strict identification. (3)
4. The Removal Dispute of Judge Pauline Newman Guest: Richard Epstein Summary: Epstein critiques the suspension of 98-year-old Judge Pauline Newman, arguing her colleagues lack cause for removal. He characterizes the move as "manipulative shenanigans" driven by internal politics rather than intellectual incompetence. (4)
5. Gas Prices and the Start of Pennsylvania Trout Season Guest: Jim McTague Summary: McTague highlights rising fuel costs and a slowing retail economy in Lancaster County. He contrasts the "amateur hour" of opening day trout fishing with the tranquil, native-stocked streams of Central Pennsylvania. (5)
6. Italian Soccer Pressure and Meloni’s Cabinet Reshuffle Guest: Lorenzo Fiori Summary: Fiori previews the Azzurri’s high-stakes match against Wales and explains Prime Minister Meloni’s firing of controversial officials. He also stresses the importance of authentic Parmesan and the beauty of Sardinian heritage. (6)
7. NASA Restructuring and the Pivot to a Moon Base Guest: Bob Zimmerman Summary: NASA’s new administrator pauses the Lunar Gateway to focus on building a permanent lunar base by 2033. Zimmerman contrasts these government plans with the rapid commercial success and valuation of SpaceX. (7)
8. Observing Comet Nuclei and the Outer Planets Guest: Bob Zimmerman Summary: Astronomers witness a rare reversal in a comet’s rotation as its nucleus sublimates. Zimmerman reviews new imagery of Saturn and Neptune, arguing for more orbiters to explore the solar system's significant "gaps". (8)
9. The Revolutionary Background of the Mercader Family Guest: Josh Ireland Summary: Ireland details the radicalization of the Mercader family, led by the charismatic Caridad. He explains how her son Ramon was recruited by the NKVD during the Spanish Civil War for future espionage. (9)
10. Infiltrating Trotsky’s Compound Through Seduction Guest: Josh Ireland Summary: Ramon Mercader seduces Sylvia Ageloff to penetrate Trotsky’s fortress in Mexico City. Despite the heavy guard and fortifications, Ramon gains the trust of the household by posing as a politically disinterested playboy. (10)
11. Planning the Assassination with a Mountaineer’s Ice Pick Guest: Josh Ireland Summary: Following a failed armed raid, the NKVD tasks Ramon with murdering Trotsky. They select an ice pick for the attack to ensure a silent kill that carries a brutal, symbolic impact. (11)
12. The Aftermath of Trotsky’s Death and the Assassin’s Legacy Guest: Josh Ireland Summary: Trotsky dies a day after the attack, while Ramon serves twenty years in a Mexican prison. Caridad lives her final years in bitter exile, and Stalin barely registers the mission's success. (12)
13. Vegas Transformation: Sports, Tech, and Nuclear History Guest: Jeff Bliss Summary: Bliss explores the Las Vegas strip’s evolution into a sports capital and the introduction of Zooks robo-taxis. He notes the area’s grim history with atmospheric nuclear testing and resulting radiation claims. (13)
14. Political Turmoil and the Homeless Crisis in Los Angeles Guest: Jeff Bliss Summary: Bliss reports on the visual horrors of homeless encampments and the political pressure on Mayor Karen Bass. He also examines the "jungle primary" system and stalled recovery in Pacific Palisades. (14)
15. The Enlightenment Foundations of American Civic Education Guest: Jacob Howland Summary: Howland discusses Thomas Jefferson’s focus on applied science and the role of liberal education in a republic. He emphasizes Eva Brann’s belief that classroom seminars cultivate the habits necessary for civil debate. (15)
16. The Crisis of Activism in Modern Higher Education Guest: Jacob Howland Summary: Howland critiques universities for prioritizing the training of social activists over traditional knowledge transmission. He argues that regarding the professorship as a political podium cheats students of a real, broad education. (16)
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Good evening. This is John Batchel. The show begins tonight a conversation with my colleague |
| 0:05.4 | Henry Sikolsky about nuclear power in war zones, the landing of two attack, rockets, missiles, bombs, |
| 0:16.1 | near the Boucher plant in Iran. I'm told, led Iran to respond by putting two missiles, rockets, bombs, |
| 0:28.2 | into Arad and Damona, or near two, the two cities that bracket the known nuclear reactor power in Israel. |
| 0:38.9 | Henry then very carefully explicated how it is that a nuclear power plant in a combat zone |
| 0:45.6 | introduces a whole new understanding of risk. |
| 0:49.6 | We also noted that there was an announcement of an attack on Arak by the Israeli forces. |
| 0:57.1 | Eric is the city that is associated with a unfinished heavy water reactor that Henry tells me |
| 1:05.2 | is one of the easiest and most straightforward ways to produce plutonium. |
| 1:10.5 | Henry emphasized really good plutonium for bomb building. |
| 1:14.3 | So nuclear weapons are never far from the thinking if you have a nuclear power plant. |
| 1:21.8 | We also discuss the electric grid that the U.S., the Trump administration, the president is threatening to destroy if and when. |
| 1:31.4 | In other words, do this and we'll do that. |
| 1:36.6 | However, Henry's information is that taking down the grid in Iran won't be straightforward |
| 1:42.4 | because it's divided up into lots of little pockets and generations, not several big ones. |
| 1:49.1 | And Israel is a lot easier to strike, according to Henry, because its electric generating facilities are located in certain locations. |
| 2:00.6 | We then moved on to discussing very carefully the economy in the U.S. |
| 2:05.5 | Jim McTagin, Lancaster County, talking about the price of gasoline going from 289 before the war at Costco, |
| 2:13.5 | now to 375 at Costco. |
| 2:15.9 | This is the cheapest gasoline in the county. The average in Lancaster County is said to be 395, and the expectation is that it will go higher. This links to a story. The OECD is predicting that the U.S. inflation will go to 4.2% this year from the 2.3 where it started before the war. |
| 2:37.7 | Difficult to say what exactly Washington is thinking. |
| 2:42.5 | Conducting a war that pushes up the price of gasoline and pushes up the inflation percentage, |
... |
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