The John Batchelor Show

SHOW SCHEDULE1-17-251895 PARISLAS VEGAS TUNNELS AND THE RELOCATION OF THE ATHLETICS Colleague Jeff Bliss. Jeff Bliss reports on the expansion of The Boring Company's tunnels in Las Vegas, which use Tesla cars to alleviate traffic congestion. He also discusses the Athletics baseball team's temporary move to Sacramento and the legal complications regarding their team name as they prepare for a permanent move to Las Vegas in 2028. NUMBER 1BIG SUR REOPENS AND COPPER THEFT PLAGUES CALIFORNIA Colleague Jeff Bliss. Highway 1 in Big Sur has reopened after landslide repairs featuring new concrete canopies to protect the road. Bliss also details how copper thieves have crippled infrastructure in Sacramento and Los Angeles, contributing to broader political dissatisfaction with Governor Gavin Newsom regarding crime and the state's management. NUMBER 2FEDERAL IMMUNITY AND THE ICE SHOOTING IN MINNEAPOLIS Colleague Professor Richard Epstein. Professor Richard Epstein analyzes the legal battle over whether ICE agents have immunity from state prosecution following a fatal shooting in Minneapolis. He explains the complexities of absolute versus qualified immunity, arguing that the agents' aggressive conduct might weaken their defense against state charges in this specific instance. NUMBER 3SUPREME COURT LIKELY TO STRIKE DOWN TRUMP TARIFFS Colleague Professor Richard Epstein. Epstein predicts the Supreme Court will invalidate the Trump administration's emergency tariffs, arguing there is no statutory basis for the trade imbalances cited as justification. He anticipates a fractured decision where a centrist block of justices joins liberals to rule that the executive branch exceeded its authority. NUMBER 4MEXICO'S ALIGNMENT WITH DICTATORS AND INFRASTRUCTURE FAILURES Colleague Mary Anastasia O'Grady. Mary Anastasia O'Grady discusses Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum's ideological support for the Cuban and Venezuelan regimes, including increased oil shipments to Havana. She also details a recent train derailment on Mexico's interoceanic line, attributing the failure to secrecy and no-bid contracts managed by the military. NUMBER 5ITALY STABILIZES PENSION COSTS AND CELEBRATES PASTA TARIFF CUTS Colleague Lorenzo Fiori. Lorenzo Fiori reports that despite high pension costs, Italy's economic reforms under Prime Minister Meloni have stabilized the system by increasing employment. Fiori notes that Italy's deficit and inflation have dropped significantly, and he celebrates the US decision to slash tariffs on Italian pasta imports. NUMBER 6SPACE STATION RETURNS, NUCLEAR MOON PLANS, AND BOEING STRUGGLES Colleague Bob Zimmerman. Bob Zimmerman discusses the early return of an ISS crew due to a medical issue and expresses skepticism about NASA's plan for a lunar nuclear reactor by 2030. He also highlights that the Space Force is shifting launches from ULA to SpaceX due to reliability concerns. NUMBER 7GLOBAL SPACE FAILURES AND CHINA'S REUSABLE CRAFT CLAIMS Colleague Bob Zimmerman. Zimmerman analyzes a failed Indian rocket launch that lost multiple payloads, though a Spanish prototype survived. He also critiques the European Space Agency for delays in debris removal missions and casts doubt on China's claims regarding a "new" reusable spacecraft, suggesting it relies on older suborbital technology. NUMBER 8DATA CENTERS STRAIN THE ELECTRICAL GRID Colleague Henry Sokolski. Henry Sokolski discusses the surging demand for electricity driven by AI data centers and the White House's proposal to auction power access. He argues that tech companies should finance their own off-grid generation, such as nuclear or gas, rather than forcing ratepayers to subsidize new transmission infrastructure. NUMBER 9ELON MUSK AND THE GOLDEN DOME DEFENSE PROPOSAL Colleague Henry Sokolski. Sokolski evaluates Elon Musk's proposal to create a "Golden Dome" missile defense system for the US. While the concept involves space-based sensors, Sokolski notes concerns regarding monopoly power, the reliance on a single contractor for national security, and the undefined costs of ground-based interceptors. NUMBER 10ECONOMIC LIBERTY AND THE LABOR MARKET IN THE AGE OF AI Colleague Kevin Frazier. Kevin Frazier explores how AI is reshaping the economy, noting that liberal arts graduates may be better positioned than STEM majors to handle new information synthesis. He advises legislators to focus on job creation and a fluid labor market rather than trying to protect obsolete professions through regulation. NUMBER 11EDUCATION REFORM AND THE AVOIDANCE OF A FEDERAL AI DEPARTMENT Colleague Kevin Frazier. Frazier argues for updating education, starting with teacher training in elementary schools and vocational partnerships in high schools, to prepare students for an AI future. He advises against creating a federal Department of AI, suggesting society should adapt to it as advanced computing rather than a unique threat. NUMBER 12SOVIET UNION'S SECRET 1972 LUNAR BASE AMBITIONS AND THE N1 ROCKET FAILURE Colleague Anatoli Zak, Publisher of RussianSpaceWeb.com. Anatoli Zak explains that in 1972, the Soviet Union pursued the L3M project to establish a permanent lunar base, refusing to concede the moon race immediately. However, repeated failures of the N1 rocket and the financial strain of competing with the US Space Shuttle eventually forced the program's cancellation. NUMBER 13ISS LAUNCHPAD ACCIDENT AND RUSSIA'S NUCLEAR ROLE IN CHINESE MOON BASE Colleague Anatoli Zak, Publisher of RussianSpaceWeb.com. A launchpad collapse has halted Russian cargo missions to the ISS, endangering the propellant supply required for critical orbit maintenance. Zak also details Russia's attempt to join China's lunar ambitions, with the Kurchatov Institute developing a nuclear reactor to provide electricity for a future Chinese moon base. NUMBER 14PERU NAMED NON-NATO PARTNER AS US COUNTERS CHINESE INFLUENCE Colleague Oscar Sumar, Deputy Vice Chancellor at Universidad Científica del Sur. Oscar Sumar discusses Peru's designation as a US non-NATO partner, a move designed to counter Chinese geopolitical expansion through infrastructure like the Chancay port. Sumar warns that while cultural ties are strong, the Chinese Communist Party poses a threat to Peru's democratic stability and political transparency. NUMBER 15ECONOMIC SLOWDOWN INDICATORS AND SECRECY AT THE WHITE HOUSE Colleague Jim McTague, Former Washington Editor of Barron's. Jim McTague observes unusually light traffic and retail activity in Washington, D.C. and Lancaster, signaling a potential economic slowdown. He notes blocked views of White House construction and predicts a recession driven by rising state taxes and the depletion of pandemic-era stimulus funds for local governments. NUMBER 16

ECONOMIC SLOWDOWN INDICATORS AND SECRECY AT THE WHITE HOUSE Colleague Jim McTague, Former Washington Editor of Barron's. Jim McTague observes unusually light traffic and retail activity in Washington, D.C. and Lancaster, signaling a potential economic slowdown. He notes blocked views of White House construction and predicts a recession driven by rising state taxes and the depletion of pandemic-era stimulus funds for local governments. NUMBER 161835

PERU NAMED NON-NATO PARTNER AS US COUNTERS CHINESE INFLUENCE Colleague Oscar Sumar, Deputy Vice Chancellor at Universidad Científica del Sur. Oscar Sumar discusses Peru's designation as a US non-NATO partner, a move designed to counter Chinese geopolitical expansion through infrastructure like the Chancay port. Sumar warns that while cultural ties are strong, the Chinese Communist Party poses a threat to Peru's democratic stability and political transparency. NUMBER 151941 PERU

ISS LAUNCHPAD ACCIDENT AND RUSSIA'S NUCLEAR ROLE IN CHINESE MOON BASE Colleague Anatoli Zak, Publisher of RussianSpaceWeb.com. A launchpad collapse has halted Russian cargo missions to the ISS, endangering the propellant supply required for critical orbit maintenance. Zak also details Russia's attempt to join China's lunar ambitions, with the Kurchatov Institute developing a nuclear reactor to provide electricity for a future Chinese moon base. NUMBER 142006

SOVIET UNION'S SECRET 1972 LUNAR BASE AMBITIONS AND THE N1 ROCKET FAILURE Colleague Anatoli Zak, Publisher of RussianSpaceWeb.com. Anatoli Zak explains that in 1972, the Soviet Union pursued the L3M project to establish a permanent lunar base, refusing to concede the moon race immediately. However, repeated failures of the N1 rocket and the financial strain of competing with the US Space Shuttle eventually forced the program's cancellation. NUMBER 13MARCH 1959