Episode Details

SCHEDULE JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW, 4-17-2026
1944 DOUGLAS AIRCRAFT, LONG BEACH, CA

Jeff Bliss discusses President Biden's Las Vegas visit to promote "no tax on tips," reviews local developments like hotel balconies and the futuristic In-N-Out, and mentions California's controversial, high-cost animal crossing bridge project. (1)

Jeff Bliss surveys the California gubernatorial landscape, profiling candidates like Tom Steyer and Steve Hilton before the "jungle primary" and revealing Governor Gavin Newsom's $1.5 million self-funded book tour to inflate his sales numbers. (2)

Professor Richard Epstein critiques Senator Bernie Sanders' proposed AI moratorium, arguing that Sanders' rhetoric ignores "creative destruction," fails to understand innovation, and risks national security while stifling growth for small, decentralized startup companies. (3)

Professor Richard Epstein discusses a legal stay against President Trump's White House ballroom project, condemning the "unitary executive" theory and criticizing Trump's disregard for historical preservation laws as erratic, lawless, and dangerously dictatorial. (4)

Jim McTague describes the traffic "nightmare" on Lancaster County's Route 30 due to bridge construction, while also sharing observations on the local Amish community and personal shopping anecdotes from a regional Costco location. (5)

Lorenzo Fiori highlights Italian political support for the Pope following Donald Trump's criticisms, while also recommending that tourists explore the rich history, food, and Lambrusco wine found in Parma and Reggio Emilia. (6)

Professor Luke Foster analyzes the 18th-century parliamentary rivalry between Edmund Burke and Charles James Fox, focusing on their conflicting views regarding the French Revolution and the supreme importance of high-level political rhetoric. (7)

Professor Luke Foster laments the decline of persuasive speech in the United States Congress, contrasting today's partisan anger with the prestigious, policy-shaping parliamentary debates of the 18th century that required sophisticated classical education. (8)

Professor Eric Cline recounts the 1886 discovery of the Amarna tablets, describing how Archibald Henry Sayce initially witnessed the excavation of ancient foundations that would later reveal a massive archive of Bronze Age diplomatic records. (9)

Professor Eric Cline details the dramatic race to acquire the Amarna letters, recounting how Wallace Budge smuggled 81 tablets to the British Museum and competed with Archibald Sayce to publish the first translations. (10)

Professor Eric Cline explores the massive fragmentation of the Amarna archive across global museums and highlights Hugo Winckler's pivotal role in categorizing the diplomatic letters exchanged between great Bronze Age kings and petty tyrants. (11)

Professor Eric Cline discusses the search for Biblical evidence in the Amarna tablets, specifically identifying early mentions of Jerusalem and describing the "kid-like" squabbles between Canaanite vassal kings writing to the EgyptianPharaoh. (12)

Gene Marks analyzes the resilient American economy, noting strong manufacturing expansion and banking stability despite global turmoil, whil