Photo, left: Amber room, Kaliningrad
JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW
Hour One
Friday  26 June 2015 / Hour 1, Block A: Harry Siegel, New York Daily News, in re: When Bill de Blasio says his out-of-nowhere decision to pay for 1,297 new cops isn’t about fighting crime so much as creating a new model of community policing, don’t believe him. [more]
Friday  26 June 2015 / Hour 1, Block B:  Coral Davenport, NYT, in re: After Elk River Spill, Congress Will Vote on Bill Regulating Toxic Chemicals  Congress is expected to vote on a bill, prompted in part by the 2014 spill, that would update the Toxic Substances Control Act
Friday  26 June 2015 / Hour 1, Block C: Elbridge Colby, Center for New American Security, in re: Nuclear: US capabilities; as US declines, likelihood of [nuclear adventurism] from others.  US deterrence weakened by US failure to prevent proliferation [e.g., Saudis].  If you make big statements and don't follow through, people will be sceptical of your statements. "When the chips are down, can I trust this guy?"  The credibility is a major consideration. (1 of 2)
Natl Institute of Public Policy; Stimson Center; CSIS
Clark, Keith Payne and NIPP, Barry Blechman and Stimson, Tom Karako, and Angela Weaver, can be found here: http://csis.org/event/report-release-project-atom. 
Friday  26 June 2015 / Hour 1, Block D: Elbridge Colby, Center for New American Security, in re: Nuclear:  1 KT mid-air has hugely different effects from a larger bomb on land.  Imagine a time a few decades hence when eighteen countries may have nukes.  Or the US goes to defend the Baltics against Russian threat from Kaliningrad.  US needs to have a very carefully thought-out strategy decided in advance. A parallel: in poker, the Russians may have a lot of  Hamiltons or fifties, while the US could be stuck with only a few thousand-dollar bills. Not a good idea. "Discriminate employment options."   The Roman dictum: If you want peace, prepare for war.
The Baltics and the Western Pacific are not correctly protected at present. . . .  Aircraft are expensive, as are mil infrastructure and pensions. However, the [equipment] of nuclear materials is not a huge issue. Tac nukes: a part of our arsenal that may be underdeveloped; moreover: as the environment grows more competitive we must have more [sophisticated] responses.  (2 of 2)
Clark, Keith Payne and NIPP, Barry Blechman and Stimson, Tom Karako, and Angela Weaver, can be found here: http://csis.org/event/report-release-project-atom. 
Hour Two
Friday  26 June 2015 / Hour 2, Block A:  Michael Vlahos, Naval War College, in re: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/26/world/europe/putin-breaks-silence-with... ; http://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1960/07/27/issue.html
Friday  26 June 2015 / Hour 2, Block B:  Michael Vlahos, Naval War College, in re: Russia May Strengthen Military Force in Kaliningrad
Sputnik International-Jun 23, 2015
According to Russian lawmaker, Russia may reinforce its military presence in its westernmost Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad in response to the . . .  
Kaliningrad, Moscow's Military Trump Card
  Big News Network.com-Jun 18, 2015
Russia is pouring troops and weapons -- including missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads -- into its western exclave of Kaliningrad at . . .
Friday  26 June 2015 / Hour 2, Block C:  Richard Brookhiser, National Review, in re:  "First Aaron Burr, Now Jack Lew: Alexander Hamilton, the man who made America’s money, is losing his place on it." That’s a fine thank-you for the first Treasury secretary. http://www.wsj.com/articles/first-aaron-burr-now-jack-lew-1434756149  (1 of 2)
Friday  26 June 2015 / Hour 2, Block D: Richard Brookhiser,  , in re:  "First Aaron Burr, Now Jack Lew: Alexander Hamilton, the man who made America’s money, is losing his place on it." That’s a fine thank-you for the first Treasury secretary. http://www.wsj.com/articles/first-aaron-burr-now-jack-lew-1434756149  (2 of 2)
Hour Three
Friday  26 June 2015 / Hour 3, Block A:  Gene Marks, Washington Post, in re:  How ads can help save Philly's school system  ;   Business owner thanks educators by treating four schools to lunch  ;  City, teens, business owners to team up to improve downtown  ;  17-year-old invents ingenious way to instantly stop bleeding  ;  Google hired this 'brilliant' kid at 18 — now his startup serves more than 1,000 businesses
 
 
Friday  26 June 2015 / Hour 3, Block B: Gene Marks, Washington Post, in re: 8 companies poised to disrupt their industries ; Postmates Raises $80 Million in Push Toward $1 Deliveries  ;  Women Are Going Crazy Over a Guy Called the “Hottest Bean Curd Seller"
Friday  26 June 2015 / Hour 3, Block C:  Natalie Angier, NYT, in re: Nature’s Waste Management CrewsScientists are increasingly interested in what might be called animal sanitation studies — how different species seek to stay clean and get rid of wastes.
Friday  26 June 2015 / Hour 3, Block D: Simon Constable, TheStreet.com, in re: TheStreet: Millennials Leading Charge Into Foreign Stocks and You Should Follow http://www.thestreet.com/story/13191939/1/millennials-leading-charge-into-foreign-stocks-and-you-should-follow.html   ;  TheStreet: Why Chasing Stock Returns Could Cost You $1.9 Million   http://www.thestreet.com/story/13192856/1/why-chasing-stock-returns-could-cost-you-19-million.html  ;  TheStreet: Will 'Obamatrade' Kill Another 1 Million Factory Jobs? http://www.thestreet.com/story/13186883/1/will-obamatrade-kill-another-1-million-factory-jobs.html
Hour Four
Friday  26 June 2015 / Hour 4, Block A: Liz Peek, The Fiscal Times & Fox, in re: Perhaps because of its poor performance, Argentina is uniquely anti-American in South America.   According to a Pew survey, 65 percent of the people in Brazil, 72 percent of Chileans, 71 percent of Nicaraguans and even 62 percent of Venezuelans had a favorable view of the U.S. Alone on the continent, only a minority of people in Argentina –36 percent -- gave Uncle Sam a thumbs-up.
Pope Francis is the first non-European leader of the Catholic Church in 1,200 years. He was elected to bring fresh air and new perspectives to the Church of Peter. That he has done. Unhappily, though his ambitions are no doubt pure, his conclusions are wrong-headed. The poor of India, Africa and elsewhere will prosper through growth and development; denying them that opportunity in the service of Mother Earth is not the answer.  Nor is giving up our energy advantage to the Chinese.   http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/Columns/2015/06/24/Pope-s-Manifesto-Could-Destroy-US-Economy#sthash.gN2ITXMN.dpuf
Friday  26 June 2015 / Hour 4, Block B:  Gina Kolata, NYT, in re: Putting Stents to the Test  Cardiologists often treat angina by opening arteries with stents, but drug therapy may be more effective.
Friday  26 June 2015 / Hour 4, Block C: Laura Bradley, The Gourmand, in re: Slinging Sausage to English Motorists   On top of the regular flow of customers, motorway accidents would send streams of cars piling in: coaches full of school trips, families desperate to get home. A service station is not the type of place you’d expect to have regulars, but there were plenty at our Little Chef. The toast lady who came in at 10am every day and wanted two slices of brown toast, no butter. And the handsome coffee man who came in at 11am every weekday, occasionally on Sundays. He looked a little like Kevin Spacey. There was also the guy who would come in late at night, order half a bottle of wine with his dinner and spend ages filling out the Daily Mail crossword, but mostly he was perving on the staff. And he never left a tip. A transvestite would frequent about once a month. One time a young businessman left me his number on a napkin.
Lorry drivers were the best customers. They became our Little Chef family. They’d hang out on table 24 in the smoking section and were always the last to leave. Northern Nigel would buy us chocolates. He was a charmer.
—Laura Bradley writing in the English food journal The Gourmand about working at the British roadside restaurant chain Little Chef
Friday  26 June 2015 / Hour 4, Block D: Geoffrey Fowler, WSJ, in re:  Apple HomeKit Review: Siri’s New Smart Home Already Needs Renovation Geoffrey A. Fowler finds Siri isn’t a very reliable way to control the smart home.
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