Photo, left: Arctic ice.
JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW
Co-host: Thaddeus McCotter, WJR, The Great Voice of the Great Lakes; and author, Liberty Risen.
Hour One
Monday  4 May 2015  / Hour 1, Block A: Mary Kissel, Wall Street Journal editorial board & host of OpinionJournal.com; in re: Waiting for Charter Schools.  National Alliance for Public Charter Schools President and CEO Nina Rees on the demand for charter schools nationwide. Public charter schools are identical to regular public schools except they can fore a bad teacher or pay extra to a good one.  They outperform traditional schools. In New York 153,000, in Boston 25,000, etc., students are on waiting lists.  Politicians are unwilling to let more charter public schools exist; teachers's unions are threatened because if the caps are listed the unions will no longer control teachers and public education.  . . .  Note that last years thousands of parents walked across the Brooklyn Bridge in protest to the limitations.
See website of National Alliance for Public Charter Schools.
Monday  4 May 2015  / Hour 1, Block B:  Michael Ledeen, FDD, in re: Iran, an overview of what's occurring these days. http://www.weeklystandard.com/articles/iran-s-greatest-vulnerability_935199.html  The Iranian economy is broken; citizens's tolerance for Islam is dwindling, esp among teachers. who've had it with propagandizing and just want to teach subjects.
Monday  4 May 2015  / Hour 1, Block C: Rich Lowry, National Review, in re: Baltimore, a Great Society Failure. The war on poverty in the liberal mind has never truly been fought, still needs a great deal more funding.  So far, it's alleviated some want to some extent but has not lifted people out of poverty. Social collapse of the family; rotten schools run for the interest of some adults who happen to be members of particular union.  You cannot empower people by making them dependent.   Baltimore, e.g., is a massive failure.  Welfare best applied to persons who must do something: learn a skill, prepare for a job.  Head Start not tested to have been of benefit to children. Need to re-think urban policy.  The solution will come when at least part of the left acknowledges that something else needs to be tried. Hat's off to Pres Obama, who speaks of needing a father in a family.
Monday  4 May 2015  / Hour 1, Block D:  Gordon Chang, Forbes.com, in re: Govt ministry has stopped reporting some jobs data; probably because there's either no job growth or a loss of jobs; and if not the latter this month, then likely next because manufacturing is shrinking rapidly. Govt's real concern is college grads, who're increasing at a record pace, are unemployed, and could cause real societal trouble if they stay unemployed.  After years of college and incurring much cost, can expect real dissatisfaction. Premier Li Keqiang speaks constantly on jobs.   Australian dollar fell to 78 cents against the USD.  Used to be at par a few years ago: the true face of China, which imported much of its natural resources for Australia. RTZ and BHP overexpanded in anticipation of Chinese growth.  Expect similar damage in Brazil.  . . . Bubble to burst anent the stock market (people put their money in the stock mkt because there's nowhere else that looks good.)
 China's program to relieve local governments of their onerous debt burdens failed to launch as the first two issuers could not come to terms with investors.  This suggests Beijing's general plans to rescue the economy are also in trouble;   &  China eyes growing Japanese influence ; Protests Erupt in Japan over Anti-Constitutional Militarization Against China.  Center for Research on Globalization‎ 
Hour Two
Monday  4 May 2015  / Hour 2, Block A: David M Drucker, Washington Examiner Senior Congressional correspondent; John Fund, National Review Online,  in re: Bernie Sanders does give voice to the [pure] left. Could be similar to Ron Paul on the right in 2012.  When he was asked about Hillary Clinton, he replied that he didn’t really know where she stood on many topics; "she hasn’t really said."  He wants Scandinavian health care [and the like].  JF: He may be seen as a charming accessory; someone with real bite might be Elizabeth Warren.    JB: I like Mr Sanders, who's always been straightforward."  DMD: Were he twenty years younger and a rising figure, not an eccentric from Vermont . . . esp the way the Dem machine is wholly behind Clinton, needs her to survive . . .
Absolutely not," Clinton told NBC News during his current tour of Africa to visit a wide variety of the foundation's projects. "It's an acknowledgement that we're going to come as close as we can during her presidential campaign to following the rules we followed when she became secretary of state." The 42nd president says he is "proud" of his foundation's work. "There has never been anything like the Clinton Global Initiative," he said, "where you've raised over $100 billion worth of stuff that helped 43 million people in 180 countries." He was talking about good works like the "Wings to Fly" program that has helped 10,000 poor kids in Kenya attend high school. The program has been a whopping success, with 94 percent of the kids graduating and 98 percent of them going on to college
Bernie Sanders, Long-Serving Independent, Enters Presidential Race as a Democrat  The Vermont senator’s candidacy will inject a leftist voice into the contest and provide Hillary Rodham Clinton with her first official rival for the Democratic nomination.
Bernie Sanders, Admirer of Scandinavia, Stands Firm on His Ideas  Senator Bernie Sanders, the Vermont independent, isn’t afraid to be attacked for his admiration of Scandinavian government programs, like health care and education.  Appearing on ABC News’s “This Week” on Sunday, Mr. Sanders touted his self-described democratic socialist ideas. “I can hear the Republican attack ad right now,” prompted his interviewer, George Stephanopoulos. “He wants America to look more like Scandinavia.” “That’s right, that’s right,” responded Mr. Sanders, who announced his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination last week. “And what’s wrong with that? What’s wrong when you have more income and wealth equality?” Later in the program he added, “Look, the fact of the matter is, we do a lot in our country which is good, but we can learn from other countries.”  Mr. Sanders took the opportunity to draw some distinctions between his candidacy and that of his opponent, Hillary Rodham Clinton, saying he is the only candidate “prepared to take on the billionaire class.”  “It means that Hillary Clinton has been part of the political establishment for many, many years,” he said. “Maybe it’s time for a real political shake-up in this country and go beyond establishment politics,” said Mr. Sanders, who first joined Congress in 1991.
Addressing an issue that has been publicly divisive for many on the left, Mr. Sanders took a clear stance against the Trans-Pacific Partnership, an implicit criticism of Mrs. Clinton, who has not yet taken a firm position on the trade pact but has expressed some concerns about it. “I’m hoping to lead the effort against the Trans-Pacific Partnership so that we do not continue to see shutdowns of factories in America and the loss of millions of decent paying jobs,” he said.  In New Hampshire two weeks ago, Mrs. Clinton said, “Any trade deal has to produce jobs and raise wages and increase prosperity and protect our security.”
Monday  4 May 2015  / Hour 2, Block B: David M Drucker, Washington Examiner Senior Congressional correspondent; John Fund, National Review Online,  in re: Does Bill Clinton believe that we're deceived by his deception?  . . .  He always lands on his feet (at least so far). Can Mrs Clinton do the same without his charm or good economic record? . .  . He was our first existential president: he said one thing at 9 AM, another at noon, another at 3 PM.  He's not prevaricating; it's just the fresh existential truth at each moment.  Mrs Clinton is a "poor campaigner"; the Gowdy Committee, once on Benghazi, now calls on her to testify.  They have to be concerned about her "trustworthy" numbers.  Beginning a presidential campaign with these numbers is a potential killer.  . . .  It'd probably help Mrs Clinton a lot if she actually talked with the press on issues. 
Senators Running for President Face a Delicate Balancing Act  With four senators now officially in the 2016 race, the Iran nuclear deal is shaping up as an early test of how they plan to use their congressional records on the campaign trail.   With Bridge Case Charges, a Cloud Descends on Christie’s White House Hopes  There is a growing risk that the in-your-face instincts that helped make Gov. Chris Christie a credible contender for the presidency may put that goal out of reach.
Monday  4 May 2015  / Hour 2, Block C:  Henry I Miller, M.D., Hoover & Forbes.com, in re: "Chipotle: The Strangest Restaurant Menu Ever."
Monday  4 May 2015  / Hour 2, Block D:  Malcolm Hoenlein, Conference of Presidents, in re:  Monday  4 May 2015  / Hour 2, Block D:  Malcolm Hoenlein, Conference of Presidents in Buenos Aires, in re: looking into the death of Alberto Nisman; Jmelnitzky asks for a special prosecutor. So far there's no active investigation to most people's understanding – "a state of paralysis."  They want justice done; on the day he was to testify against the president and ministers, the then-prosecutor, Nisman, was assassinated.  Testimony topics were Iran and nukes; Interpol; the bombing twenty years ago that killed 80 people; Iran's offer of major funds to Argentina in exchange for no investigation in Argentina, where there's universal concern heading toward fear.  Currently, much evidence of great Iranian involvement, in Argentina, also Venezuela. Iranians get passports from Venezuela, travel through Uruguay, Bolivia, wide penetration in South America, has 8 "cultural center"  there.  Conspiracy theories there: Commander of Iranian ground forces said 9/11 was staged by the US and Mossad, that Jews had good intell because "Jews are good at sorcery."  Even in Colombia and Panama, the most pro-Western country, Iran has infiltrated.  Some countries have insignificant Muslim populations, some have Arab Christians .  After the initial reaction of shock and horror at Nisman's death, president first claimed it was suicide, but that was obviously bogus.  Malcolm meets with US ambassador tomorrow; need to resolve the issue is strong, as it's now in the middle of a local political season.  Conspiracy theories and anti-Semitism are spotlighted.   Cf: the murder of Hariri  in Beirut; investigation was intentionally stalled for political reasons, and that act has now destabilized the whole region.
Argentine Foreign Minister Turns on Jewish Leaders as AMIA ...
TheTower.org 
In Argentina, the fallout from the probable murder of Special Investigator Alberto Nisman is rapidly turning into an ugly round of “accuse the . . .   
Hope for justice fades as Argentina's Jews watch prosecutor's work ...
Jerusalem Post: Israeli News. 
One would think that Kirchner's anti-Semitic conspiracy theory would at least unite Argentina's Jewish community. In fact the exact opposite is . . . 


Hour Three
Monday  4 May 2015  / Hour 3, Block A: Admiral Gary Roughead, Hoover & Harvard International Review, in re:   Getting Serious About The Arctic: US Interests in the North
(jackpot)
Monday  4 May 2015  / Hour 3, Block B: Jane Perlez, NYT, in re:  China’s Intents Are Questioned as It Builds in Antarctica China’s operations on the continent are growing fast, leaving the United States and Australia, with stagnant budgets, wondering what China wants.
Monday  4 May 2015  / Hour 3, Block C:  Richard A Epstein, Hoover Institution Defining Ideas, Chicago Law, in re:  The EPA’s Clean Coal Dust-Up (1 of 2)
Monday  4 May 2015  / Hour 3, Block D: Richard A Epstein, Hoover Institution Defining Ideas, Chicago Law, in re:  The EPA’s Clean Coal Dust-Up (2 of 2)
Hour Four
Monday  4 May 2015  / Hour 4, Block A: Barry Strauss, author,  The Death of Caesar: The Story of History's Most Famous Assassination (part II) (1 of 4)
Monday  4 May 2015  / Hour 4, Block B: Barry Strauss, author,  The Death of Caesar: The Story of History's Most Famous Assassination (part II) (2 of 4)
Monday  4 May 2015  / Hour 4, Block C: Barry Strauss, author,  The Death of Caesar: The Story of History's Most Famous Assassination (part II) (3 of 4)
Monday  4 May 2015  / Hour 4, Block D: Barry Strauss, author,  The Death of Caesar: The Story of History's Most Famous Assassination (part II) (4 of 4)