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DeProgram with Ted Rall and John Kiriakou: “Regime Change Against Venezuela?”

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Ted Rall

LIVE 9:00 am Eastern time, Streaming Anytime:

Political cartoonist Ted Rall and CIA whistleblower John Kiriakou analyze the Supreme Court’s probable gutting of Section 2 of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, Trump eyeing covert strikes and land airstrikes against Venezuela, the decline of the power of the U.S. passport, and archivists race a looming “digital dark age.”

  • House Gerrymandering by the Supreme Court: Republicans redraw districts, targeting Southern Democrats, but Democrats hold a House path—unless Louisiana v. Callais strikes Section 2. This would gut majority-minority mandates, enabling elimination of 7-8 Black-majority districts in Alabama through Florida by 2028. Democrats would face +5-point popular vote hurdles for competitiveness, turning all midterms into GOP locks.
  • Trump’s Venezuela Escalation: Trump has drawn a bead against the government of President Nicolás Maduro after five boat strikes killing 26. Now he’s considering U.S. military land strikes to halt Venezuelan drug flows and authorized the CIA with a “finding” that allows the agency to conduct covert operations there. Is this regime change?
  • U.S. Passport Downgrade: Henley Index of “powerful passports” drops U.S. passport to 12th—first time outside top 10 in 20 years, tied with Malaysia, down from 7th last year. Trump’s immigration crackdowns trigger reciprocity losses from Brazil, China, Vietnam, stagnating access to 180 destinations. Experts warn of fading soft power in an openness-driven world.
  • Rescuing Floppy Disks: Cambridge archivists tackle 113 boxes of Stephen Hawking’s papers, extracting data from degrading 1970s-90s floppy disks via the Future Nostalgia project. They battle magnetism loss, mould, and obsolete formats to save physics insights and personal notes. This combats a “digital dark age,” preserving 50 years of computered history.

Hamas’ Stunning Victory

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Ted Rall

TED RALL

HAMAS’S STUNNING VICTORY

RELEASE: WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2025

Hamas’s victory over Israel will go down in history as one of the most stunning upsets in the history of modern warfare. It will be studied by future Resistance groups for instructions on how a guerrilla army can achieve its aims despite facing an adversary with seemingly insurmountable advantages in weaponry, technology, funding and international legitimacy.

This Islamic group’s achievement was breathtaking. Indicating an astonishing ability to adapt, it pivoted from a ragtag outfit of irregular militants to a full-fledged governing authority with the organizational structure of a nation-state in 2007—ironically, with the support of Israel, which pursued a divide-and-conquer strategy to undermine Fatah’s Palestinian Authority in the West Bank.

Then, with the Abraham Accords and Arab states moving toward normalization of relations with Israel, Hamas leadership concluded that it needed a radical gamechanger, an incident that would expose the Jewish state as genocidal, scuttle its hopes of regional acceptance and put the Palestinian question back on the front burner.

Correctly predicting the massive scale of the onslaught Israel would unleash following the October 7th attack, Hamas created stockpiles of missiles fabricated from dud Israeli ordnance and constructed a sophisticated tunnel system to allow it to move fighters and equipment throughout the war without having to worry much about the IDF. Hamas hoped its regional Iranian-backed allies in the Middle East, the Axis of Resistance, including Hezbollah and the regime of then-Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad, would open a multifront war against Israel, but they never viewed hope as a plan. After Hezbollah demurred and was itself nevertheless decimated by Israeli airstrikes and a vicious pager attack, Hamas carried on solo, with the exception of distant support from Yemen’s Houthis.

Days after the beginning of the current ceasefire, Hamas is consolidating power, purging Gaza of its rivals, parading publicly in shows of strength, restoring basic services, and is even conducting foreign policy by conveying its desire to maintain law and order to a grateful United States—reverting to its pre-2023 governance posture.

This time, however, global and U.S. opinion now favors creating a sovereign Palestinian state. Hamas, already rebranding itself, is establishing itself the de facto sole ruling authority of the Gaza half of that future nation.

According to the Gaza Health Ministry, which experts say undercounts war dead, Israel has killed about 68,000 Palestinians in Gaza since the war began. According to Donald Trump, the number is between 400,000 and 500,000 out of a prewar population of 2.2 million. Israel has destroyed 90% of the homes. Gaza’s basic infrastructure—roads, schools, shops, hospitals, sewage system—has been pulverized. 468 IDF troops were killed. How can anyone call this a Palestinian victory?

If lopsided death tolls determined victory and defeat in warfare, the United States would have beaten Vietnam (2,000,000 to 58,000), Iraq (940,000 to 4,400) and Afghanistan (572,000 to 2,400). In each of these conflicts, the warring parties had the same goal, to maintain military and political control over a territory. The U.S. withdrew. Thus, it lost.

Hamas had several objectives in its 2023-2025 war against Israel.

Job one was making a big splash. It was necessary to “change the entire equation and not just have a clash,” Khalil al-Hayya, top Hamas official, told The New York Times a month after the start of the war “We succeeded in putting the Palestinian issue back on the table, and now no one in the region is experiencing calm.” Hamas wasn’t merely willing to sacrifice the lives of its fellow Palestinians in order to achieve them. Provoking the Israelis to kill Gazans—the more the better—was an essential part of their plan.

Two years later, Palestine has knocked the Russo-Ukrainian War off the headlines. It enjoys formal diplomatic recognition from 157 out of 193 nations, including the likes of France, Canada and Great Britain. Israel, fending off judicial inquiries, sanctions and business boycotts, is forced to send Netanyahu to the U.N. via a circuitous route lest his plane be forced down and the prime minister thrown in jail. It’s becoming a pariah state.

Israel could have avoided all this by not overreacting. By not viewing the Hamas’s attack as an opportunity for a land grab. It chose to feed its rage.

Before October 7th, Saudi Arabia, nominally a fervent supporter of independent Palestine, had been moving toward formal recognition of Israel. Worried that such a move would mark the beginning of the end of the Palestinian cause, Hamas hoped its war would force the Saudis and other Arab states to back off from Israel. Clearly, that has succeeded.

Hamas achieved both of its main goals. It also wanted a Palestinian state. We’re not there yet. But the odds have never looked better.

Israel had two war aims.

First, they wanted to destroy Hamas and end their rule over Gaza. “Once we defeat Hamas, we have to make sure that there’s no new Hamas, no resurgence of terrorism, and right now the only force that is able to secure that is Israel,” Netanyahu said in November 2023, calling for long-term Israeli occupation of Gaza. Trump’s 20-point “peace plan” began with the requirement that Israeli forces withdraw—even before the first hostage was released. Trump told Hamas he would not allow Israel to break the ceasefire, as they have done many times in the past. And he said that he has decided to leave Hamas in charge for the time being.

Clearly, Israel failed.

Second, Israel wanted to ethnically cleanse Gaza of its indigenous population, annex the territory and exploit it for real estate developments for Israelis. But Trump is telling Israel to back off and allow Gazans to stay in what’s left of their homes. He also warned Israel to stop building new settlements. “I will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank,” he told reporters in the Oval Office in September 2025. “I will not allow it. It’s not going to happen.”

Hamas got everything it wanted and more. Israel got nothing, and wound up in a much worse position. That victory lap in the Knesset? Pure spin.

Many Israelis recognize what really happened: a country that relies upon international support lost it. “Wars are not won by tanks or drones but by headlines and hashtags. The side that controls the story controls the future,” Jose Lev Alvarez Gomez, a right-wing supporter of the genocide, complained in The Times of Israel. “Israel won the war. The world rewarded Hamas—with sympathy, airtime, and impunity.”

Not that Israel wasn’t warned. “If Israel had adopted a more measured, precise, and diplomatically savvy approach in its efforts to neutralize Hamas, [Hamas’s] assertions of victory, whether actual or perceived, would likely appear less credible,” David Ucko wrote in a nifty December 2023 piece titled “Theories of Victory: Israel, Hamas, and the Meaning of Success in Irregular Warfare.”

Game, Hamas.

(Ted Rall, the political cartoonist, columnist and graphic novelist, is the author of “Never Mind the Democrats. Here’s What’s Left.” Subscribe: tedrall.Substack.com. He is co-host of the podcast “DeProgram with Ted Rall and John Kiriakou.”)

DeProgram with Ted Rall and John Kiriakou: “A War Over Dead Bodies”

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Ted Rall

Live 9 AM Eastern, Then Streaming On Demand

Political cartoonist Ted Rall and CIA whistleblower John Kiriakou unpack the fragile Gaza ceasefire teetering on the brink.

  • Gaza Hostage Remains Crisis: Hamas returns the remains of four additional deceased hostages on Tuesday, including Guy Illouz and Bipin Joshi, through the Red Cross after Israel’s threats to block Rafah and halve Gaza aid trucks for non-compliance with the U.S.-brokered deal. This dispute over the 28 promised bodies marks the peace process’s inaugural crisis, with 24 still unrecovered—including Americans Itay Chen and Omer Neutra—trapped under rubble, as mediators press Hamas for maximum recovery efforts amid Netanyahu’s unyielding demands. Trump’s Truth Social post blasts the delay, insisting Phase Two—Hamas disarming—starts immediately, while officials note Hamas now grasps Israel’s superior intelligence on body locations.
  • U.S. Military Boat Strike off Venezuela: The U.S. military kills six men aboard a boat in international waters just off Venezuela’s coast on Tuesday, marking the fifth such strike since September and totaling 27 deaths treated as wartime kills rather than arrests of criminal suspects. Trump posts a 33-second aerial video of the missile explosion on social media, asserting unproven intelligence links the vessel to narcoterrorist smuggling routes, as the administration builds naval presence with warships and submarines in the Caribbean. Legal experts slam the premeditated extrajudicial actions as illegal under laws barring civilian targeting without imminent threats, with nominees citing undisclosed Justice memos but no public analysis justifying war-like tactics over Coast Guard interdictions.
  • Madagascar Military Power Seizure: The army in Madagascar seizes control on Tuesday, Colonel Michael Randrianirina from the elite CAPSAT unit announcing a joint military-police committee to swiftly install a civilian government after parliament impeaches President Andry Rajoelina, who flees into hiding fearing for his life amid weeks of Gen Z protests. Demonstrators in Antananarivo rage over six years without tap water despite payments, crippling electricity outages, and corruption in the nation of 31 million, with over 20 killed by authorities’ deadly force as CAPSAT refuses to quash “brothers and sisters.” Rajoelina, who rose via a 2009 CAPSAT-backed coup, dissolves parliament in a failed block, denouncing the takeover as a “coup d’etat” while protesters hail it as a supported popular revolution, waving anime pirate flags in global youth solidarity.
  • Young Republicans Telegram Scandal: Leaked seven-month Telegram chats among Young Republican leaders from New York, Kansas, Arizona, and Vermont overflow with racial slurs like “n–ga” used over a dozen times by Kansas vice chair William Hendrix, references to Black people as “monkeys” and “watermelon people,” and fantasies of gassing opponents in chambers unfit for the “Hitler aesthetic.” New York vice chair Bobby Walker calls rape “epic,” while chair Peter Giunta threatens “physiological torture” for non-believers during a federation vote, with members like Joe Maligno and Annie Kaykaty joking about showers masking gas and watching people burn. The exposure prompts job firings, rescinded offers, and condemnations from Rep. Elise Stefanik and GOP chair Ed Cox, igniting intraparty recriminations of character assassination and extortion as the group frets over leaks dooming their “true believers.”

DeProgram with Ted Rall and John Kiriakou: “L.A. for Sale”

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Ted Rall

LIVE 9:00 am Eastern time, Streaming Anytime:

Political cartoonist Ted Rall and CIA whistleblower John Kiriakou catch you up after the long weekend, beginning with a L.A. story with a personal connection to “Deprogram.”

  • Is Los Angeles for Sale?: Austin Beutner, scandal-plagued billionaire and widely reviled ex-LA schools superintendent, plans to run against Mayor Karen Bass, criticizing her over homelessness and living costs. As ex-publisher of the LA Times, Beutner secretly conspired with corrupt ex-LAPD Chief Charlie Beck to fire and smear Ted because his cartoons criticized the police, and got fired due to the subscriber backlash and his boardroom plots. As Ted later learned, Beutner was a dollar-for-dollar match donor to the LAPD pension fund. Will Angelenos get conned by a grifter who makes Eric Adams look honest?
  • Iran’s Trans Medical Tourism: Iran promotes gender transition surgeries to attract LGBTQ foreigners, offering low-cost procedures alongside luxury travel packages. Despite Iran’s reputation for affordable care, the policy stems from a history of coerced gender-affirming surgical operations.
  • Afghanistan-Pakistan Border Clash: The Taliban confirms attacks on Pakistani troops, saying they are retaliation for airspace violations, with 58 reported deaths. Pakistan disputes the toll, and closes border crossings. Tensions soar as both sides trade accusations of harboring terrorists. Are Afghanistan and Pakistan, with a long complicated relationship, at the brink of war?
  • Madagascar Crisis: About to be impeached, President Andry Rajoelina of Madagascar has dissolved his country’s National Assembly, the lower house of Parliament, hours after saying that he had gone into hiding at an undisclosed location out of fear for his safety over weeks of Gen-Z anti-government protests over lack of water and power that have killed 22 people.
  • Federal Workers’ Mass Retirements: A massive wave of federal retirements and buyouts is straining agencies amid the shutdown. Over 154,000 employees leave, overwhelming HR offices. But isn’t a workforce reduction what DOGE and Trump wanted?

DMZ America Podcast Ep 217: “What Next for Gaza and Israel?”

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Ted Rall

LIVE 12:00 noon Eastern, and then streaming whenever you wanna hear/watch it:

LIVE 12:00 noon Eastern, and then streaming whenever you wanna hear/watch it:

Tune in to the “DMZ America Podcast” as nationally-syndicated editorial cartoonists Ted Rall and Scott Stantis handicap the first phase of President Trump’s Gaza Peace Plan, kicking off a possible end to the brutal two-year Israel-Hamas war. Israeli forces pull back from ravaged zones, and now Hamas is expected to release all 20 living hostages—plus remains of the deceased—within 24 hours in exchange for 250 Palestinian life inmates and 1,700 Palestinian hostages.

Ted and Scott will also show and discuss their latest cartoons about the conflict, as well as those by some of their colleagues.

Daily aid trucks are rolling in, easing famine’s grip after 45,000+ Palestinian deaths and proving that Israel had been keeping out food and water. Both Israelis and Palestinians are celebrating.

But shadows loom: Will next phases—demilitarizing Hamas, deploying international stabilizers, and rebuilding the Strip—actually occur?

Who will rule Gaza after Hamas abolished all domestic opposition? Ted predicts a Hamas rebrand, as in Ireland after the Troubles. Will Netanyahu’s government survive? Genocide accusations from rights groups will be amplified as mass graves and other evidence of Israeli war crimes surface; can Israel’s reputation in the US rebound? Polls show young Americans souring fast, splitting the Jewish vote and pressuring Biden-era holdovers.

Ted and Scott have vehemently disagreed about the war for two years, while managing to remain respectful throughout. Now it’s time to consider what comes next.

Deprogram with Ted Rall and John Kiriakou: “So, the US DOES Control Israel”

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Ted Rall

Live 9 am Eastern and Streaming 24-7:

Political cartoonist Ted Rall and CIA whistleblower John Kiriakou bring you up to date on the ceasefire deal seeking to end the Gaza War. President Trump delivers ironclad guarantees preventing Israel from abandoning the ceasefire, with U.S. officials revealing a pivotal U.S.-led military task force monitoring violations—exposing the moral bankruptcy of those who claimed the U.S. could not control Israel. Similarly, food aid will now flow into Gaza, belying Israelis who kept claiming they were not keeping it out.

Also: New York AG Letitia James faces bank fraud charges, judges shield Chicago journalists and protesters from DHS riot weapons, New York City’s mayoral race tightens post-Adams’ exit, and Peru’s Congress impeaches President Dina Boluarte.

  • How Trump Leaned on Israel: President Trump issued personal guarantees securing the Gaza deal, establishing a 200-soldier U.S.-led task force with Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, and UAE officers to monitor compliance. IDF withdrawal begins at noon local time and Hamas’ hostage release—20 alive—will occur Monday, as eyes turn to two questions. Who will rule Gaza? How low will Israel’s reputation sink when the world gets to see the full scope of its genocide?
  • Indictment Letitia James: A Virginia grand jury charges NY AG James with bank fraud and false statements for claiming her $137,000 Norfolk home as a secondary residence, actually an investment yielding $19,000 in interest savings. This second high-profile foe indictment in weeks follows Comey’s charges, with probes into Schiff and Cook amid Trump’s retribution push.
  • Judge Tells ICE To Stop Brutalizing Journalists: Judge Ellis temporarily bans DHS agents from targeting journalists or protesters with riot weapons at ICE sites, requiring two audible warnings and visible IDs unless undercover. Force, arrests, or dispersal apply only with probable cause unrelated to orders, protecting First Amendment amid “extreme brutality” claims.
  • Cuomo Losing By Less: Quinnipiac’s October 3-7 survey shows Mamdani leading 46-33% over Cuomo, gaining no new ground but sustaining enthusiasm post-Adams’ September dropout. Cuomo absorbs most ex-Mayor Adams support, up 10 points in four-way race with Sliwa at 15%, margins at ±3.9%. Mamdani, sole favorably viewed, eyes debates without hitting 50%.
  • Peru President’s Impeached: Congress ousts Dina Boluarte 122-0, citing moral incapacity after Wednesday’s Lima cumbia concert machine-gun attack wounds four band members. Extortion explodes to 2,000 monthly cases, killing bus drivers and bombing businesses, dooming her 2-4% approval despite emergency decrees. Protesters rally outside Ecuador embassy on asylum rumors; Congress president assumes interim role until April elections.

What Did You During the Trump Wars, Daddy?

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Ted Rall

My darling daughter gave me two dramatic blinks of her Aryan-blue eyes and flipped back her pure, naturally-blonde pigtails. “What did you do during the Trump Wars, daddy?”

It felt like a fever dream.

What’s that, evil libtard? I don’t have a “Children of the Corn” daughter? Or any daughter at all? Who are you to say that to me, a Patriot Hero of the Trump Wars? You, who don’t even know the difference between a man and a woman? How would you be able to tell whether a beautiful young girl like my imaginary daughter exists?

Back to my story.

“Unlike some of my fellow Americans,” I told her—let’s say her name is/was/could have been Stephanie—“I answered my nation’s call at her time of greatest need.”

I sunk into my recliner. “As everyone knows, the United States was being horrifically terribly tragically outrageously attacked by domestic terrorist cells of far-left extremists. We were seconds away from Marxism. Gulags, Soviet everything, Medicare For All. So, when President Trump called for loyal MAGA patriots to fight, of course I jumped at the chance.”

Stephanie tugged at my sleeve. “You went to war against the Radical Left? Were you scared?”

“I won’t lie,” I replied. “I was scared. The Radical Left was everywhere…hammer-and-sickle flags draped at Taco Bell, Mao posters at school, Courtney Love on Spotify. But only stupid people wouldn’t have been terrified. We were scared and we went anyway. We had a job to do.”

“What’s that for?” Stephanie asked, pointing at one of my combat medals.

“That was for fighting in the Battle of Chicago,” I said. “I don’t like to talk about it.”

“Come on, daddy! Tell me about the evil Latinos!”

She was old enough to hear the unvarnished truth. “I was serving with the 1st Unmarked ICE Battalion, Anti-Nanny Strike Force. We covered ourselves with Covid masks and Kevlar and stormed onto the shores of Lake Michigan in amphibious sports utility vehicles festooned with Trump flags. The Hispanic nannies swarmed us by the tens of thousands, shooting and bombing and nuking. I can still remember their blood-curdling war cry: “It’s Taco Tuesday!” They had their kids and their employers’ kids and, in many cases, U.S. citizenship. We knew we could all be doxed. We had to be pitiless. We killed them all.”

“Thank you, daddy. I love you.”

“I love you too, sweetheart. Unless you join the Radical Left.”

“I would want you to kill me, daddy, if I did that. Did you kill any antifas?”

“That was in Portland, honey. These monstrous hipsters dressed like ninjas, all black, terrorizing tens of the city’s residents for minutes at a time. What was really ominous was how normal they acted, biking and riding the tram system and paying their fare—all as a cover for their nefarious anti-American agenda.”

“Anti…fa…Fighting fascism?”

“Exactly. Can you imagine?”

Stephanie’s eyes were as vacant as they were blue.

“What is ‘imagine,’ daddy?”

“Something you, as an American, will never have to do, unlike those of us in the so-called “Gratest Generation.’ Sometimes, at night, I can see the contorted, agonized faces of the Lyft drivers, the restaurant kitchen workers and the antiwar marchers we slaughtered or sent to the camps. I hear the screams of my fallen ICE comrades. My best buddy was standing right next to me, bravely beating up a dad picking up his kid from school when a five-year-old Tren de Aragua drug kingpin blasted him away as he whizzed by on his Big Wheel, cackling in Spanish.”

“Your sacrifice saved us, daddy.”

“Thank you, Stephanie. I know.”

“Daddy,” Stephanie demanded, “tell me about the drug cartel wars.”

“Well,” I explained, “a drug called fentanyl was killing lots of Americans in flyover country, mostly young white guys who would have probably certainly been fine MAGA patriots had they not become drug-addicted degenerates. Fentanyl was coming from Mexico, so we bombed random Venezuelan boats in the southern Caribbean and blew up the people on them, whoever they were.”

“Were the Venezuelans bringing fentanyl to America?” Stephanie asked.

“No, they don’t make it there. They might have been carrying cocaine.”

“To America?”

“No, to Trinidad.”

“Is Trinidad in America?” she wanted to know.

“No. It isn’t. Not yet. But we had to do something. So we made up something to do, and then we did it, and it was over, and we saved America.”

“I love you, daddy,” Stephanie replied, giving me a kiss on the tip of my nose. “You have enough imagination for the both of us.”

“I know, sweetie.”

(Ted Rall, the political cartoonist, columnist and graphic novelist, is the author of “Never Mind the Democrats. Here’s What’s Left.” Subscribe: tedrall.Substack.com. He is co-host of the podcast “DeProgram with Ted Rall and John Kiriakou.”)

Deprogram with Ted Rall and John Kiriakou: “Israel Humiliated”

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Ted Rall

Live 9 am Eastern and Streaming 24-7:

Political cartoonist Ted Rall and CIA whistleblower John Kiriakou, dissect the shocking new deal for Gaza, which appears to hand Hamas a major win over Israel, as well as other stories you need to know about.

  • Gaza Deal: Brokered by a Trump increasingly disgusted by Netanyahu, Israel and Hamas negotiate a hostage-prisoner swap that seems to favor the Palestinians, exchanging 20 Israeli captives for 250 life-sentence Palestinians and 1,700 jailed Gazans,. Netanyahu convenes his cabinet today to ratify the deal, risking his fragile coalition. Israel is required to withdraw and finally allow aid—an admission the Jewish state was blocking it—while Hamas still hasn’t agreed to disarm. Palestinians cling to fragile hope, awakening to news of potential truce, even as Trump makes clear Israel’s attack against Qatar pushed Trump to pressure the Israelis to make peace.
  • Americans Like Deportations, But Not These Deportations: It’s not what, it’s how. Trump’s mass deportation campaign deploys agents to snag immigrants at courthouses and streets, flying them to unfamiliar nations and stripping humanitarian shields, sparking clashes with activists—and angering American voters. A New York Times/Siena poll finds 54% of voters support removals of undocumented arrivals, but 53% decry the process as unfair, ensnaring U.S. citizens, parents of American kids, and vendors in a spectacle of force across Chicago and D.C.
  • Corrupt Homan Gets to Keep His Bribe: Echoing Wreckless Eric’s old song, “Take the Kash,” border czar Tom Homan is being allowed to keep $50,000 he collected from FBI undercover agents in a corruption probe—delivered in a Cava bag during a 2024 taped meet—leaving the “buy money” untraced and undeclared. AG Pam Bondi dodges Senate queries, as experts warn commingled funds evade forfeiture, complicating IRS tax pursuits or ethics probes in a Justice Department shielding insiders.
  • Sortor Spins His Portland Arrest: Fox News regular Nick Sortor, with 1 million X followers, faces disorderly conduct charges after police swarm a brawl outside Portland’s ICE building Thursday night, cuffing him alongside two others amid Antifa clashes. Released Friday, a wildly spinning Sortor blasts Portland PD as “corrupt” puppets of “violent Antifa thugs” on X, vowing the incident spotlights street terror instead of the far more likely possibility that the cops abuse protesters.
  • Pentagon Kirk Purge: The Defense Department opens investigations into nearly 300 personnel for online insults about Charlie Kirk, under SecDef Pete Hegseth’s edict branding Kirk critics as unfit for service. Disciplinary ripples spread, echoing Hegseth’s purge threats against generals opposing Trump’s “regressive” military overhauls, while Trumps decries mockery as “domestic terrorism” celebration. This loyalty litmus test subverts constitutional norms.
  • Kirk Statue Frenzy: Republicans rally to put up Charlie Kirk monuments all over the place, from Capitol statues to state university mandates in Oklahoma and Texas, with New College of Florida unveiling an AI-rendered effigy amid artist bids. This push—reminiscent of Lincoln!—revives clashes over who merits commemoration in public spaces.

DeProgram with Ted Rall and John Kiriakou: “Are Furloughed Feds S.O.L.?”

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Ted Rall

LIVE 9:00 am Eastern time, Streaming Anytime:

Political cartoonist Ted Rall and CIA whistleblower John Kiriakou look at the Trump administration’s plan to mint a $1 coin with the president’s image, his messaging to furloughed government workers that they may forfeit back pay, Colorado’s conversion therapy ban, and CIA Deputy Director Michael Ellis demotion of the acting general counsel—a career lawyer—and assuming the role himself.

  • Trump $1 Coin Controversy: The Treasury Department defends minting a $1 commemorative coin bearing President Trump’s image for the nation’s 250th birthday, citing the 2020 Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act to override a 1866 law prohibiting living portraits on currency and quelling monarchic vibes. Draft designs show Trump’s profile dominating the obverse, with the reverse side showcasing him fist-pumping before the American flag under “Fight, Fight, Fight.” This echoes Trump’s past currency clashes, like delaying Harriet Tubman’s $20 bill.
  • Back Pay Dispute: President Trump says that furloughed federal workers—nearly 750,000 affected—might not receive back pay post-shutdown, contradicting the 2019 Government Employee Fair Treatment Act he signed and the Office of Personnel Management’s explicit guidance promising retroactive compensation. A circulating White House memo argues that only essential employees like military and air traffic controllers qualify outright, requiring congressional approval for others, fueling union leaders’ cries of legal misinterpretation and threats of lawsuits as the impasse hits day seven.
  • Conversion Therapy: The Supreme Court’s conservative majority signals opposition to Colorado’s 2019 ban on conversion therapy for minors, viewing it as viewpoint-discriminating speech regulation during oral arguments in Chiles v. Salazar, where therapist Kaley Chiles claims First Amendment violations in her faith-based talk therapy. Justices like Alito and Roberts probe the state’s conduct-versus-speech distinction, drawing parallels to 2018 anti-abortion center rulings and recent gender care bans, potentially invalidating similar prohibitions in over 20 states while liberals like Jackson question inconsistent deference. Pro
  • CIA Deputy Director’s Power Grab: Michael Ellis abruptly demotes the acting general counsel—an unnamed career lawyer serving since January—and installs himself in the role, retaining his No. 2 position and prompting ethics red flags over inherent conflicts in self-advising on agency actions. This “bizarre” arrangement, approved by Director John Ratcliffe, unfolds amid Trump’s nomination of Joshua Simmons for permanent counsel, whose Senate hearing looms Wednesday, while Ellis— a 40-year-old Yale Law alum and Trump loyalist—navigates past scandals like Nunes’ surveillance briefings and Bolton memoir battles. Current and former officials voice alarms at the consolidation, violating professional conduct rules against self-interest judgments, as the demoted lawyer takes brief vacation.

DeProgram with Ted Rall and John Kiriakou: “Hamas Won”

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Ted Rall

LIVE 9:00 am Eastern time, Streaming Anytime:

Political cartoonist Ted Rall and CIA whistleblower John Kiriakou get into the second anniversary of the Oct. 7th raid by Hamas, Supreme Court’s decision to decline Ghislaine Maxwell’s appeal, France’s political crisis, and Trump refusing to negotiate with Democrats despite the government shutdown.

  • Gaza War Enters Year 3: It’s been three years since Hamas launched its attack on Israel. John and Ted break down the current state of the conflict.
  • Ghislaine Maxwell: The Supreme Court rejects Ghislaine Maxwell’s appeal, upholding her 20-year sentence. Maxwell’s argument that a 2008 Florida non-prosecution deal should protect her fails, as prosecutors assert it doesn’t apply to federal charges based in New York. Her only hope now lies in potential clemency from Trump. Will he come through?
  • France’s Political Crisis: President Macron assigns deposed Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu to leading talks to resolve the mess. With markets reeling and opposition parties rejecting compromise, Macron faces pressure to call snap elections and/or resign. The turmoil threatens France’s economy and the EU’s stability, with no clear path forward.
  • U.S. Government Shutdown: President Trump refuses talks with Democrats, who demand Obamacare subsidy extensions for 20 million Americans to save the ACA. The Senate’s vote on a Republican funding proposal stalls, with the administration warning of mass federal layoffs. Meanwhile, air traffic control towers are short staffed.
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