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It’s a key moment on “DeProgram with Ted Rall and John Kiriakou” as the presidents of Russian and the U.S. meet in Alaska to try to normalize relations and end the Russo-Ukrainian War.

• Trump-Putin Summit: Now underway at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, where Trump is pushing for a ceasefire as Zelenskyy’s exclusion echoes 20th century imperialism and warnings of possible failure. Land swaps are on the table. Is there hope for an end to the bloodshed? 59% of Americans don’t trust Trump on Russia—should the president care?

• Kristi Noem’s Rent Grift: Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi L. Noem is living rent-free in Quarters 1, a spacious waterfront home at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling typically reserved for the Coast Guard commandant, raising concerns within the agency and among Democrats as a waste of military resources. Noem’s tenancy, prompted by safety concerns after the Daily Mail published photos of her Navy Yard residence, is “temporary,” though no duration is specified, and contrasts with other Cabinet secretaries who pay for their housing. Noem’s spending as South Dakota governor—$68,000 on mansion upgrades and $150,000 on campaign travel—indicates she’s not new to the Kato Kaelin lifestyle.

• Democrats Move Against D.C. Police Takeover: House and Senate Democrats introduced resolutions to end Trump’s control of the D.C. police, targeting the state of emergency declared Monday federalizing the Metropolitan Police Department. Lawsuits argue it breaks the 1973 Home Rule Act. Representative Jamie Raskin and Senator Chris Van Hollen lead the effort, citing low violent crime rates and Trump’s absence during the January 6 Capitol riot, though Republican control impedes progress.

• ICE Running Wild: Monrovia CA’s city manager reports a man hit and killed on the 210 Freeway while fleeing an ICE raid at Home Depot, though DHS denies chasing him. And a Louisiana lawsuit, JLV v Acuna, says ICE illegally deported two moms, Rosario and Julia, and their four U.S. citizen children—including five-year-old Romeo with stage 4 kidney cancer—to Honduras in April, denying due process and medical care. ICE ignored the moms’ wishes to leave children in the U.S., with one forced to consent under threat of foster care.

• Israel Running Wild: The U.S. responds to Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s plan for 3,401 housing units in Ma’aleh Adumim,, which the UN and UK deem illegal, threatening a two-state solution by splitting the West Bank. The UN says Smotrich’s plan is a war crime.

• CIA ‘Kryptos’ Sculpture Solution for Sale: Sculptor Jim Sanborn will auction the solution to Kryptos’s unsolved K4 panel on November 20, estimated at $300,000-$500,000, including original text and a proof-of-concept copper plate, with the money going to support disability programs.

• Illegal Bitcoin Mining in Central Asia: Tajikistan reports $3.52 million in damages from illegal mining using stolen electricity in Q1 2025, with 190 cases involving 3,988 individuals, while Kazakhstan uncovers a $16.5 million scheme using 50 MWh, linked to Russian and Chinese miners exploiting weak oversight.

• Russia and Central Asia Embrace the Taliban: Russia became the first country to give diplomatic recognition to the Taliban in July, followed by Kazakhstan recognizing a Talib as Chargé of Affairs in August, while Tajikistan seeks improved ties. Russia maintained its embassy post-2021, signed an economic deal for wheat, oil, and gas, and delisted the Taliban from its terrorist list, while Kazakhstan wants to boost trade to $3 billion and also delisted them, driven by stability and drug trafficking concerns.