Deprogram with Ted Rall and John Kiriakou: “Seabed Wars”

Live 9 am Eastern and Streaming 24-7:

Political cartoonist Ted Rall and CIA whistleblower John Kiriakou tell you about Argentina’s midterm elections, where President Javier Milei’s party secures a landslide victory, the US-China trade deal framework forged at the ASEAN summit, arrests in the audacious $102 million Louvre crown jewel heist, and the US-China race for Pacific seabed minerals in the Cook Islands. Plus, we answer your questions about any topic you want while we’re live!

  • Argentina’s Midterm Elections: Javier Milei’s La Libertad Avanza party dominates Argentina’s midterm elections, scoring 41% of the vote, 13 Senate seats, and 64 lower-house seats. His radical right-wing austerity cuts and deregulatory agenda gain traction, though critics highlight job losses and strained public services as the economy tanks. President Trump’s $40 billion bailout underscores Milei’s MAGA ties, raising worries about American imperialism.
  • US-China Trade Deal Framework: The US and China agree on a trade deal framework at the ASEAN summit, pausing 100% tariff threats for now and addressing TikTok’s US sale. China delays export controls on critical minerals for a year, while both sides aim to boost US soya bean exports. This truce eases global trade war fears ahead of Trump and Xi’s Thursday meeting. Can these tensions be resolved?
  • Louvre Jewel Heist: French authorities arrest suspects linked to the $102 million Louvre jewel theft, with one caught at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport. The heist, executed in under eight minutes, targeted historic treasures like Empress Eugénie’s diadem. Investigators work to recover stolen items, as the museum reels from national humiliation and cultural loss.
  • US-China Seabed Mineral Race: The US and China intensify exploration of polymetallic nodules in the Cook Islands’ Pacific seabed, rich in cobalt and nickel. Environmental concerns clash with geopolitical ambitions, with 38 countries urging a mining moratorium. The Cook Islands balances scientific research with potential commercial development, navigating global pressures.

DMZ America Podcast Ep 218: “Interview with Matt Wuerker”

LIVE 1 pm 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 interview Pulitzer Prize-winning political cartoonist Matt Wuerker of “The Politico.” They’ll discuss their own cartoons about the news and issues of the week, as well as those of their peers. Don’t be surprised if the state of the media and cartooning come up as well.

Matt Wuerker, born in 1956, is renowned for his incisive, visually rich commentary on the absurdities of power. A graduate of Lewis & Clark College with a BA in 1979, he honed his craft as chief editorial cartoonist for the student newspaper, The Pioneer Log, blending satire with masterful draftsmanship inspired by Saul Steinberg and 19th-century masters like A.B. Frost.

Since 2006, Wuerker has been Politico’s founding staff cartoonist, his watercolors, cross-hatching, and animated works appearing on front pages and gracing outlets like The Washington Post, The New York Times, and The Nation. A 2009 and 2010 Pulitzer finalist, he clinched the prize in 2012 for cartoons that “persuade rather than rant,” alongside the 2010 Herblock Award for courageous editorial art. Based in D.C. near the National Zoo, Wuerker delights in the “political circus,” wielding humor to illuminate truth with minimal supervision.

DeProgram with Ted Rall and John Kiriakou: “Trump to Bibi: Last Warning”

LIVE 9:00 am Eastern time, Streaming Anytime:

On DeProgram with Ted Rall and John Kiriakou: mysterious bodies washing ashore in Trinidad prompt questions about U.S. military strikes in the Caribbean, Silicon Valley tech bros convince Trump to cancel a federal troop surge in San Francisco, and a U.S. official warns Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu that stunts like a bill to annex parts of the West Bank could cause the U.S. to cut off Israel entirely.

  • Not So Fun in the Sun: Unidentified corpses with burn marks and missing limbs wash ashore in Trinidad, linked to U.S. military strikes targeting Venezuela’s supposed drug boats. Trinidad’s Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar supports the U.S. campaign, but locals question the lack of asking questions about the dead. The mystery deepens as two Trinidadians, Chad Joseph and Rishi Samaroo, are reportedly killed in a recent strike, raising concerns about civilian casualties.
  • Silicon Valley Tells Trump To Back Off SF: Tech bros Jensen Huang and Marc Benioff persuade President Trump to stop his planned federal troop invasion in San Francisco. Their influence, backed by millions in contributions, underscores a cozy relationship with the White House. Critics warn that unelected CEOs are shaping policies that impact millions, sidelining ordinary citizens.
  • Israel-US Relations At Lowest Point Ever: Israel’s Knesset advances bills to annex parts of the West Bank, shocking U.S. Vice President JD Vance during his visit and angering Trump. A U.S. official warns that Netanyahu’s actions could end U.S. ties to Israel entirely.

Deprogram with Ted Rall and John Kiriakou: “SFPD vs. ICE”

Live 9 am Eastern and Streaming 24-7:

Political cartoonist Ted Rall and CIA whistleblower John Kiriakou, back from Mexico, tell you about the reaction to Donald Trump’s radical move to demolish the White House’s East Wing to replace it with a hulking a $250 million ballroom, San Francisco’s bold legal stance against immigration raids, with local officials warning that federal agents could face arrest, and the military’s lethal strikes on boats in the eastern Pacific.

  • Trump’s Ballroom Blitz: A White House wrecking crew tears down the historic East Wing to build a massive $250 million ballroom, evoking Obama’s 2011 satirical vision of a garish Trump White House. Critics, including historians, condemn the project as a symbol of his disruptive presidency. The National Trust for Historic Preservation urges a pause, citing the ballroom’s overwhelming scale. 
  • San Francisco Threatens ICE: Nancy Pelosi and SF officials warn that federal agents conducting immigration raids in San Francisco could face arrest for breaking California law. DA Brooke Jenkins’ strategy focuses on prosecuting excessive force, though legal challenges loom. The plan sparks debate over state versus federal authority. 
  • U.S. Attacks Boats in the Pacific: The U.S. military launches lethal strikes on alleged drug-smuggling vessels in the eastern Pacific, killing five in two attacks this week—refusing to provide any details about the victims. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth calls the targets “narco-terrorists,” but Colombian President Petro denounces the strikes as “murder” of innocent people The escalation raises concerns over legal authority and transparency.

DeProgram with Ted Rall and John Kiriakou: “Gaza Genocide 2.0”

LIVE 9:00 am Eastern time, Streaming Anytime:

Political cartoonist Ted Rall and CIA whistleblower John Kiriakou explore topics shaking the world stage. 

  • Trump-Putin Talks on Hold: The White House now says there are no immediate plans for President Trump to meet Russia’s Vladimir Putin, despite Trump’s earlier suggestion of a Budapest summit to end the Ukraine war. After a “productive call” between Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russia’s Sergey Lavrov, Trump’s pattern of pivoting from sanctions or aid to diplomacy raises eyebrows. Experts warn of a familiar cycle with little progress. 
  • Shutdown Gets Real: Democrats are about to get the fight they want on November 1, when ACA subscribers see their premiums skyrocket. Premiums nationwide are set to rise by 18 percent on average. Nationally, the average marketplace consumer will pay $1,904 in annual premiums next year, up from $888 in 2025. The situation is particularly acute in Georgia, which recorded the second-highest enrollment of any state-run marketplace this year and and where 96 percent of marketplace enrollees in Georgia received subsidies this year. Georgians browsing the state website are seeing estimated monthly costs double or even triple, depending on their incomes, as lower subsidy thresholds resume. Will Republicans blink?
  • America’s Covert War Against Venezuela: The U.S. military’s secretive Southern Caribbean campaign escalates, with seven airstrikes killing 32 off Venezuela’s coast, targeting alleged “narco-terrorists.” Trump confirms CIA covert operations, while the abrupt exit of SouthCom Commander Adm. Alvin Holsey sparks questions about the strikes’ legality. Critics, including Sen. Rand Paul, demand transparency over who’s targeted and why—but they keep being annoyed.
  • Israel Blocking Gaza Aid Again: Israel’s ban on UNRWA and new rules de-registering major aid groups threaten Gaza’s briefly renewed humanitarian lifeline. Despite Trump’s brokered ceasefire, only two of seven border crossings remain open, leaving aid trucks stranded. Organizations like the Norwegian Refugee Council face re-registration hurdles, accused of vague ideological violations. Why is the world allowing Israel to continue the genocide?

DeProgram with Ted Rall and John Kiriakou: “Venezuela: Trump’s Iraq?”

LIVE 9:00 am Eastern time, Streaming Anytime:

Political cartoonist Ted Rall, and producer Robby West filling in for CIA whistleblower John Kiriakou, confront the fallout from federal overreach in Chicago’s ICE raids and the violent U.S. military brinkmanship off Venezuela’s shores, revealing how unchecked authority clashes with human rights and global stability.

  • Pressure on Bibi: Advocates of Israel believe Israeli PM Bibi Netanyahu isn’t serious about the ceasefire and peace deal he signed and is secretly planning to scuttle Trump’s achievement as soon as he sees a chance. Trump agrees, so he’s sending Vice President JD Vance, Middle East peace envoy Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law, who were instrumental in brokering the deal to illustrate the administration’s commitment to keeping the deal intact and to try to keep Mr. Netanyahu from resuming an all-out assault against Hamas. What can/will they do?
  • Post-9/11 Jitters: American Airlines Flight 6569 from Omaha to Los Angeles returned to its origination airport after 36 minutes after the pilot heard banging on the locked cockpit door—a security precaution instituted after 9/11—and worried that terrorists were trying to break in. As it turns out, the radio link between the flight deck and the main cabin was down and the crew had no way to communicate with the pilot. What if there had been an emergency in the cabin? Just a reminder that every safety measure can cause a new set of problems.
  • Chicago Immigration Crackdown Hearing: Federal officials confront Judge Sara L. Ellis in a courtroom showdown, defending tear gas deployments that defy her recent order amid Operation Midway Blitz. Agents clashed with protesters, journalists, and clergy in Albany Park, dispersing crowds after a routine stop escalated into chaos with minimal warnings, as captured on video. Two days later, on the South Side, federal vehicles crashed into civilians, prompting agents to unleash tear gas on gathered residents, fueling plaintiffs’ claims of constitutional violations and Judge Ellis’s deepening frustration—she demands body cameras be constantly activated despite government pushback, signaling a judicial hammer poised to strike harder. How bad will ICE’s war against Chicago get?
  • U.S. Troops Face Venezuela: 10,000 U.S. troops now patrol Caribbean waters, interdicting drug boats under the shadow of Maduro’s emergency declaration, activating an 8-million-strong militia armed with RPGs, anti-tank systems, and urban warfare tactics drilled in Caracas shantytowns. Russian-supplied Sukhoi Su-30 jets buzz the USS Jason Dunham with Kh-31 anti-ship missiles, while S-125, Buk-M2E, and Igla-S systems guard oil sites and coasts, jamming U.S. communications in a contested electromagnetic spectrum that renders helicopters vulnerable. Despite B-52 flyovers and F-35 readiness, the deployment—bolstered by USS Iwo Jima and Tomahawk subs—lacks ground logistics for a full invasion, exposing interdiction ops to provocative close passes and potential retaliation from a force in “shambles” yet lethally asymmetric. Would this be the Western Hemisphere’s version of Bush’s disastrous Iraq War?

DeProgram with Ted Rall and John Kiriakou: “2-For-1 Regime Change?”

LIVE 9:00 am Eastern time, Streaming Anytime:

Political cartoonist Ted Rall and CIA whistleblower John Kiriakou deliver the no-holds-barred analysis you need to understand the domestic and international stories making the news.

  • Louvre Heist: Thieves execute a brazen daylight robbery at the famous museum in Paris, smashing into the Galerie d’Apollon using a furniture lift truck Sunday morning. Snatching eight priceless gems—including “The Regent” diamond, a royal sapphire necklace, emerald earrings, and Empress Eugénie’s pearl-diadem—within seven minutes before fleeing on motor scooters, the professional thieves drops a 1,354-diamond crown as they flee.Staff trigger alarms—prioritizing visitor safety—as panicked tourists evacuate. Could this have been avoided? What will happen to these precious jewels? Can they be recovered?
  • Israel Breaks Gaza Truce: Israel unleashes a barrage of heavy attacks since last week’s cease-fire agreement, also cutting off aid again after someone—Hamas says it wasn’t them—killed two soldiers with anti-tank fire in Rafah. Striking dozens of “Hamas targets,” Israel killed 44 Palestinians while Netanyahu rants. Both sides accuse the other truce violations yet reaffirm commitment to the ceasefire, with bombing halting aid temporarily before expected resumption. Can Trump keep Bibi under control?
  • US Sinks Colombian Ship: After blowing up five Venezuelan boats carrying at least one alleged fisherman, US forces destroy a vessel tied to Colombia’s National Liberation Army, killing three, as Defense Secretary Hegseth claims narcotics smuggling without evidence—and The Washington Post reveals that the attacks against Venezuela is all about “regime change,” not drugs. Now Trump calls President Petro an “illegal drug leader,” halting subsidies and payments amid frayed ties. Colombia condemns the “murder on high seas” and sovereignty threats, with Petro firing back at Trump’s “rude and ignorant” insults. Is Trump trying to get two Latin American countries for the price of one?
  • Santos Vows Prison Reform: Commuted by Trump after 84 days, ex-Congressman George Santos emerges from FCI Fairton solitary, decrying “dehumanizing” disarray and dirty undergarments. Pleading guilty to fraud and theft, the expelled liar—faking degrees, jobs, and Jewish heritage—now says he will dedicate his life to priso reform, insisting inmates deserve humanity alongside accountability. Trump’s post hails him as “horribly mistreated,” freeing him from penalties immediately. Will this statement actually be true? Will America finally get the prison reform it needs?

TMI Show Ep 246: “John Bolton Indicted”

LIVE 10 AM Eastern time, Streaming Anytime:

Tune in to “The TMI Show” for an investigation into former National Security Adviser John Bolton’s federal indictment on charges of mishandling classified information.

A federal grand jury in Maryland indicts Bolton on Thursday, charging eight counts of transmitting and ten counts of unlawfully retaining national defense information. The FBI’s investigation reveals Bolton allegedly transmitting top secret information using personal online accounts and retaining documents in his house, directly violating federal law. FBI Director Kash Patel declares that anyone threatening national security faces accountability. The documents expose intelligence on future attacks, foreign adversaries, foreign-policy relations, informants, and adversary leaders. Federal agents searched Bolton’s Bethesda home and Washington office earlier this summer, uncovering classified records retained even after decommissioning his residence’s Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility post-2019 Trump cabinet exit. Bolton, UN ambassador under Bush and adviser under Trump, now battles defense attorney Abbe Lowell’s denial that unclassified personal diaries shared only with family break any law—known to FBI since 2021. Controversy erupts amid Bolton’s sharp Trump criticisms labeling him unfit, countered by Trump’s “whack job” jibes.

Plus:

  • Trump’s New Tariffs Hit Housing
    President Trump’s tariffs on imported lumber, furniture, and cabinets take effect, imposing 10% on softwood lumber, 25% on cabinets, and up to 30% on upholstered furniture—doubling to 50% for cabinets in 2026. Aimed at strengthening U.S. manufacturing and reducing foreign dependence, critics warn of throttled Canadian lumber supply (85% of U.S. needs), idle domestic sawmills at 64% capacity, rising construction costs, and stalled affordable housing amid inflation fears.
  • Ace Frehley Dies at 74
    Original Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley, the pyrotechnic “Spaceman,” dies Thursday in Morristown, N.J., from a recent fall. Designing the band’s lightning-bolt logo, Frehley fuels 11 gold/platinum albums, Top 40 hits like “Love Gun,” and solo smash “New York Groove”—earning Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction and a Kennedy Center Honors nod.
  • Supreme Court Targets Voting Rights
    The conservative-majority Supreme Court weighs weakening the 1965 Voting Rights Act’s Section 2, challenging Louisiana’s 2024 map boosting majority-Black districts from one to two. Non-African American voters argue race overly influences redistricting, prompting rearguments on 14th/15th Amendment violations despite Black Louisianans comprising one-third of the population.

DeProgram with Ted Rall and John Kiriakou: “Race Against Terror—Interview with Jake Tapper”

Live 9 AM Eastern, Then Streaming On Demand


In this pulse-pounding episode of Deprogrammed, hosted by political cartoonist Ted Rall and whistleblower John Kiriakou, CNN anchor Jake Tapper joins for a riveting interview unpacking his new book, Race Against Terror: Chasing an Al Qaeda Killer at the Dawn of the Forever War, released on October 7, 2025.

The conversation thrusts listeners into the heart of a real-life thriller: the unprecedented international pursuit and federal trial of Spin Ghul (real name: Ibrahim Harun), a high-ranking Al Qaeda operative who boasted of killing U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan before bizarrely surrendering to Italian authorities amid the 2011 Arab Spring chaos. Tapper, drawing from exhaustive reporting—including interviews with prosecutors, intelligence operatives, and even Ghul’s defense team—details the book’s explosive core: a high-stakes “police procedural” spanning refugee boats in the Mediterranean, Afghan battlefields, Brooklyn courtrooms, and Oval Office briefings.

Ghul, a dark-skinned Pashtun fighter derisively nicknamed “White Rose” by his Arab Al Qaeda comrades amid the group’s internal racism, emerges as a bumbling yet deadly jihadist. Radicalized in the post-9/11 “Forever War” era, he ambushed U.S. convoys, racking up American casualties, only to flee Libya’s uprising and demand extradition while flashing bullet-scarred proof of his exploits.

The narrative races through the frantic efforts of two relentless Assistant U.S. Attorneys in Brooklyn—racing against deportation deadlines and legal precedents—to secure the first-ever conviction of a foreign terrorist for battlefield murders in a civilian court, blurring lines between warfare, criminal justice, and counterterrorism. Kiriakou, with his CIA whistleblower lens, intensely questions Tapper on the blurred ethics of renditions, interrogations, and intel-sharing that snared Ghul, drawing eerie parallels to his own post-9/11 exposure of waterboarding horrors and warning of how such hunts eroded civil liberties. A masterclass in true-crime geopolitics laced with unfiltered edge, this Deprogram episode is unmissable for fans of high-stakes history. Stream on major platforms, and dive into Race Against Terror for the full, meticulously sourced saga of pursuit, prejudice, and precarious justice.

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

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.
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