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.

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

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”

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?”

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”

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.
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