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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.

DeProgram with Ted Rall and John Kiriakou: “France in Chaos”

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Ted Rall

LIVE 9:00 am Eastern time, Streaming Anytime:

Political cartoonist Ted Rall and CIA whistleblower John Kiriakou start your week with a federally-driven crisis in Portland, where 300 California National Guard troops were federalized over that state’s governor’s objections, and were due to be sent to Oregon because Oregon’s governor refuses mobilization. Oregon Governor Tina Kotek complains about “breathtaking abuse,” saying there is no insurrection or national security threat. But a federal judge has blocked the invasion of Portland…for now.

As predicted on DeProgram, militant moderate Sébastian Lecornu is out as French prime minister after 26 days. President Emmanuel Macron has three options now. He can appoint another prime minister. He can once again dissolve the National Assembly and call for new elections that either the far Right or the far Left would win. Or he can resign himself.

Financial expert Aquilles Larrea joins to discuss the effect of the government shutdown on working Americans.

A shocking development in the Middle East, where Trump’s Gaza deal is being shoved down Netanyahu’s throat—and Bibi says he likes it, at least according to Trump. Israel will be forced into phased withdrawals and Gaza City bombings will stop at once in exchange for the remaining hostages. Hamas hasn’t agreed to disarm or give up control, but Trump tells Jake Tapper they face “complete obliteration” if they refuse. Is he referring to a nuclear option?

In the Pacific, Fiji confronts a “national crisis” with HIV cases exploding 11x to 5,900 in a decade, fueled by meth-fueled “bluetoothing” blood-sharing and needle shortages amid conservative rule. Assistant Health Minister Penioni Ravunawa warns of 3,000+ new infections by year’s end, with 41 pediatric cases under 15 last year and experts fearing an “avalanche” from underreporting and resource gaps, as UNAIDS urges stigma-free testing.

Finally, a wild situation roils the Philippines as a disinformation storm rages, with Duterte loyalists spreading rumors of fake CIA-backed coup plots and military defections on social media to distract from corruption scandals, eroding trust in Marcos’s regime.

DeProgram with Ted Rall and John Kiriakou: “Trump’s Forever War”

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Ted Rall

LIVE 9:00 am Eastern time, Streaming Anytime:

Political cartoonist Ted Rall and CIA whistleblower John Kiriakou dissects the Trump administration’s dramatic, legally unfounded escalation against drug cartels, declaring a formal armed conflict in order to unlock powers for indefinite detentions and lethal strikes—challenging international law amid last month’s Caribbean boat attacks that claimed 17 Venezuelans.

  • Trump’s War on Cartels: The administration notifies Congress that it is formally designating cartels as “terrorist nonstate armed groups,” framing boat strikes as lawful warfare under international law. This determination allows the president to kill enemy fighters. Retired judge advocate Geoffrey S. Corn condemns this as an abuse of the law, arguing that drug smuggling are not armed attacks.
  • Government Shutdown and Cuts: Trump meets budget director Russell Vought to slash “Democrat Agencies” amid the shutdown, freezing funds for Democratic-leaning states and accelerating 300,000 federal worker layoffs by year’s end. Inspired by Project 2025, this inflicts partisan pain, with unions suing but courts allowing firings to proceed. Senator Patty Murray blasts treating workers as pawns, warning it deepens the $1.7 trillion funding freeze halting research and data reports.
  • Tennessee Executions: The Supreme Court schedules dates for four inmates, including Christa Pike, the state’s sole woman on death row for her 1995 torture slaying of fellow student Colleen Slemmer. Pike’s team appeals for commutation citing her abusive childhood, undiagnosed bipolar and PTSD at age 18. This follows a lethal injection scandal revealing untested drugs in prior executions.
  • Madagascar Protests: President Andry Rajoelina fires his cabinet to try to quell youth-led street protests in Antananarivo over crippling water cuts and power outages hindering studies and meals, yet demands for his resignation surge. Gen Z Madagascar mobilizes strikes using global youth symbols, amid clashes killing at least 22 per U.N. reports, exacerbated by poverty and Trump’s new tariffs.
  • Hamas Eyes Gaza Deal: Hamas prepares its demands for revisions to Trump’s 20-point plan. Facing a three-to-four-day deadline or “pay in hell” threats, leaders in Istanbul, Doha, and Gaza navigate divisions. Analysts frame it as choosing between bad and worse.

DeProgram with Ted Rall and John Kiriakou: “30% of Americans Are Pro-Violence”

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Ted Rall

LIVE 9:00 am Eastern time, Streaming Anytime:

Political cartoonist Ted Rall and CIA whistleblower John Kiriakou cut through the bias, deprogramming you from corporate media narratives.

  • Government Shutdown Escalates: Congress adjourns without resolving the funding deadlock. The White House ratchets up the pressure by freezing $26 billion in funds for Democratic-leaning states, while Trump’s budget chief warns of imminent mass layoffs. Democratic leaders, including Hakeem Jeffries, stand firm, demand Obamacare subsidies restored. This impasse will last.
  • Political Violence: An NPR/PBS News/Marist poll shows that 30% of Americans view violence as potentially necessary to fix the country, up 11 points since April 2024 and driven by Democrats jumping from 12% to 28%. Republicans edge higher at 31%, up 3 points, and independents rising to 25%, following last month’s assassination of Charlie Kirk. 77% say political violence a major worry.
  • SCOTUS Backs the Fed: Justices reject Trump’s immediate removal of Federal Reserve Board member Lisa Cook. This decision averts economic turmoil, preserving Fed autonomy. The ruling signals limits on presidential power, as the court gears up for broader challenges to Trump’s tariffs and FTC firings.
  • Why Women Live Longer: Researchers publish the largest analysis across 1,000+ mammal and bird species, bolstering evidence that women’s dual X chromosomes buffer harmful mutations, explaining persistent female longevity. In mammals, females outlive males globally; in birds, ZZ males endure longer under reversed systems, supporting the heterogametic sex vulnerability hypothesis. Evolutionary demographers hail the findings as remarkable, saying genetic redundancy is a core protector.

DeProgram with Ted Rall and John Kiriakou: “Afghanistan and US Both Shut Down”

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Ted Rall

LIVE 9:00 am Eastern time, Streaming Anytime:

Political cartoonist Ted Rall and CIA whistleblower John Kiriakou bring you the lowdown on everything that’s happening around the world. At a new time for the month of October, back to normal after.

  • General Anxiety: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth razzes America’s generals and admirals, announcing 10 directives attempting to reorder military culture around fitness, race, and gender. He calls the military the “woke department,” and threatens to fire progressive-leaning generals for valuing diversity over strength. Hegseth warns that those who disagree should quit, signaling a ruthless purge.
  • Trump Declares War on US Cities: The President Trump urges officers to use U.S. cities like Chicago as “training grounds.” He defends blowing up Venezuelan boats without cause and violently endorses “they spit, we hit” if/when soldiers get insulted, telling ICE agents to “do whatever the hell you want” against American protesters.
  • Deportations Violate First Amendment: U.S. District Judge William Young rules that the Trump administration’s deportation of pro-Palestinian students and professors deliberately strikes fear into non-citizen students, chilling campus protests unconstitutionally. In a blistering 161-page opinion he condemns Trump’s “hollow bragging” and censorship of free speech as a profound threat. Young even questions if divided Americans will defend the constitution before personal interests ignite violent resistance.
  • Ambassador Kills Self: Paris prosecutors say that South Africa’s ambassador to France, Nkosinathi Emmanuel Mthethwa, leapt from his 22nd-floor Hyatt Regency room. A security guard discovers his body in the hotel courtyard, with no signs of struggle, drugs, or third-party foul play.
  • Afghanistan’s Blackout: Entering its third day, the Taliban’s total Internet cuts off the country from the outside world. The shutdown severs digital and phone links, grounding Kabul flights, shuttering businesses, and halting visa services. NetBlocks reports near-total blackout and fiber-optic bans under strict Islamic law, paralyzing banking, hospitals, education, and emergency responses amid ongoing earthquake recovery. Isolating women further by severing digital lifelines, the outage—possibly tied to paranoia over U.S. Bagram base demands—fuels frustration and speculation over motives.

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DeProgram with Ted Rall and John Kiriakou: “Israel: Losing, Yet Demanding Surrender”

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Ted Rall

LIVE 5:00 pm Eastern time, Streaming Anytime:

Investigators comb through the charred remnants of a Michigan church, White House unveils President Trump’s bizarre 21-point blueprint for halting the Gaza War, Trump racing the midnight funding cliff, Eric Adams bows out his quixotic reelection campaign, a torrent of pressure on Republican Curtis Sliwa to abandon ship.

  • Michigan Church Attack: Investigators sift through fiery debris at the Grand Blanc Township Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, uncovering improvised explosive devices amid the wreckage from Thomas Jacob Sanford’s assault, which killed four people and wounded eight. The 40-year-old ex-Marine was killed in a police shootout after ramming his flag-festooned pickup into the building and unleashing gunfire during worship. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt reveals the assailant’s apparent Mormon hatred, with probes intensifying into premeditation, notes, and his Iraq vehicle recovery scars from IEDs and enemy fire.
  • An Odd Gaza Peace Plan: The White House drops Trump’s 21-point plan for Gaza, which seems to miss that Israel has become an international pariah state in no position to make demands. The plan would mandate immediate hostage releases within 72 hours and Israeli withdrawal to pre-agreed lines acceptance. The blueprint promises Gaza’s redevelopment for residents, amnesty for disarming Hamas fighters, and safe exodus for others. Netanyahu warns that will Israel “finish the job” if refused.
  • Government Shutdown: Trump convenes congressional leaders in a frantic White House attempt to dodge Wednesday’s shutdown, clashing over a stopgap bill funding through November 21 that sidesteps Democrats’ health benefit extensions while Republicans try to decouple issues. Senate Leader John Thune eyes Tuesday’s revote needing seven Democratic crossovers, as failure looms to furlough federal workers, halt courts, delay small-business grants, and disrupt parks from NASA to Yosemite.
  • NYC Mayoral Race: Eric Adams terminates his reelection campaign, thrusting Andrew Cuomo into a tighter showdown with leading Zohran Mamdani as operatives besiege Republican Curtis Sliwa via social media. Billionaire Bill Ackman and PLACE NYC cofounder Chien Kwok implore Sliwa to exit, to forge a unified Cuomo front against Mamdani. A Siena poll pegs Mamdani at 48% to Cuomo’s 44% in a head-to-head, narrowing from double-digits.

DeProgram with Ted Rall and John Kiriakou: “The Last Radical: Assata Shakur”

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Ted Rall

LIVE 5:00 pm Eastern time, Streaming Anytime:

Political cartoonist Ted Rall and CIA whistleblower John Kiriakou cover the startling spectacle of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s addressing a mostly-empty UN, the shocking indictment of former FBI Director James Comey, Russia’s military aid to China and its link to Taiwan, the Manhattan mass shooting linked to C.T.E., and the death of Black revolutionary Assata Shakur in Cuba.

  • A Pariah Addresses the UN: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivers a tone-deaf, combative speech at the UN, rejecting Palestinian statehood as “national suicide.” Speaking to a near-empty hall, Israel’s growing diplomatic isolation as nations like Britain and France recognize Palestine is no longer a threat but a fact.
  • Comey Indictment: An inexperienced Trump-appointed prosecutor, Lindsey Halligan, files charges against former FBI Director James Comey for false statements and obstruction. The indictment, driven by Trump’s orders, sparks fears of politically motivated prosecutions. Why him and not fellow Russia-hoax liar Brennan?
  • Russia-China Military Cooperation: Russia agrees to train a Chinese airborne battalion and share airdrop expertise, potentially assisting China’s capacity to seize Taiwan.
  • Manhattan Shooting and C.T.E.: Shane Tamura, a former football player with C.T.E., killed four in a Manhattan office targeting the NFL, blaming it for hiding the disease’s dangers. The medical examiner confirms low-stage C.T.E. in his brain. Should football be banned?
  • Assata Shakur: Black revolutionary Assata Shakur, a fugitive since her 1979 prison escape, dies in Havana at 78. Supporters praise her fight against oppression and critics condemn her as a cop killer. One thing is for sure: she is one of a dying breed of Leftist radicals.

TMI Show Ep 232: “Killer Squirrel Terrorizes Bay Area”

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Ted Rall

LIVE 10 AM Eastern time, Streaming Anytime:

Hosts Ted Rall and Manila Chan bring you a bizarre and alarming story gripping San Rafael, California. A rogue squirrel terrorizes residents, sending at least two to the emergency room with vicious bites and scratches. Joan Heblack recounts a vicious attack, describing the ferocious rodent clamping onto her leg, its tail thrashing wildly, not unlike a domestic terrorist. Isabel Campoy shares a similar ordeal, the animal launching at her face, leaving her arm as bloodied as a Christian martyr of yore. Flyers now warn Bay Area’s of this “very mean squirrel” attacking over five people, striking without the customary warning. Marin Humane’s Lisa Bloch notes no recent reports, but that’s merely a sign that it’s about to plan an even more brutal assault. Feeding wildlife likely fuels this aggression, so stop feeding animals—including cats and dogs and babies. The good news? Squirrels don’t carry rabies—not yet, anyway. 

Plus: 

  • Microsoft stops services to Israel’s Ministry of Defense: After reports of AI-driven Palestinian tracking by the genocidal apartheid state, prompting employee protests and ethical concerns, Amazon cuts loose the Netanyahu regime. But Unit 8200 may shift to Amazon Web Services. 
  • A Secret FBI report: There were 274 armed agents at the Capitol on January 6, 2021, with agents slamming leadership for political bias and poor planning. What does it all mean?

DeProgram with Ted Rall and John Kiriakou: “Death-scalator!”

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Ted Rall

LIVE 5:00 pm Eastern time, Streaming Anytime:

Political cartoonist Ted Rall and CIA whistleblower John Kiriakou dissect the undercurrents of power and injustice.

  • Luigi Mangione’s legal team accuses President Trump of jeopardizing the accused killer’s right to a fair trial through inflammatory Fox News remarks labeling him a “pure assassin” who “shot someone in the back,” with links to “left-wing extremists” as false narratives, alongside social media reposts by DOJ officials. U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett rebukes the DOJ, citing violations of her April order prohibiting prejudicial statements, and warns of potential sanctions including contempt findings or financial penalties.
  • Anonymous artists from The Secret Handshake erect a 12-foot statue on the National Mall depicting Trump and Epstein joyfully holding hands, complete with a plaque hailing their “long-lasting bond” for Friendship Month, only for the National Park Service to remove it within a day citing permit noncompliance. Artist “Patrick” says the piece honors Trump’s “one and only true friend.”
  • NORAD scrambles U.S. fighter jets, including four F-16s and an E-3 aircraft, to intercept two Russian Tu-95 bombers and two Su-35 fighters entering the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone, marking the ninth such incursion this year amid routine but provocative Russian probing of NATO readiness. The flight, in international airspace abutting U.S. and Canadian borders, follows similar August incidents and coincides with European alerts over unattributed drones disrupting Danish airports and Russian jets breaching Polish and Estonian airspace.
  • Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth summons hundreds of generals and admirals from global posts to an unprecedented, short-notice meeting at Quantico, Virginia, next week, leaving attendees puzzled over its undisclosed purpose amid his aggressive overhaul slashing 20% of four-star positions.
  • Trump demands a Secret Service probe into “triple sabotage” at the U.N. General Assembly, alleging deliberate failures of an escalator halting mid-ride with Melania Trump, a 15-minute teleprompter blackout forcing ad-libbed remarks, and faulty audio muffling his nearly hour-long address decrying immigration and global warming as a hoax. U.N. officials attribute the escalator stop to a U.S. videographer triggering a safety mechanism and the teleprompter to White House operation. The uproar, dubbed “Escalatorgate,” underscores Trump’s narrative of institutional dysfunction undermining his global stage.

DMZ America Podcast Ep 215: “Democracy in Distress”

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Ted Rall

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

Editorial cartoonists Ted Rall (left-leaning firebrand) and Scott Stantis (right-wing straight shooter) ask why over half of Americans say democracy is on the ropes, unpack Zohran Mamdani’s jaw-dropping poll surge in the NYC mayor’s race, probe if social democratic vibes—like beefed-up welfare and worker protections—can actually work in the USA’s cutthroat system. Plus, they dissect the bizarre Dallas ICE HQ shooting where the official story just doesn’t add up, and break down chaos at Area 51 with shots popping off amid wild conspiracy buzz. Serious stakes, real talk, and that signature left-right sparring keeps it electric.

  • Democracy in Distress: A Quinnipiac poll reveals 53% of Americans believe U.S. democracy isn’t working, up sharply from earlier surveys, with 74% of Democrats echoing the gloom versus just 22% of Republicans. Amid rising political violence fears—71% call it a “very serious problem”—top voter worry is preserving democracy at 32%. Controversies swirl over partisan rifts and recent events like the Charlie Kirk assassination fueling national pessimism.
  • Mamdani’s Poll Surge: Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani leads NYC mayoral polls by 20 points over Andrew Cuomo in a Suffolk University survey, with 45% support in Quinnipiac’s four-way race. His edge stems from affordability (21% voter priority) and crime concerns, but critics slam his anti-Israel stance, NYPD critiques, and bold plans like free buses and rent freezes as too radical for the city.
  • Social Democracy’s U.S. Fit?: Experts debate if Nordic-style policies—universal healthcare, paid leave, active labor markets—can thrive in America’s polarized landscape. Proponents argue flexicurity boosts work and equity; skeptics cite racial divides, weak unions, and GOP resistance as barriers. Recent pushes like Medicare for All highlight feasibility but face extremism and funding hurdles in a capitalist powerhouse.
  • Dallas ICE Shooting Spin: A sniper fired on Dallas ICE HQ from a rooftop, killing two detainees and critically wounding one in a van; the gunman, Joshua Jahn, died by suicide, supposedly leaving “ANTI-ICE” ammo casings. DHS calls it targeted hate, but narrative gaps—like indiscriminate shots and Jahn’s sparse politics—spark skepticism.
  • Area 51 Shots Fired: Guards at Nevada’s secretive Area 51 base fired on a gunman blasting the gate in a brazen breach attempt, echoing 2019’s viral “raid” memes. No injuries reported, but the incident reignites UFO conspiracies and security debates over the site’s classified ops, from drone tests to alien lore, in a year of escalating U.S. mass shootings.
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