DeProgram with Ted Rall and Jamarl Thomas

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.

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.

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.

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.

CIA whistleblower John Kiriakou and political cartoonist Ted Rall interview whistleblower Reality Winner. Reality Leigh Winner is a former U.S. Air Force veteran, linguist, and NSA contractor whose life took a dramatic turn in 2017.

Raised by a politically engaged family—her father, a brilliant but unstable philosopher, ignited her passion for ancient languages like Pashto and Farsi—she enlisted post-9/11, driven by unyielding patriotism. Deployed to support U.S. operations in Afghanistan, she honed her skills as a translator, facilitating intelligence missions.

At 25, working for the NSA in Augusta, Georgia, Winner stumbled upon a classified report detailing Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election via cyberattacks on voting systems. She leaked the document to The Intercept, believing it vital for democracy. Instead, journalistic misconduct led the FBI straight to her door.

Arrested and charged under the Espionage Act, she pleaded guilty, receiving the longest sentence ever for a single leak: five years and three months in federal prison, plus three years' supervised release. Released in 2021, Winner endured house arrest and ankle monitoring while rebuilding, now a CrossFit coach and aspiring veterinary technologist in Texas.

Her story inspired plays, films like Reality (2023), and documentaries. In her poignant 2025 memoir, "I Am Not Your Enemy," she chronicles her childhood, the leak's moral calculus, prison's dehumanizing toll, and resilient quest for truth—affirming she's no foe, but a hero who paid dearly for conscience.

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.

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.

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

• Luigi Mangione's legal team accuses Presient 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.

Political cartoonist Ted Rall and CIA whistleblower John Kiriakou analyze the deadly sniper attack on a Dallas ICE facility, where two detainees lie dead and a third fights for life, YouTube's reinstatement pathway for creators banned under defunct COVID-19 and 2020 election misinformation policies, visa revocations for foreigners celebrating Charlie Kirk's assassination, Ben Carson spearheading the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) agenda, and Trump promises to Arab and Muslim leaders at the UN that he will block West Bank annexation

• Dallas ICE Sniper Attack: A gunman unleashes chaos from a nearby rooftop, firing indiscriminately at the Dallas ICE field office and a van, leaving two detainees dead and another critically injured. FBI Director Kash Patel reveals unused ammunition etched with "ANTI-ICE," signaling ideological fury in an attack probed as targeted violence, the third against Texas ICE sites this year following an August bomb hoax and July's officer shooting. Texas Senator Ted Cruz condemns divisive rhetoric that paints opponents as Nazis, urging an end to demonization.

• YouTube Reinstatements: Alphabet submits a letter to the House Judiciary Committee, unveiling a pilot program allowing creators banned for COVID-19 and 2020 election misinformation to apply for reinstatement, prioritizing conservative voices. Channels linked to Dan Bongino, now deputy FBI director, Steve Bannon, and RFK Jr.'s group eye return, bolstering monetization for influencers.

• Visa Denials Over Charlie Kirk: State Department officials scour social media for foreigners praising or joking about Charlie Kirk's assassination, revoking visas and deporting visa holders, with dozens queued including a Brazilian congressman and Mexican commentator.

• Ben Carson Joins USDA for MAHA: Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson sworn in as USDA's national adviser on nutrition, rural healthcare, and housing, leading efforts to implement Trump's Make America Healthy Again initiative through state SNAP junk food prohibitions and overdue Dietary Guidelines revisions.

• West Bank Annexation: At a closed UN General Assembly huddle with eight Arab and Muslim nations, Trump vows firmly to prevent Israeli annexation of the West Bank. Turkish President Erdogan labels the talks "fruitful" on Fox News, setting up Thursday's White House follow-up, while echoing 2020 Abraham Accords' anti-annexation roots amid far-right Israeli pressures.

Political cartoonist Ted Rall and CIA whistleblower John Kiriakou update you on the big clash over free speech as ABC battles station giants Nexstar and Sinclair over Jimmy Kimmel's return tonight, Trump’s bizarre hourlong UN General Assembly address, the massive SIM farm threat 35 miles from UN headquarters, the State Department’s clampdown on Iranian UN delegates, Trump’s war on Tylenol, and ICC charges against ex-Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte for crimes against humanity.

• Jimmy Kimmel Standoff: ABC reinstates "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" tonight. But Nexstar continues to boycott the show, while Sinclair still demands an apology and donation to right-wing Turning Point. If a TV show airs but no one sees it, who wins the free speech fight?

• Trump's UN Tirade: Trump lambasts the UN in a near-hour speech, touting U.S. resurgence while attacking Biden, migration policies, and Ukraine war enablers like Europe's Russian oil purchasers, threatening more tariffs. Is he OK?

• Secret Service SIM Bust: Agents dismantle a sprawling SIM farm network, uncovering 300 servers and 100,000 cards across five abandoned New York sites—poised to create DDoS chaos, tower shutdowns, and 30 million texts per minute targeting UN events. Forensics reveal foreign-state ties to cartels and traffickers, plus cocaine and arms; the Advanced Threat Interdiction Unit neutralizes the plot 35 miles from headquarters, but warns of additional duplicates nationwide.

• Iranian Shopping Ban: State Department blocks Iranian UN diplomats from Costco.

• Trump's Tylenol Autism Claim: Trump tells pregnant women not to take Tylenol, booming warnings despite inconclusive studies linking prenatal acetaminophen to autism, as FDA tweaks labels for caution despite a lack of causation proof.

• Duterte ICC Charges: Prosecutors charge Duterte with crimes against humanity for 76 drug-war murders, alleging his indirect role via Davao Death Squad hits from 2013-2018, rewarding assassins $875-$17,000 per target.