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Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! Conflict reporter/writer/cartoonist Ted Rall and political analyst Jamarl Thomas deprogram you from mainstream media every weekday at 9 AM ET. • In a dramatic repudiation of President Trump, Democrats seize both the House and Senate, flipping seats in traditionally red states such as Texas and Kansas by capitalizing on broad voter discontent over high prices and the Israeli/US war against Iran. Ted and Jamarl analyze the results. MAGA is dead. Can America First regroup? • Democratic majorities will mark a sharp break from the prior GOP Congress that largely rubber-stamped his agenda.⁠ Are there possible areas of bipartisan cooperation, or is gridlock and nonstop law fare inevitable? • Notable, historic and stunning Democratic victories underscored the Blue Wave, including progressive Abdul El-Sayed becoming the first Muslim U.S. senator (from Michigan) despite the GOP’s racist anti-Muslim attacks, alongside strong gains among young voters, Latinos, and those who didn’t vote in 2024. 28 Governorships are now Democratic. Nevada voters enshrined abortion rights in the state constitution. Idaho rejected a measure to expand access, preserving its near-total ban. Missouri voters blocked an effort to repeal the 2024 abortion-rights amendment. Virginia approved constitutional amendments protecting reproductive freedom (including abortion), restoring felon voting rights, and removing a same-sex marriage ban. Democrat Jon Rosenthal became the first Democrat elected to the Texas Railroad Commission in over 30 years. Today we also discuss: • Polish PM Tusk accused Russia of a border provocation involving “individuals with flashlights” near Kaliningrad. • Iran called the US response to its Hormuz reopening conditions unconvincing.⁠ 00:00:14 - Democrats Deliver Historic Midterm Sweep 00:05:22 - The Iran War Symbolized Multiple Failures 00:07:36 - Americans Used the Ballot to Reject Trump 00:14:16 - A Heated Clash Over Protest Votes 00:18:01 - Mark Levin Deflects Blame From Trump 00:36:28 - Invoking the 25th Amendment to Save the GOP 00:59:26 - Scott Stantis Joins to Discuss Trump's Character 01:31:19 - Epstein Files and the Chance of a Real Reckoning MERCHANDISE: DeProgram.MySpreadShop.com LIVE ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@DeProgramShow LIVE ON RUMBLE: https://rumble.com/c/DeProgramShow https://x.com/tedrall https://x.com/JamarlThomas #tedrall #jamarlthomas #news #politics

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! • Finally—it’s Election Day in the US Midterm Elections. Most Americans have already voted early, and analysts expect Democrats to sweep the House, Senate and local races in an historic Blue Wave. Republican candidates and supporters are privately furious at Trump over his oblivious style, inattention to the economy, and the unpopular Iran War. But will Trump pull a dirty trick to annul the results? Will Democrats enact meaningful change on these issues voters care about? And: now the 2028 presidential campaign begins. • A record low 32% of Americans approve of Trump’s performance as voters see today’s midterms as a chance to punish him. Democrats surge on the generic ballot while rising energy prices from the Iran war drive voter anger. • Republicans watch in alarm as nearly one in ten Trump 2024 voters plan to back Democrats. Young voters and Latinos peel away amid the unpopular Iran war, shredding the president’s coalition. Editorial cartoonist Ted Rall and political analyst Jamarl Thomas deprogram you from mainstream media every weekday at 9 AM Eastern time. Today we also discuss: • American fighter jets blast missile and drone sites along the Strait of Hormuz and on Qeshm Island, striking back after Iran hits a cargo ship. The sharp retaliation jolts the fragile cease-fire and raises the risk of wider conflict. • Labour ends power-sharing deals with the Greens in 11 councils after the national Green Party declares Zionism a form of racism. SUBSCRIBE on YouTube/Rumble: $5/month $10/month on YouTube: Get a Closing Credit $20/month on YouTube: Exclusive Monthly Hangout with Ted and Jamarl (Rumblers: contact [email protected] for details) MERCHANDISE: DeProgram.MySpreadShop.com LIVE ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@DeProgramShow LIVE ON RUMBLE: https://rumble.com/c/DeProgramShow https://x.com/tedrall https://x.com/JamarlThomas #tedrall #jamarlthomas #news #politics

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! • Loser Haley Stevens betrays her party at the last moment by endorsing Trump Republican Mike Rogers over Democrat Abdul El-Sayed for the Senate. At stake: which party controls the U.S. Senate for the next two years. Conflict reporter/writer/cartoonist Ted Rall and political analyst Jamarl Thomas deprogram you from mainstream media every weekday at 9 AM ET. Today we also discuss: • Hundreds of thousands of French protesters show America how sustained protest is done, flooding cities for a third straight week, marching against soaring living costs and crumbling schools as the wave spreads to Italy and Germany. • Hackers seize refrigeration controls at hundreds of French supermarkets, cranking freezers past 122 degrees overnight and spoiling food while igniting fires. The Pentagon now investigates similar outages at U.S. military commissaries as a possible cyberattack, probing whether the same tactics threaten American bases. Also, Iran launches more than 115 drone and missile strikes on over two dozen U.S. bases across the Middle East, first destroying early-warning radars and air defenses before smashing hangars, warehouses and troop housing. The coordinated barrage inflicts billions in equipment damage. • At 80, Trump delivers wilder, longer, more profane and less coherent rally speeches, repeating stories, mispronouncing names, issuing threats and fixating on men’s posteriors. A Times analysis of his midterm campaign trail performances revives moree questions about his age and stability. • Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei warns of an immediate, impactful and geographically unrestricted response if the U.S. attacks again, ordering top commanders to prepare while state media claims seven-fold weapons production growth. Diplomats simultaneously signal progress in Qatar-mediated talks with Washington. 00:00:11 - Introduction and This Week’s Headlines 00:02:54 - Haley Stevens’ Last-Minute Betrayal of Abdul El-Sayed 00:38:10 - Midterm Election Predictions and Senate Outlook 00:41:06 - Hackers, French Protests, and Future Cyber Attacks 00:50:13 - Brain Chips, Stuxnet, and the Risks of Connected Technology 01:06:56 - Iran’s Weekend Strikes and Shift to Proactive Defense 01:33:51 - New York Times AI Analysis of Trump’s Cognitive Decline 01:59:18 - Election Day Wrap-Up and Tomorrow’s Show MERCHANDISE: DeProgram.MySpreadShop.com LIVE ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@DeProgramShow LIVE ON RUMBLE: https://rumble.com/c/DeProgramShow https://x.com/tedrall https://x.com/JamarlThomas #tedrall #jamarlthomas #news #politics

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! • Sir Patrick Stewart, the distinguished British actor, dies at age 86 in Los Angeles from Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia.⁠ He rose from a working-class childhood to become a leading Shakespearean stage performer before achieving global fame as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men films. Stewart brought gravitas, intelligence, and humanity to both classical theater and popular culture, influencing generations of actors and audiences worldwide. Ted and Jamarl, both Trekkies, explain his legacy. Conflict reporter/writer/cartoonist Ted Rall and political analyst Jamarl Thomas deprogram you from mainstream media every weekday at 9 AM ET. Today we also discuss: • Binance freezes $2.54 billion in assets while investigating a possible security breach. Tether froze nearly $1.57 billion and Circle more than $800 million. The exchange will cover all losses, user funds remain safe, and withdrawals are paused pending full resolution. • Following Israel’s October 27 election, a desperate Benjamin Netanyahu turns to racism, alleging without evidence that record gains by Arab parties were due to voter fraud. Arab leaders say Bibi’s toxic claims are a ploy to stop Gadi Eisenkot from forming a government with their support. • The Justice Department formally accuses Democrat Mary Peltola’s campaign and the DSCC of misleading a federal court in a stunning October Surprise case of trickery. It says she recruited a similarly named candidate, Daniel J. Sullivan, to siphon votes from Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan, then denied knowledge. • Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin submit sworn statements claiming President Trump’s proposed 250-foot triumphal arch in Washington is needed for national security against drones. If not approved, will DC be easily defeated by invaders? MERCHANDISE: DeProgram.MySpreadShop.com LIVE ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@DeProgramShow LIVE ON RUMBLE: https://rumble.com/c/DeProgramShow https://x.com/tedrall https://x.com/JamarlThomas #tedrall #jamarlthomas #news #politics

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! • In an echo of the Cold War, right-wing presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro flees to exile in Miami with his family after losing to Lula. He defies a Brazilian court order to surrender his passport, proclaims himself the nation’s true leader, and thanks Trump for the warm welcome amid political upheaval.⁠ He vows to lead the opposition from exile but risks a power vacuum, weakens his own movement, and intensifies tensions between Trump’s Washington and Lula’s Brasília. Is Trump plotting regime change in Latin America’s biggest country? Conflict reporter/writer/cartoonist Ted Rall and political analyst Jamarl Thomas deprogram you from mainstream media every weekday at 9 AM ET. Today we also discuss: • In a wild conspiracy, Democrats secretly hunted for and recruited another Dan Sullivan to confuse voters and peel support from “real” GOP incumbent Senator Dan Sullivan. The bold “ballot composition project” aims to propel Democrat Mary Peltola to a stunning Senate victory.⁠ Trump explodes and demands criminal prosecution of Democratic challenger Mary Peltola. He brands the scheme voter fraud at the highest level and pushes to strip her and the second Sullivan from the Alaska Senate ballot. • Researchers deliver a chilling estimate: three out of four retired NFL players who died between 2008 and 2023 most likely had CTE from repeated head hits. The stark finding dwarfs the near-zero rate in the general population and intensifies football’s danger debate. Football remains more popular in working-class and lower-income regions than many other sports, with 1.1 million kids playing. Should this national pastime be banned? 00:01:55 - Bolsonaro's Exile and Questions of Regime Change 00:03:24 - The Case for Banning Football After New CTE Study 00:04:14 - The High Cost of Taking a Real Vacation 00:09:34 - Can Football Be Made Safe or Should It Be Banned? 00:29:48 - Could the US Install Bolsonaro Back in Power? 00:43:57 - How Democrats Allegedly Rigged the Alaska Senate Ballot MERCHANDISE: DeProgram.MySpreadShop.com LIVE ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@DeProgramShow LIVE ON RUMBLE: https://rumble.com/c/DeProgramShow https://x.com/tedrall https://x.com/JamarlThomas #tedrall #jamarlthomas #news #politics

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! • Alex Pretti’s parents slam the US government for staying silent and misleading them about the investigation into their son’s fatal shooting by immigration agents in Minneapolis last January. Michael and Susan Pretti say officials ignore their questions, refuse to share basic facts, and shield the agents who fired at least 10 bullets into the 37-year-old nurse’s back. Their lawyer says the Justice Department’s stonewalling violates the Crime Victims’ Rights Act. The U.S. attorney for Minnesota and the Justice Department still have not answered the family’s letter or disclosed the shooters’ names. Homeland Security still stands by its early claim that Pretti planned to massacre law enforcement. The parents call the response abnormal and unjust. Jamarl is out today on vacation. Filling in is Jeff Dornik, the founder and CEO of Pickax, a free-speech social media platform. He co-founded Freedom First Network, hosts The Jeff Dornik Show, and writes on politics, culture, censorship, and technology. He has co-authored books and speaks at conservative events. Conflict reporter/writer/cartoonist Ted Rall and political analyst Jamarl Thomas deprogram you from mainstream media every weekday at 9 AM ET. Today we also discuss: • Exit polls show Israel’s election in a tight race as Eisenkot’s bloc ties Netanyahu’s. Neither side grabs a majority. Arab parties surge to record gains while vote counting continues. Middle East nations expect little change from Israel. • ICE holds a mentally ill US citizen in an Indiana prison for nearly a year and pushes to deport him to Jamaica. Records and family prove he was born in Florida, yet he insists otherwise. Meanwhile, a jury convicts Halima Salman of taking ISIS weapons training after her father brought her to Syria as a teen and married her to a fighter. She faces up to 10 years in prison. • RFK Jr. claims Arab Muslims produce no prize-worthy science or literature and blames the Muslim Brotherhood. The comments spark sharp backlash as he campaigns for GOP candidates in Michigan. 00:00:45 - Alex Pretti’s Parents Accuse ICE of Stonewalling Investigation 00:23:35 - Israeli Elections Leave Netanyahu and Eisenkot Deadlocked 00:44:39 - ICE Tries to Deport U.S.-Born Citizen to Jamaica 01:15:00 - American Woman Convicted for ISIS Training as a Teen 01:30:12 - Ilhan Omar and the Problem of Politically Motivated Cases 01:33:56 - U.S. Signals Possible Post-Midterm Strikes on Iran 01:52:54 - RFK Jr. Claims Arabs Produce No Prize-Worthy Science MERCHANDISE: DeProgram.MySpreadShop.com LIVE ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@DeProgramShow LIVE ON RUMBLE: https://rumble.com/c/DeProgramShow https://x.com/tedrall https://x.com/JamarlThomas #tedrall #jamarlthomas #news #politics

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! • Catholic bishops accuse the White House of conning them and then secretly filming them praying over Trump in the Oval Office and turning a private meeting into a political stunt. Conflict reporter/writer/cartoonist Ted Rall and political analyst Jamarl Thomas deprogram you from mainstream media every weekday at 9 AM ET. Today we also discuss: • Protests work in France! The nation scraps its controversial Parcoursup university admissions platform after weeks of violent student protests over school conditions and living costs. Officials promise more spots, higher grants, and funding renovations, yet students demand far bigger concessions and keep protesting. • Middle East Crisis: Netanyahu presses Israel’s military for strike on Iran before today’s election, but the chief of staff resists. Egypt’s parliament green-lights President Sisi to send defensive military aid—air defenses and aircraft—to Saudi Arabia against Houthis. • Thieves hack freight systems, spoof GPS trackers, and even ram security escorts to steal over $100 million in servers, chips, and copper destined for data centers. Experts call the gear “pure gold bars” and warn the digital heists are only growing. • The Justice Department files a third case against ex-FBI director James Comey, accusing him of leaking classified information in 2016 and using a rare “criminal information” to beat the statute of limitations. And a federal judge rules the Trump administration unlawfully fired Maurene Comey, his daughter, and orders her reinstatement with back pay. MERCHANDISE: DeProgram.MySpreadShop.com LIVE ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@DeProgramShow LIVE ON RUMBLE: https://rumble.com/c/DeProgramShow https://x.com/tedrall https://x.com/JamarlThomas #tedrall #jamarlthomas #news #politics

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! • Voting has begun in the US midterm elections. With 8 days left until Nov. 3rd, Democrats are heavy favorites for the House (85–95% across models, projecting ~230 seats) and slight favorites for the Senate (55–75%). A generic-ballot lead of roughly 8–11 points and Trump’s ~37% approval create a Democratic-leaning environment. Republicans currently hold narrow majorities (House 218–214, Senate 53–47); races in Maine, Ohio, Texas, Iowa, and Alaska are decisive. Filling in for the vacationing Jamarl is Jeff Dornik. Jeff Dornik is the founder and CEO of Pickax, a free-speech social media platform, and co-founder of Freedom First Network. He hosts The Jeff Dornik Show, and has co-authored books including Church & State and Social Injustice. He focuses on free speech, politics, culture, faith, and challenging Big Tech censorship. Conflict reporter/writer/cartoonist Ted Rall and political analyst Jamarl Thomas deprogram you from mainstream media every weekday at 9 AM ET. Today we also discuss: • At a Port Huron rally for Mike Rogers, Trump intensified anti-Muslim attacks on Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, calling him a “jihadist,” suggesting he wanted Sharia law, and claiming Christmas would end if Democrats won. In Detroit, Obama backed El-Sayed, declaring “change is in the air” and calling the midterms the “last best chance” to rein in Trump’s “foolishness,” corruption, and high costs. • Brazil’s Lula won a fourth term with 51.8% of the vote, overcoming a first-round deficit—the first since 1989. His opponent Flávio Bolsonaro disputed the results and called for annulment after voting hours were extended. The win breaks a recent string of conservative victories in Latin America. • Longtime Serbian strongman Aleksandar Vucic conceded defeat in parliamentary elections to the student-led “Student List-Students Win” slate, which secured at least 135 of 250 seats. The result followed nearly two years of protests; celebrations erupted in Belgrade. • A Young Turks video features three men claiming the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (who died in July) paid them for sex, including one who says he was 17 and was secretly filmed. The release comes amid South Carolina’s Senate race involving Graham’s sister. MERCHANDISE: DeProgram.MySpreadShop.com LIVE ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@DeProgramShow LIVE ON RUMBLE: https://rumble.com/c/DeProgramShow https://x.com/tedrall https://x.com/JamarlThomas #tedrall #jamarlthomas #news #politics

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! • Youth protests erupt in Albania, torching buildings and clashing with police over corruption and a Kushner-backed resort, while similar fury flares in Italy, France and beyond as citizens demand that governments deliver for them. Meanwhile, Kushner blasts a Vanity Fair excerpt as “outrageous” fabrications after it alleges he leveraged secret UAE- and Saudi-linked bank accounts holding hundreds of millions for influence-peddling with Trump. Editorial cartoonist Ted Rall and political analyst Jamarl Thomas deprogram you from mainstream media every weekday at 9 AM Eastern time. Today we also discuss: • Middle East Crisis: Israeli forces kill two Palestinian gunmen who wound five Israelis near Hebron, prompting Netanyahu to order a West Bank lockdown days before the election. The U.S. orders non-emergency personnel and families to leave Saudi Arabia as Iranian-backed Houthis ramp up attacks on airports and infrastructure. Billionaire donor Peter Thiel privately slams the Iran war, saying “we should not have done it” and warning of mistakes, even while affirming support for Trump. • Ilhan Omar vows to abandon her raided D.C. home, citing death threats and safety fears after federal agents seize phones and other items in an immigration probe. Meanwhile, federal documents drop a bombshell by listing Ilhan Omar under the name Elmi—matching her ex-husband—fueling the probe into possible immigration fraud and marriage claims. • Trump and Vance dangle disaster aid as midterm leverage, linking relief for storm-hit states like North Carolina to Republican wins while blue areas wait longer. • Health/environment: Scientists declare nearly all shallow coral reefs critically endangered as climate change drives them toward collapse within decades, threatening marine life and coastal communities worldwide. Calley Means, key RFK Jr. ally who helped forge the fracturing MAHA-Trump alliance, quits the administration amid broken food and health promises. • El Paso GOP chair Michael Aboud blasts Sacha Baron Cohen as a “liar and a pervert” and plans to sue after the comedian allegedly tricks him into appearing in the new Ali G film. 00:05:40 - Sacha Baron Cohen’s Ali G Stunt and the GOP Lawsuit Threat 00:26:58 - West Bank Lockdown and Houthi Attacks on Saudi Arabia 00:48:27 - Calley Means Quits as Lobbyists Stall the MAHA Agenda 00:59:01 - Environmental Health Decline and the Collapse of Coral Reefs 01:06:48 - Melania’s Ceasefire Deal and Netanyahu’s West Bank Plans 01:11:09 - Ilhan Omar Raid, Doxing Debate, and Immigration Fraud Claims 01:42:37 - Trump and Vance Tie Disaster Aid to Election Results MERCHANDISE: DeProgram.MySpreadShop.com LIVE ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@DeProgramShow LIVE ON RUMBLE: https://rumble.com/c/DeProgramShow https://x.com/tedrall https://x.com/JamarlThomas #tedrall #jamarlthomas #news #politics

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! Join Ted Rall and Jamarl Thomas on "DeProgram" as they interview historian Thaddeus Russell about his new book "Savior and Seducer." Thaddeus Russell discusses his book “Savior and Seducer,” arguing that U.S. foreign policy has long been driven by a sincere “savior complex”—a Christian-evangelical mission to uplift and Americanize the world—rather than primarily by greed or capitalism. He contrasts this hard-power imperialism with the more effective soft-power “seducer” of American popular culture, which foreign governments have repeatedly tried to suppress. The conversation covers historical examples from the founders through the Civil War, Reconstruction, the Philippines, and into the Trump era, which Russell sees as a non-moralistic reorganization of empire focused on the Western Hemisphere. Tune in for unfiltered discussion that cuts through mainstream myths and prepares listeners for the full conversation. Live weekdays at 9 AM ET, streaming anytime. 00:00 Introducing Thaddeus Russell and Savior and Seducer 01:41 The Savior and Seducer Thesis of American Power0 3:57 Why U.S. Leaders Truly Believe in Saving the World 09:04 How American Pop Culture Seduced the World 14:38 Debating Motives: Ideology or Resources? 25:21 Founders, Abolitionists, and the Civil War as Empire 44:08 The Christian Roots of American Imperial Psychology 55:17 Trump’s Reorganization of the American Empire MERCHANDISE: DeProgram.MySpreadShop.com LIVE ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@DeProgramShow LIVE ON RUMBLE: https://rumble.com/c/DeProgramShow https://x.com/tedrall https://x.com/JamarlThomas #tedrall #jamarlthomas #news #politics

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! • France’s “Doom Loop”: Populist protests explode across France as investors dump bonds and borrowing costs surge. President Emmanuel Macron faces a brutal trap: spend to calm the streets and risk market panic, or do nothing and fuel political chaos ahead of next year’s election.⁠ America carries heavy debt too, but its reserve-currency power and AI-driven growth help it sidestep immediate danger—for now. Conflict reporter/writer/cartoonist Ted Rall and political analyst Jamarl Thomas deprogram you from mainstream media every weekday at 9 AM ET. Today we also discuss: • Ohio Governor’s Race: Vivek Ramaswamy’s attack ad featuring Amy Acton’s estranged mother calling her a liar over childhood abuse claims backfires hard. Prediction markets send Acton’s odds of winning the Ohio governorship to all-time highs amid widespread backlash. • Kohen Wiley Video: New video surfaces in the Mississippi police shooting that killed 1-year-old Kohen Wiley outside a Walmart. The attorney general calls the officer’s force “justified” after the car allegedly threatened officers, but provides no details, while the family demands full footage release.⁠ Is it time to ban cops shooting into cars? • Russia Releases American: Russia frees 74-year-old American Stephen Hubbard, detained as a mercenary for Ukraine since 2022, as Trump envoy Steve Witkoff meets Putin in St. Petersburg. The release gives Trump a win while he presses Ukraine toward a deal.⁠ 00:00 France's Doom Loop and Today's Headlines 01:40 Russia Releases Detained American Stephen Hubbard 04:21 Jamarl's Combative Appearance on Scotty's Show 11:24 Vivek Ramaswamy's Controversial Ohio Campaign Ad 41:15 French Protests, Austerity, and the Doom Loop 1:09 Witkoff Meets Putin on Ukraine and NATO 1:52 Mississippi Police Shooting of Infant Cohen Wiley MERCHANDISE: DeProgram.MySpreadShop.com LIVE ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@DeProgramShow LIVE ON RUMBLE: https://rumble.com/c/DeProgramShow https://x.com/tedrall https://x.com/JamarlThomas #tedrall #jamarlthomas #news #politics

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! • Join Ted and Jamarl for a timely conversation with Prof. Gideon Rahat, leading expert on the Israeli election system. With Israel’s elections days away, Rahat—political scientist at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a senior fellow at the Israel Democracy Institute—brings deep knowledge of how the country’s electoral rules, party dynamics, and voting mechanics actually function. Rahat’s expertise offers a clear look at the mechanics of one of the world’s most closely watched contests. Prof. Gideon Rahat is a political scientist at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a senior fellow at the Israel Democracy Institute.⁠ He specializes in electoral systems, political reform, parties, candidate selection, and the personalization of politics. He co-edits The Elections in Israel series and co-edited The Oxford Handbook of Israeli Politics and Society. Key books include Democracy Within Parties (with Reuven Hazan) and The Politics of Regime Structure Reform in Democracies.⁠ Rahat is a leading expert on Israel’s proportional, nationwide closed-list system and the politics of reforming it. Conflict reporter/writer/cartoonist Ted Rall and political analyst Jamarl Thomas deprogram you from mainstream media every weekday at 9 AM ET. Today we also discuss: • The Justice Department charges 28 green-card holders in California with voting crimes and races to block the state from counting ballots of alleged noncitizens, intensifying a clash over election integrity.⁠ • ICE detains a U.S. citizen in Long Beach; officers find him bleeding and handcuffed after ICE deliberately ran over him and his bike, then rush him to the hospital as his family says agents tased and pinned him.⁠ • Saudi Arabia cancels its flagship 2026 “Davos in the Desert” investment summit and shifts it to 2027 as Houthi strikes hammer the kingdom and force Riyadh officials to work from home.⁠ 00:00 Meet Professor Gideon Rahat, Expert on Israeli Elections 01:39 How Israel Chooses Its Prime Minister Through Coalitions 04:43 Why the Israeli Ballot Looks Nothing Like America's 07:04 Does Trump's Endorsement of Netanyahu Actually Matter? 09:45 Gadi Eisenkot and the Parties Challenging Likud 13:13 The Issues That Could Decide Israel's Election 24:59 Will Netanyahu Escalate With Iran to Sway Voters? 33:40 Hosts Discuss Trump, Saudi Blockade, ICE, and Voting Charges MERCHANDISE: DeProgram.MySpreadShop.com LIVE ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@DeProgramShow LIVE ON RUMBLE: https://rumble.com/c/DeProgramShow https://x.com/tedrall https://x.com/JamarlThomas #tedrall #jamarlthomas #news #politics

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! • France erupts in its biggest riots in years as education and living-cost protests explode into deadly chaos. Hooded rioters torch buildings and loot hundreds of shops while police blast tear gas; over 2,000 face arrest amid two deaths. President Macron vows accountability as unrest threatens to ignite Europe. Meanwhile, America’s “No Kings” rallies are subdued and hyperlocal, zeroing in on early voting, yet many Democratic candidates skip them. Conflict reporter/writer/cartoonist Ted Rall and political analyst Jamarl Thomas deprogram you from mainstream media every weekday at 9 AM ET. Today we also discuss: • Israeli police arrest 10 suspects after masked settlers brutalize a Washington Post photojournalist and European diplomats during West Bank olive-harvest attacks. Levine suffers broken bones; international outrage mounts as violence surges ahead of Israel’s election. Trump delivers an unprecedented public endorsement of Netanyahu just nine days before Israel’s election, praising him as a “Great Warrior” and essential partner against Iran. Polls show Netanyahu’s coalition struggling. Is this election interference? • Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov visits Tehran after Gulf states ask Moscow to use its influence at the UN to press Iran to halt attacks on regional neighbors. • Putin proposes a November summit with Trump and Xi to forge a Ukraine War deal, excluding Zelensky. The idea, floated in an Oct. 9 call that also sealed a Russian diesel deal, alarms Kyiv and Europe amid warming Trump-Putin ties. • Trump’s WaPo approval poll crashes to a record-low 33%, with 66% disapproving, as a new poll hands Democrats a clear midterm edge two weeks from Election Day. Inflation and an angry voter mood fuel the GOP’s bleak outlook. 00:00:00 Opening and Today’s Key Stories 00:02:18 Why France Is Rioting While "No Kings" Stays Quiet 00:42:11 Trump’s Record-Low Polls and the Midterm Outlook 01:01:09 Putin’s Summit Idea with Trump and Xi on Ukraine 01:01:37 Lavrov in Tehran and the Gulf States’ Iran Request 01:01:44 West Bank Settlers Attack Journalist and Diplomats 01:11:50 Israeli Election Mechanics and Closing Thoughts MERCHANDISE: DeProgram.MySpreadShop.com LIVE ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@DeProgramShow LIVE ON RUMBLE: https://rumble.com/c/DeProgramShow https://x.com/tedrall https://x.com/JamarlThomas #tedrall #jamarlthomas #news #politics

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! • ICE agents ram their unmarked SUV into a fleeing Houston construction worker, shattering his leg in a pursuit of an alleged fugitive. As local police consider criminal charges against ICE and accuse ICE of lying and destroying evidence, the face plastered on their “wanted bulletin” belongs to a ghost: a man who plunged to his death from a Mexican border cliff in 2017 while evading immigration agents, leaving his family horrified. Editorial cartoonist Ted Rall and political analyst Jamarl Thomas deprogram you from mainstream media every weekday at 9 AM Eastern time. Today we also discuss: • Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney warns that the US is trying to break Canada so it can “own us,” as oil-rich Alberta holds a non-binding referendum on Monday that could start the legal process toward a future separation vote.⁠ The vote asks whether Alberta should remain a province or instruct its government to begin constitutional steps for a later binding referendum on leaving Canada. • Teen shooter kills 3 children and a teacher at Bend, Oregon elementary school before a bystander kills him. • White House officials ordered the Pentagon to limit Ukraine’s Starshield satellite service for drone operations, Reuters reports, though Trump did not personally direct it. Trump separately called Zelenskyy’s strikes on Russian oil facilities a “disgrace” for raising global prices. Connectivity has largely been restored. • A Dublin hotel canceled 70 rooms for a Special Envoys and Coordinators Combating Antisemitism (SECCA) conference on combating antisemitism after learning the event’s purpose, according to an Irish Jewish leader. • The DOJ is investigating claims that Rep. Ilhan Omar or her late father misstated her birth date on immigration paperwork so she could derive U.S. citizenship as a minor when he naturalized in 2000. Conflicting records list her birth year as 1981 or 1982; the probe could seek denaturalization. In May 2019, months after entering Congress, Ilhan Omar’s staff asked the Minnesota Legislative Reference Library to change her listed birth year from 1981 to 1982. Is this a wedge test for Democrats? 00:00 Show Intro and Today's Stories 03:29 Starlink Shutdown and Trump's Knowledge 16:35 Bend Oregon School Shooting Ritual 31:47 Ilhan Omar Birthdate Probe 43:37 Houston ICE Chase and Wrong Suspect 50:58 Dublin Hotel Blocks Anti-Semitism Conference 56:28 Mark Carney Warns on Alberta Independence SUBSCRIBE on YouTube/Rumble: $5/month $10/month on YouTube: Get a Closing Credit $20/month on YouTube: Exclusive Monthly Hangout with Ted and Jamarl (Rumblers: contact [email protected] for details) MERCHANDISE: DeProgram.MySpreadShop.com LIVE ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@DeProgramShow LIVE ON RUMBLE: https://rumble.com/c/DeProgramShow https://x.com/tedrall https://x.com/JamarlThomas #tedrall #jamarlthomas #news #politics

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! Zelensky says Ukraine will resume Russian refinery strikes, defying Trump. Kyiv’s anger boils over following sudden Starlink throttling and continued Russian attacks. Kyiv suspects deliberate pressure from Musk or the White House after Zelensky criticizes U.S. policy. Partial service returns, yet suspicions linger amid denied early warnings of Russian strikes. Conflict reporter/writer/cartoonist Ted Rall and political analyst Jamarl Thomas deprogram you from mainstream media every weekday at 9 AM ET. Today we also discuss: • Republicans pin their fading 2026 midterm hopes on another historic polling miss. While conceding a grim national environment, they point to past cycles—2022, 2024, and 2016—where forecasts underestimated GOP strength. • Harris County DA Sean Teare says videos show an ICE officer intentionally struck and ran over Miguel Parra Hernandez during a stop, potentially constituting aggravated assault. Local investigators allege federal non-cooperation and possible erasure of crash data after the vehicle was driven away. ICE denies and deflects, as Parra faces multiple surgeries. • Iranian strikes send two vessels to the bottom of the Strait of Hormuz during one of the waterway’s most violent months since the war began. A Singapore-registered container ship, the GFS Pride, catches fire after being hit; its crew evacuates safely. • Federal agents seize Rep. Ilhan Omar’s phone and issue more than a dozen grand jury subpoenas, including to relatives, in a probe into possible immigration fraud. 01:31 Ilhan Omar Investigation and Midterm Timing 03:51 Montana Politics and Aaron Flint Race 05:19 Texas Senate Race and James Talarico 08:09 Republican Midterm Polling Hopes 11:00 Fuel Prices, Economic Pain, and Trump’s Argument 18:59 Iran War Plans and Lack of Military Solution 20:15 Grassroots Anger and Argentina Beef Comments 32:17 Strait of Hormuz Control and Oil Price Spike 33:21 European Protests Versus American Individualism 38:30 Houthis, Saudi Arabia, and Oil Export Limits 40:04 Israeli Elections and Netanyahu’s Position 46:31 Ilhan Omar Lawfare and Political Targeting 50:55 Trump Decision-Making and Briefing Gaps 56:03 Ukraine-U.S. Rift and Starlink Throttling 01:10:33 Closing and Upcoming Shows MERCHANDISE: DeProgram.MySpreadShop.com LIVE ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@DeProgramShow LIVE ON RUMBLE: https://rumble.com/c/DeProgramShow https://x.com/tedrall https://x.com/JamarlThomas #tedrall #jamarlthomas #news #politics