Trump was a no-show for his police ride-along. The National Guardsmen occupying Washington start carrying loaded military weapons this weekend. What could go wrong? And those aren’t even the main topics on today’s “DeProgram with Ted Rall and John Kiriakou airing today LIVE at 5 pm ET!
Political cartoonist Ted Rall and CIA whistleblower John Kiriakou unpack the urgent stories at the end of the week:
• FBI Raid at Chateau John Bolton: The Feds burst into the Maryland home and D.C. office of the notorious neocon warmonger. They’re looking for classified documents, not his judgement—that’s long gone. JD Vance denies its retribution for Bolton’s criticism of Trump, but his denials are less than convincing.
• Erik Menendez Snubbed: The patricidal brother’s parole application was rejected after a 10-hour hearing, supposedly due to prison misconduct like using a cellphone. Despite family support and credible claims he was raped, he was dubbed a public safety risk.
• ICE Kidnaps Army Vet: US Army veteran Muhammad Zahid Chaudhry showed up to his citizenship interview in Tukwila, Washington only to be disappeared into an ICE gulag. His wife, Melissa, says he faces deportation despite 25 years in the US and military service.
• Visa Dragnet: The US is reviewing 55 million visa holders for violations like overstays and links to terrorism, enforcing “continuous vetting.” They’re scanning social media feeds for “anti-American” sentiments, reflecting Trump’s anti-immigration and hatred of Palestinians.
• ICE Spying on Wire Transfers: ICE uses wire transfer data to track immigrants, as seen in Gregorio Cordova Murrieta’s deportation case. The Transaction Record Analysis Center’s database violates your privacy for immigration enforcement.
• Secret Space Mission: The X-37B mini shuttle launched again for classified space experiments, testing laser communications and GPS-free navigation. The Space Force mission’s duration is undisclosed, with past flights lasting up to a year. Boeing’s reusable craft continues to push secretive aerospace boundaries. What are they up to?
