The DeProgram show with political cartoonist Ted Rall and CIA whistleblower John Kiriakou gives you the dope on what’s happening across the nation and around the world—deprogramming you from political and corporate media spin.

• FBI Manhunt for Charlie Kirk’s Killer: The FBI shares images of a college-aged “person of interest,” seen in a stairwell wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses, linked to Charlie Kirk’s fatal shooting at Utah Valley University. A $100,000 reward is in effect, while Trump World frames Kirk as a fallen martyr for their political movement. Authorities recover a towel-wrapped Mauser rifle, its cartridges bearing “transgender and anti-fascist” inscriptions, now under forensic scrutiny. Was Luigi Mangione an inspiration?

• Bolsonaro Convicted: Brazil’s Supreme Court panel votes to convict Jair Bolsonaro on five counts, including plotting a coup to overturn the 2022 election. Prosecutors say his scheme involved plans to assassinate President Lula da Silva, Vice President Alckmin, and a Supreme Court justice. Evidence shows Bolsonaro’s “full knowledge” of efforts to pressure the military and create a parallel crisis office.

• U.S. Mass Slaughter on “Venezuela” Boat Was Baseless: Senate Armed Services Committee’s Sen. Jack Reed reports Tuesday’s Defense Department briefing lacked evidence proving a Caribbean boat’s crew were Tren de Aragua members or that the boat was from Venezuela. Briefers note it turned around after spotting a military aircraft. No intelligence confirms the targets were armed or posed an imminent threat. Ted and John discuss this shocking violation of international and U.S. law.

• Iran-Contra Coda: Oliver North, a decorated former Marine and onetime national security aide in the Reagan administration, and Fawn Hall, his former secretary, were married in Virginia last month, four decades after they became central figures in the arms-for-cash scandal known as the Iran-Contra affair. Mr. North, 81, and Ms. Hall, 65, were married on Aug. 27 in a civil ceremony in Arlington County. Ms. North, Mr. North’s wife of 56 years and the mother of their four children, died in November at age 80. Ms. Hall had previously been married to Danny Sugerman, a manager of the rock band the Doors, who died of lung cancer in 2005 at age 50.

Incendiary conservative influencer Charlie Kirk, 31, has been shot in the throat at Utah Valley University, where he was gunned down as he spoke during a “prove me wrong” debate event. Kirk, a Trump ally and Turning Point USA co-founder, was rushed away by security, with a suspect in custody. Former President Trump calls for prayers, highlighting Kirk’s role as a vocal MAGA supporter. Ted and John discuss this shocking act of political violence and what comes next.

Also:

• Kamala Harris Comes Clean: In her book 107 Days, the former veep admits she knew Biden was diminished and unable to run again. She also criticizes Biden’s team for fueling negative narratives about her. Is this the beginning of a reckoning among Democrats in denial?

• France’s “Block Everything” Riots: Protesters in France disrupt cities, blocking roads and clashing with police amid outrage over Macron’s center-right policies and budget cuts. Over 450 arrests occur as the “Block Everything” movement challenges new Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu.

• Canada Rethinking Israel: Even more of a pariah…Canada evaluates its relationship with Israel following a deadly Israeli strike on Hamas leaders in Qatar, killing a Qatari security officer. Foreign Minister Anita Anand calls the attack unacceptable, as Canada considers severing financial ties.

• Quantum Cryptography: Cryptographers Dakshita Khurana and Kabir Tomer develop quantum one-way puzzles, offering a robust alternative to classical encryption. Their work bypasses vulnerabilities, potentially revolutionizing secure communications. The matrix permanent problem anchors this new quantum cryptography framework.

Political cartoonist Ted Rall and CIA whistleblower John Kiriakou analyze a day of escalation and bloodshed in the Middle East crisis.

• Israel Attacks Qatar: Israel tries and fails to assassinate Hamas ceasefire negotiators leaders in Qatar’s capital, Doha. Qatar condemns the “cowardly” attack as a violation of sovereignty and international law, demanding a high-level UN investigation. The strike kills six other people, including a Qatari security officer, escalating regional tensions.

• US Angry at Israel: The White House says Trump promised Qatar, the mediator for many of the talks between Hamas and Israel, that more strikes won’t happen again. Press Secretary Leavitt says the bombing does not serve US or Israeli interests. Trump says he sees the incident as a potential “opportunity for peace.” But escalation seems likely to make things even worse.

• Nepal in Turmoil: Nepal’s army intervenes after protesters burn government buildings and politicians’ homes, killing 19 plus severe burn injuries to a former PM’s wife, following a reversed social media ban. Prime Minister Oli resigns amid chaos in Kathmandu. The crisis reflects public outrage over corruption and inequality.

• New York City Mayoral Race: Zohran Mamdani leads NYC’s mayoral race with 46% support, driven by his affordability platform, per a Times/Siena poll. Andrew Cuomo trails at 24%, backed by elites, while Eric Adams lags at 9%. The race tightens if Adams and Sliwa drop out but Mamdani still wins.

• Aegean Airlines Kitten Incident: A British couple reports the carrier lost three rescue kittens on a Crete-to-Paris flight, left in the hold. The traumatized cats were returned after two days, with no apology. This marks the airline’s second such incident in 2024.

• France’s Political Crisis: President Macron appoints Sébastien Lecornu as prime minister after François Bayrou’s resignation amid a budget crisis. But the public doesn’t believe there’s a crisis. Facing a divided parliament, Lecornu must navigate “Block Everything” protests set for Wednesday. France’s political instability stems from Macron’s 2024 snap election gamble.