DeProgram with Ted Rall and John Kiriakou: “China Using LinkedIn to Recruit Spies”

Political cartoonist Ted Rall and CIA whistleblower John Kiriakou tell you all about a bizarre scheme by the Ministry of State Security to ensnare UK lawmakers, staffers, consultants, economists, and think tank experts. Shifting to the U.S., the latest NPR/PBS News/Marist poll reveals Democrats surging 14 points ahead—55%-41%—on congressional ballots, independents favoring them 33 points, signaling a possible “blue wave” if Democrats don’t mess it up. Trump is greenlighting CIA covert ops in Venezuela—prepping sabotage, cyber, or psyops battlefields—as the State designation of “Cartel de los Soles terrorists” turns out to be a figment of the imagination. And Montreal's Allan Memorial Institute survivor leads a class-action lawsuit exposing CIA's MK-Ultra mind control via unwitting LSD dosing, electroshocks, "psychic driving" tapes, barbiturates, stimulants, nitrous oxide, sensory deprivation, and comas on thousands of Canadians across 100+ sites.

• Wanted in the UK: MSS Spies: MI5 unveils China's Ministry of State Security (their CIA) deploy China-based headhunters like Amanda Qiu and Shirly Shen to covertly approach UK targets via LinkedIn and fake firms, posing freelance geopolitical gigs to harvest low-value intel pieces as a predecessor for broader efforts. Security Minister Dan Jarvis calls it a threat to democracy, just months after prosecutors dropped charges against accused spies. Beijing's embassy fires back, calling the allegations "malicious slander," as MI5's Ken McCallum last month decried Beijing's cyber thefts and public life intrusions.

• U.S. Midterm Poll Bad for Republicans: The November 10-13 NPR/PBS News/Marist survey of 1,443 adults shows Democrats commanding a 14-point edge—55%-41%—in congressional races, with independents swinging 33 points blue, evoking 2017's prelude to 40-seat gains amid Trump's 39% approval low and 48% strong disapproval peak. Voters blame Republicans or Trump for shutdowns hits 60%, while 57% prioritize price drops over immigration, eroding GOP momentum despite 90% base approval. Institutional distrust soars—80% hate Congress, 75% hate media—with 80%+ across aisles viewing opponents as "closed-minded," 70% "dishonest," independents harsher on Republicans, brewing volatility after the Dems’ recent wins.

• Trump Goes Covert Against Venezuela: President Trump authorizes CIA covert measures—potentially sabotage, cyber, psyops, coinciding with the USS Gerald R. Ford's weekend Caribbean arrival, 15,000 troops, and "Operation Southern Spear" buildup rivaling 1962's Cuba blockade, as planners map drug facility and Maduro-loyalist strikes. Back-channel parleys yield Maduro's rejected two-year delay on resignation for U.S. oil access, with State set to terrorist-label the fictional “Cartel de los Soles,” enabling escalation; Trump hints at ground forces, stressing drug/immigration curbs publicly while eyeing resources privately. 21 congressional-bypassing boat strikes killed 83, only hitting cocaine despite fentanyl talk, amid undecided endgame—diplomacy, voluntary exit, or forcible removal.

• MK-Ultra Lawsuit Advances in Canada: A Montreal judge rejects Royal Victoria Hospital's appeal, advancing class-action suit by Allan Memorial survivor Lana Ponting, age 16 in 1958, against CIA-backed MK-Ultra experiments involving unwitting LSD, electroshocks, "psychic driving" tape loops of conflicting messages, barbiturates, stimulants, nitrous oxide, deprivation, and comas on thousands via 100+ sites. Committed for "disobedient" teen antics post-move, Ponting uncovers files revealing Dr. Ewen Cameron's McGill horrors—unbeknownst CIA-funded till 1964—yielding lifelong meds, nightmares, memory loss; excluded from 1992's C$100,000 humanitarian payouts sans liability.