Conflict reporter/writer/cartoonist Ted Rall and political analyst Jamarl Thomas deprogram you from mainstream media every weekday at 9 AM ET.

Today we discuss:

• America’s gross national debt topped $40 trillion, after decades of borrowing to pay for the rising costs of the military, social safety net programs and Trump’s tax cuts. This year, the United States is on track to borrow more than $2 trillion to help pay for its obligations, including spending on the war in Iran and the sweeping tax cuts that Republicans enacted in 2025. Soaring interest payments to investors who have purchased America’s debt now make up about half of that red ink, pushing the United States into a deeper financial hole by $90,000 per second.

• Asked at a debate whether Taiwan and the South China Sea ...