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

Today we discuss:

• As Americans take on a positive view of socialism — and more candidates who embrace that label win elections — Republicans are using a different label: communist. Right-wing influencers and Republicans used the words “communism” or “communist” in an average of about 626 posts per week, up from around 439 per week during the same stretch last year — a 43 percent increase.

• Two Tennessee National Guard members in Memphis kill Tyrin Johnson, 20, who allegedly turned toward the soldiers with a gun during a downtown pursuit, according to the police.

• American concerns about the targeting of two Ir ...