Palan-Review
Nick opened with the Justice Department’s suit against California and Los Angeles County, filed Oct. 15, 2026, one week after mail ballots went out. DOJ wants ballots from more than 20,000 people flagged as “likely noncitizens” set aside. Nick said a county sample found one in four names belonged to U.S.-born citizens, and that the administration has charged 28 people statewide, about 0.14% of the list by Shane’s math.
Shane read the suit as an effort to cast doubt on California’s most populous counties, which anchor the Democratic delegation in Congress. Nick then turned to ERO-1, an ICE domestic intelligence program described in federal procurement documents. It calls for 142 intelligence research specialists, including 24 across two centers in Williston, Vermont, and 15 in Washington, D.C.; Nick said the contract has not been awarded and expects an award around February.
The hosts then covered Warhound, the startup from Anduril founder Palmer Luckey and Colossal Biosciences co-founder Ben Lamm. Wired reported that it raised $200 million to gene-edit military working dogs, with the first puppies expected in early 2027. Shane, who studied biology and zoology, said adding wolf traits rolls back thousands of years of divergent evolution; Nick, flagging it as speculation, said he expects the dogs to be used domestically.
On AI, Nick cited The Intercept’s report on DeepMind engineer Sofia Liguori’s resignation over Google’s military contracts. Shane closed with his regional briefing: Houthi pressure on Saudi Arabia, Egypt’s parliament approving defensive aid to Riyadh, and oil slicks reaching UAE beaches after strikes on crude carriers in the Strait of Hormuz.
“They plan to make you look like you are part of a terrorist network just because you know somebody.” — Nick Paro, on ERO-1
Key Takeaways
The list is still unexplained. One county’s sample found one in four flagged names were U.S.-born, and Nick urged any voter flagged at the polls to cast a provisional ballot.
ERO-1 is a proposal, not a contract. Nick said the award is expected around February, which leaves time for Vermonters to press Gov. Phil Scott’s office on the Williston centers.
Ask Congress about Warhound. Shane urged viewers to ask their representatives how existing animal cruelty and animal testing laws apply to gene-edited, cybernetically augmented dogs.
Orgs and Concepts Mentioned
Organizations/Programs
Warhound — Startup from Palmer Luckey and Ben Lamm that plans to gene-edit military working dogs; investors include the CIA-founded In-Q-Tel.
ERO-1 — ICE’s proposed Enforcement and Removal Operations Overwatch and National Security Enforcement intelligence program.
Project Nimbus — Google’s cloud and AI contract serving Israel’s military, cited in Liguori’s resignation.
Veterans Fighting Fascism — Coalition organizing the Veterans Day Democracy March in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 11.
Concepts/Terms
NSPM-7 — Presidential memorandum Shane said lays groundwork for treating anti-capitalist views as a threat indicator.
Provisional ballot — A ballot cast when eligibility is questioned at the polls, counted once eligibility is confirmed.
Read the pre-show brief: This Week in Palantalk: DOJ’s 20,000-Name Ballot List, Anduril’s Founder Breeds War Dogs & More
Next step: Vote, then join or support the Veterans Day Democracy March in D.C. on Nov. 11 at veteransfightingfascism.org.
Palantalk - where we talk tech, no fascism.
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Thank you Beth Cruz, Dana Britt, Sam, Debbie McPherson, Outlier, and many others for tuning into my live video with Shane Yirak! Join me for my next live video in the app.
