“You Have a Strong and Steadfast Friend,” RFK Jr. Tells Anti-Vaxxers

Kennedy’s remark comes as measles cases in the US are at their highest levels seen in decades.

By Chris Walker

This article was originally published by Truthout

On September 17, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the head of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), gave a keynote speech to an anti-vaccine group he once led.

Kennedy — a noted anti-vaxxer who has consistently peddled dangerous disinformation to the public — appeared at a conference held by Children’s Health Defense. During his speech, he sought to assure concerned members of the group that he was still allied with them, despite downplaying his controversial views while trying to get confirmed to his post last year.

“Let me be clear. You have a strong and steadfast friend at the White House,” Kennedy said in his speech.

Kennedy asked those gathered before him to be patient with his efforts, ambiguously stating that “we are doing this one day at a time.” 

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Despite measles case numbers reaching record highs this year compared to the past several decades, Kennedy only addressed the situation once in his speech, asking his audience to “care about every child who dies from measles,” adding that “they get headlines.” 

In the same breath, he called for the audience to “care about children who are dying or suffering or being injured by vaccine injuries,” a highly exaggerated anti-vax talking point. 

According to the latest figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there have been 3,471 confirmed cases of measles identified across the U.S. since January 1 of this year. That number already exceeds the number of cases counted in 2025, and is a 12-fold increase over the 285 cases counted in 2024. 

The CDC website does not yet include a count of the total number of deaths. However, other state health agencies have recorded at least four deaths from measles in 2026, the highest number seen since 1992.

Experts agree that higher rates of measles are due largely to anti-vax sentiment becoming more mainstream. The virus requires a higher threshold than most to keep it from spreading.

Canada considers what to do if Trump orders an invasion

Canada must consider even unlikely threats — including an American invasion

Andrea Charron, University of Manitoba

Prime Minister Mark Carney says he has considered the possibility of American military action against Canada, and that the Canadian Armed Forces had examined potential responses.

Such a scenario remains extraordinarily unlikely, but that’s precisely why it belongs in contingency planning. Serious governments do not dismiss low-probability, high-consequence risks simply because they appear remote.

The first responsibility of the prime minister of Canada, as head of government, is to protect Canadians. That responsibility requires preparing not only for the most likely threats, but also for the unlikely scenarios that could have profound consequences for the country.

In intelligence and security circles, these possibilities are sometimes described using a “swan” metaphor. Preparing for likely events, or “white swans,” is routine.

Equally important, however, is considering “black swan” events: highly improbable developments that fall outside normal expectations but could have disruptive and far-reaching effects.

Why plan for black swan events?

First, contingency planning often yields benefits beyond the specific scenario being examined. By challenging assumptions and exploring unconventional possibilities, organizations can identify vulnerabilities, uncover strengths and develop habits of adaptive thinking. The value lies not only in the plan itself but in the planning process.

A future threat to Canada may have little resemblance to a hypothetical attack by the United States, yet the lessons learned from examining an unexpected attack could inform responses to other contingencies, including missile, cyber or hybrid threats that exploit North America’s geography.

Second, Canada has a long history of planning for unlikely but consequential scenarios. During the period between the First and Second World Wars, Canadian military planners developed Defense Scheme No. 1, which considered the possibility of conflict with the U.S.

American planners, for their part, developed War Plan Red — a scheme to invade Canada in the event of a war with the United Kingdom.

Neither expected war, but both recognized the importance of understanding strategic options. During the Second World War, the United States-Canada Basic Defense Plan (referenced as the Black Plan) was penned by Canada to respond to a scenario should Germany defeat the U.K., leaving Canada and the U.S. vulnerable to the Axis powers.

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Upcoming Charlestown Democrats events

 

C-Town Dems News

September 2026

It's Election Season!

The League of Women Voters of South County has scheduled a series of candidate forums ahead of the November 3 General Election. Charlestown's events are listed below:

Chariho School Committee Forum Saturday, October 3 from 2 – 4 PM   Voters will have the opportunity to talk directly with our candidates from Charlestown in a conversational setting. Each candidate will be seated at an individual table, and attendees will circulate around the room at designated 15-minute intervals.   Chariho High School cafeteria 453 Switch Road, Wood River Junction Sponsored by the South County Star

Charlestown Town Council Candidate Forum Tuesday, October 6 at 6 PM   The forum will include all candidates for Charlestown Town Council, including Democrats Deborah Carney, Cynthia Drummond and Jill Fonnemann.   Cross' Mills Public Library 4417 Old Post Rd, Charlestown

The Charlestown Democratic Town Committee has endorsed the following local candidates:   Charlestown Town Council Deborah Carney, Cynthia Drummond, and Jill Fonnemann Chariho School Committee Holly Eaves, Craig Louzon, and Linda Lyall House District 36 Tina Spears Senate District 34 Samantha Wilcox Senate District 38 Victoria Gu

Our next meeting date is October 7, 2026 Join us at the Charlestown Police Station at 6 PM. All registered Democrats are welcome!

Congratulations to Tina Spears on her Primary Election Win!

You can meet Tina and her guest Sam Wilcox, Senate District 34 candidate, at the next Tea with Tina!

More Sam! Sam is hosting another Town Hall on October 14th at 6:30 PM at the Richmond Senior Center. The incumbent declined a “meet the candidates” night, but Sam will continue to be accessible to voters with questions. All are welcome. Invite your friends!   Richmond Senior Center 1168 Main St. 2nd Floor, Wyoming

If you'd like to donate to the Charlestown Democratic Committee, you may   Send checks payable to: Charlestown Democratic Town Committee P.O. Box 1088, Charlestown, RI 02813  or Scan the QR code  or Click the button below   DONATE

Call for Volunteers Your Charlestown Democratic Town Committee needs you! We are looking for active participants who want to help support Democratic candidates and causes. If interested, visit charlestowndemocrats.org and click VOLUNTEER. Please consider joining us!

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The Charlestown Democratic Town Committee manages the affairs of the Democratic Party in the town of Charlestown, RI subject to RI Election Law, State Party rules and its own bylaws. We meet the first Wednesday of every month at 6:00 PM at the Charlestown Police Station. Any Charlestown registered Democrat is welcome to attend.