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RFK Jr tells EWTN: Politicization of the CIA, FBI, Secret Service under Biden is ‘very troubling’

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From LifeSiteNews

By Emily Mangiaracina

Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in an interview with Raymond Arroyo that he is the only presidential candidate who has ever been denied Secret Service protection upon request.

In an exclusive Thursday interview with EWTN anchor Raymond Arroyo, independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. slammed the “politicization” of the U.S. government under Joe Biden as “very, very troubling,” pointing out that this has involved unprecedented violations of the constitution.

“The liberal media are sanctioning and condoning the politicization of the CIA, the FBI, the IRS, and now the Secret Service by President Biden,” Kennedy told Arroyo. “I think it’s very, very troubling for our Republic that these agencies are now being turned into political instruments by the president in power.

As evidence of this, Kennedy told how he is the “first presidential candidate in history” that has requested Secret Service protection and “been denied,” noting that there have been 44 candidates who “have been given protection prior to the 120-day mandate,” referring to the law requiring that major presidential candidates be given Secret Service protection within 120 days of a general election.

Arroyo called this “mind-boggling” considering his family history, alluding to the assassinations of his uncle, John F. Kennedy, and his father, and Robert F. Kennedy.

Kennedy suspects that the refusal of protection is the Biden administration’s way of forcing him to spend his own money on security so that he has less funds to devote to his presidential campaign.

He told Arroyo he has had four break-ins at his house since he announced he is running for president, but he remains undeterred in his bid for the presidency, now as an Independent.

While Kennedy believes Donald Trump is threat to the country, he noted to Arroyo that he recently said he “could make the argument that President Biden was just as much a danger to the Republic as President Trump.” In fact, Kennedy  said in an interview earlier this month that Biden is arguably “a much worse threat to democracy,” citing his censorship of his political opponents.

“President Biden is the first president in history to censor his political opponents,” Kennedy told Arroyo, noting that he has thus far won a case in a federal district court that was upheld by the federal court of appeals that “found exactly that.”

“Exactly 37 hours after he took oath of office, President Biden’s White House began ordering the social media sites to remove me, remove my platforms from Instagram, Facebook, Twitter … ”

In fact, the Biden administration has not only censored but targeted and prosecuted its political opponents as well as citizens who have opposed the apparent “sacred cows” of the administration.

For example, Attorney General Merrick Garland ordered federal authorities in October 2021 to be ready to prosecute citizens, including concerned parents, who spoke out at school board meetings against COVID regulations and the framing of sexual and race discussion in classrooms.

Multiple FBI offices also labeled traditional Latin Mass Catholics as potential extremists, citing an Atlantic article about the Rosary being a weapon as well as the discredited Southern Poverty Law Center.

Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Moving on to the topic of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Kennedy shared nuanced views that recognize injustices committed by both Hamas and the state of Israel. He referred to himself as “extremely pro-Palestinian,” and believes they “have a right to their own state.”

However, he also does not “see that Israel has any choice but to eradicate Hamas,” adding that he doesn’t conflate Hamas, “an agent of Iran,” with the Palestinian people.

“Hamas is a kleptocracy — it steals money,” said Kennedy, going on to explain that the leaders of Hamas are billionaires. “They are stealing international aid funding which is meant to help the Palestinian people, and the money they don’t steal, they’re using to build underground tunnels, rather than schools” and useful infrastructure.

Hamas has stated that they do not want land, peace, or negotiations, but only one thing — “the eradication of Israel,” said Kennedy, who shared that he has read their “covenant,” which “specifically says any negotiation with Israel is a violation of Islamic law.”

“When you say ceasefire, what are you talking about? Because Hamas doesn’t want to stop firing these rockets.”

Kennedy stressed that he considers himself “anti-war,” and that he believes World War II is the only “moral” war the U.S. has participated in over the past century.

Abortion

Kennedy reiterated his support for abortion, the killing of unborn children, when asked to address the topic. He repeated the refrain of pro-abortion advocates to Arroyo, telling him that women “ought to have bodily autonomy” and that the government should not be interfering with that, failing to address the fact that a separate human life is at stake in abortion.

“I don’t feel that I’m doctrinaire on either side … I want to find a common ground where Americans can agree on it,” Kennedy said.

Calling abortion a “tragedy” and each one a “trauma,” Kennedy said he would “like to maximize choice but also minimize the number of abortions every year,” at least in part by subsidizing daycare, using money that would be made available by ending U.S. involvement in the Ukraine war.

When Arroyo pushed back on the idea that subsidized daycare would make a difference for mothers who have abortions because having a baby “would be too radical a change in their life,” Kennedy suggested another solution.

“I think we also need to have the best adoption system … and adoption placement systems in the world so people have that option as well. And I think we need to give people every option that they can to bring the baby to term, but not force them. Give them every option, so that it becomes attractive to them,” Kennedy said.

When confronted about whether he supports the Biden administration’s decision to make abortion pills available at every pharmacy, Kennedy eventually admitted that he would not reverse this decision but qualified that he is “worried about every pharmaceutical drug.”

He shared that Peter C. Gøtzsche, “one of the most influential epidemiologists on the planet,” “published a study this week that showed that pharmaceutical drugs are now the primary cause of death in our country.”

“Violence, the mental illness, the suicide, the homicide … these can all be an impact of pharmaceutical drugs … and we know almost nothing about them. Why? Because the pharma industry controls the NIH, CDC, and FDA.”

As with other drugs, Kennedy believes that “everyone should know the side effects (and) the risks of the abortion pill, so that everyone has “an informed choice.”

Kennedy also told Arroyo during their interview that he is opposed to the Biden administration’s new interpretation of Title IX — written by his uncle — according to which gender-confused men can participate in women’s sports.

“I don’t believe that people who are born men ought to be able to participate in consequential sports … against women,” said Kennedy, adding that he is proud of his uncle’s achievement in helping women’s sports to acquire rights equal to men’s sports.

‘Spiritual realignment’

Kennedy shared with Arroyo that while the Catholic faith was the “centerpiece” of his life growing up, he became distant from God during a 13-year period after his father’s assassination when he became addicted to drugs.

“During that period of time, I wouldn’t say I lost my faith, but when you’re living against conscience, which you have to do if you’re addicted to drugs, you push God out over the periphery of your horizon,” Kennedy said. “So the concept of God was, although it never was erased from me, it was just a distant concept that was not part of my day-to-day life.”

According to Kennedy, his recovery “involved a profound spiritual realignment” that has been the center of his life ever since.

While he lost his compulsion to use drugs at that point, he noted, “you can’t live off the laurels of a spiritual awakening. You have to renew it every day, and you renew it through service to other people.”

In response to questions from Arroyo, Kennedy shared that he prays “pretty much all day,” and that his faith keeps him “peaceful” even when he is attacked from all sides for his views and his presidential run, even by family.

“I think of it as like being on the ocean during (a) storm when there’s a tremendous amount of turbulence on the surface, but it allows me to sink below the surface and be in the stillness. There’s the confidence that all of that is an illusion, it’s a distraction,” Kennedy said.

“All of the figures that I admire … went through a period of rejection in their lives. Rejection by their families, rejection by their friends … being pariahs within their communities. In many ways, their achievements were meaningful because of that social disdain that they experienced during parts of their life.”

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California’s soaring electricity rates strain consumers, impact climate goals

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From The Center Square

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While the greenhouse gas reduction programs that raise electricity rates are part of California’s climate goals, the increased prices actually discourage individuals from switching away from using fossil fuels impacting California’s ambitious climate goals.

California has completed yet another year with some of the highest electricity rates in the country – almost double the national average. The state’s electricity rates have been increasing rapidly, outpacing inflation in recent years by approximately 47% from 2019 to 2023. This is due largely to the high rates charged by the state’s three large investor-owned utilities (IOUs).

According to a report published by the California Legislative Analyst Office, the factors driving rate increases are wildfire-related costs, greenhouse gas reduction mandates, and policies and differences in utility operational structures and services territories. Ratepayers bear the brunt of these costs with those who earn lower incomes and live in hotter areas of the state the most severely affected.

The report points out that while the greenhouse gas reduction programs that raise electricity rates are part of California’s climate goals, the increased prices actually discourage individuals from switching away from using fossil fuels impacting California’s ambitious climate goals.

These programs include the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS), which requires utilities to provide a percentage of retail electricity sales from renewable sources, raising costs for ratepayers. Additionally, SB 350 directs the CPUC to authorize ratepayer-funded energy efficiency programs to meet California’s goal of doubling energy efficiency savings by 2030.

“While many other states operate ratepayer-supported energy efficiency programs, on average, we estimate that Californians contribute a notably greater share of their rates to such programs than is typical across the country,” the report notes.

Electricity rates pay for numerous costs related to the construction, maintenance and operation of electricity systems including the generation, transmission and distribution components. However, these rates also pay for costs unrelated to servicing electricity.

“Most notably, the state and IOUs use revenue generated from electricity rates to support various state-mandated public purpose programs,” the report says. “These programs have goals such as increasing energy efficiency, expediting adoption of renewable energy sources, supporting the transition to zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs), and providing lower-income customers with financial assistance.”

The largest public purpose program is the California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE), which provides discounts for lower-income customers. However, the report notes that while CARE benefits certain customers, it shifts the costs onto other slightly higher-income customers and that the majority of Californians spend a larger portion of their income on electricity compared to other states.

 “According to data from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, California households in the lowest quintile of the income distribution typically spend about 6 percent of their before-tax incomes on electricity, compared to less than 1 percent for the highest-income quintile of households,” reads the report. “Notably, high electricity rates also can impose burdens on moderate-income earners, since they also pay a larger share of their household incomes toward electricity than their higher-income counterparts but typically are not able to qualify for bill assistance programs.”

Electricity bills also reflect other state and local tax charges including utility taxes that are used to support programs such as fire response and parks in addition to the state-assessed charge on electricity use that is put into the Energy Resources Programs Account (ERPA). This account is used to pay for energy programs and planning activities.

While many of the funds recovered through electricity rates are fixed costs for programs, these costs increased in 2022 following the repeal of a state law that limited fixed charges at $10, requiring the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to authorize fixed charges that vary by income. These come out to be around $24 per month for non-CARE customers and $6 per month for CARE customers.

Wildfire related costs have also been increasing. Before 2019, wildfire costs included in electricity rates charged by IOUs were negligible, but now it has grown between 7% and 13% of typical non-CARE customers. Reasons for this increase include California’s high wildfire risk and the state’s liability standard holding IOUs responsible for all costs associated with utility-caused wildfires.

“The magnitude of the damages and risks from utility-sparked wildfires have increased substantially in recent years,” reads the report. “Correspondingly, IOUs have spent unprecedented amounts in recent years on wildfire mitigation-related activities to try to reduce the likelihood of future utility-caused wildfires, with the associated costs often passed along to ratepayers. Furthermore, California IOUs and their ratepayers pay for insurance against future wildfires, including contributing to the California Wildfire Fund.”

According to the report, electricity use and rates for Claifornians are only expected to increase and the legislature will have to determine how to tackle the statewide climate goals while reducing the burden on ratepayers.

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Crime

Former UK MP says ‘nothing was done’ with child trafficking information given to police, MI5

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From LifeSiteNews

By Emily Mangiaracina

Andrew Bridgen says UK security agencies ignored detailed information about child trafficking, including names of people involved and where the children were being taken.

A former UK Member of Parliament says the top security agencies of Britain, including the police and MI5, are refusing to act on detailed information they’ve been given about child trafficking into the country.

Andrew Bridgen, who served as a popular Conservative MP for North West Leicestershire from 2010 until 2024, told Infowars founder Alex Jones in a Friday interview how he had raised concerns while in Parliament about “a number of individuals” who were evidently pedophiles.

“It was always passed to the police, to the National Crime Agency, and it involves senior politicians, very senior police officers, and nothing was ever done about it,” Bridgen told Jones.

He had explained that early in his career he had seen London police quash an investigation into child prostitution — and so this appeared to be a repeating pattern of cover-up of child sex crimes.

A former policeman named Jon Wedger had discovered that “children were being taken from children’s homes in the UK and prostituted on the weekend,” and were returning “under the influence of drugs and often with terrible venereal diseases, and the people at the homes were doing nothing about it.”

Upon further investigation, Wedger “wrote a report he sent to his superiors pointing out that child prostitution in London had not been investigated for decades.” However, instead of attempting to protect the children and stop the abuse, the police “threatened” Wedger, told him to retract the report, and fired him from the police force “on false pretenses,” according to Bridgen.

Later, Bridgen met a man who conducted a two-year investigation into sex abuse by pedophile and deceased Prime Minister Edward Heath. The police concluded that, were Heath alive, “he would have been arrested and charged with pedophilia.”

“If a former MP could have been a pedophile and it was covered up, then anything is possible,” Bridgen remarked.

He then told how last year a source approached him with “information about child trafficking into the UK,” including “detailed names of people involved on the ground; where the children were being brought in; where they were being taken; where their photographs were being taken; and the name of the company that was instrumental in laundering the money” used to buy these children.

“Meaning they were tipped off,” Jones noted.

Bridgen told how the source had recorded all of his phone calls with MI5, the police force, and the National Crime Agency, and when they failed to act, Bridgen “sent a file with all the information to senior politicians.”

“Eventually, all I got back was, ‘Take it to the police.’ I pointed out this had already been to the police, and it had been to MI5. There actually was an MI5 officer who had been very sympathetic and realized how important this evidence was. And he tried to push it. He was removed from the service. That’s how deep the corruption runs.”

In a June 2024 interview on the Resistance Podcast, Bridgen elaborated, “And then when you see the names, you see why. They are known names.”

He shared further horrifying details about the final end of the children who are trafficked and abused.

“They use them in the sex trade for about three years and then when they’re worn out they organ harvest them,” Bridgen shared.

“No one’s interested. No one wants to talk about it. No one wants to talk about a lot of things.”

Bridgen believes this demand for child trafficking is an explanation for the drive to continue wars around the world, including the war in Ukraine, because the conflicts present “a huge opportunity for child trafficking.”

Jones pointed out it was publicly admitted that decades ago, sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein entered war zones in Kosovo and Serbia and bought “nine- and 10-year-old girls” in order to sell them into sex slavery in the U.S. The father of Epstein’s girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, was one of the main directors of the “blackmail pedophile operations” of “MI6 and Mossad,” according to Jones.

“Ultimately, I think it’s the glue that holds the self-proclaimed elites around the world together, because once they’re involved in pedophilia or profiting from child trafficking, it’s the ultimate blackmail,” Bridgen said. “There’s no way out of the club for them. They all have to go down together.”

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