x01a Research Archives

WSJ editors blast Trump after he caves in hostage deal: ‘No cause to be grateful’– www.rawstory.com
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A conservative editorial board threw cold water on one of President Donald Trump’s latest diplomatic wins, warning his team was getting played.

The Wall Street Journal’s editorial board wrote Wednesday that there is “no cause to be grateful” to Russian President Vladimir Putin for freeing Stephen Hubbard, a retired American teacher jailed in Russia since 2022. Trump said Wednesday that Putin let Hubbard go after a personal plea from the president and asked for nothing in return.

The board welcomed Hubbard home but argued the Russian leader “takes Western hostages as part of his statecraft.” The editorial laid out a pattern. Putin seizes someone, slaps them with bogus charges, secures a conviction in a rigged court and then frees or swaps them whenever it suits him.

The board pointed to The Journal’s own reporter, Evan Gershkovich, whom Putin used as a bargaining chip to win back an assassin held in Germany. It also noted that Russian security services detained a Japanese reporter just last week, possibly to pressure Tokyo.

Putin didn’t need anything new for Hubbard because he has “already been piling up concessions” from Trump while escalating his war on Ukraine, Europe and NATO, the editorial argued. Among them, the board listed loosened U.S. sanctions on diesel sales, waived sanctions in a bill from Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and what its sources described as intermittent limits on Ukraine’s access to Starlink.

Public transport hell: Foreigners committed 53% of sexual crimes on German trains in first half of 2026– rmx.news
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German Federal Police recorded 98,026 crimes at train stations and on trains in the first half of 2026, with foreign nationals substantially overrepresented among identified suspects in violent, property and sexual offenses relative to their share of the population. In the crime of sexual offenses, foreigners represented 53 percent of suspects.

The figures, provided by the Interior Ministry in response to a parliamentary inquiry from the Alternative for Germany (AfD) group, exclude high-volume offenses such as fare evasion. They include roughly 14,000 violent crimes, 1,104 sexual offenses, about 24,000 property crimes, approximately 16,000 cases of property damage, nearly 4,500 drug offenses, and 796 weapons offenses, according to German newspaper Berliner Zeitung.

For sexual offenses, 53 percent of known suspects were non-German, with Syrians, Poles and Afghans again ranking highest.

Pope Leo needs no further treatment for lung cancer: Vatican – National– globalnews.ca
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Pope Leo XIV got good news from his doctors: The pontiff will need no further treatment for lung cancer after follow-up tests confirmed the disease was localized, the Vatican said in a statement Wednesday.

Leo, 71, had the lower lobe of his right lung removed last week in the first major health event of his 17-month pontificate. The surgery confirmed he had adenocarcinoma, the most common type of lung cancer. Leo was discharged from Rome’s Gemelli Polyclinic on Saturday, four days after surgery, and said he would gradually resume his activities.

The pope’s personal physician, Dr. Luigi Carbone, and his surgeon, Dr. Stefano Margaritora, said in a statement that results of the final post-operative tests on tissue removed during the pope’s surgery confirmed the diagnosis and that the cancer had not spread.

“A subsequent oncology assessment confirmed that no further treatment is necessary,” the doctors said.

Vicious clashes erupt between cops and left-wing protesters in Spain– www.thesun.co.uk
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BRUTAL clashes erupted between cops and protesters in Spain just days after apocalyptic riots swept across France.

Twelve police officers and three protesters were injured after chaos broke out in A Coruña, a port city in Galicia, on Wednesday.

Police forces clash with protesters in Maria Pita square, in La Coruna Credit: AFP
Hooded and masked men join protests against the Vox party’s leader’s visit Credit: AFP

Around 100 people and several thousand demonstrators had gathered in María Pita Square to meet the leader of Spain’s right-wing Vox party.

But tensions boiled over by the end of Santiago Abascal’s speech with protesters launching eggs across the security cordon.

Macron blasts ‘stupid’ claims by Trump, others blaming Muslims migrants for riots– abcnews.com
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PARIS — French President Emmanuel Macron said Wednesday that foreign leaders — including those “on the other side of the Atlantic” — are trying to exploit France’s tense social climate for their own political agenda.

Protests over soaring living costs have led to widespread rioting and looting in France.

U.S. President Donald Trump has used the violence to rally his political supporters, making unsubstantiated claims that Muslim migrants are responsible for the unrest, and urging Macron to “close your borders and take control before it is too late!”

Macron responded by saying there “has been foreign manipulation of information in the aftermath” of the looting in Paris and other French cities last weekend.

“And that has led to comments that are as unacceptable as they are stupid, from many people, including foreign leaders,” he said.

Asked by a reporter if he was referring to Trump, Macron replied: “Among others.”

Video. Greece: Thousands flood Athens streets in education protest– www.euronews.com
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Students, teachers and public-sector workers marched through central Athens on Wednesday, demanding more funding for education, smaller classes, better facilities and affordable student housing.

Aerial footage showed crowds filling major streets as protesters made their way from the University of Athens towards the Greek Parliament. Some banners written in French reflected the Greek protesters’ solidarity with, and inspiration from, recent student demonstrations in France. Organisers presented the march as part of a broader European movement calling for better-funded education, affordable housing and relief from rising living costs.

Police officers, including riot police carrying shields, accompanied the march and blocked nearby roads. Some shops and cafés closed their shutters as a precaution.

The demonstration was part of a nationwide protest movement, with rallies also held in Thessaloniki, Patras, Larissa and Crete. Police estimated that around 10,000 people took part in Athens and its suburbs, although organisers claimed a higher turnout.

Riots Across France Scare Off American Media Covering Sunday’s NFL Game in Paris – PJ Media– pjmedia.com
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Europe’s doormat, France, is still set to host a major American sporting event this Sunday amidst a wave of violence that has swept the country, while its inept government has done the best it could do to quell the riots, given that its mainstay law enforcement tools are Prius police cars and stand-down orders.

The country best known for its cuisine, its arrogance, and its readiness to surrender at the drop of a hat is scheduled to host a regular-season NFL game in Paris between the New Orleans Saints and the Pittsburgh Steelers. The game is still on for Sunday, October 25, in spite of the fact that the U.S. Embassy in France is warning Americans to avoid areas of unrest in the country.

The million-dollar question is, how do you avoid “unrest” if it decides to come to you? No doubt the orchestrators of the violence will know that disrupting an NFL football game in Paris will get the attention of America. With that in mind, you almost have to assume that the game already has the attention of the “mostly peaceful” violence planners.

While this hasn’t deterred a large contingent of the Steeler faithful who are already boarding flights to Paris, it has scared off two hometown TV stations that were all set to send crews to France to cover the game. NBC affiliate WDSU-TV in New Orleans and ABC affiliate WTAE-TV in Pittsburgh both decided to cancel their travel plans. The two stations are owned by Hearst.

Live: Paris bans protests after violent unrest as Macron takes swipe at Trump– www.france24.com
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French police banned protests in parts of Paris on Thursday as authorities braced for further demonstrations following some of the worst street unrest in years. The restrictions came after President Emmanuel Macron appeared to accuse US President Donald Trump of exploiting the violence for political gain ahead of US midterm elections. Follow our liveblog for the latest updates.

Protests banned in parts of Paris as Macron swipes at Trump

Police banned protests in parts of Paris on Thursday, as France braced for more demonstrations just days after student and other rallies degenerated into some of the worst street unrest in years.

Wednesday’s announcement came after President Emmanuel Macron took an apparent swipe at his US counterpart Donald Trump for exploiting the riots for political advantage in the US midterm election battle.

The Paris ban will last from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm (0600 to 1800 GMT) and apply to key landmarks in the French capital, including the Elysee presidential palace, both houses of parliament, as well as tourist havens such as the Louvre museum and the Champs-Elysees.

Welcome to the France 24 liveblog covering protests in France. You can catch up on yesterday’s key developments here.

  • France is bracing for yet another weekend of protests by high school students and the “Yellow Vest” movement.
  • Paris police have banned a student protest scheduled for Thursday, citing the organiser’s “inability to prevent violence and vandalism”, a police source told AFP.
  • French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu will on Thursday meet with the mayors of some of the cities that were worst hit by the riots over the weekend, including Paris, Marseille and Lyon.

French police arrest more than 1,800 people after violent protests erupt across country– www.cbsnews.com
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Police arrested at least 1,800 people across France after violent groups clashed with officers and looted shops during nationwide demonstrations that drew hundreds of thousands who denounced rising living costs and poor conditions in schools.

Authorities said masked groups on Saturday set fires and attacked public buildings, including city halls, in several cities.

In Limoges, a city in central France, flames engulfed the 19th-century City Hall, causing its roof to collapse. Haute-Vienne prefect Maurice Barate told LCI television that the fire was deliberately set and nearly destroyed the building. The fire was under control Sunday.

French President Emmanuel Macron will hold an emergency meeting with top government officials on Sunday afternoon, before addressing the nation at 8 p.m., according to his office.

A University in Florida is Trying to Block Colonel Allen West From Speaking on Campus * The Gateway Pundit * by Mike LaChance– www.thegatewaypundit.com
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A conservative student group called Young America’s Foundation, or YAF, at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) in Florida is trying to bring Colonel Allen West to campus for a speaking engagement, but the administration is playing games with paperwork.

This only happens to conservative student groups and conservative speakers in higher education. Left-wing student groups bring in radicals to speak to them all the time and there is almost never a problem.

It goes beyond bias. It’s an infringement on free speech.

Townhall reported:

Former Congressman and Retired Army Lt. Col. Allen West Was Barred From Speaking on College Campus

Left-wing extremism and censorship are major problems on college campuses, with everyone from students to professors to administrators holding to one ideology and doing everything in their power to make conservatives — and conservative ideals — unwelcome on campus. At Florida’s Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) in Daytona Beach, Florida, this extremism led to school officials blocking former Florida Congressman and retired Army Lt. Col. Allen West from speaking on campus.

Students with Young America’s Foundation (YAF) sought to host Lt. Col. West for an event promoting conservative values, and despite trying to follow the university’s procedures, members of YAF say administrators restricted the event without providing a clear explanation.

In emails shared with Townhall, Negar Afshar, the Director of Student Organizations and Engagement, communicated with Matthew Finkel, the Chairman of the Embry-Riddle chapter of YAF. The first message, from Afshar dated Tuesday, October 6, was a “friendly reminder” that YAF had agreed to meet with Afshar regularly, “as well as discussing any event or speaker ideas in advance so we can approve and renew them together.” Afshar then informed Finkle that he received a Speaker Request form.

“We need to discuss that before anything can move forward,” Afshar wrote. “Please select a time on my calendar as soon as possible so we can reconnect and review your plans.”

WaPo Reveals More Evidence Implicating Ilhan Omar In Fraud– thefederalist.com
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Buried in a report aimed at discrediting ongoing probes into Rep. Ilhan Omar, The Washington Post divulged fresh evidence suggesting her previous marriage to her alleged brother, Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, was a sham.

In recounting the first Trump administration’s ultimately inconclusive investigation into some of the same issues federal officials are examining anew concerning the congresswoman’s background, the Post reveals that Elmi once filed a petition to have his residency status, derived from his marriage-based green card, shifted from conditional to permanent. According to the newspaper, U.S. Customs and Immigration Services (USCIS) “requested additional evidence due to concerns over the validity of his marriage,” at which point Elmi pulled his application.

This immediately raises three questions: What was it in that application that gave immigration officials pause? Why was it that Elmi dropped his bid to obtain permanent residency if the marriage was legitimate? And did authorities in the first Trump administration vigorously pursue these issues, and are they vigorously pursuing them now to the extent there are potential legal issues arising therefrom not bound by statutes of limitation?

While the Post mentions this matter in passing, there is critical additional context here that the newspaper omitted, which ties Elmi’s abandonment of his permanent residency push to Omar.

Elmi almost certainly filed and then withdrew an I-751 petition. Under federal law, typically, within the 90-day period before “the second anniversary of the date on which an alien obtained” a green card, such aliens must file an I-751 to remove conditions on their residency. Absent circumstances like death or divorce, petitioners must file jointly with their spouses.

Protests against Cornell alleged assailants also target ICE, ‘colonialism,’ DEI cuts– www.thecollegefix.com
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OPINION: While everyone is here marching, might as well air all grievances!

Student protests against the alleged rapes at Cornell University quickly devolved into a general airing of grievance by liberal activists.

Since many of the protests were organized by slew of left-wing groups on campuses, including pro-Palestinian and pro-abortion clubs, it only made sense they would use the opportunity to complain about their own pet issues.

All of the protests in the past few weeks had the primary goal of calling for changes in how sexual assault allegations are handled on specific college  campuses as well as standing with the accuser in the Cornell frat party rape case.

That makes sense – insofar as students believe the sexual assault investigation process is broken, calling for changes (whatever they actually are) is a logical response.

But hey while we are all here, why not lay out our other complaints.

A rally at Harvard University called for “an independent grievance process for harassment and discrimination complaints” and “expanded resources for survivors,” according to the student newspaper.

But activists also demanded “the reopening of two diversity offices shuttered in July 2025.”

Georgia shows what could follow Serbia’s election– www.washingtonexaminer.com
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On Oct. 25, Aleksandar Vucic’s ruling coalition will face Serbia’s student protest movement and established opposition parties at the ballot box. Vucic, who resigned as president in September to seek the premiership, wants to extend his Serbian Progressive Party’s 14-year hold on power. The danger extends beyond whether his party manipulates the vote. His government could portray protests against the result as a Western plot, crack down on opponents, and accelerate state capture.

Georgia offers a preview of what could follow Serbia’s election. The ruling parties in both countries have spent years weakening institutions, intimidating critics, and tilting elections toward incumbents. The useful comparison is what happened after Georgia’s contested October 2024 vote. Georgian Dream turned an electoral dispute into an opportunity to narrow the space for opposition, watchdogs, and protest. Vucic has the tools to attempt something similar.

In Georgia, manipulation began well before Election Day. Georgian Dream passed a foreign-influence law targeting foreign-funded organizations and media. Election observers documented pressure on public employees, misuse of state resources, and compromised ballot secrecy in roughly a quarter of polling-station observations. More than 1,200 complaints followed the vote, but the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights found that many lacked effective remedies. Georgian Dream retained power, opposition parties rejected the results and boycotted parliament.

Georgian Dream intensified its crackdown after the election. Police violently dispersed protests and detained more than 500 demonstrators. Authorities also jailed opposition leaders and froze civil society groups’ bank accounts. Georgian Dream suspended its pursuit of EU accession talks until 2028, enacted tougher foreign-agent restrictions carrying prison sentences of up to five years, and required government approval for foreign grants. It also moved to ban five opposition parties through the Constitutional Court.

Les Republicans Pounce! Media Denounces ‘Far Right’ Candidate in France For Noticing Riots Are a Bad Thing– www.westernjournal.com
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We’ve exported the “fiery but mostly peaceful protests” narrative to France. Now, the media is sending them the “Republicans pounce” storyline, as well.

As you’ve probably heard, France is burning thanks to “student” protests. I put that word in quotation marks because there’s every indication that these riots are being funded by the same network that boosts Marxist protests in the United States, as well. But that’s not being reported.

Instead, this is what happened in Limoges during unrest the BBC said was “mostly peaceful.”

Forty-Five Percent of College Students Justify Violence to Stop ‘Hate Speech’: Survey › American Greatness– amgreatness.com
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A new survey finds that nearly half of undergraduate students support censorship, shout-downs, and physical violence to suppress what they consider “hate speech” or offensive ideas.

Fox News reports that the 2026 National Undergraduate Student Survey, released this month by the Buckley Institute, shows that 45 percent of undergraduate students surveyed believe physical violence can be justified to stop so-called hate speech. That number is up 6 points from 2025 and ties the all-time record set in 2023.

The survey, which polled 803 full-time undergraduate students at four-year public and private colleges across the United States, revealed several record-high metrics concerning free expression on campus, according to Yahoo.

New fake polling scandal riles Democrats ahead of midterm elections– www.washingtonexaminer.com
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Another fake polling scandal has hit less than two weeks before the midterm elections, ripping open old wounds about the Michigan Democratic Senate primary and renewing skepticism about pollsters as they increasingly forecast a blue wave on Nov. 3.

An outfit called Wedgewood Polls released a statement on social media Tuesday acknowledging most of its results were not legitimate, but rather some kind of experiment designed to show serious problems with how polls are conducted and then reported on by the media.

Federal agents knock on doors to track down possible noncitizen voters ahead of midterms– www.cbsnews.com
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Armed and in uniform, federal agents from the Department of Homeland Security have been knocking on doors in several states to ask residents about their immigration status — and to inquire if they have registered to vote or cast votes in past elections, a CBS News Investigation has found.

The operation is part of an effort to root out potential noncitizen voters ahead of the midterms. DHS has alleged that there could be as many as 250,000 citizens illegally registered to vote, although election experts have disputed the accuracy of this figure. Just 156 people have been charged with voting-fraud related offenses since the beginning of the Trump administration, according to the Department of Justice. There are 227 million registered voters in the U.S.

Critics say that sending armed federal agents to the doors of U.S. residents could be intimidating for legal voters.

“What we’re seeing now is the federal government is inserting itself into the state process for verifying their voter roles in an unprecedented way,” said Jessica Marsden, a lawyer for Protect Democracy, a left-leaning advocacy group that is suing the federal agency over the door-knocking campaign. “And they are doing it in a way that seems maximally designed to scare lawful voters from participating.”

Man in court over alleged ‘targeted’ attack on Australian lawmaker– www.channelnewsasia.com
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WORLD “MORE DANGEROUS”

The independent lawmaker, 65, was standing near the trunk of her car when she was struck by a Toyota Land Cruiser on Monday afternoon.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has led an outpouring of support for Haines, who was widely praised for her efforts to increase transparency in politics and crack down on corruption.

He bemoaned the fact that political debate in Australia had grown too heated and personal over the past few years.

“It’s a reminder that the world is a more dangerous and divided place than it was a generation ago,” Albanese told ABC Melbourne radio on Wednesday.

“I think that Australians do want to see their politicians be able to go about their business, to be able to get something from the back of their car, for goodness sake,” he said.

Australia’s spy agency chief Mike Burgess warned following the alleged attack that “elevated levels of grievance, intolerance and polarisation continue to create a permissive environment of violence”.

Haines entered parliament in 2019 after working as a nurse and midwife, becoming known for stances such as supporting stronger climate action.

 

A student protest movement has gripped Serbia for two years. This weekend it will try to take power | Serbia– www.theguardian.com
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On a cool autumn evening, a team of Serbian student volunteers went canvassing in the housing estates of Krnjača, a Belgrade suburb. They were equipped with lanyards emblazoned with the word “victory”, a stock list of questions and a mobile app that mapped visited homes and the level of support in each.

The volunteers were part of a mass student movement, Student List, that has rocked Serbia with two years of constant protests. On Sunday, the group will represent the most serious challenge Aleksandar Vučić has faced in his 12 increasingly authoritarian years in power, by putting forward their own candidates in parliamentary elections.

They hope to emulate the defeat of Vučić’s ally, Viktor Orbán, in neighbouring Hungary six months ago, in a domino effect that could bring a democratic resurgence to central Europe.

Opinion polls have varied wildly, but many expert observers say a close race is quite possible, with neither side prepared to accept a loss as a legitimate result, raising the risk of post-election unrest and clashes.

Musk chose to restrict Ukraine’s access to SpaceX satellite network, sources say– www.cbsnews.com
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A decision by Elon Musk led to restrictions on Ukraine’s use of SpaceX’s satellite communications network, people familiar with the matter told CBS News.

The satellite service, which is used for drone operations, hitting certain targets and protecting sites in Ukraine, was slowed significantly last week.

Musk held multiple conversations with administration officials leading up to the order, the sources said. He wanted clarity on the president’s thinking on the matter. Musk has expressed distaste with his company being seen as profiting from the continued war between Russia and Ukraine.

It’s not clear how Musk’s order to curtail service was executed.

Musk licenses SpaceX’s Starshield technology to the U.S. government. He said last week the U.S. controls who can access the technology and what level of service those users receive.

“Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS,” Musk, the world’s richest person, wrote on X.

Musk did not reply to a request for comment. CBS News has reached out to the White House and the Pentagon for comment.

The Wall Street Journal was first to report on Musk’s order.

NY Times Journo on MSNOW Sounds Alarm for Democrats – Says Lifelong Democrats in Michigan Are Crossing Over and Voting Republican (VIDEO)– www.thegatewaypundit.com
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New York Times journalist Jeremy Peters recently appeared on MSNOW and told hosts Joe and Mika that large numbers of lifelong Democrats in Michigan, particularly Jewish Democrats, are crossing party lines to vote Republican for the first time.

Peters describes this as a ‘big deal’ and goes on to say that he can’t think of a race where the opposite is happening. He is right about that. There is no race in this election cycle that is causing Republicans to vote for a Democrat candidate.

In Michigan, this is happening because a huge number of voters in the state simply do not trust Abdul El-Sayed.

Hannity.com has more details:

Even a New York Times reporter sees it. Mike Rogers is winning over lifelong Democrats.

Times national reporter Jeremy Peters dropped the bombshell Monday morning on MS NOW’s “Morning Joe.” He pointed to “lifelong Jewish Democrats, especially in the Detroit suburbs, who are saying for the first time in their lives they’re voting Republican.”

“That’s a big deal,” Peters said. “I don’t know of any other marquee race in the country right now where the Republican candidate is converting Democrats.”

Rogers, the Republican, faces far-left Democrat Abdul El-Sayed for Michigan’s open Senate seat. Voters decide Nov. 3.

Peters knows the turf. “I grew up not far from where El-Sayed is from,” he told the hosts.

He called it “really quite striking” that some Democrats are “so concerned about their party’s nominee” that they’re “willing to vote for the candidate who’s aligned with Donald Trump.”

Khanna: ‘Wrong’ to Make France Riots ‘About the Left Wing’– www.breitbart.com
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On Tuesday’s broadcast of the Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends,” Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) stated that while condemning rioting and property destruction in France is the right thing to do, it’s “wrong to make it about the left wing.”

After reading from a statement from Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob S. Helberg, co-host Brian Kilmeade asked, “So, you’re saying he’s wrong to identify this as left-wing terrorism?”

Khanna answered, “He’s wrong to make it about the left wing. He’s right to identify rioting as totally wrong and to say that you should never be destroying property or national monuments. But I think that we have to look at what is the cause, initially, of the discontent in this country? Why are there so many protests of young people around the world? Because the price of oil has gone up, gas has gone up, diesel has gone up, they don’t think schools are being funded.”