The episode examines why France’s public-school protests have become a symbol of a broader crisis. Mark Landler explains how generous social programs, years of overspending, economic shocks and costly borrowing have weakened the country’s finances. With Macron’s reform agenda stalled and both the far right and far left offering risky alternatives, France faces difficult choices over pensions, public spending and its place in Europe. The episode closes with two other news reports: a U.S. diplomat’s suppression of reporting on Israel and the return of the USS Abraham Lincoln.