France is running out of gasoline and suffering blackouts as the number of French strikers continues to grow, bringing the country to a grinding halt. Strikes in air traffic control rooms have seen most flights cancelled and hundreds of thousands of passengers stranded – and now the strike is about to hit the country’s nuclear power plants. Mishtalk.com reports: I offer this quote of the day: “One cannot just turn off a nuclear plant, it is not like a thermal or hydro plant.” The BBC reports French Labour Dispute: Strike Hits All Eight Oil Refineries. An estimated 20% of petrol stations have either run dry or are low on supplies. Clashes broke out at one refinery early on Tuesday when police broke up a blockade at Fos-sur-Mer in Marseille. Prime Minister Manuel Valls insisted the labour laws would stand, and that further blockades would be broken up. “That’s enough. It’s unbearable to see this sort of thing,” he told French radio. “The CGT will come up against an extremely firm response from the government. We’ll carry on clearing sites blocked by this organisation.” Law be Decree The union is aiming to cut output by half at the refineries and wants strikes [...]