Taking Stock

This week on Taking Stock Mandy Johnston takes a look at the eventful first year in power for Italian PM Giorgia Meloni when she chats to Mark Lowen the BBC News Southern Europe correspondent.Mandy also looks at the use and misuse of social media in the Israel/Palestine conflict when she talks to Sophia Khatsenkova the Tech and Disinformation Correspondent for Euronews.And with more and more people eschewing typical ‘retirement’ Mandy talks to Michael Skapinker a leadership educator and Louisa Meehan a workplace expert about changing the narrative around ‘stopping work’.

Last week, a political bombshell dropped Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced his independent run for the US Presidency in 2024 and this week on Taking Stock Mandy Johnston talks to Michael Wendling of the BBC about what it means for the race.With businesses all around the world facing many difficult global tensions companies are turning more and more to former diplomats, politicians, and civil servants for advice at the board level. Could this trend be linked to the growing number of politicians choosing to exit the political stage here in Ireland? Mandy talks to Michael Dwyer from the Financial Times.And finally Mandy is joined by Dr Karina Doorley of Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) to shed light on Ireland's ever-evolving discussion on our tax system and what kind of society its creating. 

With the sad passing of Chuck Feeney this week on Taking Stock Mandy Jonston examines the life and generosity of the billionaire who gave away a fortune, much of it here in Ireland when she speaks with former Diplomat Ted Smyth.Is the Taxman about to get tough on debtors? Jon Ihle of the Sunday Times tells Mandy how the Revenue are cracking down on a blasé attitude to tax that took hold during the pandemic.As hostilities in Israel and Gazza intensify, Mandy examines the origins of the conflict and look at the geo-political interests of everyone in this escalating crisis when she talks to Allison Meakem  who is an associate editor at Foreign Policy.

This week on Taking Stock Mandy Johnston looks at the British Party Conference season which never fails to entertain and this week was no different. Lucy Fisher who is the Financial Times Whitehall Editor tells us all about the Tory Party conference this week.Crypto Goes on Trial as Sam Bankman-Fried Faces his reckoning and we hear the latest from WIRED’s Joel Khalili.There were unprecedented scenes in the House of Representatives as their speaker is unceremoniously sacked and Mandy is joined by the US Guardian correspondent Joan Greve to find out what happens next.

This week on Taking Stock Mandy Johnston delves into the geopolitical landscape as Poland heads into an election. The war in Ukraine has cast a long shadow over the political arena and Mandy asks if Ukraine is being used as a political pawn and the implications that might hold.We hear from Joe Millar of the FT in New York who gives us an exclusive preview of what's in store for Donald Trump's upcoming court hearing next week.And there’s also the topic that's on everyone's minds – housing. With Budget 24 around the corner, Mandy takes a 360-degree view of this complex issue with Jack Horgan-Jones of the Irish Times  and Tax Expert Marian Ryan.

With less than a month to go to Budget 2024 Mandy Johnston takes stock of the warnings, wish lists and promises that we have been hearing all summer long with Business Post Editor Daniel Mc Connell & Economist Jim Power.A new book claims that many of us are walking around in a state of BLUR and that information overload is much more acute than we think. The author of that book - BLUR: Clear the Way Ahead - Susan Ford Collins joins Mandy.Credit Suisse has been in the news a lot recently having been bailed out by Government and taken over by UPS this summer. But did you know an Irishman is at the helm there?  Colm Kelleher - possibly the most powerful man in European banking who few people have heard and Mandy hears his story and what's going on at the struggling bank at the moment when she is  by FT journalist Owen Walker.

This week on Taking Stock Joe Lynam is in for Mandy Johnston and he looks at the tangled narrative of Brexit when he talks to author Josh White whose book ‘Goodbye United Kingdom: Descent into Chaos 2015-2022’ chronicles the Brexit crisis and all that that it has meant since.With Minister for Finance Pascal Donohue telling people they are free to deposit their money in foreign banks for better interest rates we take a look at what’s available and how easy or hard it is when Joe talks to Sinead Ryan,And finally news this week from the CSO has found that 1 in 5 CEO’S are female. Joe is joined by  Gillian Hartford of the 30percent club and Caroline Bocquel the Chief Executive Officer with Bord Iascaigh Mhara to see if things are actually getting better in board room when it comes to gender equality.

Tackling the supply side of the drugs market will never be enough; that's the conclusion of the Currency who have been looking into the issue of drug use in Ireland. This week on Taking Stock Mandy Johnston is joined by Thomas Hubert to take us through what they found.  Now we know that culture eats strategy every time, Frank Devine, specializes in creating a High-Performance culture and he talks to Mandy about his new book ‘Rapid Mass Engagement’.  And finally - Elon’s at it again. As Musk threatens to take on Ireland in the courts we’ll catch up with Elaine Byrne to find out what's going on at X.

This week on Taking Stock Mandy Johnston is joined by Congressman Brendan Boyle, rising star in the Democratic party to talk about his recent trip to Ireland where he addressed Dail Eireann and he’ll be giving us his take on the US political landscape as they prepare for Primaries. Boundless changes in boundaries this week as the Electoral Commission sets out the map for the next election and while it may not be a starting gun the bullets are now loaded. Gary Murphy of DCU and Jennifer Kavanagh Constitutional Law Expert takes us through what they mean.Germany the economic powerhouse of Europe faces a lot of challenges. It has dipped into recession and Derek Scally of the Irish Times assess if Germany is now the sick man of Europe.

This week on Taking Stock Mandy Johnston talks to Veteran Journalist Dermot Murnaghan ahead of his appearance at the Kennedy Summer School next week and talks to him about his long life in journalism covering some of the defining moments of our time.  Rudy Giuliani has turned himself in to authorities at a jail in Atlanta, Georgia this week. But who is Rudi Guiliani? Mandy looks at one of the most divisive American political figures of our time when she talks to Llyod Green,  a New York Attorney who has served in the US Department of Justice.And finally Finance Minister Michael McGrath is said to be putting pressure on our banking sector to pass on some of their windfall profits to customers - while we wait for the mismatch to be rectified - is there something else you could be doing with your money to get a better return? Mandy talk to Ellie Donnolly Senior Business Reporter at the Business Post.