In The News

The cost of living is repeatedly mentioned as one of the main issues to the forefront of voters' minds in the run up to the General Election. In the US, president-elect Donald Trump made the economy one of the pillars of his campaign, regularly promising to "make America affordable again." But the reason for price spikes across the industrialised world are complex. So how realistic is it that any political party here could bring down the cost of living? And how can you tell what's within the next government's gift and what is just populist rhetoric. Irish Times writer on economics, Cliff Taylor, explains the factors at play and how to gauge whether party pledges could actually work.Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Aideen Finnegan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Twenty years ago, autism in Ireland was still seen as a relatively rare condition. Studies at the time suggested around seven in 10,000 schoolchildren were being diagnosed as autistic.Today, research suggests as many as one in 20 schoolchildren may have autism or a similar developmental issue.So, why are so many more children being diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders compared with two decades ago?Is the State equipped to meet the growing demand for specialised health and education services?And what are the long-term implications for children, who don’t get the support and care that they need?Presented by Sorcha Pollak, produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Irish branch of the Church of Scientology has been going into an international protection asylum centre in Dublin and recruiting the refugees living there for all types of work, from cleaning parks to handing out anti-drug leaflets on the streets of the capital.The men are not paid, instead they are given a “certificate” which they are told will help them in their asylum applications.Many of the people strolling though Dublin who take a leaflet off one of these men will not be aware that it originates in the Church of Scientology.Irish Times reporters Sorcha Pollak and Conor Gallagher investigated this practice and they talked to some of the vulnerable men who felt taken in by the scheme. They explain to In the News.And why is Scientology – a very wealthy organisation with a tiny membership in Ireland – operating in this way?Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nikita Hand has won her civil case against MMA fighter Conor McGregor. The 35 year-old Dublin woman alleged he raped her in the penthouse suite of The Beacon Hotel in December 2018. The jury, believing her account of assault, found in her favour; returning a verdict yesterday evening after six hours of deliberations. McGregor has been ordered to pay Ms. Hand almost €250,000 in damages. But why has the UFC fighter not been found guilty of rape? How has Ms. Hand successfully sued him in the High Court? And what did the jury hear to persuade them she was the one telling the truth. Frank Greaney is courts correspondent for the Bauer Media group, which owns radio stations including Newstalk and TodayFM. He explains how Nikita Hand faced down McGregor at great personal cost. Please be advised this episode contains details of sexual assault, which some listeners may find distressing.Produced and presented by Aideen Finnegan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Donald Trump's choices for the top roles in his administration include TV doctor Mehmet Oz, former WWE exec Linda McMahon, Kristi Noem the South Dakota governor who shot the family dog and pet goat. And billionaire businessman, Howard Lutnick, who thinks the presence of multinationals in Ireland is a barrier to 'making America great again.' Norman Ornstein is a political scientist and resident scholar at the conservative-leaning think tank, the American Enterprise Institute. In 2015, he predicted the rise of Donald Trump. He outlines the most eyebrow-raising of the US president's cabinet nominees and explains why Ireland has a legitimate reason to fear for its economic future.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Aideen Finnegan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's been one year since anti-immigration protests spiralled into full-scale rioting on the streets of Dublin. The issue has dominated the headlines this year, forcing political parties to take a clear position on how they would deal with the rise in international applicants coming here. That said, the issue hasn't eclipsed housing, health and the cost-of-living on the doorsteps in this General Election campaign. So what exactly are the various parties promising on immigration, which is the most hardline and do those actively campaigning on an anti-immigrant platform have a better chance winning a Dáil seat? Irish Times political correspondent Jack Horgan Jones compares the various party manifestos and analyses the chances of any far right voices succeeding.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Aideen Finnegan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fine Gael is doubling down on its support for a General Election candidate who was filmed punching a man in the head. John McGahon was 28 years-old and a Fine Gael councillor, at the time of the altercation outside a pub in Dundalk six years ago. Now he’s running for a seat in the Dáil – which Taoiseach Simon Harris defended on Monday night’s Leaders Debate. But questions remain about how McGahon was nominated for the party ticket, amid accusations of double standards from the opposition. Irish Times political correspondent Harry McGee has the latest. Presented by Sorcha Polllak. Produced by Suzanne Brennan and Aideen Finnegan.    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In April 2015, William Maughan and his pregnant girlfriend Anastasija Varslavane disappeared without a trace. Noone has ever been charged in connection to their murder, but this week a new development is bringing fresh hope to the victim’s families.Irish Times crime and security editor Conor Lally has the latest.  Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On October 6th, 2020 in a school outside Paris, teacher Samuel Paty gave a lesson on freedom of speech – the same lesson he had given several times before which involved showing drawings of the prophet Muhammad – to a class of teenagers.He was later beheaded outside the school in a savage attack that shocked France. The assailant Abdoullakh Anzorov, the young man of Chechen origin who wielded the knife, is dead – shot by police in the minutes after his attack.The next day one of his pupils – the 13-year-old girl – was asked by her father why she was not going to school. She told him she had been disciplined because she dared to stand up to Paty when he told Muslims to leave the class so he could show a naked picture of the prophet. It was all a lie; she was not even in school that day.Believing her, her father took to social media to condemn Paty and the story grew online.On trial are two men accused of identifying Paty as a “blasphemer” over the Internet, two friends of Anzorov who allegedly gave him logistical help, and four others who offered support on chatlines.As BBC correspondent in Paris, Hugh Schofield explains to In the News that the trial is less about the murder itself, and more about the circumstances that led to it.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

President-elect Donald Trump has confirmed that Elon Musk, the richest man in the world, will co-lead a newly-created Department of Government Efficiency, with a mission to slash spending by $2 trillion. It hasn’t gone unnoticed that its acronym is DOGE, the cryptocurrency favoured by the tech billionaire. It’s one of a raft of nominations this week, with Dalkey woman Gail Slater, who worked behind the scenes in the campaign, set for a top government role. Irish Times reporter Laura Slattery traces her path to power and analyses Musk's move to The White House. Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Aideen Finnegan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.