The Explainer

An all-out trade war between the EU and US has been averted - but only just. After months of tense negotiations, a tariff deal has been struck, and while it brings some certainty for businesses, it's not without significant cost. Is it really the best we could do, or should we view it as dodging what could have been a potentially very damaging bullet? We’re joined by Dr Emma Howard, an economist and lecturer at TU Dublin. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Jeffrey Epstein's name has long cast a shadow over America's elites, but new reporting has dragged one prominent figure back into the swirl of accusations: President Donald Trump. Supporters who once demanded the release of the so-called Epstein Files have watched as the Trump administration shifted tone after the president’s own name appeared in court filings and related documents. What exactly is in the files? And what is Trump’s real connection to the disgraced financier? We’re joined by our own columnist, Larry Donnelly, a lawyer and law lecturer at the University of Galway, to untangle the facts from the conspiracy theories. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

In 2024, Ireland made announced it would divest from six companies associated with illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories. New reporting says otherwise. The Journal's FactCheck Editor Stephen McDermott detailed how in 2013 the State’s sovereign wealth fund held more than €10 million in eight companies flagged by the UN for links to settlement activity. These companies include global names like Airbnb, Booking.com, and Motorola Solutions, as well as Israeli firms supplying fuel and telecoms infrastructure inside settlements. Why do these investments remain? How are they justified? And what pressure is there for Ireland to go further? ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

In 2024, Ireland made announced it would divest from six companies associated with illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories. New reporting says otherwise. The Journal's FactCheck Editor Stephen McDermott detailed how that the State’s sovereign wealth fund held more than €10 million in eight companies in 2023 flagged by the UN for links to settlement activity. These companies include global names like Airbnb, Booking.com, and Motorola Solutions, as well as Israeli firms supplying fuel and telecoms infrastructure inside settlements. Why do these investments remain? How are they justified? And what pressure is there for Ireland to go further? ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Ireland was named the loneliest country in Europe, but how did we get here? This week on The Explainer, we’re looking at the scale and impact of loneliness in Irish society. From bereavement to social isolation, housing to remote work, our recent Your Stories piece highlighted just how many people are affected, and how deeply [www.thejournal.ie/your-stories-readers-on-loneliness-epidemic-6751386-Jul2025/]. Dr Joanna McHugh Power of Maynooth University and chair of the Loneliness Taskforce Research Network joins us to explain the causes and consequences of long-term loneliness, what the latest research tells us, and what practical steps individuals and policymakers can take. Help is available: you can contact Samaritans on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.ie or ALONE on 0818 222 024. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.