Show Notes
Americans vote in the midterm elections on 3 November, with every seat in the House of Representatives and about a third of the Senate up for grabs. Republicans currently control both chambers, but Democrats are mounting a big challenge to Donald Trump, with his approval ratings under pressure. What is driving the shift? Which races could decide control of Congress? And what would a Democratic victory actually mean for the final two years of Trump’s presidency? The Journal political columnist and University of Galway law lecturer Larry Donnelly joins us. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
More from The Explainer
Hundreds of thousands of public sector workers are expected to strike tomorrow in a dispute over pay. Schools will close, non-urgent hospital services will be cancelled, and courts, council offices and OPW sites will shut their doors.
Budget 2027 has something for almost everyone: income tax changes, a welfare increase, a higher fuel allowance, a bigger renter’s credit, an expanded Help to Buy scheme and lower childcare costs. But how much of it will actually make a difference to people’s pockets?
For almost 30 years, the violent confrontations that once defined the Drumcree marching dispute had disappeared from the streets of Portadown. But a procedural error by the Parades Commission and a series of court challenges have reopened the dispute, with protesters blocking a heavily restricted Orange Order parade from passing along the Garvaghy Road. So how did Drumcree become one of Northern Ireland’s most contentious flashpoints, why has the dispute returned now, and how might the current standoff end? The Journal's reporter Diarmuid Pepper joins us after spending several days reporting on the ground. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Women can develop serious mental health difficulties at any point in the year after giving birth. But new reporting from The Journal Investigates has found that five of Ireland’s six specialist perinatal mental health hubs have stopped accepting new referrals after six months postpartum, while women outside major cities can face major barriers to accessing care. So why are services tightening access as demand rises, what happens to women who fall through the gaps, and will promised reforms make a difference? The Journal Investigates reporter Conor O’Carroll joins us.
Music and politics have always shared a stage, but the fallout from Macklemore’s removal from Ed Sheeran’s United States tour has made clear how that can be an uneasy relationship. Zara Hedderman, music and arts journalist and author of the Bad Arts newsletter, joins us to examine who gets to decide what can be said on stage, and what happens when artists stand together and say no. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.