Taking Stock With Vincent Wall

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.

Coming up on this week's Taking Stock Podcast: Your home may have become your office thanks to the pandemic, but could empty office space become new homes? Shane Duffy, Director of Office Agency with Savills joins Mandy to discuss the possibilities. Who is Keir Starmer? Oliver Eagleton, author of 'The Starmer Project' joins us to shed some more light on the man tipped to be the next UK PM. And, Engineering Industries Ireland (EII) has launched its Budget 2024 submission, calling on the Government to use Budget 2024 to enhance competitiveness, innovation, sustainability, and skills in the engineering sector. To help parse through some of the key challenges facing the sector, Mandy is joined by Pauline O’Flanagan, Director of Engineering Industries Ireland.

On this week's Taking Stock Podcast: Cliff Taylor of the Irish Times explains why mega projects like the MetroLink and the Children's Hospital take so long and cost so much in Ireland. Nigel Doolin, co-founder and managing director at Core Bullion joins Mandy to explain the value of holding your money in gold and why is it one of the most stable assets to have. And the banking sector in Ireland has revealed massive profits in recent weeks, Sean Keyes of the Currency takes us through their latest set of bumper results.

Hannah Daly, Professor in Sustainable Energy and Energy Systems Modelling at UCC joins Mandy to discuss the government's National Hydrogen Strategy. In the political arena, the debates surrounding rail and road options have caused much debate leaving both policymakers and the public in a state of confusion. Mandy gets the insights of Edgar Morgenroth, Professor of Economics at Dublin City University Business School. We discuss new research that discloses an alarming trend in the United States which shows a growing acceptance of violence as a means to achieve political objectives. Kira Lerner, Democracy Editor for Guardian US joins us to examine the implications of this disconcerting phenomenon.

As a raft of big companies leave the Irish Stock Exchange, this week on Taking Stock Mandy Johnston asks why they are leaving and explores the importance of having a stock exchange here in Ireland with Donal MacNameee from the Business Post. While Vladimir Putin was clearly prepared for the initial economic impact of the war in Ukraine, the conflict has dragged on far longer than he expected. As Putin runs out of options Mandy talks to Melissa Lawford of The Daily Telegraph about what it means for the future of the war. Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez engineered a late swing during the final days of the Spanish election campaign to deny his right-wing opponents a majority in parliament. Mandy looks at the predictions that were made by pollsters, how things transpired and what might happen next and asks could Spain be headed for another election? She chats to journalist Aitor Hernández-Morales.

This week on Taking Stock Mandy Johnston talks to the Financial Times’ Legal Correspondent Joe Miller about Donald Trump’s latest possible Indictment. Linda Daly of the Sunday Times chats to Mandy about why Approved Housing Bodies might be the future of home building in Ireland. And finally Mandy talks to James Mayger, China Economy Editor at Bloomberg about China’s economic wobble.

This week on Taking Stock as Irish Universities make major gains on the QS World Rankings Mandy Johnston examines their relevance as Irish students are making their choices this Summer. As the world of work continues to change and evolve post- Covid many tech titans like Apple, Google, Meta have demanded staff show up to the office at least three days a week as new research shows that contrary to what we have come to believe, working from home is not as productive as being at work. Mandy talks to Chris Kane the author of Where is My Office? Reimagining the Workplace for the 21st Century. And finally with three by-elections taking place in the UK next week, we hear from FT’s Political Editor George Parker about what we can expect and how they will affect Rishi Sunak’s leadership as the Tory Party heads for a political thrashing.

Numbers loomed large this week, in the economy and the Government published their summer economic statement, so this week on Taking Stock Mandy Johnston looks at inflation, spending and what lies ahead for hard pressed families with Economist Jim Power. In France protests continued on the streets and protests have repeatedly dogged the President’s term in office. Mandy ponders what all this says about Emanuel Macron and his tenure as President of France with Elizabeth Pineau the Reuters political correspondent. And finally, as the debate about the importance of public service broadcasting rumbles on Mandy look at the issue of misinformation and disinformation with a UK based fact checking organisation.

This week on Taking Stock Mandy Johnston discusses the relationship between RTE and politicians when she chats to former Communications Minister Denis Naughten and asks how that works in real life! In the US there are now multiple whistle-blowers with high clearances coming forward to disclose information about their direct UFO knowledge. Mandy chats to Science Journalist Jeff Wise about what’s really going on. Plus we get a sense of who and what the Wagner Group in Russia are when Mandy hears from Jen Kirby of Vox.

This week on Taking Stock Mandy Johnston Mandy discusses just how hard or easy it is to set up a new political party. We hear from Political Consultant Stephen O’Byrnes and from Frank Fitzgerald from UL. Newsgroups are in the grip of a long-term battle to retain their audiences, that’s according to the latest Reuters Institute Digital News Report. Liam Collins a former news editor for the Sunday Independent and Emer Connolly is an academic who has looked at the media landscape here in Ireland and they join Mandy to examine the plight of journalists caught up this struggle. Plus we hear we hear what exactly the Saudi Arabian Sovereign Wealth Fund is and why it’s dollars are spreading into all sorts of places.

This week on Taking Stock Mandy Johnston exploreS a special investigation by the Financial Times that uncovered shocking allegations of sexual assault and harassment within a prominent London hedge fund company. The FT’s Antonia Cundy tells us more about the investigation and the fallout. Mandy also dives into the captivating world of leadership discussing why figures like Trump and Boris Johnson remain popular. Neil Jurd, OBE, renowned author and former Army Officer shares his insights. Plus, as Dublin Airport unveils its plans for massive expansion Ellie Donnelly from the Business Post and Paul Hackett President of the Irish Travel Association discuss the airport's evolution and future plans.

This week on Taking Stock Mandy Johnston talks to Pilita Clark of the Financial Times and Sinead English the founder of Hilt Careers about how the modern worker is drowning in emails and what you can do about it. In the US things are hotting up in the race to decide who the Presidential candidates will be. Ted Smyth of the Clinton Foundation joins Mandy from America to take stock of the current runners and riders. Plus, Mandy talks to the former BBC Royal Correspondent and broadcaster Jennie Bond about this week’s Prince Harry Court Case as well as the complex and compelling relationship between the Royal Family and Fleet Street

This week on Taking Stock Mandy Johnston talks to Mark Paul the London Correspondent with the Irish Times about how Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s honeymoon period is well and truly over as Boris is still looming large as are the myriad of complications from Brexit. And staying in the UK Mandy talks to Lucy Fisher of the Financial Times about the proposed price cap in British Supermarkets. Plus what Jack Dorsey the Twitter founder did next. We hear from Chris Stokel-Walker.

As the dust settles on last week's local elections in Northern Ireland Mandy Johnston looks at the real figures and what they mean for the re=establishment of the Assembly and is joined by Tommie Gorman the former RTE Northern Ireland Editor who now writes on politics north and south for the Currency In San Francisco's a crisis of homelessness, drug abuse and crime threaten the city’s future. Tabby Kinder leads the Financial Times’ coverage in Silicon Valley and across the US West Coast and she talks us through the latest developments in the city that seems at breaking point. Plus as The European Central Bank turns 25 next week it is pushing ahead with the development of electronic currency despite political objection. Cliff Taylor of the Irish Tines is here to decipher what it means for consumers.

With the Covid Emergency now being officially deemed ‘over ‘many countries are now assessing how they managed their response to the Pandemic. This week on Taking Stock Mandy Johnston talks to Jack Horgan-Jones and Hugh O’Connell about their book ‘Pandemonium: Power, Politics and Ireland’s Pandemic’. Often seen as a ‘dirty word’, Sales has a bad reputation in the business world – but selling is a fundamental skill for any founder to successfully drive revenue and business growth. Mandy talks to Rob King the author of ‘Selling Creativity: How Creatives and Agencies can Grow their Business through the Art of Sales’ And ahead of the European Anti-Financial Crime Summit 2023 in Dublin next week Mandy talks to Caroline Costello who is Financial Crime Leader with Deloitte about trends in fraud and money laundering and how to combat the fraudsters.

Some of the big four companies are having to train new recruits with basic communications skills necessary for the workforce. Is it because students were shut off during Covid or is there something more? This week on Taking Stock Mandy Johnston talks to Caroline Reidy of the HR Suite about what young people may have lost. With the EU’s highest court set to hold a hearing at later this month on the €13 Billion Euro - Apple tax case, Lorcan Allen of the Sunday Business Post reminds us of the background, and assess what might be in the final ruling on the world’s biggest-ever antitrust case. And finally, Machines are learning more than before, while humans learn less. The issue is already hitting Hollywood hills as writers’ strike for safeguards to stop its members’ work being replaced by AI in the future. Mandy talks to Marina Fang of the Huffington Post.

On this week's Taking Stock: Harry Dempsey, commodities correspondent for the Financial Times joins Mandy to discuss Chile's move to take state control of important lithium projects and together they explore what that might mean for it and other South American economies in the years to come. Mandy speaks with Will Hutton, Political economist and writer for the Observer and the Guardian about how the British people's relationship with the monarchy has changed over the decades and asks how relevant the institution actually is in a 21st-century UK. Dr. Ashley Morgan, Senior lecturer in the School of Art and Design, Cardiff Metropolitan University joins Mandy to discuss the legacy of Tiffany's & its multi-million dollar makeover.

What’s going on with Global Sport? This week on Taking Stock Mandy Johnston is joined by Nathan Murphy from ‘Off the Ball’ to discuss if the incredible levels of investment in sports nowadays actually make us consumers rather than fans. Mandy talks to the author of “Beyond the wall” - a new book which chronicles the short life of East Germany. It's a book that's getting rave reviews and reveals a colourful history that is full of surprises. And finally, as Tucker Carlson exits Fox News stage right Mandy examines the man, his influence, his departure and what might happen next in a media career that has been defined by politics and division.

It’s shaping up to be the great question of our time; AI is moving at a pace that its creators never really expected. This week on Taking Stock Mandy Johnston asks can we control it before it controls us when she talks to Sarah Mayer West of the AI Now Institute. And back home, as organised crime featured large in the news this week, Mandy looks at the figures involved and where and how criminal gangs are stashing their money in the modern era with John Mooney of the Sunday Times. And finally bumper revenues and exports were outlined this week by Government and Enterprise Ireland. Mandy is joined by Cliff Taylor of the Irish Times to outline what this might mean for the future and if tax cuts will be a major discussion point in the months ahead for the Government.