Highlights From The Pat Kenny Show

Investment scam victim conned out of €150k as criminals target people in recovery scams. Swindle involves panicked customers losing more money on top of what was stolen from them in the first place. For more on this Pat spoke to Jess Kelly Newstalk's Technology Correspondent.  

The United States government remains shutdown as neither side have been able to reach agreement on continuing to fund the government. With thousands of job cuts threatened, who serves to benefit from a prolonged shutdown? All to discuss with Brett Bruen President of the Global Situation Room and Former Director of Global Engagement at the White House during the Obama Administration. 

We buy so many clothes but return a lot of them. We discuss the complexities of returns/refunds with Laura Jordan, Image and Brand Consultant owner of Style Savvy.

We might think of Dublin city being built up, noisy and devoid of anything but humans going about their business. But the reality could be nothing further from the truth. Éanna Ní Lamhna brings us through the remarkable collection of wildlife inside the M50.

In the early 1960s, the United Nations was regarded as Humankind’s best hope for ending war. A peaceful world seemed possible. In Peacemaker, Thant Myint-U shows the forgotten role played by his grandfather, Secretary-General U Thant, in many of the pivotal confrontations of the twentieth century: from the Congo to the Cuban Missile Crisis and the 1967 Arab-Israel War to Vietnam. U Thant’s tireless efforts gave voice to the newly decolonised world as he championed racial equality, environmental protection, and a fairer international economy, all while racing to prevent a third world war. 

Yesterday activists on board a Gaza-bound aid flotilla say the Israeli navy has begun intercepting their vessels. Israel stopped a total of 14 flotilla vessels carrying aid to Gaza. We get the latest on this with Tariq Ra’ouf, spokesperson for the Global Sumud Flotilla.

From venues and sporting events to equipment and travel, sport, like every industry, has an environmental impact. As the climate continues to change, heatwaves and other extreme weather phenomena negatively affect competitions and impact athletes’ health and performance. Sustainability Journalist Jo Linehan tells us what is being done to reduce this impact.  

Some children are not being seen for their crucial child developmental checks. While parents in some parts of the country find it hard to access these appointments at all, due to a post code lottery. Newstalk Reporter Stephaine Rohan has been looking into this and explained her findings with Pat.

According to a new survey, a majority of people believe that the family home should be exempt from inheritance tax. The survey also found that many are unsure about the inheritance tax thresholds. Joining Pat to discuss further is the Irish Independent’s Personal Finance Editor, Charlie Weston.  

Most people know Alcatraz as the infamous prison in San Francisco Bay, a place of punishment, isolation, and harsh living. Yet the story of the island is much richer than that. Long before it became a federal penitentiary, Alcatraz had gardens. In fact, the history of gardening on the island stretches back three times longer than its life as a prison.Dermot Gavin tells us the story of the gardens of Alcatraz.

In June of 2020, Katherine Zappone stepped down as Minister for Children and Youth Affairs. A latecomer to elected politics, Zappone was first nominated to Seanad Éireann in 2011 before making in to a seat at the Cabinet table. Katherine chronicles her life leading up to this in her new memoir. 

VHI, Laya and Irish Life Health (ILH) recently announced further rate increases from the 1st of October. For VHI and ILH, the average increase will be 3% whereas the Laya average increase will be 4.5%. To discuss the increases and how to get the best deal was Dermot Goode health insurance expert with Healthinsuranceireland.ie.

Lisa Cannon, TV Host and Executive Producer for ‘Spotlight’ takes a look at the family favourite movie 'Toy Story.

Why job turnover at Irish workplaces has surged to a record high? All to discuss with Donal O’ Donoghue, MD Sanderson Recruitment.

European leaders are meeting in Copenhagen today to discuss continued support for Ukraine. It follows one of the largest attacks of the war over the weekend where at least four people were killed in Kyiv. Sean Bell Former Fighter Pilot, Military Analyst and Co-Host Of The Red Matrix Podcast, in Kyiv  joins us from on the ground in Kyiv.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin is among several EU leaders gathering in Denmark today for an informal European council meeting to discuss defence and drone incursions. Ministers across several departments have clashed with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. We discuss this and more with Harry McGee, Political Correspondent with the Irish Times and also Michael Gillespie, TUI General Secretary.

In the Green Scene this week our Moon is rusting and it could be Earth’s fault. We also hear how scientists used AI to create a brand-new virus, and a couple of new antibiotics. All to discuss with Dr Ruth Freeman Director of Research for Society For Research Ireland.All with thanks to Repak.

Daft, broken process for the ‘surrender’ of driving licenses. There are about 11,000 cases per year where a driver is disqualified. That can be for reaching 12 penalty points, or for getting a disqualification from a court. When disqualified, you are supposed to hand over the document itself within 14 days.We ask why was only one disqualified driver out of thousands penalised for the offence? All to discuss with Conor Faughnan, Transport Commentator.

US shut down, Tony Blair in Gaza peace deal and what next for the Labour party. All to discuss with Alastair Campbell writer and mental health campaigner and host of The Rest is Politics Podcast.

Last night, the three candidates for the Presidency took to their first three-way debate on Virgin Media’s Tonight Show. We listen back to the highlights with analysis from Newstalk Political Correspondent and Host of the Let Me Explain Podcast Seán Defoe.