Highlights From The Hard Shoulder

Los Angeles wants air-taxis to be in place by the time they host the Olympic Games in 2028.They are planning their third Summer Games, and want the service to help spectators avoid the infamous LA traffic.Joining Kieran to discuss is Russell Vickers, CEO of Future Mobility Campus Ireland and Technology Journalist Emmet Ryan.Image: Archer Aviation

Are you listening from work, or did you pull a sickie because of the good weather? Apparently, you’re not alone if you did...Joining Kieran to discuss all things skiving off is Comedian Jim Elliot and Alexandra Ryan, Founder of Goss Media.

Is climate change a man's world?That’s apparently the case according to a new study from France, that claims that men contribute 25 percent more than women due to their love of red meat and fast cars.So, do men need to do more to pick up the slack and should they ditch the car keys and steaks to help contribute more positively to climate emissions?Ian O’Doherty Columnist with the Irish Independent and Dr Éanna Ní Lamha, Environmentalist and PRO of the Tree Council of Ireland, join Kieran to discuss.

Meghan Markle has said she doesn’t always have the time to cook every day, but when she opts for a takeaway, she demonstrated to viewers of her new Netflix show, ‘With Love Meghan’, how to present it beautifully.But, if even Meghan Markle can admit to not having the time in her day to cook, should we really be so hard on ourselves for the weekly take away?Joining Kieran to discuss is Cooking Expert, Catherine Leyden.

In a world where there is a growing influence of artificial intelligence – how do we navigate that? Does it bring unavoidable uncertainty?Kieran is joined by Margaret Heffernan, author of ‘Embracing Uncertainty’, to discuss.

Fine Gael Senator and former Broadcaster Evanne Ní Chuilinn joins Kieran for this week's Thursday Interview.

An independent report commissioned by the OPW says there was no value-for-money assessment before work began on Leinster House's infamous €336k bicycle shed.According to the report by Deloitte, the OPW did not tell the Oireachtas what the shelter would cost.Joining Kieran to discuss is Newstalk’s Political Correspondent, Seán Defoe and Mairéad Farrell, Sinn Féin TD for Galway West/South Mayo, Chair of Oireachtas Finance Committee and Spokesperson for Public Expenditure.

The latest figures from the Central Statistics Office show that Irish inflation rose again in April, up by more than 2% on the same month last year.It doesn't come as a surprise, since a pound of butter now costs nearly five euro.But, how can you shop wisely to deal with inflation?Joining Kieran to discuss is Consumer Journalist, Caitriona Redmond.  

With the second Eurovision semi-final on tonight, how will Ireland fare against seemingly tough competition?Newstalk's Henry McKean joins Kieran backstage from Basel to discuss, and share what he's heard from Ireland's representative EMMY, Marty Whelan and more!

How are people around Ireland enjoying this beautiful week of weather?Joining Kieran to discuss how it is impacting them is John McCarthy, owner of Lahinch Surfing, Yasmin Khan of TEDDY’S Ice Cream Dun Laoghaire, Gary Anderson from the Seafood Shack on the Pier in Killybegs and Karen O’ Neill, Senior Operations Manager from Beyond the Trees Avondale.

Life can be full of confusing things, but no need to worry! Every Wednesday, Simon Tierney will be showing you ‘How to do Stuff’ - bringing his best tips for those things you might not think about.This week, Simon joins Kieran to discuss how to handle one of the most difficult debates you can have: picking what to get for a takeaway!

A lot is said about how AI impacts our daily lives, but how will it change our music, and will it hinder artists’ creativity?Joining Kieran to discuss is Dr. Martin Clancy, Senior AI Research Fellow at DCU and Policy Fellow at Trinity College Dublin.

One downside of the beautiful summer weather is that when it’s time to hit the hay, it can be quite uncomfortable to fall asleep in the heat.Joining Kieran is to give her tips on how to not lose sleep during warmer weather is Sine Dunne, Sleep Professional and Founder of SiEST Sleep.

For this week’s Tech Takeover, Newstalk's Technology Correspondent Jess Kelly joins Kieran to discuss the Gardaí’s warning of misinformation online following the tragic death of Kevin Flatley, and the bad actors surrounding it.

As the Government is scrambling to come up with plans to increase housing delivery, Kieran’s guest claims not only to have the best ideas to solve the housing crisis, but that he’ll do it in 100 days to boot.Ronan O’Reilly is the Managing Director of NewKey Homes, and joins to discuss.

Newstalk Reporter Henry McKean is in Basel Switzerland for this year’s Eurovision! He joins Kieran to discuss what things are like on the ground, including his chat with Ireland’s Eurovision representative EMMY.

Has remote working destroyed Ireland’s work ethic?At a recent Mansion House event, businessman Denis O’Brien said he thinks that it has, and claims that an “entitlement culture” has come, where employees feel they can dictate terms to employers.Peter Cosgrove is the Managing Director of Futurewise, and joins Kieran to discuss.

The Leaving Cert is set to change in the next school cycle with more projects, portfolios, and fewer final exams.Some say it’s a long-overdue fix to a high-stress system while others say it’s rushed, unclear, and wide open to problems like AI and unfair marking. So, what’s the assessment?TJ Hegarty, Founder and CEO of Breakthrough Maths and Eric Nelligan, Assistant Principal at St Munchin's College Limerick join Kieran to discuss.

Kieran was joined in Toronto by Adie McGuinness, Co-Founder of Ireland Gateway to Europe and Chair of Sigmar Recruitment and Clare Kelly, Head of Partnerships and Growth at Sigmar to set out the scene for this year's Gateway to Europe trip!

He’s played the long game, mastered the middle, and now, after nearly 70 years, JJ Walsh, Irish Times Chess Columnist, is making his final move by retiring.The Chess Columnist has written close to 16,000 puzzles, outlasting famous grandmasters like Bobby Fischer and Cold War tensions from his first column written back in 1955.JJ Walsh joins Kieran to discuss.