You can tell an awful lot about a society by who it labels a genius. You can also learn from who it excludes from that category, who it enables and what it is prepared to tolerate from them. The tortured poet, the rebellious scientist, the monstrous artist, or indeed the tech disruptor.

All of these archetypes feature in The Genius Myth, the new book by the journalist, author and podcaster Helen Lewis. She joins Hugh to talk about so-called geniuses, from Elon Musk to The Beatles, the modern influence of concepts like IQ, and what it takes to be a political genius.

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Pat Leahy and Ellen Coyne join Hugh Linehan to look back at the week in politics:

• Rent reform: the announcement of Minister for Housing James Browne’s plans to change the rules around rent pressure zones dominated the week. But why was the rollout so haphazard?

• Adjustments to residential property tax received less attention but the changes also carry political risk

• Israel’s attacks on Iran add further uncertainty to a fraught geopolitical moment

• Anti-immigrant riots in Northern Ireland: was the violence exacerbated by political interventions?

Plus the panel pick their favourite Irish Times articles of the week on topics including the dull ache brought on by remembering Ireland’s past attitudes to women, a critique of Irish media’s coverage of gender issues and how social media firms used the ‘like’ button to turbocharge their business models. 

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US president Donald Trump's response to protests against immigration raids in Los Angeles - to send in troops - is in keeping with a broader theme of his second presidency so far - extending executive power and challenging institutional norms. But how far is Trump willing to go? TCD's Daniel Geary joins Hugh to talk about the events in LA and the pressure Trump 2.0 is putting on the American system.

Daniel Geary is Mark Pigott Professor of U.S. History at Trinity College Dublin.

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Where does Europe fit into the 21st century? Political scientist Professor Helen Thompson returns to the podcast to talk about the big picture for the global economy and international relations in the age of Trump's second term, China's rise and Europe's relative decline.

She talks to Hugh about the real significance of America's debt pile, Silicon Valley's shift to Trump, the future of NATO, the growing interest in controlling the Arctic and China's economic and technological rise. And she argues that Europe needs to realise just how different a place America is - and always has been.

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Joining Hugh and Cormac McQuinn on today's podcast is Ellen Coyne, the newest member of The Irish Times political team. Together they look back on the week in politics in Ireland and beyond:

• The crisis at Children's Hospital Ireland deepens
• Growing international disquiet over Israel's conduct in Gaza
• Planning exemptions for "granny flats" - can such tinkering make a real difference to the housing crisis?
• The spectacular breakup of Donald Trump and Elon Musk

Plus the panel pick their favourite Irish Times articles on the week, including the impact of Airbnb in rural towns, the dreaded one-star review and a disappearing rainbow crossing.

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Pat Leahy and Harry McGee join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:

·       Committees of the Oireachtas are indeed back, but rigor and insight seem to be missing in some of the questions posed by politicians during RTÉ’s appearance in front of the Oireachtas media committee on Wednesday.

·       Independent TDs Barry Heneghan and Gillian Toole, who support the Government, put a dent in the Coalition’s majority by voting in favour of a Sinn Féin Bill in support of Palestine.

·       Former Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams was awarded €100,000 after a jury found he was defamed by a 2016 BBC TV programme and related article that falsely accused him of sanctioning the murder of a British agent.

·       And is it time to disband Children’s Health Ireland? Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll-MacNeill is considering subsuming the statutory body into the HSE following several controversies during its six years in existence.

Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:

·       The tight Polish presidential race, looming climate fines, the rise of the campervan, and the wonderful Cáit O’Riordan.

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In her book Left Is Not Woke today's guest Susan Neiman argues that the left has taken a wrong turn and must differentiate itself from "wokism".

She talks to Hugh about what she means by "woke" and why its appeal to traditional left-wing tendencies, like solidarity and supporting the underdog, helps disguise its more reactionary elements.

They also talk about Germany's relationship with Israel and how its own history influences German views on what is happening in Gaza.

Susan Neiman is an American moral philosopher, commentator and author known for her work on ethics, the Enlightenment and contemporary politics. She is the director of The Einstein Forum, a think-tank based in Potsdam, Germany, 

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