Midlands Today with Will Faulkner

Bressie on grief, mindfulness and mental health — Niall Breslin opens up about pregnancy loss, panic attacks and why sharing difficult stories is key to breaking stigma around mental health.

New energy project boosts grid security — Taoiseach Micheál Martin officially opens a major battery storage and grid stabilisation system in Shannonbridge aimed at strengthening Ireland’s renewable energy network.

Driving school warns of online car scam — Ballybrittas instructor Owen Reddy alerts the public to a fake Facebook page using his business name to take €1,000 deposits for non-existent cars.

Burke family members ordered to jail — Courts reporter Emily Keegan explains the High Court ruling ordering the arrest and committal of Martina and Ammi Burke for contempt of court.

Heating oil prices surge — Energy expert Thomas Flynn discusses claims of “price gouging” as the cost of home heating oil jumps dramatically amid Middle East tensions.

Detective awarded €270k after suspension — The Garda Representative Association reacts after a Midlands detective suspended for lending a bicycle during Covid wins a major damages settlement.

Deaf couple face €10k hearing aid bill — Danielle McLaughlin of Chime highlights the case of a working Portarlington couple struggling to afford hearing aids, as calls grow for a fully funded National Hearing Care Plan.

Diesel prices could top €2 a litre — Irish Road Haulage Association President Ger Hyland warns Middle East tensions may push fuel prices higher, raising costs for transport, businesses and consumers.

Irish family stranded abroad after cancelled flights — Monasterevin man Aaron Bannon Whelan describes being stuck overseas with his pregnant wife and 91-year-old grandfather after multiple flight cancellations.

Midlands Today with Will Faulkner

Foster carers share life-changing journey — Castlepollard couple Alfie and Nicola Devine reflect on 18 years of fostering, the emotional highs and lows, and why respecting a child’s identity and culture is key.

Are gel nail lamps safe? — The Irish Cancer Society’s Kevin O’Hagan outlines the low but potential risks linked to UV nail dryers and why regular users should take simple precautions.

Major pharma boost for Athlone — Minister Peter Burke welcomes a €432m Novo Nordisk investment set to expand oral GLP-1 production and create hundreds of construction jobs in the Midlands.

School absences linked to Leaving Cert drop — ESRI researcher Dr Emer Smyth warns that missing 20+ days a year could cost students more than 80 Leaving Cert points and impact long-term health and career outcomes.

Ryanair and Aer Lingus rank poorly — Irish Travel Agents Association VP Paul Hackett reacts after Ryanair finishes bottom in a UK short-haul survey, while Aer Lingus struggles in long-haul rankings.

Pothole crisis sparks fury in Offaly — Sinn Féin Cllr Aoife Masterson says chronic underfunding has left roads in “abysmal” condition after her own tyre was blown out by a reported pothole.

Midlands Today with Will Faulkner

Midlanders stranded in US blizzard — Birr native Michael Caman and other locals in New Jersey and Rhode Island describe being snowed in for days after Storm Hernando shut down cities and cancelled transatlantic flights.

Electricity price gap under fire — Sinn Féin MEP Lynn Boylan says it’s “grossly unfair” that Irish households are paying almost twice as much for electricity as data centres.

Latte levy backlash grows — Offaly TD Carol Nolan calls for the proposed single-use cup levy to be scrapped, warning it would pile further costs onto small businesses and consumers.

A Westmeath footballer tackles homophobic hate online, rent prices and Better Health with midlands pharmacist Liam Butler are all coming up to today’s Midlands Today Show.

Midlands Today with Will Faulkner