The Explainer

By The JournalNews

The Explainer episodes

July 30, 2025 Is the EU-US tariff deal the best we could do?
An all-out trade war between the EU and US has been averted - but only just. After months of tense negotiations, a tariff deal has been struck, and while it brings some certainty for businesses, it's not without significant cost. Is it really the best we could do, or should we view it as dodging what could have been a potentially very damaging bullet? We’re joined by Dr Emma Howard, an economist and lecturer at TU Dublin.
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25 min
July 24, 2025 How is Trump caught up in the Epstein files saga (again)?
Jeffrey Epstein's name has long cast a shadow over America's elites, but new reporting has dragged one prominent figure back into the swirl of accusations: President Donald Trump.

Supporters who once demanded the release of the so-called Epstein Files have watched as the Trump administration shifted tone after the president’s own name appeared in court filings and related documents. What exactly is in the files? And what is Trump’s real connection to the disgraced financier?

We’re joined by our own columnist, Larry Donnelly, a lawyer and law lecturer at the University of Galway, to untangle the facts from the conspiracy theories.
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21 min
July 17, 2025 Why does Ireland still invest in companies linked to illegal Israeli settlements?
In 2024, Ireland made announced it would divest from six companies associated with illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories. New reporting says otherwise.

The Journal's FactCheck Editor Stephen McDermott detailed how in 2013 the State’s sovereign wealth fund held more than €10 million in eight companies flagged by the UN for links to settlement activity. These companies include global names like Airbnb, Booking.com, and Motorola Solutions, as well as Israeli firms supplying fuel and telecoms infrastructure inside settlements. Why do these investments remain? How are they justified? And what pressure is there for Ireland to go further?
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18 min
July 08, 2025 Why are people in Ireland so lonely?
Ireland was named the loneliest country in Europe, but how did we get here?

This week on The Explainer, we’re looking at the scale and impact of loneliness in Irish society. From bereavement to social isolation, housing to remote work, our recent Your Stories piece highlighted just how many people are affected, and how deeply.

Dr Joanna McHugh Power of Maynooth University and chair of the Loneliness Taskforce Research Network joins us to explain the causes and consequences of long-term loneliness, what the latest research tells us, and what practical steps individuals and policymakers can take.

Help is available: you can contact Samaritans on 116 123 or email [email protected] or ALONE on 0818 222 024.
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24 min
July 04, 2025 What really happened on board the MV Matthew?
It had all the makings of a Hollywood thriller — a dramatic high-seas chase, elite Army Rangers fast-roping onto the deck, and a massive cocaine haul hidden in plain sight. In September 2023, the seizure of the cargo ship MV Matthew led to the discovery of 2,000 kilograms of cocaine with a street value of €157 million euro. It was the State's largest ever drug seizure.

Since that dramatic day, courtrooms have heard about encrypted phones, international smuggling routes, and plans to destroy the evidence. And now, we’re taking a step back to explain the full story.

We're joined by Niall O'Connor, News Correspondent with The Journal, who has been covering the story in detail.

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28 min
June 25, 2025 What do new US visa rules mean for Irish travellers?
Irish travellers are facing new hurdles when applying for US visas, but what exactly has changed From students applying for J1s to families planning holidays, there’s growing concern over new entry rules for the US. Applicants are now being asked for years of social media history, and there are fears that people could be turned away. We speak to immigration lawyer Louise Corrigan to break down what’s happening.
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20 min
June 20, 2025 Can the Iranian regime survive a war with Israel?
Israel and Iran are now trading direct military strikes, a dramatic and dangerous escalation after years of tensions simmering in the background. It goes beyond the proxy conflicts and raises serious questions about what could come next. Israeli officials have made no secret of their goal: they want regime change in Iran, but how likely is that? What does the current regime look like from inside the country? And what do ordinary Iranians think as their country comes under attack? We’re joined by Dr Paola Rivetti, associate professor in Politics and International Relations at DCU, to examine how this moment could reshape the Islamic Republic.
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25 min
June 19, 2025 How was the secretive founder of Tattle Life unmasked?
Tattle Life became notorious as a message board where anyone in the public eye — influencers, businesspeople and celebrities, many of them women — faced relentless criticism and often defamatory commentary from anonymous users. But now, after a lengthy and complex legal battle, the mysterious figure behind the site has been unmasked. Who exactly is he? What's his background? And just how toxic is the site? Journalist and author Aoife Moore joins us on this week's episode to delve into the story. You can also read our deep dive on the subject here.
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25 min
June 12, 2025 Are SUVs making roads more dangerous for pedestrians?
We can all see that cars are getting bigger, but a new report shows just how much and the danger it creates. The average height of car bonnets is rising by half a centimetre each year, with some SUVs so tall that a small child standing in front of them is hidden from view. What are the real-world consequences for road safety? Are these designs putting pedestrians - especially children - at greater risk? And what can be done to curb the so-called SUV arms race? Our reporter Valerie Flynn joins us to discuss her recent deep dive on the topic.
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16 min
June 04, 2025 Why is Google search so bad?
For years, Google was the go-to tool for sorting fact from fiction online, a way to find trusted information in the chaos of the internet. Now? Well, Google will often serve you up the misinformation immediately with an inaccurate AI summary. Users have found that search results are dominated by ads and low-quality content, and the platform isn’t what it used to be. We dug into this on The Journal, and now on The Explainer, we’re joined by tech journalist and author Chris Stokel-Walker to unpack what’s gone wrong. Is this just a business model in decline, or is the rise of AI accelerating a wider shift?
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23 min

About The Explainer

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The Explainer is a weekly podcast from The Journal that takes a deeper look at one big news story you need to know about. What's the background? Why is this in the news? Get the facts behind the…