In The News

On Sunday night, 57-year-old Vance Boelter was arrested and charged with murder following the largest manhunt in the history of the US state of Minnesota.Mr Boelter is suspected of shooting and killing a Democratic politician and her husband and of shooting and wounding a Democratic senator and his wife on Saturday.That same day, Donald Trump celebrated his birthday by holding a carefully choreographed military parade in Washington DC, while across the country, millions of protesters took part in ‘No Kings’ demonstrations.What do we know about the Minnesota attacks and what do these shootings mean for the safety of American lawmakers?To what degree is Trump’s rhetoric prompting violence against politicians in the US?And what do these mass demonstrations, and Trump’s response to protesters, tell us about the country’s deteriorating political situation?Today, on In The News, have the divisive politics of Trump’s second term reached boiling point?Professor of International Politics at the UCD Clinton Institute Scott Lucas joins the podcast.Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by John Casey. 

On her last gruelling day on the stand in the murder trial that has gripped Australia, Erin Patterson faced three succinct questions from the prosecutor.She put it to Patterson that she had deliberately sourced death cap mushrooms in 2023, deliberately included them in the beef Wellington she served her former in-laws; and did so intending to kill them.Patterson uttered three words: Disagree. Disagree. Disagree.She is accused of killing her former husband’s parents, Don and Gail Patterson, and his aunt, Heather Wilkinson. They took seriously ill after eating the lunch and died a few days later. Wilkinson’s husband, Ian, was hospitalised but survived. She has maintained her innocence since her arrest in 2023. She says the deaths were accidental.All the evidence has now been heard, and deliberations will now begin.John Ferguson, associate editor with The Australian, broke the story in August 2023. He came on the podcast then to outline the events; now he’s back with details from the court.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan.

Israel has launched widescale strikes against Iran, saying it targeted nuclear facilities, ballistic missile factories and military commanders, raising the potential for an all-out war between the two bitter Middle East adversaries. Iran's leadership has called the attacks "a declaration of war" and promises reprisals. Mark Weiss reports on why the Israeli government has chosen now to launch "a war that’s been planned for a decade" and what might happen next.

Valerie French Kilroy was the mother of three very young boys, an occupational therapist and a much-loved sister and friend.In June 2019 she was murdered by her husband James Kilroy. She was 41. That he killed her was never in doubt – he admitted it – but the defence put forward at his trial in 2024 was that he was insane when he beat, stabbed and strangled his wife to death.That defence was rejected by the jury and he was convicted of her murder.For her siblings, including her brother David, Kilroy had committed child harm in that he had robbed three children of their mother. Such a crime they felt would surely mean he would no longer be the children’s legal guardian. They soon learned that legally that is not the case.From his prison cell Kilroy is still in the children’s lives as their legal guardian, making decisions to do with their welfare, from medical treatments to travel outside the country.David French is now fighting for changes to the legislation around guardianship that would ensure that in cases where a partner has deprived children of their parent, guardianship would be denied.Called “Valerie’s law” it is, says French, a simple change in the legislation that would be of enormous benefit to the children in such horrendous cases; he says an average of seven children a year are impacted. It would also give more certainty to bereaved families as they navigate the path ahead.French has written a book, For Valerie, and he explains to In the News why that was important to him and why he is fighting to make Valerie’s law a reality.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. 

The election for the next President of Ireland must take place before November 11th. It’s June, so where is the list of Áras hopefuls?As of now two independents have declared their intention to run, MMA fighter Conor McGregor and former candidate and businessman Peter Casey. They have yet to get local authority approval.When can we expect the race to get going and what qualities make for an ideal president?Harry McGee from the Irish Times political team, explains.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan.

Garda Commissioner Drew Harris had much to show the media at an event at Garda HQ on Monday.New riot gear, a massive water canon, smart body-worn cameras, hand-held computers and more secure vehicles, part of the force’s fleet, the largest ever.Questions why one piece of useful equipment – a cadaver dog – was not on the list of new acquisitions were eagerly asked by the media, and easily answered by Harris.The new kit got the attention but central to the event was the launch of a new report, Transforming An Garda Síochána, detailing the advances made in modernising the force since 2018.Crime and security editor Conor Lally was at Garda HQ and he tells In the News how the commissioner, who is due to finish up in September, will be remembered.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan

The Government will bring its latest housing fix to Cabinet today when it presents new rules on rent levels for approval.Aimed at boosting supply – by encouraging large institutional investors to build and small landlords to stay in the market – the plan primarily concerns rules around Rent Pressure Zones (RPZ).These were established in 2016 – the number of such zones grew over the years – to curb rent rises. Landlords could only raise rents annually, first by 4 per cent and in a subsequent change to the rules, by 2 per cent.Now landlords of new builds – new houses or apartments – do not have to abide by those caps. Also when a new tenancy begins, a landlord can charge market rent – not the capped RPZ level. Existing tenants will still have 2 per cent rises, for the six-year duration of the lease.There will also be new measures to prevent landlords evicting existing tenants simply to greatly raise the rent for a new tenancy.Consumer Affairs Correspondent Conor Pope says no one is happy with the new plan, but why?And does the plan make sense? Economics Correspondent Eoin Burke-Kennedy gives his analysis. Will the move really lure capital investment into Ireland’s housing market?Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon.

On Sunday, April 7th, 2024 there was a fatal road traffic crash in Churchtown, a suburb in south dublin. It happened early in the morning when a pensioner driving an old red van hit a tree.Unusually, the name of the dead man was not released though The Irish Times was able to report, through confidential information received at the time, that the dead man had been due in court the following day.He had been charged with more than 100 counts of sex abuse offences involving young boys dating back to the 1980s and 90s. His five victims were ready to give evidence but his death denied them any hope of justice.He wasn’t named at the time for legal reasons. But we are naming him now, thanks to the bravery of his victims, who since his death just over a year ago have met and given each other support.Neville Kearns lived in suburban Dublin and won the trust of the young teenagers who became his victim.One, who we are calling Chris, came in to studio to tell his story.Irish Times reporter Orla Ryan has talked to three of the men and explains why they chose to name him now and what it means to them.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan.

Sonia ‘Sunny’ Jacobs was 76 when she died on Tuesday morning in a house fire in Connemara.Her tragic death made headlines far beyond Galway and Ireland because Jacobs had led a truly remarkable life. It included a death row sentence for the murder of two policemen in Florida in 1976.She spent 17 years in a US jail, five in solitary confinement, before a deal with prosecutors saw her released in 1995.Another person died in the fire in the remote cottage, her carer a young man called Kevin Kelly from Moycullen.Her life – before and after that highway shooting – has been chronicled in books, a play and a film as Jacobs became a campaigner against the death penalty.In an extraordinary twist of fate, a coincidence that could barely have been imagined, she ended up married to a man whose experience mirrored hers. Peter Pringle had also been handed the death sentence over his part in the murder of two policemen: gardaí John Morley and Henry Byrne during a bank robbery in Co Roscommon in 1980.Irish Times reporter Ronan McGreevy has been in Connemara where Jacobs found peace and sanctuary and where she died. He tells In the News her story.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey.