In The News

John O’Brien’s scam was simple. Arriving in the US on a tourist visa in 2021, he set himself up as a building contractor in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. By the time the authorities caught up with the 28 year-old, he had conned more than 100 victims out of an estimated $2.5 million.

Many of the homeowners who handed him their life savings for promised building work were charmed by his Irish accent and friendly demeanour.

Sentencing him to four years and eight months in prison, the judge talked about “the extent and breadth of the harm” done to victims who opened their doors to O’Brien out of kindness and trust. He had pleaded guilty.

Many of his victims gave statements in court including Candace Gauvin, a retired school crossing guard, who emptied a life insurance account, eventually paying him more than $90,000 for shoddy work.

One of the more than a dozen people who provided character references for O’Brien included fellow Traveller Senator Eileen Flynn who advocated for his early release for the “benefit of his young family”.

Local reporter Susan Zalkind was in court in Rhode Island for O’Brien’s case and she explains how the scam worked, how it funded his lavish lifestyle and the impact on the victims.

Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Wednesday, as fuel protests over the Government’s response to rising petrol and diesel prices entered their third day it became clear the demands of the protesters showed no signs of being met.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin said fuel protesters blocking cities and towns around Ireland are “wrong” and those breaking the law will be penalised.
Several distinct but co-ordinated protests took place over the past three days, involving slow-moving convoys on motorways, such as the M1 and M50, as well as the blocking of main roads in Dublin.

Those taking part include hauliers and agricultural contractors using large trucks and tractors to disrupt traffic.

Irish Times political editor Pat Leahy analyses the political reaction to the protesters and Colm Keena explains who the protesters are and what they want.

Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The US, Israel and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire on Tuesday barely an hour before US president Donald Trump’s deadline to obliterate Iran was set to expire, with Tehran agreeing to temporarily reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

The ceasefire is based on a 10-point proposal from Iran which Trump said was a “workable basis on which to negotiate”.
So what is in the proposal and why was Pakistan key to the negotiations?

The proposal requires Israel to stop its bombardment of Lebanon, something it has not done with the Israeli ‌military saying ​on Wednesday it has ​carried out ⁠the largest ‌strikes ‌against Lebanon’s ​Hizbullah ⁠since ​this ​war ‌began.

So how will that impact on the negotiations which are set to begin on Friday?

And what role did China play in the ceasefire negotiations?

Beijing-based Irish Times correspondent Denis Staunton analyses the proposal and its chance of delivering lasting peace in the region.

Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

More details have emerged about the Minister for Finance’s new savings and investment idea which aims to unlock some of the €170bn Irish people are estimated to have on deposit and encourage them to become stock market investors instead.

Simon Harris first floated the idea of a Government-endorsed savings plan in February but the details were sparse.
The idea is now clearer, though the fine print has yet to be thought through and is likely to be announced around budget time in the autumn.
The new Irish scheme will follow the popular Swedish one which sees people putting their savings into an ISK and paying a flat tax – currently about 1 per cent monthly – on their investment over a certain tax-free threshold.

Investment products currently available in Ireland have a complex tax system based on capital gains.
So is it a good idea? And will risk-averse Irish consumers who prefer to keep their cash at the ready be prepared to become investors?

Irish Times economics columnist Cliff Taylor explains – and gives his view on the idea’s likely success.

Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It is not surprising that the army’s spy wing is a highly secretive organisation, but lately it’s becoming a little less so, with one of its top bosses giving an interview to The Irish Times.

Its job is to protect the State and the Defence Forces from military threats, counter hybrid activity and protect Irish interests overseas. Its expertise is wide, from on-the-ground surveillance to advising the government on strategic threats to our interests.

One of its tasks is to monitor the activities of ageing Russian tankers that appear with increased regularity off the west coast.

The service is undergoing a transformation: the name change from J2 to the Irish Military Intelligence Service (Imis) is a small part of that.

Irish Times investigations reporter Conor Gallagher was invited to the Imis HQ at McKee Barracks to meet one of the top intelligence operatives, to talk spycraft, threats, secrecy and a new phase of recruitment.

Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.