Taking Stock

This week on Taking Stock Mandy Johnston gets to grips with the economic benefits and costs of having bank holidays when she talks to Edward Thomas Jones, Lecturer in Economics at Bangor University, who has looked at the global data on extra days off.The US voting system is a complex one. Mandy talks to Sam Levine from the Guardian, who goes through the role of the electoral college system, how it was created and how it all works.Plus, in our 'Techscape' Slot Mandy looks at the world of Crypto after the news that the Collison brothers are buying the US crypto platform Bridge,

This week on Taking Stock Mandy Johnston looks at house prices as more figures released this week saw more rising prices for home buyers. Mandy talks about access to credit for those who are trying to build homes when she talks to AJ Noonan of Rhonellen Developments and Donal MacNamee of the Business Post.The UK is grappling with a concerning rise in youth inactivity, with the number of people aged 16 to 24 not in education, employment or training rising to over three quarters of a million. Mandy examines the causes with Amy Borret of the Financial Times who has been looking at this issue.And as we reach the final furlong in the US Election Mandy talks to Caroline Vikal of the Hill about two wildly different campaigns from the Trump and Harris camps.

This week on Taking Stock, Mandy Johnston talks to legendary Guardian Columnist John Crace who read every page of Boris Johnson's new memoir and also tells us about his new book Taking the Lead-A Dog at Number 10' which sees his dog Herbie recount turbulent times in Westminster.Mandy also chats to Javier Espinoza of the Financial Times about a new EU Ruling that could change European Football forever.And Mandy hears about Intel's change of plans in Germany and what it might mean for everyone else.

This week on Taking Stock Mandy Johnston talks to Lawrence Donegan who is a renowned Scottish journalist, author and former musician with bands such as Llyod Cole and the Commotions. He is now based in the US and he’s back on the US election beat for what he says is the biggest story of our lifetime. He has been traveling around America covering the US Presidential campaign and he gives us his take on where things stand in the race for the White House.And the big beasts of Wall Street are no longer having it all their own way anymore as a new wave of electronic-trading firms muscle in on their patch and we hear about the companies taking over the global stock market landscape.And finally - in the budget this week fuel prices went up, but that's not the only concern for households and car owners. As tensions escalate in the Middle East Mandy looks at the potential cause for concern about yet another energy crisis with Muireann Lynch of the ESRI. Plus, Cliff Taylor of the Irish Times gives us his take on Budget 2025.

In our monthly Techscape slot with thanks to PWC Mandy talks to Chris Stokel-Walker about Telegram; the social media platform used by nearly a billion people.

This week on Taking Stock Mandy Johnston looks at the Taoiseach’s bold new idea: a Department of Infrastructure. Does anyone really want another government department? Mandy talks to Economist John Fitzgerald and Conal Thomas of the Business Post.In our monthly Techscape slot we look at the social media platform that is Telegram and ask what really goes on there when Mandy chats to David Stokel-Walker.And the honeymoon is over for Keir Starmer, as the Labour party conference gets swallowed by black holes and the age-old 'who-paid-for-that-shirt' saga. Mark Paul of the Irish Times was there and he tells us all about it.

This week on Taking Stock Mandy Johnston looks at the benefits of putting your foot down at work and simply saying 'no'. Michael McGrath got the Justice portfolio in the European Commission, but how did the rest of Europe fare when the big jobs were being handed out? EuroNews Reporter Jorge Liboreiro chats to Mandy. And two and a half years on Mandy looks at the war in Ukraine and where it stands now as the people of Ukraine head into another winter.

This week on Taking Stock Mandy is joined by Lauren Fedor from the Financial Times who has been covering the US Presidential debate and she breaks down the fallout for both Trump and Harris as we enter a crucial phase in the race. The government says a €13 billion windfall from the Apple Tax ruling won’t affect this year’s Budget package. But with the Dáil set to return, how much cash will actually be available? Mandy takes stock of the promises made over the summer and what it would cost if everything the government pledged actually came to pass.Plus we turn our attention to the UK and the ongoing debate about the BBC's future. What challenges are they facing, and how might it compare to our own media landscape?

With two major elections on the horizon both here and in America this week on Taking Stock Mandy Johnston dives into voter patterns and surprising factors like how weather can affect turnout when she talks Kevin Cunningham from ‘Ireland Thinks’We’ll also look at how banks are assessing risks in their commercial property portfolios and what that could mean for the economy. Catherine Sanz of the Business Post will share her findings.And in Germany, the far-right AFD party made historic gains in recent elections. Author Katja Hoyer will discuss what this could mean for Europe.

 This week on Taking Stock Mandy Johnston looks at how Poland has decided that the next phase of its economic growth needs to be fuelled by a shiny new infrastructure project: a massive airport built away from Warsaw. Is it the type of bold thinking we could learn from here or will it end up as a folly? Raphael Minder, Central Europe Correspondent of the Financial Times explains the plan.Laura Slattery of the Irish Times talks us through the ever more complex relationships between tech giants and world leaders.Plus, Fashion writer Bairbre Power on the changing face of office wear and how its lead to a growth in the business of personal shoppers.