We’re joined on The Explainer this week by Larry Donnelly to look at the issues cropping up for Biden – and Trump – ahead of next year’s US presidential election.

Investigative reporter Alice Chambers and former prison governor John Lonergan tell Susan Daly about how some children are struggling to get access to their loved ones in prison.

Murray Kinsella and Seán Hussey chat about the big team news ahead of Round 7 of the URC.

We’re joined by several members of The Journal’s newsroom to examine how Thursday unfolded, and to discuss the political and social fallout of the events.

Murray Kinsella and Ciarán Kennedy look ahead to the weekend’s action.

We’re joined on this week’s episode by Dominic McGrath, PA Media political correspondent, to dissect the former UK prime minister’s unexpected comeback. What is Cameron’s background, what could he achieve in the role – and what exactly is the end goal here?

Murray Kinsella joins Gavan Casey to look ahead to the provinces’ URC fixtures this weekend.

This week on The Explainer, we’re joined by Dr Austin O Carroll, a GP who specialises in addiction services, to look closer at what happened and find out more about these synthetic opioids. We also examine where all of this fits into the concerns around fentanyl and the possibility of its arrival in Ireland.

We’re joined by our Assistant News Editor Stephen McDermott to give you a clear overview of the basics of what we’re seeing today – from who Hamas are to how Israel came to be a state.

Gavan Casey, Murray Kinsella and Bernard Jackman tee up the weekend’s action.

Arts and culture journalist Louise Bruton explores how Taylor Swift became the powerful force in the music industry that she is today. We look at why the billionaire pop star is re-recording her albums, her many feuds, and the history of how she rose from a country music singer to the most streamed artist in the world.

Ciarán Kennedy and Gavan Casey look ahead to a big weekend of URC.

We’re joined by Dr Mary Bourke, a flood risk management expert and assistant professor of Geography at Trinity College Dublin. She delves into the reasons why flooding – just like strong winds or extreme temperatures – can never be fully stopped, but outlines the solutions Ireland could consider in order to mitigate against the worst impacts on people’s homes and livelihoods.

Rugby Weekly podcast runs the rule over the World Cup semi-finals.

The Israeli Defence Forces look to be gearing up for a ground offensive in The Gaza Strip. We speak to our News Correspondent Niall O’Connor to discuss what this might look like.

Ciarán Kennedy and Murray Kinsella begin the countdown to Paris.

In Budget 2024 this week, we saw the biggest change to the USC in years, with the 4.5% rate cut to 4%. We spoke to Barra Roantree, assistant professor of economics at Trinity College Dublin about the history of the USC, the importance of it and why economists like it so much?

Teachers say the new Social, Personal, and Health Education (SPHE) curriculum for secondary schools is long overdue, but some elements of the course have sparked controversy and misinformation. So what will children really be taught? Eoghan Cleary – a secondary school teacher, assistant principal and SPHE & Wellbeing Coordinator – joins us on this week’s episode to explain all.

Murray and Gav look ahead to Ireland’s last pool game.

The algae has left wildlife dead and led to questions over the safety of drinking water at Lough Neagh. Shauna Corr, environment correspondent and columnist with news outlets including The Irish Mirror and Belfast Live joins us to look at the history of the lake, the real-life impacts of the algal bloom, and what the local response has been.

This week on The Explainer, we speak to Dog Behaviourist Nanci Creedon who tells us more these headline-grabbing dogs and looks at what evidence there is on whether some breeds are more aggressive than others.

Editor Maria Delaney and researcher Soma Gregory tell Susan Daly about the many obstacles facing women who would prefer this option.

Medical journalist June Shannon joins us on this week’s episode to explain how the scheme will work, who is eligible, and how you avail of it. She also details how exactly IVF works and shares her own experience of the process.

This week on The Explainer, we speak to Emma Duffy, sports journalist with The42, to discuss Luis Rubiales and the scandal that has engulfed Spanish football since their women’s team won the World Cup Final last month.

Ciarán Kennedy is joined by Murray Kinsella for a trip down memory lane.

Art O’Leary, chief executive officer of the Electoral Commission joins us explain how the changes were decided on and what factors were taken into consideration. We’re also joined by our Political Reporter Jane Matthews, Deputy Editor Christine Bohan, and Assistant News Editor Rónán Duffy to dissect the results and take a look at the political ramifications.

Murray Kinsella joins Gavan Casey to lay out The 42′s plans for the big show in France.

Joining us this week is our own Carl Kinsella, who was at the festival earlier this week, and the Irish Independent’s Kirsty Blake Knox. They explore the history of the festival and changes over the years, its relevance in today’s world, and look at what’s next for this year’s winner. Also – if they were a Rose, what would their talent be?

Ireland get set for their final World Cup warm-up match as Andy Farrell prepares to name his 33-man squad.

This week on we’re joined by journalist and organic beef and dairy farmer Hannah Quinn Mulligan to look at the growing talk of a farmers’ party in Ireland. What are the types of policies they would implement? And what are their chances of success?

We delve into the prosecution faced by the Rohingya minority in Myanmar, and the treacherous journey many make across the Andaman Sea in search of asylum and a better life. We speak with Michelle Cicic, head of the regional office for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO) in south-southeast Asia Pacific, as well as Lilianne Fan and Hassan bin Roshid from the Geutanyoë Foundation.

This week on The Explainer, we speak with US correspondent with the Business Post Marion McKeone to delve into Kennedy Jr’s campaign so far. What are his rallies like, and what is he like as a person? Is he in with a chance of becoming US president, or are we simply looking at Trump vs Biden in 2024?

Sinéad O’Carroll is joined by The 42′s Gavin Cooney for a wide-ranging discussion on women in football. What does Ireland’s performance at the World Cup say about the future of the team? And did they catch the public’s imagination enough to keep the fanbase growing from here? More widely, is enough being done by sports organisations to support women in sport?

This week, presenter Laura Byrne is joined by journalist and author Aoife Barry, who takes us through the hype machine behind Barbie and how this rubbed off on Oppenheimer. Did it translate into box office success? Also, how will the strike by actors and writers in the US impact film and television over the coming months?

This week on The Explainer, we’re joined by Lauren Boland, climate reporter with The Journal, to examine what precisely this legislation is all about and why it sparked so much anger. Do environmentalists think the now-watered-down law will have any impact? And how does Ireland fit into the picture?

Presenter Laura Byrne is joined this week by Gavan Reilly, political correspondent with Virgin Media News, to look behind the scenes at Oireachtas committees, from the grandstanding to the selection process, as well as to analyse previous appearances by John Delaney, Angela Kerins, and – of course – Ryan Tubridy.

English football is the focus for the fourth and penultimate episode of The 42′s On The Right Wing podcast series.