The opening paragraph of this report from America’s National Public Radio (NPR), which is the closest thing the US has to RTE, has to be seen to be believed. Emphasis added: Mass protests that have erupted over police brutality toward black people in America are raising concerns about the risk of spreading the coronavirus. But […]
Over the last few years one of the economic and social talking points has been the inter-generational divide, especially between millennials and their parents’ generation. There is often a sense of resentment among the younger generation that their job prospects are worse than the generations that went before, that the opportunities to buy an affordable […]
Is there really a scientific consensus about wearing masks in the Covid-19 pandemic? How much of a help are masks in fighting the Covid-19 pandemic? Absolutely essential, it seems, to New Yorkers. A woman who failed to sport a mask sparked hysteria in a Staten Island supermarket. Other shoppers started shrieking at the modern leper to […]
Utilitarianism medical ethics has come under heavy fire in recent months. Many commentators have, for example, criticised utilitarian ICU rationing frameworks that discriminate against older people and people with disabilities. Others have condemned the veiled introduction of herd immunity strategies that involve allowing coronavirus to spread through the community to create population-level resistance to COVID-19. These […]
The brother of George Floyd, whose horrific death in police custody has sparked global protests, has called on rioters and looters to stop the violence saying their actions would not bring his brother back. Speaking publicly for the first time, Terrence Floyd knelt and cried and prayed at the intersection in Minneapolis where his brother […]
While events in America matter to Ireland, at least at the periphery, they’re objectively less important than events in Europe, which impact us directly. Which is why it’s odd that so much attention is being given to the riots in American Cities while no media outlet, except the one you are presently reading, bothered to […]
The Northern Ireland Assembly at Stormont has voted against the imposition of abortion regulations by Westminster that allow for babies with disabilities to be aborted until birth. The vote was warmly welcomed by disability campaigners and pro-life groups. The Assembly debate saw Sinn Féin tying itself up in knots attempting a pretence of opposing abortion […]
On Saturday, May 30, American astronauts flew into orbit on an American-made space vehicle for the first time since 2011. SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket carried Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken, both veterans of the old Space Shuttle program, inside the Dragon capsule, and once the capsule separated safely, the first stage returned automatically to earth […]
If it wasn’t so serious, it would be very amusing to watch politicians twist themselves into pretzels to try and make clear that they don’t approve of a massive gathering in the middle of the pandemic, without alienating their left wing supporters. Here’s Simon Harris, striking a very different tone to the tone he’d take […]
Up to 70 Italian cities have seen protests demanding that the current government step down over their handling of the coronavirus, and calling for an Italian exit from the EU. Protesters – including many orange vest demonstrators – called for a new government and a return to the Italian lira in place of the euro, it […]
Technology has been invaluable to keep us all connected during the Covid-19 pandemic, but could it also be separating us from those we love most? Smartphones keep us informed and provide a constant stream of news and entertainment. I gifted my husband some wireless headphones because he loves to listen to podcasts. With them, he […]
In today’s Irish Independent, Philip Ryan is reporting that “children under the age of 16 would be able to legally change their gender under plans being discussed by Fine Gael.” Ryan goes on to note that: “A Fine Gael policy paper drafted for the government formation talks recommends changing laws to allow all children change […]