Joe Biden is set to become the first president to have overcome a stutter. His journey will no doubt inspire many who have to manage a stutter in their day to day life. Dr. Jonathan Linklater joined Kieran to discuss what can cause a stutter and what are the best ways to manage them. 

Highlights from The Hard Shoulder

"It shows that people do not care about stuttering."

BBC World Affairs Editor John Simpson was on the ground in Baghdad 30 years ago as Operation Desert Storm began on Iraq. 30 years on, he joined Kieran on Friday's edition of The Hard Shoulder to recount his experiences.

"I've reported on 40 wars, but nothing on that scale..."

 Mary McKenna, CEO of Tour America and Eoghan Corry of Air and Travel magazine joined Kieran to take a closer look at the travel industry and the prospects for 2021. 

Travel in 2021..and beyond!

As the schedule for vaccinating the Irish population was published, Kildare GP Brendan O'Shea joined Kieran on Friday's edition of The Hard Shoulder to tell him why he is upbeat about when GPs will be fully ready to vaccinate. SIPTU's Adrian Kane also told Kieran why he wants to see further clarification on how quickly the rest of the workforce will get their vaccinations.

How quickly will the GPs be vaccinated?

It has been decided that the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine will be given after 28 days rather than 21 days. The change comes into effect for anyone vaccinated from this coming Monday and will allow for more people to receive their first dose of the vaccine sooner. Karina Butler, Chair of National Immunisation Advisory Committee joined Kieran to discuss what impact this will have on the vaccination process. 

"We have never had to deal with something on this scale so rapidly."

The pandemic has been an ongoing struggle for all us but for new mothers though the isolation caused by rolling lockdowns has been especially tough. Journalist, Broadcaster and new mum Aideen Finnegan has joined me alongside Dr. Brian Higgins GP in Galway Primary Care to discuss the challenges of being a new parent in a pandemic.      

"You are missing out on all the contact that can help you!"

The European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) has given the green light to snacking on worms. These mealworms could be used as a protein-rich snack, or an ingredient for other foods. Dr. Cara Augustenborg Environmental Policy Fellow at UCD to share her experience of tucking into insect based dinners and why a move towards them could actually have an environmental benefit. 

"They have quite a nutty taste and a nice crunch!"

The US House of Representatives impeached President Donald Trump on Wednesday for a second time. This is just days before he is scheduled to leave office. The House voted 232-197 to impeach the president, with 10 members of the Republican Party joining 222 Democrats. Richard E Neal is a US Congressman, and Chairman of the Friends of Ireland Caucus in the United States House of Representatives.  He joined Kieran on Thursday's edition of The Hard Shoulder to describe the last week, as well as his experience of being trapped in his office on Capitol Hill by those who were laying siege on January 6th.

"Impeachment is a constitutional remedy..."

Schools and some classes catering for children with physical and intellectual disabilities could reopen in a week's time. After talks with trade union representatives this morning, Minister for Education Norma Foley said that it is a "shared ambition" of both her's, the INTO and Fórsa trade union that special schools open again for students on January 21st. They would also like special classes for children with disabilities in primary schools. Josepha Madigan, Minister for State at the Department of Education with Responsibility for Special Education, John Boyle, General Secretary of the INTO, Linda, who has a 12 year old son with autism and special needs advocate Lorraine Dempsey all joined Kieran on Thursday's edition of The Hard Shoulder to give their views.

Children with special needs could be in school next week

Tanaiste Leo Varadkar joined Kieran Cuddihy to discuss vaccine roll out, the reopening of the economy, our new travel rules, and offering his services to the medical system to help with vaccine rollout. He said he wouldn't envisage businesses reopening until March, and the ICU numbers would need to be down to 50 before we could open up. He also explained how there are more vaccinations being adminsitered each week, and the plan for ramping that up should AstraZeneca's vaccine get approval from the EMA.

Leo Varadkar: ICU numbers to be below 50 before we reopen

Screentime Presenter John Fardy joins Off The Balls Sue Murphy and Kieran to take at look at the best of this weeks box and box office.

Movies and TV

What has it been like for the tourism industry in the city that never sleeps? Kieran spoke to John Fitzpatrick, who has been running the hugely successful Fitzpatrick Manhattan and the Fitzpatrick Grand Central in New York for the past 30 years. He told The Hard Shoulder that once the vaccine roll out gets going the city will do well, and that it will take a few months to get there.  

'We'll get there, it's going to take a few months!' Renowned Irish hotelier on how New York will bounce back

Every Wednesday here on the Hard Shoulder on Newstalk we bring you The Last Post - where we hear about the life of someone who has recently died but you have probably never heard of...  John Kelleher, told Kieran about Fr. Reginald Foster, The Vatican’s ‘Latin Lover’ who passed away recently aged 81.

The Last Post: Fr. Reginald Foster

Secondary school students are calling on state exams to be cancelled in their current format. The Irish Second-Level Students Union have written an open letter to the Education Minister Norma Foley calling for an alternative format to be found. Kieran spoke to the ISSU President Reuben Murray about their call.

'We've past the point where it's feasible' for the Leaving Cert to go ahead as planned

Craig Dwyer, campaigner and lecturer in DCU, joined Kieran on Wednesday's edition of The Hard Shoulder to tell him how disinformation can lead to riots, the likes of which we saw in Washington DC. Is President Trump to blame, or does it go deeper than that?

How does disinformation cause episodes like the Capitol Hill siege?

Highlights from Ivan Yates on The Hard Shoulder

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Highlights from The Hard Shoulder

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