Highlights From Newstalk Breakfast

US President Donald Trump ⁠has said that Denmark has not been able to do anything to get the "Russian threat" away from Greenland. This latest remark comes as EU leaders will convene an emergency summit this week to consider how to push back the US president’s ambitions to take over the island and hit allies with fresh tariffs.    Adrienne Murray, a Copenhagen-based journalist, joined Ciara Kelly on the show to discuss.

“When I was a boy, glasses were a source of shame that ruined my self-esteem. Now that contact lenses have failed me too, all that’s left is to embrace the blurriness”  So writes Adrian Chiles, broadcaster and Guardian columnist who spoke to Newstalk Breakfast.

Learner drivers are 'failing tests' due to severely faded road markings. That’s the warning from Ladybird Driving School. We discuss further with Brenda Bolger, Owner of Bolgers Motoring Schools. 

X “will face the full rigours of the law” over Grok being used to create explicit photos, according to Niamh Smyth, the Minister of State responsible for AI.  She will meet with executives from the social media giant later today.  For more on this we heard from Sinead Gibney, Social Democrats TD for Dublin-Rathdown who sits on the media and AI committee and Brian Brennan Fine Gael TD for Wicklow-Wexford who sits on the Media Committee.

A famine-inspired board game has raised over 13,000 euros to get developed The Great Famine Game is it distasteful? Ciara and Shane discussed this morning.

Schools must use the preferred name and pronouns of transgender students, who should also be allowed to use the bathroom of their preferred gender. That’s according to a new guide on the rights of trans people produced by the Irish Council for Civil Liberties with support from the State’s human rights watchdog the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission. Joining Ciara to discuss this is Prof Donal O’Shea, Consultant Endocrinologist who works with the National gender service.  

A famine-inspired board game has raised over 13,000 euros to get developed.  “The Great Hunger” invites players to build homes and families across Ireland before the “Great Blight” hits. The player with the largest surviving population is the winner.   We get reaction to this game with Nathan Mannion, Head of Exhibitions and Programme at EPIC, The Irish Emigration Museum. 

The Complex arts centre in Smithfield has shut its doors, after an emergency meeting to save it between the Arts Council and Dublin City Council was unsuccessful.   The Director of the centre Vanessa Fielding called this closure a “failure of cultural policy, accountability, and long-term planning within the public system”. We get reaction to the closing from Maria Fleming, Chair of the National Campaign for the Arts. 

Youtube has overtaken the BBC for the first time in Britain. That’s according to recent data that showed the video streaming platform’s monthly viewing figures surpassed audience numbers across all BBC channels in December.  Is this a tipping point for tv, and is streaming gaining on telly here in Ireland too? Newstalk’s Sarah Madden reports:  

Military personnel from Europe have arrived in Greenland as Denmark remains determined to “prevent” as US takeover of the country. US President Donald Trump has reasserted his claim on Greenland, insisting that the US “needs” the island for security.  We discuss further with Trine Mach, Danish MP and member of the Parliament's Greenland Committee. 

Elon Musk's platform X has announced measures to prevent its AI chatbot Grok from undressing images of real people, following global backlash over its generation of sexualised images of women and children.   We get all the details on this with Jess Kelly Newstalk's Technology Correspondent. 

The US and UK are reducing the number of personnel at the Al-Udeid air base in Qatar, as US President Donald Trump considers whether to take action against Iran over its crackdown on anti-government protests.  We get the latest on this with Tara Kangarlou, Global Affairs journalist and author of The Heartbeat of Iran.

New research today from the ESRI has found that there are misconceptions about how many people are immigrating to Ireland, and why they are coming here in the first place.  All to discuss with Pete Lunn, Founder and Head of ESRI's Behavioural Research Unit.

“Congestion charges won’t be popular, but they are our only way out of a jam” so wrote Sunday Independent Columnist, Eoin O’Malley, Associate Professor in political science at the School of Law and Government, Dublin City University. Eoin explained all to Newstalk Breakfast.

“I’m taking eight months’ paternity leave and it’s changing my relationship with my children”  So wrote Ilyas Nagdee author and researcher working in the areas of racial justice and human rights. IIyas chatted to Ciara on the show.

A relatively small group of repeat offenders are responsible for a disproportionate share of burglary offences. That’s according to new figures provided to Ireland South MEP and former barrister Cynthia Ní Mhurchú from the Irish Courts Service. Cynthia discussed these findings with Shane this morning.

The Danish Foreign Minister has said a ‘fundamental disagreement’ over Greenland remains following talks in the White House with US Vice-President JD Vance and secretary of state Marco Rubio.  Greenland’s Foreign Minister said they are 'committed to finding the right path'.  We discuss further with Adrienne Murray, Copenhagen-based journalist. 

Kneecap are back in court today as prosecutors are appealing the decision to throw out terrorism charges brought against Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, also known by his stage name “Mo Chara”    Our reporter Ellen Butler was outside the court...   

Uisce Éireann should be mandated to commence mitigation works for wastewater leaks or discharges within one month of detection. That’s the call in a private members motion from four Independent TDs before the Dáil today.   Among them is Michael Collins Leader of Independent Ireland Party & TD for Cork south west who Joined Shane Coleman on the show.

Thousands of people are feared dead in Iran after a crackdown on weeks of anti-government protests. US President Donald Trump has urged anti-government protesters in Iran to "keep protesting", saying that "help is on its way".  Tara Kangarlou, global affairs journalist, author of The Heartbeat of Iran and Adjunct professor, Georgetown University joined us on Newstalk Breakfast this morning with the latest.