The Last Word with Matt Cooper

This week marks 50 years since the historic Apollo 11 mission which saw man land on the moon for the first time. To celebrate, we asked John Caddell and Larissa Nolan to choose their favourite moon-related songs in our weekly music slot. Here's what they came up with. David Bowie - Space Oddity David Bowie - Moonage Daydream The Police - Walking On The Moon Def Leppard - Rocket Cat Power - The Moon R.E.M. - Man On The Moon Pink Floyd - Eclipse Radiohead - Sail To The Moon Public Service...

Four Democratic congresswomen have accused Donald Trump of being "blatantly racist". Ilhan Omar, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib and Ayanna Pressley were the targets of a Twitter tirade by Trump, who suggested they "go back and help fix the totally broken and crime-infested places from which they came". Omar is a naturalised American citizen, while the other three congresswomen were born in the United States. All four are women of colour. ....and viciously telling the people of the...

If you're going on holiday this summer, why not take a few gadgets along to make life easier? From devices to help you with your packing to water-proof cases and pocket translators, Andy O'Donoghue joined us for Tech Tuesday to give his holiday tech recommendations. Packing to go Pacum Multifunctional Handheld Vacuum – Available from IndieGoGo for approx £46 The best bag for travelling light Lumzag - rucksack with built-in charging and WiFi, €270 Global WiFi SkyRoam - €149 for the device,...

Undocumented Irish people in the United States are on high alert as Donald Trump has threatened a crackdown on illegal immigration. The case of Keith Byrne has come to national attention in recent days. The Corkman, who has been living in the US for 12 years, was arrested for overstaying his visa requirements and is facing imminent deportation. He is married to an American citizen, and they have three children. With tens of thousands fearing the same fate, what happens now? Independent...

A survey conducted by LinkedIn, the online network for professionals, has revealed that fewer than one in five Irish people believe LGBT workers have equal opportunities in the workplace. The survey also revealed that 20% of LGBT people feel uncomfortable in the workplace due to their sexuality, and that only a third are fully open about their sexuality with their direct manager. As well as this, two thirds of people surveyed saw themselves as an ally. We were joined by Lisa Finnegan, Senior...

The CervicalCheck scandal is continuing as it has been revealed that 800 women failed to receive their smear test results due to an IT glitch. It came to light after one woman raised concerns about a delay in getting her test results. The HSE has apologised, saying that CervicalCheck was aware of the issue in February. Speaking on The Last Word, patient advocate Stephen Teap said: "I don't plan on going anywhere until all of these issues are resolved and these recommendations are in place,...

The long-awaited third season of Stranger Things dropped on Netflix on 4 July. According to Netflix's own figures, the new episodes have been a huge success. They revealed that 18.2 million subscribers watched it all in one sitting, while 40 million watched at least one episode over four days. Some fans of the show felt the second season was a disappointment, with much of the action taking place away from the fictional setting of Hawkins, Indiana. But, viewing figures aside, is the latest...

Remember the basic mobile phone you had in the early 2000s, before the likes of Facebook and Instagram? It's now being referred to as a dumbphone, and increasing numbers of parents are buying them for their children. These phones will not allow you to scroll through social media, and will only make calls and send texts. But how successful are they in enabling parents to supervise their children's internet time? Is it reasonable to expect young people to accept a phone that restricts their...

Noel Whelan, one of Ireland's leading political commentators, has passed away aged 50 after a short illness. He was also a barrister as well as a political figure, and those who knew him have paid tribute to his generosity. Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin and Colm O'Gorman, Executive Director of Amnesty Ireland, both knew Noel and joined us on The Last Word to pay tribute to him. Micheál Martin spoke about how he contributed to making Ireland "a kinder and more tolerant society", while...

New research suggests that two in five tenants in rent pressure zones are still facing rent increases of over 4% despite the caps that are in place. The research, published today, was commissioned by the Residential Tenancies Board "to give a better insight into the impact of rent pressure zones on both landlords and tenants, and on rental trends." Caren Gallagher, Head of Communications and Research for the Residential Tenancies Board, and Joe Doyle, landlord and spokesperson for the...

Brendan Grace has died at the age of 68 following a battle with lung cancer. The Dublin-born comedian was loved by audiences at home and abroad. As well as his career in stand-up, he was also a talented singer. Younger generations will probably best remember him as the iconic Fr. Fintan Stack in the sitcom Father Ted. We were joined by Today FM presenter and comedian Mario Rosenstock, singer and senator Frances Black and documentary maker Brian Reddin, who made the documentary Brendan Grace...

Culture Club is a brand new series on The Last Word in which we'll be asking guests to name their favourite music, movies, television shows etc. Our first guest is Paul Howard, author of the Ross O'Carroll-Kelly books and writer of Copper Face Jacks - The Musical, which starts tonight at the Olympia Theatre. See below for Paul's choices: Favourite play/theatre show/musical: The Book of Mormon Favourite TV show: Only Fools and Horses, Blackadder or anything with Victoria Wood Favourite movie:...

Many people have moles, which are elevated spots on the skin. In most cases they are harmless, but they do need to be monitored due to a greater risk of complications from sun exposure. People over the age of 50 who have numerous moles have a higher risk of developing skin cancer and should visit their healthcare provider for check-ups. Although 11,000 new cases of skin cancer are diagnosed every year, and this figure is set to double by 2045, the good news is that 90% of cases can be...

Is it time to introduce exclusion zones outside hospitals, doctors surgeries and abortion clinics? The issue has been raised again following an anti-abortion protest outside the National Maternity Hospital, Holles Street last weekend, where protesters were seen carrying baby-sized coffins. Labour Party senator Ivana Bacik says legislation needs to be introduced to prevent intimidation of women accessing services. "These were not respectful or dignified protests. They were deeply offensive...

Two previously unheard U2 songs have been discovered by fans. Recordings were unearthed by the fan site ATU2 of 'In Your Hand' and 'Concentration Cramp', two early songs which were reportedly performed during a gig in August 1979 at Dublin's Dandelion Market. The recordings were made by Pete McCluskey, a member of U2's support band that day, The Strougers. They are apparently the only recordings of these two tracks in existence, and are available to hear on YouTube. John Caddell and Larissa...

The government is warning that a no-deal Brexit would have dire consequences for Ireland. Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney today presented a revised Brexit contingency action plan. One of the key questions is whether or not there will be border checks in the event of no deal. The Tánaiste joined us on The Last Word to clarify the situation. Listen to the interview in full by pressing the play button on this page.

Britain and the United States have become embroiled in a diplomatic row over the British Ambassador Sir Kim Darroch, who has been critical of Donald Trump. Darroch branded the Trump administration "inept" and "dysfunctional" in memos which were leaked by a Sunday newspaper, leading to a hostile response from Trump on Twitter. As well as labelling Darroch a "wacky ambassador" and "a very stupid guy", he also hit out at Theresa May's "foolish" way of dealing with Brexit. ...handled. I told...

The Environmental Protection Agency has warned that air pollution in Dublin is breaching EU limits. There are particular concerns around nitrogen dioxide levels, which the EPA says poses a serious public health risk. According to Patrick Kenny, a senior scientist with the EPA, the main source of nitrogen dioxide is the internal combustion engine in vehicles. Older diesel engines produce particularly high levels of the pollutant. Patrick Kenny was joined on The Last Word by Fine Gael TD...

How often should you wash your clothes? After one wear, or two, or even three? The answer is never, according to renowned fashion designer Stella McCartney. In an interview with The Observer, McCartney recommended letting the dirt dry before brushing it off your clothes — a tip she apparently picked up while working on Savile Row. It seems that avoiding the wash is not only better for the life of our clothes, but for the planet too. Is this really the case? Or is our personal hygiene bound...

In a video that emerged over the weekend, Sinn Féin finance spokesman Pearse Doherty was seen grilling the CEOs of three insurance companies on the number of fraudulent claims. The footage was from an Oireachtas Committee meeting last Friday. Are insurance companies lying about the extent of insurance fraud? Pearse Doherty joined us on The Last Word along with Charlie Weston, personal finance editor of the Irish Independent, to discuss. Listen to the interview in full by pressing the play...