The Gulf Stream is the current that brings warm water from the Gulf of Mexico up into the Atlantic Ocean. It's at its weakest point in 1,600 years. Will this unleash a climate catastrophe? And is the tipping point coming sooner than we expect? More at CaptainHoff.com #gulfstream #tippingpoint #climatechange #climateaction #climate #globalwarming #d…

The food industry is loading Americans up with sugar. It's in practically everything we eat, whether you realize it or not. Like cocaine, sugar releases dopamine and opioids into our bodies. But is sugar as addictive? And what will this do to our health? More on CaptainHoff.com #IncreasedHunger #Irritability #Fatigue #Cravings #Acne #Wrinkles #Join…

Americans are obsessed with being thin, and now there's a drug for that. Ozempic can shave 15% off a person's body weight. And new drugs coming to market will increase that to over 25%. But are these drugs really helping? What's the hidden secret none of the drug companies want you to know? Join us on https://CaptainHoff.com #weightloss #diet #getl…

Conservatives are up in arms over the latest Barbie movie, claiming it's a pro China, trans grooming, man-hating, monstrosity of leftist manipulation, while others say Barbie is a daring new take on female role models that's long overdue. Who's right? Is Barbie brainwashing our children? And why are pundits burning Barbie dolls? Join us at https://…

Arizona is now offering parents $7,200 for each student they send to a private school. And they aren't alone. Many other states are heading in the same direction. Is this a good idea? What does it mean for our public schools? And who pays for this? #Schools #k12 #vouchers #Arizona #publicSchools #privateSchools #politics #GOP #republicans #taxes #h…

Believe it or not, parents are paying their grown kids a salary to return home and be with them. All the kids have to do is hang out with their folks and do a few chores, and they can earn as much as they would in a real job. Why is this happening? And is it a good thing? #unemployment #kids #children #UBI #universalBasicIncome #parents #grownChild…

Even though the Supreme Court just banned Affirmative Action, it's alive and well, but only for the wealthiest Americans. If you're in the top 1 percent, your chance of getting into an Ivy League are substantially higher than the rest of us. How much higher? And how are the richest Americans getting away with this? #affirmativeaction #supremecourt …

Surprisingly, the answer is yes. They are rewriting the Bible, but don't believe the rumors. They are not replacing Jesus with Mao or Colonel Sanders or anyone else. It's much more subtle than that. What they want to do is rewrite the Bible so that it conforms with the Chinese Communist Party's agenda. In essence, they want a Bible with Chinese cha…

RFK Jr., the son of the late U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy, has long been a controversial figure. He is a well-known environmental activist, but he has also been accused of spreading misinformation about vaccines and other health issues. In recent months, Kennedy's rhetoric has become increasingly extreme. In a video that surfaced last week, he cl…

House Republicans introduced a sweeping voter suppression bill that they claim would restore confidence in elections, but will actually disenfranchise millions of voters, especially people of color and low-income Americans. The bill, dubbed the American Confidence in Elections (ACE) Act, was unveiled in Georgia, a state that has become a battlegrou…

SAG strikes Back! The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) is up in arms. They are upset with the big studios because of artificial intelligence (AI). AI is enabling studios to scan actors and replicate their entire persona on the screen. What does this mean for actors? It means that studios want to be able to scan any actor who is an extra, pay them for one …

If you're looking for a place to live that's dripping in patriotism, look no further than 1776 Gastonia. This new housing development in North Carolina is designed for people who are truly passionate about their country. For example, the streets in the development are all named after famous American patriots, like Constitution Lane, Paul Revere Dri…

In this episode, we discuss the reasons why many continue to advocate for the abolition of the death penalty. This discussion was organised in partnership with Amplify Caribbean. The Big Issues is proud to provide a space where civil organisations such as Amplify Caribbean can engage in meaningful discussions on issues which are important to our so…

A mega wealth tax on local elites and wealthy economic citizens has been proposed as an alternative to the increasingly controversial citizenship by investment programme (CBI/CIP). In this episode, we ask: How viable is the idea of further taxing the wealthy in our society in order to improve the lot of all? could this really work in Antigua and Ba…

One of Antigua and Barbuda's most renowned musicians and Calypso icons, Sir McClean Emmanuel marked his 80th birthday recently as it was suggested that he ought to be made a National Hero. Some ask if he is worthy of the status. In this episode, we ask: What defines a national hero? And when is someone worthy? This programme first aired on NewsCo O…

Disgraced Labour Party MP Asot Michael has won again in court, defending an injunction secured against the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP), and triggering another rebuke of the MP from the Prime Minister Gaston Browne, his former political ally and personal friend. In Parliament, Works Minister Lennox Weston told Michael in jest that he sho…

A multi-sectoral committee has been invited by the Labour Minister to formally discuss the prospects for raising the minimum wage in Antigua and Barbuda. In this episode, we ask: What would raising the minimum wage achieve? Is it prudent at this time? Is it feasible and is it overdue? This programme first aired on NewsCo Observer Radio 91.1 FM on F…

A dispute over ride fare between a driver and an foreign medical student became violent with the driver caught on camera attacking the other man with a stick. The driver has now been charged. Yet, there are many issues to be explored. Has this sort of thing happened before? How many unassociated drivers are there running solo ride services and how …

Russia has invaded its western neighbour Ukraine, with the Russian President Vladimir Putin vowing to "demilitarize" the country and remove its elected leadership. Though it had been building up to this point for months now, many still doubted the Russian leader would unleash a full scale war, but rather, thought that he was flexing, so to speak, i…

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in Antigua and Barbuda, Anthony Armstrong, has taken special leave from the office in the wake of a professional misconduct decision against him by a disciplinary body in Jamaica which the Attorney General says Armstrong intends to appeal. The ruling that he was guilty of "professional misconduct" was deliv…

The education minister Daryl Matthew has signaled that the government has no immediate plans to propose banning corporal punishment in schools, despite his and the Prime Minister Gaston Browne's staunch and vocal support for the same idea around mid-2021. In a heated moment during an interview on Observer Radio with Joseph Apparicio, he famously sa…

The Antigua Barbuda Labour Party's most scandalized MP, Asot Michael, lunched a stern rebuke of the Gaston Browne administration’s A+ rating of its performance, lavishing the government with criticism for what Michael says is the deliberate neglect of his St. Peter constituency. But whether or not he meant to do so, he was also casually acknowledgi…

Two men are to be tried over the charge of perverting the course of justice after allegedly bribing an alleged sexual assault victim to drop a rape case against one of the accused. In this episode, we ask: How serious is the issue of bribery and hush money when it comes to sex crimes and efforts to escape criminal justice? This programme first aire…

At many times over the last few months workers have found reason to protest, often over debts owed to them, or problems with their premises. In this episode, we explore the reasons behind some of the worker protest actions over outstanding pay or wage issues that have been in the news recently. We ask: What can these protests tell us about the stat…

In this episode our guests continue their analysis of the budget 2022 beginning with critiques by the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, Jamale Pringle. He opened Thursday’s debate on the 2022 budget, by accusing the government of not being "people-focused". Pringle, the MP for All Saints East and St Luke, said that the XCD $1.64 billion "elec…

The case of a policewoman caught shoplifting has created controversy in recent days as the severity of the consequences she ought to have faced for the offense became a subject of great debate both within and outside the police force according to media reports. One paper, POINTE EXPRESS, reported that after what it termed “countless appeals to Comm…

The Jolly Beach Resort and the stalled Callaloo Cay hotel project are both to be taken over by the government, or that is at least the government's hope according to a recent announcement. In this episode, we ask: What are the risks the government is taking to rescue both Jolly Beach and Callaloo Cay? And will it be worth the benefit? This programm…

The government has unveiled the 2022 budget with a gargantuan deficit, promising an increase in its capital spending, a faster economic recovery, and the customary raft of planned private investments. Of an XCD $1.6 billion budget for 2022, the government intends to borrow roughly $0.6 billion of that amount. That means more than a third of this ye…

The young woman suspected by police to be late Piccadilly resident, Jane Finch’s killer has been deemed unfit to stand trial due to a reported psychological disorder. The homicide happened in October last year (2021). Finch was posting to Facebook in the moments before her death alerting her community that a woman she described as "deranged" was br…

A family seeks answers after the death of its matriarch at a nursing home not long after beginning her care there, and under circumstances loved ones say they have reason to question. It's suspected that she caught COVID-19 in the home, but the issue is wholly unclear. They say too many of their queries have been ignored and that Health Ministry of…

Oops. We were meant to host a debate on this episode with three candidates running for St. Peter. But the favored Antigua Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) nominee and the United Progressive Party (UPP) candidate participant separately withdrew for unrelated reasons. Hopefully it can happen in the future. So instead we sat for a discussion with Chaniel I…

Badly beaten in the snap election of 2018 and seemingly determined fare better at the polls this time, the main opposition party, the United Progressive Party (UPP), has launched its campaign at the beginning of what is anticipated as an election year. Some wonder if their campaign engine will ware out too early. Others see it as the right politica…

Barbadian Prime Minister Mia Mottley secures another 30-seat victory in the snap elections recently held in Barbados, meaning that her Barbados Labour Party (BLP) has again denied the opposition even a single seat. In this episode we ask why she and the BLP won so convincingly, and we ask whether the same resounding victory for the incumbent is lik…

Laid off LIAT workers have started the new year (2022) with no resolution to the question of severance and entitlements owed to them by the defunct company. Many former employees here are pointing the finger at the government of Antigua and Barbuda, a major shareholder. But the government here says it isn't interested in pumping any more money into…

A controversy erupts over a roadside shop in Parham demolished by order of the Development Control Authority. The young men who owned it say they are being stifled while trying to make a living. The DCA says the men went far beyond what they were authorized to do, and they were given fair warning that the structure needed to come down. So in our fi…

A wave of COVID-19 infections moving forward in many Caribbean islands, including in Antigua and Barbuda. At the same time, the Omicron variant has been detected in a number of islands as well. We ask: How does Omicron differ from past variants? And what will it mean for the COVID-19 situation here in A&B and in the wider Caribbean region? This pro…

The current debate over the legacy of the late former Premier and national hero Sir George Walter, sparked by an attack on Sir George by the Prime Minister Gaston Browne, has exposed the challenge of agreeing on the legacies of national icons amidst pervasive political tribalism and the dominance of rhetoric. In this episode, we ask: What must be d…

Prime Minister Gaston Browne is being accused of side dealing. It has emerged that Browne and his son each signed separate deals with a wealthy Indian investor, "Mr. Singh" to rent to Mr. Singh properties in Jolly Harbour and in Villa, for US $20,000 a month, and US $12,000 a month respectively. The first of these deals - the one between PM Browne …

Despite her Barbados Labour Party's near total control of parliament, Barbados' Prime Minister Mia Mottley has called an early snap election citing a need to "unite" a "divided" country. What did that really mean? Is this early election merely a bit of political opportunism? Or is there actually a need for Mottley to seek a fresh mandate? And what …

Having been acquitted at trial on two serious criminal charges, MP Michael Browne appeared live on Facebook recently to address the public, dismissing the allegation of his accuser as false, stating it was was concocted to "blackmail" and extort him, and accusing current and former police officers of being complicit in what he described as an orche…

The economic outlook for the start of the year 2022 looks promising to some but bleak to others. So in this episode we ask: Will the first quarter of the year will bring change for better, for worse, or more of the same? This programme first aired on NewsCo Observer Radio 91.1 FM on January 9th, 2022. The host is Kieron Murdoch. The guests are: Eve…

The state had a heavier than usual burden in 2021, reacting to multiple crises amidst a public health emergency. So how did the government perform under pressure? We ask that question and our three guests, Lennox, Shawn and Joanne, thrash out the answers. The Big Issues presents part 4 of Observer Radio's 2021 Year in Review (YIR), the final part. …

The defining event of 2021 and the year before was the Covid-19 pandemic and its spin-off effects. Nothing else impacted daily life more significantly, and the doctors, health workers, and specialists who responded to the sick and dying during the pandemic bring us a very frank and a very necessary perspective. The Big Issues presents part 3 of Obs…

Reporting the news and working behind a camera or the mic gives a person a unique perspective on the issues that make the headlines year round. The Big Issues presents part 2 of Observer Radio's 2021 Year in Review (YIR). In this episode, current and former journalists and producers as well as other special guests discuss the events that shaped 202…

The pandemic, the shutdowns, the loved ones lost due to COVID, the business closures, the vaccination sagas, online learning, the scandals - these are just some of the things that made 2021 a year to remember, or perhaps one to forget. The Big Issues presents part 1 of Observer Radio's 2021 Year in Review (YIR). This episode is a narrated recap of …

Around the world, the attention of the media, lawmakers, and ordinary citizens has been drawn to the many ways which some of us find to pay less taxes or no taxes at all, whether those means are lawful or unlawful. It’s one of the many fallouts from the Pandora Papers – a massive leak of financial information on the global elite. In this episode we…

A viral arrest video showing several policemen subduing a Hispanic man has generated a lot of discussion about the treat of that minority in Antigua and Barbuda. We ask: How are members of the Hispanic community treated in Antigua and Barbuda, and is there prejudice shown towards them? The host is Kieron Murdoch. The guests are: Mr. Arvel Grant, po…

Former Education Minister, and sitting Labour MP Michael Browne has survived a scandal after being found not guilty at trial over a serious criminal allegation. And Prime Minister Gaston Browne seems eager to put him back in the Cabinet. We ask: What ought to become of Michael Browne’s political career in the wake of the verdict? The host is Kieron…

The former Executive Secretary of the Board of Education, Gisele Isaac is awarded hefty damages after years fighting a case of unfair dismissal after being sacked without benefits in 2014 in what was then largely seen as a political move. So in our first segment we ask: What is the true cost of victimisation? The host is Kieron Murdoch. The guests …

It's December 2021 and disgraced Labour Party MP Asot Michael is again defending himself from newly made allegations of serious criminal wrongdoing which he dismissed as smear, and blamed on Labour Party leader, Prime Minister Gaston Browne. In this episode we ask: How will this latest allegation of yet another scandal affect Michael's political st…