Latest news with #Cunningham
USA Today
20 hours ago
- Politics
- USA Today
Of course Trump lied about Project 2025. Now he's enacting it.
The similarities between what Project 2025 proposed and what Trump's second administration has unleashed on Americans is striking, but now is not the time to be complacent and simply hope for change. A year ago, as delegates to the Republican National Convention gathered in Milwaukee to nominate Donald Trump for president, I sent an urgent warning to voters about an innocent enough sounding proposal – "Project 2025" –punctuated by this admission: "Honestly, it scares me." The 922-page report from a conservative think tank outlined the first 180 days of a second Trump presidency. At the time, then GOP-nominee Trump claimed to know nothing about it, despite his name being mentioned 312 times in the document. While Trump tried to distance himself from its politically unpopular ideas, I recognized that if he won, Trump would support many of its radical plans that could disrupt nearly every aspect of our lives, including healthcare, education, taxes and civil rights. The question looms: Was I right? I was right, and it's so much worse than I thought The short answer is yes, and in ways even more frightening than I first feared, but you don't need to take my word for it. Just ask Maurice Cunningham, a retired professor of political science at the University of Massachusetts Boston, who studied politics for decades and is well-versed in Project 2025. When I asked Cunningham if the policies outlined in the document implemented by Trump are hurting the average American as much as I suspected, he responded: "It's not just bad; it's possibly worse than you could have imagined.' Although the situation may seem dire, Cunningham warned that now is not the time to be complacent and simply hope for change. Instead, it is crucial for people to organize, protest and hold their elected officials accountable. Opinion: I'm exhausted by attempts to pretend discrimination doesn't exist in America Trump appointed Project 2025 authors to administration posts The similarities between what Project 2025 proposed and what Trump's second administration has unleashed on Americans is striking, and it would be unwise to dismiss them as mere coincidence. And keep in mind, we still have another 3.5 years to go. In the first 100 days since he took office alone, nearly 45% of his executive orders closely resemble the policy recommendations advocated by Project 2025, according to an analysis conducted by the Hearst Television Data Team. And that was just the beginning. A number of Trump administration appointees were contributors to the project, including Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought, Senior Counselor for Trade and Manufacturing Peter Navarro, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr and border czar Tom Homan. Cunningham said Trump's policies, put into place by the people behind Project 2025, are beginning to take a toll on the most vulnerable sectors of society. This alignment appears to be a key component of his overall strategy. We saw this at work with the passage of Trump's "big beautiful" budget bill where cuts to Medicaid alone could cause as many as 20 million people to lose their health coverage over the next decade. This will happen despite Trump's repeated promises not to cut Medicaid benefits as recently as March. That fits a familiar pattern. Lie. Deny. Enact. Repeat. Opinion: How much of Project 2025 has been implemented? Enough to break us beyond repair. It's worth noting that Project 2025 proposed significant changes to Medicaid, including work requirements, limiting eligibility and possibly imposing lifetime caps or time limits on coverage, while also weakening reforms from the Affordable Care Act. As we look back on the past five months under the Trump administration, the key question is whether we're better off now or if we've fallen further into hardship. "I think that's easy to answer and it will only get worse,' Cunningham said. This will be a slow burn. Tax cuts under the bill happen immediately while Medicaid changes are phased in. In other places, the pain is already being felt from mass layoffs of federal employees and DOGE budget cuts. Education and social safety net endure DOGE chainsaw Education is place where changes outlined in Project 2025 will begin making a major impact this fall. It called for allowing discrimination against LGBTQ+ students, redirecting taxpayer money to private schools, eliminating Title 1 funding and making cuts to Head Start, which would affect 800,000 preschoolers. U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon has promised to dismantle the department and has pushed to cut the Education Department's budget by $12 billion. This reduction would seriously impact minority and low-income children and their families in public schools and rural communities. The administration already cut and delayed funding for Head Start programs for preschoolers from low income families, which assists 16,000 children in Wisconsin alone. Project 2025 proposed to make it even more difficult for low-income individuals to afford food. The proposal aims to reverse the Biden administration's initiative to increase SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits over the next decade, a measure designed to keep pace with rising food costs. Under Trump's budget bill, SNAP will face its largest cut in history, resulting in an estimated 3.2 million adults losing food benefits each month, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Opinion: Senate just passed Trump's Big Beautiful Bill – and made it even uglier Picture this: young students stepping into their classrooms, their bellies empty and growling, struggling to concentrate and absorb knowledge as the shadow of budget cuts hovers ominously over their futures. And it doesn't stop there. Then came Alligator Alcatraz Trump's mass deportations align directly with Project 2025's plan to increase executive power and undermine the U.S. immigration system. It proposed implementing asylum procedures at the border, reducing access to legal immigration options, utilizing local resources for mass deportations and detention, and separating immigrant children from their families. Trump's budget bill allocates $170 billion to deport 1 million people each year. ICE officials have gotten more aggressive, arresting undocumented immigrants at their homes, workplaces, protests, churches, near schools, and even at the Milwaukee courthouse. On April 18, Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan was taken into custody by FBI officials after she allegedly assisted Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, an undocumented Mexican immigrant, in escaping federal agents following his appearance in her courtroom. Flores-Ruiz, 31, was arrested after a brief foot chase outside the courthouse. A week later, Dugan, 65, was also arrested at the courthouse. She was charged on April 25 with two federal counts: obstructing a U.S. agency and concealing an individual to prevent an arrest. University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee political science professor Kathleen Dolan called the arrest of Dugan an 'intimidation tactic.' 'If a judge can be handcuffed on their job, what do you think will happen to you?' she said. The ongoing mass deportations continue to rip families apart, leaving a trail of profound emotional devastation in their wake. It's disheartening to witness the stark absence of compassion among Republicans regarding this crisis. Just this month, a migrant detention facility opened in the Florida Everglades. Some Republicans have dubbed the facility 'Alligator Alcatraz,' due to its isolated location and the fact that it's surrounded by lurking alligators and slithering pythons. The term "Alligator Alcatraz" not only evokes a sense of danger but also highlights the callousness that the Trump administration is willing to exhibit to drive home its message. Disturbingly, they are even merchandising T-shirts that mock what I would call a modern-day concentration camp. This tumultuous situation sends shockwaves through immigrant communities, escalating fear and uncertainty at every turn. But when you have a president who has continuously labeled immigrants as sex offenders, murderers, and gang members or suggested that many came to America from insane asylums, one can only imagine the atmosphere of dread that permeates these communities. This is not the time to become complacent or tune out news While Trump may seem to have the upper hand, it doesn't mean that everything is bleak. Both Cunningham and Dolan emphasized that now is not the time for people to become complacent. Dolan urged individuals to stay engaged in politics, even when it feels confusing and tedious. Cunningham stressed the importance of making one's voice heard through protests and by challenging both Republican and Democratic leaders to address the public's needs. Opinion: White House wants us to see Trump as Superman. We all know he's the villain. These are remarkable times with head spinning twists. One time ally and now enemy of Trump, Elon Musk, poised the idea of an third political party on Tuesday. Musk said the "America Party," would be the place for those not happy with the Republican or Democratic parties. While I agree something needs to change, Musk, who was Trump's largest donor for his campaign is not the right person to lead such a party, especially given Musk's brutal and haphazard spending cuts in his time at the poorly named Department of Government Efficiency and considering Trump said he would look at having Musk deported to his native South Africa. Besides, Americans don't have time for a new political party. I think a better idea would be for people to unite for a new nationwide "Poor People's Campaign," similar to the one led by the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in 1968. This campaign would tackle issues like wealth inequality, poverty and racism, which continue to divide our society. A group in North Carolina has taken up this mantle. It's astonishing that issues from 57 years ago persist today, including the lack of access to health care and education, as well as inadequate wages. I know there are people who don't believe that marching has an impact, but when you consider that Project 2025 was designed for a specific type of individual – one who doesn't look like me – and that Trump aligns with that inherently racist, sexist and classist document, it is clear that something drastic needs to change. This moment presents an opportunity to unite everyone – from diverse backgrounds, races, religions and socioeconomic statuses – around a shared mission. Too many people are still on the sidelines, watching as individuals are deported, others lose their healthcare and civil rights continue to be eroded. We can either sit back and hope we aren't the next ones affected by the issues on Trump's long list, or we can fight to not only protect what we have but also to help those who have already lost so much. James E. Causey is an Ideas Lab reporter at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, where this column originally appeared. Reach him at jcausey@ follow him on X @jecausey.
Indianapolis Star
21 hours ago
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
3 rookie WNBA All-Stars grateful, even for Mystics forward who had early lesson from Sophie Cunningham
INDIANAPOLIS — Call it adrenaline, 'excitement,' Kiki Iriafen made a loud introduction to the WNBA on the Gainbridge Fieldhouse floor, drawing a roar of boos from Indiana Fever fans. Sophie Cunningham had won position for an offensive rebound and, as she corralled it, Iriafen's right arm stretched across Cunningham's chest. The ball bounced free and their momentum carried them to the floor with Cunningham having an assist via Iriafen. When Cunningham popped up, she went up to Iriafen and said, 'You don't (expletive) do that.' It did two things: Showed Iriafen wasn't afraid of the moment in her first game but also served as a valuable lesson. Her rookie season has turned out fine. Iriafen is one of three rookies named WNBA All-Stars alongside Washington Mystics teammate and former Notre Dame star Sonia Citron and former UConn star Paige Bueckers, of the Dallas Wings. 'I think I was just really excited that game. There was no (malicious) intent or anything (it was) my first ever WNBA game,' Iriafen said of the preseason opener, Cunningham's introduction to Fever fans. 'For me, I think I just learned to settle down a little bit, 'slow is pro,' and kind of just getting a taste of what the pace is in the WNBA. 'I think the biggest thing that I learned about myself is that I'm a competitor and I just give it my all in everything that I do.' The Mystics are just 11-11 but the two rookies and fellow All-Star Brittney Sykes have had a surprise start to the season. Iriafen is averaging 11.9 points and 8.5 rebounds per game and has seven double-doubles, four of which came in her first five games. Her rebounds averages are fourth best in the league. Citron, who averages 14.1 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists, and her classmates echoed the biggest challenges of transitioning to the WNBA from college, which includes rolling straight into their professional careers in a month's time. 'Just the schedule and really learning how to take care of your body and your mind,' Citron said. 'Playing every other day, the volume of games that we have, that's one thing that really took getting used to.' Though Iriafen, a star at Stanford who played one season alongside Lexie Hull before transferring to USC and playing alongside JuJu Watkins, was also reflective about what's next for her. 'I think the biggest challenge for me is I'm guarding the best players in the world, the best players in the league, so you can never really have an off night defensively because they'll really exploit that and just kind of stepping up my basketball IQ,' she said. 'I feel like the greatest players have tremendous basketball IQ, so I feel like that's the next area of growth for me.' Bueckers was the clear-cut first pick in April's draft, and the Wings star hasn't disappointed. Her 18.4 points per game ranks eighth in the WNBA. She adds 5 assists and 4.4 rebounds per game. The 23-year-old star suffered a torn ACL that caused her to miss the 2022-23 season at UConn, and the year prior tore her meniscus and had tibial plateau fracture. She's simply thankful for the ability to still be playing. 'It's super crazy to think about my whole life's journey up to this point,' she said. And it isn't lost on the Minnesota native she was picked to play alongside former UConn star Napheesa Collier, her team captain, whose Lynx coach, Cheryl Reeve, will also be on her bench. Video circulated of Bueckers trying to defend Collier during practice Friday morning. 'Being the little girl that looked up to the Minnesota Lynx, just wanting to be everything that they were and now being coached by Cheryl in the All-Star Game and playing with the best players in the world, it's just a crazy experience that I'm extremely thankful for,' said Bueckers, who is also teammates with former Huskie Breanna Stewart. 'I just never want to take it for granted what I get to do here and be a part of this. I'm just trying to enjoy this as much as I can.' She's a seasoned vet, having long been in a spotlight similar to Fever star Caitlin Clark. When they met on July 13, Bueckers had 21 points, four rebounds, four assists and two steals, making 9 for 15 shots. Clark had nine points but 13 assists as the Fever won 102-83. The Mystics teammates are both 21. Citron competed in Friday night's 3-point challenge, a 36.5% 3-point shooter in her first 22 career games. She scored just 19 points in her first round, last among the five shooters. But that didn't take away from her weekend. Sabrina Ionescu, who won the 3-point contest, said afterwards she was going to give half of her winnings, valued at 30% of her salary or $62,418 per Spotrac, to Citron (so, she'll get $31,209 if an even split), who said she was nervous and for having the guts to be the only rookie to participate in Friday night's events. "I told Sonia that I would give her half if I won when we were sitting on the bench," Ionescu said, "being the only rookie, and she was nervous; I was nervous for her. I obviously have to hold up my end of the bargain, so half will go to her. I've got to text her and let her know that I'm giving her half of it just for participating. That takes a lot of courage to be able to do that as a rookie, and what she did, and I was really proud of her. Then the other half will go to my foundation to continue to be able to give back to communities that mean a lot to me." Said Citron: 'It's amazing to feel that people are seeing the work that I'm putting in and acknowledging that. I definitely wasn't expecting it but I'm just really grateful for it,' Citron said Friday morning. And now they're each 1-for-1 in All-Star game appearances.
Irish Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Man in court charged with communicating with 'girl' aged 13 for sexual purposes
A man has appeared in court charged with trying to communicate with a child for sexual purposes in Co Donegal. The accused man, who is in his 20s, was brought before Letterkenny District Court by detectives. Judge Eiteain Cunningham heard how the man used both Snapchat and Whatsapp to communicate with whom he thought was a 13-year-old child. The accused man, who is a professional and in his 20s, cannot be named for legal reasons. When arrested, the man was found in possession of five condoms while 'other sexual paraphernalia' was found in a property. Messages found on the man's phone allegedly claim how he asked the 'girl' if she was a virgin and if they could have sex in an apartment he had rented. It follows allegations against the accused man, which were widely shared on social media. The man was charged by detectives in Donegal at 4.07pm on Wednesday, July 16. The man was charged that, between July 10 2025 and July 15 2025, both dates inclusive, within the State, did by means of information and communication technology, namely Snapchat and WhatsApp, communicate with another person for the purpose of facilitating the sexual exploitation of a child under the age of 17. The charge is contrary to section 8 (1) of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2017. Sergeant Jim Collins told the court that An Garda Siochana were objecting to bail. He said there was 'quite a lot of strong evidence' in the matter. Sergeant Collins said that detectives had obtained copies of conversations between the accused man and what was described as 'a fictional child', who he believed was 13 years of age on Snapchat and WhatsApp. The man, with an address in the Dublin area, had booked an apartment in Letterkenny for a number of days. Gardai also seized other items and documents from the man's vehicle. Sergeant Collins told the court that there were concerns that the defendant would attempt to flee the jurisdiction and not make himself available to be dealt with by the law. He said there were concerns that, if released on bail, the man could commit further offences of a similar nature. The man has no previous convictions and has never been before the court on other matters. The man's solicitor, Mr Rory O'Brien, told the court that his client has a first class honours degree from an Irish university. Until recently, the man was in active employment, but is now unemployed. The court heard that the accused man would have 'no difficulty' in handing his passport to the authorities. Mr O'Brien told Judge Cunningham that bail could be considered with conditions attached. Sergeant Collins said that evidence has been put to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in the form of information obtained from the accused's phone and said that 'this is very strong evidence of his communication with what he thought to be a 13-year-old female'. Judge Cunningham said that she had carefully listened to the evidence and submissions. She said that the accused has the presumption of innocence until proven guilty. However, Judge Cunningham found the prosecution to have established a likelihood of the accused trying to evade justice. The man was remanded in custody to appear before a future sitting of Letterkenny District Court. Under new law introduced in 2024, persons charged with such offences are entitled to anonymity until they are convicted or the restriction is otherwise lifted by a Court. Judge Cunningham directed that a publication order should remain at this time. Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here.
San Francisco Chronicle
2 days ago
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
How to financially prepare to spend the rest of your life in the Bay Area
You'd be forgiven if the phrase 'retirement planning' caused your eyes to glaze over. But ask yourself two simple questions: What could be more exciting than getting to live in the Bay Area while doing whatever you want, every day? And would you be as happy if you had to leave? With a solid plan in place, you can set yourself up to spend your golden years in the Golden State. James 'Jim' Cunningham is an estate planning, trust and probate law attorney who helps people make those plans. He's making one for himself, too: He plans to retire here. The founder of CunninghamLegal said he compares living in the Bay Area to living in a house with a great view. When you're in that situation, it's easy to stop 'seeing' the view at all. It fades into the background. Cunningham said that's what happened to his parents and many clients he's worked with over the years who planned to move states when they retired. They got used to living in the Bay and assumed everywhere was just about the same, but with a lower cost of living and fewer taxes. 'They miss the culture and they miss the weather,' he said. When you live here, 'you don't see the good and you might focus on the bad.' And there's plenty of talk about the bad. You don't have to look far on the internet to find people blasting California for its high taxes, housing costs and homelessness. California has the top marginal state individual income tax rate at 13.3%, according to the Tax Foundation. But that's not the whole story. Cunningham broke down the hidden benefits in a post on his firm's website titled 'Why Retiring in California May Actually Be A Smart Idea.' For instance, though marginal rates are high, you'll pay a lot less on your presumably diminished retirement income compared to some states with flat tax rates. California is one of the states that doesn't tax Social Security benefits, and doesn't tax capital gains when a spouse dies. And you'll dearly miss that Prop. 13 property tax cap if you move somewhere like Texas. San Francisco, in fact, was recently ranked as one of the top places for Americans to retire, according to the AARP. Yes, the cost of living is high, but there are plenty of upsides: Good health care, walkability, great weather, lots of places to go and things to do and see. 'I encourage people not to undervalue the importance of your social network, your friends,' said Terrance Odean, a professor of finance at the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley. 'But you've got to look at the numbers too.' Already, Northern California is one of the nation's oldest regions. In 2023, San Francisco had the third highest median age (41) of any large metro in 2023, and the highest outside Florida. Almost one-fifth of people here are over 65. And the total number of people over that threshold is expected to explode from about 750,000 in 2020 to over 1.5 million in 2050, according to projections from the California Department Finance. The Chronicle has been looking at these numbers with a series of stories exploring the challenges already manifesting in the Bay Area because of its increasing older population. For instance, a once-vibrant Berkeley neighborhood is now essentially a single-family home retirement community. It's a potential harbinger of what's to come in other cities. One Sonoma County city has lost 35% of its children in a decade, even with qualities that make it feel like a 'family-friendly' destination. Despite the ways an aging population could complicate life in San Francisco, and the region, it remains a wonderful place to live and grow old in. And while economists and community organizers address what we must do to keep the Bay Area a vibrant place to live, you are likely to have much more personal and practical concerns. Starting with: how to financially and logistically plan to live here forever. Here's what experts say. See what you spend and then save, save, save In high cost-of-living places like the Bay Area, retirement isn't an age. It's a number — specifically, the balances in your investment and savings accounts. To estimate what you'll need for spending when you're retired, you need to know what you spend now. If you aren't already, start tracking your expenses and figure out precisely where your money goes every month. Then, envision what your retired life will look like. Are you going to travel? Buy a vacation home? Golf every weekend? Write out those costs and figure out how much of a nest egg you'll need to sustain your new lifestyle. Hal Hershfield, a professor of marketing, behavioral decision-making and psychology at UCLA Anderson School of Management and author of the book 'Your Future Self,' said a lot of people think their costs will come down in retirement without the need for a commute or work clothes. 'That may be true but there are other things you will be spending money on,' he said. Those travel plans will add up fast — as will health care costs. Things like gas and homeowners' insurance cost more here. Plan for the fun stuff, of course, but plan for the less-fun aspects as well. Then save, save, save. Another element is tax planning. Our state's tax code actually has some benefits for seniors. Though California's marginal tax rate is high, that only applies to income, Cunningham points out. 'People get wrapped around the axle on income tax, but the reality is many people in retirement, before they have required minimum distributions on IRAs, many times don't have a lot of taxable income,' he said. Again, California doesn't tax Social Security income, and while you pay taxes on interest on your savings account, you don't pay any to withdraw the principal. And your property taxes will remain stable thanks to Prop. 13. He said he has seen people move out of state for a few years to take advantage of lower income tax rates so they can do things like sell a business or convert a Roth account. But if you sell your house to facilitate that move and don't plan for the Prop. 19 tax base carryover, you'll miss out on your low property tax rate when you move back. The lesson: Work with a tax attorney to plan any complex financial moves like that. It's also worth thinking through the ethics of avoiding paying taxes to the state that provided the infrastructure and social safety net that facilitated your wealth-building. Take steps to protect yourself and your money There are going to be a lot of people you need to protect your money from. Scammers, certainly. Those offering predatory loans or perilous investment opportunities as well. But also: yourself. 'It's depressing, because we don't like to think about cognitive decline,' said Terrance Odean, a professor of finance at the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley. One of the major financial risks of aging is longevity — outliving your funds. The other is diminished self-control as you lose decision-making capabilities. And that's something you might not even realize is happening. On his YouTube channel, Odean relays a story about his dad. The former high school teacher had been a careful saver his whole life, and purchased a long-term care policy when he retired. Twenty years later, he announced he'd canceled it. 'Dad was no longer thinking clearly,' Odean said. He cited a statistic: Scores on financial literacy tests decline about 1% per year as we age. But confidence in financial literacy doesn't drop. We lose our ability to make financial decisions but don't know we're losing it. If you've been fortunate enough to find success and build a life in the Bay Area, you're probably pretty smart — which can make it even harder to accept that your ability to keep making good decisions has declined. Here's what experts recommend you do: Delay drawing Social Security. One way to protect yourself from the longevity risk is by waiting as long as possible to take Social Security. That's your bottom line, Odean said: If the market collapses or a scammer gets their hands on your bank accounts, you can still count on Social Security coming in (assuming the problems reported by recipients following DOGE changes are temporary). He said the only time he'd make an exception is in the case of a terminal health diagnosis. Buy an annuity. Another recommendation Odean gives is to invest your nest egg in an annuity with no cash value. That last part is important: It means a scammer won't be able to wrest it from your clutches. Some annuities have riders where coverage increases if you need long-term care. Invest in long-term care insurance. Nearly 70% of adults who reach the age of 65 will require long-term care for an average of three years, according to A report from the Joint Center for Housing Studies said the annual median cost of assisted living and related living expenses in the San Francisco metro area is $96,800. 'Everybody's goal should be to private pay for their long-term care needs,' said Chris Orestis, the author and founder of retirement planning platform 'Retirement Genius.' Pick a financial confidant. Before you need any help making financial decisions, choose someone — maybe a child, a fiduciary or an attorney — and get into the habit of discussing major money moves with them. You may want to appoint them co-trustee of your trust or give them power of attorney if you can't make decisions any more. Diversify assets. As you approach retirement age, work with a financial adviser to diversify your holdings to a blend of stocks, bonds, and cash in a high-yield savings account. Consider options for your living situation. If you've owned your property for a long time and paid down your mortgage, you have a lot of options for your living situation as you age. You could tap your equity with a second mortgage or by getting a reverse mortgage, though you should research them thoroughly and discuss lenders with an attorney or financial adviser before getting one. You could also utilize Prop. 19 to sell your home and buy a new one that better fits your needs while carrying over your reduced tax base.
Sunday World
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Sunday World
Drunken gig-goer punched a man who insulted his girlfriend, court hears
Shane Cunningham (27) admitted public drunkenness and threatening and abusive behaviour on June 29. A concert-goer punched another man in the face after he made 'incredibly offensive' and derogatory remarks about his girlfriend, a court heard. Shane Cunningham (27) and his girlfriend had just attended a Justin Timberlake concert in Malahide Castle when the public order breach happened last month. Judge Stephanie Coggans ordered Cunningham to donate €250 to the Court Poor Box and said she would leave him without a conviction. Stock image Today's News in 90 Seconds - July 18th The defendant, with an address at Cherry Avenue in Swords, admitted public drunkenness and threatening and abusive behaviour on June 29. Swords District Court heard that gardaí came across Cunningham, who was aggressively shouting at another man, before he punched him once in the face. Cunningham tried to run away, but he was stopped and arrested by gardaí. There was no complaint from the man Cunningham punched, gardaí said. The court heard that the defendant had no Irish convictions, but had five convictions from Denmark. Defence solicitor Fiona D'Arcy said that the defendant had gone to a concert with his girlfriend when another individual started calling his girlfriend names. Ms D'Arcy said the remarks were very offensive, and Cunningham took exception to the comments and reacted badly. Ms D'Arcy said Cunningham, an apprentice electrician, regretted his behaviour, and wished to apologise to the court.
