The Decibel: Recent Episodes
The Globe and Mail
Context is everything. Join us Monday to Friday for a Canadian daily news podcast from The Globe and Mail. Explore a story shaping our world, in conversation with reporters, experts, and the people at the centre of the news.
Canadian banks are leaning heavily into AI adoption. More than 30 per cent of finance and insurance firms are using AI, compared to just 1.5 per cent of businesses in accommodation and food services. The banks are spending millions, in some cases billions, of dollars on AI programs, like chatbots for customers, for employees, and even for a CEO’s morning briefing.
Today, we’ve got The Globe’s banking reporter Stefanie Marotta on the show. She’ll explain how banks are using AI (including ways customers don’t ever see), the risks they’re weighing, and what it means for the adoption of AI across Canada.
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Steeped in military and naval history, Halifax is increasingly used as the backdrop for announcements of defence investment. The city is poised to benefit from substantial investment thanks to Mark Carney’s commitment to meeting NATO targets. But as more development arrives, is Halifax able to support the demands of an increased strain on its infrastructure and housing supply?
Chris Wilson-Smith went there to find out. He’s a business reporter and the author of one of The Globe’s daily newsletters, Business Brief. He’s on the show to explain how Halifax is trying to make sure it makes the most of this moment.
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Dr. Daniel Drucker’s research helped pave the way for Ozempic, the blockbuster GLP-1 class drug. The endocrinologist has been researching the effects on Ozempic’s active ingredient semaglutide in the body for decades.
Today, he’ll show us around his lab and explain how a stout lizard kept in a freezer helped unlock the science behind a drug taken by more than a million Canadians.
Then, health reporter Kelly Grant tells us about rising obesity rates in Canada, and we’ll hear from a doctor who prescribes GLP-1s – and a patient who takes them.
This episode originally aired February 23, 2026. This is part of a three-part series.
You can contact the National Eating Disorders Information Centre at their toll-free hotline at 1-866-NEDIC-20 or visit their website.
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With a Quebec provincial election on deck this fall, and the Parti Québécois leading in the polls, there’s a good chance Quebec will hold another referendum on independence. Support for separation is polling at around 30 per cent — far below the majority vote result needed to form an independent country. However, a new generation of sovereigntists is cropping up, one that hadn’t even been born for the last referendum, in 1995.
Maura Forrest is a Quebec correspondent for The Globe and Mail. She’s on the show to talk about what Gen Z sovereignty looks like, how it differs from previous movements, and the implications for the upcoming election.
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A Canadian woman has been arrested and accused of spying for a third country during her internship at NATO’s headquarters in Belgium. The woman had a work history with Canadian government agencies and was once found to have committed fraud when trying to apply for a job with the Canada Border Services Agency.
This case is now raising questions about how the Canadian government vets its candidates, especially for roles that could have access to sensitive information. Greg Mercer is an investigative journalist with The Globe and one of a team of reporters working on this story. He joins the show to explain what we know so far.
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The Dock has been around since 2015. It’s an invite-only conference where tech, business and political leaders gather to talk. This year it was at a billionaire real estate magnate’s cottage estate in Ontario’s Muskoka region. And Prime Minister Mark Carney attended for part of the three-day conference.
Guests are asked not to talk about what happens there, but business reporters Tim Kiladze and Sean Silcoff managed to report details about who goes, what ideas get suggested to the government and a dramatic moment involving Shopify CEO and co-founder Tobi Lütke.
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Ransomware attacks have become more prominent in recent years, with major breaches of hospitals, like Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children in 2022, and companies like Indigo in 2023. In 2025, damages from ransomware attacks were expected to reach US$57-billion dollars worldwide.
Alongside the rise of ransomware attacks came the emergence of a new kind of industry: ransomware negotiators. They communicate with attackers to try to convince them to lower the ransom fee. Today, the Globe’s financial and cybercrime reporter, Alexandra Posadzki, joins us to talk about what it takes to hack the hackers, and what’s at risk in these kinds of engagements.
This episode originally aired April 16, 2026.
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Billy Bishop Airport, located on the western edge of the Toronto Islands, just south of downtown, has long been the subject of controversy. There was opposition to its expansion when Porter Airlines launched back in 2006, and again in the early 2010s when Porter wanted to allow jet traffic. The latest push to expand Billy Bishop took off in earnest in the spring, when Ontario Premier Doug expropriated Toronto’s stake in the agreement between three levels of government that govern the airport. However, after six weeks of public consultation, the Liberal government declined to allow jets at Billy Bishop “at this stage.”
Jeff Gray covers Ontario politics for the Globe. Today, he’s here to explain why the question of expanding Toronto’s downtown airport is so hotly contested, the unique agreement that governs it and where the saga goes from here.
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The Canadian condo market is crumbling. As prices continue to plummet, thousands of condo units sit empty and unsold in Vancouver and Toronto – two of Canada’s largest real estate markets. While buyers grow increasingly hesitant, both federal and provincial governments are trying different tactics to revive the market, with degrees of success.
The Globe’s real estate reporter, Rachelle Younglai joins The Decibel to talk about how the condo market ended up in this state, what’s being done about it and what its future may hold.
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First, beef prices went sky-high. Now, the price of chicken is getting more expensive — and Canadian chicken production is struggling to keep up with demand. Between a protein craze driving up demand and a supply crunch affecting producers, the wholesale price of chicken has shot up 12 per cent since May, 2025.
Kate Helmore is The Globe’s agriculture and food policy reporter. She joins us to explain what’s contributing to chicken’s dramatic rise, and when prices might start to level out.
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When’s the last time going to see a movie was a cultural event? Director Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey has people flocking to theatres for its star-studded cast and action-packed storytelling — but also because of the way it was made. The Odyssey is the first full-length feature shot entirely with IMAX film and getting a ticket to see it in ‘the best format’ has sent some Canadians on odysseys of their own.
Today, the Globe’s Deputy Arts Editor and Film Editor, Barry Hertz, is here. He’ll explain how this movie has become such a box-office phenomenon, what IMAX and its Canadian roots has to do with it, and why he thinks it’s the future of filmgoing.
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What does it mean to create music? Would you be able to tell if the sounds you were listening to weren’t made or sung by a human? Artists and supporters of the music industry are asking some of these existential questions, as technology in consumer generative AI has grown in leaps and bounds and record companies are settling legal battles with AI companies.
Josh O’Kane, Globe reporter on arts and business, joins The Decibel to talk about the friction between musicians and AI tools, how AI slop has found itself onto streaming feeds, and what this could mean for the future of music.
This episode originally aired March 20, 2026.
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U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to impose a 50-per-cent tariff on more than 500 Canadian goods effective next month. This is far from the first time the Trump administration has threatened levies on Canada. But this time, the administration has pulled a lever that dates all the way back to the 1930s.
Today, Adrian Morrow, The Globe’s U.S. correspondent based in Washington, walks us through the Smoot-Hawley Act Trump has invoked, the strategy behind using it and what legal challenges the law could face.
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Nearly 900 wildfires are burning across Canada, and early estimates suggest Ontario is experiencing its worst wildfire season on record. In Northwest Ontario, more than a dozen communities – most of which are First Nations – have been evacuated, with some people taken to places as far away as Niagara Falls. As fire seasons get worse, Indigenous people are disproportionately affected, but their historical practices of forest management – practices that could improve conditions – had historically been suppressed in much of Canada.
Riley Yesno is an Anishinaabe scholar, writer, and commentator from Eabametoong First Nation, and is a distinguished fellow with the Yellowhead Institute. She joins us to talk about how Indigenous fire practices keep forests healthy, and what happens when the people with the most experience in facing wildfires are also the people who have historically been disempowered from managing them.
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One of the key jobs of a prime minister is to help build out the story of what is Canada. And while Mark Carney was considered a political neophyte when he became Prime Minister, he’s proven to be adept in using political symbolism to build out his version of what it means to be Canadian at this moment in time.
Shannon Proudfoot, a feature writer for The Globe, pieces together the actions, speeches and policies that Prime Minister Carney has used over the last year and a bit to build out his strategic narrative and explains where the weak points are in it.
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There are several development projects underway for AI data centres in Canada, with plans for many, many more. The Canadian government is behind these projects as it tries to encourage Canadians to adopt the technology and increase Canada’s digital sovereignty by housing data within our borders. But there is a lot of opposition to these data centres from the communities where they’d be built, including in Hamilton, and Île-des-Chênes, Man. Residents worry about the facilities’ water use, power use and environmental impacts.
Today, The Globe’s national reporter Joe Friesen tells us about the projects slated for development in Canada, why so many have faced public backlash, and the balance the government has to strike in deciding how and whether to build these centres in Canada.
Editor's note: A previous version of the show notes incorrectly identified Ile des Chênes as being in Alberta. This version has been corrected.
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Pitch and Power is The Globe and Mail's World Cup podcast.
In the 1980s, Margaret Thatcher’s England was a country under strain, marked by industrial decline, social unrest and sharp political divides. In that climate, English soccer became a national problem rather than a point of pride. Stadiums crumbled, hooliganism spread and tragedy struck at Bradford, Heysel, and Hillsborough. The game felt like a relic: toxic, unsafe, unloved. Then, in the summer of 1990, something shifted.
This episode traces how the 1990 World Cup helped detoxify English soccer and reframe national identity. We look at how an improbable tournament run became a cultural moment that opened the door to Britpop on the radio, “Cool Britannia” in the headlines and the Premier League era that followed. This is the story of a sport crawling out of the wreckage and a country finding a new way to love its national team.
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A lot of attention has been given to the Strait of Hormuz amid Iran’s closure in response to attacks by the U.S. and Israel. But another key strait in the region, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait off the coast of Yemen, has also been threatened with a shutdown, and it’s similarly vital to trade.
Thomas Juneau is a professor at the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Ottawa. As an expert on Yemen and the Houthis, Juneau discusses the importance of the strait, the relationship between Iran and the Houthis, and what it would mean if the Bab al-Mandeb Strait were closed.
This episode originally aired April 8, 2026.
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Evacuation orders are under way in communities in northwestern Ontario, as more than 140 wildfires rage in the region. Meanwhile, smoke from the fires has drifted south, blanketing cities like Toronto in a yellow haze. Fire officials confirm more than 4.7 million acres have burned throughout Canada this year. As wildfires have become a regular occurrence in Canada, questions about what can be done to mitigate the damage and protect communities has become louder.
Dr. Jen Beverly, associate professor of wildland fire at the University of Alberta, joins The Decibel to talk about the role of climate change, whether wildfires are becoming more intense and frequent and what role forest management plays in wildfire country.
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A new deal between Canada and the U.S. resolves issues around the Gordie Howe International Bridge, which is now set to open on July 27. The bridge – which will become the second bridge connecting Windsor, Ont., and Detroit, Mich., – nearly opened last month, but the ribbon-cutting ceremony was quickly called off after U.S. President Donald Trump refused to open the American side of the bridge. A month later, the federal government has struck a new deal with hopes that this one will work.
Steven Chase is back on the show. He’s The Globe’s senior Parliamentary reporter and has been covering developments about the bridge since the original deal was struck between Canada and the government of Michigan in 2012. He’ll explain the tensions around this bridge, why it’s so important to Canada, and how this dispute fits into the wider trade context between the two countries.
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The 2023 murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, B.C., led to a major diplomatic rift between Canada and India. Mr. Nijjar was a prominent Canadian Sikh separatist. Then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused agents of the Indian government of being involved in the killing. Four people had previously been arrested in connection to Nijjar’s killing. Now, U.S. officials have unsealed an indictment alleging gang leader Lawrence Bishnoi and his alleged North American deputy “ordered the assassination” of Nijjar.
Mike Hager is a staff reporter with the Globe’s B.C. bureau. Today, he joins the show to explain who Lawrence Bishnoi is, what his gang is accused of, and alleged connections to the Indian government.
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A lot of Canadians struggle to take their allotted, paid vacation days, according to new research, meaning those days go unused. It’s not just internal pressures making people skip a holiday, it’s coming from higher up – from managers’ attitudes towards vacation all the way up to the state of the economy.
Today, Globe reporter Zosia Bielski explains the reasons why Canadians aren’t taking their paid days off, and the deeper consequences – for our productivity and health – when we don’t.
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In the heat of USA ’94, Roberto Baggio carried the nation of Italy on his shoulders— and then saw it all slip away from twelve yards. This episode explores one of soccer’s most spellbinding talents and the penalty kick that turned his decorated legacy into a lingering question mark. But this isn’t only about one miss.
Host Eoin O’Callaghan and guests John Foot, Ben Lyttleton and Kevin Kilbane explore the strange hold penalty kicks have, and why that ritual reveals so much about pressure, identity, and the human condition.
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Decisions in two landmark trials in the U.S. found social media companies responsible for harms to youth on their platforms, earlier this year. They follow years of growing concern about the dangers that social media poses to young people. And now, those concerns are starting to show up in policy decisions. Back in December, Australia banned those under 16 years old from creating accounts on platforms like YouTube and TikTok. Other countries are considering similar legislation — including Canada. But what do teenagers themselves think of these potential social media bans?
Samantha Edwards is The Globe’s online culture reporter. She assembled a group of Canadian teenagers to talk about how they actually use social media, what adults get wrong, and what they think about losing access to the platforms they use to talk to their friends.
This episode was originally aired on March 27, 2026
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Canada’s Big Six banks are doing very well financially – their stocks are up an average of 62 per cent over the past year. In previous years, five or 10 per cent increases would be considered good for the banks. Financial reporter and columnist Tim Kiladze says this development is “absurd” and “baffling”.
Today, Tim explains why the banks are doing so well. (Spoiler alert: it’s connected to a red-hot stock market.) He’ll talk about whether this rise will last, the risks and what it says about the health of Canada’s economy.
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Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has been front and centre of two pipeline proposal announcements in the past week. First, she and Prime Minister Mark Carney announced a new southern route for the proposed West Coast pipeline on Thursday. Just a few days later, on Monday, she and Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced a proposal for a new 3,300-kilometre pipeline that would carry crude oil from Hardisty, Alberta to Sarnia, Ontario.
Emma Graney is the Globe’s energy reporter. She’s on the show to explain these two proposed projects, how likely it is they’ll be constructed, and what all this says about changing sentiments around pipelines in Canada.
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The value of copper has sky-rocketed in the last number of years. The pink orange metal has been in high demand for data centres, telecommunications services and EV charging stations.
But the increased value of copper has led to a rising number of thefts. These incidents have caused internet blackouts, disrupted phone lines, and have cost thousands of dollars in repairs.
Irene Galea is the Globe’s telecommunications reporter. She’s been looking into what’s driving the surge in copper theft, and what’s being done to stop it.
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A recent report from the Communications Security Establishment, Canada’s electronic eavesdropping agency, revealed it conducted cyberattacks to disrupt the online fentanyl supply chain. The report also detailed the agency’s growth; its budget will surpass $2-billion in 2026–27, up from just over $1-billion in 2024–25. The organization is one of the two main spy agencies in Canada and yet it remains relatively unknown to the general public.
Steven Chase, the Globe’s senior parliamentary reporter, joins the show to explain what exactly the CSE does and how it fits into Canada’s security landscape.
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Interprovincial trade within Canada is complicated. Existing barriers mean that many goods, like alcohol, often can’t be sold across provincial and territorial lines. Prime Minister Mark Carney has been pushing for ‘one Canadian economy’ in the wake of attempts to diversify away from the U.S. Opening up interprovincial alcohol sales, especially direct to consumer sales, have been a litmus test for this vision. But last week, the provinces and territories missed the deadline for an agreement on reducing those barriers.
Jason Kirby is a staff reporter for The Globe’s Report on Business. He’s on the show to walk us through how alcohol sales work in Canada, what the barriers are preventing interprovincial trade and what it means that Canada hasn’t been able to resolve this issue.
This episode originally aired on June 3, 2026
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Canada and the U.S. share more than July birthdays. Between them is the world’s longest international land border, more than $3 billion in trade daily and they’re longtime partners in defence and security. The relationship is now being tested like few times in its history by U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats and tariffs. What do past pivotal moments in Canadian-American relations tell us about what the future holds?
John Ibbitson, senior fellow at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy and retired Globe journalist joins The Decibel to talk about important moments between the neighbours – through wars, civil rights and free trade deals – and where the relationship could be headed next.
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With July 1 approaching – the formal review date for the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement – it has become clear that there will be no 16-year extension of the trade treaty. The USMCA governs trade between the three countries, and Canada receives carveouts for U.S. tariffs on USMCA-compliant goods.
Mark Rendell is The Globe’s economics reporter, and joins the show to talk about how Canada got into a position of entering trade limbo, and what this new reality could look like going forward.
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Billions of dollars of illegal wildlife parts get trafficked around the world each year. Think elephant tusks, rhino horns, polar bear pelts and even some rare plants, like wild ginseng. One of the countries caught up in these criminal networks is Canada.
Jenn Thornhill Verma looked into how Canada has become such a hub in the illegal wildlife trade and why the organized crime is flying under the radar. Her reporting is part of The Globe and Mail’s Surfaced series in partnership with the Pulitzer Center’s Ocean Reporting Network.
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Dating can be rough, but it seems to be especially bad right now. According to Statistics Canada, in the 1980s, 68 per cent of Canadians aged 25 to 29 were in a relationship. In 2021, that number was 39 per cent.
The Globe’s healthy living reporter – and unintended Carrie Bradshaw – Graham Isador points to a few reasons why dating sucks right now: app fatigue, distrust of technology, and affordability. Today, he explains how bigger issues in society spill over into the dating world, and what might help make dating fun again.
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Canadian businesses don’t have an innovation problem – they have a growth funding problem. Small- and medium-sized businesses often find themselves in what’s known as the ‘valley of death’ – the crucial time when a business is ready to grow, but can’t access the funding they need to get to the next level.
Jameson Berkow reports on capital markets for the Globe. He joins the show to talk about why it’s so hard for Canadian startups to access funding they need to grow, and with a Senate report expected soon, what solutions are being considered.
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The federal government wants Canada to get back into nuclear energy, pushing to increase nuclear power use and to build and export more Canadian-made nuclear reactors. For the first time in over three decades, a large nuclear reactor is being built in Canada.
But The Globe’s investigative reporter and data journalist Matt McClearn says there’s a reason these projects fell out of favour. There are famous, very deadly examples of nuclear accidents like Chernobyl and Fukushima, and these projects can be incredibly costly and time-consuming to construct.
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On June 20, Rainbow Railroad released a report on the state of global LGBTQ+ persecution. As an advocacy group, Rainbow Railroad helps at-risk LGBTQ+ people get to safety around the world. This past year they received the highest number of requests for support since their operation began. Most of these requests came from the United States. Canada also makes the list of top ten countries for requests.
Devon Matthews is Rainbow Railroad’s chief programs officer. She’s on the show to talk about the report’s findings, what’s fueling this spike in requests and the state of safety for LGBTQ+ people.
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A court case in Winnipeg has offered a rare glimpse into the mechanics of how human trafficking can work. And it showed that short-rental rentals, like Airbnb and Vrbo, can be used by traffickers while on the move with their victims. But some cities, like Winnipeg, are taking action.
Temur Durrani is a reporter for The Globe based in Winnipeg. He explains the story of a Quebec teenager who survived being trafficked and the regulations Winnipeg has put in place to try and combat human traffickers from using short-term rentals.
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Patrick Radden Keefe, investigative journalist and staff writer at The New Yorker, is best known for his narrative non-fiction true crime stories and deep dives into history. His best selling books include Say Nothing, Empire of Pain, and The Snakehead, as well as the podcast Wind of Change.
Keefe visited The Globe and Mail’s Toronto offices in June 2026 to talk to Globe feature writer Ian Brown about his latest work, London Falling: A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City And A Family’s Search For Truth, along with insights into investigative writing and reporting and what it takes to unearth stories from the criminal underworld. This recording of that interview has been edited for length.
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The U.S. and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding this week to end the war, and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The 14-paragraph agreement lays out the stipulations for each side – including that all military operations between the U.S., Iran and their allies will stop, that the U.S. will lift all sanctions against Iran, and Iran will allow vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.
But Thomas Juneau, professor at the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Ottawa, says this initial agreement was actually the easy part. Now comes the difficult task of sorting out the specifics around issues the two sides have disagreed on for decades.
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Could Saskatchewan be the key to unlocking Canada’s trade potential? While Ottawa works to double non-U.S. exports over the next decade and rebuild important partnerships, politicians and business leaders may learn a lot by looking to the province in the centre of the country. Nearly twenty years ago, Saskatchewan began strategically diversifying their trading partnerships. It was a great success – the province now exports over 65 per cent of what it makes to about 160 countries.
Today, the Globe’s agriculture and food policy reporter Kate Helmore explains how Saskatchewan made a name for itself overseas and what Ottawa could learn as it seeks to branch out to new trading partners.
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Canada’s Online Streaming Act is a thorn in the side of the U.S. administration. The law, passed in 2023, brings streaming platforms like Netflix, Paramount and Disney under Canada’s broadcast regulations, and requires them to support and promote Canadian content. But the implementation of the law has been slow, and the regulator, the CRTC, has been taken to court by U.S. streaming platforms. Now, the Canadian government is asking the CRTC to back down on some of its funding requirements.
Today, we speak with Barry Hertz, The Globe’s deputy arts editor and film editor. He explains the holdups in getting the Online Streaming Act off the ground, the impact on the industry and how the minister in charge of this file defends his government’s decision to push for a rollback on funding requirements for Canadian content.
The edit of this episode now includes a clarification note from Netflix on Canadian revenue contributions.
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Despite Canada’s contributions to space technology and science, it lags behind other G7 nations in rocket launching capabilities. But that’s now changing – with federal investment and private business teaming up to eventually send spacecraft into orbit. It signals a growing political and economic interest in Canada.
The Globe’s science reporter Ivan Semeniuk attended one of the recent launches in Nova Scotia. He’s on the show to explain the building up of spaceports, why the government is turning attention to space and how this fits into a larger idea of Canadian sovereignty.
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Summer is peak tourist season for the Atlantic provinces, and many restaurants rely on revenue made during the season to get them through the rest of the year. But this summer, chefs and restaurateurs are facing a challenge: Staples tourists have come to expect, like scallops, haddock, and oysters, will be in short supply.
Dakshana Bascaramurty is The Globe’s food culture reporter. She’ll explain what’s causing these shortages, what it means for businesses and customers, and how chefs are adapting to the new landscape.
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Introducing Pitch and Power: How Soccer Shapes Everything, The Globe and Mail’s new soccer podcast for World Cup 2026. Every Thursday, throughout the tournament, host Eoin O’Callaghan will look at eight moments that changed soccer, the moments and stories that extend beyond the field and into politics, culture and the moral climate of their day.
In this episode, the focus is on Johan Cruyff, the Dutch master who took the 1974 World Cup by storm with a Total Football movement – but a team’s heartbreak turned genius into myth.
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Following The Decibel’s analysis of a one-on-one interview with Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, listeners wrote in and asked for an uncut interview to hear the opposition leader in his own words. This is the one-hour, full-length conversation with Poilievre, recorded on May 15, 2026. The interview has been edited for audio quality.
Original Decibel episode with Poilievre: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/article-an-interview-with-pierre-poilievre/
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The government’s new Safe Social Media Act, introduced on Wednesday, will require social media companies to block users below the age of 16 from having accounts on their platforms in a move to address online safety. The ban itself is not imminent – the bill has to pass first – but its introduction begs the question: what does a well regulated internet look like? And is that a balance this government is striking?
Dr. Michael Geist is a law professor at the University of Ottawa where he holds the Canada Research Chair in Internet and E-Commerce Law. He’ll take us through the strengths and weaknesses of the legislation, and what he thinks is needed to keep children – and all Canadians – protected online.
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There’s a surge of excitement around a few big companies going public this year – like Apotex and SpaceX both going on stock exchanges this week. These IPOs, or initial public offerings, are generating a ton of buzz – and there’s particular interest in trying to invest in a company before it goes public.
Meera Raman, The Globe’s personal finance reporter, is here today to explain how Canadians are getting involved in IPOs, and the potential benefits and risks of this increase in DIY investing.
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The World Cup starts on Thursday, beginning what will be the largest iteration of a hugely popular global event. This time, there are 104 matches with 48 countries competing across 16 cities in Canada, Mexico and the U.S. And the Canadian team will be making its third ever appearance at the World Cup, competing in Group B and playing its initial games in Toronto and Vancouver.
But can this team advance to the knockout rounds? Especially since Canada has never won a World Cup game before? Neil Davidson is a sportswriter at The Globe who will be covering his seventh World Cup this tournament. He explains Canada’s chances, lays out which young players may become international superstars and how a dog named Pickles plays a key role in World Cup history.
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Smoking cigarettes is cool again. Apparently. Social media and accounts online are raving about the habit, turning it into a trend with images from celebrities and appealing to Gen Z. But this rebirth in popularity runs counter to widespread anti-smoking campaigns warning about the dangers of getting addicted and the health effects of cigarettes. Where did this cultural resurgence for smoking and vaping come from?
Dr. Robert Schwartz is a senior scientist at the Centre for Mental Health and Addictions and the executive director of the Ontario Tobacco Research Unit. His research focuses on public health policy and tobacco control. He’ll talk about smoking rates in Canada and how a pop culture trend may be obscuring the real threat.
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The federal government released its plan for AI, and it includes a lot of new money ($2.3 billion, to be precise) towards training, adoption and supporting Canadian businesses and tech companies. There was a lot of anticipation leading up to this strategy’s release, both from those excited about how Canada plans to build and harness the technology, but also from those who are concerned about the potential ramifications and safety of AI.
Joe Castaldo is a staff reporter writing about AI for The Globe. He joins us to walk us through what’s in this strategy, and what’s not.
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As Canada builds out its military, there has been an increasing focus on arctic security. But military strategies that work in the southern part of the country do not always work in the North. Gavin John was embedded in a patrol with Canadian rangers as part of Operation Nanook-Nunalivut.
John, who covers national defence for The Globe, shares what it was like to patrol more than 1,000 km in the Arctic on a snowmobile and why a small group of rangers are an important component of Canada’s military strategy.
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Canada’s economy has stalled. According to Statistics Canada, Canada’s real GDP contracted 0.1 per cent on an annualized basis in the first quarter of 2026. In the previous quarter, there was a 1-per-cent annualized decline. Two consecutive quarters of decline has sparked debate in Ottawa and on Bay Street about whether the country is in a recession.
Mark Rendell is The Globe’s economics reporter. He’s on the show to put these numbers in context, unpack the debate around what defines a recession, and what this says about Canada’s economic landscape.
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thedecibel@globeandmail.com
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Interprovincial trade within Canada is complicated. Existing barriers mean that many goods, like alcohol, often can’t be sold across provincial and territorial lines. Prime Minister Mark Carney has been pushing for ‘one Canadian economy’ in the wake of attempts to diversify away from the U.S. Opening up interprovincial alcohol sales, especially direct to consumer sales, have been a litmus test for this vision. But last week, the provinces and territories missed the deadline for an agreement on reducing those barriers.
Jason Kirby is a staff reporter for The Globe’s Report on Business. He’s on the show to walk us through how alcohol sales work in Canada, what the barriers are preventing interprovincial trade and what it means that Canada hasn’t been able to resolve this issue.
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The Canadian trucking industry touches almost every aspect of commercial life — most Canadian products on store shelves made at least some part of their journey on the back of a truck. The conditions for drivers who got them there, however, are getting worse.
A Globe investigation by Sara Mojtehedzadeh , an investigative reporter at The Globe, and Mahima Singh, a Globe data editor, looked into the concerns raised by drivers and experts in the trucking industry. They found widespread accusations of wage theft and exploitation, violations of labour laws and insufficient training. Sara’s on the show to detail the working conditions for drivers , the impact of lax enforcement, and how this jeopardizes safety on the roads.
Sara and Mahima will hold a Q&A about their investigation on Wednesday, June 3, at 12 p.m. ET. Send them your questions in advance.
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Liberal MP Steven Guilbeault has announced his resignation from Mark Carney’s government, after stepping down from cabinet last fall.. During his time in Canadian parliament Mr. Guilbeault has become a symbol for the Liberal party’s climate conscience. His decision to depart centres on the Prime Minister’s approach to climate policy and it signals the most public disruption in the perceived unity of the Liberal caucus.
Marieke Walsh is The Globe’s senior political reporter. She’s here to discuss the politics and policy surrounding climate and what Mr. Guilbeault's resignation means for the Prime Minister.
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Vancouver and Toronto are getting ready to host FIFA World Cup matches in June and July, and the demands FIFA makes tend to be costly. Requirements from FIFA go from stadium renovations to branding enforcement, transportation and even tax exemptions. All three levels of government have already spent hundreds of millions of dollars in preparation.
Contracts between FIFA and host cities aren’t usually public, but Greg Mercer, The Globe’s investigative reporter, managed to get access to them. He’s on the show to explain what he learned and how FIFA manages to make all these expensive and exorbitant demands on host cities.
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Canada has been pushing to increase its defence efforts. Earlier this year, Canada reached their NATO defence spending target of two per cent of GDP. On Wednesday, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced plans to obtain new early warning aircraft technology. And, the Canadian military is seeing an increase in enlistment rates.
Janice Dickson is The Globe’s international affairs reporter. Earlier this month, she visited a military recruitment booth at a job fair. She’s on the show to talk about what is drawing potential recruits to enlist and what is behind this surge in enlistment.
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Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation near Kamloops, B.C. was the site of a national reckoning over the legacy of residential schools. On May 27, 2021, the First Nation announced it had discovered 215 probable unmarked graves on the ground of a former residential school, using ground-penetrating radar technology. The number was later revised to around 200 probable graves.
Since that revelation, leaders of the First Nation have been reluctant to provide more information and have not yet conducted an archeological dig of the former residential school grounds. Five years on and with few concrete answers, a loud contingent of skeptics and denialists have grown.
Globe reporters Willow Fiddler and Patrick White join The Decibel to report on what they have learned since, the impact of the initial announcement, the complexities of working on a site like this, and what is planned for the investigation going forward.
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Political tensions are rising in Alberta. Last week, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announced the province will hold a referendum on whether to hold a subsequent referendum on secession from Canada. Division and debate has been stirred up between federalists and separatists. And those who want to leave argue that Alberta will be better off, more economically successful and have full control over its natural resources.
The Globe’s editorial board did a reality check on some of the arguments for separatism. Oliver Moore, a member of The Globe’s editorial board, is on the show to talk about why separatists want to leave Canada and to help us sift through the legal myths and realities around Alberta separatism.
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Getting paid for plasma – the yellow-gold liquid part of blood – in Canada is still pretty new. It’s full of protein and antibodies and can be used to make medicine for immunodefficient people. But following the deaths of two plasma donors, the practice is facing criticism and concerns are being raised about its safety.
Chris Hannay is a business of healthcare reporter for The Globe. He’s on the show today to discuss how plasma collection works in Canada, what he’s learned from his experience donating, and how the growing practice of paid plasma is regulated.
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Pierre Poilievre, the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, sat down with The Globe’s editorial board for an interview last week. They asked him about a range of issues, from the current state of the Conservative Party to the Alberta separatism movement and tariff-free trade.
Patrick Brethour is the editorials editor at The Globe, and he’s on the show to discuss what they learned in this exclusive interview.
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Drones have become a part of everyday life for many Ukrainians. Now, they’re showing up in the airspace of Baltic countries. On Wednesday, people in Lithuania’s capital, Vilnius, were instructed to take shelter when drone activity was detected near the border with Belarus. The day before, a NATO jet shot down a Ukrainian drone over southern Estonia. This followed an incident earlier this month when two drones hit an empty oil facility in Latvia.
It’s still not clear exactly how these drones are ending up in Baltic airspace, but some analysts believe the drones could be autonomously choosing their targets – a potential first in warfare.
Mark MacKinnon is the Globe’s senior international correspondent. He’s here to explain what we know so far about how these drones are ending up in NATO countries, and what the implications are for the next phase of the Russia-Ukraine war.
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Finding the time to cook can be a challenge. The solution for many Canadians looks like using convenient pre-prepared foods. Ultraprocessed foods (UPFs) are branded, commercial foods made from cheap ingredients and contain little to no whole foods. But despite their convenience, foods like these are usually known for being bad for your health.
So is it possible to go without UPFs? Kelly Grant, one of the Globe’s health reporters, decided to find out. She and her family underwent a week-long experiment of eating no ultraprocessed foods. She’s on the show to discuss how the week went, what she learned and what makes it so easy for consumers to turn to UPFs.
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“Birth alerts” were a controversial practice in several Canadian provinces that allowed hospitals and child-welfare agencies to flag pregnant patients they deemed to be high-risk without their knowledge or consent. They were in place until as recently as 2023 in Quebec.
Last week, a proposed settlement worth $66-million was reached in a class action lawsuit over British Columbia’s use of birth alerts. Across the country, several other class actions are underway.
Andrea Woo is a staff reporter for the Globe, based in Vancouver. She’s on the show to explain the effects of birth alerts on mothers and the significance of the B.C. class action suit.
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U.S. President Donald Trump’s visit to China to meet President Xi Jinping this week is full of jeopardy. From tense talks over trade and tariffs, the role of each superpower in the war in Iran, and the future of Taiwan – each leader has been full of praise, while also talking past each other on the thorniest issues. Will any substantial deals get done? And where does this leave the U.S.-China relationship?
James Griffiths, The Globe’s Asia correspondent joins the show to discuss the recent history and tensions between the U.S. and China. Later, Steven Chase, The Globe’s senior parliamentary reporter details the progress made so far and how it can impact Canada’s standing with the two countries.
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Once relegated to paperback stands in grocery stores, the business of romance novels is hot right now – especially in Canada. In a moment when book sales in other genres appear to be relatively flat or declining, what is it about romance novels that’s making readers fall in love?
Deborah Aarts is a freelance business journalist. She’s on the show today to discuss what’s driving this “swoon boom,” how Canada became such a hotbed for romance readers and writers, and what it is about this moment that has readers pining after romance novels.
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This month, the World Health Organization linked a hantavirus outbreak to a cruise ship in the south Atlantic. Since the outbreak, three people have died from the virus and nine people have been confirmed to be infected with it. 10 Canadians who have been exposed to the virus have returned to Canada and are quarantining.
To some, there are familiar anxieties about how widespread the outbreak could be, coloured by memories of the COVID pandemic. But health officials have said that hantavirus is different from COVID. One of the Globe’s health reporters, Kristy Kirkup has been following the story. She’s here to explain what hantavirus is, how health officials are handling the outbreak and to give a reality check on the risk to the public.
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From trade wars to the war in Iran, there has been a lot of geopolitical tension in the world. This can sometimes cause jitters on the stock market, but that hasn’t been the case as of late. In fact, the stock market has been thriving, even at a time when Canadians are feeling like there is an affordability crisis.
Tim Shufelt is an investment reporter for The Globe. He’s been looking into what’s behind the booming bull market. He’s on the show today to talk about why investors seem so confident right now.
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Canada has seen a decline in deaths related to drug overdose the past two years. But the reality at the local level is a little more complicated. In some cities, like Edmonton, this rate is increasing. The city saw its deadliest year for drug deaths in 2025.
One of the Globe’s health reporters, Alanna Smith was in Alberta to figure out what’s going on. She’s here to share what she learned about why the situation in Edmonton is so bad, and the pushback against harm reduction policies, like safe consumption sites.
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The war in Iran has radically changed the way that oil and gas moves around the globe. Since the war began, North American energy exports – such as petroleum and liquefied natural gas – have increased. Now, there is pressure on Canada to meet the increased demand.
The Globe’s energy reporter, Emma Graney, is on the show to explain how some Canadian companies are changing course to try to meet that demand, what’s getting in the way for other Canadian companies to do the same and what all this means for a transition away from fossil fuels.
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Saudi Arabia has spent a decade pouring billions into investments to modernize their finance, entertainment, sports, technology and tourism industries, to help shift their economy away from oil. Now these efforts, called Vision 2030, are being challenged, in part, by the war in Iran, the missile and drone strikes against Saudi and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Doug Saunders is the Globe’s International affairs columnist. He’s on the show today to explain how Saudi’s vision for its future and relationships with other countries are now changing.
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This week marked an important milestone in the separatist campaign in Alberta. After months of getting people to sign their petitions to trigger a referendum on independence, the separatist leaders submitted their signatures to Elections Alberta for verification. But Elections Alberta cannot count the signatures right now.
That’s because of a court injunction that was put in place last month while a judge considers whether the treaty rights of some First Nations have been violated. It’s one of many legal challenges the separatist movement in Alberta is facing. Matthew Scace is a Globe reporter based in Alberta. He’ll explain the two major cases against the separatists, and what the leaders say they’ll do if the courts don’t rule in their favour.
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Canada has spent the last year shoring up defence spending. Now a new multilateral financial institution, the Defence, Security and Resilience Bank, is being established with the promise of offering stable financing to member countries. After months of negotiations, Canada was selected to be the bank’s host country last week.
Pippa Norman is the Globe’s innovation reporter, and also covers Canada’s defence industry. She’s going to explain what it means for Canada to host the bank and how this move fits into the country’s broader defence strategy.
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A big issue hangs over university students and professors, and that’s artificial intelligence. There are some rules and guidelines, but professors are largely left on their own to determine how much they want to adopt AI or not – and that’s created a wide range of opinions.
Today, we hear from five Canadian university professors about how they’re thinking about education and students in the world of AI. We speak with Amanda Perry, professor of literature at Champlain College-Saint Lambert and Concordia University; Matt Dinan, associate professor and director of the Great Books program at St Thomas University in New Brunswick; Sarah Elaine Eaton, professor in the Werklund School of Education at the University of Calgary; Adegboyega Ojo, professor and Canada Research Chair in AI Governance at Carleton University; and Mike Welland, professor of Engineering Physics at McMaster University.
A previous version of the show notes incorrectly identified the Werklund School of Education at the University of Calgary.
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Food affordability remains a priority for many Canadians. This week, Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government unveiled the spring economic update. It included some already announced measures aimed to make groceries more affordable.
But some people are considering others measures to make food cheaper: public grocery stores. Federal NDP leader, Avi Lewis, has been talking about establishing a network of public grocery stores across Canada and municipalities like Toronto, Ottawa and Vancouver are also considering the concept.
Mike von Massow is a food economist at the University of Guelph. He joins us today to stress-test the concept of public grocery stores and whether they could make food more affordable in Canada.
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Once scammers successfully steal someone’s money, they need a place to stash it. So they are buying verified Canadian bank accounts in order to launder money. In the last 12 months, a Canadian cybercrime research firm identified 4,337 social media posts offering to purchase accounts.
The people who allow scammers to use their accounts are known as “money mules”. Many become implicated in the crime, even if they are recruited without knowing they are being used to launder money.
Alexandra Podazki is the Globe’s financial and cybercrime reporter. Today, she joins the show to explain what exactly is happening with this black market for verified bank accounts and why the demand for money mules seems to be growing.
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The Liberals’ spring economic update lays out $54-billion in new spending over six years, including $6-billion towards boosting employment in the trades and more money for sports. The update also shows an estimated deficit of $66.9-billion for the 2025-26 fiscal year, an $11.5-billion improvement over what the government had projected in the Nov. 4 budget.
Campbell Clark, The Globe’s chief political writer, joins the show to break down what the Carney government’s first piece of fiscal policy as a majority government tells us about how they’re wielding their newfound power.
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Only 10 HIV patients worldwide are known to have achieved the milestone of being in prolonged remission. Soon, a Toronto patient will be part of the historic achievement, becoming the 11th patient and first Canadian to be effectively cured of HIV. Doctors at the Canadian Conference on HIV/AIDS Research revealed that a patient underwent a stem cell transplant that is creating a natural immunity against the virus.
Jennifer Yang, health science reporter for The Globe, delves into the complicated procedure and advancements in HIV treatments, speaks to the doctors leading the medical research and explains why there’s still a long road ahead for breakthroughs.
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It began with a whistle-blower alleging government interference in Alberta Health Services’ contracting process and its connections to a medical supply company, MHCare Medical. Alberta’s government denies the allegations. But soon, the whistle-blower and others – and a Globe reporter who dug into the case – were subject to a campaign of harassment, threats and surveillance. Who was behind it all?
Carrie Tait, a Globe reporter in Alberta, explains what it was like for her to be targeted. And Tu Thanh Ha, a long-time Globe staff reporter, explains how he went about reporting on who was involved in the intimidation campaign.
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Globe columnist Andrew Coyne interviews former U.S. ambassador and national security adviser John Bolton at The Globe and Mail’s INTERSECT/26 forum of government officials, industry leaders and policymakers.
Coyne and Bolton discuss the spectre of Trump as a threat to Canada’s sovereignty, the tense relationship between the two countries and what Canada needs to do to bolster its defence in a time of potential conflict.
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The Alberta government is drawing controversy over electoral politics. They’re being accused of gerrymandering – the practice of redrawing voting districts to boost prospects in elections. Instead of approving a new electoral map provided by a commission, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith voted to appoint a new commission to appoint a panel that will create a new map.
Matthew Scace is a reporter from the Globe’s Calgary bureau. He joins us today to break down what this decision will mean for the Alberta government and why it’s causing such a stir.
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Robotics and drones are now leading the charge in modern warfare, reshaping battlefields in Ukraine and on the Strait of Hormuz. The Canadian military, with renewed funding and targets, is focusing on developing drones – and defence companies want to be part of production and investment.
Pippa Norman covers the defence industry and Canada’s military strategy for The Globe. She explains why unmanned vehicles are gaining popularity with military and government leaders, how its development is meant to reduce reliance on the U.S. and whether military, government and business can adapt to the moment.
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The big sell is on. Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government has promised to raise $500-billion dollars of private investment over the next five years to reposition Canada as an important player in international business. The goal is to capture billions in foreign investments by selling, in Carney’s words, “what the world wants” – energy, critical minerals and an educated workforce. And a government-led summit this year to bring wealthy investors to Canadian soil will be the site of their biggest sales pitches yet.
James Bradshaw, The Globe’s Institutional Investing reporter, explains why Canada craves foreign investment, how those funds could help the economy and whether Carney and other Canadian leaders can woo billions in business.
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Last week, Ontario introduced new legislation proposing sweeping changes to education in the province – from how school boards are managed, to having attendance make up part of final grades for high school students. This is the latest in a string of changes that serve to centralize oversight over Canada’s largest education system.
The Globe’s education reporter, Dave McGinn, joins the show to talk about why Ontario says it’s introducing these changes, and what parents and teachers want to see going forward.
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For the last year and a half, the talk of construction sites and Bay Street was about a string of violent incidents targeting GFL, the waste management giant, and GIP, its sister construction company. There was suspected arson, vandalism, and executives’ homes were targeted in shootings in both 2024 and this past March. Earlier this month, police made an arrest in connection with the 2024 shootings: Ilan Philosophe, the founder of a competing company, Astro Excavating Inc.
The Globe’s Robyn Doolittle and Tim Kiladze spent the last year and a half reporting on this, including hours speaking with Philosophe before his arrest. Today, they bring us the full story about the shootings, menacing and hostile text messages, and fights over lucrative construction contracts.
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Earlier this year, a report on domestic box office data for 2025 revealed that Canadian films brought in $13.9 million last year. Compared to $23.5-million in 2024, the report painted a distressing picture. But in the last three months, five homegrown films have been breaking box office records. After a sluggish year, Canadian movies are finally having a moment.
Barry Hertz is the Globe’s deputy arts editor and film editor. He joins us today to talk about what filmmakers and distributors are doing to capitalize on a time when Canadians – and even Americans – have more of an appetite for Canadian film, and how this moment could serve as the genesis of a Canadian cinematic renaissance.
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Ransomware attacks have become more prominent in recent years, with major breaches of hospitals, like Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children in 2022, and companies like Indigo in 2023. In 2025, damages from ransomware attacks were expected to reach US$57-billion dollars worldwide.
Alongside the rise of ransomware attacks came the emergence of a new kind of industry: ransomware negotiators. They communicate with attackers to try to convince them to lower the ransom fee. Today, the Globe’s financial and cybercrime reporter, Alexandra Posadzki, joins us to talk about what it takes to hack the hackers, and what’s at risk in these kinds of engagements.
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More than a year after 2025’s federal election, the Liberal Party now has a majority government. Monday’s federal by-elections – a clean sweep for Liberal candidates – plus a steady flow of floor crossings ensure Mark Carney’s government now has a slim majority with 174 seats in the House of Commons.
But how will Carney and the Liberals now use this power? And how will the dynamics in Parliament change? Today, a political panel of Stephanie Leviz, senior reporter in The Globe’s Ottawa bureau and Campbell Clark, columnist and The Globe’s chief political writer join The Decibel to talk about the future of this government.
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The deadline to renew the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement – the agreement that governs free trade in North America, also known as the USMCA – is less than three months away. Canada and Mexico are coming to these trade talks from very different positions: Mexico has been deep in technical discussions for some time, whereas Canada’s talks with the U.S. only resumed over the last few months after stalling out back in October.
The Globe’s economics reporter, Mark Rendell, joins us today to break down the different dynamics at play and what to expect leading up to July 1.
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It’s tax season again, an often tedious time dreaded by many Canadians. But this tax season could be different. After ongoing concerns around slow and inaccurate responses, the CRA is trying to improve by implementing AI and digital services, for instance.
The Globe’s personal economics reporter Erica Alini has been looking into how effective these changes have been, and what this means for Canadians.
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On Friday, negotiators from the U.S., Israel and Iran are set to talk in Pakistan about the future of the war. The Gulf Arab states, who have been attacked during the conflict, will not be party to the talks. But they have a lot depending on the outcome.
Today, the Globe’s international affairs columnist Doug Saunders joins the show from Dubai, where he is witnessing the impact of the ceasefire in the region. He breaks down what this agreement – and any future long-term deal – means for Iran, the Gulf region and the Strait of Hormuz.
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After the U.S., Israel and Iran agreed to a ceasefire on Tuesday night, oil prices eased on Wednesday. Many details of the ceasefire remain unclear – including when and how the Strait of Hormuz will become passable again. Since the effective closure of the Strait, the rising cost of oil has been impacting prices across a number of industries – from airfare, to delivery, to groceries. In some cases, fuel surcharges are as high as 45 per cent.
Today, the Globe’s consumer affairs reporter, Mariya Postelnyak, breaks down why we’re seeing prices go up, whether they’ll stick around, and how consumer behaviour is shifting.
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A lot of attention has been given to the Strait of Hormuz amid Iran’s closure in response to attacks by the U.S. and Israel. But another key strait in the region, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait off the coast of Yemen, has also been threatened with a shutdown, and it’s similarly vital to trade.
Thomas Juneau is a professor at the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Ottawa. As an expert on Yemen and the Houthis, Juneau discusses the importance of the strait, the relationship between Iran and the Houthis, and what it would mean if the Bab al-Mandeb Strait were closed.
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Australian mining company BHP has made the largest investment in the company’s history in Saskatchewan, opening the province’s biggest potash mine. The potassium compound, known as “pink gold,” is key to growing food and is an essential part of Canada’s economy. Thirty per cent of the global supply comes from Saskatchewan alone.
The Globe’s agricultural and food policy reporter, Kate Helmore, got to see the mining project first-hand. She joins the show to talk about the development, whether it could serve as a blueprint for other major projects and what it could mean for Canada’s economic sovereignty.
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A growing number of Canadians are struggling with fertility, and the business helping people make babies is booming. The global fertility services market was valued at over $21-billion in 2021 and is projected to more than quadruple by 2031. As more hopeful parents turn toward services like in-vitro fertilization – or IVF – and surrogacy to conceive, Globe investigative journalist Kathryn Blaze Baum worries they may not know exactly what they’re signing up for.
Today, Blaze Baum shares her first-hand story and reporting into the fertility industry in her new book, In Fertility: The Story of a Miracle and the Big Business Behind It. Kathryn will explain what it’s like to navigate assisted reproductive technology, its high costs financially and emotionally, and what she thinks needs to change about how Canada handles fertility.
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April 1 marked the start of a new regime to regulate health care in B.C. – the first overhaul of the system in 30 years. The Globe’s health reporter and columnist André Picard describes it as the biggest change in the regulation of health professionals the country has ever seen.
Today, André explains the changes now implemented – including amalgamation, disciplinary changes and punishment for misinformation – why the B.C. government says they’re necessary, and why some of them have caused controversy.
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April 1st marks the earliest possible date that lunar mission Artemis II could lift off. Decades have passed since humans last visited the moon. After launch, four astronauts – including Canadian Jeremy Hansen – will travel all the way around the celestial body. If all goes according to plan, he’ll become the first Canadian – and non-American – to go to the moon.
Decibel producer Madeleine White takes us on a journey along with The Globe’s science reporter, Ivan Semeniuk, They explore how Jeremy Hansen got a seat on this coveted mission, explain why it’s so hard to return to the moon, what the mission entails, and how Canada fits into it all.
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On Sunday, the New Democratic Party elected Avi Lewis as its new leader. He takes the reins of a political party still reeling from losses in last year’s federal election, which cost them official party status and left them with only seven seats. Another blow came earlier this month, when Nunavut MP Lori Idlout defected to the Liberals. Without a seat in Parliament and overseeing a party with minimal resources, how Lewis will rebuild the party and what it will look like remain big questions.
So today, we’re convening a panel with Campbell Clark, The Globe’s chief political writer, and Robyn Urback, a current affairs columnist for The Globe. They join the show to talk about where Lewis might steer the NDP and what it all means for the party’s future.
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Prediction trading is exploding in popularity, with the industry set to rake in about US$2 billion in revenue this year alone. Companies like Kalshi and Polymarket have popularized the practice, which lets you bet on nearly anything – from Taylor Swift’s marriage status to election outcomes. This past week, Canadian company Wealthsimple cleared hurdles to offer Canadians something similar, but the rules will be different here and a fragmented system makes regulation tricky.
The Globe’s retirement and financial planning reporter Meera Raman broke the Wealthsimple news. She joins us to explain what the market may look like in Canada and the challenges regulators face in protecting investors.
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This week, decisions in two landmark trials in the U.S. found social media companies responsible for harms to youth on their platforms. They follow years of growing concern about the dangers that social media poses to young people. Now those concerns are starting to show up in policy decisions. Back in December, Australia banned those under 16 years old from creating accounts on platforms like YouTube and TikTok. Other countries are considering similar legislation – including Canada. But what do teenagers themselves think of these potential social media bans?
Samantha Edwards is The Globe’s online culture reporter. She assembled a group of Canadian teenagers to talk about how they actually use social media, what adults get wrong, and what they think about losing access to the platforms they use to talk to their friends.
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Since the U.S. and Israel first attacked Iran almost a month ago, the ripple effects of the war have been felt globally. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has affected oil prices worldwide, but energy shocks are especially felt across the rest of Asia, which is heavily dependent on energy from the Gulf states. The 35 million migrant workers living in the Gulf – the bulk of whom come from South and Southeast Asia – are in a particularly precarious position. And China, a strategic partner of Iran, has found itself on the sidelines of this war.
The Globe’s Asia correspondent James Griffiths explains the geopolitics at play and how the war is impacting the day-to-day lives of people across the continent.
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The federal government is hoping to make room for the new spending outlined in last year’s budget by making cuts across the public sector. The goal is to save $60 billion over the next 5 years. Departments like Library and Archives Canada and the Correctional Service of Canada are reducing their workforces, while some programs, like one for public transit, are seeing funding cuts.
The Globe’s deputy Ottawa bureau chief, Bill Curry, explains what we know so far about the cuts and the potential impacts on the services provided to Canadians.
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Amid threats of annexation and U.S.-imposed tariffs, Canadians are using their dollars to purchase Canadian goods. However, consumer complaints about products mislabelled as Canadian have spiked since the Buy Canadian movement began. Some in the food and beverage industry say cracking down too hard on mistaken labelling could backfire, dissuading retailers from promoting Canadian foods.
Susan Krashinsky Robertson and Kate Helmore, both journalists for The Globe’s Report on Business, join The Decibel to discuss Canadian food labelling, the benefits of the Buy Canadian movement for farmers and producers, and how retailers can leverage patriotic shoppers to rebuild trust with them.
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Today, a case involving Quebec’s use of the notwithstanding clause is going before the Supreme Court of Canada. In the last decade, many provinces have used the clause to override federal powers to pass controversial laws. While cases involving the notwithstanding clause have been taken to the Supreme Court before, none have had the magnitude of being precedent-setting that could have major implications for the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The hearing will be one of the longest at the country’s highest court in a decade.
The Globe’s justice reporter, David Ebner, explains how the clause came to be, why provinces have used it, and whether the case will change the power balance between provincial and federal governments in Canada’s charter.
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What does it mean to create music? Would you be able to tell if the sounds you were listening to weren’t made or sung by a human? Artists and supporters of the music industry are asking some of these existential questions, as technology in consumer generative AI has grown in leaps and bounds and record companies are settling legal battles with AI companies.
Josh O’Kane, Globe reporter on arts and business, joins The Decibel to talk about the friction between musicians and AI tools, how AI slop has found itself onto streaming feeds, and what this could mean for the future of music.
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Since the U.S. and Israel started a war with Iran, the price of oil has spiked. That’s largely because oil tankers are no longer travelling through the Strait of Hormuz, meaning roughly one fifth of the world’s oil and gas supply remains stranded in the Gulf region. This is having an effect in Canada, even though Canada is the world’s fourth-largest oil producer and exporter.
Jeffrey Jones is a journalist in The Globe’s Report on Business, who has been covering the global oil market for decades. He joins the show today to explain why Canada is seeing domestic energy prices rise as a result of the war.
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Late last week, the Ontario government announced it would introduce legislation exempting the Premier, cabinet ministers and their offices from responding to freedom of information requests. The province said these changes are needed to protect privacy and to allow ministers to discuss policy decisions in confidence. Critics say it’s an anti-democratic move designed to shield the government from accountability.
Jeff Gray reports on Ontario politics for the Globe. He’s on the show to talk about how freedom of information requests have revealed past controversies in Ontario, and how the proposed changes could make government business less transparent to the public.
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Building cities for the future means building a lot more public transit – and lately, Canadian cities have been planning LRTs, or light rail transit. While these projects are introduced with great promise of moving people around more efficiently, in practice, these projects have a history of disappointment. There’s Ottawa’s LRT project, which opened to great frustration from riders. Then, Toronto’s Finch West line, upon opening, couldn’t quite keep pace with a local runner. Most recently, there was Toronto’s Eglinton Crosstown, which opened this past February, six years later than initially planned, and a billion dollars over budget.
Oliver Moore writes for the Globe’s Editorial Board. Previously, he was an urban affairs reporter. He’s here to talk about why we keep building LRTs and how we should think about transit that will take us into the future.
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It’s been one year since Mark Carney became Prime Minister. He was long known as a technocrat, having held the position of central banker for both Canada and the United Kingdom. But when Justin Trudeau resigned, Liberals – and later, Canadians – decided Carney was the man for the moment. One year later, his popularity is holding strong: an Angus Reid poll found that 60 per cent of Canadians held a positive view of him as Prime Minister. How has Carney managed to keep Canadians onside despite having so little experience in elected politics?
Shannon Proudfoot is a feature writer and columnist for The Globe. She’ll unpack what she’s observed about how Carney has cultivated his political persona, and whether there are any signs that his honeymoon phase with Canadians might be coming to an end.
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On February 28th, the US and Israel struck Iran – and Iran fired back at military bases and allies in the region. The war has since dominated global attention, but it’s not just playing out in Iran. After the Iran-backed militia group, Hezbollah, fired into Israel in solidarity with Iran, a second front in the war opened up in Lebanon. Now, hundreds of thousands have been displaced in Lebanon and hundreds of others are dead as a third war between Hezbollah and Israel escalates.
The Globe’s senior international correspondent Mark MacKinnon was in Lebanon this past week. He joins The Decibel to explain how this latest conflict between Israel and Hezbollah is impacting the people of Lebanon, and why this round of fighting feels different.
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A wide-scale investigation into police corruption in Ontario – Project South – led to the arrests of 27 people, including seven Toronto Police Services officers and one retired Toronto Police officer. The allegations range from a conspiracy to traffic Toronto Police uniforms, to selling data to members of organized crime groups, to a plot to murder a corrections officer. But one of the civilians charged in the operation had links to the tow truck industry, which has a documented history of violence and criminal connections.
That led Globe and Mail reporter Molly Hayes to question what links exist between the police corruption investigation and the industry. She has reported on violence and corruption in the towing industry for years. Today, she joins the show to talk about why towing has been so prone to corruption, and its ties to a major criminal investigation.
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Members of Canada’s Iranian community have been living through a complex set of emotions since the United States and Israel started a war with Iran nearly two weeks ago. They worry for their loved ones in Iran, but they want to see the Islamic Republic regime destroyed. Others are divided on whether a return to a monarchy or a newly created democracy is in their future.
Today on the show, we feature the voices of eight Iranians who moved to Canada, some recently, others decades ago. They share their experiences, emotions and hopes for the future.
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A month has passed since the mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, B.C., where eight people were killed by 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar, who then turned the gun on herself. In the weeks since, more information has emerged about the shooter — from a history of troubling posts online, to years of mental health challenges. Her family spoke about how challenging it was to access the care she needed.
Andrea Woo is a B.C.-based reporter for The Globe who looked into what locals describe as a mental health desert in the region. She joins the show to talk about how Tumbler Ridge families describe their experiences of trying to access mental health care, and what changes could make a difference.
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The first episode of Skinny Inc. was all about the science behind GLP-1s, and the second episode was about the business, from the pharmaceutical companies who make GLP-1s to the insurance plans that may or may not cover it.
Today, we’re exploring how the so-called “Ozempic era,” affects people’s mental health.
First, business owner Maiyhet Burton tells us how using a GLP-1 has helped her body image. Globe health reporter Kelly Grant details how experts are split on the effect of GLP-1s on weight stigma, and psychotherapist Zoë Bisbing explains how the body positive movement helps her clients.
Plus, Tigress Osborn, executive director of the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance on why the popularity of GLP-1s shows how far we have to go with anti-fat discrimination, and Ary Mahraj and Emily Donahue from the National Eating Disorder Information Centre tell us how people with eating disorders may be impacted by the constant discussions about weight loss.
Finally, Dr. Stephen Glazer, Medical Director for the Bariatric Surgical Program at Humber River Hospital in Toronto on how weight stigma can be internalized.
You can contact the National Eating Disorders Information Centre at their toll-free helpline at 1-866-NEDIC-20 or visit their website.
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On Sunday, most Canadians lose an hour of sleep as the clocks get turned forward to daylight time. But while most of us have gotten used to the bi-annual time change, our bodies have not. And with a growing number of experts saying the practice messes with our sleep – should Canadians stop messing with the clock?
Today, psychology professor Joseph De Koninck is here. He studies sleep at the University of Ottawa, and his recent research looks at how Daylight Savings Time impacts our circadian rhythms, what we can do to minimize the health effects the change has, and why he thinks Canada should consider staying on Standard Time year-round.
This episode originally aired October 31, 2025.
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When it comes to one economic indicator, Canada is lagging behind one of the U.S.’s poorest states: Alabama. And while GDP per capita is an imperfect metric of wealth, Globe reporter Tim Kiladze went down to Alabama and found that there are some things the state has done that are worth taking note of.
Tim joins the show to share what he saw down south, explore the criticisms of GDP per capita and respond to the reaction his reporting has generated.
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Prime Minister Mark Carney finished his trip to India this week, marking the start of what he says is a new partnership between the two countries. The relationship between Canada and India has been tense for years, with allegations of Canadian election interference from India and accusations against Indian government agents over the killing of a Sikh-Canadian activist.
The Globe’s senior parliamentary reporter Steven Chase is on this trip with Carney to India. Today he tells us why this reset in relations is so important for the Canadian government, what deals came out of it, and how Carney makes sense of the trip given the ongoing concerns with India.
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Since the U.S. and Israel first struck Iran on Saturday, energy prices have been on the rise. Oil prices are up around 13 per cent, and LNG – liquefied natural gas – is up around 75 per cent. 20 per cent of the world’s oil and LNG pass through the narrow Strait of Hormuz, a passageway between the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea that is effectively being blocked by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.
Eric Reguly is The Globe and Mail’s European Bureau Chief. He joins the show to talk about the role energy plays in the war in Iran, and how the reverberations are being felt far beyond the Middle East.
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The U.S. and Israel are continuing attacks on Iran for the fourth day. Iran’s leadership has been devastated, hundreds have been killed and retaliatory attacks have been launched against Israel and neighbouring nations. U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly called on Iranians to topple the theocratic government that has held power for 47 years.
Thomas Juneau, professor at the University of Ottawa’s Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, joins The Decibel to discuss why this is an existential war for the Islamic Republic, what calculations the U.S. and Israel are making and how this could be the beginning of a larger and longer war.
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You can listen to the first episode of this three-part series here.
GLP-1 medications to treat diabetes, obesity and several other illnesses have exploded in popularity since Ozempic was approved for use in Canada back in 2018. Ozempic and Wegovy, the GLP-1s which contain semaglutide, are the third-most prescribed drug in Canada, and by far the best-selling one.
Chris Hannay, The Globe’s business of health reporter, will explain why the introduction of generic semaglutide will mean lower prices and more options for Canadians. And we’ll explore access to these drugs with The Globe’s health reporter Kelly Grant on who gets their GLP-1 covered by their insurance – and who doesn’t.
Plus, Globe audio producer Kasia Mychajlowycz leads us on a journey to understand just how the virtual pharmacies advertised all over her social media feed are vetting people who want Ozempic prescriptions.
The next episode and final episode of Skinny, Inc. is next Monday, March 9.
You can contact the National Eating Disorders Information Centre at their toll-free hotline at 1-866-NEDIC-20 or visit their website.
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Months before the mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, B.C., earlier this month, the shooter was banned from OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, for violating its usage policy. The Wall Street Journal, which first reported this, said that the interactions with ChatGPT were describing scenarios involving gun violence. That has furthered calls for the Canadian government to regulate AI companies and their products – but there are challenges.
Taylor Owen is an associate professor at McGill and founding director of McGill’s Centre for Media, Technology and Democracy. He’s also host of The Globe and Mail podcast Machines Like Us. He’ll tell us what responsibility companies have to report concerning or violent content, and what the government is up against in trying to regulate AI.
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On Tuesday night, U.S. President Donald Trump touted his tariff regime, after a Supreme Court decision that severely limited his ability to impose tariffs. Now countries trading with the U.S. are left with even more uncertainty about what will come next.
Jason Kirby is a staff reporter for The Globe’s Report on Business. He explains what the court ruling means for Canada, what other tariffs could be coming our way soon and who have been the winners and losers in the trade war over the last year.
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On Tuesday, Canadian airlines began to resume operations in Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara. They had been suspended days earlier after the Mexican army killed El Mencho, the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, leading to a wave of violence across Jalisco and elsewhere in Mexico. Residents of Puerto Vallarta, the popular tourist destination, and Guadalajara, Mexico’s second-largest city, were told to shelter in place. Many Canadian tourists found themselves stranded.
David Agren is a freelance journalist covering Latin America. He joins The Decibel to talk about how cartels operate in Mexico, how the government has dealt with them in the past, and how pressure from the Trump administration is ramping up the stakes for the Mexican government to crack down on cartels.
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It began with three executives from the CAAT Pension Plan raising concerns over a $1.6-million vacation payout and a relationship between the CEO and an employee. That has now led to a ‘full-blown crisis over governance,’ with nearly all of the senior leadership team changed or gone, including the long-standing CEO who’s on administrative leave.
The Globe’s institutional investing reporter James Bradshaw has been covering the turmoil at CAAT. Today, he explains how these issues led to such turbulence and why it’s so important to have steady leadership at one of Canada’s big pension plans.
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Dr. Daniel Drucker’s research helped pave the way for Ozempic, the blockbuster GLP-1 class drug. The endocrinologist has been researching the effects on Ozempic’s active ingredient semaglutide in the body for decades.Today he’ll show us around his lab and explain how a stout lizard kept in a freezer helped unlock the science behind a drug taken by more than a million Canadians.
Then, health reporter Kelly Grant tells us about rising obesity rates in Canada, and we’ll hear from a doctor who prescribes GLP-1s— and a patient who takes them.
After this episode was published, Dr. Stephen Glazer let The Globe know that he misstated the ratio of fat to muscle loss during a typical weight loss experience. The typical ratio is around two-thirds fat loss and one-third muscle loss.
This is part of a three-part series. The next episode is next Monday, March 2nd.
You can contact the National Eating Disorders Information Centre at their toll-free hotline at 1-866-NEDIC-20 or visit their website.
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A conversation between two acclaimed Canadian authors – Margaret Atwood and Michael Crummey on ‘The Art of the Story’. A live discussion about writing, reading, what makes Canadian authors unique and the publishing landscape. Atwood is one of Canada’s most celebrated writers, recently published Book of Lives: A Memoir of Sorts. Crummey is the author of numerous short stories, poetry and novels, his most recent work being The Adversary.
This recording was from a live event at The Globe and Mail headquarters in Toronto on Dec.1, 2025, as part of celebrations for The Globe 100, an annual list of the most notable reads.
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This week, Minister for Canada-U.S. Trade Dominic LeBlanc, led a trade delegation to Mexico. He was joined by government and industry officials, as well as leaders of around 250 Canadian businesses. It’s the largest Canadian trade delegation to Mexico in recent memory, and it’s set against the backdrop of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s goal of diversifying Canadian trading partners.
Mark Rendell, the Globe’s economics reporter, joins the show to talk about the opportunities for growth in Mexico, and how the two countries are preparing for discussions around the renegotiation of USMCA later this year.
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As part of its plan to remake the Canadian Armed Forces, the federal government earmarked $6.6-billion over five years in the fall budget for its Defence Industrial Strategy. The document was finally released this week, and it details the blueprint for bolstering Canada’s defence industry.
Pippa Norman is The Globe’s innovation reporter, and she covers the business side of defence. She’ll explain why this document is important, the key takeaways, and what the plan means for broader conversations about protecting Canada’s sovereignty.
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Much has been made about a new social media platform called Moltbook, where AI agents are posting and appear to be interacting with each other. Some see their posts – especially those about humans – as worrisome. Others are wondering if this is evidence that we’re inching closer to a world where an artificial intelligence system attains consciousness.
Dr. Karina Vold is an assistant professor of philosophy at the University of Toronto. She studies the philosophy of cognitive science, and also researches technology, AI and ethics. She discusses the problems with anthropomorphizing AI and the difference between sentience and consciousness.
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The Globe exclusively reported that Prime Minister Mark Carney and Ontario Premier Doug Ford discussed the possibility of a snap federal election this spring. The next federal election is scheduled for no later than 2029, though historically, minority governments usually last around two years. But just how realistic is this speculation of another election?
Laura Stone, who broke the story, and Shannon Proudfoot, a feature writer and columnist based in Ottawa, join host Sherrill Sutherland for a political roundtable about whether Canadians will head to the polls this spring.
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Canadian figure skater Deanna Stellato-Dudek will make history this weekend at the age of 42, as the oldest female figure skater to compete in the Olympics in nearly 100 years. She’s had a remarkable journey to get to the Milan Cortina Winter Games, including 16 years away from the ice.
Today, Globe reporter (and passionate figure skater) Robyn Doolittle tells us the story of how Stellato-Dudek got to these Olympic Games, what it takes to become an elite athlete in your 40s, and how athletes are pushing the time limits of their careers.
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Tuesday’s deadly mass shooting in the community of Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, marks the second deadliest school shooting in Canadian history. Nine people are dead, including the shooter, and at least 25 others are injured.
Many details are still unknown, but today, we’re talking about the aftermath of the tragedy. Globe reporters Matthew Scace and Alanna Smith give us the view from Tumbler Ridge, and you’ll hear from community members about how they’re making sense of what has happened in their town.
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This week, Ontario’s Inspector-General announced it is launching a provincewide review of corruption among police services in the wake of the arrests of seven Toronto police officers and a retired constable. The allegations – including corruption, leaking of information to organized crime members, accepting bribes and drug trafficking – have rocked civic institutions and are proving to be a threat to public trust in policing.
Mike Hager, reporter for The Globe, details the allegations against the officers and why cases of police corruption are difficult to investigate. Later, The Globe’s justice reporter David Ebner joins the show to explain why the investigation of the accused officers may put other criminal trials in the justice system at risk.
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The federal government recently announced that it is scrapping the zero emissions vehicle mandate – brought in by the Trudeau government in 2022. Zero emissions vehicles such as EVs were supposed to make up 20 per cent of all new car sales this year, increasing to 100 per cent by 2035. This is the latest Trudeau-era climate policy that Prime Minister Mark Carney has rolled back or outright abandoned.
Today, we speak with Adam Radwanski, The Globe’s policy columnist and feature writer. He’ll explain why the electric vehicle mandate was scrapped, what Carney has brought in instead, and what his strategy is towards climate change more broadly.
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Ontario’s securities watchdog is facing pressure from the Ontario government to open up access to high-risk investments, called private asset funds, to regular, retail investors, according to exclusive reporting by The Globe and Mail. Industry experts warn that this unusual move could lead to investors’ money being locked up for years in long-term real estate or infrastructure projects that have extremely complex fee structures.
Report on Business reporters Clare O’Hara and Jameson Berkow explain how this new proposal from the Ontario Securities Commission came about and what might be driving the Ford government to change the rules.
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The 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Games begin on Friday. The Olympics are always a time to rally behind your country, but this year cheering on Team Canada takes on a different meaning. At a time when Canada is asserting itself as a “middle power,” how will that translate on the podium?
Cathal Kelly is a Globe and Mail columnist who writes about sports. Today, he joins the show to prime Olympics superfans and casual watchers alike for what you need to know about the Milan Cortina Winter Games, where Canada is likely to excel, and how politics could shape the narrative of these Winter Olympics.
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Canvassers are currently collecting signatures for a petition in Alberta that could trigger a referendum on whether Albertans want to remain a part of Canada. The volunteers are with a group called Stay Free Alberta, whose leaders are Mitch Sylvestre and Jeffrey Rath.
Matthew Scace is a staff reporter for The Globe and Mail based in Calgary. He has been reporting on the separatist movement in Alberta and shares interviews he conducted with the leaders, and some supporters, on how they feel about recent U.S. comments about their movement and why they’ve given up on Canada.
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The federal government’s Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care program was meant to bring child care fees down to $10 per day and create 284,000 new daycare spaces by the end of March this year. A recent report found the program is expected to miss that goal by 90,000 spaces – and many places haven’t reached the initial $10 a day goal. But this program has made a huge difference for families.
Today, we’re doing a daycare check in with the Globe’s education reporter Dave McGinn. He’ll walk us through what’s worked with the program, what hasn’t, and when we might expect more affordable child care in Canada.
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Over the last few weeks, U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened military intervention in Iran – first over the Islamic Republic’s treatment of protesters, and now, over the country’s nuclear ambitions. U.S. military warships have moved toward striking distance of Iran; meanwhile, Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned that a strike on Iran would spark a regional war.
Thomas Juneau is a professor at the University of Ottawa’s Graduate School of Public and International Affairs. He’s here to talk about how close Iran and the U.S. are to re-entering diplomatic talks, how other countries in the region are working to mediate the situation, and where this is leading for the people of Iran.
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Snow and ice is a fact of life in a long, Canadian winter. So are the millions of tonnes of salt that is used to combat it on roads across the country. But there is a cost to all that salt: damage to property, waterways and other parts of the environment and infrastructure – totalling billions of dollars annually.
Patrick White, reporter for The Globe, explains the science behind why Canada is the biggest consumer of road salt in the world and why the same chemical that is necessary for a winter climate is also endangering water systems.
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Inflation in Canada has stabilized, but food inflation is continuing to rise. Food prices rose 5 per cent in 2025, and some items saw much larger increases – such as beef and coffee. Prime Minister Mark Carney announced some affordability measures this week – like an increase to the GST credit – aimed at lowering grocery bills.
Today, food economist Mike von Massow explains why food prices remain so high, what’s driving the increase of specific items and what can be done about it.
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British Columbia’s drug decriminalization pilot program will end on January 31st. The controversial program was introduced in 2023, but was criticized by advocates and political opponents alike. Parts of the policy had already been rolled back as public pressure mounted. The pilot’s cancellation was met with disappointment, especially from First Nations leaders, over the lack of consultation. What does the ending of this policy signal about the B.C. government’s approach to the toxic drug crisis? And what does it mean for Canadians living with addictions?
Andrea Woo, the Globe’s staff reporter covering health and drug policy, gives us a retrospective on what exactly B.C.’s pilot was trying to fix, whether that worked, and what comes next as decriminalization ends in the province.
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Some of the 3,000 federal agents in Minnesota are set to leave following the killings of U.S. citizens Renee Nicole Macklin Good and Alex Pretti. ICE and U.S. Border Patrol officers have been in the state enforcing U.S. President Donald Trump’s immigration agenda since December amid growing unrest. Now, Minnesota is suing the federal government, arguing that the Trump administration is breaching people’s rights and acting beyond its powers. And what happens next on the ground and in the courts could set a precedent, as ICE operations continue throughout the U.S.
Globe staff reporter Joe Friesen was in Minnesota and he’s on the show today to explain what life is like for people there, how the ongoing fight between the state and federal governments is unfolding, and where the situation could go from here.
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Ryan Wedding, former Canadian Olympic snowboarder turned alleged drug lord, is pleading not guilty to U.S. federal charges of leading an international drug trafficking ring and orchestrating the murders of multiple people. Wedding had been on the run for more than a decade and was on the FBI’s Top Ten Most Wanted list. But the sprawling criminal investigation crosses borders and legal experts are now questioning what lawful norms and treaties may be overridden in the race to prosecute Wedding and his associates in the U.S.
Colin Freeze, crime and justice reporter for The Globe, talks about the manhunt for Wedding, the laws around extradition and why this case could turn into a test of Canada and Mexico’s legal sovereignty.
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It’s been a busy month abroad for Prime Minister Mark Carney, but now, he’ll have to turn his focus back to domestic issues as Parliament returns on Monday. There’s a lot to catch up on — later this week, the Conservatives will have their leadership review of Pierre Poilievre during their convention in Calgary, and the NDP are in the midst of their leadership race. The issue of national unity remains top of mind as both Alberta and Quebec look towards possible referendums in the coming months.
Bill Curry is the Globe’s Deputy Ottawa Bureau Chief. He’ll catch us up on where things left off in Parliament, what legislation is coming down the pike, and what to expect from USMCA negotiations.
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Psychedelics, substances like LSD and psilocybin mushrooms that cause altered states of consciousness, often remind people of hippies in the 1960s. But more researchers are looking into their potential benefits for our well-being. Scientists say psychedelics – which are illegal for recreational use in Canada – could have massive implications on how we treat and heal from major mental health disorders like PTSD, depression and anxiety. Garvia speaks with Dr. Monnica Williams, clinical psychologist and professor at the University of Ottawa, where she is the co-director of the new master’s program in psychedelics and consciousness studies. They discuss the latest research and whether psychedelics will, and should, become mainstream.
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This week, Prime Minister Mark Carney and U.S. President Donald Trump made waves in Davos, Switzerland as both offered competing visions of a new world order. Government and business leaders were in the Alps for the annual World Economic Forum, where the U.S. struck a ‘deal’ with NATO on Greenland and Trump launched his Board of Peace.
The Globe’s international affairs columnist Doug Saunders is here to explain Canada’s place in a changing world order, as long-standing partnerships were tested and the foundation for competing alliances was laid.
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As part of Canada’s new trade deal with China, 49,000 Chinese-manufactured electric vehicles will be allowed to be sold in the Canadian market this year. It’s a big change from our previous 100 per cent tariff on Chinese-made cars. Auto leaders and Ontario Premier Doug Ford have criticized the deal, saying it puts the country’s auto sector at risk when it’s already facing pressure from the U.S. and Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Dimitry Anastakis is a professor at the University of Toronto in the Department of History and the Rotman School of Management, and his research focuses on the development of the Canadian auto industry. He analyzes what this deal means for jobs in the auto sector, how it could affect Canadians looking to buy EVs and what it could mean for renegotiating the USMCA.
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As U.S. President Donald Trump has continued to ratchet up threats against Greenland, Canada has weighed plans to send soldiers there as part of a NATO exercise. In a speech at the Davos Conference on Tuesday, Prime Minister Mark Carney expressed support for Greenland, but did not say whether Canada would indeed send troops.
Meanwhile, according to senior government officials, the Canadian Armed Forces have modelled a hypothetical U.S. military invasion of Canada, and the country’s potential response. Robert Fife, the Globe’s Ottawa Bureau Chief, joins the show to talk about how Canada’s military is preparing to walk the narrow tightrope between our NATO allies and U.S. military prowess.
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Last week, Quebec Premier François Legault announced his resignation amidst plummeting poll numbers, while acknowledging Quebeckers are calling for change. The state of the province’s politics are now in flux, as the Parti Quebecois surge in popularity and a possible referendum on Quebec’s sovereignty is on the horizon.
Konrad Yakabuski, Globe columnist and Quebec politics writer, discusses Legault’s legacy, the divide between sovereigntists and federalists and where the province’s parties stand ahead of a fall election.
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The flu season hit Canada hard and fast this year, seemingly reaching its peak in late December. But it’s not over yet: one public health official says we’re still in the ‘heavy, middle part’ of flu season.
Alanna Smith explains what’s different about this year’s dominant variant of the influenza virus and the impact it’s having on Canada’s health care system.
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What happens when we stop rushing around and pause to take in the vastness of the world around us? In this episode of Happy Enough, we explore awe — the emotion that can make you feel surprisingly small, and, at the same time, happier. To break down the science behind awe and why it makes us feel better, Garvia speaks with Dacher Keltner, professor of psychology at UC Berkeley and the author of ‘Awe: The new science of everyday wonder and how it can transform your life’. They discuss how awe affects our bodies and simple ways to incorporate it into our lives.
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In less than a year, U.S. President Donald Trump’s second term has re-shaped the international order. From levying tariffs against much of the world, turning against long-standing allies, capturing Venezuela’s president, and threatening to annex Greenland – the U.S. has flouted international law and ignored the traditional rules-based order.
Michael Byers, Canada research chair on global politics and international law at the University of British Columbia, is on the show to explain the legal agreements and treaties that govern the international order and whether it’s possible to hold powerful countries to account when they defy those laws.
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For weeks, U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to annex Greenland, an autonomous region of Denmark. That led to a meeting on Wednesday between a delegation of Danish and Greenland foreign ministers and U.S. Vice-President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The two sides did not seem to come to any kind of conclusion.
The Globe’s Europe correspondent, Paul Waldie, is in Greenland to get a sense of how people are feeling on the ground. He was in Denmark earlier this week. He joins the show to tell us what he’s learned, what the potential implications are for NATO, and what concerns this raises for Canada.
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Protests in Iran ramped up over the weekend after the Islamic Republic regime – ruled by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei – instituted an internet and phone blackout. But despite this, reports started to come out about a crackdown. On Tuesday, an Iranian official said the death toll, composed of both protesters and security personnel, was over 2,000 people.
The protests have garnered some global supporters, including U.S. President Donald Trump, who has issued threats to the Iranian regime over its treatment of the protesters.
Today’s guest is Thomas Juneau. He is a professor with the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Ottawa. His research focuses on the Middle East, in particular Iran and Yemen, and on the role of intelligence in national security and foreign policy making.
He puts this moment of Iranian societal upheaval in context, and explains the calculations Iran’s supreme leader and Trump are making, as they decide on their next steps.
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This week, Prime Minister Mark Carney will head to China, marking the first time a Canadian prime minister has gone to China since 2017. Recent interactions between Canada and China have been wracked with tension and international incidents. But there is much at stake in this meeting, with Canada looking for new trade partners as the United States becomes increasingly unreliable.
Steven Chase is the Globe’s senior parliamentary reporter. He’s here to talk about what Carney needs to balance in order to strengthen economic ties with China without upsetting the U.S., and what’s next for the Canada-China relationship.
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The new year is upon us and for some of us, that means New Year’s resolutions. These goals often involve improving our fitness, or going to the gym more often. But that’s not always cheap with gym membership and classes costing more and more.
In today’s episode, host Sherrill Sutherland and The Globe’s healthy living reporter, Graham Isador, try a class at one of Toronto’s luxury gyms, Sweat and Tonic. They share their experiences and Graham discusses why gym prices have risen so drastically and how you can make your fitness resolutions possible.
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Today is Chrystia Freeland’s last day in Canadian politics, but she still plans to work in government – just not this one. On Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that he had appointed the former Liberal cabinet minister his new economic adviser. The news sparked a week of backlash in Ottawa, as many raised concerns that a sitting member of parliament working with a foreign government created a conflict of interest.
The Globe’s senior reporter, Stephanie Levitz, joins The Decibel from Ottawa. She’ll explain what we know about Freeland’s new role, the questions it’s raised, and the political legacy she leaves behind while Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government teeters on the edge of a majority.
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The new year is a time of goal setting. Culturally, there’s pressure to set resolutions that you are meant to achieve in due course. Think: weight loss, healthy eating, a new hobby. But what if you commit to something you know you can’t achieve? And what if you make that your life’s work?
Mark Medley, the Deputy Editor of The Globe’s Opinion section, and author of ‘Live to See the Day: Impossible Goals, Unimaginable Futures and the Pursuit of Things That May Never Be’, profiled people who’ve done just that. He’s on the show to explain what drives them and why you, too, might want to consider an impossible goal.
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Following the U.S. attack on Venezuela, President Donald Trump referenced the Monroe Doctrine – a centuries-old ideology that posits American control and dominance in the Western hemisphere. That idea was also cited in the Trump administration’s new National Security Strategy outlining U.S. foreign policy. After campaigning on non-intervention, is this now Trump’s blueprint for dealing with the rest of the world?
Vincent Rigby, a professor at McGill University’s Max Bell School for Public Policy and former national security adviser to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, joins The Decibel to parse through the details of Trump’s national security strategy, what it tells us about the U.S. government’s next moves – and the potential threat to Canada.
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U.S. President Donald Trump was clear on Saturday when he announced his administration’s plans for the future of Venezuela: “We’re going to have our very large United States oil companies, the biggest anywhere in the world, go in, spend billions of dollars, fix the badly broken infrastructure, the oil infrastructure, and start making money for the country,” he told the world.
But how feasible is that? How quickly could it happen? And even if U.S. oil companies do return to Venezuela and increase their exports, what will that mean for Canada at a time when our oil industry is trying to diversify its export base?
Jeff Jones writes for The Globe’s Report on Business. He first started reporting on the oil sector in the 1990s. He joins the show to explain the state of Venezuela’s oil sector, what obstacles lie ahead for it and what this all means for Canada’s economic sovereignty.
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On Saturday, Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro was captured by U.S. military forces in an early morning raid that included attacks on the capital city of Caracas.
Since September, the U.S. has conducted deadly strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats from Venezuela, as U.S. President Donald Trump accused Maduro of leading a criminal organization.
The future of the Latin American country is uncertain, as the Venezuelan leader is held in New York, facing U.S. federal drug trafficking, terrorism and weapons charges.
The Globe’s U.S. correspondent Adrian Morrow joins The Decibel to break down what’s known about the military attack, its connection to Venezuela’s vast oil reserves, and the U.S. plan to ‘run’ Venezuela.
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After a year that was truly one for the books in Canadian politics — from Trudeau’s resignation to Trump’s trade war, an “elbows up” election, Pierre Poilievre losing his seat, Jagmeet Singh resigning his leadership, and the prospect of a new Pacific pipeline — 2025 has come to a close. What will 2026 hold?
Stephanie Levitz is a senior reporter with The Globe’s Ottawa Bureau, and she’s on the show to discuss the Liberal road to a majority, the leadership of both the Conservative Party and NDP, and the renegotiation of Canada’s trade agreement with the U.S.
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Most schools are now off for winter break — but this year, some educators are wondering how much their students are learning. A KPMG survey found that over 70 per cent of Canadians over 18 years old now use generative AI to complete their school work. Professors and students are concerned that a growing reliance on tools like ChatGPT and Gemini could be weakening critical thinking skills. Recent research is now giving us further insight into that potential connection.
The Globe’s Joe Castaldo reports on AI and tech. He tells us what educators and students say about how generative AI is impacting schools and what recent studies tell us about its effect on our collective critical thinking skills.
This episode originally aired July 2, 2025.
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Maryam Fatima was born with a condition called hemimegalencephaly, a rare birth defect where one side of the brain is abnormally large. She suffered from severe seizures from the moment she was born. They became so bad that they stopped Maryam from feeding, sleeping and breathing. Her life was at risk.
That’s when a team at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto decided to attempt a first-in-Canada procedure to save Maryam’s life.
Health Science reporter Jennifer Yang interviewed some of the medical professionals who performed the procedure, as well as Maryam’s mother, Muzna Nafees. She tells the story of how Maryam’s life was saved.
This episode originally aired June 6, 2025.
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Canadians have been spending a lot of time thinking about identity and their relationship to Canada. As U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war drags on, taking an ‘Elbows Up’ approach isn’t just about economics – it’s also cultural. Many of the songs and albums that make up the soundtrack to your life are written and performed by Canadian artists – and they’ve helped shape what this country sounds like.
Today, deputy arts editor Rebecca Tucker and reporter Josh O’Kane are here to talk about how they put together a list of 101 essential Canadian albums, and how the music we listen to reflects us as a country. We also called up Tamara Lindeman from The Weather Station, Joel Plaskett, and Torquil Campbell from Stars, all of whom were featured on that list, to tell us about the Canadian album that has inspired their work.
This episode originally aired July 17, 2025.
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The winter holidays are a time to cozy up with family – even if those family members are furry and of a different species. For many, dogs and cats aren’t just animals, they’re cherished loved ones who come into our lives at the exact moment we need them.
This holiday season, The Decibel’s editor David Crosbie, Globe and Mail staffers and Canadians share personal stories about how they met their pets and how caring for them has changed their lives.
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Many factors of modern life can make time feel like it’s moving faster than it actually is: hustle culture at work, a productivity compulsion at home, over-programmed kids – they’re all attempts to get as much as possible out of our time and keep up with the frantic pace of life. But life also has moments where time feels like it’s slowing down, or even stops. We know that time can’t actually slow down or speed up – but why does it feel like that?
The Globe’s time use reporter, Zosia Bielski, speaks to The Decibel about why our perception of time can change, what it is about this particular moment that’s making us feel so pressed for time and how we can take back control of the pace.
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The Canadian television show Heated Rivalry has found major success not just in Canada, but with American audiences, too. The show, a love story between two male hockey players, has broken television streaming records and taken over social media.
The Globe’s television critic J. Kelly Nestruck joins The Decibel to talk about why Heated Rivalry has resonated with so many people, and how significant it is for a Canadian show to break through to global audiences so quickly.
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Canadian counter-intelligence military officer Matthew Robar, is facing charges of espionage. The veteran military officer is accused of sharing information with Ukraine in its war against Russia, according to a source for The Globe and Mail. Robar was arrested last week, and charged with multiple offences related to passing highly sensitive government secrets to a foreign entity.
Steven Chase, a senior parliamentary reporter for The Globe, speaks to The Decibel about what’s known about Robar, what the espionage charges mean, and how this development might affect Canada’s relationship with Ukraine.
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This travel season, Canadians might be headed away for something other than a vacation.
More Canadians are participating in medical tourism, travelling to another country to receive medical treatment, though some question its safety and the threats this poses to Canada’s public health care system.
Sarah Bartnicka, a freelance writer for The Globe, explains the costs, the risks and what Canadians can keep in mind for best practices when travelling abroad for a medical procedure.
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The attack on Jewish Australians at Bondi Beach in Sydney has sent shockwaves around the world. To many in Jewish communities, it mirrors previous antisemitic attacks seen in countries around the world over the past several years.
Globe columnist and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette executive editor David Shribman joins The Decibel. He covered the Tree of Life shooting in 2018, where 11 Jewish people were killed in their synagogue in Pittsburgh. Shribman talks about how the recent shooting in Sydney impacts Jewish communities around the world and what living in Pittsburgh has taught him about life after tragedy.
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Loyalty reward programs are everywhere we shop. They’re at coffee shops, retailers, airports and grocery stores. Many of us are connected to our points, but the rewards no longer seem to go as far as they used to.
Vass Bednar, the managing director of the Canadian SHIELD Institute, explains the changes to Canadian loyalty rewards programs, what we are giving up when we hand companies our data in exchange for points – and if it’s even still worth it to collect rewards points anymore.
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The heirs to Canada’s multi-billion dollar frozen food empire are fighting. New Brunswick’s McCain Foods is the world’s largest French fry maker, and is privately owned by the McCain family. Recently, one of its heirs, Eleanor McCain, requested to be bought out of her stake in the company – but her relatives are refusing to.
Globe business columnist, Andrew Willis, has been reporting on the showdown inside one of Canada’s wealthiest families. He’ll explain the fight over ownership, whether it could impact the world’s biggest French fry producer, and how these tensions trace back to the 1990s dispute over succession between McCain Foods co-founders.
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Mark Carney’s federal government has introduced its second tough-on-crime bill this fall. The new bill, Bill C-16, focuses on violence against women and children, changes to mandatory minimum sentences and the growing problem of court delays.
The Globe’s justice reporter, David Ebner, explains the specific changes to the Criminal Code that this bill wants to make and what advocates and critics are saying about it.
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Late-stage prostate cancer diagnoses are on the rise in Canada. According to a recent study, between 2010 and 2021, rates of prostate cancer discovered at Stage 4 increased by about 50 per cent in men aged 50 to 74. In men over the age of 75, rates were up over 65 per cent.
There is a simple blood test that can screen for early signs of prostate cancer, called a prostate specific antigen, or PSA test; however, in 2014, Canada recommended against using the PSA for widespread screening. Today, Globe health reporter Kelly Grant explains what this study found and why these guidelines are so highly contested in Canada.
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Hours before a strike deadline, Air Transat and the union representing airline pilots reached a tentative agreement. For customers, it comes as relief in the middle of a busy holiday travel season. And in a year already wracked by airline work stoppages, the threat of disruption and lengthy customer reimbursement periods continue to loom.
Mariya Postelnyak, The Globe’s Consumer Affairs reporter, speaks about what you need to know as a traveller, what’s afforded in air passenger protections, and how to get what you’re owed if your flights get cancelled.
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The Canadian manufacturing sector has been having a hard time, which has been made worse by U.S. tariffs. The impact of these tariffs varies company to company. So a team of Report on Business journalists from The Globe spoke to several manufacturers to see how they’ve fared this past year.
Matt Lundy, The Globe’s Economics Editor, speaks about how badly these companies have been hurt, what they’re doing to try to cope and whether federal government supports have been any help.
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For families, the tragedy of opioids is beyond measure. The opioid epidemic has claimed tens of thousands of lives in Canada and has been recognized as a public health crisis, but it’s also an economic one – and it disproportionately affects workers in key sectors like construction and the trades. As Ottawa ramps up its push to build major projects fast, could the ongoing toxic drug crisis slow it down?
Today, Globe reporter Jason Kirby joins the show. As part of our Poisoned series, he spoke with workers, companies, unions and health researchers to understand the grip the crisis has on the construction industry and what’s being done about it.
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Canada is in the midst of reframing its approach to military spending. The reasons for this are twofold; a commitment to fulfilling NATO spending as part of GDP, and the push to diversify spending away from the U.S. To that end, Prime Minister Mark Carney has recently signed a deal joining the EU’s military procurement fund, granting Canada access to both selling and purchasing defence materiel.
Steven Chase, The Globe’s senior parliamentary reporter, is on the show to discuss what this means for our burgeoning national defence industry, the political considerations involved, and where our national armed forces go from here.
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It’s not unusual for business owners to forge ties with governments, but there are rules around conflicts of interest when it comes to procurement. In February, 2025, an Alberta senior public servant stepped forward with allegations of political interference in the awarding of large health contracts. These allegations prompted investigators, auditors and opposition politicians to look closely at the ties between Premier Danielle Smith’s government and an Alberta businessman, Sam Mraiche.
Mraiche’s company, MHCare, had been awarded hundreds of millions of dollars worth of procurement contracts from Alberta Health Services. A Globe and Mail investigation found that the connections between Mr. Mraiche, purchasing officials, and senior Alberta political figures have existed longer – and are more extensive – than than previously reported.
Today, Carrie Tait, a reporter with The Globe’s Calgary bureau, and Tom Cardoso, an investigative reporter with The Globe, are on the show to talk about their investigation into the ties between a serial entrepreneur and the Alberta government.
In a previous edit of the episode, we made an error in stating Sam Mraiche was not in a photo with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith. Photos sourced by The Globe show Mraiche in photos with Premier Smith taken in May 2024 in Vancouver and June 2, 2024. The error has been removed from the episode.
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With the holidays right around the corner, households are getting ready for company and deep cleans are underway. Even the idea of letting family and friends see a clutter-strewn home can be anxiety-inducing, and images of perfectly-clean celebrity homes on social media don’t help. But what are we actually losing when we prioritize the act of cleaning over the people we do it for?
Zosia Bielski, The Globe’s Time Use reporter, digs into the societal pressure we all face over deep cleaning, why the work often disproportionately falls on women and how letting our guard down in our living spaces can deepen relationships.
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Across Canada, highways and rural roads are studded with cellular ‘dead zones’. In some provinces, coverage gaps span over 30 per cent of major roads. In some cases, you can’t receive calls and texts for more than 100 kilometres. So when something goes wrong, what do people do?
Today, the Globe’s telecoms reporter Irene Galea and national news reporter Jill Mahoney have been investigating how many of the country’s major roads and highways are disconnected. They explain why years-long public safety risk persists, how it affects the Canadians driving through them, and what is being done about the problem.
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Ontario just passed Bill 60, officially named the “Fighting Delays, Building Faster Act.” It’s a big omnibus bill, but it’s garnered the most attention for reforms to Ontario’s rental system. Doug Ford’s government walked back the most controversial part of the bill, but critics are concerned that what remains will still lead to more evictions and worsen the homelessness crisis.
Today, Shane Dingman, the Globe’s real estate reporter, is on the show to talk about why these legislative changes are so contentious, and what impact they could have on people living in Canada’s largest rental market.
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Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith have signed an agreement that sets the framework for building a new pipeline, carrying bitumen to the west coast. The deal commits to simultaneously making Canada a “global energy superpower” and reducing greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050. Indigenous co-ownership is a requirement for development, as is consultation with British Columbia.
In response, Liberal minister Steven Guilbeault, a former environment minister and longstanding environmentalist, has resigned from cabinet.
Campbell Clark, The Globe’s chief political writer, joins the show to explain what’s in the deal, the politics involved and how likely the pipeline is to get built.
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The Canadian consensus on immigration cratered last year. In the fall of 2024, an Environics poll found that for the first time in a quarter century most Canadians felt there was too much immigration. Under former prime minister Justin Trudeau, the country experienced one of the biggest periods of immigration growth in its history, but after the shift in public opinion, the Liberal government reversed course. Despite big reductions to immigration levels, most Canadians still think rates are too high.
Today, The Decibel is looking at how Canada’s relationship with immigration significantly changed, what it’s meant for the country and the people who have immigrated to it, and where we go from here.
Tony Keller, Globe columnist and author of Borderline Chaos: How Canada Got Immigration Right, and Then Wrong, will walk us through what motivated Trudeau’s dramatic changes to the immigration system and how they impacted the country. And then, Rupa Banerjee, professor and Canada Research Chair in Economic inclusion, Employment and Entrepreneurship of Canada’s Immigrants, will explain the effect that whiplash-like changes to the system have had on recent immigrants and our economy.
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Some of the world’s largest tech companies, like OpenAI, Google and Meta, have invested hundreds of billions of dollars into artificial intelligence as they try to build the data centres they need. And right now, a lot of the stock market’s growth is based on AI companies. But what if it’s all a big financial bubble? And if it is, what are the signs it’s about to pop?
Globe business reporter Joe Castaldo, who covers AI, explains why markets are twitchy about AI right now and what’s behind investors’ concerns.
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Last week, the FBI and the RCMP announced 10 new arrests in connection with a $1-billion drug-trafficking ring allegedly run by Canadian former Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding. The charges, which haven’t been tested in court, include drug trafficking, conspiracy to retaliate against a witness and murder. Wedding, who’s been in hiding since 2015, is now one of the FBI’s 10 most wanted fugitives.
Eric Andrew-Gee is The Globe’s Quebec correspondent. He’s on the show to talk about what these new charges bring to light, and whether authorities are any closer to capturing Wedding.
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No Canadian province allows doctors to offer care under both private and public systems – but leaked draft legislation obtained by The Globe and Mail shows Alberta is trying to change that. The province says it’s proposing the change in an effort to reduce surgery wait times and retain health care workers. But experts say it could result in a two-tiered medical system.
Today, Carrie Tait, a reporter in The Globe’s Calgary bureau, joins The Decibel. She broke the story last week, and she’ll tell us what she’s learned about the province’s plan, the impact a public-private model could have on access to health care and why some critics say this could violate the Canada Health Act.
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For cancer patients, every day of treatment is critical. But the best care possible is not always reaching patients quickly. Despite Health Canada approving a drug treating an aggressive blood cancer, a complex web of organizations, insurance plans and negotiations over drug pricing means it’s still not available in Canada.
Globe reporters Kelly Grant, who covers health, and Chris Hannay, who covers the business of health care, tell us what is holding up life-changing drugs and why Canadian patients are the ones left with the consequences.
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This week, Prime Minister Mark Carney is in the United Arab Emirates to try to shore up foreign investment ahead of next week’s G20 summit in South Africa. Human rights groups and Sudanese activists are calling on Carney to condemn the U.A.E. for allegedly sending weapons to Sudan — a claim the country denies — but federal officials won’t say whether he’ll raise the issue.
Geoffrey York is the Globe’s Africa Bureau Chief. He’s on the show to talk about what’s been happening in Sudan and why Carney and other foreign leaders are hesitant to put pressure on the U.A.E.
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Last week, over 20,000 pages of the late Jeffrey Epstein’s emails, texts and other documents were released. In one email, Epstein – the deceased child sex trafficker with ties to U.S. President Donald Trump – writes that Trump “knew about the girls.” It has intensified the public outcry for the U.S. government to release all of its investigative files on Epstein. And on Tuesday, the U.S. Congress voted to make all of its information public.
Today, the Globe’s international correspondent, Nathan VanderKlippe joins the show. He’s been following the rift the Epstein scandal has caused within Trump’s MAGA base, the President’s evolving response, and what the released emails tell us about the Canadians connected to Epstein.
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Beef prices are currently around 23 per cent above their five-year average. And there’s no relief in sight.
Kate Helmore is The Globe’s agriculture and food policy reporter. She explains what’s going on in the beef industry to cause these sky-high prices.
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In May, a B.C. billionaire named Weihong (Ruby) Liu made a $69.1-million deal to acquire 28 leases of former Hudson’s Bay stores. Her company, Central Walk, owned malls where three of those stores were located, so those leases went unopposed; however, landlords of the other 25 stores were skeptical of her ability to operate her proposed stores. She had cash, real estate experience, and a vision — but no experience running a major retailer.
Susan Krashinsky Robertson is the Globe’s retailing reporter. She’s been covering the fallout from the demise of Canada’s oldest retailer. Today, she’s on the show to talk about what she learned about Ruby Liu over the course of the hearings, and why her bid to take over 25 more stores ultimately failed.
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Prime Minister Mark Carney has unveiled the next set of projects the federal government plans to prioritize in a bid to jumpstart Canada’s economy. The announcement focused on energy and mining, with six projects across the country ranging from liquefied natural gas to critical minerals. But many questions remain about how these projects will work and what disputes they will cause.
Adam Radwanski, feature writer and policy columnist for The Globe joins The Decibel to talk about Carney’s strategy, how the newly-created Major Projects Office fits in and whether this plan meets the moment.
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Where in Canada is it best to rent right now? The Globe analyzed cities from coast to coast to coast, comparing cities’ median incomes with their average rental prices, to find out which places are the most renter-friendly.
The Globe’s personal finance reporter Salmaan Farooqui joins The Decibel to break down where and why rents are trending downward, why it’s a good time to take advantage of the rental market and what advice realtors have for renters.
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On the day the budget was tabled, Chris d’Entremont, the lone Conservative MP from Nova Scotia, crossed the floor to the Liberals. Two days later, Matt Jeneroux, a Conservative MP from Alberta, announced he would be leaving politics altogether. His name had also been circulated as a potential defector to the Liberals. These moves overshadowed news of Carney’s first budget — and d’Entremont’s move gives him one more crucial seat ahead of next week’s confidence vote, which could trigger an election. Poilievre’s opposition benches, however, appear increasingly shaky.
Campbell Clark is the Globe’s chief political writer. He’s on the show to talk about what these moves mean for Poilievre and the Conservatives, why people cross the floor to begin with, and what past defections can teach us about the moment the Conservatives are facing now.
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A precedent-setting ruling involving Aboriginal title at the B.C. Supreme Court has caused widespread uncertainty and tension in the province. In August, Justice Barbara Young decided that Cowichan First Nation had title to roughly 800 acres in the city of Richmond — including private property. The ruling has raised questions over both residential and commercial property rights, as well as governance of the region.
Today, B.C. politics reporter Justine Hunter joins the show. She’ll explain the case, the divisive response, and the impact it could have on Indigenous land claims across the province... and the country.
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A big part of the federal budget rests on the assumption that its measures will spur the private sector to invest in Canada…a lot. It’s projecting a half-trillion worth of investment. But at a time when Canada is suffering from sluggish productivity and the impact of U.S. tariffs, how realistic is it to expect businesses to invest?
James Bradshaw covers institutional investing for The Globe and Mail. He explains how the government is trying to spur 500-billion dollars in investments from the private sector, and how something called a ‘productivity super deduction’ is meant to fix an issue that has long plagued the country.
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Parents are increasingly relying on elaborate calendar systems to keep track of their families’ activities – from a shared calendar or paper planner to high-end devices that can create a calendar for you by scraping data from your emails. Some parents say it helps them better involve their teen children in scheduling their lives; for others, they feel themselves becoming beholden to their calendars – a draconian digital personal assistant.
Zosia Bielski is The Globe’s time use reporter. She joins us to talk about how families are using technology to try to ease the mental load, and what these ever-evolving calendar systems reveal to us about how we value our time.
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For more than a decade, Canada’s condo boom was on. Investors, at home and abroad, drove the craze over reselling preconstruction units. Rents skyrocketed, all while the condos themselves shrank in size. Today, the bubble has burst and the housing crisis continues. New condo sales in markets like Toronto and Hamilton are at 35-year lows and prices are driving potential homebuyers out of the city core. Is this actually an opportunity for developers to course correct to find “the missing middle?”
Erica Alini, personal economics reporter for The Globe, explains why shoebox condos have been so appealing for North American developers, why the market for them has cratered and what needs to change to build cities with higher density at a liveable scale.
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On Tuesday, Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne tabled the first federal budget from Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government. It had long been advertised as a fiscal plan that would make difficult decisions to put Canada’s economy on the right track.
The Globe sent more than a dozen journalists to Ottawa to study the details and assess how transformative this budget actually is. We break down what it says in terms of the deficit, job cuts to the federal public service, defence spending, health care supports, immigration plans and other measures that will affect Canadians.
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Today, Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne is set to deliver the first budget under Prime Minister Mark Carney. Early announcements have signalled sweeping cuts to the public sector. There’s no guarantee that the budget will pass, given Carney is presiding over a minority government. The NDP has said they wouldn’t rule out abstaining from the budget vote; for his part, Carney has said he’s ready to fight another election campaign if it comes down to that.
But beneath all the politics surrounding the budget are actual policies and plans for the government. It’s the job of the Parliamentary Budget Officer, or PBO, to provide non-partisan analysis of these plans to parliamentarians – does the math add up? Are these predictions sound? Today on the show, Yves Giroux, who was the PBO from 2018 until early September this year, is here to walk us through what to watch for when the budget drops later today.
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North Atlantic right whales are nearing extinction, with fewer than 400 left in the world. We know what is killing them: getting hit by shipping boats, entangled in fishing lines and the impacts of climate change — which is changing the location of their food sources. But now, researchers think that human-made noise in the ocean may be having an effect too.
Jenn Thornhill Verma is an environmental journalist who has been reporting on the plight of the North Atlantic right whale as part of her Entangled series for The Globe and Mail, in partnership with the Pulitzer Center’s Ocean Reporting Network. She explains how scientists are starting to understand how these whales communicate and how loud noises we’re making may be driving them closer to extinction.
Some of the sounds from today’s episode were provided by Syracuse University, the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, the New England Aquarium and NOAA, the National and Atmospheric Administration in the U.S.
Underwater animal and environmental sounds courtesy of NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). Passive Acoustics Group. 2021. Stfr_Multisound_NOAA_PAGroup_01. https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/science-data/sounds-ocean
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On Sunday, most Canadians gain an hour of sleep as the clocks get turned back to standard time. But while most of us have gotten used to the bi-annual time change, our bodies have not. And with a growing number of experts saying the practice messes with our sleep – should Canadians stop messing with the clock?
Today, psychology professor Joseph De Koninck is here. He studies sleep at the University of Ottawa, and his recent research looks at how Daylight Savings Time impacts our circadian rhythms, what we can do to minimize the health effects the change has, and why he thinks Canada should consider staying on Standard Time year-round.
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Last weekend, Quebec passed new legislation that would impose a new contract on doctors, who have been in negotiations with the provincial government since March, 2023. Known as Bill 2, it sets out targets that Quebec doctors must meet in order to achieve the government’s health care goals, including access to primary care for all Quebeckers by January, 2027.
The catch? If doctors don’t meet these targets, they can be penalized by having up to 15 per cent of their pay clawed back.
André Picard, Globe health reporter and columnist, is on the show to break down why Bill 2 is drawing controversy, how doctors are responding to it, and what that means for patient care in Quebec.
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On Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump ended trade talks with Canada and threatened to hike tariffs on Canadian imports by another 10 per cent because of Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s anti-tariff ad. Now, Trump says he doesn’t plan to meet with Carney “for a long time”, as both leaders head to Asia for trade summits and turn their attention to repairing trade relations with China.
The Globe’s chief political writer, Campbell Clark, joins the show. He’ll explain why Ford’s ad struck such a nerve, the fallout from halted U.S.-Canada trade negotiations, and the stakes for Canada as both Carney and Trump prepare to meet with President Xi Jinping.
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‘Til death do us part – that’s the promise couples make to each other when they tie the knot. But what happens in the event of a divorce? Disentangling a marriage can carry a big financial burden if the division of property, pets and assets are in the mix. Once derided as unromantic, the pre-nuptial agreement is now gaining popularity among young Canadians planning to get married.
Mariya Postelnyak, consumer affairs reporter for The Globe, talks about how pre-nups legally work in Canada, what’s included and what isn’t in agreements, and why more couples are navigating the tricky conversation before marriage.
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As Canadians, we’ve spent a lot of time over the past year talking about what it means to be Canadian and how to support our country. For some people, that looks like checking labels at the grocery store or limiting travel to the United States. But as the Globe’s film and deputy arts editor Barry Hertz argues, now is also the moment to bolster Canadian culture.
And we’re squandering it.
So today, Barry is on the show to talk about the state of the arts in Canada right now (and yes, Quebec is a different story), what the government should be doing differently, and what we stand to lose if we blow this generational opportunity to strengthen Canadian culture.
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The Toronto Blue Jays are headed to the World Series for the first time in over 30 years. It’s the third time in franchise history that Canada’s team is playing for the championship. But this monumental moment isn’t just for the diehard Jays fans – everyone can get in on the fun.
So today, we bring you The Decibel’s bandwagoner’s guide to not feeling totally lost as the Jays try to make history. Producer and lifelong fan Madeleine White will walk us through some baseball 101 – including the lingo, superstitions, weird stats, what makes this season’s team so special, and whether she thinks we’ve got a shot against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
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The prices of gold and silver have been climbing quickly this fall, with both precious metals setting a new high for per-ounce price. Why is this happening?
Columnist and reporter Tim Kiladze explains how central banks, Trump and even AI factor into it.
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Last week, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre made comments about the RCMP being “despicable” on a YouTube show, accusing them of “covering up” for former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. This sparked backlash from opposition parties as well as Conservatives, and earlier this week, Poilievre walked those comments back, explaining that he meant to direct his comments towards the former RCMP commissioner. Between his YouTube appearance and some recent social media activity, Globe opinion columnist Robyn Urback wonders: is Pierre Poilievre okay?
Today, Robyn is on the show to try to unpack what Poilievre has been saying, and what all this could signal about the future of his leadership — and the state of the Conservative Party.
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On Thursday, Ottawa announced incoming legislation to reform the bail system. It comes after months of pressure both in Parliament and across the country, as a surge of Canadians say they feel crime is worsening, and that the bail system is too lenient. But with overall crime down, will making our bail system stricter really make Canadians safer?
The Globe’s justice reporter, David Ebner, joins the show. He’ll explain what we know about the reforms the Liberals and Conservatives have been calling for, what the data tells us about how the system is currently operating, and the tensions in reforming bail.
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There has been a lot of talk about Canadian sovereignty ever since the election of Donald Trump. And that sovereignty talk extends to the digital realm too. Last month, nearly 70 public figures and experts sent a letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney demanding he take sovereignty in the digital space more seriously. The government is currently working on that, with plans to build a sovereign cloud and AI infrastructure. These projects would have major implications for Canada’s data security and economy.
Globe business reporter Joe Castaldo and innovation reporter Pippa Norman explain why building sovereign digital companies is not as straightforward as it might seem.
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This week, Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand is visiting China as part of an effort to improve relations amid a trade war between Canada and China. It began last year, when Ottawa imposed a 100-per-cent tariff on Chinese-made electric vehicles. China responded by launching an anti-dumping probe into Canada’s canola imports, and later issued its own 100-per-cent tariff on Canadian canola oil, meal, and peas, followed by a 78.5-per-cent tariff on Canadian canola seed.
Kate Helmore is the Globe’s agriculture and food policy reporter. She’s on the show to explain what’s going on with the trade war between Canada and China, and how tensions with the U.S. are contributing to an unstable situation for one of Canada’s most important crops.
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The ceasefire in Gaza that U.S. President Donald Trump helped broker has been in place since Friday. But already, both Israel and Hamas have accused each other of violating the agreement. Tensions flared over a slower-than-expected return of deceased hostages, and Hamas has, so far, refused to disarm and cede power in Gaza. Despite the disagreements, humanitarian aid trucks began entering Gaza on Wednesday, and Israel is set to open Gaza’s Rafah border crossing with Egypt this week. But as cracks in this deal emerge, where does this ceasefire go from here?
Today, Globe freelance journalist Hasan Jaber joins us from Gaza. He’ll describe the mood in the region, as thousands of Palestinians return and Hamas fighters remerge. Then, The Globe’s senior international correspondent Mark MacKinnon will discuss the state of this deal, and whether this ceasefire can hold.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
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Canada’s agriculture industry is big business, contributing $32-billion to Canada’s GDP in 2024 and employing an estimated 223,000 people. What garners less attention is how heavily dependent the agriculture industry is on migrant labourers, with about 80,000 workers in the sector. The job is often gruelling and typically pays around minimum wage, but that money tends to go a lot farther in the workers’ home countries.
Jason Kirby, a business reporter for The Globe and Mail, revisits his roots in an Ontario farming community and digs into the influence of foreign labour in Canada’s farms. He talks about why Canadian farmers have become so reliant on migrant labour, and what keeps foreign agricultural workers coming back year after year.
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A legal battle is underway over the notwithstanding clause, which allows governments to override “[certain] rights of Canadians” that are protected by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. It’s a tool provincial governments have invoked often in recent years.
But the federal government is bringing the dispute to the Supreme Court, asking it to consider new limits on the clause. Divisions over that legal review are breaking out, with five conservative premiers calling on Ottawa to back off.
Globe columnist Andrew Coyne joins us to talk about the roots of this battle. He argues that there’s a deeper fight going on – that is not about the notwithstanding clause but rather, longstanding grievances with the Charter itself.
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Geoffrey Hinton, “the godfather of AI”, pioneered much of the network research that would become the backbone of modern AI. But it’s in the last several years that he has reached mainstream renown. Since 2023, Hinton has been on a campaign to convince governments, corporations and citizens that artificial intelligence – his life’s work – could be what spells the end of human civilization.
Machines Like Us host Taylor Owen interviews Hinton on the advancements made in AI in recent years and asks: if we keep going down this path, what will become of us?
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A new pipeline pitch is stirring up an old fight. On Oct. 1, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announced the province would be drawing up a proposal for a new oil pipeline to the B.C. coast by May. In the last week, B.C. Premier David Eby has voiced criticisms of the project and opposed Smith’s coinciding efforts to repeal laws affecting access to the coast. In recent days, the disagreement has escalated.
Today, The Globe’s B.C. politics reporter, Justine Hunter, joins the show. She’ll share what we know about the pipeline Smith is proposing, why it’s stirring up familiar tensions between the provinces, and whether the project can survive Eby’s opposition.
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Five years ago, hundreds of Canadian companies publicly pledged to address anti-Black racism. They signed the BlackNorth Initiative, which has since become the most high-profile DEI effort in corporate Canada.
Many of the commitments came with a 2025 deadline. The Globe and Mail surveyed the signatories to find out how they’ve fared. Vanmala Subramaniam is the Future of Work reporter for The Globe. She explains the results that show that the enthusiasm employers once had for diversity projects has waned considerably.
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Five months after his first appearance in the Oval Office, Prime Minister Mark Carney made his second trip down to Washington. And while he said little during the 30-minute press conference, talks between the countries carried on throughout the day and into the night.
Doug Saunders, The Globe’s international affairs columnist, assesses Carney’s second performance at the White House and explains why he thinks Carney might be stalling on making a trade deal.
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On October 7, 2023, members of Hamas launched attacks in Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking roughly 250 people hostage. Israel responded by launching a war in the Gaza Strip, with the aim of eliminating Hamas. Since then, more than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed, and much of Gaza has been destroyed.
Two years later, reverberations of that initial attack and the ongoing war continue. The ensuing humanitarian crisis in Gaza has led to a global protest movement in support of Palestinians. At the same time, antisemitic incidents have been on the rise in the diaspora. In the years since October 7, dinner table conversations in Jewish families have increasingly centred on – do we still feel safe in our homes? And what responsibility do we feel for the destruction that is happening in another land? These are questions that have led to division – and reckoning – within Jewish communities.
Globe columnist and author of October 7: Searching for the Humanitarian Middle Marsha Lederman joins Decibel producer Michal Stein for a conversation from a Canadian Jewish perspective in understanding what’s happened since October 7 and how it impacts them today.
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Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump unveiled a 20-point peace plan to end the war in Gaza. He did so alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who called it a “critical step”. Hamas has since responded, and agreed to parts of the plan — notably, the release of all remaining hostages and the relinquishing of its control over Gaza. Negotiations will begin in Egypt on Monday.
The Globe’s European Bureau Chief, Eric Reguly, joins the show. He’s been reporting from Cairo and Jerusalem, and will explain the details of Trump’s peace plan, how it’s being received across the region, and whether it could mark the beginning of the end of this war.
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The education system has been fraught with controversy in Alberta. From the government’s recent attempt to ban certain books in school libraries, to their introduction of several measures affecting transgender students. And now, a major pressure point between teachers and Premier Danielle Smith’s government has come to a head: overcrowding in Alberta’s schools. On Monday, over 50,000 educators across the province are set to strike for the first time in over 20 years.
Today, the Globe’s education reporter, Dave McGinn, joins the show. He’ll tell us about the major influx of students in Alberta, what’s behind it, and how it’s transforming schools.
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The great boom of the lobster industry is, in many ways, a story of success. For more than 30 years, Canada’s most valuable seafood export has generated wealth for Canadian fishing communities and created an appetite around the world for the luxury food. But it’s also come at a tremendous cost – Indigenous fishers have been excluded, and scientists have warned warming waters and overfishing are severely affecting catches, causing high tensions and sometimes violent fights.
Greg Mercer, investigative reporter for The Globe and author of Lobster Trap: The Global Fight for a Seafood on the Brink, joins the podcast to talk about how the gold-rush mentality of the multi-billion dollar industry is creating a crisis for both the shellfish and its environment.
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Official estimates from Ukraine’s government say 19,000 Ukrainian children have been taken by Russian forces since the start of the conflict. And many of these kids are living in Russian camps overseen by former soldiers.
Now, a pamphlet from one of the camps has given the world a window into the lives of these children. Janice Dickson, The Globe’s international affairs report, discusses Russia’s attempts to turn these children against their home land.
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Just two months after ChatGPT was launched in 2022, a survey found 90 per cent of college students were already using it. But students are no longer using artificial intelligence for writing essays – AI is used in generating ideas, conducting research, and summarizing reading. In other words: they’re using it to think for them. What does this mean for higher education? And what are the real costs of AI in critical thinking?
Machines Like Us Host Taylor Owen, welcomes two guests – Conor Grennan, chief AI architect at NYU’s Stern School of Business and Niall Ferguson, senior fellow at Stanford and Harvard, and the co-founder of the University of Austin.
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Last Monday, the Trump administration linked Tylenol to autism and warned against pregnant women taking it — Health Canada says there is no conclusive evidence and continues to recommend acetaminophen to treat fever and pain during pregnancy. This is not the first time U.S. President Trump or Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have made controversial remarks on autism and what causes it. And some advocates and scientists are concerned about the wider impact this could have.
Today, developmental pediatrician Dr. Melanie Penner joins the show to help us unpack the growing fixation on autism, why unproven links to its cause continue to resurface, and what we should be focusing on instead.
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Canada’s new Major Projects Office is part of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s ambition to fast-track Canada’s major infrastructure projects. And the person leading it – Dawn Farrell – will play a critical role in getting those deals done quickly. But Farrell is no political appointee. So who is she? And what does her appointment to the post say about the federal government’s intentions for a generational infrastructure build?
Globe reporters Emma Graney and Jeffrey Jones spoke to Farrell’s friends and former colleagues to learn who she is and how she operates. Graney, The Globe’s energy reporter, joins The Decibel to discuss what they found.
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After months of informal back-and-forth talks about Donald Trump’s tariffs, a new chapter in the U.S.-Canada trade war has begun. Last week, the U.S. officially started the review process of USMCA, the current North American free trade deal.
Mark Rendell covers economic issues for The Globe and explains what the U.S. wants and what Prime Minister Mark Carney’s goals are in this crucial trade negotiation.
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Measles is one of the most contagious respiratory viruses in the world. But for decades, it rarely infected Canadians. That’s not true any more. Since October, 2024, North America has seen record case numbers — and most of them seem to lead back to one Canadian family.
Today, The Globe’s international correspondent Nathan Vanderklippe joins the show. He’ll tell us the story of his 40,000-kilometre journey to trace the measles outbreak and to figure out how it took hold in North America after Canada eliminated it 27 years ago. He’ll explain why this spread has been so hard to contain and what tracing its spread can teach us about preventing and preparing for future outbreaks.
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A fierce debate about free speech has erupted in the U.S. in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s killing. Government officials have encouraged reporting against Americans in their reaction to Kirk’s death, with some, like talk show host Jimmy Kimmel having his show briefly suspended under government pressure.
This debate over what is acceptable speech extends to Canada, as the federal government introduced a new bill in expanding Canada’s anti-hate laws. The Decibel is joined by James L. Turk, director of the Centre for Free Expression at Toronto Metropolitan University, to talk about the state of free expression, censorship and what happens when speech crosses the line.
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Would you work two full-time jobs and live off of ramen noodles if it meant you could retire at 35? That’s the image many people have of people who follow the FIRE path — that stands for, financial independence, retire early.
In early September, Globe retirement reporter Meera Raman and Decibel producer Michal Stein went to a retreat at a camp near Toronto to find out how they make it all work. Today, Meera is on the show to talk about what she learned from some of the most devoted FIRE followers from around North America.
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On May 2, 2025, Lilly and Jack Sullivan were reported missing from the small community of Landsdowne, Nova Scotia. The disappearance of the siblings quickly became a story of national interest. And despite the massive search and police investigation with detection dogs, divers, helicopters, drones and search teams of experts and volunteers, the 6-year-old girl and 4-year-old boy have not been found.
The Globe’s Atlantic reporter Lindsay Jones and investigative reporter Greg Mercer have been reporting on this case from the start. In this special episode, they’ll share what they’ve uncovered. We’ll also hear from Lilly and Jack’s family members to piece together their lives before the disappearance.
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At the beginning of the week, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the launch of Build Canada Homes, an agency tasked with building affordable and supportive housing across the country. This marks the first big plank of his government’s efforts to alleviate the housing crisis. But will it work?
Nojoud Al Mallees covers economic issues for The Globe and she explains what kind of projects this agency will oversee, who will benefit from them and what impact it may have on the wider housing market.
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After weeks of warnings, Israel has begun a full-scale ground invasion into Gaza City. Hundreds of thousands of people are living under bombardment in the city, with large waves of Palestinians under evacuation order, attempting to move south in the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, a United Nations Commission of Inquiry has determined that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.
Hamida Ghafour, deputy foreign editor at The Globe, joins the show to break down the latest escalation of the war in Gaza, what we know about the UN Commission’s findings on genocide, and where this leaves the possibility of a ceasefire.
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COVID-19 is currently surging again. And it’s not even respiratory illness season yet. While much of the public would like to leave the pandemic behind, the virus isn’t going away and annual infections are becoming common. So, with testing, masking and vaccinations all down, what should be done to stop the spread?
The Globe’s health reporter and columnist, André Picard joins the show. He’ll explain why we’re seeing COVID-19 infections numbers jump outside of respiratory season, the shifting politics affecting the way we address it, and what can be done to keep each other safe as protections fall away.
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Between ramping up major infrastructure projects, trying to make a deal with the U.S., and working on strengthening ties with Europe, Prime Minister Mark Carney has had a busy summer. With Parliament resuming for the fall session today – this government’s first full session, save for a brief sitting in the spring – Carney will have to address Canadians’ changing priorities.
Today, Shannon Proudfoot, a feature writer for The Globe’s Ottawa bureau, and Robyn Urback, a Globe opinion columnist, discuss the challenges Carney faces, and what room there is for opposition parties to advance their priorities.
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The movie of the summer wasn’t in theatres this year. It was on Netflix, it’s called KPop Demon Hunters and kids are obsessed with it. It has become the most-streamed movie ever on Netflix. Four of the songs from the movie are on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
The movie is about a K-pop girl group who are also secret protectors of the world, keeping demons at bay. It’s the brainchild of Korean-Canadian Maggie Kang, and made by Hollywood studio Sony Pictures Entertainment.
Ji-yoon An is an assistant professor of modern Korean popular culture at the University of British Columbia. She explains why kids are obsessed with the movie, and how South Korean culture has spread across the world.
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China’s Great Firewall blocks social media platforms like Facebook and TikTok, along with certain political topics, streaming platforms, and even Google. For years, we’ve heard about what China’s firewall keeps out — but much less about how it’s achieved. Now, a massive leak is shedding light on how the country’s censorship technology works and which countries it’s being exported to.
Today, the Globe’s Asia Correspondent, James Griffiths is here. He’s an expert on China’s online censorship, and he’s the author of The Great Firewall of China. He’ll explain what the leak exposes, which countries China is replicating its firewall in, and what it all means for the country’s growing global influence.
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For months, there has been speculation about what Prime Minister Mark Carney and the federal government might put forward as “nation-building projects” under the Building Canada Act, Bill C-5. But The Globe and Mail has obtained a draft list of 32 major projects, the first glimpse into what kinds of projects the government is considering.
Bill Curry, The Globe’s Deputy Ottawa Bureau Chief, is on the show to talk about what’s on the list, which projects are making the biggest headlines and what it signals about Carney’s priorities.
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As the Hudson’s Bay Company continues to sell off what it owns to pay back creditors, a historic document has come up for sale. The Bay’s charter is its founding document, dating back to 1670, in which King Charles II gave the company exclusive trading rights over much of what would become Canada.
Now the court is grappling with finding a process to sell this one-of-a-kind piece of Canadian history after an offer from Galen Weston and his family derailed plans for an auction. Susan Krashinsky Robertson explains how the sale of this document has raised a lot of questions about who gets to own history, who gets to decide and how some of Canada’s wealthiest families have expressed interest in buying it.
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A landmark class action lawsuit is alleging that Manitoba has subjected thousands of incarcerated children to solitary confinement — the province denies it. The case is the first of its kind to head to trial in Canada.
Today, Globe reporter Robyn Doolittle joins The Decibel. She’ll describe what segregated confinement looks like, how widespread the practice is, and what the case could mean for youth inmates in Manitoba and across the country.
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The Decibel welcomes Sherrill Sutherland as the host for the coming year, with a special appearance from Menaka Raman-Wilms.
You can get in touch with us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
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When 1.5 million university students return to campus this month, men will be noticeably underrepresented in the student body. In 2025, the ratio is about 60 per cent women to 40 per cent men. The gender gap has existed for more than 20 years, and universities are well aware of the discrepancy. But it doesn’t appear they’re doing much to address it.
Joe Friesen is the Globe’s postsecondary reporter. He’s on the show to talk about where that discrepancy comes from, why it seems like fewer men are pursuing higher education, and how the growing gender gap is playing out on and off campus.
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The Toronto International Film Festival has kicked off, but not without controversy. This year, the premiere of the documentary, “The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Sacrifice”, took a brief turn on centre stage. Artists, programmers and filmmakers are locked in a debate about whether to screen the film about an Israeli family’s story during the October 7 attacks by Hamas.
Barry Hertz, the Globe’s film editor, traces why TIFF pulled the documentary in the first place, why it was brought back into the lineup, and what TIFF’s flip-flopping says about programming public events in arts festivals. What is the responsibility of an arts organization in balancing artistic expression and free speech?
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Artificial intelligence in the workplace is here to stay. But what does that mean for the job market? While many Canadian companies are embracing the technology, in a few notable cases, this has led to mass layoffs. In other workplaces, it has meant a revolution in workflow, company culture and hiring practices.
The Globe’s Joe Castaldo, who covers AI, and business reporter Sean Silcoff, spoke to executives who are welcoming AI in workplaces. They join us to talk about what this all means for businesses, jobs, and the future of work.
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In August, a man allegedly broke into someone’s home in a small Ontario town. After an altercation, the intruder was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries. Now, both men face charges. The case has sparked a country-wide conversation about the limits of self-defence, with politicians across Canada weighing in.
Today, the Globe’s opinion columnist Andrew Coyne joins The Decibel. He’ll tell us how the public discourse is playing out and what Canadian law actually says about self-defense.
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Maryam Fatima was born with a condition called hemimegalencephaly, a rare birth defect in which one side of the brain is abnormally large. She suffered from severe seizures from the moment she was born. They became so bad that they stopped Maryam from feeding, sleeping and breathing. Her life was at risk.
That’s when a team at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto decided to attempt a first-in-Canada procedure to save Maryam’s life.
Health Science reporter Jennifer Yang interviewed some of the medical professionals who performed the procedure, as well as Maryam’s mother, Muzna Nafees. She tells the story of how Maryam’s life was saved.
This episode originally aired June 6, 2025.
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Having social media accounts hacked is stressful. Usually, companies have formal channels for users to regain access. But for Meta platforms like Facebook and Instagram, some users say the social media giant isn’t responding.
Now, a new kind of broker has sprung up, helping people locked out of their accounts connect with a Meta employee or contractor who can expedite their request … for the right price. In 2022, Meta fired or disciplined employees or contractors who had allegedly abused the internal account recovery system for bribes. Kathryn Blaze Baum, an investigative reporter at The Globe and Mail, and Alexandra Posadzki, The Globe’s cybercrimes reporter, found that three years later, this is still happening.
Today, Kathryn is on the show to talk about how this back-door process works, how Meta is cracking down on it, and where this leaves users who have had their accounts compromised.
This episode originally aired June 13, 2025.
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Problem gambling is a real issue in Canada – where reporting shows young people having even higher rates than adults. The increasing monetization of games, especially online, often uses similar mechanics to gambling, despite it being illegal for youth to gamble in Canada. And some experts say these apps and games are reinforcing feelings of risk and reward.
Dr. Loredana Marchica is a pediatric psychologist at the Montreal Children’s Hospital and at Pathways Psychology Clinic. Her research focuses on gambling among young people. She’ll tell us how the line between gaming and gambling is becoming blurred – and how to tell it’s become a problem.
This episode originally aired May 5, 2025.
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The way medical records are handled in Canada is a patchwork of disconnected systems – creating massive headaches for patients and doctors. Patients struggle to access their own data, and practitioners have to waste time compensating for inefficiencies. But governments, companies and health care professionals are searching for ways to make all these systems talk to each other.
Chris Hannay is a staff reporter at The Globe who covers the business of healthcare. He’ll explain how Canada’s medical record system ended up like this and what Canada could gain from adopting an interconnected system.
This episode originally aired April 15, 2025.
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Bill C-2, also known as the Strong Borders Act, is one of the first pieces of legislation by Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government. The 140-page bill proposes a series of enhanced powers for law enforcement and major changes to how the government processes some asylum claims and immigration applications.
Sara Mojtehedzadeh is an investigative reporter at The Globe who writes about immigration and refugees. She explains the details of the bill and why the government believes the changes are necessary.
This episode originally aired June 11, 2025.
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In 2021, mine workers in Morocco made a huge discovery. They found a fossil that scientists believed to be a new species of mosasaur – a large swimming reptile that lived in the same era as the Tyrannosaurus Rex. However, many scientists, including a group in Alberta, are now questioning whether the fossil is real or fake.
Ivan Semeniuk is The Globe’s science reporter. He’s on the show today to explain what we know about this fossil, the feud that it’s provoked between paleontologists and when we might uncover the truth.
This episode originally aired May 30, 2025.
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When the U.S. first imposed sweeping tariffs on Canada, setting off a trade war, businesses and consumers braced for high inflation. But nearly half a year later, prices for consumer goods have not risen as much as expected. So what happened?
Consumer affairs reporter Mariya Postelnyak talks about why prices haven’t gone up as much as predicted and why that could soon change.
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A national strike by Air Canada flight attendants ended on Tuesday morning, three days after it began. One of the key issues that Air Canada and the Canadian Union of Public Employees were fighting over was "ground pay," the amount flight attendants are paid for their work before takeoff and after landing.
Jason Kirby is a business reporter for The Globe and Mail. He’s on the show to talk about what we know about the deal so far, and what impact this strike could have on future labour disputes.
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Since Wikipedia was founded nearly 25 years ago as a free, online encyclopedia, it has consistently ranked as one of the top 10 most visited websites globally. In an era when so much of the internet is full of misinformation, polarization, and social media platforms designed to keep you doomscrolling for hours, you could argue that Wikipedia – free of ads, and maintained by volunteer editors – is one of the last good places online.
Samantha Edwards is the Globe’s online culture reporter. She’s on the show to talk about what motivates these editors to volunteer, how AI is threatening the site’s future, and why going down a Wikipedia rabbit hole might actually be good for you.
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A Globe and Mail investigation has revealed the extent to which Canadians have been caught up in U.S. President Trump’s immigration crackdown. Analysis of data, obtained through a federal lawsuit, shows nearly 150 Canadians have been detained by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) since the beginning of this year. These Canadians range from 2 years old to 77 years old.
Kathryn Blaze Baum, an investigative reporter for The Globe, joins The Decibel to break down the exclusive reporting, explains what the Canadian government says it’s willing to do and whether advocates think that’s enough.
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For decades, scientific research at the Great Lakes has meant close partnership between Canada and the U.S., but President Trump’s latest job cuts may be changing that. In March, the U.S. agencies overseeing the health and conditions of oceans, lakes and rivers became the latest target of the Trump administration’s federal job-cutting spree.
Patrick White reports on water issues for The Globe. Today, he explains how the partnership around the Great Lakes is changing, why there are new negotiations about water sharing, and why these conversations about freshwater are not just issues of environmental concern – but also of national security.
This episode originally aired March 27, 2025.
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In late July, French President Emmanuel Macron said France would recognize a Palestinian state at the United Nations General Assembly in September. The U.K. then said it, too, would recognize a Palestinian state if Israel did not agree to a ceasefire. Canada and then Australia soon committed to recognizing Palestine.
Dr. Mira Sucharov is a professor of political science at Carleton University in Ottawa. Much of her work focuses on Israeli-Palestinian relations. Today, she joins us to talk about why we’re seeing this change in policy after 22 months of war in Gaza, what this shift means for people on the ground, and what solution she sees could realistically bring peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians.
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The conversation around sleep is shifting. Hustle culture views sleep as a waste of time. But in a culture increasingly focused on health and wellness, sleep is seen as something to be optimized and even perfected. Sleep hygiene trends are taking over social media, but experts warn that fixating on rigid routines and products may do more harm than good.
Dr. Rebecca Robillard is a neuropsychologist at the University of Ottawa and co-chair of the Canadian Sleep Research Consortium. Rebecca writes for The Globe’s The Sleep Whisperer, a short series of columns offering advice and insights on sleep health. She’s on the show to talk about the science behind insomnia, explain sleep hygiene trends and the treatments proven to work, and remind sleep perfectionists why keeping a simple bedtime routine is best.
For more information on insomnia in adults and treatments, read here.
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Popeyes Chicken is one of the most well-known fast food franchises in North America. But its reputation could be tested by a lawsuit alleging that some of the chain’s franchise owners purchased meat from an unauthorized seller. The accusations from a former chicken supplier – which Popeyes’ parent company refutes – include “unsafe” and “rotten” meat, according to the statement of claim.
Susan Krashinsky Robertson, The Globe’s retail business reporter, breaks down the allegations, recounts the corporate surveillance and explains what it could mean for the chicken you’re eating.
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An Afghan family fleeing the Taliban and attempting to join relatives in Canada have been held in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention for months. Their lawyers say they’re stuck in a “legal trap.” Due to the sweeping immigration crackdown and migrant detentions in the U.S., people trying to claim asylum in Canada face a very different reality than they would have a year ago.
Sara Mojtahedzadeh is a reporter on the Globe’s investigative team, with a focus on immigration issues. She’ll talk about how this family ended up in this situation, how others are affected by changes to U.S. immigration policy, and the policy changes experts are calling for in Canada.
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At 18 years old, Andean Medjedovic was a math prodigy, finishing his master’s degree in mathematics at the University of Waterloo before most young Canadians can legally drink. Medjedovic was involved in cryptocurrency trading – and according to the U.S. Department of Justice – engaged in “cryptocurrency hacking schemes” that allegedly netted him US$65-million in digital tokens. Now, he’s on the lam.
Alexandra Posadzki, The Globe’s financial and cybercrime reporter, is on the show to talk about how Medjedovic allegedly pulled off the trades, the cases against him, and how the controversial philosophy of “Code is Law” in the world of decentralized finance plays into his story.
This episode originally aired May 2, 2025.
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Canada failed to secure a trade deal with the U.S. by the Aug. 1 deadline. In response, U.S. President Donald Trump raised tariffs on certain Canadian goods to 35 per cent. And while other trading partners announced agreements with Trump, Ottawa enters its sixth month of negotiations. But recently, both Prime Minister Mark Carney and Trump have doubted whether a deal can be made without some tariffs in place – or if a deal’s coming at all.
Today, Globe columnist Tony Keller joins the show. He’ll share what we know about the negotiations, what Trump wants, where Carney’s “elbows up” mentality has gone, and as more countries accept deals with blanket tariff rates, whether avoiding a deal could be Canada’s best strategy.
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Parents seem to be turning to ChatGPT for advice more and more – but what do robots have to offer when it comes to such a core human relationship? What guardrails are necessary when trusting artificial intelligence with shaping the development of our children?
Contributing columnist Amberly McAteer weighs in after ChatGPT’s advice actually got one of her daughters to stop stealing from the other.
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The Hockey Canada case captivated the country — raising complex questions about consent, hockey culture and even how sports organizations handle accusations of assault. In late July, all five of the accused members of Canada’s 2018 world junior hockey team were found not guilty of sexual assault. After the verdict, a lawyer for one of the players, Megan Savard, said her client, Carter Hart, would have been open to a restorative justice process instead of a trial.
Some legal experts say restorative justice is an alternative to the court process that could offer healing for victims and offenders. Jennifer Llewellyn, law professor and chair in restorative justice at Dalhousie’s Schulich School of Law, joins The Decibel today. She’ll explain how restorative justice works and its potential to address issues like the ones raised by the Hockey Canada case.
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Canadians are not particularly good at resting. According to Statistics Canada data collected between July 2022 and July 2023, people over the age of 15 spent an average of 17 minutes a day resting, relaxing, or lying down, and an average of 18 minutes a day on relaxing pursuits known as “active leisure” (think: birdwatching, camping, or going to an art gallery). That’s translating into stress – more than a fifth of employed Canadians said their stress levels were high or very high. On top of all that, Expedia’s 2024 Vacation Deprivation Report found that 45 per cent of Canadians left vacation days on the table in 2023.
Zosia Bielski is the Globe and Mail’s time use reporter. Today, she’s on the show to challenge the idea that down time needs to be earned, and to talk about some of the different approaches people are taking to prioritize rest in their lives.
This episode originally aired April 17, 2025.
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More than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed while seeking aid since May. And more than 150 deaths have been attributed to malnutrition, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
Israel denies there is any starvation.
But recently, there has been mounting pressure from humanitarian groups and governments, including Canada. On Wednesday evening, Prime Minister Carney announced that Canada intends to recognize Palestinian statehood at the UN General Assembly in September.
Hasan Jaber is a journalist living in Gaza who has worked with Globe and Mail correspondents for more than two decades. He tells The Decibel about his reporting in Gaza, as well as his own struggle to find food and water from his home at Bureij Refugee Camp in the Gaza Strip.
Plus, International Affairs reporter Janice Dickson explains the world’s reaction to rising concerns about hunger in Gaza, as well as Israel’s response.
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Scams are becoming more common and more sophisticated. As quickly as safeguards are developed to protect people, scammers are finding workarounds. And if you do fall victim to a scam, does your bank owe you anything?
Alexandra Posadzki joins The Decibel to discuss what current regulations say about who is liable for losses from a scam, the risks for consumers and whether the current system reflects who is actually party to a scam.
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What’s in a name? For the past century, people have clamoured to categorize people by their age and the life events they’ve gone through – but how and why did we get so preoccupied with generations?
The Globe’s Generations Reporter Ann Hui joins the show to break down where the names came from and how they play out online and in popular culture.
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Travel to the U.S. has plummeted ever since U.S. President Donald Trump started talking about annexing Canada and imposing tariffs on us. Politicians on this side of the border are embracing the moment, encouraging people to take trips closer to home. So how is it all working out for Canadian tourism?
The Globe’s Jason Kirby, who writes for the Report on Business, joins us to talk about what this summer looks like for Canada’s travel sector.
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thedecibel@globeandmail.com
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On Thursday, five members of Canada’s 2018 world junior hockey team were found not guilty of sexually assaulting a woman in a hotel room after a Hockey Canada gala. The men — Michael McLeod, Carter Hart, Alex Formenton, Dillon Dubé and Cal Foote — were acquitted of all charges by Justice Maria Carroccia.
The Hockey Canada case has captivated the country — raising complex questions about consent, hockey culture and even how sports organizations handle accusations of assault. Globe reporter Robyn Doolittle has been covering the story since it first became public in 2022. She was in the courtroom for the verdict and joins The Decibel from London, Ontario, to explain how the judge arrived at her conclusion.
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The population of undocumented migrants living and working in Canada is substantial. And while most of them initially entered the country legally, on visas or work permits, many migrants feel that it is worth it to stay in Canada after their status expires, even if they are not legally allowed to work or live in Canada and risk being deported.
Globe journalist Sarah Efron and freelance photographer Yader Guzman spent months meeting people from Canada’s undocumented migrant community. Today, Sarah and Yader share what they learned about why people choose to stay despite the often dismal conditions they face in employment, health and housing, and how the federal government is responding.
This episode originally aired March 25, 2025.
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Earlier this month, U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to impose 35-per-cent tariffs on imports from Canada starting on Aug. 1. And when it comes to trade negotiations, Canadian dairy – and the supply management system that oversees the industry – is treated like a “sacred cow.”
Trump has repeatedly aired frustrations over U.S. dairy farmers’ limited access to Canada’s market. Despite this, Ottawa has continued to make efforts to protect the industry from trade negotiations – even while Prime Minister Mark Carney makes other concessions.
The Globe’s agriculture and food policy reporter, Kate Helmore, joins the show to explain how supply management works, why it makes negotiating trade deals around dairy so challenging, and just how much political sway the dairy industry has.
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Ottawa’s pledge to spend $150-billion annually on defence-related priorities by 2035 is creating big opportunities for the private sector. Several Canadian companies are preparing to compete for lucrative contracts as Canada aligns its defence spending with NATO allies.
Pippa Norman, who covers innovation for The Globe, explains the state of Canada’s defence sector, what industry leaders hope Prime Minister Mark Carney will change, and what this government’s focus on military spending could mean for the country’s economy and reputation as a peacekeeping nation.
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A new report has found that 19 of Ontario’s 24 publicly-funded colleges have cut more than 8,000 jobs since January 2024, when the new limits on international students came into effect. It’s the fullest picture yet of the consequences of the government’s changing immigration policy.
Joe Friesen covers post-secondary education in Canada. He explains the details of the report, the reputational damage this sector has suffered and how colleges became so reliant on international student fees.
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A connection to a bank is an important financial relationship – between chequing and savings accounts, mortgages and loans, they are crucial for paying off bills and long-term planning.
But what happens when your bank dumps you? The practice is known as ‘debanking,’ and Canadian banks are turning to it more often when they suspect a customer is involved in criminal activity.
Erica Alini, The Globe’s personal economics reporter, explains why debanking is becoming more common and what can happen to someone who’s been ousted by their financial institution.
This episode originally aired February 11, 2025.
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Canadians have been spending a lot of time thinking about identity and their relationship to Canada. As U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war drags on, taking an ‘Elbows Up’ approach isn’t just about economics – it’s also cultural. Many of the songs and albums that make up the soundtrack to your life are written and performed by Canadian artists – and they’ve helped shape what this country sounds like.
Today, deputy arts editor Rebecca Tucker and reporter Josh O’Kane are here to talk about how they put together a list of 101 essential Canadian albums, and how the music we listen to reflects us as a country. We also called up Tamara Lindeman from The Weather Station, Joel Plaskett, and Torquil Campbell from Stars, all of whom were featured on that list, to tell us about the Canadian album that has inspired their work.
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In May, a Canadian man, 49-year-old Johnny Noviello, was arrested by U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at a probation office in Florida. He came to the U.S. legally in 1988, and had been a permanent resident. Later, on June 23, he died while in ICE custody. Noviello was one of dozens of Canadians currently in immigration-related detention in the United States, as the Trump adminstration has ramped up deportations.
Janice Dickson, an international affairs reporter for the Globe, went to Florida to find out what happened to Noviello in the weeks before his death. She’ll tell us what she heard from Noviello’s loved ones, and how his death highlights the lack of transparency in the Trump administration’s push to remove migrants.
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On July 8, Quebec RCMP arrested four men connected to the Canadian Armed Forces. They are accused of trying to create an extremist militia and planning to forcibly take a plot of land north of Quebec City. Two of the four men are active members of the military, three have been charged with terrorism facilitation. The case adds to the growing concerns of extremism in Canada’s military, just weeks after Ottawa committed to the biggest increase in military spending since the Second World War.
Today, Globe staff reporter Colin Freeze joins the show. He will share what we know about the men charged, their significant connections to the Armed Forces and how this case could impact how terrorism is legally defined in Canada.
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The problem of ticks, and the diseases they carry are well known. But as the climate becomes warmer, ticks are no longer exclusively found in densely wooded areas. The arachnids are spreading and bringing Lyme disease with them to more communities.
The Globe’s health and science reporter Jennifer Yang spoke to residents of Nova Scotia’s South Shore, which has some of the densest tick populations in the country, to see what the future could look like for the rest of us. She shares their shocking stories, as well as some of the latest efforts to fight the spread of Lyme disease.
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Influencer profiles often have recognizable hallmarks: their feeds are highly stylized, filled with aspirational content and product placement. One of the reasons that brands work with influencers is because they can speak to their audience from a place of authenticity. So how does that change when the influencer is not a real person?
Samantha Edwards is the Globe’s online culture reporter. She’s on the show to talk about the rise of virtual influencers created using artificial intelligence, and how that could change the way we interact with other users – real and AI-generated – online.
This episode originally aired February 6, 2025.
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The 113th Calgary Stampede is in full swing. But the 10-day festival wouldn’t be complete without the biggest names in Canadian politics and business walking the grounds in cowboy cosplay.
Politicians are flipping pancakes, corporate parties are packed, and with Prime Minister Mark Carney pledging to make Canada an energy superpower, oil patch optimism is on full display. But tensions between Alberta’ and Ottawa persist, despite Carney announcing this week that a new Canadian oil pipeline proposal is highly likely.
Emma Graney is the Globe’s energy reporter based in Calgary. She’ll tell us about all the politicking on the grounds, the energy deals getting made, and how separatist sentiment is playing out at this year’s Stampede.
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The threat and realities of climate change are real and visceral – punishing heat waves, families displaced, towns destroyed by wildfires, dangerous smoke hanging over communities and flash floods that can be deadly and unpredictable. But how do you talk to kids to prepare them for the reality, without overwhelming or scaring them?
Amberly McAteer is a contributing columnist for The Globe, who often writes about parenting. She joins the show to talk about the challenging conversations we’re having with children and how climate change anxiety is influencing the way parents approach these talks.
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On June 1, Hudson’s Bay – the iconic department store brand whose operation predates the founding of Canada – sold its last striped blanket. Struggling under $1.1 billion in debt, the company was granted court protection from its creditors in the spring. Since then, it’s cleared the shelves in liquidation sales, sold its brand identity and laid off more than 8300 people.
Now, the courts are selling off what’s left, including the leases to nearly 100 massive store locations left sitting empty. B.C. billionaire Ruby Liu is set on buying 28 of those leases – but nearly every landlord involved is trying to stop her.
The Globe’s retailing reporter, Susan Krashinsky Robertson has been reporting on the collapse of Canada’s oldest retailer. She’ll tell us all about who Ruby Liu is, what she plans to do with all of these stores and why she’s facing such dramatic opposition.
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Ever since the pandemic, emergency-room closures have become more common in Canada, especially in rural communities. This can leave people in dangerous situations that can require them to drive an hour or more to access emergency medical care. When time is of the essence, emergency-room closures can be deadly.
Because there’s no centralized data on how common closures are across Canada, it’s challenging to parse out how bad the problem is. As part of The Globe’s Secret Canada series, health reporter Kelly Grant, investigative reporter Tu Thanh Ha and data editor Yang Sun analyzed data on emergency room closures across Canada. Kelly and Ha are on the show to talk about how widespread these closures really are, what it means for people living in those communities and what kinds of solutions are possible.
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Cowgirls love the rodeo just as much as cowboys, but for the better part of the past century, there’s only been one event for women – until now. Breakaway roping, dubbed the fastest event in rodeo, has swept competitions across North America, and is corralling more space for cowgirls in the process.
The Globe’s Jana Pruden was at the 50th Canadian Finals Rodeo this fall, where the second-ever women’s event was showcased at the country’s biggest rodeo for the first time. She speaks with Canadian breakaway ropers and gives us a sense of the history of women in rodeo, and just how hard they’ve worked to rope and ride alongside the cowboys.
This episode originally aired January 14, 2025.
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Prime Minister Mark Carney set a deadline of July 21 to reach an economic and security deal with the United States after last month’s G7 summit. But negotiations were derailed last week when U.S. President Donald Trump called off talks, blaming Canada’s digital services tax, which was set to come into effect on June 30. Two days later, Carney rescinded that tax, and talks were back on.
Adrian Morrow is the Globe’s U.S. correspondent, based in Washington. He’s on the show to talk about the risk Carney took by giving up on the digital services tax so quickly, whether this is really in line with his ‘Elbows Up’ campaign, and what Trump seems to want from negotiations.
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School is out for summer but this year some educators are wondering how much their students really learned. A KPMG survey found that over half of Canadians over 18 years-old now use generative AI to complete their school work. Professors and students are concerned that growing reliance on tools like ChatGPT and Gemini could be weakening critical thinking skills. And now, recent research is giving us further insight into that potential connection.
The Globe’s Joe Castaldo reports on AI and tech. He’ll tell us what teachers and students say about how generative AI is impacting education and what recent studies tell us about its affect on our collective critical thinking skills.
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The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation has said it is no longer possible to return Canada to 2004 levels of housing affordability. We cannot build enough new housing supply to hit that target. So it’s changing its benchmark.
Rachelle Younglai covers housing and real estate for The Globe. She explains the CMHC’s new approach to affordability, what they say needs to happen to improve the cost of housing and what it means for home prices and rents.
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For months, the “buy Canadian” movement has inspired Canadians to shift their shopping habits away from American goods. While this has mostly been a patriotic move, some experts say recent cuts at the Food and Drug Administration, the agency responsible for inspecting 80 per cent of American food, might give Canadians another reason to think twice about buying American products at the grocery store.
Kate Helmore is The Globe’s agriculture and food policy reporter. She’s on the show to talk about why the cuts at the FDA have some experts concerned, how intertwined the U.S. and Canadian food systems are, and why it’s so challenging to disentangle them.
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In the social media age, it’s challenging to know what’s ‘normal’ for your finances. How are others able to afford lavish trips and expensive dinners? Are your friends getting ahead while you’re left behind? Will you be able to afford your long-term goals? This confusion has inspired a new term – money dysmorphia. And for some, this disconnect can mean worry, low self-esteem and a you-only-live-once spending mentality.
Shannon Lee Simmons is a Certified Financial Planner and author. She’s on the show to explain what’s driving all this stress, its effect and what we can all do to have healthier relationships with money.
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This week, Prime Minister Mark Carney has been in Europe for a series of meetings that are focused on strengthening ties. On Monday, he was in Brussels, Belgium, to sign a new defence partnership with the European Union. Mr. Carney then went to The Hague, in The Netherlands, to attend the NATO summit. Between the war in Ukraine and U.S. involvement in the conflict between Israel and Iran, a lot is at stake.
Kerry Buck was Canada’s ambassador to NATO from 2015 to 2018. She’s on the show to talk about why Mr. Carney is trying to move Canada closer to Europe, how the NATO alliance is dealing with growing threats and what’s at stake for Canada.
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On Friday, the Liberals’ controversial Bill C-5 was passed by the House of Commons — it’s the only legislation to pass, ahead of Parliament rising for the summer.
Bill C-5, the One Canadian Economy Act, aims to remove barriers to interprovincial trade, fulfilling Prime Minister Mark Carney’s promise to do so by Canada Day. But the legislation would also give Carney’s cabinet the power to quickly approve big industrial projects deemed to be ‘in the national interest,’ exempting them from some federal laws.
Carney has said the legislation will not weaken the government’s duty to consult Indigenous rights-holders, but many are worried.
The Decibel is joined by Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak. She represents more than 630 First Nations and has been voicing concern over the bill. She’ll walk us through how First Nations are responding and whether it could spark another Idle No More movement this summer.
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This weekend, the U.S. struck three Iranian nuclear facilities, as it warned Iran about its nuclear capabilities and attacks against Israel. U.S. President Donald Trump called the bombing mission “a spectacular military success” and threatened “future attacks” if a nuclear peace deal was not made.
The Globe’s international affairs columnist, Doug Saunders, joins The Decibel. He explains how the U.S. got involved in this conflict, what’s at stake for the leaders of the U.S., Israel and Iran, and why there are concerns this could become a wider war.
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Sage Morin’s life changed on May 19, 2013. A tragedy altered her family forever, and Sage was left to pick up the pieces, all while navigating her own deep grief and a complicated legal system.
More than a decade later, the trauma of her loss has become a badge of resilience and healing. Sage’s transformation is literal: She enters a wrestling ring, donning the character of a proud Cree fighter, inspiring a new generation of Indigenous youth.
Jana G. Pruden, feature writer for The Globe, tells the story of Sage and her rebirth into The Matriarch.
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This year is off to a bad start for wildfires. To date, more than 40,000 people have had to evacuate their homes, and both Manitoba and Saskatchewan declared provincial states of emergency. Even people in communities thousands of miles from the fires have faced hazardous smoke.
Temur Durrani has been covering this year’s wildfires for The Globe. He joins us to talk about how wildfires in the summer have become the new normal and why fire chiefs are pushing for a more centralized approach to handling them.
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Every year, some of the world’s most powerful leaders meet to discuss political and economic issues in the G7 summit. This year’s meeting, held in Kananaskis, Alberta, wrapped up on Tuesday. It was also the first G7 summit for Prime Minister Mark Carney.
The G7 offered an opportunity for leaders to try to improve relations with U.S. President Donald Trump, whose second term has been marked by tensions and trade wars. After increasing attacks between Israel and Iran, Trump left the summit on Monday night to deal with the “big stuff” escalating in the Middle East.
Nathan VanderKlippe is an international correspondent for The Globe. He’s on the show to talk about what was discussed at the G7, how Trump’s departure affects discussions on the war in Ukraine, and what a successful G7 summit looks like in Canada.
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thedecibel@globeandmail.com
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The long shadow war between Israel and Iran is now out in the open, as pressure mounts over a nuclear peace deal pushed by the U.S. and President Donald Trump. The growing conflict reached its fourth day – Israel continued its bombardment of Iranian cities and infrastructure, while Iran’s missiles evaded Israel’s aerial defence system and hit targets in the country. More than 200 Iranians have been killed so far, while at least 24 Israelis have died, as the two nations trade attacks.
The Globe’s Senior International Correspondent, Mark MacKinnon, joins The Decibel to break down the latest developments of an escalating war, how Iran is facing its most serious security breach in nearly 50 years, and what role the U.S. plays in the combustible situation brewing in the Middle East.
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Right now, the Canadian job market is tough. Unemployment is the highest it’s been since 2016, excluding the pandemic lockdown years. Young people and new grads are facing especially bleak job prospects. They’re worried not just about their employment, but also their future careers and long-term financial planning.
Meera Raman is the retirement and financial reporter for The Globe and Mail. She’s on the show today to explain why the job market is so bad for young people, what the potential long-term implications might be and what they can do if they find themselves struggling for work.
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Having social media accounts hacked is stressful. Usually, companies have formal channels for users to regain access. But for Meta platforms like Facebook and Instagram, some users say the social media giant isn’t responding.
Now, a new kind of broker has sprung up, helping people locked out of their accounts connect with a Meta employee or contractor who can expedite their request … for the right price. In 2022, Meta fired or disciplined employees or contractors who had allegedly abused the internal account recovery system for bribes. Kathryn Blaze Baum, an investigative reporter at The Globe and Mail, and Alexandra Posadzki, The Globe’s cybercrimes reporter, found that three years later, this is still happening.
Today, Kathryn is on the show to talk about how this back-door process works, how Meta is cracking down on it, and where this leaves users who have had their accounts compromised.
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Is expropriation, or forcing corporations to sell apartments to the government, a way to ease the housing crisis? Berlin seems to think so. In a landmark referendum back in 2021, the majority of Berliners voted ‘yes’ to forced sales, calling for the government to buy 240,000 apartments owned by some of Berlin’s mega landlords - whether they want to sell or not. Some call the strategy “radical” but needed. Others say it’s unconstitutional. But is it a viable solution to Berlin’s housing crisis, and could it work here in Canada? In this episode, we dive into the history behind Berlin’s expropriation campaign and try to figure out if a similar referendum on housing could succeed on this side of the Atlantic.
You can find more episodes of City Space here, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
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Bill C-2, also known as the Strong Borders Act, is one of the first pieces of legislation by Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government. The 140-page bill proposes a series of enhanced powers for law enforcement and major changes to how the government processes some asylum claims and immigration applications.
Sara Mojtehedzadeh is an investigative reporter at The Globe who writes about immigration and refugees. She explains the details of the bill and why the government believes the changes are necessary.
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More than three years on, the war between Russia and Ukraine shows no signs of slowing. Ceasefire talks have stalled. Last week, Ukraine landed one of its biggest blows against Russia, when it smuggled drones inside Russian territory and destroyed or severely damaged more than 40 Russian warplanes. Russia hit back with some of its heaviest bombardment yet.
Ukraine’s demands for a ceasefire deal include returning the Ukrainian children who have allegedly been taken into Russian custody. According to the Ukrainian government, 20,000 Ukrainian children have been reported missing since the beginning of the Russian invasion.
Mark MacKinnon is a senior international correspondent for The Globe. Today, he’s on the show to talk about the efforts of a Ukrainian organization, Save Ukraine. A grant from Global Affairs Canada has funded Save Ukraine’s work with Lisbon-based tech company Hala Systems to locate, track, communicate with, and ultimately bring the children home. Mark will explain how they managed to map the facilities where Russia is allegedly holding the children and what they understand about Russia’s plans for them.
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On Monday, closing arguments are set to begin in the trial of five former members of Canada’s 2018 World Junior Hockey Team. Michael McLeod, Dillon Dubé, Carter Hart, Cal Foote and Alex Formenton were charged with sexually assaulting a woman known publicly as E.M. in London, Ont. in June of 2018. Michael McLeod also faces a second charge of being a party to sexual assault. All five men have pleaded not guilty.
Rachel Giese is the author of the 2018 book, Boys: What It Means to Become a Man. She’s also the Culture & Life editor at The Globe and Mail. Today, she’s on the show to unpack what this trial tells us about our cultural understanding of consent and masculinity, and how we can have better conversations with boys and young men by reaching them where they’re at.
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Maryam Fatima was born with a condition called hemimegalencephaly, a rare birth defect where one side of the brain is abnormally large. She suffered from severe seizures from the moment she was born. They became so bad that they stopped Maryam from feeding, sleeping and breathing. Her life was at risk.
That’s when a team at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto decided to attempt a first-in-Canada procedure to save Maryam’s life.
Health Science reporter Jennifer Yang interviewed some of the medical professionals who performed the procedure, as well as Maryam’s mother, Muzna Nafees. She tells the story of how Maryam’s life was saved.
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On Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump signed a new executive order that raised tariffs on steel and aluminum from 25 per cent to 50 per cent. One Canadian steel producer said this means that their American business is now ‘unviable’.
Jason Kirby is a staff reporter for The Globe’s Report on Business section. He explains why these higher steel and aluminum tariffs could mean higher prices on nearly everything, and what may have contributed to Trump’s escalation.
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This week, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced Ottawa’s plans to fast-track infrastructure projects. The effort aims to bolster the Canadian economy, as our trade war with the U.S. stretches on. Provinces are also in a rush to expedite project approvals and reviews — the controversial Bill 5 is currently working its way through the Ontario legislature, and B.C. just narrowly passed Bill 15.
Some Indigenous nations and leaders, along with conservation groups and civil liberty associations, oppose the fast-track efforts gaining momentum across Canada. And even as governments affirm their duty to consult, Indigenous leaders warn road and rail blockadesmay be coming.
The Globe’s Jeff Gray has been reporting on Premier Doug Ford’s Bill 5. He’ll explain the wave of fast-track legislation we’re seeing across Canada, and how the effort to speed development up may actually slow things down.
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The Canadian Medical Association says that the Alberta government has created a “moral crisis” for doctors in the province. The CMA, alongside three Alberta doctors, has filed a constitutional challenge against the Alberta government for legislation limiting access to medical treatment for transgender youth. Bill 26 became law last December, and is part of a suite of laws in Alberta that regulate access to health care, participation in sports and use of pronouns in schools for trans youth. Together, they form the most restrictive gender and sexuality laws in the country.
Alanna Smith is a health reporter for The Globe. She joins the show to explain the law, the rationale of Danielle Smith’s government, and why the applicants have filed their challenge.
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More than 20 years ago, a group of internet users created the online forum 4chan – a mixture of memes, pranks, disinformation and hate speech. Soon, a hacker group on the forum calling themselves Anonymous gained notoriety for their online pranks and disruption. But now, a former member of that hacker group says they regret the role they may have played in driving today’s divisive political environment and wants to make amends.
Alexandra Posadzki is the Globe’s financial and cybercrime reporter. She’ll talk about an interview she had with the hacker, who now faces criminal charges, and how memes on a toxic online forum bloomed into real-world consequences.
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In 2021, mine workers in Morocco made a huge discovery. They found a fossil that scientists believed to be a new species of mosasaur – a large swimming reptile that lived in the same era as the Tyrannosaurus Rex. However, many scientists, including a group in Alberta, are now questioning whether or not the fossil is real or fake.
Ivan Semeniuk is The Globe’s science reporter. He’s on the show today to explain what we know about this fossil, the feud that it’s provoked between paleontologists, and when we might uncover the truth.
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What’s in your drinking water? On Prince Edward Island, the provincial testing program shows potable water in some communities have higher levels of toxic “forever chemicals” than is recommended by Health Canada. To what extent this affects other provinces is unclear – PEI is currently the only province that systematically tests water supplies to make sure they hit federal targets for toxic chemicals.
Patrick White is The Globe’s water reporter. He explains the safety concerns surrounding “forever chemicals” in our water, why the health agency revamped its guidelines and looks into why other provinces are slow to adapt.
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On Tuesday, King Charles III opened the 45th Parliament by delivering Canada’s throne speech. The speech lays out the government’s priorities, and the King is only the second monarch to deliver it – his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, did so twice before.
The speech affirmed Canada’s sovereignty amid ongoing tensions with the U.S., and touched on Liberal election promises, including a middle-class tax cut, an end to interprovincial trade barriers, and rapid approvals of major infrastructure projects.
Stephanie Levitz is a senior reporter in The Globe and Mail’s Ottawa bureau. She joins to discuss the significance of the speech and what it signals, Carney’s first days in the House of Commons, and what’s new in parliament after nearly six months off.
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It’s been a challenging few months for Canadian businesses. Even though Canada has been largely spared from the worst of U.S. President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs, many Canadian small business owners are finding themselves caught in the crosshairs of the U.S. tariffs targeting China.
Mariya Postelnyak is a consumer affairs reporter for The Globe and Mail. She’s on the show today to explain how small businesses are being affected by the trade disputes between the U.S. and China, how they have been preparing for potential disruptions, and what this all means for their ability to survive.
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Canada is facing tariffs, a possible recession and an ongoing housing crisis. The country needs millions of new, affordable homes, and Prime Minister Mark Carney wants the federal government to help build them. But how effective was it the last time the federal government built housing?
Today, Dr. Carolyn Whitzman, a senior housing researcher with the University of Toronto, will walk us through the postwar plan Carney is drawing inspiration from. And then, we’ll analyze the challenges Carney and Housing Minister Gregor Robertson will face, and whether their plan can solve Canada’s long-standing housing crisis.
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This week, Canada Post received a strike notice from its union representing 55,000 workers. The notice comes just less than a year after the last postal strike back in November. Canada Post is under major financial trouble. A recent report commissioned by the federal government says the postal corporation is in an “existential crisis.” Canada Post has lost $3-billion since 2018 and according to the report, that’s due to a drop in letter mail and parcel delivery competition. This is putting even more pressure on the corporation and the union to come to a deal.
Meera Raman is a financial and retirement planning reporter at The Globe. She’ll explain the financial state of Canada Post, what’s been happening with negotiations, and what the impact could be on Canadians.
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Over the weekend, the Israeli military launched a new operation in Gaza called Gideon’s Chariots. It comes after a two-month long blockade of humanitarian aid that is finally starting to ease as some trucks with food have been allowed to enter the Palestinian enclave.
Hamida Ghafour is The Globe’s deputy foreign editor. She talks about the international response to Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent decisions, an update on the remaining hostages and what it has been like for Palestinians to live under the current circumstances.
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Generative AI has been taking the world by storm, and Alberta wants in on the action. The province currently has plans to break ground on at least six AI data centres this year. But, more data centres means more electricity usage, and in Alberta, that means more natural gas.
Joe Castaldo is a business reporter for The Globe and Mail. He’s on the show to explain why Alberta is trying to become the next big data centre hub and what that means for the province’s electricity needs and emissions.
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Last week, Justice Maria Carroccia dismissed the jury in the Hockey Canada case for the second time. The trial will continue and be heard by a judge alone, rather than appointing a new jury and starting over – a decision that means the complainant, a woman known only as E.M. due to a publication ban, won’t have to testify again.
Robyn Doolittle has been covering the court case for The Globe. She explains what prompted this shocking development, what led to the first jury getting dismissed and how E.M.’s cross-examination ended.
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The experiences of Inuit people and scientific data show the impacts of climate change and how it disproportionately affects Canada’s Far North. Arctic sea ice is central to Inuit life – Labrador Inuit communities have more than four dozen Inuttitut terms for sea ice. And the weakening of the ice as a result of climate change poses a tangible threat: stifling access for remote fly-in communities, cutting off essential goods and endangering Inuit peoples’ traditions, including hunting and fishing.
Jenn Thornhill Verma, investigative journalist and Pulitzer Ocean Reporting Fellow, takes The Decibel to the northeastern Labrador Inuit community of Nunatsiavut. We hear from Inuk elders on how their communities are innovating and adapting new technology to fight climate change.
This story was produced in partnership with the Pulitzer Center’s Ocean Reporting Network
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Over the past week, the U.S. has brokered trade deals with Britain, China, and the Middle East, signaling a shift in President Donald Trump’s trade war. What this means for Canada, however, is not yet clear.
Mark Rendell is an economics reporter for The Globe’s Report on Business. He joins us today to help break down what these deals mean, how the trade war has been playing out in Canada, and what might come next.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
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On Tuesday, Prime Minister Mark Carney’s new cabinet was sworn in. Canada now has 28 ministers and 10 secretaries of state, with representation from every province – including the north.
Campbell Clark is The Globe and Mail’s chief political writer. He joins the show today to explain who’s who in Carney’s cabinet, and what this means for the new federal government.
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After several tense weeks of escalating military action across the de facto border in Kashmir, India and Pakistan have agreed to a fragile ceasefire. For the last week there have been reports of gunfire, drone attacks, and missile strikes in the region. This current conflict started after an April 22 terrorist attack left 26 people dead at a Kashmir tourist resort.
But this isn’t the first time these two countries have been at odds.
Dr. Reeta Tremblay is the former provost at the University of Victoria and a political scientist and expert on the Kashmir region. She’s on the show today to give us insight into the decades-long fight between India and Pakistan, and what needs to happen in order for the two countries to have lasting peace.
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Measles is spreading at an unprecedented rate in Canada. It was considered eliminated in Canada in 1998, but last week, Ontario reported 1,440 cases of the disease, Alberta reported 313 cases, and Saskatchewan reported 27. There are also cases in British Columbia, Quebec, and Nova Scotia. In April, New York State issued a travel advisory for people coming to Ontario, warning “measles is just a car ride away.”
Vaccination rates are also on the decline. In Ontario, only about 70 per cent of children under the age of 7 have been fully vaccinated against measles.
André Picard is a health columnist for The Globe and Mail. He’s on the show to explain how significant it is that we’re seeing these kinds of measles numbers, and how he thinks public health officials need to address this moment.
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While the Liberal Party celebrated winning its fourth mandate in a row in the latest federal election, thousands of Albertans spent the night calling for a referendum on separatism. This week, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith addressed growing frustrations in her province and shared her demands of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s new federal government.
This isn’t the first time separatism has been considered in Western Canada. But now, Alberta may soon get to vote on the question of separation.
The Globe’s Carrie Tait joins the show from Edmonton. She’ll make sense of ongoing Western discontent, how Danielle Smith is responding and where the movement may be headed.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
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Five members of Canada’s 2018 world junior hockey team are currently on trial for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman in a hotel room seven years ago. Each of the accused players has pleaded not guilty.
The complainant – publicly known as E.M. – has told the jury her version of events and now is under cross-examination by the players’ defence lawyers.
Globe reporter Robyn Doolittle has been reporting from the courthouse from London, Ont. She recaps what the jury has been told so far.
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Prime Minister Mark Carney met with U.S. President Donald Trump face-to-face in Washington, D.C. for the first time on Tuesday. Tensions between the two leaders’ nations are at a historic high: a trade war, escalating tariffs and threats against Canada’s sovereignty have all been major issues since Trump’s re-election. For many Canadians, the central question in the recent federal election was how the next prime minister would handle U.S. aggression. Carney is now facing that reality.
Doug Saunders, The Globe’s international affairs columnist, joins The Decibel to analyze the Carney-Trump meeting and what it signals about the Canada–U.S. relationship now.
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The U.S. government is ramping up its efforts to deport immigrants. On Monday, the Trump administration announced a new policy offering anyone illegally in the U.S. $1,000 and a flight to leave the country. And on Sunday, President Donald Trump didn’t commit to upholding the right to due process for citizens and non-citizens alike.
Sara Mojtehedzadeh is an investigative reporter with The Globe, and she’s been covering Trump’s crackdown on immigration. She’ll explain the rise in detentions along the Canada–U.S. border, the impact of the Trump administration’s policies on asylum claims, and what it could mean for immigration into Canada.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
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Problem gambling is a real issue in Canada – where reporting shows young people having even higher rates than adults. The increasing monetization of games, especially online, often uses similar mechanics to gambling, despite it being illegal for youth to gamble in Canada. And some experts say these apps and games are reinforcing feelings of risk and reward.
Dr. Loredana Marchica is a pediatric psychologist at the Montreal Children’s Hospital and at Pathways Psychology Clinic. Her research focuses on gambling among young people. She’ll tell us how the line between gaming and gambling is becoming blurred – and how to tell it’s become a problem.
Editor's note: A previous version of this article incorrectly described Dr. Loredana Marchica as a pediatric psychologist and psychiatrist. She is a pediatric psychologist.
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At 18 years old, Andean Medjedovic was a math prodigy, finishing his master’s degree in mathematics at the University of Waterloo before most young Canadians can legally drink. Medjedovic was involved in cryptocurrency trading – and according to the U.S. Department of Justice – engaged in “cryptocurrency hacking schemes” that allegedly netted him US$65-million in digital tokens. Now, he’s on the lam.
Alexandra Posadzki, The Globe’s financial and cybercrime reporter, is on the show to talk about how Medjedovic allegedly pulled off the trades, the cases against him, and how the controversial philosophy of “Code is Law” in the world of decentralized finance plays into his story.
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Now that the election is over, we’re bringing you another edition of Campaign Call, The Decibel’s weekly election panel that makes sense of the major issues.
Where does Pierre Poilievre go from here without a seat in the House of Commons? What kind of Prime Minister will Mark Carney be and how will he actually handle Trump? How do the NDP rebuild?
Globe columnists Robyn Urback, Andrew Coyne and Gary Mason are on the show to discuss the path ahead for the leaders and their parties.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
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Vancouver’s Lapu Lapu festival was supposed to be a celebration of Filipino culture and traditions. Instead, it became a scene of horror on Saturday, after a man accused of driving an SUV into a crowd, killed 11 people and injured dozens more. Police say the youngest victim was five years old; the oldest was 65. The accused has been charged with eight counts of murder.
Globe national reporter Nancy Macdonald, based in Vancouver, was on scene on the night of the attack. She brings us stories of eyewitnesses, what we’ve learned about the victims and the suspect and how communities are reeling after one of the darkest days in Vancouver’s history.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
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On Monday April 28, Canadians voted in another Liberal government.They are heading to the House of Commons with what appeared to be a minority government.The Conservatives gained seats and will form the Official Opposition; however, leader Pierre Poilievre’s seat remained undecided early Tuesday morning.
Today, the Globe’s Ottawa Bureau Chief Robert Fife and feature writer Shannon Proudfoot join us from the nation’s capital. They break down the surprises in this close race and what Monday’s results could mean for the direction of the country.
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It’s impossible to get a full picture of a country as big and diverse as Canada, but audio journalist Kasia Mychajlowycz set out on a road trip to find as many people as she could to ask: what’s the most important issue to you in this election season, and why?
What people answered ranged through topics like affordability, healthcare, trust in government, reconciliation, tariffs and more. But in over 35 interviews in a dozen places over seven provinces, people went beyond politics, retelling the joys, challenges and tragedies that make up all our lives.
CORRECTION: An older version of this episode misidentified Al Porter.
Listen to the first installment East to West: voices in Atlantic Canada ahead of the election
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
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With the federal election nearly upon us, we’re bringing you the last edition of Campaign Call before Canadians head to the polls. This week, feature writer Shannon Proudfoot and columnists Robyn Urback and Marsha Lederman discuss how the leaders’ final pitches are sitting with Canadians.
Plus, The Globe’s economics reporter Nojoud Al Mallees breaks down the costed platforms of the Liberals and the Conservatives and explains why some people are questioning the math.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
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Nearly 15 years ago, the NDP became Canada’s official opposition. Now, Jagmeet Singh and the NDP are trailing far behind the frontrunners of the upcoming federal election and are no longer campaigning to win — but instead to hold the winners accountable, raising questions about the party’s future.
Gary Mason is a national affairs columnist at the Globe. He’s on the show to explain how Singh’s campaign is responding to waning support, what’s led the NDP to this point and what the party’s collapse could mean for Canada’s political landscape.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
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Ahead of Pope Francis’s funeral on Saturday, many are remembering his time as pope as one that marked a shift towards more progressive ideals, including an apology for the role of the Catholic Church in the harm done to Indigenous peoples through the residential school system, both in Rome, and again in Canada, back in 2022. Some critics said this apology didn’t go far enough.
Tanya Talaga is an Anishinaabe journalist, speaker and contributing columnist for the Globe and Mail. She’ll explain the Pope’s role in reconciling historic harms, what impact his apology actually had, and where reconciliation with the Church goes from here.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
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Recently, U.S. President Donald Trump’s on-again, off-again tariffs have created an uncertain environment for Canadian businesses, and many are considering shifting investments south of the border. But, for some, tariffs are having the opposite effect – providing opportunity to grow in Canada.
Pippa Norman is The Globe’s innovation reporter. She’ll explain how these businesses are expanding at home, and how risky the bet on Canada might be.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
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On April 28, Canadians will vote in a new federal government. Voters have gotten to know the front-runners – Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre and Liberal leader Mark Carney … but what about the people steering them?
With a week left, we’re looking at the people running this election’s leading campaigns – and the strategies driving the Liberal and Conservative war rooms in this tight race.
The Globe’s senior reporter Stephanie Levitz will introduce us to the strategists, advisors and campaign directors trying to win your vote – and the challenges both parties are facing in the process.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
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Presenting Machines Like Us, a Globe and Mail podcast on technology and people.
We’re a few weeks into a federal election that is currently too close to call. And while most Canadians are wondering who our next Prime Minister will be, host Taylor Owen and his guests today are preoccupied with a different question: will this election be free and fair?
In her recent report on foreign interference, Justice Marie-Josée Hogue wrote that “information manipulation poses the single biggest risk to our democracy”. Meanwhile, senior Canadian intelligence officials are predicting that India, China, Pakistan and Russia will all attempt to influence the outcome of this election. To try and get a sense of what we’re up against, Owen wanted to get two different perspectives on this. Aengus Bridgman is the Director of the Media Ecosystem Observatory, a project that they run together at McGill University, and Nina Jankocwicz is the co-founder and CEO of the American Sunlight Project. Bridgman and Jankocwicz are two of the leading authorities on the problem of information manipulation.
This episode was originally published on April 8, 2025.
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Canadians are not particularly good at resting. According to Statistics Canada data collected between July 2022 and July 2023, people over the age of 15 spent an average of 17 minutes a day resting, relaxing, or lying down, and an average of 18 minutes a day on relaxing pursuits known as “active leisure” (think: birdwatching, camping, or going to an art gallery). That’s translating into stress – more than a fifth of employed Canadians said their stress levels were high or very high. On top of all that, Expedia’s 2024 Vacation Deprivation Report found that 45 per cent of Canadians left vacation days on the table in 2023.
Zosia Bielski is the Globe and Mail’s time use reporter. Today, she’s on the show to challenge the idea that down time needs to be earned, and to talk about some of the different approaches people are taking to prioritize rest in their lives.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
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With less than two weeks until the federal election, The Decibel is bringing you another edition of Campaign Call, The Globe’s weekly election panel.
This week, ahead of the French and English leaders’ debates, feature writer Shannon Proudfoot and chief political writer Campbell Clark will explain why debates still matter and what each leader needs to accomplish during them.
In the second half, we’re joined by Nik Nanos, the chief data scientist of Nanos Research, to get a behind-the-scenes look at the polls – in terms of how the data is gathered and how reliable polls are.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
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The way medical records are handled in Canada is a patchwork of disconnected systems – creating massive headaches for patients and doctors. Patients struggle to access their own data, and practitioners have to waste time compensating for inefficiencies. But, governments, companies and healthcare professionals are searching for ways to make all these systems talk to each other.
Chris Hannay is a staff reporter at the Globe who covers the business of healthcare. He’ll explain how Canada’s medical record system ended up like this and what Canada could gain from adopting an interconnected system.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
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The federal election is in two weeks, on April 28 – so the Decibel has invited the leaders from Canada’s major parties onto the show to share their vision for the country.
And while environmental concerns haven’t been top-of-mind in this election … Green Party co-leader Jonathan Pedneault says he isn’t just concerned about climate change.
Pedneault – who previously served as the party’s deputy leader from 2022 to 2024 – is proposing bold policies on a range of issues Canadians are facing, from U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff threats to the high cost of living.
The former journalist and human rights investigator, who has spent the better part of the last decade and a half working and living abroad, believes more progressive ideas are needed in this election. But the Greens are lagging in the polls, and Pedneault is running in a Liberal stronghold … So how will they be effective if they don’t make it to the House of Commons?
Today, Green Party co-leader Jonathan Pedneault joins us from Montreal. Ahead of the leader debates this Thursday, we ask him about his party’s daring proposals, what the Greens are offering Canadians, and if he’s returning to Canadian politics for good.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
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We’re halfway through the election period and it’s time for Campaign Call, The Decibel’s weekly election panel making sense of the major issues. This week, the embers of western separatism were stoked by an opinion piece by Preston Manning published in The Globe, arguing that national unity is on the ballot. We explore the threats of regionalism amidst the surge of pro-Canadian sentiment across the country. Plus, we’ll look into how the major parties are making their pitch to win over a crucial voting demographic – seniors.
Feature writer Shannon Proudfoot, Alberta politics reporter Carrie Tait, columnist Konrad Yakabuski based in Montreal and Meera Raman, retirement and financial planning reporter, discuss the big stories with host Menaka Raman-Wilms.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
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Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump announced sweeping global tariffs on most of the world, plunging markets into some of the worst days in recent memory. The tariffs took effect yesterday, but after hours of market volatility, the White House reversed course. Trump announced a 90-day pause on his initial tariff plans, instead issuing a 10-per-cent tariff on all implicated trading partners other than China. Instead, Trump doubled down by raising tariffs on Chinese goods to 125 per cent. All of this uncertainty has led to chaos in global markets.
Tim Kiladze, a financial reporter and columnist for The Globe, is on the show to make sense of what’s going on in the markets, and what all this means for global trade.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
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For years, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has been framing the federal race as a “carbon tax election.” But then Mark Carney became the Liberal Leader and Prime Minister and “axed the tax” for him, setting the consumer carbon price to zero.
Now, Poilievre is targeting another federal carbon tax – the one on the industry’s largest emitters. It’s part of a broader shift in this election toward energy sovereignty. Against the backdrop of U.S. President Donald Trump’s ongoing threats to Canada’s economy, there’s been a surge in public and political support for domestic oil and gas projects.
Today, The Globe’s Adam Radwanski, a columnist who covers climate policy, is on the show. He’ll walk us through the ongoing political fight over carbon pricing, why we’re suddenly seeing more support for pipelines, and the cost of slowing Canada’s efforts against climate change.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
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In the age of gentle parenting, a new trend has emerged: parents are changing the ways they talk to their young children about sharing. Rather than forcing their kids to share their toys, relenting to their playmates’ demands, some parents are encouraging their children to say “no” and stand up for themselves.
Amberly McAteer is a contributing parenting columnist for the Globe. She joins the show to talk about what it looks like to teach your kids it’s okay not to share all the time, how she’s adopted this mentality with her own children, and why she believes it will lead them to become more empowered and self-assured as they grow up.
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Last week, the U.S. Senate vote to pass Senator Tim Kaine’s resolution to end the state of emergency that allows U.S. President Donald Trump to issue tariffs on Canadian goods. President Trump’s stated reason for the tariffs is that the fentanyl flowing into the United States from Canada “constitutes an unusual and extraordinary threat.” The number he’s been citing is 43 pounds for the fiscal year 2024.
Globe reporters Kathryn Blaze Baum, Colin Freeze and Andrea Woo looked into that number and found that the White House has been using misleading data to justify tariffs on Canada. Today, Kathryn is on the show to explain what their investigation found, how much fentanyl seized in the U.S. last year can actually be attributed to Canada, and what kind of impact the Senate resolution could have on the trade war.
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It’s the end of the week, which means it’s time for Campaign Call…our election panel where we make sense of the major issues. This week we’re going to talk about one of the central themes in the campaign: the uncertainty caused by U.S. President Donald Trump. We also get into why the Conservatives are fighting in public, and what each major party is promising to help workers affected by Trump’s tariffs.
Feature writer Shannon Proudfoot, senior reporter Stephanie Levitz, and economics reporter Jason Kirby discuss with host Menaka Raman-Wilms.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
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U.S. President Donald Trump signed a sweeping executive order on Wednesday to put reciprocal tariffs on goods from most of its international trading partners. Trump called the tariffs a “declaration of economic independence” and accused other nations of stealing American jobs.
However, Canada and Mexico, which have been in Trump’s crosshairs for months, are exempt from the new tariffs, as long as they comply with the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade deal. But higher tariff rates will continue for aluminum and steel, and tariffs are coming on all foreign auto products.
Mark Rendell, the Globe’s economics reporter, breaks down the confusing array of new tariffs, the ones that Canada’s still dealing with... and the impact of Trump’s trade war going global.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
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Since U.S. President Donald Trump took office in January, immigration lawyers have reported seeing a rise in non-U.S. citizens being denied entry. At the beginning of March, Jasmine Mooney, a Canadian who had previously been able to obtain a U.S. work visa, was detained for nearly two weeks when she tried to renew her visa. European tourists have been detained at the border, and Canadians born in Iran and Afghanistan have been increasingly turned away at the border.
The Globe’s Vanmala Subramaniam spoke to immigration lawyers about what Canadians living and working in the U.S. should do, given the situation at the border. Today, she’s on the show to talk about why we’re seeing this increase in Canadians being denied entry or detained at the U.S. border, and what people travelling to the U.S. can do to protect themselves.
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In the first week of the federal election campaign, several new foreign interference stories have bubbled up. The first involves allegations that CSIS believed agents working on behalf of India organized support for Pierre Poilievre’s 2022 Conservative leadership bid.
Meanwhile, the Liberals are dealing with fallout from the allegations that former Member of Parliament Chandra Arya had ties with India and met with Prime Minister Narenda Modi. Liberal leader Mark Carney is also responding to calls to fire a GTA candidate after remarks calling for a Conservative candidate be turned in for a Chinese bounty.
Robert Fife has been breaking all of these stories, and he’s is on the show to discuss.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
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This March, Adrial and Adiah Nadaraja turned three years old. Born at 22 weeks, they were the youngest premature twins ever to survive to their first birthday. If they had been born just two hours earlier, health care workers would not have medically attempted their resuscitation.
Today, Kelly Grant joins the show with an update about how Adrial and Adiah are doing, how far the family has come, and how the twins’ birth asked difficult medical and moral questions, but may ultimately help to push the conversation around preemie viability forward.
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During the election campaign, the Globe and Mail is travelling across the country to hear about the issues facing people in Canada today.
In small communities in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick this week, producer Kasia Mychajlowycz spoke to students, business owners, retirees and more. She found that as some struggle to make ends meet with the rising cost of living in rural Atlantic Canada, many are patriotic in the face of the trade war with the Trump administration.
If you’d like the Globe and Mail to visit your community, please e-mail and tell us why at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
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Welcome to The Decibel’s inaugural election panel!
Each week, we’re going to focus on a major theme from the week’s campaign, and provide some analysis about what’s happening. Then, we’re going to unpack specific policy promises from the big parties to help you decide how to vote. We’ll end by answering your questions. So here’s a reminder to send us an e-mail or voice note with your questions about the campaign.
This week we look at how all of the candidates are trying to campaign on the idea that they are the change Canada needs, and then we’ll break down the duelling tax cuts from the Conservatives, the Liberals and the NDP.
For our first panel today, we’ve got Ottawa-based feature writer Shannon Proudfoot, columnist Robyn Urback and economics reporter Nojoud Al Mallees.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
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For decades, scientific research at the Great Lakes has meant close partnership between Canada and the U.S., but President Trump’s latest job cuts may be changing that. Last Thursday, the U.S. agencies overseeing the health and conditions of oceans, lakes and rivers became the latest target of the Trump Administration’s federal job-cutting spree.
Patrick White reports on water issues for the Globe. Today, he explains how the partnership around the Great Lakes is changing, why there’s new negotiations about water sharing, and why these conversations about freshwater are not just issues of environmental concern – but also of national security.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
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Last week, Global Affairs Canada confirmed that China has executed four Canadians since the beginning of the year. The move further escalates already tense diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Meanwhile, China’s retaliatory tariffs on Canadian goods went into effect on Thursday. And all of this is happening in the middle of Canada’s trade war with the United States. Now, Canada finds itself fighting its two biggest trading partners – while they fight with each other.
Today, the Globe’s Asia correspondent, James Griffiths, joins us from Hong Kong. He’ll explain the news of these Canadian executions, the impact of China’s retaliatory tariffs, and what these rising tensions mean for the relationship between Canada and China.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
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The population of undocumented migrants living and working in Canada is substantial. And while most of them initially entered the country legally, on visas or work permits, many migrants feel that it is worth it to stay in Canada after their status expires, even if they are not legally allowed to work or live in Canada and risk being deported.
Globe journalist Sarah Efron, and freelance photographer Yader Guzman, spent months meeting people from Canada’s undocumented migrant community. Today, Sarah and Yader share what they learned about why people choose to stay despite the often dismal conditions they face in employment, health and housing, and how the federal government is responding.
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At midday on Sunday, Prime Minister Mark Carney asked Governor-General Mary Simon to dissolve Parliament and begin an election campaign. Canadians are heading to the polls to elect the next federal government on Monday, April 28.
Three months ago, this election was the Conservatives’ to lose. But polling has Pierre Poilievre and Mark Carney neck and neck. The race is set to be one of the most unpredictable – and important – elections in recent memory. U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war and threats of annexation loom large as Canada fights to affirm its place in the international order.
Campbell Clark is The Globe and Mail’s chief political writer, and he’s on the show to explain where the parties are, what’s at stake, and why this election is so important.
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Prime Minister Mark Carney is expected to call a federal election by Sunday, after being sworn into office last week.
And he’s had a busy week. Between announcing that he’ll be cutting the consumer price on carbon and introducing a leaner cabinet, he took his first trip as prime minister, travelling to Paris, London, and Iqaluit.
But why hasn’t Carney’s tour included a trip south of the border, when trade tensions with the U.S. look to define Canada’s upcoming election?
The Globe’s senior reporter Stephanie Levitz has been trailing the new prime minister. Today, she joins the show to talk about his meetings with international leaders, and what we’ve learned about the former central banker since he stepped foot into the prime minister’s office a week ago.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com.
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Project 2025 was meant to be a U.S. Republican transition bible, outlining a vast set of proposed policies for the next leader. Within its 900 pages, was a plan to use tariffs to correct a perceived imbalance in trade, and to bring manufacturing jobs back to the U.S. Once U.S. President Donald Trump took office, he endorsed this plan – but then, he went off-book.
Now, other Republicans, and Wall Street, are trying to figure out what the president’s long-term strategy is, and what to do about it.
Today, Tim Kiladze, one of the Globe’s financial reporters, is on the show to tell us about this Project 2025 tariff plan, how Trump suddenly changed course, and why it’s left global economies scrambling.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin has agreed to a limited ceasefire with Ukraine after a discussion with U.S. President Donald Trump. The deal, also supported by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, would mean Russian and Ukrainian troops will stop targeting energy and infrastructure for 30 days.
This ceasefire plan falls short of the original proposal, which would’ve seen an immediate 30-day halt to all fighting. Further talks are planned, but at this point, there are still a number of contentious issues – including security guarantees – to be negotiated.
The Globe’s Europe correspondent, Paul Waldie, reported from Ukraine. He’ll talk about the call between Trump and Putin, the perspective from Kyiv right now, and where the peace talks are headed from here.
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Canadian dairy is a recent target of U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposed reciprocal tariffs coming in April. Trump’s proposed levies are in retaliation for the sector’s massive tariffs, which apply to American imports over a certain limit. According to the International Dairy Food Association, the import limits have never been exceeded.
It’s part of a system called supply management. It controls the country’s domestic dairy production, and has strict regulations surrounding imports and exports. But some critics say it acts as a trade barrier. At a time when Canada needs to expand its relationships, can it afford to leave this system untouched?
Today, the Globe’s economics reporter Nojoud Al Mallees is on the show to explain how Canada’s supply management system works, what it means for farmers andconsumers, and why it’s become a target in Trump’s trade war.
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Measles cases in Ontario are higher than we’ve seen in a decade, and we’re only three months into the year. Measles is one of the world’s most contagious viruses that can, in some cases, be deadly. While the virus has been effectively eliminated in Canada since 1998, rates of infection and hospitalization in Southern Ontario are growing, along with cases across Canada.
But this is a vaccine-preventable disease. So why is it suddenly re-emerging?
Today, Globe health reporter Kelly Grant is here to explain why we’re seeing this surge in measles cases, and the measures we can take to best protect ourselves – and others – from getting sick.
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The host of The Globe and Mail's newest podcast, Garvia Bailey, gets some crowd-sourced wisdom from people nominated by loved ones as ‘the happiest people in Canada’ for a recent Globe and Mail feature. They live across the country, in cities and rural areas. They include toddlers and seniors, men and women, and people who have been through extremely hard times. She speaks with Erin Anderssen, The Globe and Mail’s happiness reporter, about these happy people and checks in with the nominees themselves to discuss how to live a happier life. Who are these happy people living among us? And can they let us in on their secrets?
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In a moment when more people are looking to buy Canadian, Canada’s oldest retailer is facing a financial crisis. Last week, Hudson’s Bay was granted creditor protection. Court documents showed that last year, the company recorded a loss of nearly $330 million, and that they were within days of not being able to pay their staff. Now, they’re working on a restructuring plan that could include closing half of its 80 stores.
Today, Susan Krashinsky Robertson, the Globe’s retailing reporter, is here to discuss where things went wrong for Hudson’s Bay, how restructuring could affect employees and customers, and what place the company holds in the Canadian imagination after 355 years.
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On Wednesday, Trump imposed 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum, with Canada hitting back with counter levies on nearly $30 billion dollars worth of U.S. goods. In response to the ongoing trade war, the Bank of Canada cut its interest rate to 2.75% as the trade war rattles the economy.
Between stock market downturns, increasing fears of a recession, and the volatility of U.S. President Donald Trump’s on-again-off-again tariffs, Canadians are on edge.
As economic unpredictability becomes the norm, a lot of us are feeling nervous about our finances. Today, the Globe’s personal finance columnist and host of Stress Test, Rob Carrick, is here. Rob will help us make sense of the recent market downturns, and explain how to protect our money in the months ahead.
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Throughout his campaign, Pierre Poilievre has taken an antagonistic attitude towards Canada’s business elite – a historically uncharacteristic approach for the Conservative party. During a time of economic uncertainty, Canadians are looking for a leader to protect them from a trade war with the U.S. and business leaders are hoping to show a united front with the next Prime Minister.
The Globe’s business columnist, Andrew Willis, and Report on Business reporter, James Bradshaw, recently took a look into Poilievre’s relationship with corporate Canada. After speaking with nearly 30 senior people in the business and political worlds, Andrew Willis breaks down what Poilievre as Prime Minister would mean for Canadian business.
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For the last four years, Dave Lavery — a former soldier and UN security advisor — has helped Afghans safely evacuate to Canada. But this past November, during his most recent trip to Afghanistan, he was detained by Taliban Intelligence and Security Forces.
But what happens when the person sent in to rescue needs saving?
The Globe’s international affairs reporter, Janice Dickson, sat down with Dave at his home in Doha where he recounted his detainment, where he was taken, and how he survived 77 days in captivity.
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The Liberal Party of Canada have chosen their new leader — and the country’s 24th prime minister. Former Bank of Canada Governor, Mark Carney won in a landslide, capturing nearly 86% of the vote. As Prime Minister Justin Trudeau steps aside, Carney will take his place as the first Canadian prime minister with no political experience.
While the Liberals have gained in the polls, Carney will be challenged as soon as he enters office. Parliament is prorogued until March 24—where Carney holds no seat, the opposition parties have said they’ll vote for an early election, and U.S. President Donald Trump’s economic and annexation threats persist.
Today, the Globe’s senior reporter in Ottawa, Stephanie Levitz, is here to break down Sunday’s results, the unique challenges that lie ahead for Carney as an untested leader, and what it could take for the Liberals to hold onto power through this upcoming election.
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After a little more than two days, U.S. President Donald Trump paused the 25 per cent tariffs on Canada and Mexico until April 2. It’s not just the tariff whiplash that’s causing anxiety – since Trump took office, he’s alienated allies, moved closer to traditional rivals, and hinted at a new age of U.S. imperialism.
Doug Saunders is the international affairs columnist for the Globe. He joins the Decibel to talk about how the world as we know it has changed since Trump took office in January, and how countries are adapting to the constantly shifting global order.
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On Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke on the phone for nearly an hour about the trade war between the two countries. A slight reprieve was announced later that afternoon – but not necessarily because of that call. And at the center of all of these negotiations is one U.S. official: Howard Lutnick.
Nathan VanderKlippe is an international correspondent for The Globe and has been covering the Trump administration. He explains what happened on that call between the two leaders, which officials are working behind the scenes, and whether there are any ways to de-escalate this trade war.
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U.S. President Donald Trump‘s 25 per cent tariffs are now in effect on Canadian goods entering the U.S., with 10 per cent on energy. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau hit back with countertariffs on $155 billion worth of American goods.
If the trade war continues, inflation will start to rise, jobs will be lost, and economists project a likely recession. And with growing sentiment that Trump’s motivations could go beyond stated security concerns at the Canada-U.S. border, Trudeau is taking a more blunt approach.
Campbell Clark, the Globe’s chief political writer, joins the show to break down the first day of the trade war, and what Trudeau’s response tells us about this moment.
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On Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump vowed to follow through on his economic threat against North American neighbours – his government plans to impose 25 per-cent tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico. In response, the Canadian government said it would retaliate with tariffs of its own. The tariff plan disrupts Canada’s most important economic relationship and would effectively throw the two nations into a trade war.
Nojoud Al Mallees is The Globe’s economics reporter. She explains exactly what Trump said he’d do, what tools Canada can use to fight back and the serious pressure the economy could soon be under.
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The Islamic Republic of Iran is as isolated from the western world as ever. It has no diplomatic relations with Canada, President Trump recently recommitted to exerting “maximum economic pressure” on the country to force it to abandon its nuclear weapons program and support for terrorism. Western sanctions have contributed to its 32 per cent inflation rate.
And yet, as The Globe’s Africa Bureau Chief Geoffrey York found on a recent — and rare — reporting trip to the country, ordinary Iranians are pushing for change. More women are defying the strict dress code laws and don’t cover their hair in public, despite the violent crackdown on their protests in 2022. Iranian films are also defying morality laws, screening them in Iran, and submitting them to the international film festival in Cannes.
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Presenting Machines Like Us, a Globe and Mail podcast on technology and people.
We are living in a world of perpetual distraction. There are more things to read, watch and listen to than ever before – but our brains, it turns out, can only absorb so much. Politicians like Donald Trump have figured out how to exploit this dynamic. If you’re constantly saying outrageous things, it becomes almost impossible to focus on the things that really matter. Trump’s former strategist Steve Bannon called this strategy “flooding the zone.”
As the host of the MSNBC show All In, Chris Hayes has had a front-row seat to the war for our attention – and, now, he’s decided to sound the alarm with a new book called The Sirens’ Call: How Attention Became the World’s Most Endangered Resource.Hayes joins Machines Like Us host Taylor Owen to explain how our attention became so scarce, and what happens to us when we lose the ability to focus on the things that matter most.
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Scammers are using generative AI technology to create deepfakes, compelling their targets to send large sums of money. And it is not just individuals getting scammed any more – businesses are increasingly being targeted by these look-alikes too.
While there are positive applications for generative AI, these digital replicas may mean the need for better regulation.
Alexandra Posadski is the Globe’s financial and cybersecurity reporter. Alexandra will explain how these scams usually work, how deepfakes are increasingly being used, and what can be done to help protect ourselves against them.
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March 1 marks the official end of the first phase of the ceasefire in Gaza. Phase two remains in doubt, unless all parties can start negotiations or extend the deadline for phase one.
Hamida Ghafour is The Globe’s Deputy Foreign Editor. She explains what has happened during the last six weeks, how hostage handovers have caused outrage in Israel and what could happen next.
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This Thursday, Ontario voters head to the polls for a provincial election that Premier Doug Ford called more than a year early. The threat of tariffs looms large, overshadowing traditional election issues like health care and affordability.
Jeff Gray is The Globe’s Ontario politics reporter. He’s on the show to talk about how tariffs shaped this election, how the parties are approaching the challenges facing Ontario and how Ford’s opponents are dealing with the uphill battle against him.
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Since returning to office, the Trump administration has taken aim at diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), with major American corporations scrapping their policies and programs in response. But the backlash goes beyond DEI — corporate climate commitments are under attack, too.
The progressive policies being rolled back fall under ESG (environmental, social and governance). ESG factors help businesses evaluate their practices related to sustainability and ethics, and help investors decide who to support. But with major political shifts taking place in the U.S., could Canada’s ESG boom go bust too?
Jeffrey Jones is the Globe’s ESG and sustainable finance reporter. He’ll explain the rise of ESG, the growing backlash, and whether we could see Canadian companies roll back their own environmental commitments in the coming months.
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As the new deadline for U.S. tariffs approaches, Canadian businesses are trying to suss out whether it’s possible for them to diversify their trading partners to help soften the blow if American demand dries up.
Chris Wilson-Smith – who writes The Globe’s daily Business Brief newsletter – recently looked into how feasible diversification is and found there are some significant barriers. But not all hope is lost.
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In this special weekend edition of The Decibel, two Canadian authors discuss their new memoirs on divorce.
Scaachi Koul is a senior writer at Slate, and co-hosts the podcast Scamfluencers, as well as the Netflix show Follow This. Her second book is called Sucker Punch: Essays, and is a collection of essays about her divorce, among many other life-changing events.
Haley Mlotek is a writer, editor, and organizer and has been published in the New York Times Magazine, The New Yorker and many other places. Her first book is called No Fault: a Memoir of Romance and Divorce.
Want more weekend editions of The Decibel? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
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Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump had a 90-minute phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin about the end of the war in Ukraine. That call ended three years of U.S. isolation of Russia – former President Joe Biden hadn’t spoken to Putin since before Russia invaded Ukraine – and caught Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Zelensky by surprise. Days later, U.S. and Russian officials met in Saudi Arabia to discuss a plan for the end of the war, once again, without Ukraine.
Mark MacKinnon is a senior international correspondent for the Globe. Today, he’s on the show to talk about how the relationship between the U.S. and Ukraine is deteriorating as the three-year anniversary of the war approaches, and what that signals for Ukraine’s future.
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Body weight often gets conflated with overall health, and the BMI — body mass index — has helped solidify that belief. But in recent years, the measurement has come under increased criticism. Some doctors have started using a new measurement of health called the body roundness index, or BRI.
But does BRI address the issues so many have with the BMI? And how do these measurements that tie weight and overall health together impact the experiences of fat people navigating the Canadian healthcare system?
Dr. Kelsey Ioannoni is a critical health sociologist and fat studies scholar. She studies weight based politics and discrimination. Dr. Ioannoni joins the show to explain the benefits and drawbacks of BRI, and if it could change people’s experiences in the doctor’s office.
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Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s government is facing scrutiny after serious allegations were in a wrongful dismissal lawsuit launched by Alberta Health Services’ former CEO, Athana Mentzelopoulos. The lawsuit alleges that government officials interfered with the health system on behalf of private firms. It also claims that Mentzelopoulos was fired because of “an internal investigation,” she was launched into how Alberta Health Services’ contracts are procured.
Carrie Tait, one of The Globe’s reporters covering Alberta, broke this story. She explains the allegations made against the government, their ties to for-profit medical companies and what Smith’s government has said publicly so far.
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Rates of cancer diagnosis and death are climbing worldwide in people under 50, according to the World Health Organization. A report, with data between 1990 and 2019 in 204 countries, showed early onset cancer grew 79 percent, while deaths also went up by 28 percent in the same time period.
We follow the stories of two cancer survivors along with Kelly Grant, The Globe’s national health reporter. She’ll detail what we know about why younger people are being diagnosed with cancer, the symptoms to look for and why fighting cancer at a young age carries new challenges for Millennials and Gen Xers.
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Less than a month into his second term, U.S. President Donald Trump has already threatened to impose tariffs on half a dozen allies and adversaries. This week, he announced incoming universal tariffs on steel and aluminum, along with reciprocal tariffs on a range of foreign imports at ‘different levels’.
But when and why did Trump decide that tariffs would be the centrepiece of his plan in redefining America’s role in the global trading system?
Mark Rendell is the Globe’s Economics Reporter. He’ll explain how Trump is using tariffs, its role in achieving his administration’s vision for U.S. trade, and whether all of this... could actually backfire.
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At universities across Canada, requests for disability accommodations are on the rise. Since the 2013-2014 school year – the number of students requesting accommodations – has doubled to 12 per cent. And at Queen’s University in Kingston, about one in four students now access accommodations. This aid is often a lifeline for students but schools are now struggling to keep up with demand.
Joe Friesen is the Globe’s postsecondary reporter. He’s on the show to talk about what’s driving this increase in requests for accommodation, and how universities may need to change their approach to students.
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Canada wants to position itself as a leader in the critical mineral industry, as the world becomes more reliant on renewable energy. But its young mining companies are struggling, due to a mix of factors including changes to the local investment landscape, heavy restrictions on money from Chinese investors and, according to some industry insiders, excessive red tape.
The struggle is particularly acute for mining companies in the middle stages of development, which is known in the industry as the “valley of death.”
The Globe’s mining reporter Niall McGee breaks down why companies are sounding the alarm, and what it means for Canada’s future in the industry.
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A connection to a bank is an important financial relationship – between chequing and savings accounts, mortgages and loans – they are crucial for paying off bills and for long-term planning.
But what happens when your bank dumps you? The practice is known as ‘debanking,’ and Canadian banks are turning to it more often when they suspect a customer is involved in criminal activity.
Erica Alini, the Globe’s personal economics reporter, explains why debanking is becoming more common and what can happen to someone who’s been ousted by their financial institution.
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For more than two years, the federal Conservatives have held a solid lead in the polls, and with the party bringing in a record-setting $41.7 million in donations last year, leader Pierre Poilievre looks poised to win the upcoming election.
But with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau resigning, U.S. President Donald Trump threatening tariffs and Liberal leadership candidates gaining some traction, the Conservatives are having to rethink their strategies.
Stephanie Levitz is a senior reporter with the Globe. She’s spoken with a dozen Conservatives, including MPs, strategists and organizers. Today, she’ll explain the new challenges the party is facing, and how they’re repositioning themselves within the shifting political landscape.
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The U.S. tariff threats against Canada may be on pause, but the reaction from many Canadians shows that the cross-border chaos struck a nerve. From an immediate pledge to boycott and ‘buy Canadian’, to political figures threatening to pull U.S. products from shelves, Canadians across the political spectrum decided to assert themselves against the might of the elephant south of the border.
Shannon Proudfoot, feature writer and columnist for The Globe, explores our collective Canadian identity and what the fallout from this week says about the nation’s psyche when we’re threatened by our closest ally.
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Influencer profiles often have recognizable hallmarks: their feeds are highly stylized, filled with aspirational content and product placement. One of the reasons that brands work with influencers is because they can speak to their audience from a place of authenticity. So how does that change when the influencer is not a real person?
Samantha Edwards is the Globe’s online culture reporter. She’s on the show to talk about the rise of virtual influencers created using artificial intelligence, and how that could change the way we interact with other users – real and AI-generated – online.
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There’s a fairly long list of public transit projects that have gone off the rails all across Canada. These projects often end up over budget and face multiple delays. Is this problem unique to Canada?
Oliver Moore is a journalist with The Globe who has covered transit issues for years. He explains why this phenomenon keeps happening and what public transit agencies can do about it.
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Hours before historic, damaging tariffs were set to be imposed between Canada and the U.S., the two nations stepped back from the brink.
The Globe’s international correspondent, Nathan VanderKlippe, joins the show to break down the phone call that led to the 30-day pause, Canada’s increased measures at the border, and what may be the beginning of a troubling trend: Trump threatening tariffs to get whatever he wants.
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The economies of Canada and the United States are on a collision course. On Saturday, U.S. President Donald Trump signed off on 25 per cent tariffs to be imposed on all Canadian goods, beginning February 4. In response, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau levelled tariffs back toward the U.S., warning that “the coming weeks will be difficult for Canadians and they will be difficult for Americans.” The trade war effectively transforms a decades-long economic partnership, with serious implications for millions of workers.
Jason Kirby is reporter for The Globe and Mail and Report on Business section. He breaks down the details of the tariffs, what it will mean for major industries and why this fight will likely send Canada into a recession.
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If it seems like everyone you know is sick right now, that’s because respiratory virus season is in full swing. On top of influenza, COVID-19 and RSV, this year, medical professionals are seeing a surge of norovirus cases – also known as ‘winter vomiting disease.’
Alanna Smith is a health reporter with the Globe. Every week, she’s publishing data on respiratory virus season across the country, including links to resources about where you can get vaccinated. Today, she’s on the show to talk about what the spread of illnesses looks like in Canada, how hospitals are affected, how to best prevent illness, and what you need to know about avian flu.
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Ontario is officially in an election campaign. Voters will go to the polls on February 27 – more than a year before they were supposed to cast their votes. So what is behind this early snap election? And will Premier Doug Ford’s political calculations pay off?
Laura Stone covers Ontario politics for The Globe. She is on the show to explain what Doug Ford has said about why he is calling this early election, what the other party leaders think is actually behind his decision and political insiders are talking about the 1990 election in Ontario.
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After an 18-month long public inquiry, the final report on foreign interference in Canada has been released. Justice Marie-Josée Hogue’s seven-volume report weighs in on allegations of parliamentarians participating in foreign interference, outlines concerning examples of when foreign states have tried to influence our elections and gives 51 recommendations on what to do about it.
Steven Chase is the Globe’s senior parliamentary reporter. His reporting over the years with colleague Robert Fife uncovered allegations of foreign interference before the inquiry even started. Today on the show, he breaks down the key findings of the public inquiry and what the report says should be done to counter further attempts to interfere with Canadian democracy.
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Phase one of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has been in place for just over a week, but so far, it has been incredibly fragile. In the first days of the ceasefire, Israel released 90 Palestinian prisoners, and Hamas released three Israeli hostages. On the second weekend, two hundred Palestinian prisoners were released, as were four Israeli hostages.
But the deal hit a snag on Saturday, when Palestinians were set to return to northern Gaza. When Hamas did not release Arbel Yehoud, one of the hostages Israel was expecting, Israel kept the corridor closed. On Monday morning, Qatar announced Hamas will return Yehoud this week, along with two other hostages, and Palestinians began returning to northern Gaza.
Janice Dickson is the Globe’s international affairs reporter, and she’s been reporting from Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Ramallah over the last week. She’s on the show to talk about how the ceasefire has been playing out for people on the ground, and what’s been happening in the West Bank in the meantime.
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Donald Trump is not a fan of international coalitions. He is also not a fan of intelligence agencies. And yet, the U.S. is the biggest member of the Five Eyes network – one of the world’s most powerful spying operations. As a second Trump administration begins in Washington, Canada and the other Five Eyes countries await to see what will happen.
Richard Kerbaj is a journalist and author. His new book is called The Secret History of the Five Eyes: The Untold Story of The International Spy Network. He explains Canada’s role in the Five Eyes, how the alliance has evolved over the years and whether it can withstand another Trump presidency.
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When we think of shoplifting, we often picture teens getting caught at the mall stealing lip gloss, or people bypassing the scanner at the grocery self-checkout. But in recent years, retail theft has gotten more serious, and much more organized.
Stores are facing an uptick in targeted, large-scale stealing, with a growing number becoming violent.
Globe retailing reporter, Susan Krashinsky Robertson, explains how much this increase is costing Canadian businesses, what police and retailers are doing about it, and why some people have complicated feelings around this kind of crime.
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The wildfires in Los Angeles have caused massive devastation over the past two weeks and may end up being the most expensive natural disaster in U.S. history. That will likely increase insurance rates, not just in the United States, but also in Canada.
Salman Farooqui writes for the Globe and Mail’s Report on Business. He explains why American disasters could affect Canadians’ insurance premiums, and how Canada’s insurance industry is adapting to record levels of extreme weather damage.
You can find the Impact Centre for Climate Adaptation’s resources on reducing risks to your home from climate change events: https://www.intactcentreclimateadaptation.ca/
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It’s been over three months since the U.S. Department of Justice announced that TD Bank had pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering. After paying a US$3-billion fine, Canada’s second largest bank is now shaking up its senior-most ranks of leadership.
Stefanie Marotta is The Globe and Mail’s banking reporter. She explains what prompted the early departure of TD’s CEO, how this money laundering scandal could affect TD customers and what the ripple effects might be for the entire Canadian banking industry.
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The Liberal leadership race is on – and its biggest candidates are in. Former deputy prime minister and finance minister Chrystia Freeland, House Leader Karina Gould and former governor of the Bank of Canada Mark Carney all launched their campaigns this past week.
The shortened leadership race will see the deeply unpopular party select Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s replacement as figures like Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and U.S. President Donald Trump loom large.
The Globe’s senior reporter Stephanie Levitz joins us from Ottawa. She’ll take us through the top contenders, the challenges ahead for the candidates and the choice the Liberal Party has to make ahead of a federal election – a leader who can rebuild, or one who can go toe-to-toe with Poilievre?
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For months, Donald Trump has threatened economic pain on Canada, with tariffs of up to 25 per cent on imports. This could begin as early as today, when he’s inaugurated as U.S. president. Canada has said that nothing is off the table when it comes to its response — whether that’s dollar-for-dollar tariffs or blocking oil exports. But with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announcing he will resign and a Liberal leadership campaign underway, premiers have been stepping forward to take a more prominent role in the ‘Team Canada’ approach.
By day, Jeff Gray covers Ontario politics for the Globe, but in his free time, he coaches House League hockey – so he understands how delicate team dynamics can be. He’s on the show today to talk about how premiers have been filling the leadership vacuum, and how they are dealing with conflicting interests in an attempt to show a united front against Trump.
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The mood in Israel and Gaza turned from celebratory to uncertain in the hours after a ceasefire deal was announced. The day after the deal was made public, Israel continued air strikes in Gaza and then delayed a vote on the deal. But by the end of Thursday, it looked like the process may be back on track.
Thomas Juneau is a professor of public and international affairs at the University of Ottawa. He explains what we know about the deal so far, and how the most difficult part of this ceasefire has yet to happen.
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In February, 2024, Megan Garcia’s 14-year-old son Sewell took his own life.
As she tried to make sense of what happened, Megan discovered that Sewell had fallen in love with a chatbot on Character.AI – an app where you can talk to chatbots designed to sound like historical figures or fictional characters. Now Megan is suing Character.AI, alleging that Sewell developed a “harmful dependency” on the chatbot that, coupled with a lack of safeguards, ultimately led to her son’s death.
They’ve also named Google in the suit, alleging that the technology that underlies Character.AI was developed while the founders were working at Google. ‘Machines Like Us’ reached out to Character.AI and Google about this story. Google did not respond to request for comment and a spokesperson for Character .AI said “we do not comment on pending litigation.”
Host Taylor Owen spoke to Megan Garcia and her lawyer, Meetali Jain, to talk about her son and how chatbots are becoming a part of our lives – and the lives of children.
If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, support is available 24-7 by calling or texting 988, Canada’s national suicide prevention helpline.
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If you kicked off 2025 making personal finance resolutions, it can be hard to know where to start. That question is made more difficult when factoring in all the uncertainty around how the tariffs that incoming U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to enact will affect our economy.
Rob Carrick is the Globe’s personal finance columnist and co-host of Stress Test, the Globe’s personal finance podcast for Gen Z and millennials. He’s on the show to talk about what to expect from the year ahead in personal finance, whether you’re looking to get on top of your investments, establish an emergency fund, or dip your toe into the housing market.
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Cowgirls love the rodeo just as much as cowboys, but for the better part of the past century, there’s only been one event for women — until now. Breakaway roping, dubbed the fastest event in rodeo, has swept competitions across North America, and is corralling more space for cowgirls in the process.
The Globe’s Jana Pruden was at the 50th Canadian Finals Rodeo this fall, where the second-ever women’s event was showcased at the country’s biggest rodeo for the first time. She speaks with Canadian breakaway ropers and gives us a sense of the history of women in rodeo, and just how hard they’ve worked to rope and ride alongside the cowboys.
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Dry January – when people decide to consume no alcohol – is a common new year resolution for many. But this month, the U.S. Surgeon General gave the public another reason to take stock of their drinking habits. They recommended that warning labels of cancer risks should be placed on alcohol containers, akin to the labelling on cigarette packaging.
Dr. Adam Sherk, senior scientist and Special Policy Advisor at the Canadian Centre in Substance Use and Addiction joins the podcast to explain the push for warnings on alcohol and what the latest science tells us about the definitive links between alcohol and a number of cancers.
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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s resignation earlier this week came after months of people calling for him to step down. How he will be remembered will largely depend on what comes next – how the Liberal party moves forward, what the next government does, and how Trudeau himself writes his next chapter.
Campbell Clark is the Globe’s chief political writer. Today, he joins The Decibel for a look back at Trudeau’s career from the very beginning: the rise to the top, the long fall from grace, and what may come to define his legacy.
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Beyond picking a new leader, the federal Liberals also need to repair their reputation with voters – while continuing to run the government as Donald Trump ratchets up his pressure on Canada. And they have about 75 days to do all this.
Shannon Proudfoot is an Ottawa-based feature writer for The Globe and Mail. She’s on the show to talk about the existential questions the party is grappling with at this moment, and how it compares to past times when the party has found itself in the political wilderness.
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When Trudeau announced his plan to resign on Monday morning, he also shut down Parliament until March 24, giving the Liberal Party time to select a new leader. A confidence vote will follow shortly after the House returns, almost certainly triggering a spring election.
Bill Curry is the Globe’s Deputy Ottawa Bureau Chief. He’s on the show to talk about how the government proceeds from here – what happens to the bills that haven’t been passed yet, like proposed changes to the capital gains tax, what we can expect when the House returns, and what all of the political upheaval means for how Canada deals with the incoming Trump administration.
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After three federal election wins and just over nine years in office, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his resignation on Monday. Trudeau had been facing mounting pressure within his party to step down, after many months of polls showing dwindling public support for the Liberal party and several key by-election losses.
Now, the Liberal Party has to choose a new leader while Parliament is prorogued.
The Globe’s senior political reporter Marieke Walsh joins The Decibel to explain what led to Trudeau’s exit and what comes next as political uncertainty now looms over Canada.
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When it comes to enrolling your kids in extracurricular activities, how many is too many? Is there such a thing as over-scheduling your kids? Parenting experts say ‘yes,’ and that doing so can have long-term negative effects on your children.
Amberly McAteer is a contributing columnist for The Globe and Mail who recently looked into what the research says about programming activities for your kids, how long we’ve been ignoring expert advice, and what it means for their well-being.
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Neal’s Yard Dairy, a cheese distributor in England, has been an essential part of the artisanal cheddar revival in the United Kingdom. In October 2024, they announced that 22 tonnes of artisanal cheddar — about 300,000 pounds worth, or around CAD$541,000 — had been stolen from them.
Paul Waldie is the Globe’s Europe correspondent, based in London. Today, he’s on the show to talk about how this scam unfolded… and why someone might go after cheddar cheese, of all things.
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Life is noisy and stressful for a lot of people. And so sound baths – where a practitioner creates harmonies and chords with singing crystal bowls – are growing in popularity. Many people say that this provides them with a deep sense of relaxation. But what does the science say?
Today on the show, Menaka tries a sound bath to see what it’s like. Later, Dave McGinn explains the hype around this wellness trend. And then, music therapy professor Dr. Heidi Ahonen from Wilfrid Laurier University explains what we know about the therapeutic benefits of sound.
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Point Pelee National Park juts out into Lake Erie like a finger, as every spring thousands of birds touch down on it. It’s a key stop along their migratory routes from the southern U.S., Central and South America to northern Canada.
But climate change has been shifting the conditions of migration, making it harder for some birds and ultimately affecting bird populations, which are already in steep decline. Decibel host Menaka Raman-Wilms, producer Rachel Levy-McLaughlin and Globe and Mail columnist Marcus Gee headed to Point Pelee to see spring migration up close.
A special thanks to Matt Fuirst and Birds Canada, and, as well as, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, who provided some sounds from their Macaulay Library in this episode.
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Distance running, once a relatively niche sport, has exploded in popularity. The trend has been ongoing for at least a decade, but 2024′s running season may be the biggest one yet. Marathon race organizers are expecting record participation in races this year, both in Canada and in cities around the world.
Today, Ben Kaplan, general manager of iRun Magazine, Allison Hill, co-founder of Hill Run Club, and members of The Decibel’s own running club explain how the sport has grown more inclusive and diverse, drawing in a whole new generation of runners.
This episode originally aired on May 1, 2024.
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Justin Trudeau’s poll numbers have been bad for a while. The Liberals have lost two crucial by-elections and are trailing behind the Conservatives in seat projections. They just lost the support of the NDP. The shine seems to have completely come off the nine-year-old government. And yet, Trudeau remains defiant. Why?
The Globe’s Shannon Proudfoot set out to determine why, in the face of increasingly long odds, some politicians can’t seem to read the writing piling up on the wall. She spoke to former Ontario premier Kathleen Wynne and a pollster on the disastrous 1993 Progressive Conservative campaign to find answers.
This episode originally aired on October 4, 2024.
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Food and family are often front and centre during the holidays. These two ingredients also help make up our identities and cultures.
So today, The Decibel is sharing stories of finding family through the act of baking.
This episode originally aired on December 22, 2023.
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Ranging from childhood phone calls, to serenading strangers, to feasting on the darkest day of the year, we explore how traditions help connect us and celebrate the season.
To end the year, we wanted to take a break from the endless cycle of bad news and share with you a series of stories about holiday traditions.
This episode orginally aired on December 23, 2022.
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At this time of year, there’s nothing better than settling in with a good Christmas movie. When it comes to the made-for-TV variety – usually made by Hallmark, or, Netflix – they tend to follow a formula: girl from the big city ends up in a small town, connects with a local guy, they encounter a series of surmountable obstacles, and eventually, end up together – with a heavy sprinkle of holiday magic.
A lot of these movies are filmed in and around Almonte, a town about 40 minutes west of Ottawa. It’s been used so many times that SNL mentioned that they’re all “filmed in a month in Ottawa” in a 2017 sketch, and the New York Times profiled the town back in 2020. According to the municipality, 24 movies have been shot there since 2015.
The town has a sparkle that shines through in these movies… and our producers wondered whether that sparkle was as bright in real life. In this holiday special episode, The Decibel goes to Almonte to see if the town is as full of Christmas magic as it is on screen.
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As new details around the feud between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his former deputy prime minister Chrystia Freeland emerge, the Liberal caucus gathered on Tuesday to awkwardly celebrate the holidays. The fete came after the final two days of the fall sitting of Parliament where a lot happened.
John Ibbitson is a columnist and reporter based in Ottawa for The Globe. He goes through what we’ve learned since Monday about Freeland’s resignation, everything you missed about the Fall Economic Statement and where the Liberals could go in 2025.
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In July, there was a recall on two specific brands of plant-based milks, Silk and Great Value, after a listeria outbreak that led to at least 20 illnesses and three deaths. Public health officials determined the same strain of listeria had been making people sick for almost a year. When Globe reporters began looking into what happened, they found a surprising fact: the facility that the bacteria was traced to had not been inspected for listeria in years. So how did this happen?
They also learned that in 2019 the Canadian Food Inspection Agency introduced a new system that relies on an algorithm to prioritize sites for inspectors to visit. Investigative reporters Grant Robertson and Kathryn Blaze Baum talk about why this new system of tracking was created, and what went wrong.
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On Monday morning, Chrystia Freeland announced she was stepping down as finance minister. This came after reports of increasing tensions between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau over the GST break and $250 cheques. She posted her letter on X just after 9 a.m., on the day when she was supposed to deliver the fall economic statement.
Later, after a day of speculation and confusion, the Liberals tabled the fall economic update, and MP Dominic LeBlanc was sworn in as finance minister to replace Freeland. The day ended with a Liberal caucus meeting, where Trudeau’s leadership was put into question.
Globe and Mail senior political reporter Marieke Walsh is on the show to walk us through a chaotic day on Parliament Hill and tell us what this could all mean for the Liberal government.
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Immigration policy indirectly shapes a lot of aspects of Canadian life: the economy, the housing market, the labour force. And in 2024, the federal government made a major policy change by cutting immigration targets. In doing so, it acknowledged that the balance they had previously struck was not quite right.
So The Globe and Mail’s Editorial Board studied the issue and looked at ways Canada can improve the system and restore the balance. Editorials Editor Patrick Brethour explains.
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After 13 years of civil war, the now-former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad fled the country, as his dictatorship unravelled in less than two weeks. Many Syrians celebrated as the rebel group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, laid claim to the capital city of Damascus this week. But the future of the country remains uncertain as different factions inside the country – and global superpowers outside of it – consider what comes next.
Mark MacKinnon, The Globe’s Senior International Correspondent, explains how the al-Assad regime fell apart suddenly and how the influence of Iran, Israel, Turkey, the U.S. and Russia are all in competition in a volatile region.
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For 180 years, The Globe and Mail has covered the biggest issues and events in Canada. To commemorate its history, editor John Ibbitson and more than two dozen Globe and Mail journalists dug into the archives to answer the question: “how did the Globe’s coverage intersect with Canada and influence its story?”. The answer to that question can be found in the new book, ‘A Nation’s Paper: The Globe and Mail in the Life of Canada.
Menaka Raman-Wilms hosted a panel discussion in front of a live audience with Ibbitson and Globe reporters Ann Hui and Kelly Grant about the essays they wrote, the times the Globe was ahead of the curve and the instances where the paper got it wrong.
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Librela, a new drug to treat arthritis pain in dogs, was approved for use in Canada in 2021. In some cases, it was described to owners as a “miracle drug”, with no side effects other than potential soreness and swelling at the injection site. Some owners describe their dogs seeming happier and more comfortable. But others have reported adverse reactions, including lethargy, disorientation, vomiting, and even death. Zoetis, Librela’s parent company, says Librela is safe and was rigorously tested.
Susan Krashinsky Robertson is a business reporter for the Globe. She spoke to eight people whose pets’ health declined after taking Librela. She’s on the show to talk about the promise of Librela, and what she heard from pet owners and veterinarians about the drug.
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This week, the Ontario government will be tabling new legislation that promises to give police more powers to arrest people who refuse to leave their homeless encampments. And to avoid potential legal challenges, Premier Doug Ford is threatening to use the notwithstanding clause if he has to.
Jeff Gray covers Ontario politics and he explains what prompted this response from the Ford government and the consequences of the province potentially using the notwithstanding clause in this way.
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In November, Canada’s first case of avian flu in a human was confirmed – a teenager in British Columbia, who remains in critical care and on a ventilator. Dozens of cases have been reported in the U.S. too, as it appears transmission from infected animals to people has increased. Some scientists and public health officials have warned that this virus has potential to be the source of the next pandemic.
André Picard, the Globe’s health columnist, joins the show to talk about the hard-won lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic and why we should be paying attention to what comes next with avian flu.
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Martial law. Impeachment. A treason investigation. All of this has happened within a matter of hours in South Korea.
The Globe and Mail’s Asia Correspondent James Griffiths is in Seoul covering it. He explains what led to all this political tumult and who South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is – the person at the centre of it all.
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A November Abacus Data poll found that 38 per cent of millennial voters are planning on voting for the Conservatives, compared with 22 per cent for the Liberals, in the next federal election. This is a major shift from when millennials clinched Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s first majority win in 2015.
Globe and Mail reporter Dave McGinn dug into the polling data and spoke with millennials who have soured on the Liberals to understand exactly what changed.
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More than 55,000 members from the Canadian Union of Postal Workers remain on strike and at an impasse with Canada Post, after negotiations broke down. Issues of wage increases and usage of gig workers are at the heart of the dispute and the two sides remain far apart. But in recent strikes involving public sector workers, that didn’t seem to matter — not when the federal government can intervene and send them back to work.
As postal workers enter the third week of striking, will the federal government soon step in? And what does this strike say about the labour movement right now and unions’ right to strike in Canada?
Vanmala Subramaniam, The Globe’s Future of Work reporter, is on the show to talk about the latest on the Canada Post strike, how it fits with other essential services taking work action and how governments intervene in work stoppages.
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An investigation by The Globe and Mail found that spying was an ingrained part of the celebrated women’s national team rocked by scandal at the Paris Olympics. But the revelation of a spying program uncovered many other problems inside the Canada Soccer organization.
Globe reporters Nancy Macdonald and Greg Mercer explain what their investigation found, how the scandal has affected players and what Canada Soccer is doing to address allegations.
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Last month, former Prime Minister Stephen Harper re-entered the headlines, after being appointed to chair the board of AIMCo, the Alberta Investment Management Corporation. His return followed mass upheaval at the company – with the Alberta government abruptly firing most of its senior leadership and board members.
AIMCo is responsible for managing hundreds of thousands of public-sector pensions, totaling more than $169 billion. What is happening at Canada’s sixth largest pension fund manager and what does it mean for these pensions?
James Bradshaw is the Globe’s institutional investing reporter. He’ll explain the shake up at AIMCo and why the separation of government from public pension funds is at stake.
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This week, Israel and Hezbollah – the Iran-backed armed group in Lebanon – reached a ceasefire deal. A day later, both accused the other of violating the peace.
But the fragile agreement, brokered by the U.S. and France, appears to be holding for now. And while Israel and Hezbollah have agreed to halt their fighting, the war Israel is fighting in Gaza with Hamas continues.
Eric Reguly, the Globe’s European Bureau Chief, has reported from Lebanon during the war. He joins the show to explain what led to this deal, what could help it succeed, and if this could create momentum for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
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President-elect Donald Trump is making threats that would have dire economic consequences for Canada. Trump said on Monday that he would impose a 25 per cent tariff on all goods from Canada and Mexico, until both countries stop migrants and fentanyl from entering the U.S. If he follows through on this, it could cause a major disruption for Canada’s economy, and some fear it could trigger a recession.
The Globe’s senior parliamentary reporter Steven Chase has been tracking the political fallout of the announcement. He explains how Trump’s plan puts pressure on various sectors of the Canadian economy and how Trudeau and the federal government are planning to face it.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
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The war in Ukraine has been intensifying after a series of escalations in the last week. And as a result of that, Ukrainian forces are entering the ‘most difficult’ phase of the war since it started, according to The Globe’s Mark MacKinnon.
Mark explains how Russia’s recent nuclear sabre-rattling by Russian President Vladimir Putin, U.S. President Joe Biden’s decision to allow Ukraine to fire American long-range missiles into Russia and the looming inauguration of Donald Trump have accelerated all fronts of the war.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
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In recent years, cyber attacks have become increasingly frequent and wide-reaching. In 2023, the Toronto Public Library, Canada’s largest-circulation library system, was the subject of a ransomware attack. Its systems were down for months, and the library was taken back to a pre-internet age. Now, hackers are turning to water treatment plants – and it’s not money they’re after.
Patrick White is the Globe’s water reporter. He’s on the show to talk about how these attacks have been unfolding, why they look different from other kinds of infrastructure hacks, and how governments are preparing for this new threat.
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Last Thursday, the Liberals announced a multibillion-dollar plan to help improve the cost of living. It includes a 2-month break from GST on dozens of products and services – from restaurant meals and liquor, to children’s toys and diapers – and a one-time $250 cheque for working Canadians.
But it’s unclear exactly how these measures will get through the House of Commons, which has been the site of a months-long stalemate.
Today, the Globe’s senior political reporter, Marieke Walsh, is here to explain what’s included in this tax break, the impact these changes could have on household expenses, and the politics at play.
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There’s an experiment underway in Kingston, Ont. The regional health care team is starting to assign people without a doctor to nearby clinics based on their postal code. And one of those clinics has adopted a different way to serve patients and doctors. It’s called a health home.
But is this a feasible solution for an overstressed health care system? Kelly Grant, national health reporter for The Globe and Mail, reports on this new model, how it’s working in Kingston and what it could mean for the rest of Canada.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
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Taylor Swift starts the second week of her Eras tour in Toronto today. And since the record-breaking tour landed in the city, it’s been the site of Swiftie pandemonium.
Tens of thousands have travelled for the concerts, and even a number of out-of-town Swifties without tickets took the trip. The kind of dedication Taylor Swift attracts is rare, even as pop-star fandoms become more fervent. So what’s so special about Taylor Swift? And what sets her fandom apart from others?
Niko Stratis is a freelance culture writer based in Toronto who writes the newsletter Anxiety Shark. Her debut book, The Dad Rock That Made Me a Woman, will be out May, 2025. Niko joins us to explain the sensation of Taylor Swift, why being a fan has become more intense, and how it changed the relationships between artists and their fans.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
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In the midst of the Israel-Hamas war, the idea of lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians seems farther away than it has been in a long time. But there are still people working to create the conditions for a two-state solution; among those are Canadian troops, working in the West Bank in a mission called Operation Proteus.
Claire Porter Robbins is a freelance journalist and former aid worker. She’s on the show to talk about what Canadian soldiers are doing in the West Bank, how the operation has changed since October 7, and what it means for the prospects of a two-state solution.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
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In the small Newfoundland community of Portugal Cove south, the town church is considered its lifeblood, a community hub and historical touchstone, all rolled into one. But at the end of August, parishioners were told their church would be sold off to help the Roman Catholic Church pay a $104 million settlement.
And when locals learned they couldn’t stop the sale, they took matters into their own hands.
Today, the Globe’s Atlantic reporter, Lindsay Jones joins the podcast to tell the story of a small Newfoundland town seizing their own church, the historic court case it’s connected to, and how this standoff between one tiny town and the Roman Catholic Church, could end.
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When the pandemic hit, nearly 40 per cent of Canada’s workforce went remote. More than four years later, that number has dropped by more than half.
In a moment when bosses push for a return to the office – and workers cling to hybrid schedules – we’re learning just how much remote work has changed our habits, routines … and personal hygiene.
Globe reporter Zosia Bielski recently turned her focus to examining our relationship with time: time use at work, unpaid labour and our hours off the clock. She joins the podcast to explain what researchers have learned about productivity in Canada and abroad, and how the fight over remote work is about how we use our time and what power our employers have over it.
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The Decibel presents ‘Lately’, a Globe and Mail podcast taking on shifts in business, tech and economy with newsmakers and thinkers.
In this episode, award-winning journalist Luc Rinaldi takes us behind the curtain of Big Tobacco’s machinations to report on how an industry built on addiction is looking to reinvent itself for the wellness age. His cover story on the topic appears in this month’s edition of the Globe and Mail’s Report on Business Magazine.
New episodes of ‘Lately’ hosted by Vass Bednar are available every Friday.
After nearly two years of touring across five continents, Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour is coming to Canada. Thursday is the first of six dates in Toronto, and the tour will wrap up with three dates in Vancouver in December. When the Eras Tour rolls through town, money tends to follow; fans and concert-goers spend on merch, hotels, restaurants… and of course, tickets. Tickets make for attractive auction items, and people fundraising for charitable causes have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars.
For some people, thousands of Swifties descending upon downtown Toronto can be more like a ‘nightmare dressed like a daydream.’ Public transit systems, like Metrolinx and the TTC, say they’re ‘ready for it,’ but that amount of people will no doubt make getting around the city a challenge. Even couples planning their weddings were warned against booking dates while Swift is in town.
Josh O’Kane is here to break down how businesses are getting in on the fun, and how to make the most of the Eras Tour weekends, whether or not you’re a Swiftie.
The Globe has created Taylor Swift playlists for every type of listener: for people who want to rock out to her greatest hits, to the elder millennials who loved her since high school, to the songs to put your kids to sleep, to the ones who are soundtracking their walk to the stadium with swagger, to the sneaky covers to convert the non-Swifties and ending with the classic, lyrical ballads to make you shed a tear. https://open.spotify.com/user/kswfenu8tkbjszl0ebou72cgq/playlists
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
Alberta and Texas have a lot in common. Both have independent western cultures, great country music, and each lead their countries in oil production.
And over the past decade, they’ve both been the unlikely hosts to the multibillion-dollar renewable energy boom – with swaths of the Texas and Alberta energy grids going green. But while Texas becomes a leader, Alberta is changing course.
Jeffrey Jones, a Calgary-based reporter with The Globe’s Report on Business, took road trips through both vistas to learn how and why these oil-producing regions became hubs for clean energy, and what’s behind Texas’s green surge and Alberta’s slowdown.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
Before Nov. 5, many pollsters predicted that there would be a huge gender gap in the U.S. election vote, with women overwhelmingly supporting Democratic candidate Kamala Harris and men voting for the Republican choice, Donald Trump.
That didn’t quite happen. Fifty three per cent of female voters supported Harris, and 46 per cent voted for Trump. In 2020, 55 per cent of women supported Joe Biden, and Trump only got 43 per cent of the female vote. So what does this mean?
Dr. S. Laurel Weldon is a distinguished professor of political science at Simon Fraser University and a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. She is on the show to share her thoughts on what to make of gender data from exit polls and where feminist movements go from here.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
Murray Sinclair died last week at the age of 73. As a trail-blazing judge, senator and chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, he spent his life revealing the truth about Canada’s relationship with Indigenous people.
Globe columnist Tanya Talaga was a friend of Sinclair’s, and often turned to him for guidance and mentorship. She joins us to reflect on his legacy and the work that’s still to be done.
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Donald Trump’s path to victory hinged on seven swing states. He won five decisively, and is leading in the final two. Republicans now control the Senate, are on track to control the House, and for the first time since 2004, a Republican president won the popular vote, too.
Immigration was one of the key issues among Trump voters — 37 per cent saw it as the most important issue in the election. It was also one of Trump’s biggest talking points at rallies, and crucially, at the September debate with Kamala Harris. His notorious line about immigrants eating people’s pets in Springfield, Ohio, lit up his supporters — and incited many of them to descend upon the town in droves.
Shannon Proudfoot is a feature writer for the Globe, and she went to Springfield in the days leading up to the election. She’s on the show to talk about the Springfield she got to know – behind all the hype – and how the story of Springfield can help us understand how the issue of immigration played out among voters across the country.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
The U.S. Surgeon General recently issued a health advisory saying that 48 per cent of parents with kids under 18 are completely overwhelmed by their stress. Most of those stressed out parents are moms – and some of those moms are turning to microdosing psilocybin to cope.
Amberly McAteer is a Toronto-based writer and former editor in The Globe and Mail’s Opinion section. She looked into this trend and explains how parenting now is more stressful than in past generations, and explores what the consequences might be of microdosing an illegal, unregulated substance.
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The United States have never seen an election like this before. It began as a rematch between Joe Biden and Donald Trump, but after Biden’s debate performance back in June, he made the unprecedented move of withdrawing from the race. Vice President Kamala Harris stepped in to become the Democratic nominee, and the second debate in September looked a lot different.
Results trickled in last night for this nail biter of an election, with the outcome hinging on seven swing states.
The 2024 U.S. presidential election may be over, but as of 2 a.m. ET on November 6, the winner hadn’t been officially declared.
On today’s show, The Decibel is hosting an election night watch party, featuring Globe journalists in the newsroom and on the ground in key swing states. We’ll hear from international correspondent Nathan VanderKlippe, calling in from Georgia, and reporter Andrea Woo, calling in from Arizona. Patrick Dell checks up on disinformation, and columnist Doug Saunders joins Menaka Raman-Wilms in the studio to watch the results roll in.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
The Inflation Reduction Act was passed after a contentious fight in the U.S. Congress, narrowly passing along partisan lines. The bill committed almost US$370-billion in tax credits and spending by the federal government on clean energy projects. It has become one of the Biden administration’s signature legislative wins.
And yet, it hasn’t really been mentioned in this year’s presidential campaign. The Globe’s climate policy analyst Adam Radwanski wanted to understand why. So he travelled to Georgia – where a large number of IRA investments have led to a strong clean energy sector – to find out why.
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For more than a month, the government has not been able to pass any legislation. The House of Commons has been at a standstill, as they debate whether the Liberal government breached Parliamentary privilege.
The Globe’s senior politics reporter Marieke Walsh talks about why the House has been unable to put this debate to rest, and why that’s leading to no movement in the House. She also catches us up on the latest news around Trudeau’s leadership of the Liberal Party and what the Bloc Québecois ending its support for the Liberals means for our chances of an election.
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Dr. Farouq Samim cried as the Taliban swept back into power in 2021. While he was safe in Ottawa, many members of his family were stranded – and at risk of death – back in Afghanistan. Determined to do something, he paired up with two lawyers he didn’t know to launch a secret mission: Operation Abraham.
The Globe’s International Affairs reporter, Janice Dickson, got inside access on how this rescue effort ended up saving over 1,500 people over three years despite bureaucratic hurdles and increasing threats.
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In 2019, Nova Scotia’s then-Liberal government passed the Coastal Protection Act — legislation that would have brought in regulations around building near the coast. In 2021, the Conservatives were voted into power, and it sounded like they were keen to keep the Act in place.
But in February 2024, Nova Scotia’s government announced that they wouldn’t. Instead, the responsibility for regulating coastal development would be downloaded onto municipalities, and in some cases, even homeowners.
Matthew McClearn is a data journalist for the Globe’s energy and environment team. He’s on the show to talk about what Nova Scotia’s abandonment of the Coastal Protection Act tells us about their approach to climate adaptation, and what happens when a province makes climate change an issue of personal responsibility.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
On October 14, the RCMP shared explosive allegations linking Indian government officials to homicides, extortions and coercion committed against Canadians, on Canadian soil. The RCMP said 30 people had been charged so far, and Ottawa announced it was expelling 6 Indian diplomats.
Since the escalation, The Globe has learned the lengths Ottawa and the RCMP went to, to avoid worsening tensions between the countries.
The Globe’s Ottawa Bureau Chief, Robert Fife, takes us inside the behind-the-scenes meetings that led to Canada’s escalation, how far up this goes in the Indian government, and what this all means for the future of Canada and India’s relationship.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
The U.S. election is a week away, and tensions are running high. Polls show Harris and Trump as more or less deadlocked. America’s Electoral College means the presidency is won one state at a time — and in a country that vast, it’s hard to capture the nuances of the race in the snapshot of a poll.
That’s why the Globe’s feature writer, Ian Brown, got on a Greyhound bus in downtown Los Angeles, and headed east for New York City. He and photographer Barbara Davidson traveled from the deserts of the Southwest to the dairy farms of Wisconsin to try to understand what people were thinking about the election. Ian’s on the show to talk about how taking the bus shaped his thinking about American politics, and he shares some excerpts from his feature on the trip.
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On Thursday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a major reduction in the number of permanent residents the country will admit over the next three years, saying his government had not gotten the balance between labour needs and population growth “quite right.”
In 2025 and 2026, the government had initially planned to bring in 500,000 permanent residents – now, they’ve set a target of 395,000 and 380,000, respectively. In 2027, that target is 365,000 permanent residents. This signifies a major policy reversal for the Trudeau government – and would mean that Canada’s net population is projected to decline by 0.2 per cent per year over the next two years.
Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, joins us to discuss why the government is cutting Canada’s immigration targets, and why he says Canadians should trust the Liberals to fix the problem.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
14 years ago, a young woman disappeared in Edmonton... two years later, police released a chilling recording from the final moments of her life. Ever since she heard it, The Globe’s Jana Pruden hasn’t been able to shake the voices of Amber Tuccaro and the man suspected of killing her, so she took a trip to Amber’s home community of Fort Chipewyan, Alberta to look into the case.
Jana joins the show to share how and why she made the second season of In Her Defence: 50th Street, and what she learned reporting on Amber’s unsolved murder.
You can listen to season two of In Her Defence wherever you get your podcasts.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has said he will impose 10 to 20 per cent tariffs on everything the U.S. imports. This would include, it seems, all of the goods and resources Canada sells to its biggest trading partner. And that kind of tariff wall could have serious effects across the Canadian economy.
Adrian Morrow is the U.S. correspondent based in Washington, D.C., for The Globe and Mail. He looked at exactly which parts of the Canadian economy would be hit the hardest, how much each Canadian could stand to lose on average and what Canada is doing to prepare for this possible scenario.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
Last week, the Assembly of First Nations voted to reject a $47.8-billion child welfare deal with the federal government. The agreement would have funded long-term reforms to child welfare for First Nations children on reserve. Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak, the AFN National Chief, urged the chiefs to pass the deal so that it would be in place before the next federal election.
Dr. Cindy Blackstock is a member of the Gitxsan First Nation and the Executive Director of the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society. She’s on the show to talk about how this deal was more than a decade in the making and why she and others say it fell short.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
On October 22, 2014, a man named Michael Zehaf-Bibeau entered Parliament Hill, killing Canadian soldier Nathan Cirillo and catching security off guard.
On the 10th anniversary of what was later deemed a terror attack — and with security risks for politicians only growing — the Globe’s national affairs reporter, Kristy Kirkup, joins The Decibel to revisit the events of that day, sharing stories of responders, and explaining how Parliament Hill changed because of it.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
Ivan Semeniuk is The Globe’s science reporter and today on the show he takes us on a tour of our solar system – and beyond! We start with the news of the Europa Clipper and its search for the conditions of life on a watery moon around Jupiter. Then we talk about Earth’s new mini moon, before catching up with those stranded astronauts on the International Space Station.
We end by talking about what the James Webb Space Telescope has taught us about the origins of the universe, before zooming back in on a very special space rock with a familiar name.
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thedecibel@globeandmail.com
The hearings for the public inquiry into foreign interference led by Justice Marie-Josée Hogue wrapped up earlier this week with testimony from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The Prime Minister said he had the names of Conservative parliamentarians who were engaged in or at high risk of being targeted for foreign interference.
Trudeau’s testimony came just two days after the RCMP announced they had evidence of Indian officials’ involvement in homicides, extortion and violent crime on Canadian soil, which led to Canada expelling six Indian diplomats, and India expelling six Canadian diplomats in retaliation.
Steven Chase is the Globe’s senior parliamentary reporter. He’s on the show to break down Trudeau’s testimony, what else we learned from this round of the inquiry into foreign interference, and how the new revelations about India played into all of this.
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thedecibel@globeandmail.com
British Columbia heads to the polls this Saturday, October 19th. It’s been an election campaign full of surprises — from the collapse of one established party, to the meteoric rise of a nearly defunct one.
With the ongoing challenges of housing, affordability, healthcare and the toxic drug crisis, polling has BC Conservatives and the incumbent BC NDP in a dead heat.
The Globe’s B.C. politics reporter, Justine Hunter, walks us through the province’s unpredictable election, what both the campaign and the result could tell us about the forthcoming federal election.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
Emergency rooms across Canada are in a dire state. Wait times in many ERs remain stubbornly high. And in some provinces, the full understanding of how bad the situation has become isn’t even clear – with inconsistent or little data to rely on. For many Canadians, that lack of clarity in emergency situations is a life or death matter.
Globe investigative reporter Tu Thanh Ha joins The Decibel to break down the details he and data editor Yang Sun dug up and what story the numbers tell about the reality of emergency care.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
If you were to spend an afternoon wandering around an art museum, you’d see hundreds of pieces, if not thousands. But the reality is, what you see on display is only a small percentage of a museum’s holdings. Depending on the institution, anywhere from 95 to 99 per cent of the artwork it owns is in storage – and according to a 2019 report, many of those storage spaces are so full that experts say the artworks may be at risk.
Kate Taylor is the Globe’s visual arts critic. She’s on the show to explain how Canadian art museums ended up with such large collections, and how tax breaks are what drives collectors to donate their pieces.
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thedecibel@globeandmail.com
Amber Tuccaro was 20 years old when she disappeared in Edmonton in August 2010. She was never seen alive again. But she left an important clue: a chilling recording of what appears to be the final moments of her life, and the voice of the man who may be her killer.
Hosted by The Globe and Mail’s Jana Pruden,‘In Her Defence: 50th Street’ retraces the final days of Amber’s life, explore her home, the Indigenous community of Fort Chipewyan, Alberta and asks serious questions of the police investigation of her unsolved murder.
More episodes of ‘In Her Defence: 50th Street’ can be found here and other platforms where podcasts are available.
Support for families impacted by Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls is available through the Indian Residential School Survivors Society at irsss.ca
Individuals impacted by the issue of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls can contact the MMIWG Crisis Line toll-free at 1-844-413-6649.
The Indian Residential School Survivors Society also offers 24-hour support through the Lamathut crisis line toll-free at 1-800-721-0066.
What does it mean to be connected in the world today? Gen Z – the cohort born between the late 1990s and the early 2010s – has been inundated by social media and smartphones, but they’ve also been hampered by years of social distancing in the pandemic. So, what effect has that had on them in terms of their social connections?
The Decibel spoke to several Gen Zers, including Globe reporter Pippa Norman on what life is like – their hopes, anxieties and the way they want to push back against stereotypes.
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thedecibel@globeandmail.com
At all but a handful of publications, restaurant critics are a relic of bygone days. In their place, the food influencer has risen up in popularity. Seen mostly on platforms like Instagram and Tik Tok, influencers take their audience along for the ride at all sorts of restaurants, from high-end to casual dining… but unlike old school critics, they don’t necessarily adhere to standards like paying for their meal or remaining anonymous, which helped critics paint a full – and sometimes critical – picture of an establishment.
Dakshana Bascaramurty is the Globe’s food culture reporter. She’s on the show to talk about how food influencers are changing the attention economy for restaurants and how good they are at helping us decide where to go for dinner.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
This is the second part of a two-episode special looking at the rippling effects of a year of war in Israel, the Gaza Strip and Lebanon.
In this episode, Mark MacKinnon, The Globe and Mail’s senior international correspondent, talks about the scale of destruction in Gaza, how people are surviving there and what future Palestinians see for themselves.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
The Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, killed nearly 1,200 Israelis and saw 250 people kidnapped. It also sparked one of the largest wars in the Middle East in a generation. A year of Israel’s ground attack and air strikes on the Gaza Strip has killed more than 41,000 Palestinians, causing mass displacement as fears of a wider war continue to develop.
In the first of a two-episode feature on this sombre anniversary, the Globe’s senior international correspondent Mark MacKinnon captures the feelings of Israelis, sharing the stories of survivors from the attacks and analyzes whether the possibility of a ceasefire remains.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
Justin Trudeau’s poll numbers have been bad for a while. The Liberals have lost two crucial by-elections and are trailing behind the Conservatives in seat projections. They just lost the support of the NDP. The shine seems to have completely come off the nine-year-old government. And yet Trudeau remains defiant. Why?
The Globe’s Shannon Proudfoot set out to determine why, in the face of increasingly long odds, some politicians can’t seem to read the writing piling up on the wall. She spoke to former Ontario premier Kathleen Wynne and a pollster on the disastrous 1993 Progressive Conservative campaign to find answers.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
Canada’s Navy has been expanding its presence in the Pacific, as tensions with China rise, leaving vital trade routes in potential danger. At the same time as they recommit their efforts to the region, the military as a whole faces issues around funding and recruitment, raising questions about its future direction.
The Globe’s Asia correspondent James Griffiths spent a week aboard The HMCS Vancouver as it engaged in war games in the West Pacific, to learn more about Canada’s evolving naval strategy.
James Griffiths spent seven days onboard the HMCS Vancouver in August and September 2024, during which he was subject to a Media Embedding and Ground Rules Agreement with the Canadian Navy. The Navy did not review this episode.
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On Tuesday, Iran fired hundreds of missiles into Israel following weeks of increasing Israeli aggression on Hezbollah. This week, Israel began ground raids and hit central Beirut in a strike. These attacks have killed hundreds in Lebanon and driven millions from their homes.
Thomas Juneau is an associate professor of Public and International Affairs at the University of Ottawa who specializes in the Middle East. He’s on the show to talk about what we can make of these escalations, and when we may see further involvement from Iran and the U.S.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
The Canada Infrastructure Bank has been around since 2017, and originally it was meant to help build huge infrastructure across the country. In fact, one person involved in its launch promised you’d be able to see some of the infrastructure from space.
But those massive projects never materialized and that put the whole bank at peril until it changed course recently. Adam Radwanski, who covers climate policy for The Globe and Mail, explains how this bank is trying to change its reputation and what likely will happen if it doesn’t.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
Canada has joined three other countries in a legal process to hold the Taliban accountable for discriminating against women by enacting increasingly oppressive laws. These range from barring them from education beyond the sixth grade, to a ban on women’s voices being heard in public.
Globe reporter Janice Dickson talks about what life is like for women in Afghanistan now, how this legal challenge is expected to work and the significance of this attempt to hold the Taliban to account.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
Follow In Her Defence: 50th Street to listen to the first two episodes on Monday
Amber Tuccaro was 20 years old when she left her infant son with a friend at a motel on the outskirts of Edmonton, and got into a vehicle with an unknown man.
She was never seen alive again.
But Amber left an important clue: A chilling recording of what appear to be the final moments of her life, and the voice of the man who may be her killer. Days after police released that recording to the public, Amber’s remains were found in a field outside the city. She would be one of five women whose bodies were discovered in that area, and one of dozens more found in rural areas around Edmonton, the victims of a suspected serial killer – or killers.
Following the success of the hit first season, In Her Defence: 50th Street takes listeners to Amber’s home in the Indigenous community of Fort Chipewyan, Alta., retracing the final days of Amber’s life, and revealing suspects and information that have never before been made public.
In Her Defence: 50th Street explores the flawed police investigation into Amber’s disappearance and death, and asks serious questions about her unsolved killing.
Was Amber’s case compromised by a racist and biased police investigation?
And does it mean a serial killer is still out there?
Back in June, there was a massive accident at the Eagle gold mine in central Yukon, on traditional Na-Cho Nyak Dun territory — 4 million tonnes of cyanide-laced rock collapsed. Surrounding surface and groundwater soon had elevated cyanide levels, and dozens of fish died. Cleanup efforts are underway, but now, the storage ponds are nearly full of cyanide solution and are at risk of another cyanide spill.
Niall McGee is the Globe’s mining reporter. He’s on the show to explain what we know about this accident, what happened with the mine’s owner, and why it’s so crucial that they figure out how to treat the cyanide soon.
On Wednesday, a Conservative non-confidence motion was voted down by the other parties in the House of Commons. But it’s just the first of many to come this fall. And most of them will land on special parliamentary days, called opposition days.
Campbell Clark is the chief political writer at The Globe and Mail. He explains how opposition days work, how the different parties will use them strategically and what all of this means for the possibility of a snap election.
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Last week, days before the British Columbia election was called, Premier David Eby announced a new plan for mental health and addictions care. B.C. already has involuntary care as part of the Mental Health Act — but this would allow it for people with concurrent addictions, mental illness, and brain injuries. This move has wide support among British Columbia’s political leadership — but civil rights advocates are pushing back.
Andrea Woo is a B.C.-based reporter for the Globe who has reported extensively on the toxic drug crisis. She’s on the show to talk about the possible impact of this announcement, and why we’re hearing about it now.
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A set of rivals came to an unexpected agreement recently. Rogers Communications Inc. bought BCE Inc.’s 37.5-per-cent stake in Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment – the umbrella company that owns the Maple Leafs, the Raptors, the Argos and Toronto FC – for $4.7-billion. The deal makes Rogers the majority owner of all of Toronto’s major professional sports teams.
Andrew Willis a columnist and reporter for The Globe and Mail’s Report on Business and he explains how Rogers has the money to do this, why Bell sold their stake and how one day investors may be able to buy their own stake in their favourite sport team.
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Last week, the Liberal government announced they’re bringing in new mortgage rules to help first-time buyers get into the market. The changes would help buyers to get into the market with lower down payments and lower monthly payments, but can mean more interest in the long run.
Rachelle Younglai is the Globe’s real estate reporter. She’s on the show to talk about what these changes mean for buyers, and what effect they might have on the housing market.
Join Globe reporters Rachelle Younglai and Erica Alini for a live Q&A and ask your questions on new mortgage rules on Monday September 23 at 12 p.m. ET: tgam.ca/new-mortgage-rules
On September 18, the Canadian Medical Association issued an apology to Indigenous peoples. The group represents Canadian doctors and President Joss Reimer said that upon examining the organization’s history, they were ashamed by its record towards First Nation, Inuit and Métis communities.
Dr. Alika Lafontaine was the first Indigenous president of the CMA, when he held the post in 2022 and 2023. He’s an anesthesiologist of Métis, Oji-Cree and Pacific Islander heritage. He discusses the apology, actions that come with it and how to improve healthcare for everyone.
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Back in March of this year, authorities in British Columbia filed an “unexplained wealth order” to seize a safety deposit box that belonged to Michael Patryn, the co-founder of the now-defunct cryptocurrency exchange, Quadriga. That box contained over $250,000 in cash, 45 gold bars, luxury watches and jewellery. The unexplained wealth order compels Mr. Patryn to prove that he obtained those assets legally — or else, he could lose it.
Alexandra Posadzki is the Globe’s telecom reporter. She’s on the show to talk about this new legal tool that targets criminal rings and money launderers, and why critics say it could be a violation of Charter rights.
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On Monday, voters in the Winnipeg riding of Elmwood-Transcona and Montreal’s LaSalle-Émard-Verdun went to the polls. The results saw the Liberals lose another safe seat and the NDP narrowly beat out the Conservatives.
Marieke Walsh, The Globe’s senior political reporter, explains exactly how much the opposition parties gained on the Liberals in Montreal, and how the battle between Blue and Orange went down in Winnipeg.
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Drug development has always been a long and arduous process, taking years of research and costing millions of dollars. When some biotech companies started to use artificial intelligence as part of that process, it was seen as a tool that had the potential to revolutionize drug discovery. Ten years on, those companies are faced with a reality check.
Globe business reporters Joe Castaldo, who covers AI, and Sean Silcoff, who reports on technology and life sciences, are on the show to talk about the promise of AI in drug development, and why the bets on technology haven’t panned out.
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Fishing equipment like nets, traps and lines that have been lost or abandoned are a serious problem for marine wildlife. They’re designed to trap sea creatures, and to last a long time. It’s called ghost gear, and Canada is leading the charge in efforts to clean it up. But it is challenging and often dangerous work.
Today, The Globe’s BC reporter Justine Hunter explains how all this fishing gear ended up at the bottom of our oceans in the first place, why it’s so destructive to wildlife and what the obstacles are in trying to clean it up.
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It’s been just over a month since the Ukrainian military launched an incursion into the Russian region of Kursk. It was a surprising move, and Ukrainian officials say it was a success. But it has meant a barrage of Russian attacks against Ukrainian cities, especially ones along the frontlines.
The Globe’s Senior International Correspondent Mark MacKinnon has spent the last two weeks near the frontlines of the war – in Sumy, just across the border from Kursk, and in the battle-worn Donbas. He tells us what it’s like for residents of these regions and whether the incursion was worth the risk to the other frontlines of the war.
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The Liberal Party is in a ‘dire state’. From questions over Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s continued leadership to the collapse of the supply and confidence deal with the NDP, to their poor polling numbers compared to the Conservatives – the ruling party appears to be at the weakest in years. What, if anything, can they do to win back Canadian voters with a federal election on the horizon?
The Globe’s political columnist John Ibbitson joins the podcast to talk about the inner turmoil of the party and whether Trudeau could step down.
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Since the 2023 Giller Prize ceremony, Scotiabank, the fiction prize’s lead sponsor, has been the target of protests over its stake in Elbit Systems, an Israeli defence contractor. Though all of Canada’s Big Six banks hold stake in Elbit Systems, Scotiabank has drawn a heightened level of scrutiny and protest since the October 7th attacks.
Globe arts and business reporter Josh O’Kane and business reporter David Milstead are on the show to talk about how prominent Elbit Systems is in Canadian investment portfolios, and what sets Scotiabank’s investment in Elbit Systems apart from other Canadian banks.
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Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are set to face off in what will likely be the only debate between them on September 10th at 9 p.m. ET. And as far as debates go, the stakes are high after the last debate ultimately led to Joe Biden stepping down as the Democratic candidate.
To help you follow along to the various points that Harris and Trump raise, Adrian Morrow, The Globe’s U.S. correspondent in Washington, wrote out bingo cards. He is on the show to play some debate bingo with Menaka Raman-Wilms.
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A new phase in the war in Ukraine began when Ukrainian forces took Russian territory in August. A month later, the Russians fired back, dealing Ukraine one of its deadliest days after missiles struck a military academy on September 3.
The renewed intensity has led to more calls for Western help. And one of the main advocates on this cause has been Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska. The Globe and Mail’s Janice Dickson spoke with Ms. Zelenska in Kyiv this summer. She shares highlights from that interview.
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Police say that it’s the biggest art fraud in world history—and it happened here in Canada. It centres around the art of the renowned Anishinaabe painter Norval Morrisseau, and there are potentially thousands of fakes out there, including in prominent institutions across Canada.
The Globe’s Parliamentary reporter Kristy Kirkup tells us the details of this $100 million dollar fraud, how a homicide case blew it open, and the impact it’s had on the legacy of this trailblazing Indigenous artist.
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Since March 2022, the NDP has been propping up the Liberals in a supply and confidence agreement, that saw both parties support each other and strike deals to pass legislation. That agreement was originally meant to hold until June 2025, before the party breaks for a scheduled election that fall. But that relationship is now over. On Wednesday, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh released a video saying he’s ‘ripping up’ that agreement early.
Marieke Walsh is a senior political reporter for the Globe. She’s on the show to talk about why the NDP is pulling their support now, and what this move means for the major federal parties.
This episode includes an updated clip from September 4, 2024
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As long as there have been cities, there have been pest problems. Beneath our feet, rats scurry about and feed off our garbage. They breed quickly and plentifully. Above our heads, pigeons flock and dive, crowding around park benches and generally making a mess. The prairies have been contending with feral swine. Pest control has always been a delicate dance for cities, but now, they’re turning to new methods.
Oliver Moore is the Globe’s urban affairs reporter. He’s on the show to talk about why rats and pigeons have such a hold on our cities, and what some cities are doing to curb the populations. The Globe’s Alanna Smith also joins to talk about the truth behind Alberta’s claims that they’re rat-free.
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This week, most kids across the country are headed back to school. That transition can bring a lot of feelings – excitement, but also nervousness and anxiety. And this year, along with the usual transition, some students can expect another big change – provinces across the country are bringing in stricter regulations around cellphone use.
Psychologist and children’s book author Dr. Jillian Roberts is on the show to talk about how parents can help their children navigate back-to-school anxiety. But first, Caroline Alphonso, the Globe’s education reporter, joins the show to talk about the state of youth mental health, and the impact students and educators think phone restrictions will have.
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Buying and owning a home in Canada is an endless source of frustration. Many have been priced out, while competition is high as a lack of housing stock runs up against a rapidly growing population. While more homes are needed to alleviate the stress, getting shovels into the ground isn’t as simple as it sounds.
The Globe’s Jason Kirby, Matt Lundy and Mark Rendell recently broke down the reasons behind why most Canadians can’t afford a home right now. Jason Kirby is on the show to explain the not-so-obvious reasons why housing affordability and opportunity is at an all-time low – and whether we’ll be stuck in this expensive loop for generations to come.
This episode originally aired on April 2, 2024.
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The government has announced that they are cutting down on the numbers of low-wage temporary foreign workers being admitted into the country. The new rules will reverse pandemic-era changes to the program, which led to a sharp rise in numbers. The announcement also comes on the heels of a UN report calling the program a “breeding ground for contemporary forms of slavery.”
The Globe’s economics reporter Matt Lundy breaks down what’s driving the change, and how it will impact businesses and workers.
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Last week, TD Bank released its quarterly earnings. For the first time in 21 years, they reported a quarterly loss – largely because they set aside US$2.6-billion to cover penalties in the United States related to failures in their anti-money-laundering program. All of this has people wondering … what is exactly going on at TD? How did a bank with a once-sterling reputation begin facing all these problems?
Tim Kiladze is a financial reporter and columnist for the Globe. He’s on the show to talk about what he and his colleagues have learned about TD’s culture shift that contributed to the company’s anti-money-laundering troubles, a leadership exodus, and questions around the company’s future.
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Labour negotiations between Canada’s two major railways – CN and CPKC – and the train workers’ union, Teamsters Canada Rail Conference, have been going on for months. Last week, they hit a wall and freight service shut down across the country. Less than 24 hours later, the federal government intervened, ordering workers back. But the dispute still hasn’t been resolved.
Bruce Curran, associate professor in the faculty of law at the University of Manitoba, explains where things stand in the labour dispute, what it’s ultimately about, and how the federal government might have prevented it from happening in the first place.
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We often think about how food prices and income struggle to keep up with inflation, but what about things like pensions and benefits? Are they keeping pace with inflation? The Globe’s Erica Alini and Matt Lundy crunched the numbers, and found that pensions and benefits often aren’t stretching as far as they used to – and it has to do with something called indexation.
Today, personal finance reporter Erica Alini joins us to explain inflation indexing, where we’re seeing it and where we’re not, and what impact that’s having on your finances.
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Distance running, once a relatively niche sport, has exploded in popularity. The trend has been ongoing for at least a decade, but 2024′s running season may be the biggest one yet. Marathon race organizers are expecting record participation in races this year, both in Canada and in cities around the world.
Today, Ben Kaplan, general manager of iRun Magazine, Allison Hill, co-founder of Hill Run Club, and members of The Decibel’s own running club explain how the sport has grown more inclusive and diverse, drawing in a whole new generation of runners.
This episode originally aired on May 1, 2024.
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On June 17, police were called to a shooting in a neighbourhood of Toronto. Three people were killed, two victims and the shooter. We learned as the days went on that one of the victims – Arash Missaghi – was a notorious serial fraudster, and the shooter – Alan Kats – was one of his alleged victims.
Globe reporters Mariya Postelnyak and Colin Freeze have spent months untangling the web of criminal charges and lawsuits against Missaghi. Today, Mariya tells us how Missaghi apparently got tens of millions of dollars out of people, why he was never convicted, and what led to his killing in June.
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Going to the movies is getting more complicated. When you want to pick a showing, you now have a growing list of premium options, from IMAX, to 3D, to ScreenX, all offering different experiences at different price points.
The Globe and Mail’s film editor Barry Hertz joins us to talk about what these developments tell us about the state of the movie industry and the future of a trip to the cinema.
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By now, most people know how to recognize the signs of a phishing e-mail – poor spelling and grammar, strange sender e-mail addresses, and of course, an instruction to click on a link, where you’re asked to put in your banking or login credentials. But these scams are becoming more sophisticated and politically motivated.
Last week, Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto uncovered what they’re calling the River of Phish campaign, which uses sophisticated social engineering practices to target people, including a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine. The Globe’s telecom reporter Alexandra Posadzki is on the show to talk about what Citizen Lab found, how the scheme works, and what we know about the Russia-linked group behind it.
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A recent report said that condo sales in Toronto are at a 27-year low. Insolvencies amongst condo developers are rising and set to be 57-per-cent higher than 2023 and 13-per-cent higher than 2009. This means there are a glut of units for sale. And yet, prices aren’t really going down.
So what’s happening here? Rachelle Younglai, a real estate reporter for The Globe and Mail, explains why the pre-construction market is in ‘recessionary territory’ and how all of this could make Canada’s housing affordability crisis worse over the next few years.
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When nature calls, you have to answer, and quickly. The last thing you’d want is to walk several kilometers to find a public toilet.. And yet, public bathrooms aren’t easy to find in many cities across Canada. Overall, Canada has 18 public toilets per 100,000 people, which puts it in 15th place globally. And for those facing homelessness or a medical condition, public toilets are crucial for their ability to move freely through urban spaces.
The Globe’s urban affairs reporter, Oliver Moore, explains why good public toilets are so hard to find, how the pandemic created a two-tier system of access, and what Canadian cities are doing to address the scarcity.
This episode orinially aired on May 27, 2024.
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A coalition of mayors across Ontario are pleading for help in what they call a “humanitarian crisis” on their streets. They say the issues of homelessness, drug addiction and mental health are beyond their capacity to handle, and they need a more sustained and well-funded support from higher levels of government.
Burlington Mayor and Chair of Ontario’s Big City Mayors Marianne Meed Ward joins us to talk about why cities went public with their plea. Then, the Globe and Mail’s Queen’s Park reporter Jeff Gray talks about how this fits into the longstanding struggle between cities and provinces over funding social services.
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Intrauterine devices, or IUDs, have become increasingly accessible and popular over the last few years. The high level of efficacy and added benefits, like improving users’ periods, make it appealing to doctors to recommend for patients of all ages. But there’s a big catch – getting it put in can be excruciating for some patients.
Last week, the Center for Disease Control in the United States issued a guidance recommending healthcare providers counsel patients on their pain management options before the procedure. The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada put out a similar recommendation in 2022.
Dr. Renée Hall is the medical co-director of the Willow Reproductive Health Centre in Vancouver and a clinical associate professor at the University of British Columbia. She’s on the show to talk about why we need to change how IUD insertions are treated , and how womens’ pain is treated in healthcare.
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Boblo Island is situated in the Detroit River, on the border of Canada and the U.S., just outside of Windsor. For almost a century, it was a beloved amusement park visited by both the Canadian and American public.
But after a series of bankruptcies, the island wound up under the control of a developer. And now, the island is being marketed as an exclusive residential community, with restricted access to the public. Globe opinion editor Sarah Efron tells the story of Boblo Island and what happens when a space beloved by the public is lost.
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In 2023, more than 6.5 million people across Canada did not have a family doctor. Family doctor deserts are growing so vast that patients will stay with their doctors even after moving hours away. Some provinces have been increasing pharmacists’ capabilities – allowing them to prescribe for common ailments like pink eye. The hope is they can relieve some pressure on already stretched family doctors’ offices and increase accessibility for people without one.
After acquiring Shoppers Drug Mart in 2014, Loblaw has a hold on 25 per cent of the Canadian pharmacy market. Ten years later, they’re betting that the future of Canadian healthcare lies at the back of their stores. They’ve started building what they’re calling “pharmacy care clinics,” where pharmacists will be able to visit with patients in a clinic-like setting.
Chris Hannay is the Globe’s independent business reporter, and Susan Krashinsky Robertson is the Globe’s retail reporter. They’re on the show to talk about what Loblaw’s expansion into the healthcare space means for Canadians, and what healthcare providers think about the move.
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Millennial women are feeling burnt out.
The responsibilities and pressures of family, work and caregiving are piling up, amidst the lingering fallout of the pandemic and the economic crisis. But what makes this generation’s burnout unique to generations before it?
The Globe and Mail’s demographics reporter Ann Hui, explains her own experience with burnout, the reasons why millennial women are feeling it more and how it can be made better.
This episode originally aired on March 15, 2024.
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Since the war in Gaza broke out in October, Israel and Hezbollah have been engaged in constant military strikes. At the end of July, the violence escalated when 12 Druze children were killed by a rocket hitting a soccer field in the Golan Heights. A string of high profile assassinations followed, raising the already-high tensions in the region.
Thomas Juneau is an associate professor of Public and International Affairs at the University of Ottawa who specializes in security in the Middle East. He’s on the show to talk about how countries in the region are calculating their moves to avoid an all-out war.
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Expectations were high for 17-year-old Canadian swimmer Summer McIntosh coming into the Paris Olympic Games. After all the races were said and done, she won a medal in each of the four individual races she competed in: silver in the 400-metre freestyle, gold in the 400-metre individual medley, gold in the 200-metre butterfly and gold in the 200-metre individual medley. These wins make Summer the first Canadian swimmer to win four individual medals at an Olympics and the first Canadian woman to win three individual gold medals at a single Games.
Grant Robertson has been watching Summer win from the La Défense Arena in Paris. He explains how Summer approached the Olympics, why she is so dominant and who else made it to the podium on the Canadian swimming team.
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Over the last few years, a movement has grown where followers are spending thousands of dollars on rigorous and sometimes extreme health practices with the goal of extending their lives. The leaders of the “longevity” movement reach their mostly male audience largely through YouTube and podcasts.
Longevity has become a major wellness industry, with big money involved. But critics say the science behind it is often unfounded and misleading. The Globe’s demographics reporter Ann Hui spoke to the men who practice longevity, those who preach it, and those who criticize it.
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From Stress Test, The Globe’s personal finance podcast for Gen Z and millennials:
We’re taking a peek into the TFSAs of regular Canadians to give you ideas of how to better use yours. In this episode, Rob chats with Aravind Sithamparapillai of Ironwood Wealth Management to break down TFSAs, FHSAs and RRSPs. Aravind is not an accredited planner. We’re also joined by two guests with very different investment strategies: a tech entrepreneur in the midst of launching his own business, and a millennial whose investment journey started somewhat unintentionally.
For nearly four years, researchers have been using data collected from wastewater samples to determine when and where COVID infections were rising in the province. Now, Ontario is shutting down its COVID wastewater testing program. The province says they don’t need to continue testing because the federal government does the same thing. But critics disagree and say we could be losing vital information about the spread of viruses in the future.
Ivan Semeniuk is the Globe’s science reporter. He’s on the show to talk about what we can learn from wastewater testing, how it’s been used in other regions, and why experts are worried about Ontario shutting down this system.
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One of the biggest stories of the Paris Olympics has centred on the Canadian women’s soccer team, as the reigning gold medal winners have been embroiled in an international spying scandal. Last week, French police arrested a Canada Soccer staffer for flying a drone above opponents’ training sessions before the games began. FIFA have docked the team six points, while head coach Bev Priestman and two assistants have been suspended for a year.
The Globe’s Robyn Doolittle joins The Decibel from Paris to talk about the fallout of the scandal, how it affects government funding for Canada Soccer and the pall its cast over the Canadian Olympic story.
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Last week, wildfires tore through the town of Jasper, Alta., and the surrounding national park. Around 30 per cent of the town was destroyed, but some are saying that it could have been much worse.
Today, we’re speaking with Globe reporters Carrie Tait and Nancy Macdonald about what’s left of Jasper, how residents are doing, and how the fire became so destructive. Then we’ll speak with Jen Beverly, a wildfire researcher at the University of Alberta, about Jasper’s fire prevention efforts in the years leading up to this, and how communities can help protect themselves from wildfire.
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Opponents of Donald Trump have been sounding alarms about Project 2025, a policy plan for a conservative presidency put forward by an influential think tank called the Heritage Foundation. But what exactly is the Heritage Foundation and how much power do they really have?
Donald Abelson is a political scientist at McMaster University who has written extensively about think tanks. He joins us to discuss their history and evolving role in American politics.
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Plant-based meat has been touted as a way of having our steak and eating it too. The industry had grand plans to remake the way we eat, cut down greenhouse gas emissions in meat and dairy production and address animal welfare concerns. Companies like Beyond Meat and Impossible had a meteoric rise in the late 2010s, with influencers, celebrities and investors backing the companies.
But now, it appears the hype over plant-based meat is over. Sales have dropped off and stock prices are worth less than a tenth of its peak.
Vox staff writer and journalist Kenny Torrella tells us why the noise around plant-based meat’s potential – and its flop – doesn’t tell the whole story.
This episode originally aired on January 4, 2024.
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A serial killer in Winnipeg has been convicted in the murders of four Indigenous women – Morgan Harris, Rebecca Contois, Marcedes Myran and an unidentified woman Indigenous elders have named Buffalo Woman. The case and decision garnered significant national attention, due to the graphic nature of the crimes and the families of the women fighting to have a search conducted for the missing remains of the women in city landfills.
The Globe and Mail’s national reporter in Manitoba, Temur Durrani, joins the podcast to talk about the trial, the women at the centre of the case and the continued push for answers and justice for the victims.
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In under two days, the narrative around Kamala Harris has completely shifted. It went from questioning her ability to replace Joe Biden, to a nearly complete coalescing around her presidential candidacy after Biden bowed out.
Globe columnist Doug Saunders believes that she is the right presidential candidate for the Democrats as they mount their third campaign against Donald Trump. He explains why her strengths – and even her perceived weaknesses – are suited for the moment.
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The Globe and Mail’s Cathal Kelly has high hopes for the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris. He thinks that 2012 was the last great Olympics and right now, with so much conflict and division, the world really needs a global event to rally around.
He explains what the Olympics offer beyond the highest competition for amateur athletes, as well as, what Canada has to do to have a successful Games and which Canadians may end up becoming cultural heroes.
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After weeks of pressure, speculation and open questions from political leaders about his age and health, U.S. President Joe Biden has dropped his re-election campaign ahead of the 2024 election. Biden’s decision now clears the way for a younger candidate to pursue the Democratic Party’s nomination, to run against Donald Trump.
Globe contributor and Pulitzer Prize-winning writer David Shribman joins the podcast to explain this historic moment in American politics, and the crucial days ahead for the Democrats, as they seek to rally behind a new presidential candidate.
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In late Februrary, Calgary-based discount airline Lynx Air, which launched a mere two years prior, ceased operations. For customers, that meant they’re likely weren't getting refunds and would have to find alternate and possibly more expensive tickets to their destinations.
This is a familiar story in Canada. Discount airlines have come and gone with only a few years of operation under their belt. The Globe’s transportation reporter, Eric Atkins is on the show to explain why discount airlines keep failing in Canada and what that means for flyers looking for a deal.
This episode originally aired on February 29, 2024.
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When a large drinking water pipe burst in Calgary last month, city residents were subject to water usage restrictions that lasted for weeks. Living in big cities, people tend to take it for granted that they can turn on a tap and clean, drinkable water will come out. But losing that ability calls into question how reliable our drinking water infrastructure really is.
Globe reporters Tu Thanh Ha and Oliver Moore investigated the state of drinking water systems in Canada’s 10 biggest cities. Oliver joins the show to talk about what they found, and why cities have such a hard time keeping such an essential service in a state of good repair.
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Paul Krusky is an unassuming tech nerd whose company, EncroChat, was once just one of the world’s many encrypted phone services. Now, he is in a French prison as police accuse him of building a digital den for Europe’s drug dealers.
Globe reporters Joe Castaldo and Alexandra Posadzki explain how EncroChat wound up at the centre of thousands of criminal arrests in Europe and what we know about Paul Krusky’s past and the charges against him.
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The attempted assassination of Donald Trump in Pennsylvania on Saturday has thrown an already tense election campaign into further chaos. Despite being injured in the shooting, Trump vowed to maintain his schedule at this week’s Republican National Convention, where the former president has named his running mate.
The Globe’s U.S. correspondent Adrian Morrow joins the podcast from the convention to talk about the fallout from the historic attack on Trump and what lies ahead for Republicans this week at the convention.
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The problems with Canada’s housing market have spread beyond major cities like Toronto and Vancouver to smaller communities across the country. Vacancy is low, houses are prohibitively expensive for many Canadians, and even rental prices have spiked an average of nearly 9% over the past year. How did it get this bad, and why is it so hard to fix?
We zoom in on five examples that demonstrate how and why the market isn’t working. Reporters Matt Lundy, Jason Kirby, Frances Bula and Shane Dingman join us.
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Where does your seafood come from? And who, along the supply chain, handled it? An investigation from the non-profit investigative journalism organization, Outlaw Ocean Project, reveals a network of North Korean labourers at Chinese seafood plants – a violation of United Nations sanctions – supplying certain Canadian seafood companies. The workers detail a pattern of hyper-surveillance, poor pay and sexual assault by their employers.
Ian Urbina, executive editor of The Outlaw Ocean Project, joins The Decibel to discuss the findings of the investigation, the working conditions inside the processing plants and how products made from forced labour are ending up on Canadian store shelves.
VIDEO: Investigation reveals North Korean forced labour in Chinese seafood plants
This episode originally aired on April 9, 2024.
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This year’s NATO summit comes at a critical moment. Pledges of support for Ukraine drum up questions about why Canada and other NATO members are lagging in their commitment to meet the 2 per cent defence spending threshold. Both Trudeau and Biden are looking to show strength after a rocky start to the summer.
Adrian Morrow is the Globe and Mail’s U.S. correspondent. He’s on the show to talk about the significance of this year’s NATO summit, and what’s at stake for Canada’s position on the world stage.
Clarification: An earlier version of this episode contained an inaccurate comparison of Canadian and U.S. military expenditures. It has been updated with the correct information.
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The Myanmar civil war has been raging on for over three years now. Over 50,000 people have been killed, including 8,000 civilians, as the military junta that took over fights a multitude of militias. Recently, an important area along the Thai-Myanmar border changed hands.
The Globe’s Asia Correspondent, James Griffiths, traveled there and explains how resistance forces have gained so much ground, what happens now that the military junta doesn’t control the border and how China is involved.
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Dating apps have gained popularity over the past decade as singles strive to meet new people in a digital age. But frustration is setting in for many who feel that the apps are becoming less of a way to connect and more of a game that ends in heartbreak. Not only that, but the apps can get pricey. Now, people are searching for more meaningful – and in-person – connections. That online dating fatigue is leading to more singles mixers and speed dating events in many cities.
Globe audience editor, Samantha Edwards, breaks down the collective shift in attitudes toward online dating and reflects on the conversations she had with singles about their experiences with finding love on and off the apps.
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On June 7, the 91-year-old Canadian business magnate Frank Stronach was arrested and charged with sexual assault. On June 26, more charges were brought against him. He’s facing 13 criminal charges from 10 complainants.
News of the charges stirred memories for Vancouver – and New York-based writer Jane Boon. In 1986, when she was a 19-year-old student that had a scholarship from Magna, she had an encounter with Mr. Stronach. While she is not one of the complainants, Boon has been wrestling with the meaning of that night ever since.
Today on the show, the Globe’s transportation reporter Eric Atkins tells us about Frank Stronach and the criminal charges he’s facing. Then, Jane Boon talks about her experiences with him, and how she reflects on that night, more than three decades later.
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There’s a conversation happening amongst parents that is drumming up a lot of controversy. It’s around the idea of gentle parenting, which is a catch-all term that generally refers to parents who try to stay calm, place a lot of importance on their child’s emotions and show a lot of physical affection.
Dr. Alice Davidson is a professor of developmental psychology at Rollins College, and is one of the few academics to have actually studied gentle parenting. She shares what she has found out.
This episode originally aired on January 9, 2024.
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Last week, the federal government ended a 32-year ban on commercial cod fishing off the coasts of Newfoundland and Labrador. It reverses a policy decision that devastated the province and led to one of the biggest mass layoffs in Canadian history. While the reversal may seem like a reason to celebrate, some people in the industry are criticizing the news.
Dr. George Rose, a fisheries scientist at UBC’s Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, has been studying the Northern cod population since the 1980s. Though he’s optimistic about the eventual return of the industry, he warns how this decision could undo decades of work.
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Since October 7th, antisemitic incidents in Canada have been on the rise. Toronto Police Deputy Chief Robert Johnson said that nearly half of all hate crimes so far in 2024 have been antisemitic. In a single week in May, a girls’ school in Toronto was shot at, bullets were found outside a Montreal Jewish school inside a synagogue, and a Vancouver synagogue was set on fire. While no one was hurt, it left Canadian Jews feeling unsettled. And over the Canada Day weekend, two synagogues in Toronto were vandalized.
Ellin Bessner is an investigative journalist who hosts the Canadian Jewish News’ daily podcast, The CJN Daily. She’s on the show to talk about how Jewish Canadians have been affected by this rise in antisemitism.
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A year after the death of prominent Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, questions remain about who he really was. His murder sparked international tension between the Canadian and Indian governments and this past spring the RCMP charged four Indian nationals with his murder. To those who knew him, Nijjar was a community leader and family man but the Indian government has called him a murderous terrorist.
Globe reporters Nancy Macdonald and Greg Mercer spent months speaking with members of Nijjar’s Surrey B.C. community as well as those who knew him in India. They join the show to discuss what they found about Nijjar’s enigmatic life.
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Justin Trudeau and the Liberals appear to be in big trouble. Following a stunning loss in the Toronto-St. Paul’s by-election to the Conservatives – a riding they’ve held handily for the last 30 years – the federal government is at risk of losing big in the next federal election, currently set for October 2025. As the Liberals grapple with where to go from here, Prime Minister Trudeau also faces questions about whether he’s still the best leader for the party.
John Ibbitson is a reporter and columnist in The Globe’s Ottawa bureau and has been covering federal politics for decades. He joins the show to discuss the Liberal’s potential summer strategy, how it compares to the Conservative’s approach and any signs of Trudeau’s resignation.
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The U.K.’s Conservative Party is in deep trouble. Britons are heading for a general election on July 4 and polls indicate the ruling Tories are headed for electoral disaster. From Brexit, to COVID and betting scandals, financial panic, and a nation-wide joke involving a head of lettuce – voters appear ready to oust the deeply unpopular party led by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
Paul Waldie, The Globe’s Europe correspondent, explains the stakes of the U.K. election and why a seismic change is looking likely in British politics.
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Over the weekend, the Alberta NDP elected former Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi to lead the party into the 2027 provincial election. With membership numbers at an all-time high, the future looks bright for the provincial party. But Nenshi will face many challenges before meeting Danielle Smith in the next election – including trying to unite the party while considering whether to sever ties with the federal NDP.
Kelly Cryderman is a columnist and reporter with The Globe. She joins the show to break down what’s ahead for the provincial party and what conflicts lie ahead with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith.
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For the first time in almost a century, North America’s busiest border crossing – between Detroit and Windsor – is expanding. The Gordie Howe International Bridge is finally connected after six years of construction and a slew of delays, cost increases and political woes. The bridge is expected to improve trade between Canada and the U.S., while bolstering Windsor’s economic revitalization.
The Globe’s national science reporter, Ivan Semeniuk, joins the show to discuss the bridge’s progress, what its economic effects will be and why the bridge is more than just a physical connection.
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It’s hard making friends as an adult. Time to build new relationships becomes scarce. And despite many ways to keep in contact, people are lonelier than ever – new data from Statistics Canada shows that 47 per cent of Canadians feel lonely always, often, or some of the time.
Zosia Bielski is a national reporter for the Globe and Mail whose work often examines relationships. She’s on the show to talk about how adults seeking friends are turning to apps and speed dating events to make platonic connections.
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Introducing ‘Lately’: a new weekly podcast from The Globe and Mail about the intersection of business and technology. Every Friday, host Vass Bednar dives into the defining trends that shape our lives.
This episode’s guest is author and Polaris Award-winning artist and producer producer Cadence Weapon – the tech skeptic behind the new album Rollercoaster– who breaks down the depressing economics of an industry governed by Ticketmaster trauma, streaming algorithms and an AI invasion.
Subscribe to the Lately newsletter, where we unpack more of the latest in business and technology.
Send your comments, questions or ideas to lately@globeandmail.com.
Last week, Tesla shareholders voted to approve a huge pay package for CEO Elon Musk that a judge previously struck down. If the payout is approved, Musk will receive company shares worth around US $50-billion. Last year, Loblaw’s CEO was paid more than $22-million. These pay packages are supposed to act as incentives for reaching company targets, but most executives can still receive these massive payouts even if they don’t meet their company’s objectives.
David Milstead is a reporter and columnist with The Globe’s Report on Business. He joins the show to discuss why big paydays for executives still happen – and why they matter – even in instances of corporate failure.
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Artificial Intelligence has been creeping into our lives more and more as tech companies release new chatbots, AI-powered search engines, and writing assistants promising to make our lives easier. But, much like humans, AI is imperfect and the products companies are releasing don’t always seem quite ready for the public.
The Globe’s Report on Business reporter, Joe Castaldo is on the show to explain what kind of testing goes into these models, how the hype and reality of AI are often at odds and whether we need to reset our expectations of Generative AI.
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Point Pelee National Park juts out into Lake Erie like a finger, as every spring thousands of birds touch down on it. It’s a key stop along their migratory routes from the southern U.S., Central and South America to northern Canada.
But climate change has been shifting the conditions of migration, making it harder for some birds and ultimately affecting bird populations, which are already in steep decline. Decibel host Menaka Raman-Wilms, producer Rachel Levy-McLaughlin and Globe and Mail columnist Marcus Gee headed to Point Pelee to see spring migration up close.
A special thanks to Matt Fuirst and Birds Canada, and, as well as, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, who provided some sounds from their Macaulay Library in this episode.
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Canada’s newest law school is in crisis. After an open-letter called for the Lincoln Alexander School of Law at Toronto Metropolitan University to drop its neutral position on the Israel-Hamas war, donors pulled funding and law firms withdrew summer internship placements – leaving students feeling ostracized and abandoned. The fallout has left the law school asking questions about who and what they represent and where they go from here.
The Globe’s corporate law reporter, Robyn Doolittle, breaks down the rift within the school, what the self-deemed progressive law school is doing to mitigate the damage and the letter’s consequences with the professional legal world.
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Yesterday on The Decibel, The Globe’s senior international correspondent Mark MacKinnon told us about the top commanders and soldiers he’s been following and speaking with in the Ukrainian army. These soldiers have been in incredibly dangerous situations, many at the centre of the major battles in the war against Russia.
Today, Mark joins us for the second part of that conversation. He’ll tell us about the critical role these soldiers played in the defence of Kharkiv, the toll the fighting and military setbacks have had on them, and how they make sense of everything they’ve been through.
You can listen to Part One here: https://pod.link/thedecibel/episode/eeee888019060f26d57415ec0d160ff8
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For the past few years, The Globe’s senior international correspondent Mark MacKinnon has been building relationships with some of the top commanders and soldiers in the Ukrainian army, following them in the war against Russia. These soldiers have been in the midst of major battles – Kyiv, Mariupol, Kharkiv, Bakhmut – and many have been fighting Russia since long before the full-scale invasion in 2022.
Today and tomorrow, Mark tells us about this group of elite soldiers, what roles they’ve played in the major battles for Ukraine, and how they think about everything they’ve been through so far.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
Hospitals across Canada have long been overwhelmed by patient demand and staff shortages. But another category of medical experts, specializing in childbirth and pregnancy care, has been growing to lift the weight – midwives. In 2021, midwives oversaw more than 48,000 live births. So why aren’t they recognized as other health professionals are?
Carly Weeks, the Globe’s former health reporter joins the show to explain why midwives could be a vital answer to Canada’s health care labour shortage.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
Canada’s ‘green energy’ transition has begun. By 2035, the federal government is aiming to achieve a net-zero electricity grid. But is it possible? And is one of the answers to help in that transition in front of us right now? With an expected increase in energy demands, how does the aging technology of hydroelectric power plants factor in and how essential are they now to keep everything running?
The Globe’s environment data journalist, Matt McClearn, explains how important hydroelectricity is to Canada’s energy infrastructure and looks into whether the cost of keeping hydro dams in business is justified.
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A national watchdog report says some parliamentarians in Canada are ‘semi-witting’ or ‘witting’ participants in foreign efforts to interfere in our politics. The report from NSICOP says that the parliamentarians (whom are not named) may have collaborated with foreign actors to advance their own interests. This is the latest information around concerns of foreign interference in Canada since The Globe first started reporting on this over a year ago.
The Globe’s senior parliamentary reporter, Steven Chase is on the show to explain the latest report and what this means for and what might be done about fighting foreign interference in Canada.
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Canada’s cultural institutions are coming up against serious economic challenges. Theatre companies say they’re facing a crisis as they struggle to recover from pandemic closures. The Montreal-based ‘Just For Laughs’, one of the world’s biggest comedy festivals, has canceled their 2024 festival and filed for creditor protection. In May, Hot Docs, an international documentary festival, announced they would temporarily close their theatre due to financial constraints.
Globe business reporter Josh O’Kane has reported on a number of arts organizations cancelling shows, closing their doors, and announcing they’re on the brink of collapse. He joins the show to break down what factors lead up to this moment and what hope the arts industry can look towards.
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The Bank of Canada lowered the interest rate to 4.75 per cent on Wednesday – the first rate cut in four years. As the country’s central bank aims to get the inflation rate closer to 2 per cent, further cuts could be on the horizon. Realtors are hoping the rate cut will reignite a stagnant housing market, by possibly allowing more people to qualify for mortgages and increasing the number of potential buyers.
Mark Rendell is a journalist with The Globe’s Report on Business. He joins the show to discuss the art and science behind rate cuts, what the current cut means for people and the economy and how the Bank of Canada might move forward.
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Last week, former U.S. president Donald Trump was found guilty on 34 felony counts. In speeches and interviews following the decision, he used religiously-charged language and called on supporters to get revenge at the polls. This isn’t the first time Trump has utilized evangelical references, but his 2024 election campaign is increasingly relying on apocalyptic rhetoric.
U.S. political analyst and author Jared Yates Sexton is on the show to explain the wide appeal of the religious right’s messaging, the intersection of evangelicalism and the Make America Great Again Movement and how a loss of faith in democratic institutions underlies the appeal of religious narratives.
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It’s been more than a month now since the pro-Palestinian protests started up at campuses across Canada, protesting the war in Gaza and calling for the universities to make changes. There’s been a wide range of responses to these protests.
So today, The Globe’s postsecondary education reporter Joe Friesen is here to explain where the campus protests are now, what the students are asking for, and how the universities have responded.
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Ontario Premier Doug Ford recently announced that beer and wine will soon be available for purchase in convenience stores and big-box stores across the province, fulfilling an election promise from 2018. The controversy? This deal means that people will have greater access to alcohol — for better or worse — and it will cost taxpayers $225-million.
Jeff Gray, one of The Globe’s Ontario politics reporter, outlines the policy, explains the cost, and what federal politics might have to do with it.
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Open banking could eventually be available to Canadians, which would change how we access our personal finances. This style of banking is consumer-driven and would bring transparency to a customer’s information. but despite the talk, Canada is lagging behind other Western countries when it comes to implementing open banking.
The Globe’s personal finance reporter, Salmaan Farooqui, breaks down the inner workings of open banking – its benefits and concerns, why it doesn’t exist in Canada yet, and how this new development will affect the way Canadians manage their finances in the future.
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Social media use among students is a big concern for schools across Canada. Ontario school boards and educators are taking matters into their own hands by suing social media companies like Meta, Snap and ByteDance for allegedly harming kids and disrupting education. And educators have had to devise creative methods to keep students engaged.
The Globe’s education reporter, Caroline Alphonso, explains how cell phones and social media use are affecting student learning, the details of the lawsuits, and what schools are doing to refocus student attention in classrooms.
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Recently we’ve seen a shift in the national conversation around how to deal with Canada’s ongoing opioid crisis. B.C. all but cancelled their decriminalization trial. And the federal government rejected Toronto’s request to decriminalize possession of drugs. Decriminalization is part of a harm reduction strategy which advocates argue is the best short-term solution to save lives.
Alberta is also moving away from a harm reduction model and it’s all because of Marshall Smith. He’s the man that’s overhauling the province’s drug policy with a plan that’s facing a lot of criticism.
The Globe’s Marcus Gee is a columnist focusing on cities and the opioid crisis, and he recently spent some time with Marshall Smith. He’s on the show to tell us how Smith became so influential, his plan to upend conventional wisdom on how to deal with the drug crisis and whether we might see it replicated elsewhere.
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The PWHL is wrapping up a successful inaugural season, with the three Canadian teams boasting big crowds for most games. The WNBA is adding a 14th team; this one’s in Toronto. And there’s a push from a group called Project 8 to launch a professional women’s soccer league in Canada by 2025.
There’s an undeniable momentum in the realm of women’s professional sports in Canada right now. Rachel Brady, a sports reporter for The Globe, explains what’s happening this time around that has changed the game.
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When nature calls, you have to answer, and quickly. The last thing you’d want is to walk several kilometers to find a public toilet.. And yet, public bathrooms aren’t easy to find in many cities across Canada. Overall, Canada has 18 public toilets per 100,000 people, which puts it in 15th place globally. And for those facing homelessness or a medical condition, public toilets are crucial for their ability to move freely through urban spaces.
The Globe’s urban affairs reporter, Oliver Moore, explains why good public toilets are so hard to find, how the pandemic created a two-tier system of access, and what Canadian cities are doing to address the scarcity.
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On the first day of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, troops occupied Chornobyl. Since the nuclear disaster in 1986, the 30-kilometer exclusion zone around the nuclear plant has been largely abandoned. But 38 years later, some Ukrainians still call the land home, including a handful of elderly residents and people who oversee the disused power plant.
Janice Dickson, the Globe’s international affairs reporter, visited Chornobyl and the surrounding exclusion zone in April. She’s on the podcast to talk about what she saw there, and how Ukraine is dealing with the challenges of war, two years on.
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Gildan t-shirts are everywhere. The ubiquity of their products has turned Gildan into one of the biggest clothing manufacturers and wholesalers in the world, bringing in billions in revenue every year. But recently, Gildan has been in the news about a fight between its former CEO and the board. And this boardroom drama has refocused attention on how the Montreal-based company makes its clothes so cheaply.
Robyn Doolittle, a reporter with The Globe’s Report on Business, looked into Gildan’s work conditions at their factories in Honduras and explored the tension behind wanting cheap clothes that are ethically made.
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It has been eight years since the infamous Fort McMurray wildfire that levelled several neighbourhoods and businesses. As wildfires are once again on the rise in Western Canada, the sky was a familiar smoky orange last week in Fort McMurray as a fire crept closer to the city.
The Globe’s Calgary reporter, Carrie Tait, tells us about the current fire, and explains how for many residents and officials, they’re feeling the lingering effects of what happened in 2016.
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In the last few years, artificial intelligence has gone from a novelty to perhaps the most influential technology we’ve ever seen. The people building AI are convinced that it will eradicate disease, turbocharge productivity, and solve climate change. It feels like we’re on the cusp of a profound societal transformation. Fifteen years ago, there was a similar wave of optimism around social media: it was going to connect the world, catalyze social movements and spur innovation. It may have done some of these things. But it also made us lonelier, angrier, and occasionally detached from reality.
Few people understand this trajectory better than Maria Ressa. Ressa is a Filipino journalist, and the CEO of a news organization called Rappler. Like many people, she was once a fervent believer in the power of social media. Then she saw how it could be abused. In 2016, she reported on how Rodrigo Duterte, then president of the Philippines, had weaponized Facebook in the election he’d just won. After publishing those stories, Ressa became a target herself, and her inbox was flooded with death threats. In 2021, she won the Nobel Peace Prize.
As novel as AI is, it has undoubtedly been shaped by the technologies, the business models, and the CEOs that came before it. And Ressa thinks we’re about to repeat the mistakes we made with social media all over again.
The celebrated Canadian author Alice Munro died on May 13. She was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2013 as a “master of the contemporary short story,” and the Man Booker International Prize in 2009.
On today’s show, members of The Globe newsroom share their reflections on Alice Munro’s life and work, and columnist Marsha Lederman joins to talk about Munro’s impact and legacy.
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As the U.S. election looms, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s team is getting ready for both possible outcomes: a Biden re-election and a second Trump term. They are assembling a team of officials to remind American politicians about the importance of free trade across our borders.
Adrian Morrow is The Globe’s U.S. correspondent based in Washington, D.C., and he explains who is on this so-called Team Canada, and how their strategy works.
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Hydrogen fuel is sometimes called the fuel of the future, and it’s being used in a number of ways around the world. The rail giant CPKC is trialling a new hydrogen train in Alberta, that it hopes can replace diesel-fuelled freight locomotives in delivering goods across the continent.
The Globe’s Alberta and energy reporter, Kelly Cyderman, joins us to discuss hydrogen trains, how they work, and how this development might lead toward a greener Canada.
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Canada is in the midst of a primary-care crisis. 6.5 million Canadians don’t have reliable access to a family doctor, and some jurisdictions are turning to nurse practitioners to fill the gap. Alberta recently announced a program that would make it possible for nurse practitioners to receive public funding to establish a practice, although it comes with its conditions and concerns from other organizations.
The Globe’s national health reporter, Kelly Grant, walks us through the role nurse practitioners have in providing primary care, how they’re funded, and Alberta’s new plan to address the shortage of primary-care providers.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
The housing affordability problem in Canada continues, and people are desperate for solutions. The federal government is handing out billions of dollars as part of the Apartment Construction Loan Program intending to create more affordable housing. But, a Globe analysis found a disconnect between what’s considered affordable in this program, and what renters can actually afford.
The Globe’s real-estate reporter Rachelle Younglai explains why these units aren’t actually attainable to many Canadian renters and looks at the concerns with the program’s definition of affordability.
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After more than a decade, the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project (TMX) has finally been completed. One of the country’s biggest infrastructure projects is seen as a major win for Albertan oil producers, with nearly 600,000 extra barrels shipped daily, ready for international buyers.
But the future ownership of the pipeline remains up in the air. Many of the issues and questions that delayed the project – concerns over its safety and the environment, fights over Indigenous land rights, long-term economic risks – remain.
Jeffrey Jones, The Globe’s sustainable finance reporter, explains the ballooning costs of the TMX and why one of Canada’s top exports is creating tension with its future climate targets.
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Tension is ratcheting up in the Gaza Strip as the Israeli military descends on the southern city of Rafah. This move has forced hundreds of thousands of Palestinians sheltering there to flee yet again. All of this has been happening this week against the backdrop of ceasefire negotiations between Hamas and the Israeli government and souring relations between Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Joe Biden.
The Globe’s Senior International Correspondent Mark MacKinnon brings us up to speed on the many developments, breaks down what happened in the ceasefire talks this week, and what this means for the people in Gaza and the remaining Israeli hostages.
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TD Bank has been plagued by concerns about its anti-money-laundering capabilities for over a year. In March 2023, they tried to acquire the U.S. based bank First Horizon Corp. Regulatory issues delayed the acquisition, and in May 2023, the deal fell through.
The extent of TD’s anti-money-laundering issues weren’t clear until now, when it’s revealed that TD is involved in a U.S. investigation of a US$653 million money-laundering and drug-trafficking operation. Tim Kiladze, financial reporter and columnist for the Globe, is on the show to talk about TD’s alleged lack of oversight and what this means for the bank – and its customers – going forward.
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175 countries are in the midst of tense discussions around a UN treaty to reduce plastic pollution. The second-last negotiation session wrapped up in Ottawa last week, but there are still significant hurdles to getting it done, including disagreements about whether to include a production cap.
Today, The Globe’s environment reporter Wendy Stueck joins to explain what this treaty could change, and how countries are thinking about how to balance our reliance on plastic with its effects on our environment.
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Campus protests are spreading across Canada including at the University of Toronto and McGill. It comes after high profile demonstrations in the United States where students are demonstrating against the war in Gaza. And when police were called in to disband these protests, sometimes things got violent.
The protests and tensions with police call back to student movements of the past. Dr. Roberta Lexier is an associate professor at Mount Royal University, and her research focuses on social and student movements. She’s on the show to explain the tensions between campus protesters and police and what history tells us about the protests today.
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The public inquiry into foreign interference aimed to provide answers critical to Canada’s democracy: who are the main perpetrators of the threats against the country’s electoral system? What, if any, role did they play in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections? The first report from the inquiry has now been released – detailing the “pervasive, insidious and harmful” problems of foreign interference on Canada’s democratic institutions.
Robert Fife, The Globe’s Ottawa bureau chief, breaks down the report and explains what comes next, as pressure mounts on the Trudeau government.
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Diet culture that celebrates thinness, weight loss and supplements, has been around for decades. But the global reach of social media and influencers talking about nutrition trends and advice is something new. And what they’re telling – and selling – to followers isn’t always safe or fact-based.
Christy Harrison is a registered dietitian, certified intuitive eating counsellor and author. Her most recent book, The Wellness Trap, discusses moving away from diet-culture and sifting through disinformation. She’s on the podcast to discuss diet-culture’s presence on social media, the harms of nutrition trends and how to maintain a safe relationship with food today.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
Last year, British Columbia’s government began an experiment in drug policy by decriminalizing illicit drug use, up to a certain amount. The pilot program was meant to address the worsening opioid crisis that killed thousands of people in B.C. in 2023. But now, the provincial government has made a major reversal on that cornerstone policy, after reports from mayors of urban centres, residents and health care workers of rampant open drug use.
Justine Hunter, The Globe’s B.C. politics reporter joins the podcast to talk about the politics of decriminalization and what this means for harm reduction policies across Canada in the future.
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Distance running, once a relatively niche sport, has exploded in popularity. The trend has been ongoing for at least a decade, but 2024′s running season may be the biggest one yet. Marathon race organizers are expecting record participation in races this year, both in Canada and in cities around the world.
Today, Ben Kaplan, general manager of iRun Magazine, Allison Hill, co-founder of Hill Run Club, and members of The Decibel’s own running club explain how the sport has grown more inclusive and diverse, drawing in a whole new generation of runners.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
Sudan is facing a dire humanitarian crisis. Nearly 9 million people are displaced from their homes and millions face severe hunger, all stemming from a conflict that broke out just over a year ago. But there are widespread concerns that the world is turning a blind eye to Sudan – and to other African countries facing conflicts.
Today, The Globe’s Africa Bureau Chief Geoffrey York explains what’s been going on in Sudan, why so little attention is being paid to this conflict among others, and what that means for the people on the ground.
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By 2030, the federal government is hoping 60 per cent of new car sales will be zero-emission. By 2035, they want that number to be 100 per cent. To help with that goal, Canada and a number of provinces have been courting auto manufacturers to set up shop here. And just last week, Honda announced a $15-billion investment in EV production in Ontario – the biggest deal Canada has ever landed.
Adam Radwanski, The Globe’s climate policy columnist, is on the show to talk about a few of these Canadian deals and the future of the EV industry – both the prospect and obstacles ahead.
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Canada’s largest Chinatown has been under siege for over a century: first by race riots, then by poverty and most recently by the threat of development. We’re telling the story of why Chinatown, Vancouver, is one of Canada’s most resilient neighbourhoods, forced to evolve and adapt in the face of horrific racism. The future of Chinatowns everywhere should be in the hands of the people who live, work and find community there. So what does the future hold for a neighbourhood constantly in flux?
This episode of The Globe and Mail’s City Space podcast is available to stream wherever you get your podcasts.
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This week, a group of First-Nations leaders called for the Thunder Bay Police Service to be disbanded for the second time – following charges against high ranking members of the service and board, and several reports accusing the police service of racism, discrimination and misconduct, specifically in the cases involving Indigenous people.
The Globe’s Willow Fiddler has been covering this story and is on the show to explain the problems with the Thunder Bay Police Service, and what led to this call for the service to be disbanded.
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The government in Hong Kong recently voted to pass a new national security law, referred to as Article 23. It includes seven new offences related to sedition, treason and state secrets, and is expected to have a chilling effect on protest. A number of countries, including Canada, denounced the law before it was passed, saying it’s too broad and risks undermining human rights.
James Griffiths, The Globe’s Asia Correspondent, is on the show to discuss Article 23 – what it is, how it’s affecting people in Hong Kong and who is most at risk.
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The Israel-Hamas war is continuing in Gaza, but tension extends to another Palestinian territory, the West Bank. Five hundred Palestinians have been killed by Israeli settlers or security forces, according to local authorities, and at least nine Israelis have been killed, according to the United Nations. The West Bank is also home to farmland where olive, fig and lemon trees grow. Since Oct. 7, Israeli settlements have expanded and some Palestinian farmers say they’ve lost access to agricultural land.
Nathan VanderKlippe, the Globe’s international correspondent, tells us what’s been happening on West Bank farmlands for the past six months and how this is increasing tensions in the region.
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When the federal government released their 2024 budget last week, they changed the capital gains tax for the first time in a quarter-century. The tax is set to bring in $19.3-billion dollars, and the government says it’ll only impact the wealthiest of Canadians. But many are disputing that.
Salmaan Farooqui, a personal finance reporter with the Globe’s Report on Business, is on the show to tell us about the basics of capital gains and how this tax might affect Canadians.
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On Wednesday, Kristian Firth became the first person in over a century held in contempt of Parliament and ordered to answer MP questions. It all has to do with the ArriveCan app, which his company, GC Strategies, was awarded millions of dollars to help develop.
An Auditor-General’s report estimates the app cost taxpayers $59.5 million and most of the work was outsourced to companies like GC strategies. Why the app cost so much and who got that money has come under scrutiny.
Bill Curry, the Globe’s Deputy Ottawa Bureau Chief, is on the show to tell us about what’s been going on with ArriveCan and what we learned from Kristian Firth’s historic appearance at the House of Commons.
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With nearly one billion eligible voters, India is the world’s biggest democracy. Beginning April 19, with voting staggered over six weeks, they will decide their leader for the next five years. Narendra Modi aims to consolidate power with his third term as prime minister, as a coalition opposition looks to unseat him.
Sanjay Ruparelia is an associate professor at Toronto Metropolitan University and Jarislowsky Democracy Chair explains why India’s elections matter for democracy – and the balance of power for the rest of the world.
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The 2024 Canadian federal budget has been unveiled, with a particular focus on affordability and housing this year. But the 430 page plan covers a wide gamut of other spending details – from defence, tax hikes, generational fairness and much more. Making sense of it all can be overwhelming.
We’ll cover all the key points of this year’s budget and explain how it will affect your wallet and financial prospects. A team of Globe and Mail journalists – senior political reporter Marieke Walsh, real estate reporter Rachelle Younglai, Report on Business reporter Mark Rendell and personal finance expert Rob Carrick – join The Decibel to explain what you need to know.
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There are an estimated 650,000 cases of dementia in Canada right now. The last 20 years of research into the treatment of Alzheimer’s have been, as one expert put it, “agonizing.” But a new drug was approved in the United States and is being tested in Canada to see if it can delay or slow the progression of Alzheimer’s symptoms. And it’s giving researchers and patients some hope that a breakthrough could be on the way.
Kelly Grant, health reporter for The Globe, has been looking at this drug more closely. She’s on the show today to tell us what these trials mean for patients and the future of Alzheimer’s research.
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The Globe and Mail’s City Space podcast takes on the big issues, questions and stories of urban living. What makes a city function? Why was it built that way? How will it change in a tech-powered society?
This episode takes a look at the unhoused and encampment crisis in many cities and towns in Canada. In Halifax, the homeless population has tripled in the last three years. Emergency shelters aren’t enough, and building new housing takes time. Real fixes will require money and policy solutions. The city finds itself caught in the middle – between those who just want the problem to disappear and those trying to find long-term answers.
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After a spate of news stories and immense public pressure, the government of Canada established the Public Inquiry into Foreign Interference to examine allegations that foreign countries like China and Russia interfered in our elections. The inquiry has heard from many high-ranking officials, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, about interference in the 2019 and 2021 elections.
Robert Fife, The Globe’s Ottawa bureau chief, is on the show to explain the main points from the public inquiry so far and whether it will answer the lingering questions around foreign interference in Canada.
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Long wait times and the never ending battle to connect with a healthcare professional is a reality most people know all too well. Especially for the 6.5 million Canadian residents who do not have a family doctor. It’s a problem that has existed for years because it isn’t easy to solve.
Dr. Jane Philpott is the Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at Queen’s University. She is a family doctor, the former Minister of Health and recently published a new book, Health for All: A Doctor’s Prescription for a Healthier Canada. Dr. Philpott is on the show to talk about her ‘hopeful’ vision for primary care in Canada.
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Vietnam is having a moment on the world stage. Last month, Canada sent the largest ever “Team Canada” delegation of business leaders and government officials in a push to strengthen the bond with the country. And Canada isn’t alone – the U.S., Australia and China are all looking to do the same.
The Globe’s Asia correspondent, James Griffiths was recently in Vietnam and he’s on the show to explain why the southeast Asian country is so popular right now, what Canada is hoping to gain and what this all means for Vietnam’s future.
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Where does your seafood come from? And who, along the supply chain, handled it? An investigation from the non-profit investigative journalism organization, Outlaw Ocean Project, reveals a network of North Korean labourers at Chinese seafood plants – a violation of United Nations sanctions – supplying certain Canadian seafood companies. The workers detail a pattern of hyper-surveillance, poor pay and sexual assault by their employers.
Ian Urbina, executive editor of The Outlaw Ocean Project, joins The Decibel to discuss the findings of the investigation, the working conditions inside the processing plants and how products made from forced labour are ending up on Canadian store shelves.
VIDEO: Investigation reveals North Korean forced labour in Chinese seafood plants
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In the last few years, there has been an increase in research around using psychedelic drugs, like LSD and magic mushrooms, as treatments for mental health conditions. And recently, two Canadian companies working in the sphere have gotten a special designation from a big U.S. regulator that could fast-track the development and review of their drugs.
Sean Silcoff is a journalist with The Globe’s Report on Business. He has been looking at recent developments in these companies and how that fits into the bigger picture of investor excitement around these drugs.
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The deaths of seven World Central Kitchen humanitarian aid workers in Gaza has shone a light on the dangerous conditions facing people delivering essential supplies to Gazans. Some aid organizations have either suspended or modified deliveries in order to protect worker safety. It comes at a time when food and other supplies are desperately needed in Gaza. The UN says that a famine is looming for people living there. Simply put, getting aid into Gaza has long been difficult. But without a ceasefire it is a logistical nightmare.
Dr. Sarah Schiffling is an expert in humanitarian logistics. She’s the Deputy Director of the HUMLOG Research Institute at the Hanken School of Economics in Helsinki, Finland. She explains the challenges of getting aid into Gaza and what can be done to make it easier.
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Educators across Canada are worried about the use of cellphones – and in particular social media – in classrooms, saying it’s disrupting class and causing mental health issues. Four school boards in Ontario are suing the companies behind Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat for billions of dollars, joining a long list of U.S. school districts doing the same.
Philip Mai, senior researcher and co-director of the Social Media Lab at Toronto Metropolitan University, explains why this might be a tough case to prove in court, and how it could make an impact on how young people engage with social media.
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Since 2017, Canada has worked to attract the best artificial intelligence research talent in the world. But it hasn’t been investing in the infrastructure that those researchers need to push the limits of AI and the questions it can potentially solve. There are now calls for the government to invest more into building out more powerful supercomputers.
Report on Business journalist Joe Castaldo explains why the issue of growing computing power isn’t as simple as buying more high-end computer chips, the potential problems of investing heavily into this tech, and what Canada can do to prevent a brain drain of AI talent.
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Buying and owning a home in Canada is an endless source of frustration. Many have been priced out, while competition is high as a lack of housing stock runs up against a rapidly growing population. While more homes are needed to alleviate the stress, getting shovels into the ground isn’t as simple as it sounds.
The Globe’s Jason Kirby, Matt Lundy and Mark Rendell recently broke down the reasons behind why most Canadians can’t afford a home right now. Jason Kirby is on the show to explain the not-so-obvious reasons why housing affordability and opportunity is at an all-time low – and whether we’ll be stuck in this expensive loop for generations to come.
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On April 8, the moon will block out the sun giving many Canadians a chance to witness a total solar eclipse. Cities and towns falling in the path of totality are getting ready for this special day and are expected to experience a big number of visitors.
The Globe and Mail’s science reporter Ivan Semeniuk explains the science behind eclipses, what makes the upcoming total eclipse special for Canadians and what are the ways to view it safely.
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There are few more important habits for human health than the hours we spend asleep every night. Research shows sleep – or lack of it – affects everything from our physical and mental health, decision making and ability to fight illness. Despite this, at least one in four Canadians say they’re unhappy with the quality of their sleep.
Dr. Rébecca Robillard, neuropsychologist at the University of Ottawa and Co-Chair of the Canadian Sleep Research Consortium, goes deep on the science of sleep and why it’s vital for cognition and brain health.
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Aspen, Colorado is a picturesque mountain town often called a snowy “playground for the rich”. Real estate is also one of the most expensive in the United States, and for the teachers that live there, that means they’ve been priced out. Now, the local high school is trying to solve that problem with student-built tiny homes for their teachers.
The Globe’s international correspondent, Nathan VanderKlippe recently spent time in Aspen to find out about this makeshift solution to the affordability crisis, the other cities doing similar projects and what this all says about the effects housing has on our social structures.
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For most workers in Canada, there’s a chunk of money deducted from each paycheck that goes toward the Canada Pension Plan. It happens whether you want it to or not. That’s because the CPP was set up to force people to save for their retirement. Canadians become eligible to receive a monthly payment when they reach the age of 60. However, many factors determine how much money an individual will get.
Brenda Bouw, a reporter for Globe Advisor, explains how CPP works, what determines how much you get and the debate around what’s the right age to claim it.
To visit The Globe’s CPP calculator, click here.
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The number of single parents in Canada has been steadily growing since the 1970s. Today, one in five children grow up in single-parent homes. However, the increasing cost of living and lack of sufficient financial support is pushing many of these families towards poverty.
Dave McGinn, a reporter for the Globe and Mail, dives into the additional struggles that single parents face and explains how Canada’s policies to help families fall short.
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The federal price on carbon is set to increase on April 1. This tax is being criticized by many provinces including Saskatchewan. At the end of last year, Premier Scott Moe announced that the province will stop collecting a carbon levy on home heating bills. Then, earlier this year, he said that the province wouldn’t pay part of its carbon bill to the Canada Revenue Agency. Ottawa says this is against the law.
The Globe and Mail’s Alberta and energy reporter Kelly Cryderman explains why Saskatchewan made that decision and how the political debate on the carbon tax got so fraught.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin is one of the longest serving leaders of the country, on track to surpass the rule of Joseph Stalin. Over the years, Putin has cracked down on opposition, as seen with Alexey Navalny and many others before him, to the extent that there is little opposition left in Russia.
Mark MacKinnon, The Globe’s senior international correspondent, has been speaking with members of the Russian opposition movement, both in prison and in exile. Today, he tells us their fates, how they’re making sense of this moment, and what it means for the future of Russia that Putin has such a firm grip on power.
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The man who murdered the parents of a former NHL goalie was recently granted full parole. In 2022, a ruling by the Supreme Court struck down the punishment of life without parole for multiple murders. This case has raised questions about what rules and parameters are in place for convicted killers and the potential threat they pose to society.
The Globe and Mail’s justice writer Sean Fine explains the details of the case, the mechanism of the parole system and what it can mean for future criminal cases.
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Private debt funds are one of the hottest commodities in the world of investing. High rates of return and low management fees made them popular among investors. However, some recent redemption freezes and the allegations against Bridging Finance Inc. have put these funds under scrutiny.
The Globe and Mail’s finance reporter and columnist Tim Kiladze, explains what these private debt funds are, how they operate and why some investors are reconsidering their big bets.
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Canada went through its most destructive wildfire season in 2023. Wildfire services rely on data, forestry photography and mapping as a way to proactively control forest fires. However, a recent study in B.C. has found that the data being used is inaccurate and insufficient.
Jen Baron, lead author of the study and PhD candidate at UBC’s Department of Conservation and Forestry, explains the inaccuracies in the data, the problems it creates and the ways it could be improved.
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Millennial women are feeling burnt out.
The responsibilities and pressures of family, work and caregiving are piling up, amidst the lingering fallout of the pandemic and the economic crisis. But what makes this generation’s burnout unique to generations before it?
The Globe and Mail’s demographics reporter Ann Hui, explains her own experience with burnout, the reasons why millennial women are feeling it more and how it can be made better.
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After months of escalating violence, Haiti has descended into chaos. Criminal gangs have largely taken control of the country’s capital as they attack civilians and police. Haitian prime minister Ariel Henry has agreed to step down to allow for a transitional government to take over, while a UN-backed security force from Kenya is being called on to restore order.
Chalmers Larose, a Haitian political scientist and lecturer at several Canadian post-secondary institutions, joins the show to unpack the security problems facing Haiti, what can be done about them, and whether international effort could help.
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The dangerous effects of the opioid crisis could be distilled in a single afternoon in February: the town of Belleville, Ont., saw 14 overdose cases in just two hours. The scale of the opioid crisis is often associated with big cities; however, the reality in smaller cities is even worse. Despite smaller cities having higher rates of opioid deaths and hospitalizations, they get less attention.
The Globe and Mail’s reporter and feature writer, Shannon Proudfoot explains the situation in some small towns in the country and how they are trying to deal with it despite having far fewer resources.
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A new series published by the medical journal, The Lancet says menopause is being “over-medicalized.” It argues that treating aging like an illness does women a disservice. The medical community’s approach to menopause has changed a lot throughout the years including the use of hormone replacement therapy to treat symptoms associated with it.
The Globe and Mail’s health reporter Kelly Grant, explains the history of hormone replacement therapy use, the culture shift around our views on menopause and where this all leaves people dealing with its symptoms.
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Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announced new regulations for renewable power developments that started on March 1st. This comes after the province paused all renewable developments in August. And the rules have some people concerned that it will limit this booming industry in a traditional oil-and-gas powered province.
The Globe and Mail’s energy reporter, Emma Graney, explains what exactly the rules cover and how it could create a chill for new wind and solar investments in Alberta.
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A recent legislative commission in Maine has questioned the 2006 Canadian investigation on the spraying of herbicides that took place in a New Brunswick military base. The latest report says the Canadian government downplayed the effects of Agent Orange on military veterans and their families.
Lindsay Jones is The Globe’s Atlantic reporter. In this episode, she tells us more about the investigations into the use of Agent Orange in Canada, and the fight for compensation and answers for those exposed to the toxic chemicals.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com.
In 2015, the Vancouver Art Gallery believed it had made a groundbreaking acquisition. 10 sketches by Group of Seven member J.E.H. MacDonald were unearthed in the mid-1970s and sold off. But experts in the Canadian art world weren’t convinced they were authentic. But it wouldn’t be until late 2023 that the truth was finally revealed to the public.
Marsha Lederman is a columnist for the Globe, and has been reporting on this artwork since the Vancouver Art Gallery first announced their acquisition nearly a decade ago. She’s on the show to talk about how the mystery was finally solved, what it means for an art gallery to come clean.
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Measles cases have been popping up all over the world, including in Canada. This highly contagious virus can be devastating – and even deadly – to people who haven’t been vaccinated against it.
The Globe and Mail’s health columnist André Picard explains why we’re seeing this sudden rise and what can be done about it.
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Newly released documents reveal two scientists who worked at a high-security infectious disease lab in Winnipeg provided confidential scientific information to China. Both scientists were fired back in 2021, but for years the exact reasons why had been a mystery. The CSIS documents now reveal that one of the scientists was “a realistic and credible threat to Canada’s economic security.”
Senior parliamentary reporter, Steven Chase explains who these scientists are and the information they were sharing, foreign interference and why the government took so long to release the documents.
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The Liberal-NDP supply-and-confidence deal has passed another test. The two parties managed to table a pharmacare bill before the March 1 deadline. But the compromise legislation is a limited program, supplying universal, single-payer coverage to only two classes of drugs.
Marieke Walsh, the Globe’s Senior Political Reporter, explains how the program will work and how much it will cost.
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There are increasing shortages in the skilled trades in Canada, and provinces and territories are desperate to get people to fill them – so, they’re turning to young people. There are programs across the country to get high school students engaged in the trades, but Ontario has proposed the most radical solution yet – allowing students to leave high school early.
Today, The Globe’s education reporter Caroline Alphonso explains how provinces are trying to encourage young people into the trades, and why we might need to rethink the approach to what happens after high school.
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On Monday, Calgary-based discount airline Lynx Air, which launched a mere two years ago, ceased operations. For customers, that means they’re likely not getting refunds and will have to find alternate and possibly more expensive tickets to their destinations.
This is a familiar story in Canada. Discount airlines have come and gone with only a few years of operation under their belt. The Globe’s transportation reporter, Eric Atkins is on the show to explain why discount airlines keep failing in Canada and what that means for flyers looking for a deal.
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Exclusive deals struck between insurance companies and pharmacies are increasingly drawing scrutiny from patients, pharmacists and cabinet ministers. The arrangements, known as preferred pharmacy networks (PPNs), are meant to deal with rising prices of pharmaceutical drugs. But detractors say these plans mean less transparency, competition and consumer choice.
The Globe’s retailing reporter Susan Krashinsky Robertson and wealth management and insurance reporter Clare O’Hara explain why the blowback against PPNs is rooted in questions about who gets to approve treatment for patients.
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For the first time ever, a spacecraft built by a private company has landed on the moon. The robotic lander, named Odysseus, touched down in the south polar region on Thursday. But not before a nerve-wracking communications blackout and an off-kilter landing that have scientists racing against time.
What is Odysseus’ purpose? What could this mean for future space projects like NASA’s Artemis missions in 2026? Ivan Semeniuk, The Globe’s science reporter, joins the show to explain the historic feat.
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Since the murder of a Muslim family by a self-described white nationalist in London, Ont. in 2021, debate has raged over whether this crime was an act of terrorism under Canadian law. Last week’s Ontario Superior Court ruling has settled the matter: Nathaniel Veltman’s targeted attacks on the Afzaal family is a ‘textbook’ example of terrorism.
Globe reporter Colin Freeze has been covering the case and joins The Decibel to explain the precedent-setting decision, why defining terrorism matters in Canada, and what this means in protecting the victims of terrorist crimes.
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Two years ago, Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Now, with Russia on the front foot, many towns that have been safe for months are being thrust back onto the frontlines, like Kharkiv in northeastern Ukraine.
Today, The Globe’s senior international correspondent Mark MacKinnon, who’s in Kharkiv, tells us about the frontlines of the war two years on, how the soldiers are doing, and what it means for Ukraine’s army that Western support is slowing down.
If you’d like to learn more, The Globe is doing a live Q&A with Mark on Saturday, February 24 at 10 a.m. ET, here.
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The latest poll numbers are looking grim for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Liberals. According to an Abacus poll in February, the Trudeau-led Liberals are polling at 24 per cent and the PM himself is deeply unpopular among voters of all ages. More than a year out from the next election, is the incumbent government already doomed?
John Ibbitson, The Globe’s Writer-At-Large, explains the factors that have led to the Liberals’ steep decline and whether this is simply the end of a political cycle – as a new one could soon begin.
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As health care across Canada struggles with staffing shortages, a Globe investigation has found that provincial use of private nursing agencies has recently skyrocketed – in some cases costing hundreds of millions of dollars.
The Globe’s Kelly Grant and Tu Thanh Ha have been investigating these private agencies – and one agency in particular – for months. Today, they tell us how these agencies work, why it’s costing so much, and the concerns with how some of these companies are operating – including some questionable expenses that are being passed onto taxpayers.
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Canada’s first federal housing advocate released her first-ever formal review last week: Housing is a human right and that the federal government is failing people who are unhoused and violating a 2019 law by not providing adequate housing. That has led directly to a poverty and encampment crisis affecting cities and towns across Canada, leaving thousands of people struggling to survive.
Marie-Josée Houle, Canada’s Federal Housing Advocate, joins the show to explain the full findings of her report and the pressure on governments to act now.
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Worried about total economic collapse because of government mismanagement? Bow Valley Credit Union might be for you. The Alberta credit union is leaning hard into anti-government, anti-regulation rhetoric. And it’s buying up precious metals like gold in a bid to shore up its depositors’ investments.
They’re proud of the fact that they’ve run afoul of regulators, using their distrust of authority as a selling point, and recently sponsored Tucker Carlson’s interview with Alberta premier Danielle Smith.
The Globe’s Carrie Tait explains how Bow Valley’s CEO has built up the credit union and why they appeal to thousands who’ve invested with them.
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Back in the fall of 2021, Canadian news headlines were dominated by the story of the Rogers family battling for control of Rogers Communications Inc. It was a very dramatic, and very public, power struggle that was frequently compared to the TV show Succession.
The fallout from that saga is still playing out today. Alexandra Posadzki has been breaking news on this story since it started. She recently published a book, Rogers v. Rogers: The Battle for Control over Canada’s Telecom Empire. Today, she explains the saga that pulled the Rogers family apart, risked a $20-billion deal, and what it all means for Canada’s telecom industry now.
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The Israel-Hamas war has led to a growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. In January, Canada launched a temporary program for Canadians to bring their family members here from Gaza.
Janice Dickson is the Globe’s international affairs reporter. She’s here to talk about what makes bringing people out of Gaza so challenging, and the frustration Canadians are feeling in trying to bring their loved ones here.
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Life has gotten expensive in a number of ways – from groceries to housing. And so too, have the costs of taking care of furry family members. More than half of Canadian households have a cat or dog and skyrocketing costs have meant some people are finding it hard to keep up with the bills.
The Globe’s personal finance reporter, Erica Alini, and independent business reporter, Chris Hannay, looked into the complex web of factors that have caused rising prices. They’re on the show to explain what they learned and what pet owners can do to try and keep costs down.
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A new report about Chinese companies registering in Russia’s Arctic highlights China’s “no limits partnership” with Russia, and its interest in developing mining and shipping in the Arctic that is melting due to climate change.
Senior parliamentary reporter Steven Chase explores the implications for Canada, which has its own claims to sovereignty over the North Pole, the Northwest Passage, and the large swaths of the Arctic seabeds that could be mined.
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The most recent numbers show that inflation in Canada is at 3.4 per cent. Still above the 2-per-cent target, which is where the Bank of Canada would like it to be. And this last little bit of inflation is a critical period for the Bank in terms of adjusting interest rates.
Mark Rendell covers the Bank of Canada for The Globe’s Report on Business and he explains what challenges remain to squeeze that last little bit of inflation out of the economy.
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It’s been a year since B.C. got permission to decriminalize possessing small amounts of some street drugs. At the time, B.C.’s Minister of Mental Health and Addictions said this would “break down the stigma that stops people from accessing life-saving support and services.”
But since then, B.C. recorded its highest-ever number of deaths from illicit drugs in 2023. And in response to public outcry, the provincial government has sought to limit drug use in more public areas like beaches and playgrounds.
Andrea Woo is a staff reporter at The Globe’s Vancouver bureau, and she’s won a National Newspaper Award for her coverage of the toxic drug crisis. She’ll tell us what we know about how decriminalization works in B.C., and if anyone thinks it’s working out.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith unveiled a raft of new policies last week that have healthcare professionals warning of dire consequences for young transgender and non-binary people. The proposals will severely restrict when and what kind of gender-affirming care – ranging from medication to surgery – that young people and their families will have access to.
Zosia Bielski, national news reporter specializing in gender, sexuality and sexual health for The Globe, explains what these policies are aiming to achieve and why experts are calling these rules the most restrictive in Canada on issues of gender and identity.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
In early January, Florida became the first U.S. state to get approval to import wholesale drugs from Canada. The FDA’s decision overrides decades-long objections from drug companies and could save the state millions of dollars. Now, Colorado is looking to do the same.
The Globe’s international correspondent, Nathan VanderKlippe went to Colorado to learn about their plan to bring in cheap drugs from Canada, why drugs are so much more expensive in the U.S., and whether Canadians could be facing a shortage in their medications.
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For months now, TD Bank has been making headlines. First there was the news they were acquiring U.S.-based First Horizon Bank. Then the news that that acquisition wasn’t going through. Then the bank announced it was under investigation.
And now, thanks to the reporting of Rita Trichur and Stefanie Marotta, we know that a Canadian regulator is also set to levy a penalty against them. Stefanie, The Globe’s banking reporter, is on the show to explain what is going on inside Canada’s second-largest bank.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
A U.S. federal indictment is unsealed and within it are explosive allegations. According to court documents released this week, an assassination plot was constructed between a drug lord, two Canadian Hells Angels members and Iran’s armed forces – aimed at silencing Iranian dissidents living in the U.S.
The Globe’s U.S. correspondent Adrian Morrow explains what is known about the case, the people allegedly involved and how it all fits into foreign interference and extraterritorial killings.
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Five hockey players from Canada’s 2018 world junior hockey team have been charged with sexual assault in connection to an event alleged to have taken place in London, Ont., in 2018. Four of them are current NHL players.
A woman identified as E.M. sued Hockey Canada in 2022 in relation to the incident, which was settled for $3.55-million. The Globe then reported that Hockey Canada had maintained a reserve, called the National Equity Fund, to pay out sexual assault claims. It was made up, in part, by players’ registration fees.
The Globe’s Robyn Doolittle led the reporting on Unfounded, a series examining how police departments across Canada treat sexual assault claims, and she’s been reporting on the alleged incident as details become public. She explains what happened in 2018 and how it led to this week’s charges.
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Online petitions. Angry in-person meetings. An ultimatum. These are just a few of the events that lead to a Canadian play being pulled from Victoria’s Belfry Theatre and Vancouver’s PuSh Festival.
The Globe’s theatre critic, J. Kelly Nestruck, explains how this play – The Runner – wound up at the centre of a controversy about a war half a world away.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
Myanmar has been embroiled in a bloody civil war for nearly three years, after the military staged a coup in 2021. The war was stuck in a stalemate but that is changing – the resistance forces have been gaining ground, and Siegfried Modola has been there documenting some of the battles.
Modola is a photojournalist and documentary photographer who has been reported on the conflict during several trips into Myanmar for The Globe and Mail. Today, he takes us to the new frontlines of the country’s civil war, and explains the toll this conflict is having on the people of Myanmar.
You can see Modola’s reporting and photography here: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/world/article-myanmar-civil-war-opposition-photos/
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The long-awaited inquiry into foreign interference begins today. The Globe and Mail’s reporting, based on top-secret CSIS documents, of sophisticated strategies by China to disrupt Canada’s democracy and federal elections set off a firestorm. Now, the public is about to learn how the federal government handled this information and what lessons can be learned to fend off actions by foreign states in the future.
The Globe’s senior parliamentary reporter, Steven Chase, joins the podcast to explain the stakes of the inquiry, what is being examined and the main players who will dominate the headlines in the months to come.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
Nearly two years on, the federal government’s use of the Emergencies Act against the 2022 convoy protests is still being debated – politically and legally. This week, a Federal Court judge ruled that the Trudeau government’s invocation of the act was unjustified and violated the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
The Globe’s senior political reporter Marieke Walsh explains this latest ruling, how this finding is different from last year’s inquiry findings and what this all means for the Trudeau government.
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Cities in Canada pay for most of the services they provide with property taxes. What homeowners are charged in property taxes – and how much that goes up or down with each budget – has become a political statement, as well as a rallying cry for affordability.
Urban affairs reporter Oliver Moore gets at the numbers behind the latest property tax hikes across the country, telling us what they’re paying for, why they are mostly going up – some, like Toronto’s, way up – and what other tools cities have to raise the money they need for services like garbage pickup and park maintenance.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
Companies around the world are trying to harness the power of the tides to create a renewable energy source. Canada’s Bay of Fundy is a promising place to do it because it has the highest tides in the world. But turning the tides into energy has proven to be challenging and costly.
Matthew MClearn is an investigative reporter and data journalist with The Globe and Mail’s Energy, Natural Resources and Environment Team. He’s on the show to explain how tidal power works and where we’re at in its development.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
Cases of Invasive Group A Strep infections are on the rise in Canada. It’s an illness with potentially fatal outcomes – four children under 10 have died in British Columbia since mid-December, and six people under the age of 18 died in Ontario in the last three months of 2023.
Carly Weeks is a health reporter for the Globe. She’s on the show to talk about how to recognize Invasive Group A Strep infections and why experts believe they’re on the rise.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
On Oct. 23, 2023, five hospitals in southwestern Ontario realized they were under attack. A cybercrime group was hacking them in order to hold patient and employee information hostage. The hack resulted in all of the hospitals shutting down their systems, causing massive delays in care, backlogging tests and requiring some patients to travel for care.
Karen Howlett, an investigative reporter at The Globe, has been looking into how hackers were able to get into the hospitals’ shared IT system and steal over 250,000 patient records.
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Canada’s birth rate is at an almost 20-year low. People are deciding not to have kids for a variety of reasons and the pandemic has only intensified this drop. While Millennials and GenZ’s are saying no to kids, the declining birth rate is leaving their parents with an identity crisis: Baby boomers coming to terms with a future without grandkids.
The Globe’s Zosia Bielski recently looked into the rising trend of grandchildless boomers. She explains what this new normal means for family dynamics and the pressures that come along with it.
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Canada is one of the fastest growing countries in the world and in 2023, the population officially reached 40 million people. But economists are warning that there’s a price to pay for that growth – that Canada’s living standards and investments in infrastructure aren’t keeping up.
Matt Lundy is an economics reporter for the Globe, and he joins the podcast to explain why Canada’s policies have led to a ‘population trap’ and why Canada’s immigration rates have soared.
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The case of Steven Galloway caused a firestorm when it was first made public, and it continues to this day. Galloway was fired from the University of British Columbia after allegations of sexual misconduct, which he denies. The situation divided Canadian authors, and the public more broadly. Now, there’s been a development.
The Globe’s Marsha Lederman has reported on this extensively. Today, she tells the story of how we got to this moment, the implications of this case, and the effect it’s had on the people involved.
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Ontario’s Ring of Fire has long been believed to contain critical minerals like nickel, copper and chromite, purportedly worth tens of billions of dollars. But for more than a decade, there has been no development. This is in part because of a long process of assessments and consultations happening, much of which involve First Nations communities who live on the Ring of Fire land.
Niall McGee is the Globe’s mining reporter and he explains how the leader of one First Nation in the area is pushing to allow for the mining of the Ring of Fire and why he sees it as important for reconciliation.
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Snowy season in many parts of Canada is off to a slow start. At the end of December, fewer than half of Whistler Blackcomb’s trails in British Columbia were open due to the lack of snow. And the Prairie provinces are expected to have a milder winter, with below-normal snowfall. While the amount of snow varies from year to year, a new study says snowpack – the volume of snow that is present on the landscape – in the Northern Hemisphere is on the decline because of climate change.
Ivan Semeniuk is The Globe’s science reporter. He’s on the show to explain how this loss will impact not only ski season but also water supplies and agriculture.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
There seems to be a lot of illness going around right now. Hospitals are struggling with what the Canadian Medical Association called an “avalanche of patients,” and many of you have questions.
Today, The Globe’s health reporter Carly Weeks joins us to explain how this year’s respiratory virus season is shaping up, and she answers your questions about COVID, RSV, the flu, and more.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
On December 29, South Africa submitted an application with the International Court of Justice claiming that Israel’s offensive in Gaza is “genocidal in character.” The UN’s judicial court is hearing South Africa’s request for provisional measures on Thursday and will hear Israel’s response the next day.
Geoffrey York is the Globe’s Africa bureau chief, based in Johannesburg. He explains what was in South Africa’s application and what it means for the war in Gaza.
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Taiwan, the east Asian country of 24 million people, is ramping up to a pivotal presidential election on January 13. Amidst rising tensions with China, voters are being asked whether their country should have a warmer relationship with Beijing or continue a hardline stance for Taiwanese independence.
James Griffiths, The Globe’s Asia correspondent, explains why the answer to that question will test China’s strength and why another superpower is watching closely.
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There’s a conversation happening amongst parents that is drumming up a lot of controversy. It’s around the idea of gentle parenting, which is a catch-all term that generally refers to parents who try to stay calm, place a lot of importance on their child’s emotions and show a lot of physical affection.
Dr. Alice Davidson is a professor of developmental psychology at Rollins College, and is one of the few academics to have actually studied gentle parenting. She shares what she has found out.
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Inflation has been rising, interest rates have accelerated at record pace, and the cost of living has been weighing on us all. Canada’s economy has been flirting with a recession since the start of the pandemic, but we may have avoided the worst of it.
So what’s in store for 2024? Will there be any reprieve? The Globe’s economics columnist and reporter David Parkinson is on the show today to tell us what this year’s financial forecast looks like.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
Tensions in the Middle East have heightened in the last week, not just because the war in Gaza continues, but because of four events that have happened in the last week in the region.
The Globe’s Senior International Correspondent, Mark MacKinnon, explains what has happened and how it’s ratcheting up geopolitical pressures.
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Plant-based meat has been touted as a way of having our steak and eating it too. The industry had grand plans to remake the way we eat, cut down greenhouse gas emissions in meat and dairy production and address animal welfare concerns. Companies like Beyond Meat and Impossible had a meteoric rise in the late 2010s, with influencers, celebrities and investors backing the companies.
But now, it appears the hype over plant-based meat is over. Sales have dropped off and stock prices are worth less than a tenth of its peak.
Vox staff writer and journalist Kenny Torrella tells us why the noise around plant-based meat’s potential – and its flop – doesn’t tell the whole story.
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There is a universal – but uncomfortable – truth about grief: We will all experience it at some point in our lives. And with the scale of death we witnessed during the pandemic, grief is a lot more present in our lives.
And yet, Canada doesn’t have a cohesive network of support for grief. The Canadian Grief Alliance recently received federal funding to look into this. Paul Adams is one of the co-chairs and is on the show to explain what a better system could look like.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
2023 was a rocky year for Justin Trudeau and his Liberal government. The country was grappling with unaffordable housing and grocery prices, high interest rates, accusations of foreign interference. Trudeau and his government have been sliding in the polls, losing significant ground to Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre.
Today, in our first episode of 2024, The Globe’s political columnist and writer-at-large John Ibbitson explains how the events of 2023 impacted Trudeau and his government, and Pierre Poilievre, and what might be in store for 2024.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
For the holidays, The Decibel is sharing their favourite stories of the year, with the producers taking you behind-the-scenes on how the episodes were made, what inspired them and all the tidbits that never made it into the original airing.
Adrial and Adiah Nadarajah are the most premature twins ever born to survive to their first birthday – they were born at just 22 weeks, about half of a full term pregnancy. If they had been born just two hours earlier, medical staff would not have tried to resuscitate them. They would have been considered too young to live.
Their story is part of the medical and moral challenges that arise when babies are born dangerously early. Kelly Grant spoke with the parents and doctors of the babies – and attended the twins’ first birthday party.
This episode originally aired on April 10, 2023
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
For the holidays, The Decibel is sharing their favourite stories of the year, with the producers taking you behind-the-scenes on how the episodes were made, what inspired them and all the tidbits that never made it into the original airing.
When Ontario Place first opened in 1971, it was a jewel on Toronto’s waterfront showcasing modern architecture and Ontario culture. But in the 50 years that followed, Ontario Place faced an identity crisis. The space hosted a water park and a night club to name a few. And while a few venues have stayed open much of the park closed in 2012. The Provincial government cited dwindling attendance and soaring costs.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford has a new plan that he says will turn the 155-acres of land into a ‘world class’ destination. But the project is already mired in controversy, with critics saying the Premier’s plan is shrouded in secrecy and favouritism.
Decibel producer Sherrill Sutherland toured Ontario place with The Globe’s architecture critic, Alex Bozikovic to learn about why so many people are fighting to keep it a public space. Plus, the Globe’s Queen’s Park reporter Jeff Gray explains the politics behind this lucrative piece of land.
This episode originally aired on May 4, 2023
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
For the holidays, The Decibel is sharing their favourite stories of the year, with the producers taking you behind-the-scenes on how the episodes were made, what inspired them and all the tidbits that never made it into the original airing.
No one really knows what dark matter is. We just think it exists. And we believe it makes up 85 per cent of all mass in the universe. So how do you solve the mystery of something that is currently unknowable?
Enter SNOLAB. This underground, clean lab is located in Sudbury, Ontario, and researchers there are running experiments to try to solve this cosmic query. Decibel producer Madeleine White, along with Globe science reporter Ivan Semeniuk, go two kilometres underground to visit SNOLAB and bring you up to date on the lab’s quest to discover dark matter.
This episode originally aired on August 10, 2023
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Food and family are often front and centre during the holidays. These two ingredients also help make up our identities and cultures.
So today, The Decibel is sharing stories of finding family through the act of baking.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
Earlier this year, The Globe’s sports editor Jamie Ross got a peculiar package in the mail – a wallet, with a request from a man nearing the end of his life, to help return it to its rightful owner. That piqued the interest of investigative reporter Grant Robertson. And that began the saga of trying to track these people down.
Today, Grant Robertson tells us the story of a hockey player, his wallet, and the mystery Grant is trying to solve around it.
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The Globe’s Carrie Tait recently went to visit a bowling alley in the small town of Kimberley, British Columbia. It’s tucked in the basement of the town’s Elk’s Lodge and has a feature that exists in just a few other locations in North America: the pins are set by humans, not machines. It’s a profession from a bygone era but in Kimberley, this bowling alley from the past, is making a comeback.
Carrie is on the show to tell us about this unique space, the people who put it together and how the bowling alley is helping to revive a small town looking toward its future.
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A giant squid discovered in Newfoundland in 1873 turned what until then was a mythological creature into the scientifically named Architeuthis dux, or giant squid. In the generations since, more sightings and myth-making have become the stuff of local legend on “The Rock”.
Atlantic reporter Lindsay Jones explores how the giant squid has since entwined itself in the history and culture of Newfoundland, even as sightings have dwindled in the 21st century.
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Nearly every day, The Globe published an editorial cartoon. Around 8,000 of those cartoons were drawn by Brian Gable. After 35 years of drawing cartoons for The Globe, Brian Gable has retired.
Today, we talk to Brian about the complicated art of political cartoons, how he does it, who his favourite people have been to draw, and why he thinks we need editorial cartoons in today’s world.
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Earlier this week, a man from Mississauga, Kenneth Law, was charged with 14 counts of second-degree murder. Police allege he helped people end their lives by selling them sodium nitrite online.
Today, Globe reporters Mike Hager and Colin Freeze explain what we know about Kenneth Law, the charges against him, and how he defended himself in an interview earlier this year.
If you are having thoughts of suicide, call Crisis Service Canada at 1-833-456-4566 or visit crisisservicescanada.ca. Young people can also call Kids Help Phone at 1-800-668-6868, text 686868, or visit kidshelpphone.ca. If it is an emergency, call 911.
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One in five Canadians suffer from chronic pain. According to one estimate, in 2019 the direct and indirect costs of chronic pain totalled $40-billion. And yet, the affliction is poorly understood and accessing treatment through the health care system can be tedious and frustrating.
Lara Pingue is an editor at The Globe. In 2018 her life changed when a sneeze sent her spiralling into the world of chronic pain. On her years-long journey, she’s dealt first-hand with the health care system, she’s tried multitudes of treatments to help alleviate her pain and she’s learned about the research currently being done to figure out this mysterious affliction. She’s on the show to explain her experience and what her bad back taught her about the world of chronic pain.
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There are over a half million public-sector workers on strike in Quebec this week. This comes after an offer from François Legault’s government, which the multiple unions involved in negotiations rejected.
The strikes – some of which started weeks ago – seem to have strong public support despite schools being shut down and delays piling up at hospitals. Frédérik-Xavier Duhamel, a staff reporter based in Montreal, discusses whether there’s an end in sight.
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Canada’s oil and gas industry has been facing immense pressure to reduce emissions. Last week, the federal government announced a cap and trade system to help do that, and one of the main ways the industry is planning to cut back on emissions is through carbon capture.
Today, The Globe’s energy reporter Emma Graney explains the new cap and trade system, the science behind carbon capture, and the concerns around whether it is a viable option for Canada’s oil and gas sector.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
A recent report from the Canadian Cancer Society underlines a troubling trend: cervical cancer is on the rise and seeing its most significant increase in nearly 40 years. Despite having a vaccine against HPV – the predominant cause of the cancer – hundreds of Canadian women are dying every year.
The Globe’s national health reporter Carly Weeks joins the podcast to explain what experts think should do to help prevent the rise of cervical cancer cases in Canada.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
As storms become more frequent and more severe, insurance claims for damage to homes are piling up. Disaster claims in Canada have more than quadrupled over the past 15 years, accounting for more than $3-billion of insured losses in 2022 – up from just $400-million in 2008, according to the Insurance Bureau of Canada.
Clare O’Hara is a journalist with The Globe’s Report on Business and she covers the insurance industry. She explains the relationship between climate change, insurance companies and your growing home insurance bill.
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Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February last year, there have been concerns about Ukrainian children, and the efforts by Russia to send them to summer camps or to foster homes within Russia.
The Globe’s senior international correspondent, Mark MacKinnon, brings us the story of two siblings separated by this practice and how a sister travelled more than 1,000 km, crossing borders, to try to bring her brother back home.
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Managing personal finances while navigating 2023′s economic landscape is stressful, especially for young people. Is now the time for a down payment for a home? How do you even begin saving with sky-high rents? Where is the safest place to begin investing?
Listeners asked these questions (and more) to The Globe’s personal finance columnist Rob Carrick, who spoke to Decibel host Menaka Raman-Wilms in a Globe Campus virtual event. We answer the most pressing queries to help you get a better handle on your money.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
After a very public and heated battle with the federal government, Google has come to an agreement to support Canadian news to the tune of $100 million a year. Countries around the world have been watching this play out in Canada, as they try to tackle the imbalance between tech giants and media outlets.
Taylor Owen, founding director of The Centre for Media, Technology and Democracy and an associate professor at McGill University, joins us today. He explains the details of the deal, and what precedent it sets for other places looking to bring in similar legislation.
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Where is the most livable city in Canada? The Globe and Mail ranked more than 400 cities across the country to find out. Using data to capture qualities that matter most – affordability, safety, education and access to amenities and health care – these rankings will help Canadians find the cities that are best for them, based on their own circumstances.
The Globe’s data editor Mahima Singh and personal finance reporter Salmaan Farooqui join the show to explain the methodology behind the project and why a certain city on the west coast takes the top spot.
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On Tuesday, a walkout and rally at York University’s campus in Toronto saw 200 faculty and staff protesting the administration’s decision to suspend three employees, including one professor. The employees were charged for their alleged involvement in defacing an Indigo bookstore. It’s the latest incident involving a Canadian university where the Israel-Hamas war has created conflict on campus.
The Globe’s post-secondary education reporter Joe Friesen is on the show to explain why university campuses are a flashpoint of spillover tensions from the Israel-Hamas war and why it’s testing how free speech is handled at universities.
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Binance is the world’s largest crypto trading platform and its founder is the most recent crypto leader to be charged criminally in the U.S. That man – Changpeng Zhao – also happens to be Canada’s richest person.
But despite his guilty plea to money-laundering charges, the reaction from the crypto industry has been much more muted than when FTX collapsed and its founder, Sam Bankman-Fried, was charged. Ethan Lou is an editor in The Globe’s Report on Business and explains what’s going on and why multiple crypto bosses have been charged recently.
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Last week, a far-right party and its controversial leader in the Netherlands won a surprising election victory. This comes on the heels of several other European countries that are seeing far-right parties become more popular.
Today, The Globe’s international affairs columnist Doug Saunders explains why we’re seeing this shift to the far-right and what it will mean for European politics.
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The latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) numbers revealed what BMO’s chief economist calls the “new villain” of inflation: rent. While inflation is finally cooling for items such as groceries, the price for renting a place to live has increased 8.2 per cent – the largest increase in more than 40 years.
Matt Lundy is an economics reporter with The Globe’s Report on Business. He’s on the show to explain why rents keep climbing and whether there’s any relief in sight.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
As the number of people experiencing homelessness grows in cities across Canada, so too have encampments – groups of people living in tents in parks, under overpasses, wherever they can find space. Some cities have taken aggressive actions to clear out people dwelling in tents – but London, Ont., is taking a different approach.
Marcus Gee is a columnist for the Globe, specializing in reporting on cities and the opioid crisis. Today, he explains why London is bringing city services to encampments, and how a compassionate approach is both a test – and potentially a new model – for other municipalities.
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In the span of a week, OpenAI went from being Silicon Valley’s dominant artificial intelligence company, to teetering on the brink of collapse, to a total board overhaul. And at the centre of the drama were two men: Sam Altman, its CEO, and Ilya Sutskever, its Chief Scientist.
Report on Business journalist Joe Castaldo explains who Ilya Sutskever is, what his role was in the past week’s chaotic chain of events, and why he is driving to build even smarter AI, despite the risks.
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Israel and Hamas are negotiating a four-day ceasefire which could see the release of up to 50 prisoners being held in Gaza as well as Palestinians currently imprisoned in Israel. Israel said that for every additional 10 hostages freed by Hamas, the truce would be extended by a day.
It is widely believed that hostages in Gaza are being held in a system of tunnels underneath the territory. This subterranean network is believed to have existed under Gaza. But how big and connected the tunnels are remains still unclear.
Drew Craig is a consultant geologist and a member of the International Working Group on subterranean warfare, based in England. He’s on the show to tell us what we know about the tunnels and how it’s made the strategy of this war even more complicated.
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The Alberta government has been announcing several changes coming to the province’s health care – including dismantling the health authority, and putting more decision-making and responsibility into the hands of government.
Today, The Globe’s health columnist Andre Picard explains what changes are being proposed, and why he thinks they might not fix the longstanding issues in Alberta’s health care – and could lead to other problems for the province.
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Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig – known as the two Michaels – were both detained by Chinese authorities on December 10, 2018. That was the start of their 1,020-day imprisonment, in which Beijing accused the men of procuring and sharing Chinese state secrets.
Now, two years after their release, one of the Michaels alleges that he was only detained because of information he provided to the other Michael, that was in turn passed onto the Canadian government.
Globe and Mail Ottawa Bureau Chief Robert Fife broke the story with colleague Steven Chase. Robert explains the allegations, what the Canadian government is saying now and what this means in the claims of hostage diplomacy between Canada and China.
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Health Canada recently approved the sale of Zonnic, a nicotine pouch that you pop into your mouth. Even though its maker – Imperial Tobacco Canada – says it’s meant to help people quit smoking, anti-smoking advocates are worried that it will actually get young people addicted to nicotine. This is in part because of how Health Canada is regulating it.
Carly Weeks is a health reporter with The Globe and Mail and she explains the details around the regulation of this product and why it’s not being treated like the last nicotine product that got teens hooked, vaping.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
The Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Pennsylvania was the first government-run residential school in North America. Earlier this fall, the remains of two boys, who died there more than a century ago, were returned to their tribes in South Dakota, over 2,000 kilometres away. It’s a process that took six years — and has only begun the healing and closure to the people who were part of it.
Willow Fiddler, a national reporter for the Globe, visited those tribes to find out what it took to bring their boys home. She’s on The Decibel to talk about how the United States is reckoning with its history of boarding schools, and where Canada stands when it comes to repatriating the remains of Indigenous children who died at residential schools.
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Many Afghans waiting to be resettled in Canada have taken refuge in Pakistan since fleeing their homes when the Taliban took control in 2021. That can be a dangerous and difficult situation for them – and now there’s an added concern. The government of Pakistan has begun deporting thousands of people back to Afghanistan.
Today, The Globe’s Janice Dickson shares the stories of people she’s spoken with who are in hiding in Pakistan, or who have been deported already. She explains the dangerous limbo they’re in, and why it’s taking so long to get help from the Canadian government.
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The Israel-Hamas war is now in its sixth week and fighting is intensifying inside Gaza. On Tuesday, Palestinians trapped inside Gaza’s biggest hospital dug a mass grave to bury patients who died. Israel is encircling the hospital as they believe it sits atop an underground Hamas headquarters.
On Monday Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netenyahu said he’s open to “tactical” fighting pauses but not to a ceasefire until the more than 200 Israeli hostages held by Hamas are released. Behind the scenes, intense negotiations are taking place to facilitate the release of these hostages as well as help civilians trapped inside Gaza and a central figure in these talks is Qatar.
Kristian Coates Ulrichsen is the Fellow for the Middle East at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy in Houston Texas. He’s on the show to explain why this tiny Gulf nation is acting as mediator in the Israel-Hamas war.
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There is a glacier that sits a kilometer below the highest peak within B.C.’s border, called Combatant Col. Scientists have been working on its icy surface to pull out ice cores as quickly as they can. Locked within these smooth cylinders are clues about what the region’s climate was like years ago that could help us understand today’s climate challenges.
Justine Hunter is a Globe reporter based in B.C. and she explains how researchers get these precious time capsules off the top of the mountain and what scientific secrets they are looking for once the cores are safely stored in a very cold lab in Edmonton, Alta..
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The reality of Quebec’s law to protect the French language is setting in, especially for the province’s three English language universities. Out-of-province students are facing a tuition hike that could see their fees go up from about $9,000 a year to $17,000… among the highest fees in the country.
Joe Friesen, The Globe’s post-secondary education reporter, joins the podcast to explain what’s driving the province’s push and whether Anglophone schools students are headed for financial disaster.
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It can be incredibly frustrating trying to get access to historical records in Canada. There are often lengthy delays and confusing inconsistency. That’s in large part because Canada’s historical records are tied up in our access to information system, which has a lot of problems.
The Globe’s investigative reporter Robyn Doolittle has been reporting on the country’s struggling access to information system through the Secret Canada project. Today, she explains why it’s so difficult to access records that are decades – even centuries – old, and why it’s so important that we can see what happened in the past.
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A movement which first gained traction in Republican States in the U.S. is taking root in Canada. “Parents’ rights” is the idea that parents should have more control over what’s being taught and talked about in Canadian schools – particularly when it comes to gender identity and sexual education.
Saskatchewan and New Brunswick have recently adopted policies in which students under 16 would need parental consent to change their pronouns at school. Alberta premier, Danielle Smith and Ontario premier, Doug Ford have also mused about the importance of parental rights inside classrooms. At the heart of this are the students, whose voices are often missed in all the noise of this heated debate.
Education reporter, Caroline Alphonso and National news reporter, Zosia Bielski spoke to some students about the movement. We hear from some of them and learn about what’s behind this movement in Canada.
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Weather in Canada is becoming more erratic thanks to climate change – we’re seeing cold snaps, severe thunder and hail storms, and wildfires. That’s having a big impact on Canada’s wine industry.
Today, The Globe’s wine writer Christopher Waters joins us to explain what’s going on in the industry, how that’s impacting the wines themselves, and why it’s such an important industry to pay attention to – and we even try some wines, for research, of course.
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Canadian immigration minister Marc Miller announced the intentions of the government in its new set of targets: while the number of permanent residents being welcomed has grown annually, starting in 2026, there will be a freeze at 500,000. This update comes at same time as the latest polls indicate that Canadians are souring on immigration. But the change may not actually address the heart of the problem of why pressure is being exerted on the immigration system.
Campbell Clark, The Globe’s chief political writer, joins the show to explain how the immigration system works – and why the federal government’s policies are failing current and hopeful Canadians.
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There has been turmoil at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, and it recently came to the public’s attention when the Alberta government dismissed the entire board in late October. The whirlwind drama started with the search for a new CEO, which led to arguments of conflict of interest and allegations of bullying and harassment.
Today, The Globe’s Alanna Smith and Josh O’Kane, who have been covering this story, explain what led to this moment, and tell us about the battle for the future of the Banff Centre.
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Israeli tanks and troops that entered Gaza on Friday are now focusing on encircling Gaza City – the population hub of the northern part of the strip. This comes after Benjamin Netanyahu’s announcement on Saturday that Israel had entered a “long and difficult” new stage of the war. He stopped short of calling this new phase an all-out invasion, but airstrikes have escalated along with an advancing ground incursion.
This strategy could have further implications for the region, and Israel’s allies in the West – including Canada – will be looking to figure out their parts in this ongoing war.
Thomas Juneau is on the show to help us understand this next phase of the war and what it could mean geopolitically. He’s an associate professor at the University of Ottawa’s Graduate School of Public and International Affairs whose research focuses on the Middle East as well as Canadian foreign and defence policy.
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Last week, Justin Trudeau announced an exemption for the carbon price on home-heating oil. The majority of homes that use home-heating oil are in Atlantic Canada. Premiers in other provinces, like Saskatchewan and Alberta, say that’s not fair – and are demanding carve-outs for heating fuel in their provinces too.
Marieke Walsh is a senior political reporter for the Globe. She’s on the show to talk about why Trudeau would soften his signature climate policy and what political machinations are at play behind the scenes.
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Over the weekend, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Israel was entering the “second stage” of the war with Hamas. Since then, the Israeli Defense Forces knocked out communication for people living in Gaza for two days, intensified their airstrikes, and started a sustained ground incursion by sending tanks and infantry into northern Gaza.
The escalation has intensified international calls for a ceasefire. Meanwhile, In Israel, families of those taken hostage by Hamas are calling on the Israeli government to bring back their loved ones.
In today’s episode, we bring you voices of those surviving inside the Israel-Hamas war and how things have changed in this new phase of the conflict. You’ll hear from civilians in Gaza, emergency workers, aid officials and people in Israel who are mourning their loved ones or pleading for their safe return.
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The Supreme Court has been missing a judge ever since Russell Brown resigned in June over allegations of improper conduct. On Oct. 26, Trudeau announced his nomination to replace Justice Brown – Mary Moreau, the Chief Justice of the Alberta Court of King’s Bench.
With this pick – Trudeau’s sixth – the Supreme Court of Canada becomes majority women, for the first time. The Globe’s justice reporter Sean Fine joins us to talk about what Moreau will bring to the court, and why it might have taken so long to fill the seat.
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There have been a lot of challenges for Canada’s biggest book retailer, Indigo. There was a massive cyber attack. The CEO and president left. The board had four directors leave. And now, to turn the page, its founder, Heather Reisman, has returned to be its CEO after her succession plan didn’t work out.
Susan Krashinsky Robertson is The Globe’s retailing reporter and she has been closely following all the developments at this company that plays a big part into whether Canadian authors are successful or not.
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Alberta has a controversial idea that is causing a stir with other provinces and the federal government: exiting the Canada Pension Plan.
Alberta says if they exit, they’re entitled to more $330-billion of the assets that are collected from every worker and employer in the country outside of Quebec. Ontario’s finance minister says the plan risks “serious harm” for retirees across the country. Deputy Prime Minister and finance minister Chrystia Freeland has agreed to meet with provincial and territorial counterparts to discuss the CPP’s future.
Kelly Cryderman is a Globe reporter and columnist based in Calgary and she’s on the show to explain why Alberta wants out, the political ramifications and what it could mean for the rest of Canada.
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thedecibel@globeandmail.com
Bed bugs are pretty much everywhere. They’re being spotted in major cities like Paris, London and even Toronto now. They’ve been found in 135 countries in the world, according to a recent study, and they can live in mattresses, couches, walls, lightswitches, even books. For a while, we were doing well at keeping the bed bugs in check, but not anymore.
Murray Isman, a professor and dean emeritus at UBC’s Faculty of Land and Food Systems, explains how bed bugs became so prevalent, and why they’re so good at sticking around.
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The Rafah crossing – the sole entry point between Egypt and Gaza – remains a political, diplomatic and humanitarian tinderbox. While Egypt has kept the border firmly closed to Gazan refugees fleeing from the Israel-Hamas war, it has allowed an aid corridor for several dozen trucks delivering food, water and medical supplies. But relief workers say the aid is ‘insufficient’ for people’s needs in Gaza and Israel is not allowing fuel in despite pleas from aid groups.
Geoffrey York, foreign correspondent for The Globe, talks about the crisis developing at the border and why it’s been so difficult to get things through and how Egypt’s relationship with Gaza and Israel plays into the situation.
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French immersion has become a cornerstone in Canadian education. One in 10 Canadian students are now enrolled in the program, as numbers doubled through the 1990s. But it has also inadvertently created a cultural and class divide – with some parents and students feeling like they’re getting left behind.
Caroline Alphonso, The Globe’s education reporter, is the parent of two French immersion students and has reported on how the language program is dividing schools, why it exists and how parental power is shaping bilingual education in Canada.
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As Canada tries to figure out its path forward in combating climate change, the question of which level of government is allowed to do what has become a sticking point in the courts. Most recently, the government of Alberta asked the Supreme Court to rule on whether a piece of federal environmental legislation was offside.
The court’s decision was a surprise to both sides. So The Globe’s climate change columnist Adam Radwanski will explain what was in the ruling and why it now has some questioning the power of the federal government to lower greenhouse gas emissions.
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Could your next favourite foods be created by a robot? While artificial intelligence has long been used in the production and assembly lines of food, some companies are now turning to AI to create new kinds of food, recipes and combinations that the human brain hasn’t conceived of before.
Ann Hui, the Globe’s demographics reporter and former food reporter, joins the show to talk about this new frontier of food creation and the vital question of: does it taste good?
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Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group based in Lebanon, is seen as a serious threat to the Israel-Hamas war. There are fears the group, considered the most powerful non-state actor in the world, could dramatically escalate the conflict if it joins the fight against Israel.
Nathan Vanderklippe, international correspondent for the Globe, is on the show to explain Hezbollah’s influence, its ties to Hamas and how Lebanon factors into potentially being swept up in the war.
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With inflation still stubbornly high, it seems like interest rates could remain elevated for quite some time. And the stress of that has some Canadians wondering who gets to make these big economic decisions.
Report on Business columnist David Parkinson explains the relationship between the Bank of Canada and the federal government, how interest rates are set and what changes might be worth considering when it comes to changing how Canada’s central bank works.
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In Canada, 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. It’s the second leading cause of death from cancer in Canadian women and second most common cancer in the country. Currently, guidelines say that screening should begin at the age of 50, but the task force in charge of these recommendations might lower the age to 40. And that has re-ignited a heated debate.
Carly Weeks is the Globe’s health reporter. She’s on the show to explain why there’s advocates for and against this change – why some see it as a way to save more lives and others see it as causing more harm than good.
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Warning: this episode contains descriptions of violence
Hundreds of thousands of people have fled south in Gaza after Israel told 1.1 million people living in the northern part of the Gaza Strip to evacuate. Israel is expected to begin a significant ground offensive soon. As of Sunday evening, 150 Canadians are stuck in Gaza, hoping to flee to neighbouring Egypt.
Israel has called up more than 360,000 reservists and has amassed tanks and troops at the Gaza border. This comes after Hamas’ surprise deadly attack in areas across Israel on October 7th. Since the conflict began, more than 3,600 have been killed on both sides, many of them civilians.
Mark Mackinnon is on the show. He’s the Globe’s Senior International Correspondent and he’s been travelling through the region since the war began.
Editor’s note: On this episode of The Decibel, Mark MacKinnon stated that in 2005, Israelis demolished greenhouses in Gaza. A detail omitted from that comment is that half the land occupied by greenhouses remained after Israelis withdrew from the area in the summer of that year. The remaining greenhouses were later damaged and looted by Palestinians.
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When Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, the U.S. was among the first nations to firmly side with Israel, pledging unequivocal support. The U.S. has historically been a staunch supporter of Israel, but this particular conflict has a different dimension due to the fact that some Americans and Canadians are among the hostages Hamas kidnapped.
Adrian Morrow is The Globe’s Washington correspondent and he explains the geopolitical strategy of the Biden administration in response to the ongoing war, as the possibility of a military ground offensive into the Gaza Strip by the Israeli army grows.
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In Her Defence, a new podcast series from The Globe and Mail, tells the story of Helen Nasland, in her words for the first time. Through a series of jailhouse interviews with The Globe’s Jana G. Pruden, Naslund speaks about the domestic violence she suffered and what led to a fateful night – that led to the murder of her husband.
Naslund’s story and harsh sentencing captured the attention and outrage of tens of thousands of Canadians, asking what is fair punishment when a victim becomes the accused. This series dives into her fight for freedom and how the justice and legal systems deal with women who kill their abusers.
If you’re experiencing intimate partner violence, you can find resources and your nearest shelterat sheltersafe.ca.
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thedecibel@globeandmail.com
The RCMP has begun an investigation into allegations of misconduct made by two tech entrepreneurs. Their warnings to senior officials and experiences have cast a new light on alleged improper contracting practices and close ties between public services and private consultants.
Bill Curry, the Globe’s Deputy Ottawa Bureau Chief, joins the show to break down the allegations that throw into question the accountability of the federal government’s multi-billion dollar practice of outsourcing and where taxpayer money is ending up.
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Warning: This episode contains descriptions of violence
On Saturday, Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist group, launched one of the largest and deadliest attacks on Israel in decades. Militants stormed past borders on the Gaza Strip, killed civilians in nearby towns and took an unknown number of Israeli hostages. In retaliation, Israel formally declared war on Hamas and sent airstrikes into Gaza. In a single weekend, 900 are dead in Israel and close to 700 in Gaza have been killed.
Emily Rose, Reuters correspondent in Jerusalem, joins the show to break down the attacks as they unfolded, Israel’s response and where the war could be headed next.
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For over a decade now, the rescue pups of PAW Patrol have been an obsession for toddlers around the world. And now, the box office is responding too — last week, its second feature film had the largest opening for a Canadian movie in more than a decade. This kids franchise is a big business. And it’s Canadian.
Barry Hertz is the Globe’s deputy Arts editor and Film editor. And he is on the show to talk about the recent success of PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie and how a Canadian toy company struck gold with this brand.
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The trial of Lieutenant-General Steven Whelan began in late September. Only a week later, it was over, with the case before a court martial dropped. Two charges of misconduct were brought against Whelan under the National Defence Act in December 2021.
Whelan’s case highlights the long reckoning against some of Canada’s top military officials, who have been accused of improper conduct and sexual assault. The Globe’s senior political reporter Marieke Walsh joins the show to talk about the case and why questions over the military’s culture continue with every new trial.
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In less than a decade, Mohammed Majidpour has racked up more than 30 offences in Vancouver. His crimes include theft, robbery, dangerous driving and numerous violent attacks on strangers. Recently, he pleaded guilty to his 11th assault on a stranger and, after spending almost a year in a pre-trial detention centre, was sentenced to a single day in prison. This is the 14th time he’s received a single-day prison sentence.
Mike Hager is a reporter in The Globe’s B.C. bureau in Vancouver. He’s on the show to tell us how common Mohammed’s situation is in B.C. and why critics say it’s a symptom of deeper problems in the province’s corrections system.
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Over the past few years, the Buddhist organization Bliss and Wisdom has been buying up several parcels of land in PEI. So much so, residents have begun to question how their acquisitions are legal in a province with strict rules around how much land individuals and organizations can own. Meanwhile, the monks insist they haven’t broken any rules.
Investigative reporter Greg Mercer explains how some legislative loopholes have created a conflict in the eastern part of the province.
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When Russia invaded Ukraine back in February 2022, millions of Ukrainians fled the country. Many went to the neighbouring country of Poland, which welcomed hundreds of thousands of refugees. But now, things are changing, in part because of a contentious election in Poland. Thousands of Ukrainians are now leaving Poland, and setting up their lives somewhere else.
Today, The Globe’s European Correspondent Paul Waldie tells us why tensions between Poland and Ukraine are growing and why support for Ukrainians fleeing the war is waning.
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A capsule from the NASA spacecraft, Osiris-REx recently landed in a Utah desert after spending seven years in space. Inside the capsule is a sample from a more than 4 billion year-old asteroid named, Bennu. And it could answer some of the biggest questions about our existence.
The Globe’s Science Reporter, Ivan Semeniuk is on the show to tell us about why this mission is so important and what this asteroid might tell us about how our solar system was formed and what exactly makes earth habitable.
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Saint Lucia is known for its natural beauty, but the most iconic part of the island is along its southwest shore. Twin volcanic peaks – called the Pitons – rise up out of the ocean. The UNESCO World Heritage site is featured on postcards, literature, and even the Saint Lucian flag.
They are also the site of a controversy involving a Dollarama executive who is trying to expand his luxury home on the mountainside. Investigative reporter Tavia Grant explains how this Canada-based businessman’s development exposed a lack of protections for this iconic site.
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The federal government has been facing intense pressure to reduce the cost of food, as food inflation remains much higher than overall inflation. Some measures have been brought in, but many experts question whether they’ll actually be effective.
Michael Von Massow, a food economist and professor at the University of Guelph, joins us to talk about why food prices are still so high, what role the government has, and why this is such a difficult problem to solve.
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A recent report from Canada’s federal housing agency, CMHC says we need 3.45 million new homes built by 2030 in order to reduce skyrocketing housing costs. Supply has long been an issue especially in the expensive markets of Toronto and Vancouver. But, is it possible for Canada to ramp up construction so drastically and what happens if we don’t?
The Globe’s Real Estate Reporter, Rachelle Younglai, is on the show today for a reality check on what can fix Canada’s housing crisis.
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Canada’s judicial system is a bit of a mess right now. Cases are piling up. Staff aren’t showing up to work. And there aren’t enough judges. Even the Supreme Court of Canada has an unfilled vacancy currently.
Sean Fine is The Globe’s justice writer and he explains what factors are contributing to the various delays in courts and how if they aren’t dealt with soon, some people may never face justice.
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Follow In Her Defence wherever you get your podcasts. The first two episodes drop Tuesday, October 10th.
Everyone knew bad things were happening on the Naslund farm. Then, in the fall of 2017, Miles Naslund’s body was found welded into a box at the bottom of a pond near his family’s property in Alberta, Canada. His wife and son were charged with first-degree murder.
The Globe and Mail’s newest podcast In Her Defence brings you Helen Naslund’s story in her own words for the first time. Through a series of jailhouse interviews with reporter Jana G. Pruden, Helen speaks about the domestic violence she suffered, and what led to that fateful night on the farm. Meanwhile, Helen’s friends come to terms with the abuse they suspected had been going on for decades, and the reality that Helen could spend the rest of her life in prison.
Tens of thousands of Canadians joined the outcry over Helen’s harsh sentence, asking what is fair punishment when a victim becomes the accused. Now they’ll hear firsthand about Helen’s life, her long fight for freedom, and the way the justice and legal systems deal with women who kill their abusers.
Canada’s relationship with India has been rocky for years, but it’s at a particular low point right now after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused agents of the Indian government this week of killing Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in B.C.
Today, the Globe’s Asia correspondent James Griffiths joins us from New Delhi, India to discuss how this news is playing out there, why the relationship with Canada – and Trudeau in particular – has struggled, and the power India has in this moment.
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Ever since Ontario Premier Doug Ford said he would open up parcels of land in the environmentally protected Greenbelt, there’s been drama. From revelations of developers having ties to the Ford government, to probes from Ontario’s auditor-general and integrity commissioner, to resignations including one from Ford’s cabinet.
With all the twists and turns of this story, we wanted to answer questions listeners have about what’s going on with this land. Today on the show, The Globe’s Ontario provincial politics reporter, Jeff Gray joins us to answer your burning Greenbelt questions.
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The murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar left Canada’s Sikh community with a lot of questions. On Monday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau gave them a possible answer: he alleged that the Indian government was involved in Mr. Nijjar’s death. India was quick to deny any involvement.
Ottawa Bureau Chief Robert Fife discovered this information before the official announcement on Monday. And he is on the show to explain the allegations and how they fit into Canada’s complex relations with India.
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There have been nine coups in seven African countries over the past three years – some analysts have called it a coup contagion, the Secretary-General of the UN called it a coup epidemic. Each country has its own circumstances, but there are common factors linking them.
Geoff York, The Globe’s Africa Bureau Chief, joins us to explain why so many countries are facing coups, what it means for the people of those countries, and what role other countries like Russia, China and the US have in what’s going on.
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Parliament is back for the fall session and it returns with a surprising shift in the political dynamic. Conservative Leader, Pierre Poilievre is riding high in several polls. And the Liberals are busy making housing announcements to show they are working on the affordability crisis facing so many Canadians today. Meanwhile, the NDP will be looking to push their agenda forward on dental care pharmacare this fall.
The Globe’s Deputy Ottawa Bureau Chief Bill Curry joins us on the show. He’ll tell us what’s ahead for the leaders and their parties and three things to pay attention to during the coming session.
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Hundreds of people are sick and dozens are in the hospital in Calgary, after one of Canada’s worst outbreaks of E.Coli in kids ever. Some cases have left children hospitalized, leaving parents scared, frustrated and angry.
Dave McGinn has been following the outbreak for The Globe. Today, he’ll tell us what warning signs might have been missed from the kitchen suspected to be at the centre of the outbreak, and how this fits into concerns around childcare in Canada more broadly.
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Enbridge Inc. has become North America’s largest natural gas utility after acquiring three U.S. utilities for US$9.4-billiondollars. It’s a big bet on the role that natural gas is going to play in the future as governments try to transition the economy off of fossil fuels.
Emma Graney is The Globe and Mail’s energy reporter. She has been covering the deal and explains how this fits into the wider picture of the energy industry in Canada, as well as our emission reduction targets.
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The COVID-19 fall surge is upon us. But this year it’s different. Cases are rising again in Canada, reversing a trend from when cases were decreasing for most of 2023. And once again, there are new variants circulating.
The Globe’s National Health Reporter Kelly Grant explains why we’re seeing a rise, what the Canadian government and public health experts say we should do about it, including when new boosters are available this fall.
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Most people in Canada haven’t been able to view or post news content on Facebook or Instagram for over a month now. That’s because Meta – the company that owns both platforms – is protesting a new law that aims to get big tech companies to pay for news content appearing on its feeds.
But this move isn’t without precedent. In 2021, Meta also blocked news in Australia because of similar legislation. The Australian government came to an agreement with the company – but not without some big concessions.
James Meese is a senior lecturer at Melbourne’s RMIT University who researches media law and policy. He’s on the show to tell us what happened in Australia, how the legislation is working two years later and what Canada can learn from Australia’s experience.
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Tamara Lich and Chris Barber were at the forefront of the convoy protest that rolled into Ottawa on Jan. 29, 2022. As leaders, they encouraged supporters blocking the downtown to both ‘hold the line’ and protest peacefully. On Feb. 17, 2022, they were arrested. Now they are standing trial for their actions.
Kristy Kirkup is a parliamentary reporter for the Globe and she went to the first week of their trial. She explains why this trial is expected to uncover new details about the convoy protest and catches us up on what happened in the opening days.
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In 2012, nine out of 10 students at Kitchener’s Conestoga College were domestic. Today, they have more international students than any institution across the country … almost as many as the University of Toronto and the University of British Columbia combined. This year, Canada is on track to bring in 900,000 international students.
Globe postsecondary reporter Joe Friesen joins us to discuss how Canada’s international student population has grown so quickly, and why institutions have grown to depend on them – especially in Ontario.
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This year’s wildfire season has broken all kinds of records – including on emissions. Canada’s wildfires have doubled previous records for greenhouse gas emissions – and they’ve caused more emissions than all of Canada’s industries combined.
Dr. Werner Kurz, a senior research scientist with the Canadian Forest Service, explains how these wildfires are changing Canada’s forests, what it means for Canada’s emissions and how we can lessen the damage from wildfire seasons in the future.
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It’s back-to-school week for young people across the country. And despite bringing back full in-class learning three years since the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, students continue to experience and report mental-health issues.
Dr. Deinera Exner-Cortens is an associate professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Calgary. She is going to talk to us about how we can be better at a policy level and in schools to help kids needing more mental-health support.
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Small business owners are, on average, older than the Canadian population. That means that in the next ten years 75% of them are retiring, according to estimates from the federal government.
So what happens to their businesses? Chris Hannay covers small business for the Globe and he joins us to discuss how these retirements could lead to a wave of consolidation of enterprise in Canada.
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Collagen supplements are marketed as a holy grail anti-aging product. Bovine collagen is made from cattle hides, and a new investigation from the Bureau of Investigative Journalism traced the supply chain of some collagen companies all the way to deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon.
Elisângela Mendonça is a London-based Brazilian journalist with the Bureau of Investigative Journalism. Her reporting pulls back the curtain on the dark side of the booming collagen industry.
This episode originally aired on March 27, 2023.
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Ontario Premier Doug Ford has a clear housing goal. He wants to build 1.5 million new homes in 10 years. To accomplish this, his government has been looking at selling off the land under its possession, such as the Greenbelt, which has been engulfed in scandal.
Now his government is looking at the lands owned by school boards across the province. Globe and Mail reporter Karen Howlett explains what the plan is and how the Ford government intends to execute it.
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Moammar Gadhafi, former Libyan dictator, has had billions sitting in Canadian bank accounts for almost 12 years after his death. This has caused further investigations and questions in terms of what this means for the Canadian banking sector.
Rita Trichur is The Globe’s Senior Business Writer and Columnist joins us to discuss Gadhafi, his family, and all of his money sitting in Canadian banks.
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On Monday, Montreal police said the Old Montreal fire that killed seven people in March 2023 is now being treated as a criminal investigation. Alongside police looking into persons of interest in the case, the Globe’s Montreal-based reporter Frédérik-Xavier Duhamel reported on the many safety violations in the burned-out building that Montreal and Quebec officials had known about for more than a decade. He uncovered a moratorium on enforcing evacuation route violations that had been in place since 2018, which were quietly lifted in the days after the fire.
His investigations are trying to answer: how did this happen and who is ultimately responsible for the deaths of seven victims and the safety of Montrealers?
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Tibet used to be a prominent focus of international attention, but that isn’t the case anymore as less and less information comes out of the region. But things are still very difficult for Tibetans as China cracks down. The Dalai Lama – who is the spiritual leader of Tibet – is 88, and there are concerns about what will happen for Tibet and its people when he eventually dies.
Today, The Globe’s James Griffiths tells us about the situation in Tibet and those who have fled, and how Tibetans are thinking about the future of their community.
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There are a lot of serious storms these days, and those storms are causing more and more damage, as residents of California are seeing this week in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Hilary.
The storms we are seeing in Canada are changing – but not how you might expect. David Sills, a severe storms specialist and executive director of the Northern Tornadoes Project at Western University, explains what changes he’s seeing in storms, how prepared we are to handle the damage from them, and the connection one of these storms has to a producer here at The Decibel.
This episode originally aired on September 14, 2022.
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Back in July, a former RCMP officer was charged with conducting foreign interference on behalf of China. We now know more about what the RCMP is accusing this officer of doing. And it involves a real estate tycoon, a “hired gun”, and a campaign called Operation Fox Hunt.
Steven Chase, senior parliamentary reporter for the Globe, explains.
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Canada needs a lot of housing – and the Liberal government is making this a priority at their cabinet retreat this week. But there are concerns that if we keep building new homes using current materials and practices, it could lead to a spike in our greenhouse gas emissions.
Luigi Ferrara is the chair and CEO of the Brookfield Sustainability Institute, which looked into this issue. Today, he tells us why current building practices cause high emissions, and how homes could be built differently – and retrofitted – to become more sustainable.
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As wildfires rage on across the country, more than 50,000 people have been forced out of their homes in Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories and West Kelowna in British Columbia within the past week. And each one of those people have had to make life-changing decisions: Should you leave your home? What do you take with you? What might you never see again?
Today, we hear those stories from Canadians on the move from fire-afflicted communities, told to the Globe’s reporters, including Alanna Smith, Mark Rendell and Mike Hager.
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Fears of a recession have been looming since the worst days of the pandemic. And as inflation continues its slow but steady ascent, central banks around the world have tried to increase interest rates to cool things down. It’s easy to think that all of this means we might actually have avoided the worst.
But Report on Business columnist and reporter Tim Kiladze says it’s too early to declare victory: we may not actually have achieved that mythical “soft landing” after all. He’s watching a few warning signs that could spell economic trouble for us later.
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Journalist Connie Walker has been reporting on Indigenous stories for most of her career. From missing and murdered women to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, she has covered on some of the biggest stories in Canada in the last few decades. But it wasn’t until last year that she decided to look into her own family’s past.
The urge to dig into her deceased father’s past appeared after her brother shared a story in the wake of the discovery of 215 unmarked graves at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School in B.C. Connie talks about the importance of healing through sharing the truths, what she found out about her own family’s secrets and her new podcast, Stolen: Surviving St. Michael’s.
This episode originally aired on May 24, 2022.
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Elective egg freezing is on the rise in Canada. Fertility clinics pitch it as a kind of insurance policy: put your eggs in the bank now, and you can come back for them later, when you’re ready to have a baby. But the procedure is invasive, expensive, and doesn’t guarantee a successful pregnancy later on.
Alison Motluk, freelance journalist and writer of the newsletter, Hey Reprotech, is on the show to talk about what’s really involved in egg freezing. Read more about why she’s sounding a note of caution around the procedure here.
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In the early hours of July 22, chaos was erupting in Nova Scotia. Rain was pouring down, causing intense flooding. People were panicked about whether to stay or leave their homes. Emergency crews were overwhelmed. In the end, four people died in the floods.
A series of radio calls made between one volunteer fire department and the emergency dispatch provide a glimpse into when and how things unfolded that night. They also raise questions as to why it took officials almost two hours to issue an emergency alert with instructions to shelter in place.
Lindsay Jones is the Globe’s Atlantic Canada reporter, based in Halifax. She has gone from covering wildfires to floods and is on the show to go through what we’ve learned in the weeks since the fatal flooding.
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It has been five years since the legalization of cannabis in Canada but we still know very little about health impacts from cannabis smoke. Almost no research has been done, despite government promises, so scientists and experts say we need more data so consumers can make an informed decision.
Jameson Berkow is a reporter for the Globe who has covered the cannabis industry extensively. He’s on the show today to explain why this knowledge gap exists and how we can close it.
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On Wednesday, Ontario’s Auditor-General, Bonnie Lysyk released an investigative report into the province’s decision to open up 3,000 hectares of its protected Greenbelt area for development. The Ford government claims this will be beneficial for the housing crisis but her report found that they have a different agenda.
Jeff Gray is a Queen’s Park reporter for The Globe and Mail and he will be talking to us about the problems around the Greenbelt plan and where the Ford government went wrong.
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You’re never far from a parasite, no matter where you are. They’re responsible for illnesses like malaria that cause death around much of the world; the word itself is a derogatory term for something freeloading and disgusting.
They’re also very important to the health of ecosystems.
Parasite ecologist and University of Washington associate professor Chelsea Wood makes her case for parasite conservation, and why they’re actually complex forms of life that need to be protected.
This episode originally aired on August 16, 2022.
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No one really knows what dark matter is. We just think it exists. And we believe it makes up 85 per cent of all mass in the universe. So how do you solve the mystery of something that is currently unknowable?
Enter SNOLAB. This underground, clean lab is located in Sudbury, Ontario, and researchers there are running experiments to try to solve this cosmic query. Decibel producer Madeleine White, along with Globe science reporter Ivan Semeniuk, go two kilometres underground to visit SNOLAB and bring you up to date on the lab’s quest to discover dark matter.
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Curly hair often gets a bad reputation for being too high maintenance but research has shown that it plays an important role in our evolutions – and even our brains.
Dr. Tina Lasisi, a biological anthropologist who focuses on studying the evolution and genetics of human hair and skin, will talk to us about the importance of curly hair.
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The James Webb Space Telescope has been getting some of the most detailed information and images from space since it launched a year and a half ago. And soon, there’s going to be a big boost in research on exoplanets – planets outside of our solar system – particularly ones that might be able to host life.
Dr. Heidi White is an astrophysicist and science communicator with the Trottier Institute for Research on Exoplanets at the University of Montreal, which is one of the groups that will be using the telescope to study exoplanets. She tells us about the bizarre and fascinating planets that have already been discovered, and how close we are to finding life beyond Earth.
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In September 1969, two baby girls were born in a tiny hospital in rural Newfoundland, a few hours apart. A simple accident led to both of their lives being changed forever.
Over 50 years later, the truth serendipitously revealed itself and their lives changed again. Journalist Lindsay Jones unravels the mystery of how these two women were switched at birth.
This episode originally aired on September 26, 2022.
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Western preconceived notions about bears being deadly have led to dire consequences for bears. But the relationship and safety around bears is different with Indigenous communities and wildlife conservation groups, which have long learned how to coexist with the big mammals.
We are joined by Joy SpearChief-Morris, a staff reporter with The Globe and Mail. She’s going to break down bear misconceptions and tell us how to respect bears when you encounter them.
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An ongoing class-action lawsuit against the Calgary Stampede alleges that for decades the organization did not properly protect children from a sexual predator.
Carrie Tait is a reporter for The Globe’s Calgary bureau and she explains what’s behind the case.
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Ticks are awful. They can give you Lyme disease, brain swelling, and can make you allergic to red meat. And as the world warms, they’re steadily creeping further north.
After Dr. Vett Lloyd contracted Lyme disease from a tick, she made it her mission to study these parasites. She tells us where ticks are, what to look out for, and what to do if you find one.
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The ongoing actors and writers strikes in the U.S. are having huge implications for film production – including here in Canada, as productions slow to a trickle. Film unions in B.C. just signed an agreement that some worry could lead to ripple effects in the industry as well – because there aren’t any new stipulations around the use of generative AI.
Josh O’Kane covers the intersection of arts and business for The Globe. Today, he tells us about this agreement in B.C., and why some are worried it could have long term consequences for the film industry.
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The past three weeks on Earth have been the hottest since records began, and the effects of global warming are becoming increasingly deadly as temperatures continue to climb.
The 2021 heat dome in B.C. led to the deaths of 619 people — it’s the deadliest weather event in Canadian history. Temperatures rose to above 40 degrees and stayed high even at night. In June 2022, the province’s coroner service released a report with recommendations to prevent deaths in the future.
Frances Bula is a frequent Globe contributor who reports on urban issues in British Columbia. She’ll explain how the urban landscape contributes to the deaths, what’s being recommended to help cool B.C. buildings and what the rest of Canada can learn from it all.
This episode originally aired June 9, 2022.
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On Wednesday, the Trudeau government unveiled a major cabinet shakeup. The reset comes at a time when the Liberals are facing criticisms over poor communication, Chinese interference in Canadian elections and the handling of a housing affordability crisis facing many Canadians.
Ottawa reporter Shannon Proudfoot is on the show to explain what the Liberal government is trying to accomplish with these moves and whether it will have an effect on their recent sagging poll numbers.
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While conversations about movies are being dominated by ‘Barbie’ and ‘Openheimer’, another movie currently sitting in third place has become a surprise – and controversial – summer blockbuster.
‘Sound of Freedom’ has already made US $125-million, despite being a low-budget film from an indie studio. Critics say the movie (about a former government agent’s pursuit to take down child-sex traffickers) is QAnon-adjacent and is stoking political conspiracy theories.
The Globe’s Deputy Arts Editor and Film Editor, Barry Hertz is on the show to explain how this movie became a runaway hit and why it’s so controversial.
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Dozens of asylum seekers have been sleeping on the streets of Downtown Toronto for weeks as a political stand-off between governments took place. While governments have been arguing over jurisdictional responsibility, community groups have stepped in.
Toronto’s Revivaltime Tabernacle Church in North York has opened up its doors to over 230 asylum seekers, with volunteers donating their time and resources. We speak to Dustin Cook, The Globe’s Toronto municipal affairs reporter, about what he found out when he visited the church.
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Cities across Canada have been dealing with the impacts of wildfire smoke this year – the smoggy skies and health effects. And while we’ve been seeing more smoke in big cities, remote Indigenous communities often bear the brunt of the negative effects of wildfires. Since 1982, 98% of smoke-related evacuations have been in Indigenous communities.
Dr. Nicole Redvers is an associate professor at the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry at The University of Western Ontario and an expert on the impact of forest fires on Indigenous communities. She joins us to discuss the consequences of this year’s unprecedented wildfire season.
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Canada’s national women’s soccer team is protesting unequal treatment by the sport’s governing body. The players say Canada Soccer is not transparent with its finances, and that they won’t agree to be paid less than the men. The men’s team supports them.
Rachel Brady is The Globe’s sports reporter, and she’ll tell us about the dispute, the growing business case for equally funding women’s sport, and how that’s fuelling professional women’s soccer in Canada.
This episode originally aired February 17, 2023.
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Ozempic and other medications for type-2 diabetes have shown to be effective treatments for obesity. But this discovery has led to many people, who do not medically need the drug, using it for vanity reasons.
Not only has this led to supply shortages and concern around less discussed long-term effects, but it’s also changing the way we talk about body image and the body positivity movement.
Dr. Sarah Nutter, Assistant Professor in Counseling Psychology at the University of Victoria, whose primary research is on weight stigma, explains how this may be harmful in the chase of a so-called ‘ideal’ body and how we treat our bodies as trends.
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We’re all familiar with the cycle now: Inflation is too high, so central banks keep raising interest rates. The hope is to get inflation back down to 2 per cent. But why 2? If we accept that things are going to keep getting more expensive, what difference does it make if it’s 2 or 3 per cent? Or 2.8?
Report on Business reporter Mark Rendell explains why we’re aiming for 2-per-cent inflation, whether that target will change and what he learned from a recent interview with Tiff Macklem, Governor of the Bank of Canada.
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Car thefts have surged in Canada, with some provinces seeing increases of 50 per cent in a year. And Canada has become particularly popular for this type of crime.
Today, The Globe’s wealth management and insurance reporter Clare O’Hara tells us what’s behind the rise of car thefts, and how you can best protect your own car from being stolen.
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At the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, Turkey agreed to support Sweden’s bid to join the alliance. This paves the way for Sweden to become the 32nd member nation following closely behind Finland, which became a member earlier in the spring. The expansion of NATO is something Russia and President Vladimir Putin have used as a key rationale for the war against Ukraine – saying it jeopardizes Russia’s security.
Timothy Sayle is an associate professor of history and director of the International Relations Program at the University of Toronto. He’s also the author of Enduring Alliance: A History of NATO and the Postwar Global Order. He’s on the podcast to explain the history and tension between NATO and Russia and what more countries joining the alliance tells us about the current state of global affairs.
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Burning hours in an ER waiting room has long been a fact of Canada’s public health care system, but that wait time is starting to spike. Now, in Ontario it hovers at around 20 hours on average. And our cities, home to more people and more various determinants of health than anywhere else in the country, bear the brunt of it. In this episode, we’re looking at some issues that impact the growing hospital emergency room wait times: What factors are contributing to the problem? And can anything actually be done to alleviate it or is it a pipe dream?
App-based ride-share and food delivery companies rely on algorithms that dictate speed, behaviour and the wage of gig workers resulting in different payments for the same work. Labour experts are warning about ‘algorithm wage discrimination’ and concern around protecting workers when it comes to AI.
Vanmala Subramaniam, The Globe’s future of work reporter, discusses what we do know about how this works, and the growing trend of AI being in charge of a worker’s pay.
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The opioid epidemic is taking young lives – the number of 15-24 year olds dying from opioid overdoses tripled between 2014 and 2021 in Ontario. And young people are shown to be less likely to seek treatment for their addictions. A deadly mix of those factors and a contaminated drug supply are creating lethal outcomes.
The Ontario Drug Policy Research Network’s lead investigator, Dr. Tara Gomes is on the show to take us behind the numbers and how the politics around safer supply programs are impacting the people affected by harm reduction.
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After months of negotiations, automaker Stellantis and battery maker LG Energy Solution have reached a deal with the federal and Ontario provincial governments. It’s worth up to $15-billion in subsidies for a plant that’s being built in Windsor, Ont.
The plant is part of Canada’s push into the clean energy sector, but with a cost in the billions, it raises questions about whether this specific deal is worth the money.
Adam Radwanski, The Globe’s climate change columnist and feature writer, takes us through why this deal could set a precedent for future projects like this.
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El Niño is back in a big way. This natural weather pattern is known to increase severe weather around the world. And scientists are trying to predict the impacts of this climate wild card – especially on top of global warming impacts.
Ivan Semeniuk, The Globe’s science reporter, has been investigating the effects of El Niño. He’ll explain the impacts of El Niños in the past and what to expect this time around.
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Last year, the federal government set an ambitious new immigration target — to bring in half a million permanent residents a year by 2025. While the country is already dealing with a pretty profound housing crisis, it’s likely everyone will feel the housing crunch even more as a record number of immigrants move to Canadian cities in the near future. Where will all these newcomers live and whose job is it to make sure the country is prepared? In this episode, we hear from Mike Moffatt, the Senior Director of Policy and Innovation at the Smart Prosperity Institute at the University of Ottawa. We’re also joined by Gregg Lintern, the Chief Planner for the City of Toronto, who discusses how Toronto’s housing goals can be met in time.
Coal mining might seem like a job of the past, but global demand for it has actually surged in the past few years. Nearly 7,000 coal miners are still working in the industry. But the job is killing them. Inhalation of coal dust particles is leading to black lung, an incurable condition that workers describe as drowning in their own lung fluid. Worse yet, Canada doesn’t have a tracking system, which makes compensation difficult for many miners.
Decades after coal fuelled Canada, miners are now being left behind. Greg Mercer, investigative reporter for The Globe, spoke to the workers fighting to have their labour remembered – and to protect future generations.
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Canada, alongside much of the world, has plans to become net-zero by 2050. And one of their main action-items is to move away from fossil fuels. But does Canada have an economic plan for when the oil and gas sector declines?
The Globe’s energy reporter Emma Graney tells us about why Canada is falling behind, and how this may impact our economy if we don’t start making these changes now.
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It’s sparkly, athletic and enthusiastic. But it’s grittier than you might think. Competitive cheer is a fast-growing sport in Canada that requires the skills of a gymnast and the agility of a dancer. Recently, almost 8,000 athletes from around the country gathered in Niagara Falls for the national cheer championship.
The Globe’s feature writer, Jana Pruden was at the three-day competition where she spent time with athletes, parents and coaches. She’s on the show to explain what she learned and why she thinks we’ll be hearing a lot more about this sport in the coming years.
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The Grade 8 students of St. Demetrius Catholic School are in many ways like every other class – they’re nervous about going to high school, but excited for graduation. They’re also mostly refugees from the war in Ukraine, so they are also grappling with learning a new language and culture, and trying to set up a new life without knowing how long they’ll be here.
The Globe’s education reporter Caroline Alphonso tells us the stories of some of these students, what they went through to get here and what it’s like starting a new phase of their lives somewhere they never thought they would be.
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Multi-generational living in your 20′s and even 30′s has become common as young adults deal with unaffordable housing rates across Canada. And more than half of parents surveyed by the Globe and Mail say their adult kids pay rent while they live at home.
Rob Carrick, the Globe and Mail’s personal finance columnist, joins us to discuss his recent survey on parents charging their adult kids for rent and trends we are seeing when it comes to multi-generational homes.
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Over the weekend, a chaotic 36 hours unfolded in the Kremlin. The Wagner Group, a team of Russian military mercenaries created an uprising to challenge the Russian military, before Wagner’s leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin abruptly aborted the mission.
But the damage was done – Russian president Vladimir Putin accused Prigozhin of trying to start a civil war. And for the first time in nearly two decades, Putin’s regime appears to be shaken publicly.
Mark MacKinnon, The Globe’s senior international correspondent, talks about Putin’s rise to power and what this sudden mutiny says about his control in Russia.
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Over 20 years later, someone has finally paid the price for Canada’s bread-fixing scandal – other than shoppers that is. Last week, baked-goods producer Canada Bread was fined $50-million for its role in coordinating the price hikes on bread.
Susan Krashinsky Robertson is The Globe and Mail’s retail reporter. She explains why it has taken so long for the Competition Bureau to hold a company accountable and whether Canadians will be compensated for years of inflated bread prices.
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Many municipalities across Canada are choosing profit over the environment when it comes to waste management options. This has left many Canadians questioning the country’s alleged commitment to long-term environmental protection.
Dr. Cassandra Kuyvenhoven has a PhD in Environmental Studies with expertise in waste management. She breaks down the systematic issues surrounding Canada’s waste management system and what we could be doing better overall.
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Controversy followed Minister of Public Safety Marco Mendocino after he said he was unaware that notorious serial killer Paul Bernardo was being moved from a maximum security to medium security prison. His explanation follows a pattern of federal ministers saying they’ve missed emails or hadn’t been briefed by their staff on major files.
Marieke Walsh, the Globe’s senior political reporter, joins us to break down what’s happening with all these ministers missing crucial communications and what this says about competency in the federal government.
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Usually the news coming from Canada’s Supreme Court is about the rulings they make, not about the Justices themselves. But the story of former Justice Russell Brown is unprecedented in many ways. It’s one that started in an Arizona hotel and ended with his resignation nearly six months later.
The Globe’s Justice writer Sean Fine reports on what happened, how the investigation unfolded and what this means for Canada’s highest court both in terms of public confidence and its composition going forward.
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Publication bans have become all but automatic in sexual-assault cases across Canada. These bans were put in place to protect survivors who have come forward. But My Voice My Choice, a group of women who are fighting those publication bans, argue that these bans prevent survivors who want to speak openly about their experiences.
Molly Hayes and Zosia Bielski are national news reporters for The Globe and Mail. They’re on the show to explain the limits of these publication bans and the group fighting to make their voices heard.
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As the world races to mine more critical minerals, China has managed to capture nearly 100 per cent of the cesium market. While not as well known as lithium, cesium is an even rarer mineral. There are only two mines globally, and one of them is in Manitoba.
But its owners are based in Beijing. And that is raising a number of national security concerns. The Globe’s mining reporter, Niall McGee, explains why.
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British Columbia will send cancer patients across the border for radiation therapy to deal with growing wait times and backlog at home.
The plan will cost the province three times the amount for treatment at home. Globe and Mail reporter Andrea Woo explains how this will work and what this says about the state of our healthcare system.
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Canada’s immigration system is overwhelmed. Cases are backlogged and little information is being communicated to applicants. This has led to a surge of access to information requests, which has created another backlog, and has left people trying to settle in Canada in the dark.
Tom Cardoso, an investigative reporter with The Globe, explains why people started using this workaround to get information on their immigration cases in the first place, and why things are likely going to get worse.
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Chocolate may be sweet, but it comes at a steep cost. Labels that claim your favourite treat are sustainable can hide harsh realities for farmers. Millions of cocoa farmers in Africa and Latin America live in hunger and poverty because big corporations refuse to pay a fair price for their cocoa.
In the face of this increasingly aggressive price war, some cocoa farmers have joined fair-trade, farmer-owned co-operatives. Together they are pooling their resources to better their communities and futures.
Today, The Globe and Mail’s U.S. correspondent Adrian Morrow joins us to explain what he and the Globe’s Africa Bureau Chief Geoffrey York learned about the cost of chocolate.
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Canada’s household debt is really high. In fact, we outrank France, Italy, the UK and even the U.S. And while, the debt load is high for Canadians of every age group, one particular generation stands by owing over $600,000 on average.
Rob Carrick is The Globe and Mail’s personal finance columnist. He’s on the show to explain why Canadians owe so much and how over-indebted Canadians should be thinking about their finances.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
In late May, the Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni signed one of the world’s harshest anti-homosexuality bills into law. It authorizes the death penalty in certain circumstances and a 20-year prison sentence for anyone who “promotes” or “normalizes” homosexuality. The situation was already bad for queer people in Uganda, but this new law makes things much worse.
Kimahli Powell is the CEO of Rainbow Railroad, a non-profit organization that helps at-risk LGBTQ people get to safety around the world. He’s on the show to explain what it’s like for LGTBQ people in Uganda right now and what his organization is doing to help them.
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David Johnston resigned as the special rapporteur on Friday after looking into foreign interference in Canadian elections. The former Governor General’s decision to step down came days after he appeared at a parliamentary committee on his work and was grilled by MPs from opposition parties.
Steven Chase is The Globe’s Senior Parliamentary Reporter and he has been leading the foreign interference reporting with colleague Robert Fife. Steven joins the podcast to discuss where the investigation in China’s efforts to meddle in Canadian politics goes from here.
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When Canada first passed legislation to create its access-to-information system, it was seen as a world leader in terms of transparency. But fast forward 40 years and that same system is sluggish, overwhelmed and preventing Canadians from their right to government information.
Globe and Mail investigative reporters Robyn Doolittle and Tom Cardoso spent more than a year reporting on the state of the system and what’s behind all the bottlenecks. The Globe has also built a website that lets you explore more than 300,000 FOI summaries to help you navigate the system.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
You can access The Globe’s Secret Canada project here: https://www.secretcanada.com/
The 2007-2008 financial crisis hit countries around the world hard. But, Greece’s economy really faltered. At the peak of Greece’s crisis, unemployment hit 28 per cent, a figure higher than unemployment during the U.S.’ Great Depression. Greece required three hefty bailouts from the European Central Bank, the European Commission and the International Monetary Fund which totalled almost €300-billion. The Greek population suffered under strict austerity measures which cut salaries and closed hospitals.
Fast forward to today and the economy is showing remarkable signs of a bounceback. Eric Reguly is The Globe’s European bureau chief. He’s on the show to explain what went wrong in Greece, how they’re turning things around and what other countries can learn from Europe’s surprising comeback kid.
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A lot of Canada is on fire right now – fires are burning in nearly every province and territory and the federal government says this season could see the most land burned since we started keeping records.
Today, The Globe’s Lindsay Jones joins us from Halifax to talk about the biggest wildfire the province has ever seen, and why fires are so bad there this year. Then, The Globe’s Mike Hager tells us about the wildfires burning across Canada and how prepared the country is to deal with it.
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Canadians have been dealing with high inflation for two years now. But, as consumers, we keep spending. However, the picture of where we spend our money and how much of it is a messy one.
The Globe’s retailing reporter Susan Krashinsky Robertson explains why some stores are seeing a drop in some areas of spending, even as Canadians are spending at an extremely high rate.
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The Toronto District School Board – the largest school board in the country – recently reported that more than 300 kids were involved in violent incidents this year. In March, Quebec’s education minister announced he was preparing a strategy to deal with increasing violence in schools. These are just two examples of the more frequent reports of violence in schools across the country, particularly among teenagers.
Dr. Tracy Vaillancourt is a professor at the University of Ottawa and Canada Research Chair in Children’s Mental Health and Violence Prevention. She’s on the show to explain why violence in schools is on the rise and what research tells us about how to prevent it.
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The six biggest banks in Canada – RBC, Scotiabank, BMO, CIBC, TD, and National Bank recently reported their second-quarter earnings. The majority did not hit target expectations. While banks don’t always meet analyst forecasts, the fact that so many of them had disappointing results in the same period is surprising.
Stefanie Marotta reports on banking for The Globe. She’s on the show to explain what’s behind these lower-than-expected profit numbers and what it means for the economy – and Canadians.
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After months of relative quiet in Kyiv, the city has been under attack this week by Russian drones and missiles. There have also been attacks within Russia. Looming over these events is the anticipated, and secretive, Ukrainian counteroffensive to regain territory it has lost to Russia in the war.
Today, The Globe’s senior international correspondent Mark MacKinnon joins from Kyiv, Ukraine, to discuss these latest attacks and what a Ukrainian counteroffensive might look like.
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Alberta is a province with a long history of conservative rule. And on Monday, Danielle Smith and the UCP added a new chapter by winning a majority. But it wasn’t a blowout. Rachel Notley and the NDP managed to score 38 seats, up from 23 in the previous sitting of the legislature.
This is creating a new political dynamic in the province and Globe reporter and columnist Kelly Cryderman is on the show to explain what it means for the rest of the country.
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Throughout the pandemic, Canadians were warned about the potential collapse of emergency rooms. ERs were stretched to the limit, as surges in patients ran up against labour shortages of doctors and health care workers. But now that the worst of the pandemic is over the situation in ERs hasn’t improved. Patients and doctors now paint a grim picture of a dysfunctional medical care system that remains in crisis, with few long -term fixes on the way.
Carly Weeks, health reporter for The Globe and Mail, joins the podcast to explain why ERs are being pushed to the brink and what it says about the health care Canadians receive now.
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Avian influenza is getting more serious each year, as an unprecedented number of birds either succumb to the virus or are culled to prevent spread. After a dog in Ontario and thousands of sea lions died from the flu, there’s growing concern about this strain’s ability to infect mammals.
Dr. Samira Mubareka is an infectious diseases physician, medical microbiologist and scientist at Sunnybrook Research Institute. She explains what’s going on with avian flu right now, where it could be headed and what we’re doing to stay ahead of it.
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With a cost-of-living crisis and rampant inflation, there’s a lot on the line for Turkey in the runoff election on Sunday. But this also matters beyond Turkey’s borders. The country is an important – and often challenging – ally for Western countries.
Today, Istanbul-based writer and photographer Adnan Khan tells us what issues are at play in this election and what it could mean for Turkey’s role on the world stage.
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Seasonal allergies are getting worse all across North America, in large part due to changes in pollen driven by climate change. But fear not, there is hope.
Dr. Anne Ellis is a professor and division chair in the department of medicine at Queen’s University. She’s on the show today to discuss the effect worsening allergies can have on us and what we can do to live with them.
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Former governor general David Johnston has ruled out a public inquiry into foreign interference in Canada’s elections, despite ongoing calls for one. Johnston was appointed special rapporteur in March to look into allegations of Chinese interference, driven largely by The Globe and Mail’s reporting.
Today, The Globe’s senior parliamentary reporter Steven Chase explains why Johnston decided against a public inquiry, and the significance of that decision.
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Whether you like it or not, AI is everywhere. It unlocks your phone through facial recognition, it manages spam emails in your inbox and it creates realistic photos of the Pope in a puffer jacket. With rapid developments in technology infiltrating our everyday lives, it’s a race for governments to figure out how to regulate it. And Ottawa might be playing catch up.
Joe Castaldo is with The Globe’s Report on Business. Today, he explains the federal government’s plan to regulate AI for consumers and data protection, and how this proposed legislation compares to others worldwide.
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Experts are anticipating another chaotic season of air travel in the coming months. Along with ongoing labour disputes, Canadian airlines have scheduled more flights for the summer. There’s a catch though: they might not have the crew to staff them.
Today, The Globe’s transportation reporter Eric Atkins explains why airlines still might not have enough staff and what we’re in for in the coming months.
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Two hundred and fifty kilometres above the Arctic Circle is a greenhouse that provides fresh local produce to its community. It’s called Naurvik and it’s located in the Inuit hamlet of Gjoa Haven, Nunavut. Powered primarily by wind- and solar-energy, Naurvik is becoming a new source of food for a region of Canada that suffers chronic food insecurity given how remote it is.
Photojournalist Amber Bracken visited Gjoa Haven earlier this year and will take us on a tour inside the greenhouse that is beating the odds.
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Wildfires are raging across Alberta with early-season fires forcing thousands to evacuate their homes. Firefighters from across the country and the U.S., as well as the Canadian Armed Forces, are streaming in to battle the flames. Officials are predicting the worst is yet to come with high temperatures and no rain in the forecast.
Meanwhile, a provincial election is right around the corner. United Conservative Party Leader Danielle Smith is trying to balance her role as premier with her political campaign for the job. And frustrations amongst some residents are growing.
Reporter Carrie Tait from the Globe and Mail’s Calgary bureau is on the show to explain the political impacts of this natural disaster.
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China is Canada’s second-largest trading partner, but tensions continue to rise between the two countries over allegations of foreign interference and concerns about human rights. So the Canadian government is trying to expand trade to other places – like India.
The Indian and Canadian governments have been negotiating for more than a decade on a trade agreement, but this might finally be the moment we get one. Today, Rita Trichur, The Globe’s senior business writer and columnist, explains why it’s taken so long for an agreement to come through and why it’s so important.
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On May 5th the World Health Organization declared the end of the COVID-19 emergency. But what does that mean for the pandemic? How should we be thinking about the COVID virus now and what kind of risk are we still exposed to?
It’s taken three years of social distancing, mask mandates, and varying degrees of lockdown to get to this stage, but what comes next is still a bit of a mystery. Today, Lisa Barrett, an infectious diseases specialist at Dalhousie University and a practicing clinician, how we can manage COVID now and where the disease could go from here.
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BlackBerry changed our lives when it created the world’s first commercially successful smartphone. But its dominance was disrupted and the Canadian tech giant lost nearly everything. BlackBerry’s dramatic fall from grace is now the topic of a film that is in theaters May 12.
The Globe’s technology reporter, Sean Silcoff, who co-authored the book that film is based on, is on the show to discuss how he got the inside access needed to tell the story of BlackBerry’s rise and fall and explains why it is still relevant today.
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On Tuesday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry strongly condemned Canada’s expulsion of Chinese diplomat, Zhao Wei for allegations of foreign interference. In response, China expelled a Canadian diplomat in Shanghai.
While headlines about Chinese interference have been front and centre in Canada ever since the Globe first reported on China’s interference attempts back in February, this latest row has also hit a nerve in China. Today, The Globe and Mail’s Asia correspondent, James Griffiths, explains how the current escalation in tensions are viewed in China.
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On May 8, Canada expelled Chinese diplomat Zhao Wei in response to China’s interference in Canadian politics. The extraordinary move is the first expulsion of a Chinese diplomat in decades and could carry substantial consequences given the size of Canada’s economic and social ties with China.
This is the latest development in an ongoing saga around Chinese interference in Canada which broke after The Globe and Mail reported on secret and top-secret CSIS documents alleging a sophisticated strategy by China to disrupt the 2019 and 2021 federal elections. Today, Campbell Clark, The Globe’s chief political writer, explains what has happened to bring us to this moment and how this action will impact Canada’s relationship with China.
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In 2019, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised to help millennials hoping to buy a first home with a new program, called the First-Time Home Buyer Incentive. It was supposed to help 100,000 Canadians buy their first home but, according to real estate professionals, the program was doomed from the start.
To understand what has gone wrong, economics reporter Matt Lundy crunched the numbers. He explains why the program has fallen short of its goal and how it is failing to address the real problem in real estate.
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Economic predictions can be incredibly important for companies and governments trying to plan for the months and year ahead – and that ripples down to individuals trying to budget as well. But some experts worry that the forecasts are becoming less and less accurate.
Todd Hirsch has been an economist for around three decades. Today, he tells us why forecasts aren’t working as well as they used to, how so-called ‘black swan’ events are changing things, and what that means for our ability to plan for the future.
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On Saturday, King Charles III will be crowned in a ceremony at Buckingham Palace in London. This is the first coronation of a British monarch in 70 years and it’s brought up questions from Canadians about why a democratic country like Canada still maintains ties with the monarchy. A recent Angus Reid Poll found that 52 per cent of respondents do not want to continue as a constitutional monarchy. But leaving isn’t that easy.
Errol Mendes is a lawyer, author and constitutional and international law professor at the University of Ottawa. He’s on the show to explain how Canada’s constitution makes leaving the monarchy almost impossible.
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When Ontario Place first opened in 1971, it was a jewel on Toronto’s waterfront showcasing modern architecture and Ontario culture. But in the 50 years that followed, Ontario Place faced an identity crisis. The space hosted a water park and a night club to name a few. And while a few venues have stayed open much of the park closed in 2012. The Provincial government cited dwindling attendance and soaring costs.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford has a new plan that he says will turn the 155-acres of land into a ‘world class’ destination. But the project is already mired in controversy, with critics saying the Premier’s plan is shrouded in secrecy and favouritism.
Decibel producer Sherrill Sutherland toured Ontario place with The Globe’s architecture critic, Alex Bozikovic to learn about why so many people are fighting to keep it a public space. Plus, the Globe’s Queen’s Park reporter Jeff Gray explains the politics behind this lucrative piece of land.
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In 2021, the federal government began a project to plant two billion trees by 2031. The goal of this project was to use these trees to help Canada reach its climate goal. However, a recent audit shows that the government is not on track to hit those numbers.
The Globe’s energy and environment reporter Matt McClearn is on the show to walk us through the difficulties of the 2 Billion Trees program, and how its success or failure could impact our other pressing climate goals.
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The Online Streaming Act is officially law. Now, online streaming services such as Netflix and Spotify have to promote and invest in Canadian content. But there are still questions and concerns – from content creators themselves – over how this law will actually work.
Kate Taylor is the arts critic for The Globe and Mail. Today, she tells us about this new law, and how it might change the landscape of content made in Canada and what you’ll end up watching on your streaming platforms in the future.
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The Alberta election starts today – and one group in particular is ready for it. It’s called Take Back Alberta and it’s a network of people who share the same values: no vaccine mandates, no pandemic lockdowns – and Christian faith. Together, its members are trying to reshape politics in the province from the ground up.
Reporter Carrie Tait spent months going to the group’s meetings and talking to its leader to get a sense of its plans in this very competitive election between Danielle Smith of the United Conservative Party and the NDP’s Rachel Notley, as well as what its goals are once the election is over – both inside Alberta and beyond.
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Back in September, we told you about some Afghans trying to flee the Taliban in 2021 who had been given Canadian travel documents – but they were not authentic. We now know that a Canadian Senator sent approximately 640 of these documents to Afghans, who are now stranded.
Today, The Globe’s senior parliamentary reporter Marieke Walsh tells us what we know about who’s involved in this bureaucratic mess, and the impossible situation for the people who received these documents.
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School food programs in Canada are struggling to make ends meet right now. With the high price of food, it’s costing some programs as much as 25 percent more than previous years to keep running. And they’re seeing higher demand too – more children in need of a balanced meal.
Caroline Alphonso spoke with programs across the country that are worried their funding won’t make it to the end of the school year. Today, she tells us what’s happening with school food programs, why they’re so important and what might be done to fix the situation.
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Vietnam is in the midst of a dramatic shift caused by climate change. Some of the country’s most fertile land along the Mekong Delta has been devastated by flooding from rising ocean levels.
Doug Saunders, a columnist at The Globe, is on the show today to talk about climate migration in Vietnam and what really happens when climate change forces someone from their home.
This episode is part two of Undercurrents – The Globe’s year-long series devoted to the global migration crisis. You can find part one here.
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Sudan is on the brink of civil war, after fighting broke out between the country’s military and a paramilitary group, the RSF. Hundreds of people have been killed, and thousands more injured. This, on top of an existing humanitarian crisis that is now expected to get much worse.
Today, we hear from two Sudanese-Canadians, Esraa Fadul and Ahmed Osman, who are stranded in Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, surrounded by warfare. Then we’ll hear from The Globe’s Africa Bureau Chief Geoffrey York about what led to this conflict and what it means for an already-struggling country.
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Since the pandemic, confidence in childhood vaccines has decreased around the world, according to a new report by UNICEF. Before COVID hit, 91 per cent of Canadians believed vaccines are important during childhood. That number is now 82 per cent.
So what has caused this drop in the faith in children’s vaccines? The Globe’s health reporter, Carly Weeks explains to us how this happened, how it could affect Canada’s future outbreaks and what can be done to get those rates back up.
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The federal government has restored its funding to Hockey Canada after removing it following the revelation that it settled a lawsuit accusing eight members of the 2018 world juniors hockey team of sexual assault. Since the scandal broke a year ago, Hockey Canada has endured audits, board resignations, and investigations. Its executives and board members have been called to Parliament Hill to testify at hearings, and big sponsors, like Tim Hortons and Canadian Tire, have fled.
So, how much has the organization changed within the last year to justify this restored funding? Investigative reporter Grant Robertson explains the recent developments and the current state of Hockey Canada.
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The largest public sector union in Canada went on strike on Wednesday after talks broke down with the government over better wages and remote working rules. This strike is expected to cause serious administrative delays for Canadians, from passport processing to filing your taxes. It’s the most recent event in a long string of labour disputes from all over the country in the last two years.
The Globe’s future of work reporter Vanmala Subramaniam explains what the significance of this strike is, how we got to this point and the effects it might have on the public, the government and unions going forward.
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Last month, Tennessee became the first state to pass-anti drag law and thirteen other U.S. states also have bills looking to ban or restrict drag performances. Over the past decade, drag has become more mainstream with the popularity of shows like RuPaul’s Drag Race, but this past year, drag shows have become the target of a U.S. political culture war.
The Globe’s U.S. correspondent, Adrian Morrow is on the show to tell us what it is about this moment that has U.S. states targeting drag. Plus we’ll hear from Brian Hernandez, a performer in San Antonio Texas about their experience living in a state that’s trying to ban what they do for a living.
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The Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation has been coming under fire in the past few weeks over a controversial donation it received back in 2016. The Globe and Mail learned back in February that the donation – which was initially said to be from two Chinese billionaires – was allegedly tied to the Chinese government. Now, there’s even more to the story.
Today, The Globe’s Ottawa Bureau Chief Robert Fife is back on the podcast. He and Globe reporter Steven Chase have been breaking this news. He’ll tell us the story of this donation, how the Trudeau Foundation handled it and how this latest controversy ties into the larger web of Chinese interference.
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What happens when a Canadian company is accused of wrongdoing abroad? Well, in 2018, Ottawa announced the creation of a new ombudsperson to investigate these kinds of claims. But since then, the Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise – also known as CORE – has yet to complete a single investigation of a complaint.
Investigative reporter Tavia Grant – who went to Peru to see the effects of missing Canadian oversight – explains what she has found out about CORE.
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Since 1951, 24 Sussex Drive has been the Prime Minister’s official residence. Recently, It’s been making international headlines, but for the wrong reasons. The mansion is in such bad shape that rodent carcasses line the walls and are affecting the air quality. There’s a laundry list of problems including mould, asbestos, leaks and a cold winter draft. In the eight years Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been in power, he and his family have never moved in.
The Globe’s writer-at-large and political columnist, John Ibbitson is on The Decibel to tell us how the Prime Minister’s residence has fallen into such disrepair and why its fate has become as politically toxic as its insides.
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Canadian officials have been warning since the war in Ukraine began of potential cyber attacks from Russia as retribution for Canada helping Ukraine. This week, at least two Canadian government websites were down, courtesy of Russian hackers, and claims surfaced that Russian hackers had compromised a Canadian gas company.
Steven Chase is The Globe’s senior parliamentary reporter. He’s seen the documents detailing the alleged attack on the Canadian company. He’ll tell us about these attacks, and how they fit into Russia’s broader plan to punish supporters of Ukraine.
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For months now, Canada’s unemployment rate has been hovering around 5 per cent – a near historic low. It’s a number that economists are watching closely because they expect it to rise now that the Bank of Canada has hiked interest rates.
But it hasn’t. And businesses are still complaining about a shortage of workers. So what’s going on? Economics reporter Matt Lundy explains.
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On April 4, the body of Linda Mary Beardy, a woman from Lake St. Martin First Nation, was discovered at a Winnipeg landfill. It’s the same landfill where, less than a year ago, the victim of an alleged serial killer was found. Police say Ms. Beardy’s death is not being considered a homicide, but it has brought renewed attention and outrage over the deaths of First Nations women in the area.
In the last year, the remains of four First Nations women, believed to be victims of a serial killer, have been discovered or are believed to be in Winnipeg landfills. The outrage from the women’s communities is not just over their deaths, but also over what they say is failure and inaction from Winnipeg Police.
The Globe’s crime and justice reporter Molly Hayes joins The Decibel to discuss why police have refused to search one of the landfills and the renewed fight for answers from the families and friends of missing and murdered Indigenous women.
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Adrial and Adiah Nadarajah are the youngest twins ever born to survive to their first birthday – they were born at just 22 weeks, about half of a full term pregnancy. If they had been born just two hours earlier, medical staff would not have tried to resuscitate them. They would have been considered too young to live.
Their story is part of the medical and moral challenges that arise when babies are born dangerously early. Kelly Grant spoke with the parents and doctors of the babies – and attended the twins’ first birthday party.
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The smart city movement — driven by the idea that we can leverage data and technology to optimize life in our cities — is attractive for many reasons. But critics say that smart cities may not be so wise, and in some cases, they’ve proven to be dangerous for democracy. In the first episode of season three, we’re doing a deep dive into this very concept: What are smart cities, and who are they for? Where has smart-city technology helped, and when does it start to wade into surveillance-capitalism territory ? Adrian speaks to John Lorinc, an urban affairs journalist and the author of Dream States: Smart Cities, Technology, and the Pursuit of Urban Utopias, about how the perception of smart cities has shifted over the years, and how smart city technology can both improve and disrupt our lives. Plus, Globe and Mail reporter Josh O’Kane shares his reporting from his new book, SIDEWAYS: The City Google Couldn’t Buy, which looks at Alphabet’s failed attempt to build a smart city in Toronto and what that high-profile example tells us about citizen engagement and good governance around the world.
Insomnia, dizziness, hallucinations – these are just a few of the life-changing symptoms that dozens of people have reported having in New Brunswick. After several years and a provincial investigation, patients are still left wondering what is going on. They want the federal government to step in and examine their situations further.
The Globe’s health reporter Wency Leung joins the podcast to explain the fight patients have on their hands to get answers.
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On Tuesday, Donald Trump became the first former U.S. president to be indicted on criminal charges. He faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records relating to hush money paid to porn star, Stormy Daniels.
The scene at the Manhattan courthouse where Mr. Trump appeared was a frenzy of cameras, journalists, protesters and Trump supporters. While this moment is a first in U.S. history, Jared Yates Sexton argues that focusing solely on Trump ignores the underlying factors that brought the country to this point. Jared is a frequent contributor to The Globe and the author of several books including “The Midnight Kingdom: A History of Power, Paranoia, and the Coming Crisis.” He’s on the podcast to tell us about where the MAGA movement that brought Trump to power is at now and how they might shape the current political situation today.
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About two years after the merger was proposed, Rogers and Shaw are becoming one company. To ensure that this deal doesn’t hurt Canadians, Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne put a number of conditions on the companies involved. But are they enough?
Jennifer Quaid is an expert in competition law in Canada. She’s an Associate Professor and Vice-Dean of Research of the Civil Law Section at the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Law. She explains what these deals mean for telecom competition in Canada.
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The inquiry into Canada’s worst mass shooting has ended with the release of its final report. The 3,000 page document condemns the RCMP in how the police force responded to the tragedy where 22 people were killed in Portapique, Nova Scotia, in April 2020. A number of recommendations call for a complete overhaul of Canada’s federal police force in the hopes that a tragedy like this never happens again.
The Globe’s Lindsay Jones is a reporter at the Atlantic bureau who was there as the final report was released to survivors, family and community members as well as government and police officials. She joins the podcast to share the main takeaways from the report and whether the RCMP will take these recommendations seriously.
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The change came swiftly. A few hours after being announced by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and U.S. President Joe Biden, the rules at Roxham Road had tightened.
Globe reporter Frédérik-Xavier Duhamel went to the popular unofficial border crossing and spoke to migrants trying to make the trek as changes to the Safe Third Country Act now limit who can claim asylum in Canada via that passage.
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As Canada races to compete in the clean tech sector as countries work toward their net zero climate goals, investors are trying to figure out where to park huge sums of money to back projects that are a part of this.
Enter Canada’s green taxonomy, a guide to assess how green a project requiring investment actually is. Report on Business journalist Jeffrey Jones explains how it works and what it means for Canada’s oil and gas industries.
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The Canadian federal government unveiled its 2023 budget on Tuesday, which sets the economic strategy and tone for the next fiscal year. There’s a lot packed into this document, ranging from measures to help with inflation to an expansion of the national dental plan to investment incentives to help us transition to a greener economy. But how will this budget really impact you?
The Globe and Mail’s Ottawa bureau – Deputy Ottawa bureau chief Bill Curry, personal finance columnist Rob Carrick, senior political reporter Marieke Walsh and senior Parliamentary reporter Steven Chase – join the podcast, five minutes at a time, to break down the key takeaways of this year’s budget.
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The price of concert tickets has risen dramatically – with some tickets costing thousands of dollars. Ticketmaster, which controls a huge proportion of the market, has come under fire recently for some of its practices, like dynamic pricing and murky service fees. It’s now the subject of a proposed class action lawsuit in Quebec.
The Globe’s Josh O’Kane has been covering concerns around Ticketmaster for years. He’s here to explain what’s going on with the company, how Ticketmaster got such a stranglehold on the market, and what it means for the music industry.
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Collagen supplements are marketed as a holy grail anti-aging product. Bovine collagen is made from cattle hides, and a new investigation from the Bureau of Investigative Journalism traced the supply chain of some collagen companies all the way to deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon.
Elisângela Mendonça is a London-based Brazilian journalist with the Bureau of Investigative Journalism. Her reporting pulls back the curtain on the dark side of the booming collagen industry.
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In 2022, the number of people moving to Alberta hit its highest level in almost a decade. At the same time, a record number of people left Toronto for other provinces. And it all comes down to affordability. In this episode, we’ll delve into the factors contributing to the rise in interprovincial migration and hear from Canadians who made the move - and how it’s worked out for them.
Haiti is in crisis, after months of cholera outbreaks, a fuel and energy crisis, and violence. The UN estimates that 500 people have died in gang violence incidents this year alone. And Canada is facing pressure – largely from the US – to intervene.
Michaëlle Jean is the former governor-general of Canada, and the former UNESCO Special Envoy to Haiti, where she’s from. Today, she tells us what led Haiti to this crisis, and what role Canada should have in the country.
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Canada has committed to going net-zero by 2050 and a big part of making that goal a reality is by transitioning the economy from being fossil fuel dependent to a cleaner and low-carbon one. Canada’s Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland calls the change the most “significant economic transformation since the Industrial Revolution”.
So what will a ‘green economy’ look like for Canada? And how can it establish itself as a major player as it competes with the United States, its biggest ally and rival? The Globe and Mail’s climate change columnist Adam Radwanski explains.
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Allegations of academic misconduct at Canadian universities have risen sharply in the 2020 to 2021 school year as more and more students turn to hiring people to complete assignments and tests for them. The consequences for the student are clear: a permanent blemish on their academic careers and possible impact on their job prospects if they are caught.
But the wider trend is also a concern for Canadian universities as a whole, as their brand depends on maintaining academic integrity. Post-secondary education reporter Joe Friesen explains.
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The Globe and Mail has been reporting extensively on China’s interference in Canadian elections. This information came to light, in part, because of a whistleblower who wrote an Opinion piece in The Globe this weekend.
The Globe rarely publishes Opinion pieces by confidential sources. Today, David Walmsley, The Globe’s Editor in Chief, explains why he decided to publish this piece, and how he feels it contributes to the broader conversation of China’s interference in Canada. And, you’ll hear the entire piece from the whistleblower, in their own words.
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As revelations about China’s interference continue, so do calls for a foreign agent registry. The U.S. and Australia have registries like this, where anyone acting on behalf of a foreign entity has to disclose it. But the idea has its detractors.
David Mulroney, a former Canadian ambassador to China, has been advocating for a foreign agent registry for years. He explains how it might work in Canada, why it’s controversial and how the registry could slow China’s interference campaign in Canada.
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Oversized pucks clanging as they’re shot across the ice, the constant tapping of hockey sticks as players weave through oversized pylons. These are some of the sights and sounds of blind hockey.
Canadian Blind Hockey began in 2009 and now has 14 programs across the country. Canada’s winter game adapted for the visually impaired is an auditory experience and so The Decibel hit the ice to find out more about it.
The Globe’s sports reporter, Rachel Brady and Decibel producer Sherrill Sutherland laced up their skates and joined a youth Canadian Blind Hockey program to hear from parents, players and coaches.
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The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank came swiftly after a panicked run on deposits. Despite the U.S. government enacting safeguards, there is anxiety in the markets wondering which bank might fall next.
But how safe are Canadian banks? Report on Business columnist Tim Kiladze is on the show to explain the fallout and what Canadian regulations are in place to try and contain it.
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Since the Bank of Canada started hiking its benchmark interest rate just over a year ago, there’s a growing number of mortgage-holders with monthly payments that no longer cover the principal or even the interest portion of their loan.
Rachelle Younglai covers real estate for The Globe and she recently reported that at CIBC, 20 per cent of mortgage-holders are seeing their loan balances grow instead of shrink. This represents $52-billion worth of mortgages. CIBC isn’t the only bank in this situation but it’s the only one that’s disclosing this information.
Rachelle is on the show to explain why this might be a cause for concern and what mortgage-holders should be thinking about.
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We often think of health as an individual action – drink more water, exercise, eat well. During the pandemic, we thought more about the health of people around us as well – with social distancing, masking and vaccinations. But there’s a lot more that goes into our health.
Today, we’re talking to the Globe’s health reporter Wency Leung about why it’s so important to expand our understanding of health beyond our bodies. Then we talk to Indigenous psychologist Dr. Rod McCormick about how he helps people connect with communities and nature to find healing.
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Could the rising price of groceries be chalked up to corporate greed? That was the question at a House of Commons committee last week when the executives of Canada’s three biggest grocers testified. Loblaw Cos. Ltd. president Galen Weston, CEO of Empire Co. Michael Medline and CEO of Metro Inc. Eric La Flèche all refuted claims that they were gouging customers under the guise of inflation.
Food economist Michael von Massow says blaming Canada’s big grocers doesn’t explain the complex web of factors that have led to sustained food inflation. He helps untangle exactly what’s behind the rise, how much ‘greedflation’ is a part of it and how Canada could make things easier for consumers.
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Netflix is facing a backlash after announcing it’s cracking down on password sharing in Canada, among other countries. The company says 100 million of its customers worldwide share passwords, which Netflix claims is cutting into its revenue.
Kean Birch, director of the Institute for Technoscience and Society at York University, says that Netflix’s business model was bound to run into problems like this, as competition from other streaming services pulls content off the platform and draws users away. But will it work?
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British Columbia revealed its 2023 budget on Feb. 28. It introduced a host of new spending measures including a first in Canada: A plan to make contraception universally available in the province free of charge.
Globe health reporter, Carly Weeks explains why reproductive health experts are celebrating the move and what this could mean for funding contraception in the rest of the country.
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After weeks of resisting pressure from all sides, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has ordered two probes into Chinese election interference. This follows The Globe and Mail reporting on secret and top secret CSIS documents alleging a sophisticated strategy by China to disrupt the 2019 and 2021 federal elections.
But criticism is still mounting on Trudeau around how transparent and public these probes will actually be. The Globe’s Ottawa bureau chief Bob Fife is back to tell us why Trudeau is changing his stance and how likely these probes are to shed light on the extent of China’s interference.
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The ground and water near Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation in northern Alberta has become a toxic mess. A nearby oil sands site, run by Imperial Oil, has leaked industrial waste into the hunting and fishing grounds of the Indigenous community.
But the First Nation alleges Imperial Oil and the provincial regulators tasked with keeping the companies in line, hid the seriousness of the leak. Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation is only now learning of how badly their food and water could be contaminated. Energy reporter Emma Graney talks about who knew what when and how this major oil leak is destroying any trust between the public, regulators and oil sands companies.
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Right now, one in 25 Canadians who use Google can’t find some news sites through its search bar. That’s because the tech giant has purposely blocked these searches in response to legislation put forward by the federal government.
The Globe’s Deputy Ottawa bureau chief Bill Curry is on the show to explain the bill taking the fight to Google and other big tech companies and what the government is trying to accomplish with this legislation.
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For years, a diagnosis of cystic fibrosis has often meant an early death for patients. This week, Cystic Fibrosis Canada released its annual data report this week for 2021. A new drug, Trikafta, is keeping patients out of hospitals and off of transplant lists.
The Globe’s health reporter Kelly Grant explains why doctors are now talking about cystic fibrosis as a disease in transition and the hope of a new future for thousands of patients.
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Canada has a high rate of police killings compared to similar countries like England, Germany and Japan. Officers are rarely charged when they kill someone, and they don’t even have to participate in the investigations into their conduct.
The Globe’s Nancy Macdonald spent months looking into hundreds of investigations into police officers, how often officers co-operate and the consequences of their silence.
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On February 8, Indigo’s website went down and customers couldn’t buy products in-store either. After scrambling to launch a new website with limited e-commerce abilities, the company announced a major breach of personal and financial information of employees.
The Globe and Mail’s technology reporter, Temur Durrani, has been speaking to employees about the life-long impacts of this breach, what is being done about it and why ransomware attackers are taking aim at Canadian companies and public institutions.
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Artificial Intelligence and chatbots are having a mainstream moment. In November, the public was introduced to ChatGPT – a chatbot that can have seemingly human-like conversations with users. And after a “creepy” conversation between a New York Times tech columnist and Microsoft’s new Bing chatbot (which called itself “Sydney”) the debate around AI sentience has re-ignited.
But, behind all the awe, argues AI researcher, author and data journalist, Meredith Broussard, is a model that’s simply really good at math – and the technology that powers our AI today can often be biased, sexist and racist. She’s on the show to talk about how we should all be thinking about these problems in a tech innovation that isn’t going away anytime soon.
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Documents from Canada’s spy agency CSIS – viewed by The Globe and Mail – show how China was influencing Canada’s 2021 federal election by promoting candidates favourable to the regime, how it warned “friendly” Canadians about investigations and targeted Canadians with tactics like cyberattacks, bribery and sexual seduction.
These documents highlight a troubling web of China’s interference in Canadian political, financial and academic institutions. Robert Fife, The Globe’s Ottawa bureau chief, explains why these documents matter and what we can learn about how China is trying to influence Canadian affairs.
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In a special bonus episode, The Globe and Mail’s Senior International Correspondent Mark MacKinnon and Europe Correspondent Paul Waldie join The Decibel host Menaka Raman-Wilms for an in-depth conversation on the first anniversary of the war in Ukraine. Mark and Paul share their perspectives, personal stories and insights in a year of covering the war.
This episode was recorded as a livestreamed broadcast on theglobeandmail.com and YouTube on February 24, 2023.
Since Russia invaded one year ago, eight million people have left Ukraine.
Olena Tsebenko, Sonya and Oliver Hawes and George Fedorov all left behind their homes on February 24, 2022. From births to deaths and marriages, they share their stories of how their lives have carried on in the wake of the war.
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An unofficial border crossing between Southern Quebec and New York state is at the center of a heated political debate. In December, almost 5,000 people entered Canada through Roxham Road, a stretch of road between the two countries that has seen an influx of migrants seeking to claim refugee status in Canada.
Both official opposition leader Pierre Poilievre and Quebec Premier Francois Legault are calling on Ottawa to close the unofficial border. On Tuesday Prime Minister Trudeau said he’s in talks with the U.S. but declined to get into specifics.
The reason why people are choosing this particular route is because of a loophole in an agreement between Canada and the U.S. called the Safe Third Country Agreement. Globe and Mail columnist Konrad Yakabuski explains what this agreement is and what may happen with it.
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Title fraud happens when someone poses as a homeowner to sell real estate they don’t own to an unsuspecting buyer – and while still rare, it’s on the rise in Canada. For victims, whether the buyer or the legitimate homeowner, the anguish of learning you’ve been defrauded almost always comes with a lengthy legal process to straighten things out. And without title insurance, the buyer may be out the cost of the house.
Salmaan Farooqui is the Globe’s personal finance reporter, and he’s explored why title fraud has gotten a boost thanks to the pandemic, despite all the paperwork and checks and balances built into the process of home-buying.
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Just over a year after the federal government invoked the Emergencies Act, an inquiry has found that the Liberals acted appropriately, even though the Act gave them sweeping powers. This report – by Justice Paul Rouleau – marks the end of a commission that investigated the trucker convoy protest, the breakdown in policing and governing that lead to the Emergency Act being invoked.
Political columnist John Ibbitson discusses the importance of this report for our democracy, the political winners and losers and what he hopes will be done with Justice Rouleau’s recommendations.
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Canada’s national women’s soccer team is protesting unequal treatment by the sport’s governing body. The players say Canada Soccer is not transparent with its finances, and that they won’t agree to be paid less than the men. The men’s team supports them.
On Thursday, the team was forced to play in the SheBelieves cup under threat of legal action. Federal MPs have noticed, and called for Canada Soccer to explain itself at a parliamentary committee.
Rachel Brady is The Globe’s sports reporter, and she’ll tell us about the dispute, the growing business case for equally funding women’s sport, and how that’s fuelling professional women’s soccer in Canada.
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Investing your money can grow your wealth faster than just saving it— or shrink it, if you put your money in stocks that fail, or have to withdraw your money from the market while it’s down.
Erica Alini, the Globe’s personal finance reporter and author of the newsletter MoneySmart Bootcamp, shares her tips for how to think about investing wisely.
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On Tuesday, Green Party Leader Elizabeth May and NDP MP Alistair MacGregor held a news conference about medical access to psilocybin – better known as magic mushrooms. The psychedelic is illegal in Canada but there’s increased interest in the potential therapeutic benefits of the drug.
This is happening while still-illegal magic mushroom dispensaries have begun to pop up in Vancouver, Toronto and Ottawa. The Globe’s Mike Hager went to one, and explores the business behind magic mushrooms.
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In the span of nine days, we’ve seen the takedown of four flying objects over North America by U.S. fighter jets. It has both Canada and the U.S. on high alert with speculation of Chinese spying. The White House has had to tamp down questions of whether aliens could be involved. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Trudeau says the search for debris in Yukon, where one of the objects was taken down is currently under way.
The Globe’s senior parliamentary reporter, Steven Chase is on the show to tell us what we know so far about the mysterious flying objects and why all of a sudden, they’re being detected.
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Fusion – the act of deriving energy by smashing atoms together – has long been the stuff of science fiction. But thanks to a recent scientific breakthrough, there has been an increase in public excitement that one day, we might be able to use this as a continuous, clean source of energy.
The catch? We might not get the technology before our 2050 net-zero climate goals arrive.
Science Reporter Ivan Semeniuk explains exactly how fusion works and the Canadian efforts that are working to take this theory and turn it into a viable and widespread energy source.
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The federal government has offered to bring some Canadian children being held in detention camps in Syria to Canada – but their mothers can’t come with them. This is part of an ongoing issue for the government over what to do about men and women who are suspected of joining the Islamic State terrorist organization — and what to do with their children.
The Globe’s Janice Dickson has been covering this issue since the Islamic State fell in 2019 and has spoken to one of the mothers facing this difficult decision.
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Ottawa announced Tuesday a proposed $46.2-billion injection in new federal health care funding for the provinces and territories.
For years, there have been calls to reform Canada’s health care system. People have died in emergency rooms waiting for care, 15 percent of Canadians don’t have a regular health care provider and there are ongoing issues facing long term care.
Will this new money help fix these systemic problems?
Health reporter Kelly Grant asked leaders in health care what they make of the deal, and she’ll detangle what this money can and can’t do for our ailing healthcare system.
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Canada is facing increasing calls to grow its critical mineral industry as the world pivots toward its net-zero goals and batteries are becoming increasingly important. But at the moment, Canada only has one functioning lithium mine and no refineries.
Compare that to China, which dominates the entire critical mineral industry globally and has extensive reach into Canada’s current operations. So what can Canada do to get going? Mining reporter Niall McGee explains how Canada has found itself in this position.
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A Canadian sniper, whose codename is Teflon, was set up in an apartment building in the destroyed city of Bakhmut, Ukraine, shooting waves of Russian soldiers. He says it was almost too easy: “I actually got to a point where I was like, can you stop? I’m tired of killing people ... I shouldn’t be killing people this easily.”
Bakhmut, in eastern Ukraine, has seen heavy fighting for months because invading Russian forces see it as strategically important. The Globe’s Mark MacKinnon spoke with the sniper about his role in the war, and how the battle for Bakhmut has been playing out on the ground.
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The federal government’s $30-billion pledge to bring daycare costs down to $10/day and to create 250,000 new spaces by 2026 isn’t only attracting families, it’s also getting attention from investors. As the government seeks to make more spaces, for-profit centres are quickly expanding to meet targets.
The Globe’s Dave McGinn, and The Globe’s independent business reporter, Chris Hannay, explain the appeal and why child care advocates are concerned.
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On Wednesday, Dominic Barton appeared before a parliamentary committee looking into the rise in outsourcing contracts awarded to McKinsey & Company, where Barton was formerly global managing partner. Barton was also a senior policy adviser to the Trudeau government and the Canadian ambassador to China.
Since 2015, the Liberal government has paid more than $116 million dollars to the private management consulting firm. That’s more than thirty times what the Conservative government before them paid over their ten years in office.
Bill Curry is the Globe’s Deputy Ottawa Bureau Chief and has been following this story for years.
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As of this week, possession of 2.5 grams of some drugs in B.C. is decriminalized. The B.C. government says it is trying to reduce the number of people who die from overdoses in the province. Around six people die every day in B.C. from drugs – but many advocates don’t believe this decriminalization program will actually prevent people from dying.
Garth Mullins is an organizer with the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users, and host of the podcast Crackdown. He’ll tell us about B.C.’s plan, about the impact criminalization has had on him and people he knows, and what he thinks would lead to fewer people dying from drugs.
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John de Ruiter, a spiritual leader known for his piercing stare and who calls himself the ‘embodiment of truth’ was arrested and charged with four counts of sexual assault earlier this month. He’s now out on bail and intends to fight the charges.
De Ruiter is a leader of a multimillion dollar organization called The College of Integrated Philosophy. It’s based in Edmonton but has followers all over the world. Some have described the group as a cult.
The Globe’s Jana Pruden has been investigating the group for years. She has spoken to former members and attended a meeting to learn more about de Ruiter’s teachings. She’s on the show to explain what she’s learned about this tight-knit community and what these charges could mean for its future.
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On Monday, Rogers Communications Inc., Shaw Communications Inc. and Quebecor Inc. extended a deadline to mid-February that would finalize the largest telecommunications takeover in Canadian history. The deal would see Rogers buy Shaw for $20-billion. In an already concentrated industry, Canada’s Competition Bureau has argued that the deal would be bad for consumers who already pay some of the highest cell phone bills in the world.
Telecom reporter, Alexandra Posadzki explains the implications of this deal and why, even though it has cleared significant legal hurdles, Canada’s Federal Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne won’t rush his signoff.
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The Liberal government brought in Bill C-21 last May that would ban certain firearms. Amendments to the legislation have only confused the matter – some types of guns are banned in some of those amendments, but not in others – and the Liberals’ lack of communication is frustrating people on all sides of the issue.
The Globe’s senior political reporter Marieke Walsh tells us why these changes have been made to the legislation, why the government has been so quiet on it, and how likely this legislation is to work in reducing gun violence.
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A year after tens of thousands of people descended on Ottawa, some in their big-rig trucks, a lot has changed. Border restrictions have been lifted. Same for vaccine passports and most masking requirements. But the alienation and anger that lay underneath the movement seems to remain.
Ottawa reporter Shannon Proudfoot discusses what some of the participants of the convoy think about it now, and whether another version of this protest could pop up again.
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To cope with the rising interest rates and higher-than-normal inflation in the economy, many tech companies are changing how they do business, focusing on turning a profit over growing revenue or market share.
Technology reporter Sean Silcoff explains why for many years, forgoing profit was a good bet for startups, why that focus has led to mass layoffs in today’s shakier economic reality, and how some companies are thriving in these tough times.
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The residents of Rouyn-Noranda, QC have known about the arsenic emissions coming from the local smelting plant for years. More studies are coming out about health concerns for the residents – but Glencore, the company that owns the plant, is still allowed to emit significantly more arsenic than the rest of the province.
The Globe’s Eric Andrew-Gee went to Rouyn-Noranda and spoke with residents about the impact of these emissions and why it’s been allowed to go on for decades.
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Ukraine wants tanks – 300 of them to be precise. President Volodymyr Zelensky believes that western battle tanks could be the key to driving Russian troops out of his country. But the allies, including Canada, are still deliberating on whether they should send them.
Steven Chase has been covering the developments on this aspect of the war for The Globe. He explains why Canada alone can’t make the decision to send Ukraine our Leopard-2 tanks and why allies are worried this might be the escalation that provokes a Russian backlash.
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In Canada, the criminal code allows for physical discipline of children, in certain circumstances. For almost half a century, advocates have been fighting to repeal the law, saying it violates children’s rights. Seventeen bills have been introduced in Parliament trying to strike the law down – and all of them have died before they could change the criminal code.
Now, two bills trying once again are before Parliament. The Globe’s Marsha McLeod explains why the law exists, and the vocal groups who’ve fought to keep it on the books.
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Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced this week his government is increasing the use of private clinics for procedures like cataracts, diagnostic imaging and eventually hip and knee replacements. The move sparked a lot of criticism – but Ford says he’s following the lead of other provinces like B.C., Alberta and Quebec that are already doing something similar.
First, we’ll talk to The Globe’s provincial politics reporter Jeff Gray about Ontario’s plan. Then, we’ll talk to The Globe’s B.C. reporter Mike Hager about how that strategy is working in other provinces, and why B.C. is now moving away from private health care.
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Over 7-million Venezuelans have left their homes since 2017, when Nicholas Maduro seized power and the state started to collapse. Most refugees have tried to start anew in nearby countries, like Colombia, Peru and Ecuador. But an increasing number are headed north on a dangerous trek that will take them to U.S.’s southern border. It’s a journey that is hugely shaped by policy decisions being made continents away.
Kerli Vasquez and her family are on this journey and met Doug Saunders, the Globe’s international affairs columnist, on the road. Doug tells us about the years they’ve spent trying to re-establish themselves in multiple different countries, and are now en route to try and reach the U.S.
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On Tuesday, Canada’s new guidelines for drinking and health were released from the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse and Addiction (CCSA). The guidelines say that three to six standard drinks put you at a moderate health risk— and you might be surprised by how much counts as a “standard drink.”
Dr. Catherine Paradis is a sociologist and the interim associate director of research at the CCSA. She’s back on the show addressing some of the questions listeners had after hearing her back in September, and outlining why she thinks labeling alcohol will help Canadians make more informed choices when drinking.
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The economic forecast for 2023 is … less than rosy. Inflation is still running high. Central banks may continue to raise interest rates. And what everyone wants to know is: How long will this last before rates are lowered again?
Globe and Mail columnist Tim Kiladze says you can look back in history to get some clues. And they suggest that an investor’s best asset for the next while might be patiences.
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The holiday travel period was incredibly tumultuous – with passengers stranded, bags lost and thousands of flights cancelled. The airlines say the winter storms caused unprecedented disruptions, but The Globe’s transportation reporter Eric Atkins says the problems go beyond that.
He tells us the other factors that led to this chaos, how airlines are responding, and whether this is likely to happen again. (Spoiler: It is.)
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Israel’s new far-right government is looking to overhaul the country’s justice system – going so far as seeking to create a law that would allow parliament to override the Supreme Court. If the changes happen, it could have implications on rights for the LGBTQ community, asylum seekers and also exacerbate tensions with the Palestinians.
Josef Federman is the News Director of the Associated Press for Israel, the Palestinian territories and Jordan. He explains why this is happening now and what these proposals signal about the direction the country is headed.
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There’s a growing demand for food waste apps from both shoppers and grocers. They’ve been touted as a new way for people to score deals as food prices rise, while cutting back on food being thrown out by retailers.
Susan Krashinsky Robertson is The Globe and Mail’s retailing reporter and she explains who uses these apps and what evidence there is that they actually help in getting food to people instead of it heading to the landfill.
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The XBB 1.5 variant of COVID is quickly becoming the dominant strain in the US, and we’re seeing more cases here in Canada too. The WHO has called it the most transmissible variant of the virus we’ve seen so far.
Some people are calling it ‘The Kraken.’ But not Dr. Angela Rasmussen. She’s a virologist at VIDO, the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization at the University of Saskatchewan, and she’ll walk us through what we know about this variant, what we don’t know, and how concerned we should be.
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Canada’s facing a stressed health care system, persistent inflation and a fraught geopolitical scene.
Globe and Mail columnist Andrew Coyne looks at the big issues that will likely be facing the federal government in 2023 and what this means for leaders Justin Trudeau, Pierre Poilievre and Jagmeet Singh, and the possibility of a federal election.
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Shopify began this year announcing to its workers that meetings of more than two employees were banned. Slack channels that were not work-related – the online equivalent of a water cooler and its associated chit-chat – had been deleted.
Those changes, along with last year’s sweeping layoffs and the company’s new product offerings, are part of an attempt to bring Shopify back to its glory days, just a few years ago. In 2020, Shopify became the most valuable company in Canada, but that’s no longer the case. In 2022, it lost two-thirds of its stock value.
Technology reporter Temur Durrani tells us what went wrong, what Shopify is trying to do about it, and how the tech sector is suffering from uncertain times.
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2022 was a pretty turbulent year financially, with sky-high inflation, interest rates and housing prices. So you might be looking at the coming year and thinking about how to protect your finances against whatever 2023 might bring.
The Globe’s personal finance reporter, Erica Alini, recently wrote a MoneySmart Bootcamp newsletter to help people get a better handle on their money. Today, we talk to her about how to disaster-proof your finances and discuss budgeting, saving and debt.
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Since China abandoned its COVID-zero policies, the country has seen a dramatic outbreak of infections. But exactly how bad things are remains murky, as contradictory reports of cases and deaths emerge.
But other countries are reacting nonetheless; Canada and others have put new travel restrictions on people arriving from China. There are fears that the rate of infection and the size of China’s population could make things dramatically worse. The Globe’s Asia Correspondent, James Griffiths, explains.
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Ozempic and other semaglutide drugs have been hailed as a very effective treatment for obesity, but shortages, affordability and doctors’ willingness to prescribe it are still keeping people who might benefit from it off the drug.
Health reporter Carly Weeks explains how the drug works and how it may force our society to rethink how we perceive obesity.
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Some animals survive harsh winter conditions by completely freezing and thawing in spring, like the wood frog. Researchers are looking to harness these abilities for humans – particularly for organ transplants.
Shannon Tessier is an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School and an investigator at the Center for Engineering in Medicine and Surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital. She tells us how animals freeze over and how it might be harnessed for organ transplants.
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What started as a protest against vaccine mandates for cross-border truck drivers turned into a catch-all occupation of pent-up pandemic grievances. By the time it was over, hundreds of people were arrested, Ottawa’s police chief resigned, and the Emergencies Act had been invoked for the first time ever.
Today, we look back at how this story dominated headlines throughout the year, from the first rumblings in January to the hot tubs and honking in February, the 21-year-old who won against the convoy in court, to the testimony from the Prime Minister in the fall.
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As part of our picks of the top stories of 2022, we are re-airing this episode about a woman documenting the destruction of the war in Ukraine. This episode originally aired on March 2.
Maria Avdeeva is the research director of the European Expert Association, which analyzes Russian disinformation. With the sound of Russia’s attack in the background, Maria explains what’s happening in her hometown of Kharkiv, and why the decision to stay is her way of fighting the “Information War,” where disinformation is weaponized to change how the world understands the horrors unfolding in Ukraine.
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As part of our picks of the top stories of 2022, we are re-airing this episode on the Pope’s visit to Canada and the Doctrine of Discovery, which originally aired on July 25.
Many Indigenous people would like the Pope to publicly renounce the Doctrine of Discovery. Bruce McIvor is one of them. He is a lawyer, a historian and the author of Standoff: Why Reconciliation Fails Indigenous People and How to Fix It. He explains what this doctrine is, how it went from a papal edict to a legal principle in Canada and why renouncing it would be a meaningful action for the Pope to take on his July visit to Canada.
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As part of our picks of the top stories of 2022, we are re-airing this episode on inflation, which originally aired on April 20.
With inflation eating into people’s bank accounts, some people are starting to wonder: Hey, is my paycheque shrinking? And according to a new report from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, it is.
Economics reporter Matt Lundy explains how inflation is resulting in a pay cut for most Canadians and what – if anything – you can do about it.
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As part of our picks of the top stories of 2022, we are re-airing this episode about one of the top songs of the year. This episode originally aired on January 24.
There are two kinds of people in this world: those who have ‘We Don’t Talk About Bruno’ stuck in their head, and those who don’t … yet. The Disney song is a viral sensation and unexpected hit from the 2021 film Encanto.
Michael Birenbaum Quintero is an ethnomusicologist and Associate Professor at Boston University. Even he agrees it’s a catchy tune, and explores its musical influences along with the movie’s wider representation of Colombian and Latin American music and culture.
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Ranging from childhood phone calls, to serenading strangers, to feasting on the darkest day of the year, we explore how traditions help connect us and celebrate the season.
To end the year, we wanted to take a break from the endless cycle of bad news and share with you a series of stories about holiday traditions.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Washington on Wednesday. It’s his first known time outside of Ukraine since Russia invaded more than 300 days ago. He’s meeting with President Joe Biden, national security officials and addressing Congress. It’s a bid to shore up more weapons and money in order to fight the ongoing war.
The meeting comes at a time where Russian aerial attacks on Ukraine are ramping up. The main targets are power grids, which is leaving many in the country in the dark and cold for hours. The Globe’s European Bureau Chief, Eric Reguly is on the show from Kyiv.
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Newcomers are turning to Youtube to learn about everyday life in places like Moncton NB, Kamloops B.C. or Swift Current, Sask. Canada’s goal of bringing in 500,000 new permanent residents every year by 2025 has a focus on settling new immigrants in small towns and different regions of the country – Instead of just the big city centres – and 2021 census data shows that shift is already happening.
So YouTube channels made by recent immigrants are helping those who arrive after them learn about where to get groceries, what kind of winter coat they need and even what people are like in a particular town. The Globe’s Dakshana Bascaramurty talked to some of these youtubers.
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On Sunday evening, five residents of a high-rise condo building in Vaughan, ON were shot and killed. A 73-year-old gunman was also shot and killed by police. Court documents reveal that the shooter had a years-long history of legal disputes with the condo board. Police said three of the people killed were members of the board.
The Globe’s Dustin Cook tells us what we know so far about what happened and the gunman’s history with the condo board.
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In the community of Gaultois, Newfoundland, an upcoming vote will determine whether to keep receiving government services, or take a payout to relocate to the mainland, leaving behind their homes and dramatic beauty of their small island town.
Greg Mercer, the Globe’s Atlantic Canada reporter, tells us about the history of resettlement in Newfoundland, and how the people of Gaultois feel about deciding the town’s fate.
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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced $800-million in funding for Indigenous-led conservation efforts at COP15, the biodiversity conference happening in Montreal. The Thaidene Nëné Indigenous Protected Area and national park is considered a success story in Indigenous-led conservation. It was established in 2019 after decades of discussion and negotiation between the federal and territorial governments and the local Lutsel K’e Dene First Nation.
Addie Jonasson was part of those negotiations. She tells us why this park is so important to the local wildlife, and its significance to the Indigenous peoples, and how this park could serve as an example for conservation efforts in Canada.
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Sam Bankman-Fried, the former CEO of cryptocurrency exchange FTX, was arrested in the Bahamas on Monday. U.S. prosecutors charged Bankman-Fried with eight counts of fraud and conspiracy. He’s now in a Bahamian prison and could be extradited to the U.S. The company was founded in 2019 and went from being worth US$32-billion to bankrupt in mid-November.
Along the way, FTX built up a lot of hype and attracted a lot of investments worldwide. That included support from both Kevin O’Leary and the Ontario Teachers Pension Plan, which invested US$95-million in the company. The Globe’s technology reporter, Temur Durrani, explains what he learned about how the fear of missing out got so many to buy in.
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Neil Doef was 17 when his life changed. As a promising young hockey player, he was competing at an international tournament when he was paralyzed. For the last seven years, he has been engaged in a lawsuit trying to get financial help from Hockey Canada and its insurer.
Grant Robertson, senior writer for The Globe and Mail, shares Neil’s story and addresses the questions Neil’s case raises about how Hockey Canada decides to use money from its National Equity Fund.
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With its splashdown in the Pacific Ocean on Sunday, Artemis 1 marked the successful completion of the first step in a new era of space travel to the moon. It comes 50 years after the last astronaut bounced along the lunar surface.
Now, the goal is to make moon travel more routine and sustainable. Science reporter Ivan Semeniuk explains how NASA hopes to do this in the next decade, along with help from international partners like Canada, and what hurdles it’ll have to overcome to make the entire Artemis program as successful as its predecessor Apollo.
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Myanmar has been in a state of chaos since February 2021 when the military staged a coup following a democratic election. Thousands of people have been killed in this civil war, and the UN estimates that around a million people have been displaced in the country.
Siegfried Modola, a photojournalist and documentary photographer, spent weeks inside Myanmar for the Globe traveling with one of the rebel forces. That gave him a rare look into what’s going on in the country, the state of the civil war and what it means for the population.
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Healthcare systems across the country are under strain yet again, and this time children seem to be bearing the worst of the combination of influenza, RSV, and COVID-19. Health officials would like people to voluntarily mask to help stop the spread, but people across Canada seem to have given up on them.
Dr. Kim Lavoie is a psychologist at UQAM, Canada Research Chair in Behavioural Medicine, and co-director of the Montreal Behavioural Medicine Centre. She’s on the show to explain why people just aren’t masking the way they used to.
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The federal government paid $4.6-billion in COVID-19 benefits to ineligible recipients, and another $27.4-billion of payouts should be investigated to see if they met the program’s eligibility. That’s according to an Auditor-General report released on Tuesday. It says that while Ottawa did a good job quickly delivering money to Canadians, they’re doing a poor job identifying who needs to pay the money back.
The Globe’s deputy Ottawa bureau chief Bill Curry explains what we know about where the money went, and why billions of dollars are at risk of going uncollected.
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Canadians have already seen the cost of groceries grow by over 10 per cent this year, and costs are expected to keep rising. A bag of the humble romaine lettuce can cost as much as $13. Now, experts are projecting that food costs for the average Canadian family will go up by $1,000 in 2023.
This week, the Committee of Agriculture held a hearing with representatives from major grocery retailers to discuss why prices are so high right now. Food reporter Ann Hui breaks down what we learned about the confluence of factors that are making grocery bills so hefty.
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Two years ago, Helen Naslund was sentenced to eighteen years in prison for killing her husband, Miles, in 2011. They married young, in the early 1980s – he was twenty, and she was seventeen. He abused her and their three children for decades.
Today on the Decibel, Globe feature writer Jana Pruden shares Helen’s story and unpacks how the justice system treats women who have been abused.
For help with controlling behaviour or intimate partner violence, call the Assaulted Women’s Helpline at 1-866-863-0511. In Quebec, call SOS violence conjugale at 1-800-363-9010.
Watch for The Globe’s podcast series about Helen Naslund’s story, coming in 2023.
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Joseph Boyden. Michelle Latimer. Carrie Bourassa. There has been a growing list of people who are accused of pretending to be Indigenous.
Jean Teillet is a lawyer who was commissioned by the University of Saskatchewan to write a report about the issue of Indigenous identity fraud and to determine how postsecondary institutions can identify fraudulent applicants.
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On Tuesday, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith introduced her sovereignty act, the Alberta Sovereignty Within a United Canada Act, which would give her cabinet powers to not enforce federal legislation, policies or programs it deems harmful to Alberta’s interests. Smith has referred to the proposed law as a shield against Ottawa.
Today, we’re hearing from Alberta and Ottawa. Alanna Smith, a Globe reporter in Calgary, explains how this bill would work and what it means in Alberta. The Globe’s writer-at-large John Ibbitson discusses how Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and other federal officials might respond.
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The office vacancy rates in two of Canada’s biggest cities – Toronto and Vancouver – have more than doubled since before the pandemic.
The Globe’s real estate reporter, Rachelle Younglai, explains what is driving that trend and which companies are feeling the strain of managing physical offices in a world of hybrid work.
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Protesters in China are blaming zero-COVID policies for the deaths of 10 people in an apartment building in the city of Urumqi. Demonstrations erupted in dozens of cities around the country, including in Shanghai and the capital Beijing.
While protests do happen in China – despite the country’s reputation for absolute control – the way unrest spread online is remarkable given China’s internet firewall that censors dissent.
The Globe’s Asia Correspondent, James Griffiths is the author of The Great Firewall of China. He tells us how these protests are evading the censors, what the government is doing in response and what these demonstrations mean for zero-COVID policies in the country moving forward.
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The federal government plans to bring in 500,000 immigrants per year by 2025 – but only around 200,000 housing units are being built per year. With a cost-of-living crisis, sky-high housing demand and struggling health care systems, immigrants are often left struggling to settle here in Canada.
Matt Lundy, economics reporter with The Globe’s Report on Business, explains what these challenges mean for people who have recently arrived in Canada, and how the federal government plans on tackling them.
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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s five-hour testimony wrapped up the final day of Emergencies Act inquiry.
Mr. Trudeau faced questions about his decision to invoke the Emergencies Act in February, 2022 in response to the so-called trucker convoy protests which had taken over a part of downtown Ottawa, and had blockaded border crossings in Windsor, Ontario and Coutts, Alberta.
Guest host Sherrill Sutherland and parliamentary reporter Marieke Walsh breaks down Trudeau’s testimony and other top moments from the inquiry.
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In March, Canada will expand medically assisted dying to people with mental illness as a sole condition. This will make the country’s euthanasia law one of the most liberal in the world – just seven years after assisted dying first became legal.
A parliamentary committee has been hearing from experts since April about what needs to happen to make the right to die safe for all Canadians, and The Globe’s Erin Anderssen has been following the emotionally charged testimony.
If you are having thoughts of suicide, call Kids Help Phone at 1-800-668-6868 or Crisis Service Canada at 1-833-456-4566, or visit crisisservicescanada.ca.
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Cancer patients are facing lengthy wait times to see a doctor and get treated in British Columbia. These delays are not only stressful for the patient, they allow the disease to grow and become more complicated.
This is a massive change from a few decades ago when B.C. was seen as a leader in cancer care. Globe and Mail reporter Andrea Woo explains how these delays got so bad.
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With World Cup host country Qatar getting bad press for its treatment of migrant workers, its stance on LGBTQ rights and its strict regulations on alcohol, it’s hard to imagine that it has a lot to gain from hosting this event.
But as the Globe’s Asia correspondent James Grifiths tells us from Doha, Qatar has already seen its relationship with other Gulf nations improve because of the World Cup, and the event might still be an important pivot in the country’s economy.
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Danielle Smith harshly criticized health officials’ response to the pandemic in Alberta during her campaign to become premier – and she promised to change things. She’s now making major changes to health care in the province, firing the entire board of Alberta Health Services and replacing it with a single administrator.
Kelly Cryderman, reporter and columnist with The Globe’s Calgary bureau, says Smith is trying to strike a delicate balance – keeping the promises she made while trying to show the rest of the province that she is moderate enough to govern all of Alberta.
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The year was 2021. And former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney had a dream. In Glasgow, he announced that wanted to bring together the world’s financial institutions to help solve climate change. It was called GFANZ – the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero and since it’s launch that year, it has grown to include more than 500 members that manage $150-trillion in assets.
But just ahead of this year’s COP27 in Egypt, the alliance started to crack. Report on Business reporter and columnist Jeffrey Jones explains why some banks are worried that Mark Carney’s GFANZ group might cause them legal headaches.
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Rupi Kaur is one of the most famous poets in the world. When she was just 21, she self-published her first collection of poetry, Milk and Honey. She’s written two more collections since, and her books have sold over 11 million copies.
Rupi is on the show to talk about how it all started, managing mental health in the pandemic and why she thinks other people should start writing.
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As RSV, influenza and COVID circulate, health care systems that were already strained are struggling even more. Children’s hospitals in particular are seeing a surge of patients with RSV, and departments are overloaded. As doctors expect this season of respiratory viruses to continue, many are asking provincial health officials to bring back mask mandates – which so far hasn’t happened.
You – our listeners – have questions about this respiratory virus season. Dr. Leighanne Parkes, an infectious disease specialist and microbiologist with the Jewish General Hospital in Montreal, is here to answer them.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
Two weeks after a peace agreement between Ethiopia and Tigray was reached, humanitarian aid finally started to arrive in the Tigrayan region on Tuesday. It’s the first sign that Ethiopia’s blockade, cutting off food, medicine and communications, is ending. The brutal two-year-long civil war has led to the death of as many 600,000 people.
The Globe and Mail’s Africa Bureau Chief, Geoffrey York explains why this deal is so desperately needed, how the arrival of aid is a step in the right direction and why a number of factors still exist that could threaten its implementation.
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The Globe’s Mark MacKinnon was in Kherson this weekend while residents celebrated Ukraine regaining control of the city from Russia’s invading forces. They had been under Russian occupation since the beginning of March, just days into the war, and life has been difficult.
Mark tells us about what he has been hearing from people and what this latest loss for Russia means for the broader conflict.
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Sam Bankman-Fried was seen by many as the golden boy of the cryptocurrency world. He was the CEO of major crypto exchange FTX, which at its peak was worth US$32-billion. He was known to hobnob with celebrities and work with Washington on the thorny issues of regulating crypto.
But both his company and his reputation crumbled this week. Now people who had deposited their digital assets and cash on FTX are having issues getting their money back and investors in the platform have had to write off their investments as zero. Report on Business editor Ethan Lou explains the latest catastrophe in this very bad year for cryptocurrency.
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At the global climate conference COP27, a major discussion is a loss and damage fund. The idea is that wealthier countries that contributed more to climate change would put money towards a fund that poorer countries could use to recover after climate-induced disasters like hurricanes, floods or droughts.
But countries like the Bahamas are already feeling the impacts of climate change. Climate scientist and tropical storm expert Marjahn Finlayson tells us how climate change is affecting her home, and what responsibility countries like Canada have to help.
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Republicans were expected to dominate the midterm elections, but the anticipated ‘red wave’ did not pan out. Democrats did better than expected and some of that is being attributed to the support for abortion rights across the country. NBC News exit polls report that the largest number of people said inflation was the deciding issue for their vote – with abortion coming in a close second.
Rosemary Westwood is a public health reporter in New Orleans, Louisiana, and the host of a podcast called Banned, about the battle over abortion rights in the deep south. She explains what happened at the midterms and what it means for the future of abortion rights in the U.S.
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In an abrupt reversal, Ontario Premier Doug Ford promised to repeal the legislation that revoked the right to strike for educational workers in the province. That wrapped up the walkout by CUPE members after two days.
But negotiations between this union – and others – continue with the province and so questions remain in terms of how both parties will find a way out of this dispute without another work stoppage. Jeff Gray is one of The Globe’s correspondents at the Ontario legislature and he explains what factored into the swift change of events.
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The RCMP are now investigating after a report from human rights organization Safeguard Defenders identified 54 so-called Chinese police “service stations” set up in 30 countries around the world – including three right here in Canada.
China says the stations are set up to assist Chinese nationals with things like renewing drivers’ licences. But Laura Harth, the campaign director for Safeguard Defenders, says the stations are part of an effort by the Chinese government to make Chinese people return that includes surveillance, intimidation tactics and harassing family back home.
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Florida has brought in several policies recently that critics say target LGBTQ people, like the controversial ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill, which prevents teachers from telling kids in Grade 3 or younger about sexual orientation or gender identity. Similar policies are being taken up across the US.
Brandon Wolf is with the LGBTQ civil rights group Equality Florida. He tells us about the impact of the “Don’t Say Gay” law, and what it means when so many Republican candidates for the upcoming midterms are using at a model for what they’ll do in their home states.
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The labour dispute between educational workers, represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees, and Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservative government has escalated this week. The union issued its strike notice on Sunday and the government responded with back-to-work legislation that included the controversial notwithstanding clause on Monday.
Talks broke down on Thursday afternoon after the mediator decided the two sides were still too far apart. The union has decided to proceed with a protest that the province’s legislation has made illegal. The Globe’s future of work reporter Vanmala Subramaniam explains why many union leaders across the country are keeping a close eye on what happens next.
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This week, the Emergencies Act inquiry is hearing from convoy leaders who took over Ottawa’s downtown core earlier this year while they were protesting vaccine mandates. On Wednesday, a lawyer who represented key convoy organizers during the protests told the inquiry that organizers received leaked information from police.
Parliamentary reporter Marieke Walsh tells us what else we’ve learned from convoy leaders who have testified so far.
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Neuroscientists are trying to figure out how the COVID virus, SARS-COV-2, is affecting the brain. Many people who have gotten COVID end up having lingering cognitive impairments of some kind, whether that’s brain fog, forgetting vocabulary, difficulty remembering or general sluggishness in trying to think.
Dr. Adrian Owen, who has a PhD in cognitive assessments in brain disorders, is a professor of neuroscience and imaging at Western University. His recent study looked at what kinds of cognitive issues people face and how it’s impacting them.
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There are a surprising number of Canadians involved in far-right politics in the U.S. Think Jordan Peterson, Steven Crowder, Gavin McInnes, Lauren Southern.
So why are there so many? And why do Americans care about what a group of Canadians have to say? International correspondent Nathan VanderKlippe discusses the power of Canadian commentators in America’s far-right movement.
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Electronic monitoring of employees has been going on for years, but it’s seen a serious boost during the pandemic. It can consist of tracking anything from location, online activity status, keyboard and mouse movements, URLs – some even take photos of employees from their computer cameras and take screenshots to ensure they are working. Ontario has legislation that now makes it mandatory for companies with more than 25 people to tell employees how they’re monitoring them and why.
Nita Chhinzer, professor in the department of management at the University of Guelph, explains the extent of this kind of monitoring in Canada, and how this Ontario law might change things.
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New census data from Statistics Canada shows that immigrants now represent 23 per cent of the Canadian population, a new high. But these numbers only tell half the story. The challenges that immigrants face in getting into the country are numerous and complex.
Dakshana Bascaramurty digs into the new numbers and explains why some people will risk their lives to move to North America.
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The Bank of Canada announced a 0.5 percentage point rate hike on Wednesday. It’s the sixth consecutive increase in the past year alone. These increases have made borrowing more expensive and saving more difficult for Canadians.
With all this economic uncertainty, The Decibel hosted a conversation live on Twitter with three personal finance experts to talk about how young people should prepare to weather this storm. Rob Carrick, Erica Alina and Melissa Leong talk mortgages, savings and their key piece of personal finance advice for young people who may be feeling anxious.
You can listen to the full Twitter space conversation here.
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Indigenous people are over-represented in Canada’s federal prisons. One in three men in federal prisons identify as Indigenous, and the number is 50 per cent for women prisoners.
Officials have long said that healing lodges – minimum-security rehabilitation centres for Indigenous people – work, but there are only 10 in Canada. And while politicians pledge to build more, they haven’t in recent years. Reporter Patrick White discusses what’s behind the delay.
Join host Menaka Raman-Wilms for a conversation live on Twitter this Wednesday, October 26th, at 2pm ET. She’ll be chatting with the Globe’s personal finance reporter Erica Alini, Globe columnist Rob Carrick and money expert Melissa Leong about the latest interest rate hike from the Bank of Canada and what it means for young people’s money. We’ll cover rent, saving, debt and investing with practical tips you can use.
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Rishi Sunak is set to become the UK’s next Prime Minister. This comes after Liz Truss resigned from the job after a tumultuous six weeks. Truss is the shortest-serving Prime Minister in British history. Now, Sunak must try to repair the very shaky economic situation that the country currently finds itself in.
Tom Rachman is a novelist and contributing columnist for The Globe based in London. He tells us why he thinks the problems in the UK all stem back to Brexit, about the mess Rishi Sunak is set to take on and what he could possibly do to fix the British economy.
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It’s been a month since post-tropical storm Fiona slammed into Atlantic Canada, causing huge amounts of devastation. In Prince Edward Island, thousands of trees came down, houses were destroyed, and people remained without power for weeks. Amidst a labour shortage, recovery efforts in the province are moving slowly.
The Globe’s Greg Mercer visited PEI recently and spoke to people picking up the pieces after Fiona about what comes next.
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An anti-loitering noise device under a bridge in the small city of Oshawa, Ontario was put there by municipal officials to dissuade unhoused people from setting up camp. It’s raised questions about how cities should be dealing with homelessness at a time when housing is more out of reach than ever.
With municipal voting day coming on Monday across Ontario, Marcus Gee discusses the politics of addressing homelessness.
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The public inquiry into whether the use of the Emergencies Act to stop protests in Ottawa this past winter was justified is under way. On Wednesday, we learned that the city of Ottawa and police were warned in advance that the trucker convoy protest was well-resourced and determined to remain on site until COVID-19 restrictions were lifted. But Ottawa police reportedly didn’t receive these warnings from the provincial police.
Parliamentary reporter Marieke Walsh joins us to tell us what else we’ve learned in the first week of hearings.
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In the span of two weeks, Russia has launched two major drone attacks on Ukraine. Scores of so-called “kamikaze drones,” purchased from Iran, have been attacking Ukrainian civilians and devastating power and water infrastructure.
Dr. Stacie Pettyjohn is a senior fellow and director of the defence program at the Center for a New American Security. She’s back on the show to tell us how these drones work and what air defence systems from allies might do to help Ukraine.
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Finding a suspect based on their DNA alone used to be almost impossible: police could only search DNA databases of people who’d already committed crimes and been convicted. But the increase in popularity of online genealogy and DNA databases are changing what’s possible.
The Globe’s Colin Freeze has spoken to Canadian detectives who are using the same technique that caught the Golden State Killer to solve cold case crimes here in Canada.
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If you’ve bought something online recently, you’ve probably seen a payment option to spread out the purchase in installments. This is known as Buy Now, Pay Later and it’s popping up all over Canada with companies like Amazon, Adidas, Samsung and Sleep Country. But why is it all over the place all of a sudden?
Finance reporter and columnist Tim Kiladze looked into it, and he explains where it came from, how it affects credit, and how it encourages people to spend more money.
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Next week, China’s ruling Communist Party is expected to announce an unprecedented third term for its leader, Xi Jinping. Mr. Xi has consolidated his power over the last decade, cracking down on billionaires, movie stars and businesses seen as going against party ideology.
Asia correspondent James Griffiths tells us about Mr. Xi’s vision for China and what his grip on the country means for the future of their economy.
There’s an experiment under way on the roadways around the Greater Toronto Area. Loblaw Companies Ltd. has partnered with autonomous vehicle company Gatik and is using five driverless delivery trucks to ship products around. And since August, they haven’t had a human ‘safety driver’ on board.
The Globe and Mail’s retail reporter Susan Krashinsky Robertson discusses how the technology for these driverless trucks works, why Loblaw is investing in the technology and what this means for shoppers and the grocery industry in Canada.
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On Tuesday, the CEO of Hockey Canada, Scott Smith, left the organization and the entire board of directors resigned. The organization has been embroiled in controversy for months over its handling of sexual assaults, specifically the fact that Hockey Canada used funds – paid in part by registration fees – to settle sexual assault claims.
Globe and Mail columnist Gary Mason has been writing on this for months. He explains the culture problem he sees at Hockey Canada and in hockey more generally, and what it might take to fix it.
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Editor’s Note: An earlier version of these show notes stated that Scott Smith had resigned.
The company that owns Facebook might be in trouble. Meta’s stock has plunged nearly 60 per cent this year, Facebook has been losing active users, existing users are consistently complaining about the company’s other social media platform Instagram, and fresh upstarts with their own apps are gobbling up the public’s attention.
As Meta executives pour billions of dollars into the virtual reality world they call the Metaverse, The Globe’s technology reporter Temur Durrani explains the problems within Facebook, what they say about the state of social media more broadly, and what social media might look like in the future.
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Adaptable, smart and invasive. No we’re not talking about humans. We’re talking about wild boars. With their populations growing and sightings – even around big metropolitan areas – increasing, governments are rushing to find ways to contain them before they wreak ecological and agricultural damage.
Jana G. Pruden, a feature writer for The Globe and Mail, discusses what kind of damage these creatures can do and why letting hunters lose on them is not the answer.
This episode originally aired July 4, 2022.
In the second quarter of 2022 housing affordability in Canada saw its “worst deterioration” in more than 40 years. At the same time, rents across the country are skyrocketing. For young adults between the ages of 25-29, that means living on your own is more out of reach than ever – even if you’ve graduated from university and have a full-time job.
Personal finance reporter, Erica Alini crunched the numbers to get a snapshot of just how expensive it is for young adults trying to find a place to live right now.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
The Ukrainian military has made substantial advancements in two regions of the country in the past few days. Those gains come as Russian President Vladimir Putin formalizes his annexation of four regions of Ukraine, where young male residents live in fear that they might be conscripted into the Russian army.
The Globe’s Janice Dickson is in Kyiv and has been travelling to different regions of the country for the past two weeks. She tells us how people in the annexed territories are feeling, and what the new advancements could mean for the ongoing war.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
Liz Truss’s ‘mini budget’ didn’t get a mini reaction. The plan, which initially included a cut in personal income tax for the top earners, sent markets into a panic and sent the pound plummeting to near parity with the U.S. dollar — something that hasn’t happened since the mid-1980s.
But why did the markets react that way to a budget? And what was Truss trying to do in the first place? Lucille Perreault is a researcher at the Sprott School of Business at Carleton University, and she specializes in taxes. She explains the economics at work and what Canada can learn from the fallout.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
After a meteoric rise, the value of NFTs plummeted. But here’s the weird thing: that’s when people started stealing them. In the span of a year, one report pegs the total theft at US $100 million.
The Globe’s Rita Trichur is on the show to tell us how people are being scammed out of the NFTs they paid so much for. And don’t worry, we’ll explain what an NFT is, too.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
We wanted to find out from you, our listeners, what you’re thinking about COVID-19 – especially as restrictions are disappearing and new vaccines are available.
Infectious disease specialist, Dr. Lisa Barrett is on the show to answer the COVID-19 questions you have right now, like: When you get sick, is there any way to tell if it’s COVID-19 or the flu or a cold? How long should you isolate if you have COVID-19? What’s the right time frame to get a bivalent vaccine – and what does bivalent mean?
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
It’s become something of a rallying cry to move reconciliation forward, repeated from British Columbia to Ontario to New Brunswick. But what exactly does “land back” mean?
Bruce McIvor has written extensively on the struggles people face when trying to make a legal case for the return of their traditional lands — not least because he’s represented some of them. He’s a partner at First Peoples Law, and the author of Standoff: Why Reconciliation Fails Indigenous People and How to Fix It.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
Quebec is the one province where immigration is a ballot-box issue in provincial elections. In 2018, it was one of the deciding factors that gave François Legault of the Coalition Avenir Québec his win.
Now, the major parties are vowing to set different limits on how many permanent residents the province can let in without compromising its French identity. Meanwhile, its labour force is in decline and businesses are calling on provincial leaders to bring in more immigrants to help fill open jobs. Globe and Mail columnist Konrad Yakabuski unpacks the immigration debate in Quebec.
Russia has one of the largest nuclear arsenals in the world, and Russian President Vladimir Putin and those in his inner circle have threatened to use nuclear weapons if Russian territory is threatened. Similar comments have been made before, but many experts are looking at these threats differently in light of the so-called referendums taking place across four regions of Ukraine.
Cheryl Rofer worked for more than 30 years as a nuclear scientist at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Now, she writes about national security and about the war in Ukraine. She’ll explain what kind of nuclear weapons Russia has, and what it would mean if Putin decides to use them.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
Protests are spreading across Iran – and the world – after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody. Mahsa was picked up by Iran’s morality police on Sept. 13 for allegedly not wearing the proper hijab. Three days later, she was dead. People have taken to the streets demanding justice for Mahsa, and, more broadly, justice for women living under Iran’s strict hijab laws.
Jasmin Ramsey is the deputy director of the Center for Human Rights in Iran. She tells us why this incident has caused so much outrage, what Canada and other international communities are doing in response and whether change to the Iranian regime will come from these mass demonstrations.
In September 1969, two baby girls were born in a tiny hospital in rural Newfoundland, a few hours apart. A simple accident led to both of their lives being changed forever.
Over 50 years later, the truth serendipitously revealed itself and their lives changed again. Freelance journalist Lindsay Jones unravels the mystery of how these two women were switched at birth.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
This week, Russian President Vladimir Putin called up 300,000 reservists in a partial mobilization for the war in Ukraine. That sparked protests in several cities in Russia, and a flood of people trying to leave the country. This is happening just before referendums are set to take place in four regions of Ukraine currently occupied by Russia – and many suspect Putin will use the referendums to claim the regions as Russian territory and further escalate the war.
The Globe’s senior foreign correspondent Mark MacKinnon is back on The Decibel to explain what is happening in Russia right now, what the repercussions of Putin’s escalation might be, and what it means for the broader conflict.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
Inflation is on the decline for the second straight month. New numbers from Statistics Canada show that inflation slowed to 7 per cent in August – down from 7.6 per cent in July and 8.1 per cent in June. While these numbers point to an easing in prices for consumers, not everything is cheaper – yet.
Economics columnist for The Globe’s Report on Business, David Parkinson tells us what items are getting less expensive, why groceries are still so high and whether what the Bank of Canada is doing to tamp down inflation is working.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
In the final days of a chaotic government effort to rescue people from the Taliban last summer, Senator Marilou McPhedran and one of her staff members sent travel documents to a family attempting to flee Afghanistan. The documents, called facilitation letters, were supposed to help the Afghans bypass checkpoints that had been set up around Kabul’s airport, so they could catch one of the last evacuation flights out of the country. A year later, the people who received those documents are still stuck in Afghanistan. And the Canadian government has at last explained why: the facilitation letters they received from the senator and her office were not authentic, and the people named on them had not been approved to come to Canada.
The Globe’s Marieke Walsh explains what happened, how government officials are responding, and what this means for the people still stuck in Afghanistan.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
In March, Ontario became the last jurisdiction in Canada to sign on to the national Early Learning and Child Care Agreement. The $30-billion commitment by the federal government aims at bringing down the cost of daycare to an average of $10 per day by 2026. While all provinces and territories are working out the kinks of their rebate programs, Ontario’s rollout has been particularly plagued by delays and confusion.
The Globe’s Dave McGinn has been following the child care agreement and its rollout across the country. He tells us which jurisdictions are doing well according to child care advocates and why Ontario is falling behind. Plus, we hear from parents about their experiences trying to navigate the system.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
On Oct. 1, natural gas bills in the U.K. will go up by 80 per cent. Most households rely on natural gas for heat, and this means their energy bills would increase from an average of £1,971 to £3,549 a year. For one third of people in the country, that would mean falling to below the poverty line. The new Prime Minister Liz Truss’s plan is to cap energy bills and pay the difference to energy companies, but estimates say the plan could cost more than £100-billion.
Europe correspondent Paul Waldie tells us what this crisis means for the people and businesses in the U.K. and what’s being done to fix it.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
Initially, residents of James Smith Cree Nation did not want to welcome the reporters into their community following the mass stabbing attack that left 10 people dead on September 4, 2022. But after suspect Myles Sanderson died in police custody, things changed.
Globe reporter Nancy Macdonald was allowed into the community and she worked with colleague Jana G. Pruden to help construct a better understanding of what happened prior to the tragedy. Jana explains what they’ve discovered from their reporting and how members of the First Nation are finding ways to move forward.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
After months of fighting the Russian invasion, Ukraine has gained significant ground in Kharkiv Oblast, a province in the northeast of the country. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky said this week that they have retaken more than 6,000 square kilometres in September.
The Globe’s senior foreign correspondent Mark MacKinnon spoke with a commander of a special forces unit that was integral in this counteroffensive, and he visited some of the places newly liberated from Russian control.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
There seem to be a lot of serious storms these days, and those storms are causing more and more damage. The storm that hit southern Ontario in May claimed the lives of at least 10 people, and caused millions of dollars worth of damage.
The storms we are seeing in Canada are changing – but not how you might expect. David Sills, a severe storms specialist and executive director of the Northern Tornadoes Project at Western University, explains what changes he’s seeing in storms, how prepared we are to handle the damage from them, and the connection one of these storms has to a producer here at The Decibel.
While Canada’s overall inflation is ticking down, the cost of food continues to rise. Inflation for groceries rose in July to 9.9 per cent.
Lisa Noonan and Filomena Bilotta are both administrators of the Canadian Savings group on Facebook, where they teach the 100,000+ members how to fight back against inflation in the grocery store. They explain how you can push back against your ever-rising grocery bill.
In case you missed it: listen to Menaka’s conversation with columnists Robyn Urback and John Ibbitson about the Conservative Party’s new leader, Pierre Poilievre. They explore what Poilievre’s win says about the Conservative party, what Poilievre stands for and how other federal parties will have to respond to counter his popularity.
This is a recording of a live event broadcast on Twitter Spaces on Monday, September 12.
Plasma is a critical part of some medicines but Canada currently only gets 15 per cent of its supply from Canadians. That means we’re dependent on the paid-plasma international market for 85 per cent of it.
So to secure a domestic supply, the Canadian Blood Services has reversed course on its historic position of only administering a voluntary donation system and signed a deal with for-profit Spanish company Grifols, who will collect Canadian plasma by paying people. Report on Business reporter Chris Hannay explains the controversial partnership.
The Conservative Party of Canada will announce a new leader on Saturday evening. This comes after more than half a year of campaigning. Scott Aitchison, Roman Baber, Jean Charest, Leslyn Lewis and Pierre Poilievre were all competing for the job, but it’s widely expected that Pierre Poilievre will win the race.
The Globe’s writer-at-large and longtime political columnist, John Ibbitson explains why Mr. Poilievre is the favourite to win, what it signals for the future of the Conservative Party and the broader implications to Canadian politics.
Queen Elizabeth II died on Thursday at the age of 96. She was on the throne for 70 years, making her the longest-reigning British monarch in history. Her rule was marked by modernizing the monarchy, increased philanthropy, timeless fashion and the occasional joke.
While the Queen was widely beloved, the popularity of the monarchy has been waning here in Canada and elsewhere. Vicky Mochama, royals writer and contributor to The Globe, tells us about the Queen’s life and legacy, and how we might reckon with the monarchy now that she is gone.
A federal law banning single-sports betting was reversed last year through Bill C-218, leading to a proliferation of sports betting companies operating in Canada – along with an explosion in sports betting ads on social media, billboards, and in televised sports games.
Ben Mussett looked into how this change comes at a time when other countries, like the U.K., have decided to curb sports betting advertising because of concerns about addiction and problem gambling.
Two days after a stabbing rampage in Saskatchewan, police are still looking for Myles Sanderson, who, along with his brother Damien, are suspected of killing 10 people and injuring 18 others. On Monday the RCMP confirmed that Damien Sanderson was found dead.
The attacks happened in 13 different locations on the James Smith Cree Nation and in the nearby town of Weldon. The Globe’s Alanna Smith visits the communities and tells us about the attacks, the possible motive behind them and how the community is responding to the tragedy.
The Hope for Wellness Help Line is available to all Indigenous people across Canada at 1-855-242-3310. Orchat online at hopeforwellness.ca 24/7 in English, French, and upon request in Cree, Ojibway and Inuktitut
As of Aug. 15, nearly 170,000 study permit applications were pending with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Although plans have been made to get many of these students to the start of their classes on time, many might have to be kept waiting.
Will Tao is an immigration lawyer based in British Columbia who focuses on international student study permits. He tells us why we’re seeing so much delay in processing these permits and how the system often leaves applicants from the global south behind.
If we want great cities, people from all walks of life need to be able to live in them. But even with experts predicting that rising interest rates will drive national housing prices down by as much as 23 per cent by the end of this year, most of us would still consider those adjusted prices totally unaffordable. While most of the housing crisis conversation has centered on supply — just build build build — there’s a lot more going on that’s causing the problem. In our last episode of the season, Adrian talks to three experts about other housing crisis factors that don’t always get the spotlight. Guests for this episode are Andy Yan, an urban planner and director of Simon Fraser University’s City Program; Naama Blonder, a Toronto-based architect and urban planner with Smart Density and Rachelle Younglai, The Globe’s real estate reporter.
If you have three or more alcoholic drinks in a week, you’re putting your health at risk. That’s according to a new report from the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse and Addiction (CCSA). The government of Canada’s current recommendations are more than a decade old. Armed with new information from almost 6,000 studies, the CCSA is proposing an update to Canada’s low-risk drinking guidelines.
Dr. Catherine Paradis is the interim associate director of research at the CCSA. She’s also the co-chair of this new report. She tells us what we’ve learned about how alcohol impacts our health, the new guidelines the CCSA hopes Canadians will follow and why they want mandatory portion labels on alcoholic drinks.
Kelp has traditionally been harvested for food, but we’re discovering other new ways we could be using kelp as well … like in packaging, to replace plastics, or even in animal feed to reduce the methane released by cows.
National correspondent Wendy Stueck went out on a kelp harvest, and tells us why kelp farming could help coastal communities’ green economies, and be used as an innovative and sustainable new material.
As of Sept. 1, sugar sweetened beverages like pops, iced teas and energy drinks in Newfoundland and Labrador will be a bit more expensive. The province is bringing in a sugar tax, and it is controversial. The government says the goal is to make its residents healthier, as the province has some of the highest rates of diabetes and obesity in the country. Opponents say that the tax will only impact the poorest in the province or won’t make a substantial difference.
Dr. Yann Le Bodo is a research fellow with the French School of Public Health, and he’s part of an international consortium of researchers looking into whether sugar taxes are effective or not. He tells us what the research is saying about sugar taxes and whether they actually lead to a healthier population.
An explosion rocked downtown Wheatley, Ontario last year, injuring 20 people, destroying property and terrifying residents and shaking buildings kilometres away. The cause is assumed to be an “orphan” natural gas well tucked away near a building’s basement, one of many thousands left behind after the last 150 years of oil and gas drilling in Ontario.
And while not all orphan wells have been uncovered, the building’s owner had been sounding the alarm about the noxious, highly-flammable gas leaking out of this one for months.
Globe energy reporter Emma Graney tells us about what went wrong in Wheatley, and why experts tell her another explosion like it is “all but guaranteed.”
Read more on The Globe’s investigation here.
Your boss wants you back in the office, but after two years of remote work, you’re not sure you want to go. Whether you measure the cost in time or money, going back to work can be pricey. Many Canadians have grown to love their work from home lifestyle, and they’re eager to keep it. In the first episode of our new season, we hear from a 20-something who’s job-hunting because his employer is asking employers to return to the office two to three days a week. We also hear from a manager in her early 40s on why she decided to close her office for good. Plus, The Globe’s future of work reporter Vanmala Subramaniam speaks with Roma to discuss changes in the workplace and what to expect going forward.
In April, the federal government announced that it would expand Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program to allow employers to hire even more low-wage workers from abroad. The move is designed to help ease some of the labour shortages in a number of sectors.
Advocates for migrant workers argue that the TFW program allows employers to exploit migrant workers because the person’s employment is tied to a work permit. There have been complaints about low wages, bad living conditions and dangerous work.
The Globe’s future of work reporter Vanmala Subramaniam tells us about what the program is and why it’s expanding. Plus, we’ll hear from former migrant worker-turned-advocate Gabriel Allahdua about what it was like to work this type of job and why he’s advocating for migrant workers to have a pathway toward permanent residency.
When Hudson’s Bay Company announced last week that it’s bringing back the discount store Zellers, people flocked to social media to share their memories of Zeddy the mascot, of the Zeller’s diner, and the Zeddy ride. HBC is hoping that nostalgia translates into foot traffic and dollars. The company is trying to modernize and stay relevant in a climate where department stores are shuttering.
The Globe’s retail reporter, Susan Krashinsky Robertson, is here to tell us about this move to bring back Zellers, how else Hudson’s Bay Company is trying to offload millions of square feet of real estate and what the market looks like for Zellers now that the discount market has become even more competitive.
Germany’s energy crisis could worsen as temperatures dip and Russia threatens to cut off the pipeline delivering natural gas to the country. So German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has come to Canada for a three-day visit, expected to end in a green energy deal signed by both Scholz and Prime Minister Trudeau in Stephenville, Newfoundland on Tuesday.
Claudia Scholz, a business reporter at Germany’s business daily Handelsblatt visiting the Globe on a Burns Fellowship, sets up why Germany hasn’t been able to make more energy at home, why we’re talking about exporting hydrogen – and not natural gas – and why they’ve come all the way to Canada to get help for Germany’s energy crisis.
Dr. Alika Lafontaine is the Canadian Medical Association’s new president, and an anesthesiologist. He takes on the job at a time when emergency rooms are buckling across the country. Nurse shortages are persisting. Backlogs are still jamming up hospitals. And the pandemic hasn’t relented.
So now politicians are scrambling to figure out ways to quickly fortify health care systems that have been cut back for years. Privatizing parts of the system is a part of the conversation in some areas, like in Ontario. But Dr. Lafontaine is skeptical that this is the answer.
Most people buy homes with their partners or by themselves. But others are ditching the traditional paradigm. Today, we’re talking about unconventional homebuyers: family members, friends and others that team up to get into the property market. We hear from two sisters who are trying to buy a house together – and who are struggling to get into the market even after joining forces. Plus, Roma speaks with Leah Zlatkin, a mortgage broker at Mortgage Outlet and expert at LowestRates.ca, about what you should know before buying a home with others and why legal agreements are critical for those considering buying as a group.
A study from the University of Copenhagen looked at billions of records taken from sleep-tracking wristbands across 68 countries suggests that people are already losing 44 hours of sleep a year because of hot nights. And with record-breaking temperatures happening more frequently because of climate change,
Kelton Minor, lead author of the study, tells us the extent of this problem, who is most affected by it, and why it’s so important for people to get a good night’s sleep.
Recent visits to Taiwan by U.S. House Rep. Nancy Pelosi and a delegation of five U.S. lawmakers earlier this week have set the stage for rising tensions in the Taiwan strait.
Beijing claims Taiwan as its own territory and sees U.S. visits as encouragement for Taiwan’s pro-independence movement. But there’s a crucial industry on the self-governing island critical to both China, the U.S. and the entire global economy. Taiwan makes 90 per cent of the world’s advanced semiconductors. The hyper-miniscule components are used in everything from your phone, computer, car and even military fighter jets. So important is Taiwan’s involvement in the industry that some argue it could even deter a war.
The Globe’s Asia correspondent James Griffiths is on the show to talk about how Taiwan came to dominate the industry and why it’s crucial to the delicate geopolitical situation today.
You’re never far from a parasite, no matter where you are. They’re responsible for illnesses like malaria that cause death around much of the world; the word itself is a derogatory term for something freeloading and disgusting.
They’re also very important to the health of ecosystems.
Parasite ecologist and University of Washington associate professor Chelsea Wood makes her case for parasite conservation, and why they’re actually beautiful, complex forms of life that need to be protected.
The CEOs of the 100 largest Canadian companies listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange saw their compensation go up 23 per cent in 2021. Some chief executives took home pay packages that were valued around in the tens of millions of dollars or more.
So how do boards of these publicly-traded companies decide on these huge sums? And what do the shareholders of these companies think of it all? David Milstead, The Globe’s Institutional Investment reporter, takes us inside the complex world of executive pay.
Today we're bringing you an episode of City Space, a Globe and Mail podcast about how to make our cities better, hosted by Adrian Lee.
Cities are filled with seemingly endless options when it comes to food. But we’re also increasingly disconnected from what we eat and how it makes its way to our plate. In this episode, we’re taking a look at how the pandemic has given us the opportunity to rethink our relationship with food, both in terms of the restaurant industry and farmed food that fills our fridge. Adrian speaks to Corey Mintz, a food writer and critic about his new book The Next Supper: The End of Restaurants As We Knew Them, and What Comes After. Corey shares how the pandemic has changed the restaurant industry, from tipping to labour demand, and what diners should think about next time they eat out. Plus, we hear from Carolyn Steel, architect and author of Sitopia: How Food Can Save the World. Carolyn shares how cities have lost some of their essential connections to the food that fuels their citizens, and what we can do about it.
With so many ups and downs in headlines and our personal lives, what often brings us together is food. Food has a way of supporting, nurturing and healing. To explore the depths of how food connects us, we cook with chef and author Suzanne Barr.
Barr teaches us how to make her famous Caribbean curry chicken and reflects on how the dish that’s so close to her heart helped launch her cooking career, celebrate her Jamaican culture and encourage more women to take charge in professional kitchens. We hope you not only learn a new recipe, but also how a meal can shape your home and history.
It’s Food Week here at The Decibel. We take a special look at what keeps us alive – and, some say, makes life worth living. We’ll look at food from different angles, from the ethics of eating so-called ‘smart animals’, to how the war in Ukraine showed us the fragility of our food system, to the business of potatoes. Plus, we’ll take you into the kitchen to cook something delicious.
Let us know what you think by emailing us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com.
Potatoes! They’re affordable, accessible, ultra-versatile, and most importantly, delicious. But a case of potato warts found on two farms in Prince Edward Island last November has wreaked havoc on the local potato economy. The wart led the Canadian government to restrict exports of all P.E.I. potatoes to the U.S. for months. Even though potato warts aren’t unsafe to eat, over 300 million pounds of potatoes were destroyed.
Adrian Lee is a content editor at the Globe and Mail’s Opinion section, and has come to consider the economic and cultural importance of the spud.
It’s Food Week here at The Decibel. We take a special look at what keeps us alive – and, some say, makes life worth living. We’ll look at food from different angles, from the ethics of eating so-called ‘smart animals’, to how the war in Ukraine showed us the fragility of our food system, to the business of potatoes. Plus, we’ll take you into the kitchen to cook something delicious.
Let us know what you think by emailing us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com.
In the past two years alone, the number of severely food insecure people doubled to 276 million, according to the UN, because of issues like inflation and supply chain problems related to the invasion of Ukraine.
Evan Fraser, professor of geography and director of the Arwell Food Institute at the University of Guelph, continues to stay optimistic despite a global food system long plagued with wealth inequality, political instability and the ongoing climate crisis. He tells us how more people can be fed through changes in policies, green innovations in agriculture and other changes to how we farm food.
It’s Food Week here at The Decibel. We take a special look at what keeps us alive – and, some say, makes life worth living. We’ll look at food from different angles, from the ethics of eating so-called ‘smart animals’, to how the war in Ukraine showed us the fragility of our food system, to the business of potatoes. Plus, we’ll take you into the kitchen to cook something delicious.
Let us know what you think by emailing us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com.
As the global demand for octopus meat rises, a company in Spain is set to open the world’s first ever octopus farm. But scientists and philosophers warn that it would be a mistake to farm these clever cephalopods. By opening the farm, they say, we’d be opening the door to consequences we may not yet even conceive of.
Erin Anderssen, a feature writer for the Globe, joins us to talk about what makes the octopus such a compelling character, and why learning about them has challenged the way she thinks about eating meat.
This is the first episode of Food Week here at The Decibel. A special look at what keeps us alive – and, some say, makes life worth living. We’ll look at food from different angles, from the ethics of eating so-called ‘smart animals’, to how the war in Ukraine showed us the fragility of our food system, to the business of potatoes. Plus, we’ll take you into the kitchen to cook something delicious.
Let us know what you think by emailing us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com.
With e-commerce largely replacing brick-and-mortar stores, how we shop is having real, physical effects on how our cities work. So in this episode, we’re looking at all things retail: As consumers, have we become addicted to convenience? How are businesses able to offer us even quicker delivery times than ever before, sometimes within even 15 minutes – and what is that doing to our main streets? What is the “last mile,” and why is it so important for making sure we’re taking care of the environment? Adrian speaks to Josué Velázquez Martínez, the director of the MIT Sustainable Supply Chain Lab, about the ins and outs of how products get to where they need to be – and why e-commerce, if done more thoughtfully, could actually be better for our planet. Plus, we hear from Alex Bitterman, a professor and the chair of Architecture and Design at Alfred State University of New York, about the rise of “dark stores”: private warehouses in the heart of our cities that allow for extra-speedy delivery times, while simultaneously threatening to snuff out our main streets.
Monkeypox cases are climbing worldwide. In July, the World Health Organization declared the virus a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern.” And in Canada, as of Aug. 3, there are almost 900 cases, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada. With this worrying news, many people have questions.
The Decibel put a callout on social media to find out what our listeners wanted to know about the disease. To get answers, we asked The Globe and Mail’s health reporter, Wency Leung, who’s been following the outbreak closely. She walks us through what we know so far – including the severity of the disease, who it’s affecting, and the availability of vaccines today.
New GDP numbers in the U.S. have set off the latest set of worries about whether we’re heading for a recession, even if Canada’s numbers aren’t that bad.
Globe and Mail journalist David Parkinson has been covering business and financial markets for more than three decades. He explains how recessions are defined, which economic indicators we should be watching and just how worried people should be.
This year alone, rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Canada went up almost 14 per cent on average – and many rental markets, like Calgary or Guelph, Ont. are even hotter. Experts point to those priced out of buying a home thanks to inflation, and university students finally able to resume class on campus during the pandemic. All of this creates the perfect environment for scammers to swoop in.
Globe reporter Patrick Egwu, who almost fell victim to a rental scam himself, tells us how these scams work and what to look out for when looking for a place.
Today we're bringing you an episode of Stress Test, a Globe and Mail podcast about personal finance, hosted by Rob Carrick and Roma Luciw.
We’re talking retirement – why it’s changing, and how to plan for it. We hear from Vicky (25), Irina (34) and Brent (36), who each have different visions of retirement and what they’re doing – or not doing – to plan for it right now. Plus, Rob speaks with Shannon Lee Simmons, a Toronto-based certified financial planner whose core clients are millennials and Gen Z, about shifting views of retirement and how you can best prepare.
Hockey Canada told federal hearings Wednesday that it has paid $8.9 million since 1989 to settle 21 cases of alleged sexual assault, with the bulk of that money, $7.6 million, coming from a special fund built through registration fees that wasn’t disclosed to parents and players.
Grant Robertson’s investigation into the National Equity Fund exposed it publicly, and thanks to two days of parliamentary hearings, we now know a lot more. Grant explains how this fund functions and how it allowed Hockey Canada to keep quiet allegations of a group sexual assault for years.
Canada is getting heat for granting a Montreal company an exemption from Russian sanctions. The company fixes turbines used in the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, which supplies natural gas from Russia to Germany.
Ukraine is not happy with Canada, saying that granting this exemption sets a “dangerous precedent” that will only “strengthen Moscow’s sense of impunity”. But Germany pushed hard for this decision because the pipeline in question supplies more than 50 per cent of the country’s natural gas. Meanwhile, Russia has been reducing gas flow to Europe which is sending the country deeper into an energy crisis.
The Globe’s parliamentary reporter Steven Chase explains what the sanction controversy is all about and how Canada is involved, why Canada sided with Germany and what that means for the war in Ukraine.
The bond market moves three times as much money as the stock market. But it’s boring. The “sure thing” with a steady if modest return and low risk. So we hardly ever hear about it. But in this unprecedented economic era, where supply chain woes meet inflation and the threat of recession during a global pandemic, even the bond market has suffered.
To demystify the world of bonds, The Globe’s feature writer Ian Brown is here. He speaks to us about how bonds work, how they play into today’s economy, and why the foundation they’re built on may be cracking.
It is largely anticipated that Pope Francis will deliver another apology to Indigenous people while in Canada this week. But are there actions he could take while here to further reconciliation?
Many Indigenous people would like the Pope to publicly renounce the Doctrine of Discovery. Bruce McIvor is one of them. He is a lawyer, a historian and the author of Standoff: Why Reconciliation Fails Indigenous People and How to Fix It. He explains what this doctrine is, how it went from a papal edict to a legal principle in Canada and why renouncing it would be a meaningful action for the Pope to take while here.
Today we're bringing you an episode of Stress Test, a Globe and Mail podcast about personal finance, hosted by Rob Carrick and Roma Luciw.
Gen Z and millennials are getting a lot of their money advice from TikTok, where personal finance videos have more than 5.8 billion views. In this episode, we look at why the social media platform is resonating, how to use it effectively and what advice you should be wary of on the app. We hear from a 25-year-old TikTok user from Mississauga, Ont., about how he started getting personal finance advice from the platform. Plus, Roma speaks to Ellyce Fulmore, aka @queerd.co, a TikTok content creator from Calgary, Alta. Ellyce, who identifies as queer and neurodivergent, shares how her experience helps her create personal finance advice for audiences traditionally ignored by the financial industry.
The January 6 Committee hearings have shared several surprising revelations and explosive testimony over the last few months. To make sense of it all, we recap some stand out moments so far in the committee’s efforts to figure out exactly what happened when supporters of then-president Donald Trump stormed the US Capitol.
Adrian Morrow is The Globe and Mail’s US correspondent. He’s on the show to share the most important things we’ve learned so far and what to expect now that the hearings are coming to an end.
On Friday, B.C.’s Court of Appeal upheld a lower court’s decision that access to medical care should be based on need and not the ability to pay. The court sided with the B.C. government’s argument that allowing private care would endanger the public system. For 13 years, orthopedic surgeon and president of Cambie Surgery, Brian Day has argued that patients should have the right to pay out-of-pocket for medically necessary care when wait times in the public system are too long. Even though the court disagreed, this case could still end up at the Supreme Court of Canada.
Colleen Flood is the director of the Centre for Health Law, Policy and Ethics and University Research Chair at the University of Ottawa. She’s on the show to talk about the implications of the case and what she thinks can be done to help with the long wait times Canadians are currently facing in the healthcare system.
More than two years after Canada’s worst mass shooting, we’ve finally heard from someone who was there at the start. Lisa Banfield, the shooter’s common-law spouse, spoke last Friday at the inquiry into how the RCMP handled the incident. She provided insight into what happened in April, 2020, and described a chilling portrait of intimate partner violence.
The Globe’s Greg Mercer tells us about what Banfield witnessed, the shooter’s violent history, and why some of the victims’ families walked out during her testimony.
Sri Lanka is in crisis right now. After months of fuel, medicine and food shortages, protestors have taken to the streets – and the homes of the country’s leaders. The now-former Prime Minister’s house was set ablaze. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled to Singapore, then resigned. Normally a good friend and funder of projects under his government, China’s government has gone silent as the former president lost the confidence of the country.
But until now, China has spent billions investing in infrastructure projects in countries, including Sri Lanka, as part of its Belt and Road Initiative. The Globe’s Asia Correspondent James Griffiths says that China will be closely watching the unrest and will be evaluating whether Sri Lanka will stay within its sphere of influence.
Today we're bringing you an episode of City Space, a Globe and Mail podcast about how to make our cities better, hosted by Adrian Lee.
Climate change isn’t just coming, it’s here. And cities are uniquely susceptible to its effects because of their population density and infrastructure. So how can they better prepare for the increasingly devastating impacts of the climate crisis? In this episode, we explore the concept of climate resilience — how prepared are cities to anticipate, prepare for and respond to natural disasters? We hear from Thaddeus Pawlowski, an urban designer, professor and managing director at the Center for Resilient Cities and Landscapes at Columbia University, who was on the ground helping New York City rebuild after Hurricane Sandy. Plus, Adrian speaks to Toronto’s former Chief Resilience Officer Elliott Cappell about how he helped Toronto develop a plan to deal with climate disasters and what gives him hope for our future.
The Bank of Canada raised the benchmark interest rate by one percentage point on Wednesday. The surprise move is the biggest hike since 1998. The aggressive increase is larger than economists were expecting. The goal is to cool inflation, which hit 7.7 per cent in May – the highest it’s been in almost four decades.
The Globe’s Mark Rendell covers the Bank of Canada. He’s on the show to explain what the central bank is trying to accomplish with this hike, what it means for recession worries and if it will be enough to get inflation under control.
Things are not going well at airports around the world and Canada has taken a particularly bad turn. On Monday, 70 per cent of flights from Canada’s largest carrier Air Canada were delayed – the highest percentage in the world.
Duncan Dee is a former Chief Operating Officer for Air Canada. He also worked on a panel that reviewed the Air Transportation Act in 2016, looking closely at what could be improved at Canada’s airports. He’s on the show to talk about what he thinks should be done immediately in order to help with delays and bottlenecks.
On Friday, Rogers’ cellphone and Internet surfaced suddenly stopped working, leaving almost 12 million Canadians disconnected. And it wasn’t just Rogers’ direct customers who were affected — Interac’s debit system for e-transfers and retail payments were out of commission for most of the day, and some emergency services lost their connection too.
The Globe’s telecom reporter, Alexandra Posadzki, joins us to talk about what went wrong, how the outage could affect Rogers, and what the government’s response was in a meeting held Monday afternoon between telecom executives and François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry.
Two and a half years into the COVID-19 pandemic, we may be sick of talking about it – but COVID-19 is not through with us yet. Case counts are higher than the first two pandemic summers, and as staffing shortages become more and more common in hospitals, emergency departments are becoming overwhelmed. And yet; with mask mandates gone almost everywhere, few public health restrictions remain.
Wency Leung, the Globe’s health reporter, is on the show to talk about why experts are calling for a return to indoor masking, and what we can expect from a new round of vaccines.
Today we're bringing you an episode of City Space, a Globe and Mail podcast about how to make our cities better, hosted by Adrian Lee.
If you’re a white-collar worker, chances are your office setup looks different than it did before the pandemic. After our two-year-long global experiment with remote work, many employees say there’s lots to like about it, with a number of companies now offering hybrid workplaces. All that empty office space is going to have an effect on the rest of our cities. In this episode, Jennifer Barrett, a senior planner with The Canadian Urban Institute outlines three ways that vacant offices could affect our downtown cores and what she hopes will be our way forward. We take a look at what Calgary is doing – since it was dealing with a vacant-office crisis even before COVID-19 – with the help of The Globe’s deputy national editor for cities and real estate James Keller. Samantha Sannella, the managing director for strategic consulting at global commercial real estate firm Cushman and Wakefield, also joins us to talk about how Calgary’s revitalization plans for their downtown could inspire other Canadian cities, and whether plans to convert offices into housing are realistic. Finally, Reshma Saujani, the founder of Girls Who Code, explains why so many people want this office revolution in the first place, and how this represents an opportunity to shift away from the white, male-centric ways in which workplaces were originally designed.
On Tuesday, First Nations chiefs in the Assembly of First Nations voted against continuing the suspension of National Chief RoseAnne Archibald. Archibald was suspended on June 17, after being accused of bullying and harassment by staff, who she then accused of corruption.
Niigaan Sinclair, professor and acting head of Indigenous studies at the University of Manitoba, explains the work of the AFN, how this situation has overshadowed that work, and what role the AFN has – and should have – in advocating for First Nations people.
Just 10 days after the 2020 Nova Scotia mass shooting where 22 people were killed, RCMP commissioner Brenda Lucki allegedly pressed senior officers to publicly release information about the kinds of firearms that were used in the shooting. The reason? To help bolster Liberal gun legislation. The commissioner, the former public safety minister, and the Prime Minister all deny there was political interference – but a paper trail strongly suggests that someone is lying.
Globe columnist, Andrew Coyne, is on the show to explain what happened, why it matters, and why Trudeau’s Liberals keep finding themselves in familiar hot water.
It’s often thought of as a disease from a bygone era, but in some parts of Canada, tuberculosis is still very much with us. When the hamlet of Pangnirtung experienced an outbreak last year, local health officials were left begging for help to bring in resources to the remote community.
Kelly Grant, the Globe’s health reporter, is on the show to talk about the explosion of tuberculosis cases in Nunavut, how nurses begged the territorial government for help, and why delays might have resulted in preventable infections.
Adaptable, smart and invasive. No we’re not talking about humans. We’re talking about wild boars. With their populations growing and sightings – even around big metropolitan areas – increasing, governments are rushing to find ways to contain them before they wreak ecological and agricultural damage.
Jana G. Pruden, a feature writer for The Globe and Mail, discusses what kind of damage these creatures can do and why letting hunters lose on them is not the answer.
Westview Centennial Secondary School in the northwest of Toronto is celebrating the graduating class of 2022. On Thursday, about 180 students are crossing the stage to get their diplomas. While this is a common rite of passage for teens across the country, these students had anything but a normal high school experience. The pandemic meant online learning, no sports, taking care of younger siblings and little in-person interaction with friends. Westview is also located in Toronto’s Jane and Finch neighbourhood – one of the hardest hit by COVID-19.
The Globe’s education reporter Caroline Alphonso is joined by Decibel producer Sherrill Sutherland as they spend a day at Westview to find out how they feel about graduating. They bring us some of their stories of triumph, struggle and hope which all made up their pandemic-era high school experience.
Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade on Friday, abortions were immediately outlawed in several states. But this week, the procedures were allowed to resume in Texas, Louisiana and Utah. While this is seen as a win for pro-choice advocates, these measures are only temporary. And, it’s only a matter of time before abortion will likely be illegal in more than half of U.S. states.
Rosemary Westwood has been following the battle over abortion rights in the Southern U.S. for the past six years. She’s the host of Banned, a podcast about the Mississippi case that led to the overturning of Roe v. Wade. She’s on the show to explain how the U.S. got to this point, the people behind the fight on both sides of the issue and what their plans are now that Roe v. Wade is gone.
A woman alleges she was sexually assaulted by eight Canadian Hockey League players in 2018. The public did not hear about this until 2022, after TSN broke the news that Hockey Canada settled a civil lawsuit with the woman. Now the government has cut off funding for the national organization until more details of their investigation are provided to a parliamentary committee.
So, how is it that an alleged gang sexual assault was kept silent for that long? Taylor McKee is an assistant professor of Sports Management at Brock University, where he studies the intersection of sport and society, as well as the history of violence in hockey. He tells us how hockey has built a culture of secrecy and what that means for a sport deeply connected to Canadian identity.
The superstar K-pop group BTS announced recently that they are taking a temporary break as a group and pursuing individual projects. This moment was a big deal for their millions of fans worldwide, the company that brings in billions of dollars managing them and for South Korea, which considers its members cultural ambassadors for the country.
Hannah Sung, co-founder of Media Girlfriends, host of the podcast At The End of the Day and BTS fan, explains what makes this group so popular and why they’re so influential.
Today, Pride celebrations in big cities include parades and parties which attract millions of participants around the world. But for many smaller cities and towns across Canada, public Pride events are relatively newer, smaller and sometimes hard-won. Chelle Turingan is the co-director of the documentary Small Town Pride. They join us to talk about the joys and challenges queer folks face in small Canadian towns and how, despite it all, they manage to organize Pride events.
Feb. 14, 2022, marked the first time the government has had to invoke the Emergencies Act. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau did so in response to the continuing trucker convoy protests. And in doing so, he also automatically launched a review into that decision.
The committee looking into the government’s justification for using the Act is about to take a summer break, but in the last few months it has grilled a number of senior cabinet ministers, including Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland. Senior Political Writer Campbell Clark looks at what we’ve learned so far and explains why this has been a frustrating exercise in democratic accountability.
Monkeypox, an endemic disease for a number of Central and West African countries, is having its largest outbreak outside of that region. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are over 2,500 cases of the disease in 37 countries.
Canada’s share of that is 168, as of June 17th when numbers were last released by PHAC. Yap Boum from Doctors Without Borders tells us about monkeypox in Central and West Africa. Then Helen Branswell, senior writer at STAT News, whose beat is infectious diseases, updates us on how monkeypox’s spread is different in Europe and North America, and why the World Health Organization might label it a “public health emergency of international concern” at its meeting Thursday.
British journalist Dom Phillips and Brazilian Indigenous expert Bruno Pereira went missing in the Amazon on June 5. They are now confirmed dead and multiple people have been arrested. They both spent decades working in the area, reporting on and working with local Indigenous communities – work that many people in the country say has become more and more dangerous.
Lucy Jordan, Brazil correspondent for Unearthed, knew Dom Phillips. She says that the area the two men were working in has become very dangerous. And Julio Lubianco, a journalist with LatAm Journalism Review, explains what this case says about the safety of journalists and activists in Brazil.
For many months now, people have been calling on the federal government to do something about skyrocketing prices. Last week, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland unveiled the Liberals’ plan to tackle inflation, which is now creeping up to nearly 7 per cent.
But is it enough? And what tools does the federal government actually have to help correct prices in grocery stores and at the pump? Bill Curry, the Globe’s Deputy Ottawa Bureau Chief, explains the limits to the levers that the governing Liberals can pull on for this economic quandary.
Mykola Kuleba is the former children’s ombudsman of Ukraine and he’s now the head of an organization called Save Ukraine. He’s been co-ordinating evacuation missions all over the country – and right now, those are focused in the eastern region.
He’ll tell us what that work looks like, and what kind of toll, being in the middle of a war zone, is taking on the country’s most vulnerable.
Cryptocurrencies have taken another dive this week. And this crash follows seven months of declines, even for the big names in the game. Bitcoin, for example, is down more than 60 per cent from its peak in November. And on Monday, a crypto trading platform froze all activity, further rupturing the price of a lot of digital currencies.
Globe and Mail columnist Tim Kiladze explains why even with such a volatile sector that has constant ups and downs – this crash matters and what retail investors with money caught up in crypto should do.
They’re the front line in defending British Columbia from flooding – but no one can agree who’s responsible for them. Dikes, levees, whatever you want to call them, we need them. But there are over 100 in B.C. that are “orphaned” – and when the next flood comes, the people behind them could be in trouble.
The Globe’s Justine Hunter toured one of these “orphan dikes” with flood-management engineer Tamsin Lyle. They discussed where these dikes came from, what needs to happen to fix them and what we risk if we do nothing.
Ontario’s proposed Highway 413 would cut through the habitat of several species at risk in the province. Critics are concerned it would harm local waterways as well, far beyond the actual highway itself, highlighting the ongoing push-and-pull between the federal and provincial governments across Canada, and between species protection and development.
Science reporter Ivan Semeniuk is back to walk us through how this struggle is playing out around the proposed highway and what it says about Canada’s efforts to protect its biodiversity.
When it comes to the issue of salary gaps, some experts say one solution is to make salaries more transparent. In 2021, the federal government introduced new legislation that would do just that: the Employment Equity Act requires federally regulated companies to disclose salary data. June 1st was the deadline for employers to submit their first rounds of data.
Erica Alini, the Globe’s personal finance reporter, joins us to break down how this legislation might impact salaries – even those not covered by the bill – and offers advice on how you can take this kind of data to your employer when it comes time to negotiate a raise.
Correction: This episode had previously and mistakenly referred to the Pay Equity Act, rather than the Employment Equity Act.
Siphe November is one of the most talented ballet dancers of his generation. At just 23, he’s the National Ballet of Canada’s youngest principal dancer and only the second black principal dancer in the company’s 70-year history. His ballet technique, the passion he brings to his performances and his magnetic pull both on stage and off make him a worthy star. With his popularity on Instagram, his move into choreography where he weaves together different genres of dance, his rise in the ballet world signals an artform that’s evolving.
Sherrill Sutherland is a producer on The Decibel and also a ballet fan. She talks to Siphe November about his latest role in the National Ballet’s production of Swan Lake, the importance of Black representation in ballet and where he wants to take his career and the artform in the future.
Last year, a heat dome in B.C. led to the deaths of 619 people. It’s the deadliest weather event in Canadian history. Temperatures rose to above 40 degrees and stayed high even at night. On Tuesday, the province’s coroner service released a report with recommendations to prevent deaths in the future.
Frances Bula is a frequent Globe contributor who reports on urban issues in British Columbia. She’ll explain how the urban landscape contributes to the deaths, what’s being recommended to help cool B.C. buildings and what the rest of Canada can learn from it all.
Boris Johnson has been called the Teflon prime minister, because no scandal seems to stick to him. He has a long history of being at the centre of scandals, dating back to his time as a journalist when he was fired for fabricating a quote. As a politician, he’s been criticized for lying several times but he has somehow managed to get out of all of those unscathed.
Globe’s Europe correspondent Paul Waldie is back to tell us about Johnson’s uncanny ability to skirt scandal and why this Partygate scandal he’s embroiled in now might be the thing that brings him down.
As we learn more about Canada’s worst mass shooting, the families of the people killed are so frustrated with how the inquiry’s going that they’ve started to boycott the proceedings. Senior RCMP officers have been spared cross-examination as they detail the series of missteps they made in April, 2020.
The Globe’s Greg Mercer has been following the inquiry, and he tells us how the RCMP didn’t believe the reports they received from the public, lacked training in their own communications systems, and gave commands after having several drinks.
You may know Rollie Pemberton by his stage name, Cadence Weapon. He’s the Edmonton-born rapper, who won the Polaris Music Prize in 2021, is known for his music with a political bent. Though he’s long been a writer of poetry – he was Edmonton’s poet laureate in 2009 – he’s now adding a new title to his list of accomplishments: non-fiction writer.
In his new book, Bedroom Rapper: Cadence Weapon on Hip-Hop, Resistance and Surviving the Music Industry, Pemberton charts his path through the music industry. He joins Globe Associate Arts editor Aruna Dutt for a conversation on creativity in the pandemic and emerging with a new album – and now a book – to live audiences.
Canada abolished the death penalty in 1976. Now, the Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that it is unconstitutional for the state to jail someone for life with no reasonable hope for parole. That includes mass murderers, like the man who pled guilty to killing six worshippers at Quebec City mosque in 2017.
The recent ruling has raised questions about where the rights of prisoners and victims’ families begin and end. Sean Fine, the Globe’s justice writer, discusses the court’s reasoning behind its unanimous – yet controversial – decision to strike down a 2011 tough-on-crime law brought forward under Stephen Harper’s government.
On Wednesday, a jury sided with actor, Johnny Depp in his defamation case against his ex-wife, Amber Heard. The verdict follows a six week-long trial (which aired live on Court TV) that captured the public’s attention. It spawned hashtags with billions of views on TikTok, memes and even a skit on Saturday Night Live.
During the trial, intimate and often ugly allegations about Heard and Depp’s relationship were on full display. That included allegations of abuse – which both accused the other of doing.
While this case became a media spectacle involving two celebrities, it also brought to light the very real issue of intimate partner violence. The Globe’s Robyn Doolittle has reported on sexual violence and gender discrimination since 2015 and she’s also written a book on #MeToo. She is joined by Nicole Bedera, a sociologist who researches sexual violence and how it relates to our society and culture. They discuss the implications of the case and what it means to the broader conversation about #MeToo and the issue of intimate partner violence.
On May 26, Canada’s Minister of Employment, work force Development and Disability Inclusion, Carla Qualtrough said the Liberal government plans to retable the Canada Disability Benefit before the end of June.
Disability advocates had been calling on the federal government to table this bill since it was introduced last summer. The legislation would help support people living with disabilities and dealing with poverty. According to Statistics Canada, one in every four people with a disability are low income.
Michelle Hewitt, the co-chair of Disability without Poverty, explains what supports are currently available to disabled Canadians, why this benefit is needed now, and the importance of including disabled voices in its creation.
Netflix recently reported their first loss of subscribers in over a decade. In the first quarter of 2022, 200,000 accounts left the company. That was just in the first quarter of this year – they’re forecasting a drop of 2-million more subscribers in the second quarter. Netflix is not alone. While streaming services and subscription services more broadly (like fitness apps, grocery delivery, and meal kits) saw a surge of consumers at the beginning of the pandemic, there are now signs of subscription fatigue.
Mahdis Habibinia reported on the story for The Globe’s Report on Business. She explains why this fatigue is setting in, what companies are doing about it and why, even though many of us are overwhelmed with the amount of choice, subscription-based services are likely here to not only stay, but actually increase in number.
Today we decided to take a bit of a reprieve and head down to a park, very early in the morning, to hear the dawn chorus – the symphony of birdsong that happens at daybreak. Since the pandemic started, more and more people have taken up birding as a way to escape the day-to-day and engage with the natural world.
Globe columnist Marcus Gee found that he too has been enjoying the relaxation that birding provides more since the pandemic started. He has also been honing his skills at identifying birds by song. This led him to ask: Why do birds sing at all?
It’s been one year since Tk’emlúps te Secwepemc First Nation announced they had found 215 unmarked graves at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School.
Dr. Kisha Supernant is one of the people at the forefront of the effort to look for unmarked graves. She’s a Métis archaeologist and chair of Unmarked Graves Working Group with the Canadian Archaeological Association. She explains how she does this work, what happens after potential graves are found, and what needs to happen next.
The United States is grappling with another mass shooting. At least 19 children and two adults were killed at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, on Tuesday. This marks the 27th school shooting and the 213th mass shooting this year in the U.S. The tragedy has set off another round of partisan arguments with each side blaming the other, leaving many with a sense of despair that these events will just keep on happening.
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist David Shribman tell us how America has come to find itself stuck in this intolerable position that has led to guns being the number one killer of Americans under the age of 20.
A new report from Human Rights Watch found that some online learning platforms are tracking children in ways they say actively or passively infringe on a child’s privacy rights. The trackers buried in a website or an app can monitor a kid’s keystrokes, searches and doodles, as well as their physical location using GPS.
Hye Jung Han is a children’s rights and technology researcher, an advocate with Human Rights Watch, and lead researcher on this report. She’ll explain how the report on 164 online learning platforms endorsed or used by governments in 49 countries found out what data is being collected from kids in online learning platforms, and how it’s being used.
Journalist Connie Walker has been reporting on Indigenous stories for most of her career. From missing and murdered women to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, she has covered on some of the biggest stories in Canada in the last few decades. But it wasn’t until last year that she decided to look into her own family’s past.
The urge to dig into her deceased father’s past appeared after her brother shared a story in the wake of the discovery of 215 unmarked graves at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School in B.C. Connie talks about the importance of healing through sharing the truths, what she found out about her own family’s secrets and her new podcast, Stolen: Surviving St. Michael’s.
As a bonus episode today, we're bringing you an episode of Stress Test, a podcast about personal finance from The Globe and Mail, hosted by Rob Carrick and Roma Luciw.
Many millennials and Gen Z’s have done everything “right” - they’ve graduated, found good jobs, are paying off their debt and saving money. So why is it so hard to live the middle class lifestyle their parents and older peers had at their age? In this episode, we hear from Cody, a 33-year-old living in Hamilton, Ont., who is frustrated at not being able to achieve many of his financial and life goals despite being a fiscally responsible adult. Plus, Rob talks to Paul Kershaw, a professor at the University of British Columbia and founder of Generation Squeeze, a group that researches intergenerational fairness, about why many millennials feel like the middle class is dead.
Alberta Premier Jason Kenney says he will resign as leader of the United Conservative Party following the results of his leadership review. He received support from 51.4 per cent of party members.
Carrie Tait, a Calgary-based reporter in The Globe’s Alberta bureau, explains that while a few frontrunners have emerged to replace Kenney, uniting the right in the province remains a difficult road.
Read more about Alberta politics here.
On May 11, a prominent Palestinian-American journalist was shot and killed in the West Bank while reporting for Al Jazeera. Her name was Shireen Abu Akleh. She was widely respected for her work and had over 25 years of experience covering the region. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas blames Israel for her killing. Israel initially said Palestinian gunmen may have been responsible but now say it could have been errant Israeli fire. They are now calling for an investigation. Some fear a conclusive answer on who killed Shireen may never come.
Josef Federman is the News Director of the Associated Press for Israel, Palestinian territories and Jordan. He’s on the show to explain what has been going on in Jenin, the city where Shireen Abu Akleh was reporting from when she died, what we know so far about who is responsible for her death and how the investigation is playing into an already heated conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.
As this year’s deadly avian flu spreads from poultry to wild animals, there are reports of birds suffering from neurological symptoms, dropping dead from trees and twitching uncontrollably. Nearly two million birds have already died from the avian flu this year in Canada alone.
Wildlife pathologist Dr. Brian Stevens joins us to explain how this strain is different, what experts are watching out for, and how to prevent further spread.
Global markets are not doing well. And people are losing a lot of money. Even big technology companies like Netflix are starting to suffer. Their stock is down by nearly 70 per cent this year. And that has some wondering … is the market bubble bursting (a pandemic pop) for real this time?
Report on Business reporter and columnist Tim Kiladze is on the show to explain why there’s so much uncertainty, how inflation and interest rates are playing into it and why investors should prepare for more than a short-term market blip.
Universal health care is a point of pride for many Canadians, but the system has had flaws for decades. One big issue is getting in to see a doctor. The Commonwealth Fund estimated that 56 per cent of Canadians waited more than a month to see a specialist in 2016 or simply to get an appointment with a family doctor – if they even have one.
Dr. Robert Bell has worked in healthcare for over 40 years, as an orthopedic surgeon, former CEO of University Health Network and as a former deputy health minister in Ontario. He’s on the show to tell us what he thinks needs to be done to make the health care system more accessible to Canadians.
Plus, you can read more from the Globe’s Opinion series called Fixing Healthcare here.
Indigenous women are still being forcibly sterilized in Canada. That’s one thing that Sen. Yvonne Boyer wants Canadians to know. The senator, who is Métis herself and was formerly a nurse and a lawyer, has been fighting to raise awareness of this issue. She is also a part of the Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights that is currently examining the issue.
Sen. Boyer discusses how her background inspired her to devote her life to ending forced sterilization procedures, how it’s part of the systemic racism Indigenous women face in Canada’s health care system and why addressing it is an important part of Canada’s reconciliation efforts.
Even 75 years after the Holocaust, anti-Semitic crimes are still happening in Canada. And their presence highlights why education is still important, and uncovering family history is a powerful way to learn about the past.
The Globe’s western arts correspondent, Marsha Lederman, joins us to talk about her new book Kiss the Red Stairs and the responsibility she feels to share her family’s stories as the child of Holocaust survivors.
Several of the atrocities happening in the Ukraine war are being linked to a mercenary organization called the Wagner Group. The Kremlin-linked mercenaries have operated in countries in the Middle East and in Africa as well, and are often trailed by allegations of human rights abuses.
Sean McFate, former mercenary and now senior fellow at the Atlantic Council think tank, explains how this group operates, why mercenaries might become more common in the future and how Wagner members he speaks to feel about what they’re doing.
The podcast turns one year old today! And in our first year, a lot happened: Russia started a war in Ukraine, thousands of unmarked graves were found at some residential school sites in Canada, Justin Trudeau won another federal election, inflation became a very hot topic and the COVID-19 pandemic continued to spread, especially with the arrival of the Omicron variant.
In today’s episode, we look back at some of the biggest stories from the last 365 days and give you updates on what’s happened since we first covered them.
Canada’s international airports have experienced major delays getting passengers on and off their flights, as people begin returning to air travel in numbers not seen since before the pandemic.
The staff that get travellers through all those lines at the airport – security screening, customs, baggage drop-off – have not returned to the airport in enough numbers to stave off long lines. Transportation reporter Eric Atkins explains why you won’t want to cut it fine if you’re boarding a plane in the near future.
A couple weeks ago, The Globe and Mail’s senior foreign correspondent Mark MacKinnon found out he’s now banned from entering Russia. He joins a long list of Canadians who can no longer enter the country, like our Prime Minister, basically every member of Parliament, and some Canadian mayors.
This is part of a tit-for-tat between Russia and Western countries like Canada, after the West imposed sanctions on hundreds of Kremlin-affiliated people and organizations. Many of the Canadians who are part of this Russian list are proud of it, or laughing it off. MacKinnon is not.
In the wake of the news that the U.S. Supreme Court has drafted a ruling that would reverse Roe v. Wade, effectively ending safe and legal abortion in some states, some abortion advocates in Canada are sounding the alarm. But just how accessible are abortion services in Canada?
Martha Paynter is the author of Abortion to Abolition: Reproductive Health and Justice in Canada, and a registered nurse working in Nova Scotia. She explains what changes have occurred recently when it comes to abortions in Canada and what barriers still remain.
The Ontario provincial election campaign is officially underway and election day is June 2nd. The campaign promises have been coming in thick: $1 per ride transportation from the Ontario Liberals, new highways from the Progressive Conservatives, and hiring more nurses and personal support workers from the NDP, to name a few.
Queen’s Park reporter Jeff Gray sets the scene for this month’s campaign, telling us what the major parties are offering voters.
One billion dollars was promised towards building electric vehicles in Ontario on Monday – just the latest investment from government into the industry that hopes to do away with gas-powered engines, and replace them with batteries.
People have long talked about electric vehicles, or EVs, as being a crucial element in getting emissions down to net-zero; but, as the Globe’s mining reporter Niall McGee points out, an electric vehicle’s carbon footprint is more than just a pinky toe. While actually driving an EV does not create emissions in the way that gas-powered cars do, the environmental impact of mining the minerals for the cars’ batteries is significant.
Making a career out of holding a camera lens up to the frontlines of conflict, photojournalists can find themselves in tough - if not precarious - situations. The Globe’s new documentary, Shooting War, features nine photographers known for their work in conflict zones.
Santiago Lyon, featured in the documentary, worked with the Associated Press for 25 years covering conflicts around the world. He talks about the physical and mental toll capturing wartime images can take and the work he is doing now as the head of education at the Content Authenticity Initiative to counter misinformation.
Jawed Haqmal risked his life for the Canadian military. Now, he is waiting for the Canadian government to let him know if he can move to the country he once helped. Jawed is one of many Afghan nationals fleeing the Taliban who have been battling government bureaucracy to get to Canada for over six months now.
Janice Dickson, a parliamentary reporter for The Globe, provides an update on Jawed’s journey and some context on the different challenges Afghan refugees face compared to people fleeing the war in Ukraine.
New data from the 2021 census has been released. For the first time, the Census has counted Canada’s transgender and non-binary populations after making some controversial changes to its questions about sex and gender.
Dr. El Chenier, a history professor at Simon Fraser University and founder of Boldly Nonbinary, talks about why this data is important and how it could be miscontrued.
Elon Musk has agreed to buy Twitter, the social media platform for US$44-billion on Monday, just a week after the company’s board tried to block the takeover.
The Globe’s technology reporter, Temur Durrani, tells us who is financing the deal, what Twitter’s users and advertisers think of it, and why it matters even if you’ve never written a single tweet.
It may be time to dust off your dress shoes and button-down shirts. Canadians are slowly returning to the office after two years working from dining tables and home offices. The Globe and Mail recently surveyed over 400 people about heading back to the office, and their responses were … emotional.
The Globe’s future of work reporter, Vanmala Subramaniam, joins the podcast today to talk about the takeaways of the survey. How are Canadian white-collar workers feeling about this – and what can employers learn from time spent at home?
The age of private space travel is upon us. For a paltry few tens of millions, you could buy your own ticket to visit the International Space Station. A 10-day trip with Axiom Space cost Canadian businessman and philanthropist Mark Pathy US$50-million to be exact.
Ivan Semeniuk, The Globe’s science reporter, got the chance to interview Mark while he was floating around the ISS. Ivan joins the show to talk about what Mark is doing with his time in space, why he decided to pay the large price tag to go and what this could mean for the future of space tourism.
There’s no shortage of craft breweries in Canada. Over the past decade, they grew at an explosive rate, from just a few hundred breweries in 2008 to almost 1,200 in 2020. While this is good news for beer lovers, brewers face an oversaturated market and are struggling to turn a profit.
Globe reporter Jason Kirby explains how the industry got here, why the pandemic exacerbated the problem and how the craft brewery landscape will change in the coming years.
Warmer weather means summer, picnics, camping … and mosquitoes. Edmonton is particularly famous for their mosquito season. But with a focus on environmental sustainability, the city is ditching the pesticide spraying they’ve used for years to control mosquitoes, instead turning to a more natural solution – bats and dragonflies.
Dr. Ken Fry is an Entomology Instructor in the School of Life Sciences & Business at Olds College in Alberta, and grew up in Edmonton. He studies pest control management and mosquitoes, and tells us why it’s so hard to get rid of these pesky bloodsuckers – and why learning to live with them is the better solution.
With inflation eating into people’s bank accounts, some people are starting to wonder: Hey, is my paycheque shrinking? And according to a new report from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, it is.
Economics reporter Matt Lundy explains how inflation is resulting in a pay cut for most Canadians and what – if anything – you can do about it.
Pierre Poilievre has been known as the federal Conservative’s attack dog. He’s often hyper partisan in Parliament, not afraid to pander to the base and support controversial movements, like the truckers convoy that occupied Ottawa earlier this year.
And yet the career politician has tapped into a populist vein and is gaining attention by talking about issues like housing, inflation and cryptocurrency. But is it enough to allow him to win the Conservative leadership race? And then, resonate with the wider public? Globe and Mail columnist Robyn Urback talks about why Poilievre’s messaging is finding its audience right now.
When your country is invaded, how do you keep your family’s spirits up? In besieged Kharkiv, Ukraine, Natalie Slyusar focused on trying to give her son a regular 16th birthday – complete with a homemade chocolate cake. But baking’s a lot easier said than done while a war rages around you.
This beguilingly simple story reveals a lot about how we get ourselves and our loved ones through the hardest parts of life. Natalie recounts what it’s like for a family to cope with an invasion.
Sexual health testing took a nose dive during the pandemic, as health care workers and resources were diverted towards the fight against COVID-19. And as Globe reporter Zosia Bielski tells us in this episode, when it comes to sexually transmitted infections: “Less detection equates with more spread.”
Now, we’re paying the price: the rate of STIs, from gonorrhea to HIV, has risen precipitously in many places across Canada. Zosia explains why the conditions of the pandemic – from the shame of breaking lockdown rules, to online schooling – have accelerated a decades-long trend of rising STIs in Canada.
On Monday, a by-election in a Montreal suburb ended in defeat for the Parti Quebecois, the province’s champion of separatism for the last fifty years. And yet 35 per cent of Quebeckers still believe in independence for Quebec.
The Globe’s Quebec correspondent Eric Andrew-Gee explains why that isn’t translating into support for the PQ anymore.
On Monday, Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer Kieran Moore gave a COVID-19 update after being silent for almost a month. The province will expand PCR testing and antiviral drugs for certain people, Dr. Moore said, while the current surge in cases will likely continue into mid-to-late May.
Ontario is not alone. Much of the country is facing a sixth wave of the pandemic. While vaccines remain an important tool for preventing serious disease, less than half of Canadians eligible for a third shot have bothered to get one.
Health reporter Carly Weeks has been following the vaccination uptake in Canada since the beginning of the pandemic. She tells us how there’s been a lack of clear messaging around boosters, why more Canadians should be getting a third (or even fourth) dose and what a COVID-19 vaccination schedule may look like in the future.
Most people want to shy away from life’s hard moments. But not Canadian actor and filmmaker Sarah Polley. In her first book, Run Towards the Danger, she shares six personal essays that explore some of the most difficult moments of her life.
Sarah discusses the slippery nature of memories, how her relationship with her body has changed and what it’s been like to have the world read aboutvulnerable moments from her private life.
The federal government has laid out a budget with $56-billion in new spending over six years. On the day the budget is released, journalists get to see the document in advance of the Finance Minister’s announcement – if they join what’s called a “lockup.”
The Decibel was in the lockup at a hotel in downtown Ottawa, where Globe journalists explained the main takeaways from the budget, covering spending in the areas of housing, defence, reconciliation, finance, immigration, inflation and more.
You’ll hear from the Globe’s Bill Curry, Steven Chase, John Ibbitson, Rachelle Younglai, Kristy Kirkup, Kathryn Blaze Baum, Mark Rendell, and Patrick Brethour, as well as Scotiabank Economics Director Rebekah Young.
This week, Ukraine took back some key areas in the northern part of the country from Russian troops – including the cities of Bucha and Chernihiv. While we’ve heard reports of atrocities from inside these war zones, it’s only now that journalists and other officials are getting to see the damage and death with their own eyes.
The Globe’s U.S. correspondent, Nathan Vanderklippe, is one journalist getting the full picture from the ground in Bucha and Chernihiv. He tells us what it’s like in these two cities where the Russian army has destroyed buildings and killed civilians. Plus, we hear from a police officer in Chernihiv, Oksana Ohnenko, on her efforts to help the people of her city and her perspective on what it’s been like living through this war.
As we enter the sixth wave of COVID-19, hospitals are bracing for yet another surge. After two years of weathering wave after wave, doctors, nurses, and hospital staff are “burnt to a crisp,” as one Hamilton, Ont. doctor put it. The problems with Canada’s hospitals – from surgery backlogs, to “hallway medicine,” to staffing shortages – stretch back long before the pandemic.
Globe and Mail investigative reporter Robyn Doolittle set out with reporter Tom Cardoso to find why Canadian hospitals were so poorly equipped to handle an influx of patients. What she found, Robyn explains, is how the very foundation of Canada’s universal health care system led to the problems that plague it today.
COVID-19′s sixth wave is here. Quebec’s institute of public health says the sixth wave began in mid-March. On Monday, Ontario premier Doug Ford said the province is in the midst of a “little spike” but that it’s manageable. Hospitalizations are up by about 30 per cent since the week before. And in Alberta, the province’s Health Minister Jason Copping acknowledged an uptick in case positivity rate.
With PCR tests not as widely available as they once were, scientists and public health officials have found another way to track COVID-19: wastewater, or sewage.
Dr. Lawrence Goodridge is a professor of food microbiology at the University of Guelph who is leading a team of people testing wastewater. He’s part of Ontario’s wastewater Surveillance Initiative which samples 170 locations across the province accounting for more than 75 per cent of the population. He tells us what the samples are telling him right now, and why this tool is an important one for this pandemic and for the future.
Pope Francis has apologized for the Catholic Church’s role in the residential school system – an apology long awaited by Indigenous Peoples in Canada. This comes after a week of meetings between a delegation of Métis, Inuit and First Nations and the Pope and other members of the Catholic Church.
Angie Crerar is an 85-year-old elder of the Métis Nation of Alberta. She spoke to Globe reporter Willow Fiddler in Rome after hearing the Pope speak on Friday. She talked about what the Pope’s apology means to her and Canada’s ongoing journey of reconciliation.
The federal government has released yet another climate change plan oriented toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions. What’s different this time? This latest Emissions Reduction Plan is a sector-by-sector blueprint that specifically puts pressure on the oil and gas sector to cut its emissions by 42 per cent by 2030.
Adam Radwanski is The Globe and Mail’s climate change columnist. He talks about what is required from companies and from the government to meet these goals, and whether the plan is ambitious and feasible enough to give people hope that Canada can actually meet its targets for once.
Employment is growing across Canada’s economy, but nowhere near the rate of the tech sector. Jobs in STEM jumped nearly 200,000 since the pandemic. Specifically, jobs in computer systems design are up 22 per cent. It’s good news for skilled tech workers, but not for small to mid-sized Canadian tech companies. That’s because big American tech companies are scooping up Canada’s top tech talent. And with the rise of remote work, competition is even stiffer.
Matt Lundy is an economics reporter and Josh O’Kane is a technology reporter at The Globe and Mail. They explain why Canadian tech companies are struggling to compete, what it means for Canada’s tech industry and what needs to be done to retain Canadian talent.
On March 28, it was announced that Ontario had finally signed onto the federal child-care deal. With all provinces and territories now signed on, families across the country will eventually be paying only $10 a day for child care. To make this possible, the federal government is investing $30 billion to open 146,000 new child-care spots by 2026, but that investment may be useless if we don’t have the early childhood educators to fill them.
The Globe’s Dave McGinn has been reporting on the federal child-care deal. He talks to us about why early childhood educators have been leaving the industry in droves, and what needs to happen to make this plan work.
The UN has called it the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. Yemen’s now seven-year-long war has killed almost 400,000 people, mostly children younger than five years old. Millions of people in the country are at risk of famine.
And the war, between the Iran-backed Houthi rebels and a Saudi-led coalition trying to push them out, rages on.
Kamal Al-Solaylee was born in Yemen. He’s a journalist, author, professor, and Director of the School of Journalism, Writing, and Media at the University of British Columbia. He explains that the war is deliberately forgotten by the world, why that is, and why he thinks Canada’s millions in aid to Yemen doesn’t tell the full story of our role in the conflict.
Almost every province in Canada has now removed its mask mandates in public schools. But many are questioning if now is the right time, and some are even challenging the decision.
Today we hear from Sophia Alexanian, a 16-year-old high school student from Toronto, who co-founded a group called Ontario Students for COVID Safety. She organized a province-wide school walkout to protest the end of the mask mandate in schools.
We also talk to Caroline Alphonso, an education reporter for The Globe and Mail. She talks to us about how the conversation about removing the mask mandate in schools is playing out across Canada.
Hate crimes in Canada are up. Recent data out from Statistics Canada showed that in the first year of the pandemic, incidents reported to police increased by 37 per cent from the previous year. 2,669 hate crimes were reported to police in 2020 – the highest number since data became available in 2009.
But in Canada, charging someone for a hate crime rarely happens. A Globe and Mail investigation found that of the 13 largest municipal and regional police forces, laying charges for a hate crime varied from a low of 6 per cent to a high of 28 per cent.
A new task force co-chaired by Canadian Race Relations Foundation and the RCMP wants to create national standards to help front-line officers better identify and solve hate crimes. Mohammed Hashim is the executive director of the Canadian Race Relations Foundation and he’s on the show to tell us why hate crimes are a growing issue in Canada and how the task force will work to combat it.
Women and children make up the vast majority of people who have fled the invasion of Ukraine – now over 3.5 million. And while they are no longer at risk of bombing, shelling and other attacks, their journey to safety remains fraught.
Globe and Mail reporter Janice Dickson spoke to us from Slovakia, which shares a 100-km border with Ukraine and has accepted a quarter of a million refugees. Janice tells us about what she saw at the border, the homes these women and children are leaving behind and what dangers they need to avoid moving forward.
The Liberals and NDP have set aside their differences and come to a partnership agreement – a pledge from the Liberals to act on major NDP policy issues in exchange for the NDP’s support of the Liberal government on votes that could trigger an election. This deal will keep the Liberal government in power until 2025. It also means we may soon see forward movement on dental care, Pharmacare, housing, and climate policies.
Dr. Lori Turnbull is the director and an associate professor at the School of Public Administration at Dalhousie University. She joins us to talk about what this deal is really about, how it affects the Liberal, NDP and Conservative parties, and what it means for the future of Parliament.
Videos showing Muslim students begging to be let into a school while wearing hijabs has gone viral in India, sparking protests. Several of the students petitioned the government to reverse the decision to ban hijabs in schools, the latest in a series of policies targeting Muslims throughout the country.
Neha Bhatt is an award-winning journalist and author in Delhi and a frequent contributor to The Globe and Mail. She explains how India’s politics and history have led to this moment, and why some people are concerned these acts of discrimination could be leading towards genocide.
An international court has ordered Russia to stop the war in Ukraine, but the attacks carry on. So what was the point of this case? What impact does the order actually have on the war in Ukraine?
Harold Hongju Koh was one of the lawyers representing Ukraine in the case against Russia, and he’s also the Sterling Professor of International Law at Yale University. He tells us about the arguments they brought forward, Russia’s response (or lack thereof), and makes the case for international law, even if the way it’s enforced isn’t always clear.
Every six days, a woman in Canada is killed by an intimate partner, and yet the topic of intimate partner violence (IPV) – more commonly referred to as domestic abuse – is rarely talked about. Because of this, many of the red flags that precede physical violence are often missed. These warning signs can include a pattern of controlling behaviour, which is called coercive control.
Elizabeth Renzetti is a columnist for The Globe who has been reporting on and off on violence against women for over 30 years. She tells us about the stigma surrounding IPV, how to recognize coercive control and the debate surrounding the criminalization of it.
Warning: This episode discusses domestic violence and may be upsetting to some listeners.
If you think you, or someone you know, may be suffering from intimate partner violence, you can find support through the following resources:
Crisis lines for each province and territory
Assaulted Women’s Helpline: Toll-free: 1-866-863-0511
Canadian Women’s Foundation
Shelter Safe
SOS in Quebec: 1-800-363-9010 or text 1-438-601-1211
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky delivered a stirring speech via video to U.S. Congress on Wednesday, once again calling on the U.S. to impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine, transfer more military equipment to his military and put Russia under a complete trade embargo. Zelensky’s speech is being called historic, but what Mr. Zelensky is pleading for may never happen.
David Shribman is a contributing columnist at The Globe and a Pulitzer Prize recipient for his coverage of U.S. politics. He tells us about the power of Mr. Zelensky’s speech, how it compares to his address to Canadian Parliament on Tuesday and why, despite strong support for Ukraine, U.S. President Joe Biden most likely won’t ever deliver on President Zelensky’s requests.
It’s been a year since companies like GameStop and AMC were making headlines for their eye-popping stock price spikes. And while the heights of the craze have passed, a lot of retail investors who got caught up in the momentum are still advocating for their stock picks – and risking a lot of money on their convictions.
Business reporter Joe Castaldo recently looked into who these meme stock investors are, why they still believe in the movement a year later and just how much money they’ve lost.
Poland’s capital, Warsaw is struggling to cope with the huge number of people fleeing the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Of the more than 2.6 million refugees that have left, 1.7 million – and counting – have ended up in neighbouring Poland. Warsaw’s mayor says 300,000 have settled in the city so far. The city has set up a number of sprawling shelters including one at an expo centre for up to 20,000 refugees. Thousands of residents have also taken to social media to offer rooms.
Kasia Smith is one of them. She’s a Polish-Canadian living in Konstancin, just south of Warsaw, with her husband and three kids. They have welcomed three Ukrainian families to stay with them for as long as they want. The Globe’s Kathryn Blaze Baum interviewed Kasia along with the families and she’s on the show to bring us their story.
It’s a plea that has been heard around the world: Ukraine wants its allies to set up a no-fly zone in its airspace. They believe it would give them the tactical advantage in the war that Russia started. But so NATO, U.S. President Joe Biden and other leaders have decisively said no to the idea.
But what would establishing a no-fly zone over the country actually look like? Who would be responsible? What’s exactly the case for – and against – it? Dr. Stacie Pettyjohn is a senior fellow and director of the defence program at the Center for a New American Security. She talks us through the complexities of the no-fly zone concept.
In two weeks, more than 2.3 million refugees have fled Ukraine because of the ongoing war. It is the fastest exodus since the Second World War. Poland has seen the largest influx of refugees with more than 1.4 million people arriving in the country since Feb. 24.
The Globe’s Europe correspondent Paul Waldie has been reporting from border towns in Poland since the war began. He tells us how these towns are handling so many people coming in, the few long term options available for refugees and why the Polish government needs to figure out a plan to help people resettle.
The race to become the next federal leader of the Conservative Party of Canada is kicking off, not long after the ousting of Erin O’Toole.
Chief political writer Campbell Clark says “blast from the past” Jean Charest could have a shot at the top job, but likely isn’t the favourite. He’ll tell us who the early favourites are – including Charest, Pierre Poilievre, and Leslyn Lewis – and what this election might reveal about the identity and direction of the Conservative Party.
According to Statistics Canada, more than 235,000 people experience homelessness in any given year, with 25,000-35,000 people experiencing homelessness on any given night. During the pandemic, health issues were exacerbated for people experiencing homelessness. Shelters were often crowded and faced outbreaks. One study found that homeless people were over 20 times more likely to be admitted to the hospital with COVID-19 and over 5 times more likely to die within 21 days of a positive test result.
Dr. Andrew Boozary is the executive director of social medicine and population health at the University Health Network in Toronto. He tells us why homelessness is a failure of policy – not individual choice – and how he’s working to fix it.
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has shocked the world with his full-scale invasion of Ukraine. But many within Russia don’t know what’s going on just across the border, due to the government’s censoring or shutting down of independent and social media. Russia last week passed a new law making it illegal to spread “fake news” that Human Rights Watch says “criminalizes independent war reporting.”
International Affairs columnist Doug Saunders helps us understand what people in Russia are hearing about the war, the two different ways they could react to sanctions, and what Putin might do next.
Three million people lost their jobs at the beginning of the pandemic. In response, the federal government introduced the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB). The program provided $2,000 a month for up to seven months to people living in Canada that had stopped working because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The government paid out $81.6-billion to almost 9-million people.
Two years later, 1.7 million people may have to pay some of that money back. And it’s not because of a mistake they made on their application. Erica Alini is a personal finance reporter at the Globe and she tells us why some people are being asked to pay back money, how to figure out if you are one of those people and how this isn’t the first time there’s been confusion around CERB.
Canada is not a big player on the international stage. But as a medium-sized power, it has been working with the EU, the U.S. and the U.K. to deliver a series of economic sanctions that have been ratcheting up the pressure on Russia’s economy. But what about helping Ukraine and Ukrainians directly? And where is Justin Trudeau’s red line in terms of what he won’t commit Canada to doing in this war?
The Globe and Mail’s Ottawa Bureau Chief Robert Fife explains the various levels of measures that the federal government has enacted since the invasion of Ukraine began and where things might go next.
Russia is gaining ground in its invasion of Ukraine. On day 7 of the war, Russia occupied Kherson, a key city in the southern part of Ukraine. Russia started targeting densely populated areas like Kyiv and Kharkiv with heavy shelling, destroying buildings and killing civilians. On March 2, Ukraine’s emergency service said the Russian invasion has killed more than 2,000 civilians in the country.
Senior international correspondent Mark Mackinnon is in Lviv, Ukraine. He is back on the show to tell us what Russia’s gains mean for the people of Ukraine and whether they have a chance at holding Russian troops back. Plus, he tells us about his journey out of Kyiv as the invasion on Ukraine began.
Maria Avdeeva is the research director of the European Expert Association, which analyzes Russian disinformation. With the sound of Russia’s attack in the background, Maria explains what’s happening in her hometown of Kharkiv, and why the decision to stay is her way of fighting the “Information War,” where disinformation is weaponized to change how the world understands the horrors unfolding in Ukraine.
As fighting rages on in Ukraine, hundreds of thousands are seeking refuge in a number of neighbouring countries. On Feb. 28, the head of a UN agency said that more than 500,000 people have fled since the start of the Russian invasion. Cars have lined up for more than 10 kilometres at certain checkpoints, while others have had no choice but to walk – sometimes, for 50 km – to escape.
Moldova is one such country accepting refugees. According to the Moldovan Border Police, 70,000 people from Ukraine have entered the country since the start of the conflict. International correspondent Nathan Vanderklippe reports from that tiny, landlocked country about the people fleeing Ukraine and how bordering countries are responding to the crisis.
Last week, Frito-Lay, which makes Lays potato chips, but also others like Miss Vickies and Doritos, stopped sending their chips to any of the stores owned by Loblaw. And since Loblaw is the biggest grocer in Canada, that’s a lot of stores: there’s Loblaws, of course, and No Frills, Valu-Mart, Provigo if you’re in Quebec – even Shoppers Drug Mart.
Today, the Globe’s retailing reporter, Susan Krashinsky Roberston, will break down what the two companies are fighting over and why a lot more of these tough negotiations might be going on behind closed doors.
From the late 19th century up until the 1960s, travelling by sleeping car train was the height of luxury. Porters tended to a passenger’s every need. They were almost exclusively Black men who worked long hours for low pay and often faced racial discrimination. But these men fought for better treatment and after years of organizing, signed a collective agreement with Canadian Pacific Railway in 1945. The battle to unionize both in Canada and the U.S. paved the way for the Civil Rights movement and the creation of a Black middle class.
David MacAndrew Clarke worked as a porter for CPR in the late 1960s. He tells us what it was like working on the train and how his father and the generation of older porters before him dealt with discrimination and fought to make the job better. Plus, Marsha Greene and Arnold Pinnock of the creative team from the new CBC show, The Porter talk about unearthing this sometimes forgotten history and what it was like turning it into a drama for a wider audience.
It’s been almost two years since the mass shooting in Portapique, Nova Scotia, that killed 22 people. An inquiry into the tragedy that will make recommendations on how to prevent it from happening again began its public phase on Tuesday.
“Nova Scotia has not been able to fully come to terms with this massacre,” Atlantic Canada reporter Greg Mercer says. He’ll explain the criticism families and politicians have of the inquiry and what we’ve learned about the shooting and its perpetrator since it happened.
After a fiery speech on Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin sent Russian troops across the border into Ukraine’s breakaway regions that make up the Donbas region. Western nations are reacting by imposing sanctions on Russia, with Germany going so far as to stop the certification of the NordStream 2 natural gas pipeline that Putin had hoped would deliver fuel to Europe, bypassing Ukraine.
So is this move a prelude to a wider invasion? Or has the invasion started? The Globe’s senior international correspondent, Mark MacKinnon, discusses the role of diplomacy now that this conflict has moved into a more inauspicious stage.
When Renford Farrier was given a life sentence for killing a man, he believed he’d be out on parole after 10 years. Thirty years later, he’s still in prison and believes racism is partly to blame.
A Globe analysis found that Indigenous, Black and other racialized men are less likely than their white counterparts to be paroled within the first year they’re eligible.
Investigative reporter Tom Cardoso explains what that analysis found, and interviews Farrier about his time in prison, why he thinks racism played a role in being denied parole, and what he plans to do when he is finally released.
British Columbia’s health officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, announced on Feb. 15 that the province would be easing COVID-19 restrictions. This includes removing capacity limits at gyms, restaurants and nightclubs – even dancing is back. But the province isn’t getting rid of their vaccine passport and that has set B.C. apart from places like Quebec, Ontario, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba – provinces that have decided to end vaccine mandates.
It’s not the first time British Columbia has been on a divergent path from how other parts of the country have responded to COVID-19. Dr. Henry has been praised and criticized for how she’s brought the province through the pandemic. She’s on the show to tell us what’s behind some of her decisions, where she sees the pandemic going in the near future and what it’s like being the face of public health measures.
A big part of the federal government’s plan to end the convoy protests and blockades includes targeting the flow of money to them. Banks were granted expanded powers and liability protection as part of the Emergencies Act announcement on February 14.
But how comfortable are Canadian financial institutions with policing their own customers and freely sharing information with law enforcement? Banking reporter James Bradshaw has been speaking with officials at the big banks and explains exactly how they think they’ll be proceeding under these new powers.
Canada’s women’s hockey team is going for gold at the Beijing Olympics. They’ll face off against their rivals: Team USA. It’s the sixth time these teams have met in an Olympic final. While these two teams have dominated since women’s hockey was introduced to the Olympics in 1998, other countries have struggled to keep up.
Globe sports reporter, Rachel Brady, is in Beijing covering the Olympics. She’s on the show to tell us why Canada and the U.S. keep meeting in the finals, what needs to be done for women’s hockey to continue to grow and why there are still so few opportunities outside of the Olympics for these elite athletes.
Three weeks into the convoy protests, political leaders on all levels of government are looking at what levers they can pull. On Monday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoked the Emergencies Act. Meanwhile, Ontario Premier Doug Ford is keeping the province in a state of emergency. And Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson is attempting to negotiate with the truckers who remain in residential neighbourhoods in the capital.
Jeff Gray, The Globe’s Queen’s Park reporter, gives us an update of what happened over the weekend and explains the various moves Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Ontario’s Doug Ford have made in recent days as the public’s patience wears thin on the ongoing protests and blockades at various border crossings and in Ottawa.
Valentine’s Day and red roses go hand-in-hand, and for those of us heading to local shops across Canada to pick up a bouquet, you might be surprised to learn those flowers most likely came from Colombia. The country is the second-largest flower exporter in the world, and they ship about 650-million stems overseas just for Valentine’s Day.
Yader Guzman is a freelance photographer based in Bogota who documented the journey of some of these flowers for The Globe. He tells us how they go from greenhouses in Bogota to local stores in Canada and how this became such a huge industry for Colombia.
Life for Zexi Li has been a bit of a roller coaster these last few weeks. The Ottawa resident lives just a few blocks away from Parliament Hill, which meant that after the trucker convoy rolled into town the soundtrack to her life was horns. Protesters had been blaring their truck horns from 7 a.m. to as late as 1:30 a.m., until lawyer Paul Champ approached Zexi and a civil suit led to an injunction that muted the honking.
Globe reporter Erin Anderssen spoke to Zexi after an Ontario Superior Court justice granted a 10-day injunction against the use of horns by the protesters. Zexi shares what it’s been like living amongst the cacophony, how she slept and why she agreed to be the public face of the proposed class-action suit.
The occupation of streets in downtown Ottawa and blockades at two border crossings to the US, including our busiest in Windsor, Ont. continues.
Reporter Colin Freeze tells us more about who the leaders are of the Freedom Convoy, including those fundraising millions of dollars to support it.
Canadians fell in love with the Olympic sport of ice dancing after Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir won gold at both the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver and the 2018 Olympics in South Korea. But they’ve since retired and reigning world bronze medallists, Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier, are hoping to capture the hearts of fans and place on the podium.
Timothy Moore, a videographer for The Globe, spoke with Gilles, Poirier and one of their coaches, Carol Lane, to learn about how they construct their highly technical rhythm dance routine, what they think about when they are performing and why they decided to wear bright orange spandex on the world stage.
On Monday afternoon, a judge granted a temporary injunction to stop the incessant honking in downtown Ottawa by protestors dubbed the “Freedom Convoy.” The injunction is part of a proposed multimillion-dollar class-action lawsuit started by a 21-year old resident of the city. The question is: will it work?
It’s been more than 10 days now since trucks and protestors took over the capital’s downtown neighbourhoods around Parliament. And the movement spurred other protests around the country this past weekend, against vaccine mandates and public health restrictions more generally. But none established the kind of presence Ottawa has seen.
Parliamentary reporter Janice Dickson details the experience of downtown Ottawa residents, and how city government and police have handled the ongoing situation.
It has taken billions of dollars and more than two decades to build, but the successor to the Hubble Telescope is in space and waking up. Thanks to its ability to observe infrared light, the James Webb Space Telescope is able to see way beyond Hubble’s range and further back in time.
Science reporter Ivan Semeniuk explains how this new telescope works, what scientists hope to learn from it and why Canada’s contributions are critical to the mission’s success.
The 2022 Winter Olympics are on in Beijing. It’s the first city in the world to host both a winter and summer Games (the latter of which happened back in 2008). These Games are shaping up to be much different. COVID-19 restrictions and a diplomatic boycott by a number of countries put a bit of a damper on the hype.
Asia correspondent James Griffiths is in Beijing. He tells us what it’s like inside the Olympic bubble and how politics are playing into these Games.
The vote was 73 to 45. And with that, Erin O’Toole’s leadership of the Conservative Party of Canada is over. This dismissal comes after months of internal strife as MPs questioned the direction of the party under Mr. O’Toole.
Conservatives now have to launch a leadership race to decide the direction of their party, without tearing it apart. Political columnist and writer-at-large John Ibbitson argues that the in-fighting in the party that is Canada’s Official Opposition is not just bad for their supporters, but bad for the country as a whole.
U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is on a whirlwind trip to Ukraine as his political fate is being fought in the country’s Parliament and in its press. A report, by senior civil servant Sue Gray, highlighted excessive alcohol consumption by staff and said that some of the gatherings at 10 Downing Street represented a failure in leadership during a time when the rest of the country was under strict lockdowns and expected to be doing their part to prevent the transmission of COVID-19.
Now, Europe Correspondent Paul Waldie tells us what was in the report, what’s been left out, and why it might not be enough to oust a political survivor like Boris Johnson.
Over the weekend, Ottawa’s Parliament Hill and downtown area saw thousands of protestors arrive as part of the “Freedom Convoy,” originally sparked by a new vaccine mandate that would impose the same restrictions on unvaccinated truckers as other travellers across the border.
A smaller number remained in the capital city on Monday, blocking roads and blaring truck horns. Parliamentary reporter Marieke Walsh joins from just a few blocks away to tell us what’s happened on Monday and how federal party leaders are responding.
The arts industry has been decimated by COVID-19 lockdowns. Performance arts like theatre, ballet and live music have been particularly hard hit. According to the Canadian Association for Performing Arts, one in four workers in the sector lost their job in 2020.
Then, there’s the audience. For those who love going to see plays, listening to a favourite band live or experiencing any form of art in a social setting, the pandemic has meant losing that world.
Kate Taylor is a cultural columnist and visual art critic for the Globe. She tells us how people are feeling in the industry, the hopes for a comeback and how art might one day look back and reflect on this unprecedented time.
There’s a new treatment for COVID-19 in Canada. If taken at the right time during the infection, it can help keep people who have caught the virus out of the hospital. But there are some caveats. In fact, there are a lot.
Carly Weeks is one of The Globe’s health reporters and she explains how the new pill from Pfizer works, who can take it and why it’s already in short supply.
In a surprising twist, at least in Bank of Canada news, the central bank decided on Wednesday to keep its key interest rate at a record low of 0.25 per cent. It was widely expected that the bank would announce a rate hike in order to cool Canada’s soaring inflation.
The Governor of the Bank of Canada, Tiff Macklem, did say interest rate hikes are coming in the near future – and that means borrowing costs are also going up.
Mark Rendell covers the Bank of Canada, finance and economics for The Globe. He explains what the Bank of Canada’s recent decision means. Plus, he’ll get into just how our central bank works and its role in making our economy run smoothly.
Truckers are now subject to the same rules as other travellers at the border, which means they can be refused entry or required to quarantine if they are unvaccinated. Even though, according to the Canadian Trucking Alliance, there’s no reason to think truckers are less vaccinated than average, the new vaccination mandate has become the subject of vigorous political debate. It even spurred a protest in the form of a group of truckers and their supporters headed to Ottawa, calling themselves “the Freedom Convoy.”
But as parliamentary reporter Kristy Kirkup explains, what’s driving the delay and shortages of some products in stores across the country is more complex than any one policy.
Sending a loved one to an assisted-living home is never an easy choice. For the people of Nunavut, the majority of whom are Inuit, it’s even harder. The territory has 36 beds for elders in four different communities. That means 21 of its 25 fly-in communities are without any options for elder care that don’t involve sending a family member away. And some families – whose elders need more intensive care – must choose between providing all of the care themselves, or sending their loved ones to Ottawa, where there is a long-term care home that houses Inuit elders.
Kelly Grant, the Globe’s national health care reporter, went to Nunavut to provide an in-depth look at health care in Nunavut and the challenges its residents face accessing it. While there, she found that the lack of elder care in the territory was one of the most common complaints and one of the hardest issues to solve.
There are two kinds of people in this world: those who have “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” stuck in their head, and those who don’t … yet. The Disney song is a viral sensation and unexpected hit from the 2021 film, Encanto.
Michael Birenbaum Quintero is an ethnomusicologist and Associate Professor at Boston University. Even he agrees it’s a catchy tune, and explores its musical influences along with the movie’s wider representation of Colombian and Latin American music and culture.
In the Before Times, millions of white collar workers would get up every weekday morning, get dressed, commute into the office and work at their desk for the day. Since the pandemic, working from home has become more common. That’s resulted in a lot of unused office space across the country.
As companies start to think about what work will look like as pandemic restrictions ease, one trend seems to be emerging: Hot-desking. This is the idea that there are no assigned seats in an office. Instead, an employee books their spot before coming in through an app.
While the idea saves companies’ money, the question of whether employees will be happy in this environment is up for debate. Vanmala Subramaniam is the Globe’s Future of Work reporter. She tells us why this trend is gaining traction now, what workers told her about their experience with it and how hot-desking will transform post-pandemic office life.
Senior international correspondent Mark MacKinnon is back in Ukraine, as officials from Canada and the U.S. — as well as military equipment from Britain — fly in to show support for Ukraine and try to dissuade Russia from invading.
There’s not much indication it’s working, and as Mark explains, while there are more talks scheduled for later in the week, hope of a peaceful solution seems to be fading fast.
The Diary of Anne Frank is one of the most widely read first-person accounts of the Holocaust. The question of how Anne and her family were discovered has haunted readers for decades. In a new book, The Betrayal of Anne Frank: A Cold Case Investigation, author Rosemary Sullivan details what an investigative team found when they set out to answer: who tipped off the authorities to Anne’s hiding spot?
Turns out, it’s more complicated than you’d think. Marsha Lederman, the Globe’s Western Arts Correspondent, interviewed Sullivan about her book, and explains what they found, and what we can learn from this story today.
The pandemic promised a gold mine for companies like Zoom, Shopify, and Peloton. And at first, these companies did see a boost in their stock value. But the ground started to shift at the end of 2021 and now these stocks, which are often darlings of retail investors, are seeing substantial drops.
Report on Business reporter and columnist Tim Kiladze explains what has led to this investor whiplash and how a lot of trading on the stock market has become detached from the actual value of some companies.
When Gerald Cotten died suddenly in 2018, he was only 30 years old, but fabulously wealthy thanks to founding Quadriga, one of the first cryptocurrency exchanges. Or at least, that’s how it seemed. His death coincided with growing concerns about the legitimacy of Quadriga.
After investigating, the Ontario Securities Commission said Quadriga was run like a Ponzi scheme. More than Quadriga clients collectively lost more than $200 million.
Jennifer Kathleen Margaret Roberston was Cotten’s wife, and was there when he died. And despite being at the centre of a huge scandal, she’s never spoken publicly about her husband’s fraud or death – or the suspicion it cast on her – until now.
Telecom reporter Alexandra Posadzki and ROB reporter Joe Castaldo interviewed Robertson about her memoir, Bitcoin Widow: Love, Betrayal and the Missing Millions. They bring us that interview, and their expertise as journalists who’ve been covering this story from the beginning.
Quebec is the first jurisdiction in Canada to propose a ‘health contribution’ tax for people who choose not to get vaccinated against COVID-19. This has sparked a debate about whether some government pandemic measures are going too far into the realm of being punitive.
Dr. Devon Greyson, an assistant professor at the School of Population and Public Health at the University of British Columbia, has been studying vaccine hesitancy since 2015. They break down the ethical considerations of this controversial piece of proposed public health policy.
Editor’s note: An earlier version of this text misidentified Dr. Greyson as an associate professor at the School of Population and Public Health at the University of British Columbia.
With kids heading back to classrooms and daycares after the holiday break, there’s plenty of anxiety in the air. Omicron has proven to be highly transmissible and that means these communal settings are at high risk for spread of the virus.
We hear from parents and teachers about how they’re feeling. Plus Dr. Janine McCready, an infectious diseases physician at Michael Garron hospital in Toronto tells us what we know about Omicron and kids so far, and the tools that are needed to keep transmission down in both schools and in the wider community.
There are only nine students but the kids of Taigh Sgoile na Drochaide – or the Bridge Schoolhouse in English – represent the future of Gaelic fluency in Canada. This is the first Gaelic-immersion school in the country and the people who founded it hope one day it’ll be the first of many.
Greg Mercer, who reports on Atlantic Canada for The Globe and Mail, shares the story of how this school sprouted up from a small community that is passionate about regaining its Gaelic roots.
Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic is known for being among the best male tennis players in the world. Off the court, he’s known for his anti-vaccine sentiments. The Australian Open granted him a medical exemption that would allow him to compete, but when he attempted to enter the country on Thursday, January 6, he was detained at the border. He was released on January 10, but his future at the Open remains uncertain.
Caitlin Thompson, co-founder of Racquet and publisher of Racquet Magazine, a print quarterly on the culture of tennis, explains why Djokovic was detained, and what makes him such a polarizing figure in the tennis world, and why this may not be the end of the story.
Between infection, isolation and layoffs because of restrictions, staff shortages are hitting workers and business hard right now thanks to this Omicron wave of the pandemic.
Independent business reporter Chris Hannay explores which industries are feeling hardest hit, how the government’s guidelines and support for workers and workplaces has changed, and why for some, the timing of these new lockdowns really couldn’t have been worse.
The world of Harry Potter – which now extends from books to movies, theme parks, spin-offs, merchandise, and a vast amount of fan-generated content called “fanfic”– has been beloved since the first book was published more than 20 years ago.
But in recent years, this world’s creator, author J.K. Rowling, has been making statements against trans activists, and sometimes raising the possibility of violence from someone who identifies as trans.
Culture critic and founder of Friday Things Stacy Lee Kong explains how “Potterheads” have reacted to Rowling’s controversial comments, how the books’ legacy endures, and how HBO Max dealt with it in their special, Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts.
It’s easy to not be mindful about drinking alcohol. A glass of wine with dinner or a beer after work can quickly become a habit with little thought. And since the pandemic struck, for some people, alcohol is playing an even bigger role.
Enter: Dry January, a month-long ‘challenge’ to avoid or cut back on alcohol consumption. André Picard, Globe and Mail columnist, talks about its virtues, the rise in sober-curious culture and why we may consume more alcohol than we think.
Omicron is a variant of the novel coronavirus that was discovered back in 2019. The data we’ve collected suggests it’s less virulent, but more contagious, thanks to many mutations.
To track these mutations and try to understand what might be coming next in this pandemic, scientists use genomic sequencing. Globe science reporter Ivan Semeniuk is back to talk about how scientists map variants’ genomes.
Elite athletes’ every move are subjected to scrutiny, rewound and played in slow-motion. And while we often discuss the physical stress this kind of exertion places on them, we’re less used to talking about the psychological strain this focus on bodies creates.
Eating disorders are surprisingly commonplace amongst Olympic athletes, made worse by toxic training environments and suspect science, according to a recent Globe and Mail investigation. Grant Robertson and Rachel Brady discuss their findings, and a former Olympian shares her personal experience.
For the end of 2021, we're bringing you an episode of Stress Test, a podcast about personal finance from The Globe and Mail, hosted by Rob Carrick and Roma Luciw.
2021 was a year of surprises in personal finance. Who would have thought inflation would take off, housing could get even hotter and that job-hopping would be commonplace amid a global pandemic? So, what’s next? In this episode, Rob and Roma ask four personal finance experts - Robb Engen, Preet Banerjee, Erica Alini and Barry Choi - what they'll be watching in 2022. Plus, Rob and Roma share their own thoughts.
Today we're bringing you an episode of City Space, a Globe and Mail podcast about how to make our cities better, hosted by Adrian Lee.
Public spaces are often the best parts of a city. But during the pandemic, many of us started to realize how our public spaces, like parks, weren’t quite working for us. In this episode, we hear from three experts: Adri Stark, project manager at Park People and one of the authors of the 2021 Canadian City Parks Report; Leslie Kern, the author of Feminist City: Claiming Space in a Man-Made World and Anna Zivarts, the director of the Disability Mobility Initiative Program in Washington. In conversation with Adrian, they share how public spaces are failing people in ways we might not often consider, and how we can really make them work for all of us.
A stranger helps a woman keep her new Christmas tradition alive. People come together to make sure their community fridges are full. A group of neighbours celebrate 500 nights of thanking frontline workers.
During the pandemic doldrum, it’s been easy for many of us to feel isolated and down. But the stories on today’s episode of The Decibel capture heartfelt moments, little acts of kindness and remind us about the power of community.
Al Etmanski has spent his life working to help improve life for Canadians with disabilities. Now, the federal government is considering establishing a fund to help top-up disability benefits that are offered by the provinces and territories. If established, around one million people could be lifted out of poverty.
Globe and Mail feature writer Ian Brown speaks with Al about the proposed fund, why poverty among disabled people has been ignored for so long, and Al’s long career as a parent activist for people with disabilities.
Esi Edugyan is known for her books of fiction. She’s a two-time winner of the Scotiabank Giller Prize for her novels Half-Blood Blues and Washington Black. In her most recent book, she’s turned to the world of non-fiction. Out of the Sun: On Race and Storytelling is a collection of essays drawn from her 2021 CBC Massey Lectures, devoted to bringing a richer context to black histories and other stories about race that often go untold.
Decibel producer Sherrill Sutherland sat down with Esi to find out why this moment felt like the right time to write this book, why ghost stories and race are important and why in Canada we still have trouble discussing our true relationship to slavery.
The holidays are here and so is the Omicron variant of COVID-19.
Science reporter Ivan Semeniuk on what the latest science says about how Omicron is different from other variants like Delta, in three important ways: its transmissibility, how well it can escape the vaccines we have now, and how sick it can make us.
It’s the perfect time to escape into a book. Arts editor Judith Pereira and Western Arts Correspondent Marsha Lederman on the book trends this year, the silver lining of the pandemic’s effect on independent booksellers, and what you should cozy up and read.
All the books mentioned in this episode (in order):
Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doer
Ducks, Newburyport by Lucy Ellmann
Fight Night by Miriam Toews
The Strangers by Katherena Vermette
Oh William! by Elizabeth Strout
All’s Well by Mona Awad
Matrix by Lauren Groff
We Want What We Want by Alix Ohlin
Bewilderment by Richard Powers
Astra by Cedar Bowers
Care Of by Ivan Coyote
Everyone Knows Your Mother is a Witch by Rivka Galchen
What Strange Paradise by Omar el Akkad
Return of the Tricksterby Eden Robinson
Crossroads by Jonathan Franzen
Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder
On Animals by Susan Orlean
Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker
Middlemarch by George Elliot
This weekend, Hong Kongers head to the polls to elect their government. Well, to elect 20 of the 90 seats in their Legislative Council – and from a roster of candidates carefully vetted by the Communist Party of China in Beijing.
The Globe’s Asia correspondent James Griffiths tells us how Hong Kong’s normally boisterous election has been quieted by the new national security law, and why it’s still going ahead despite critics calling it a sham.
Case counts are rising in many parts of the country as Omicron becomes the dominant variant of COVID-19. As some regions reintroduce public health restrictions, there’s a growing call to make rapid tests (also called rapid antigen tests) more widely available. The availability and cost of these tests varies across the country – anyone can buy them online, but at a fairly steep price compared to the free ones available at libraries across Nova Scotia.
Dr. Dalia Hasan started COVID Test Finders to share information about finding rapid tests, to raise money for those who can’t afford them and to advocate for more equitable access to rapid testing.
Two years ago, the Prime Minister of Ethiopia was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. But for over a year now, a civil war has raged in Ethiopia between the federal government and the Tigrayan People’s Liberation Front.
Throughout the conflict, reports emerged of violence against civilians being committed by all sides, including horrific sexual assault. Lucy Kassa is an Ethiopian freelance journalist investigating these attacks, speaking to women and girls victimized by soldiers on both sides of the conflict – even after she fled the country after being threatened by men who broke into her home and interrogated her about her journalism.
What is the price of a wetland? A forest? A river? How can you even go about assessing the value of natural habitats? How do you factor in the watershed’s ability to mitigate flooding? What’s the price of all that carbon a forest sucks up?
Governments in Canada are starting to grapple with these questions, especially in face of climate change and increasing extreme weather events. Environment reporter Kathryn Blaze Baum explores the nascent world of eco-assets, or natural assets, and looks at the complex issues around how values are ascribed to natural landscapes and why some people are worried about the consequences of this shift in thinking.
In 1957, a lone Mountie in northern B.C. heard rumours about sexual abuse of boys who attended the Lower Post residential school.
The Mountie and a group of Kaska Dena children brought the sexual predator to trial, but intimidation of witnesses derailed the case. Fast forward decades later, to mark Canada’s first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, the Lower Post Nation burned the former residential school to the ground.
The Globe’s Patrick White was there to watch the flames. While investigating how justice was thwarted more than 60 years ago, he discovers the cover-up that allowed the abuse of children to continue.
Ukraine and U.S. intelligence officials, as well as online sleuthers, have noticed a buildup of Russian troops along most of the border separating the former Soviet country from Russia. It has sparked worries that an invasion may be imminent and we could see a repeat of 2014, when Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula.
Senior International Correspondent Mark MacKinnon recently travelled to Kyiv to talk to Ukraine’s defence minister and get a sense of how concerned people are of the possibility of Russian aggression. Meanwhile, Russia says these fears are overblown and President Vladimir Putin recently held a call with U.S. President Joe Biden to discuss the situation. But was it enough to diffuse the tensions?
In December of 2020 there was a lot of hope in the air as the first shots of the COVID-19 vaccine were administered in Canada. Fast forward a year and more than 75 per cent of the population is considered fully vaccinated with two doses. But with the Delta variant still dominant and public health officials on high alert about the new Omicron variant, another shot of the vaccine is being recommended by the National Advisory Committee on Immunization. That means a third dose of the vaccine could soon be made available for many Canadians 18 years of age and older.
The Globe’s health reporter, Carly Weeks, explains why a booster shot is being recommended, how it will help with waning immunity and what we should expect as we head into a second COVID-19 winter.
The experts said there’d be about 38,000 jobs added to Canada’s labour force in November. So when Statistics Canada announced that that number was actually 154,000, people were left scratching their heads. Especially since this news comes at a moment when Canada is facing a labour shortage.
So what’s going on? And just how good is this news, actually? Economics reporter for The Globe and Mail Matt Lundy digs into the new labour numbers, explains what experts think is causing this surge and what it means for the rest of the economy.
It has been 32 years since the École Polytechnique massacre, which left 14 women dead and spurred a debate about gun control in Canada. Progress on this file has been mixed, with various pieces of legislation over the decades that have made some efforts to prevent more mass shootings but stopped short of full-on bans of certain weapons.
The Globe and Mail’s Patrick White clarifies which guns are legal, how our gun laws compare to those in the U.S. and what gun-control advocates would like to see changed.
The debate over the place and importance of the French language in Canada erupted into the corporate world after Air Canada CEO Michael Rousseau gave a speech, mainly in English, in Montreal, and afterward said it was “testament” to the city that he hasn’t needed to learn French in the 14 years that he has lived there.
His comments caused a cascade of criticism from politicians and ended up having a ripple effect for other English-speaking CEOs. Now Michael Rousseau is vowing to learn the language. Report on Business columnist, Rita Trichur, explains why bilingualism is a key component of being a corporate leader in Canada.
Barbados has moved on to a new future after the country declared itself a republic and replaced Queen Elizabeth II as its head of state with its recently elected president, Sandra Mason. The land was colonized by Britain 400 years ago, eventually becoming a slave society where hundreds of thousands of enslaved Africans were brought to work on plantations growing tobacco, cotton, and sugar, among other crops.
And while this moment was met with joyous celebration – and pop star Rihanna became, officially, a National Hero – the idea of the country becoming a republic had actually been debated for many years.
Kareem Smith, a reporter for the online publication Barbados Today, explains what the future holds for the country and how the younger generation pushed for this moment to happen.
A bill first introduced in March 2020 is back in Parliament, as its backers try for the third time to put conversion therapy in the Criminal Code of Canada. And this time, the bill would ban the practice for adults as well as children.
Globe Parliamentary reporter Janice Dickson has the latest on the effort to effectively ban the disgraced practice that purports to change people’s sexual orientation or gender identity.
Last week the world learned about Omicron, the new COVID-19 variant. It was first detected in Southern Africa and many countries quickly tightened restrictions on travellers arriving from the region and imposed travel bans. The World Health Organization declared Omicron “a variant of concern” because of the very large number of mutations that could pose a high global risk of infection surges.
The Globe’s Science Correspondent Ivan Semeniuk tells us what is currently known about the new variant and what it could mean about the efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccines that are currently available.
Many producers and investors had high expectations that cannabis-infused drinks would offer new and existing users a new way to get high. Some predicted hundreds of millions of dollars in annual sales from this type of product. But so far, reality hasn’t lived up to the hype, as THC drinks struggled to break into an extremely competitive and regulated market with only mellow sales.
The Globe’s business reporter Irene Galea looks into what those problems are and what they could mean for the future of the industry.
Last week, two Cineplex movie theatres in Richmond Hill and Oakville Ontario were vandalized. Both theatres were showing the South Indian film, Kurup, and had multiple screens slashed. The mysterious incident is not the first time South Indian movie screenings have been targeted. It’s something that’s been happening since 2015.
Joe Castaldo is a reporter for the Report on Business at The Globe. He explains what exactly has been going on and what some people in the industry think might be behind the incidents.
The floods in British Columbia’s Fraser Valley have left much of the area in ruin. One community that has been particularly hard hit is farmers. Damage to farms in the area – which supply about half of B.C.’s eggs, dairy and poultry – has been catastrophic. Thousands of animals have died and many of the properties remain underwater.
The Globe’s Andrea Woo describes her experience on the ground in Abbotsford, B.C. Then Ann Hui, The Globe’s national food reporter, explains what impact this will have on the food supply and why it could take a long time before these farms are back up and running.
Pretty much as soon as the election was over, murmurs began, questioning how much longer Conservative leader Erin O’Toole would lead. Now there’s a new session of Parliament and O’Toole can’t seem to get away from questions about strife within his own party, from issues like the vaccine status of his caucus members to petitions being launched about the timing of his next leadership review.
Ian Bailey is a reporter with the Globe’s Ottawa bureau and author of the Politics Briefing newsletter, and he’ll explain the tumult from the last few weeks inside the party and what it means in terms of how the Conservatives will be able to function as the Official Opposition in this minority government.
Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai disappeared from the public eye after accusing the former vice-premier of China of sexually assaulting her. The accusation was wiped from her Weibo account within an hour.
Nothing much happened until tennis stars like Naomi Osaka and Billie Jean King, along with international media and the Women’s Tennis Association, began asking where Peng went a few weeks later. Then a message allegedly from Peng appeared, followed by a video purportedly showing her safely out at dinner. This didn’t convince everyone of her safety or that her allegations were being taken seriously by Chinese authorities.
But, as Globe sports columnist Cathal Kelly argues, it was enough to kill the news story and to quiet calls for boycotting the upcoming Beijing Olympics.
Gender-based violence often doesn’t get reported to authorities, and the signs that someone might need help are easily missed by friends, family and even the person experiencing the abuse. But a hand signal created for people to silently ask for help recently went viral on Tik Tok – and was used by a missing teen who ended up getting rescued in Kentucky.
Elizabeth Renzetti is a columnist and feature writer at The Globe who often covers issues around gender-based violence. She explains how the hand signal came to be, why it matters that it went viral on Tik Tok and what we need to know about the more subtle signs of abuse that often go overlooked.
A border between Poland and Belarus which has been at the centre of a geopolitical conflict is now quiet. Thousands of asylum-seekers, many of them fleeing conflict zones in the Middle East, were trapped in Belarus hoping to cross over into Poland. On Thursday, Belarussian authorities cleared the main camps, but it’s not known what will happen to the people still trying to cross into the EU.
Mark MacKinnon is The Globe’s senior international correspondent. He was recently in Poland and explains why the situation is widely considered a manufactured crisis motivated by revenge, what the geopolitical implications are and how the people seeking refuge are caught in the middle.
It has been five years since the North American leaders have gathered together for one of their so-called Three Amigos Summits. And while U.S. President Joe Biden is a familiar face to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, some of the current U.S. policies are not so nice to Canada.
The Globe and Mail’s Washington, D.C. correspondent, Adrian Morrow, is on the show to discuss what Trudeau will likely be pushing Biden on, especially around some protectionist trade issues, and what the U.S. and Mexico may want from Canada in return.
Record rainfall has caused flooding and mudslides in several parts of Vancouver Island and southern mainland B.C. Hundreds were trapped in their cars by mudslides, with at least one person killed and thousands evacuated from communities devastated by flooding.
Globe environment reporter Kathryn Blaze Baum explains what caused the rainstorm that wreaked havoc on the province and how this summer’s wildfires and heat dome are related.
Lee Maracle’s career inspired a generation of Indigenous writers to write about their own experience. The author, poet and activist died last week at 71 years old.
Maracle’s friend, the playwright, author and frequent Globe columnist Drew Hayden Taylor, remembers Maracle and her legacy.
You can listen to Maracle’s Margaret Laurence Lecture from the Writers’ Trust of Canada here.
A recent Ontario Court of Appeal ruling found that the Crown violated two treaties signed in 1850. The agreements cover a vast part of Northern Ontario, and were originally about sharing the wealth of the land. But the government has been paying the Anishinaabe descendants of that land just $4 per person per year.
Sara Mainville is an Anishinaabe lawyer and partner at Olthuis Kleer Townshend in Toronto. She explains to guest host Willow Fiddler how over 100 years later these agreements are still being interpreted literally by governments in Canada, and why treaty agreements should be handled differently.
Humans make a lot of noise – in our streets, in the skies and in our seas. All this anthropogenic clamour is not just annoying, it can be detrimental to the health of both humans and animals. But scientists have never really had a chance to study just how much noise we produce and what would happen if we stopped producing it … until the COVID-19 global pandemic sent most of the world into a lockdown in early 2020.
This temporary silencing of a lot of human activity was a silver lining to the pandemic as it provided scientists with conditions to conduct experiments and learn about the natural world. Today on the show we speak to three Canadian researchers who all listened and learned during the Great Quieting of early 2020.
Thanks to Dr. Nicola Koper, Dr. William Minarik and Dr. David Barclay.
Retired Corporal Robin Rickards did three tours of duty with the Canadian Armed Forces in Afghanistan, and he kept in touch with Afghans who worked in support roles that he met there. Since the Taliban retook control of Afghanistan this August after the US and coalition forces withdrew, he’s been fielding calls for help fleeing the country.
One interpreter Rickards worked with, Abdul Jamy Kohistany, did make it to Canada with his immediate family, but had to leave other family members behind in Afghanistan. Rickards tells us about how Kohistany is settling in Thunder Bay, why he considers him and other Afghans veterans, and why veterans are still working to bring others to safety.
The price of Canadian dairy products might be jumping early next year and that’s because of the Canadian Dairy Commission. Recently, they announced an unprecedented 8.4% increase for the price farmers are paid for milk, and a 12.4% increase for the price of butter. And those price hikes might well be passed along to you at the supermarket.
Sylvain Charlebois is a professor of food distribution and policy and the director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University. He explains how the cost of dairy gets set every year, why Canada still has a supply-management system for dairy and whether or not it’s actually beneficial to farmers and Canadians.
There are only a few days left at the 26th annual Conference of the Parties, and negotiators from over 200 countries are still working on trying to hammer out agreements to help reduce global emissions.
There has already been a long list of promises made at this summit, but are any of them cause for optimism? Are they building momentum to put pressure on governments to actually implement policies to fulfill them? Or are they all a bunch of ‘blah, blah, blah,’ as climate activist Greta Thunberg puts it?
The Globe’s climate change columnist Adam Radwanski joined The Decibel from COP26 in Glasgow to talk about how history will judge this iteration of the world’s attempts to stunt climate change.
Stealthing – the act of someone deliberately removing or not wearing a condom after their partner insists on one – is currently being addressed by the Supreme Court of Canada. The case being reviewed by the Justices will affect the interpretation of consent.
Justice writer Sean Fine breaks down the case before the highest court and the two approaches being debated over how to determine what constitutes sexual assault.
It’s an enticing promise that’s being sold: Come to Canada as an international student and find prosperity. And it’s being heavily sold to young people in India’s Punjab province, where some Canadian post-secondary institutions aren’t just recruiting but have become household names in villages on the other side of the world.
The problem is that life in Canada for these students is often bumpy and many feel they lack the supports they need when it comes to housing, employment and mental health services. Meanwhile, colleges and universities are profiting off of increasingly higher enrolment numbers of international students. The Globe’s national race and ethnicity reporter, Dakshana Bascaramurty, shares what she has learned about Canada’s international student program.
Over 100 countries – including Canada – made a pledge this week at COP26 to end and reverse deforestation by 2030. It’s a commendable goal that could help meet global climate targets, but Canada also has work to do domestically.
Protecting some of the oldest and rarest trees from logging in British Columbia is an ongoing battle. On Tuesday, B.C.’s government proposed to suspend logging in one-third of the province’s old growth forests. How fast that will happen remains a question. The Globe’s B.C. legislative reporter, Justine Hunter has been covering the tensions around harvesting old growth forests for decades. She explains what B.C. is planning to do and how it fits into the big picture goals of saving the trees.
As the global economy revs back up after the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, consumer demand is up. Supply chains are bogged down. So prices are spiking and the inflation rate is getting higher – and concern is rising with it.
Economics columnist David Parkinson is on The Decibel to unpack what’s happening with inflation and why he thinks that with some time and some patience it’ll settle back down.
Cindy Blackstock, executive director of the First Nations Child and Family Caring society, has been at the heart of an ongoing battle with the federal government. While working as a social worker in B.C., Blackstock noticed that the child welfare program for First Nations kids living on-reserve received less funding than for kids living off reserve. She, along with the Assembly of First Nations, filed a human rights complaint in 2007. In 2016, the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal agreed that federal underfunding of child welfare services on-reserve was discriminatory and led to thousands of children being unnecessarily taken into care.
The tribunal ordered Ottawa to pay up to $40,000 to those affected by this discrimination. But the government has challenged the CHRT order on several occasions – including most recently last week. Cindy Blackstock is on the show to talk about what this most recent development means and where the fight for compensation goes from here.
We’ve already warmed the climate by 1.1 C and we’re starting to see the effects with more frequent extreme weather events. On Monday, political leaders from around the globe will address the world to talk about how they plan to tackle the immense challenge of climate change.
Dr. Sarah Burch is a climate change researcher and an associate professor at the University of Waterloo. She is on the show today to discuss what to watch out for from COP26 and why – despite the complexity of the problem – she hasn’t lost hope that we can still save the world from the worst effects of climate change.
China’s President Xi Jinping is unlikely to attend COP26, leaving some to wonder how countries will be able to agree on bold moves to lessen climate change without the leader of the world’s highest carbon-emitting country at the table. Over the next two weeks, leaders from more than 190 countries will meet in Glasgow to talk about the state of climate change and how to transition to a low-carbon economy.
The Globe’s Asia correspondent James Griffiths explains why Xi Jinping isn’t expected to attend, what it means for the success of COP26 and what exactly China’s plans are for reducing emissions.
Only nine people in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s new cabinet remained in their old jobs. The massive shakeup in the team included putting a climate activist in charge of Environment and Climate Change Canada, a rising star in Foreign Affairs and the first woman of colour at the head of a problem-plagued Defence ministry.
But what do all these moves mean? And why should voters care about the promotions and demotions that were handed out? Parliamentary reporter Marieke Walsh is back on The Decibel to break it all down.
Over the last year, almost a dozen senior Canadian military leaders have been accused of either enabling or perpetrating sexual misconduct, prompting an independent review by a former Supreme Court justice, and many calls for change within the Canadian Armed Forces.
But Megan MacKenzie, a professor and the Simons Chair in International Law and Human Security at Simon Fraser University who researches the intersection of gender and culture in the military, says the kind of cultural change needed in the military goes beyond senior leadership.
The largest childhood mass vaccination campaign since polio could soon be underway in Canada. Health Canada recently received a submission from Pfizer/BioNtech to approve COVID-19 vaccines for kids aged 5-11. On Oct. 22 the drugmaker also released data from a clinical trial that showed their vaccine was 90.7% effective for that age group. Following shortly behind, Moderna announced on Oct. 25 that their vaccine generated a strong immune response in kids aged 6-11. While this is all hopeful news, not all parents are ready to get their kids inoculated.
Health reporter Carly Weeks explains why some parents remain hesitant about the COVID-19 vaccine for kids, what needs to be done to combat that hesitancy and how the logistical preparation and educational work needs to start ASAP in order to avoid another chaotic vaccination rollout in Canada.
The first sign that there was fighting at the highest levels of power at Rogers Communications Inc. appeared in late September. That’s when it was announced that the company’s CFO, Anthony Staffieri, was leaving. Soon afterward, The Globe reported that his departure was connected to an attempt he made to oust Rogers’ CEO, Joe Natale, with the help of then-chair of the board, Edward Rogers.
In the weeks since then, there has been a lot of fallout as the rift in the company – and within the Rogers family itself – has deepened. The Globe’s telecoms reporter Alexandra Posadzki has been breaking news on this file for nearly a month now and is on the show to explain the cast of characters involved in this corporate drama and what it means for one of Canada’s biggest telecoms companies and the family that runs it.
Cryptocurrency, like Bitcoin, created a whole new market – and it felt like a whole new world to journalist and author Ethan Lou. He wrote Once a Bitcoin Miner: Scandal and Turmoil in the Cryptocurrency Wild West. After he started investing in Bitcoin while in university, he ended up making enough money to quit his job as a journalist at Reuters in his mid-twenties.
Ethan tells us about his own adventure in the fast-paced cryptocurrency culture of Calgary in the late 2010s, and how Wild West frontier myths help explain the draw of cryptocurrency, despite the downsides that come with the ups and downs of the market.
Dave Chappelle’s latest Netflix comedy special, The Closer, has been getting a lot of criticism since its release on October 5th. That’s because a number of jokes in the standup are about trans people and are being called transphobic. This prompted some Netflix employees to stage a walkout on Wednesday in protest of the special but also because the company continues to stand by the content and the comedian.
Imara Jones is a journalist and founder and CEO of TransLash Media. She explains why The Closer is so enraging, why Netflix’s defence of Chappelle may come at a cost to the company and why she thinks the content in the special could cause real-life harm to trans people.
On Monday, Albertans headed to the ballot box to cast their votes on a number of things: municipal leaders, the merits of daylight savings and whether the country should get rid of the mention of equalization from the Constitution Act of 1982. But there’s a problem with that last one: Alberta alone can’t actually make any changes to the country’s Constitution.
So what was the point of this referendum? Globe columnist and reporter Kelly Cryderman thinks this was more about politics than policy and says that this vote couldn’t have happened at a worst time for people, like Alberta Premier Jason Kenney, who want to see Ottawa renegotiate the equalization program.
People in Iqaluit are in the midst of a water crisis. On Oct. 12 a state of emergency was declared when some of the 9,000 residents in Nunavut’s capital city complained of a suspicious fuel-like odour coming from their taps. Since then, they’ve been told to avoid drinking that water. Recent test results confirmed the water is contaminated with high levels of hydrocarbons consistent with diesel fuel or kerosene.
National news reporter Willow Fiddler has been following the story and she explains what we know about the situation so far, how people in Iqaluit have been managing without any tap water and how it’s related to a broader water crisis facing many Indigenous communities in Canada.
In the early days of the pandemic, many speculated that being locked down with partners would inevitably lead to a baby boom. Recently, Statistics Canada released preliminary data that points to the opposite. In 2020, more than 13,000 fewer babies were born than in the previous year. Experts were surprised at just how sharp the decline was.
Zosia Bielski is a national reporter for The Globe who writes about how we live together and apart, and traces large-scale social shifts. She explains why so many people chose to put a pause on family planning, why experts are saying the data may have a silver lining and whether this baby bust could just be a blip.
A terrorism hoax charge has been withdrawn years after a Burlington, Ont., man told multiple journalists that he had travelled to Syria and worked as an executioner for ISIS. An RCMP investigation then found no evidence that Shehroze Chaudhry, now 26, went to Syria or joined the terrorist organization.
Leah West, national security lawyer and professor at the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs at Carleton University, discusses how the story of an ISIS fighter among us sparked a political scandal and stoked public fear that has affected how our country is dealing with Canadians who really did go fight overseas and are now being detained there – along with their children.
Restaurants in Canada are facing an exodus. Over the past 19 months the hospitality industry has lost 15 per cent of the work force. Labour issues have been plaguing restaurants since the pandemic began and many are scrambling to hire and keep workers on. But this is an issue that existed long before COVID-19.
Therese DeGrace worked in restaurants, including as a chef and as a consultant, for almost 30 years. Working with food had always been a dream of hers, but her expectations didn’t match up with her experience. She talks about what it’s like working in the industry, why the pandemic prompted so many to leave and what restaurants need to do to get workers back.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has yet to set a date for the reopening of Parliament nearly a month after the federal election.
Parliamentary reporter Marieke Walsh updates us on what the parties think about their gains, their losses – and their leaders – as they look toward a new session.
Today we're bringing you an episode of City Space, a new podcast from The Globe and Mail about how to make our cities better, hosted by Adrian Lee.
The 15-minute city is an urban planning concept that would see neighbourhoods designed so that day-to-day amenities are always just a short walk or bike ride away. And after living 18+ months of pandemic life, where most of us were forced to stay in our own neighbourhoods, it seems like implementing this idea in as many cities as possible will pay nothing but dividends. But while it’s popular in other parts of the world like many European cities, can we really just cut and paste the idea in Canada?
In this episode, we hear from Alain Miguelez, Ottawa’s Manager of Policy Planning, who believes our nation’s capital is ripe for the 15-minute city and explains why he’s working hard to help execute it there. Plus, we check in with Jay Pitter, an award-winning placemaker and urban planning lecturer, about why she believes there is a crucial — but so far, absent — step necessary for the 15-minute city to actually work in North America.
A deadline to get the COVID-19 jab – or lose their job – is quickly approaching for unvaccinated health care workers in Quebec and British Columbia. Meanwhile, the issue of mandatory vaccinations is also being hotly debated in other provinces such as Ontario. All of this is prompting questions about what could happen to our hospitals and long-term care centres if thousands of workers suddenly aren’t allowed to work?
Health columnist André Picard discusses why the anticipated staff shortage may not actually pan out, why now is the time for these kinds of mandates and explores the reasons why thousands of health care workers in Canada remain unvaccinated.
On February 23, 2018, Ulla Theoret was murdered along with her son and her mother by a neighbour who was obsessed with her. More than three years later, an Ontario committee that reviews all cases of intimate partner homicides examined what happened to Ulla and her family and provided some recommendations for the province’s Solicitor General.
The review was prompted by national reporter Molly Hayes’s initial investigation and she is on the Decibel to discuss how this case challenges the way authorities think about domestic violence, why unconventional relationships are often overlooked and the red flags that police sometimes miss.
It’s been a busy few days for Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen. On Sunday, the former lead product manager for Facebook’s Civic Misinformation team went public with her criticism of the company in an interview on 60 Minutes. Then on Tuesday, she testified before a U.S. Senate hearing and accused the social media company of putting profits ahead of people and democracy.
Now that it’s known that Facebook knew about the addictive nature and harmful effects of its platforms, what should be done about it? Taylor Owen is an associate professor and director of the centre for media technology and democracy at McGill University, where he studies Facebook and other Big Tech companies. He is on The Decibel to unpack what kinds of regulations governments could enact if they want to fix Facebook.
What do blackouts in China, surging natural gas prices in Europe and Asia and renewable energy have to do with each other? They are all wrapped up in a bumpy moment for the global energy supply as economies across the world revved up following a pandemic-induced slowdown.
Globe and Mail reporter Jeffrey Jones explains exactly why this pickup in demand has stressed our global supply at this moment, how that’s causing a ripple effect worldwide and what can be done about it to prevent future crunches as we continue to transition away from fossil fuels as our primary source of energy.
In 2018, The Globe’s telecom industry reporter Alexandra Posadzki was hacked via a cell phone scam known as SIM swapping. This allowed the hacker to assume her identity and correspond with her friends and my family. The ordeal left her feeling unsettled and wondering just how common this type of fraud is in Canada.
The answers, as Posadzki found out, weren’t readily available. She had to file an access to information request to get the first-ever glimpse into the prevalence of these types of attacks in Canada. She’s on the show to explain what she found out, how you can try to prevent this fraud from happening to you and why there needs to be more transparency around what measures are being taken to stop it.
More than 4,000 care home residents have died in Quebec during the pandemic, but not all were directly due to COVID-19. Some were left to languish – without food, water or basic sanitary care – during the first wave of the pandemic and essentially died of neglect. The most infamous example was a home called Résidence Herron, where 47 of the 139 residents passed away after the home’s staff disappeared once the novel coronavirus struck.
A coroner’s inquest that has included public testimony has clarified the details of the tragedies that unfolded and chaos inside these care homes. National reporter Tu Thanh Ha discusses the disastrous chain of events that led to a collapse of care, causing the undignified deaths of many seniors.
As Canada marks the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, we remember its origin in Orange Shirt Day, and explore how to meaningfully measure progress toward reconciliation.
One way: The Canadian Reconciliation Barometer, developed by Indigenous and non-Indigenous researchers. Katherine Starzyk is a psychology professor at the University of Manitoba and principal investigator on the project, and Ry Moran is a collaborator, member of the Red River Metis and the associate university librarian-reconciliation at the University of Victoria. They’ll help explain what exactly the project is measuring, and how this gauge can be used to inform the conversation.
Marie Henein is one of Canada’s most famous criminal defence lawyers. Her successful career is highlighted by her representation of well-known clients most notably, former CBC host Jian Ghomeshi. This has also made her a polarizing figure. Defending Ghomeshi against sexual assault charges – which he was acquitted thanks to her work – garnered public backlash. She was even accused of being a traitor to her gender.
In a new book, Nothing But The Truth: A Memoir, Henein details her journey from her childhood in Egypt to her high-profile legal career. She sat down with Robyn Doolittle to discuss what she thinks needs to change in our justice system, how growing up surrounded by strong women has shaped her and her thoughts on the future of the #MeToo movement.
After spending more than a 1,000 days in Chinese detention, Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor arrived back in Canada on Saturday. Just hours earlier, Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou, who was arrested in Vancouver’s airport in 2018 on charges related to violating U.S. sanctions, returned to China after a deal was reached with U.S. prosecutors. These events signal a swift and dramatic end to what has been a tumultuous time for Canada and China’s relationship.
Yves Tiberghien, a political science professor at the University of British Columbia, explains the details of the deal, why he thinks it left Canada looking admirable on the world stage, and why China’s history made Meng’s return to China strike such a chord with the Chinese public.
There’s a four-lane bridge that separates Del Rio, Texas from Acuña, Mexico. As far as border crossings go, it’s not that remarkable. But until this Friday, the scene had looked more like a refugee camp for most of September as thousands of migrants gathered there with hopes of getting into the United States.
The Globe’s Nathan Vanderklippe went to visit the migrant camp at this spot along the U.S.-Mexico border. There he spoke to Haitian migrants, many of whom travelled for months from South America to get there and then found themselves staring down the prospect of being deported back to their homeland. Nathan is on the show to share their stories and how the U.S. is handling yet another immigrant dilemma.
What do you do when your depression doesn’t respond to traditional treatments? Especially when that depression is severe and causes suicidal thoughts? For author Anna Mehler Paperny, that meant turning to ketamine.
Often thought of as just a party drug, evidence for the use of ketamine as a treatment for depression is growing. Anna details her journey navigating the new treatment as a patient, examining how the therapeutic use of psychedelic drugs has changed the way we understand the brain and depression.
If you are having thoughts of suicide, call Kids Help Phone at 1-800-668-6868 or Crisis Service Canada at 1-833-456-4566, or visit crisisservicescanada.ca.
China’s second-largest property developer, Evergrande, owes about US$300-billion in liabilities, sparking fears that the property developer could default. But would Beijing allow such a huge company to fail?
The Globe’s Asia correspondent James Griffiths explains how Evergrande became a behemoth in a real estate market overrun with speculation, and why its current trouble started partly because of new government crackdowns on inequality in China.
There is a reckoning happening on campus at Western University. The London, Ont., post-secondary institution is reeling after allegations that young women were drugged and sexually assaulted started spilling out over social media following its orientation week earlier this month.
Now the university is pledging to do something, not just to make students feel safer on campus but to address the underlying cultural issues that have led to this situation. The Globe and Mail’s postsecondary education reporter, Joe Friesen, is on the show with Hope Mahood, the co-ordinating news editor for Western’s student paper, the Western Gazette. They discuss the mood at the university now, what pressures the university administration is facing and what promises are being made.
Justin Trudeau and the Liberal Party of Canada won their third straight election, but failed to capture a majority mandate in Canada’s 44th federal election. By early Tuesday morning, the results nearly mirrored the seat count when parliament was dissolved.
So now the question that is being asked is: Was the campaign worth it? Political columnist and writer at-large John Ibbitson and parliamentary reporter Kristy Kirkup join to discuss this, and break down what happened on election night and what it means for the country.
You can find more coverage of the results in the days after the election at www.theglobeandmail.com.
One hundred and eighty two. That’s how many COVID-19 patients were in intensive care unit (ICU) beds at the peak of Alberta’s third wave in May. But after a summer of no restrictions, that number is now beyond 200. And it is going to climb; public officials are nearly certain about that.
Alberta Bureau Chief James Keller is on the show to explain how the province wound up here, why vaccination rates are the lowest in the country and what lies ahead for hospitals as case counts rise and ICUs are pushed to the brink.
At the start of the federal election campaign, we asked the three major federal party leaders to come on the show. Conservative leader Erin O’Toole’s team declined, and we never heard back from Liberal leader Justin Trudeau.
But this week, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh said yes, and from his tour bus between campaign stops, we asked him about his party’s plans to protect people from the effects of climate change and make affordable housing, and about strategic voting and low voter turnout among young people.
For the first time, all four major federal parties have credible climate plans. And there is even some agreement between them. For example, they all want to invest in electric vehicles, develop battery supply chains and transition to a greener economy. But where do they differ? And whose plans are the most realistic according to experts? And will any of them actually hit their greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets?
Emma Gilchrist joins the show. She is the Editor-in-Chief of The Narwhal, a non-profit journalism organization that does investigative work about Canada’s natural world. She breaks down the various climate change policies across the different party platforms to help voters make sense of what plans are being offered to save the world.
In scenes that have baffled many across the country, groups of people have been protesting COVID-19 legislation outside hospitals. Despite the fact that healthcare workers have nothing to do with lockdowns or vaccine mandates, they are still being targeted by these demonstrations.
Globe health reporter Andrea Woo went to one of these protests in Vancouver this week and is on the show today to discuss what the protesters said, who is organizing them, and why this is happening during a fourth wave of the pandemic that by some measures is worse than ever before in Alberta and Saskatchewan.
Read more about the response to these demonstrations.
The increasing price of everything from cell phone bills to housing to child care can feel overwhelming. And when a federal election rolls around, it’s a chance for politicians of all parties to vie for votes by pledging to make life more affordable for Canadians.
So who is promising what in this election? And what do the experts think about their solutions? Report on Business reporter Mark Rendell is on the show to go through how the Liberals, Conservatives and the NDP are saying they will make your life cheaper, especially when it comes to home ownership and daycare.
Mohammed Sharif Sharaf and Mukhtar Amiri worked for The Globe in Afghanistan alongside our correspondents. Between them, their work for the newspaper spans a decade, and included translating, arranging interviews, reporting trips and helping Globe reporters safely navigate a country at war.
When the Taliban took back Afghanistan in August, Sharif and Mukhtar knew that work put them – and their entire families – at risk of attack by the Taliban or their supporters. The Globe’s Senior International Correspondent Mark MacKinnon and other journalists knew that too, and began figuring out a way to help their former colleagues escape.
You can read and watch more about the escape of Sharif and Mukhtar here.
Omar Mouallem was just a kid growing up in High Prairie, Alberta when the World Trade Center in New York was brought down by two commercial airplanes hijacked by members of the terrorist group al-Qaeda, killing almost 3,000 people.
Now a journalist and author, Omar explores how the events of that day shaped his own relationship to his Muslim heritage, and about his journey to mosques and Muslim communities across the Americas to better understand the history and present day lives of Muslims here.
You can read Omar’s essay for the Globe on the 20th anniversary of 9/11 here. His book Praying to the West: How Muslims Shaped the Americas is out on September 21st.
With less than two weeks to go, the federal election campaign is heating up with two official election debates back-to-back. While Jagmeet Singh’s NDP have gained ground, polling suggests the Conservatives’ popularity have tied them with Justin Trudeau’s Liberals.
Writer-at-large and political columnist John Ibbitson has been on the campaign trail with Erin O’Toole, and tells us how the leader has exceeded expectations this campaign.
Women were hit harder than men by layoffs during the pandemic, and those who were caregivers or parents and kept working had to contend with COVID-19 outbreaks in long-term care and schools. Online learning, runny noses and COVID-19 scares all meant that kids stayed home more, often on short notice. This made remote work necessary for many parents and the burden fell disproportionately on women.
As kids return to school, and the vaccine buys us some freedom to move around, employers are eyeing a return to the office. But child care remains precarious as COVID-19 scares – or even the kind of common childhood bugs that resemble the virus – threaten to keep kids home on short notice. That reality, along with the flexibility of remote work many employees have grown accustomed to, has given rise to the idea of a hybrid model, where employees can choose when to work at home, and when to come into the office.
But as ROB senior business writer and columnist Rita Trichur points out, the hybrid model can only work fairly if those who need to work remotely are given the same opportunities to advance in their careers as the employees who put in more face time at the office. And that means deliberately shifting the culture of many workplaces.
Even before COVID-19, one in five kids in Canada met the diagnostic criteria for a mental disorder. Since school closures, lockdowns, job loss, and of course the illness and death caused by the pandemic, children’s mental health has gotten even worse.
Dr. Tracy Vaillancourt is co-author of a report from the Royal Society of Canada that explains what we know about the effects of school closures on children during the pandemic. She is a professor and Canada Research Chair in Children’s Mental Health and Violence Prevention at the University of Ottawa.
She’ll explain how the government could help children struggling with their mental health in the wake of the pandemic, and how parents can support their children’s mental health.
Seven Hong Kong democracy activists were sentenced to prison this week for their roles in the 2019 protests that saw hundreds of thousands of people protesting, and many violent clashes with the city’s police.
That unrest continues to have a major impact on Hong Kong today, thanks to the national security law passed in its wake, which banned secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign powers. This broad law created a chilling effect on the city’s once-vibrant pro-democracy movement and other civil society.
Hong Kong-based Asia correspondent James Griffiths speaks with us from the city to explore how it has changed since the national security law was passed.
We’re heading into the third school year of the pandemic. For 18 months now, students and their parents have had to deal with unpredictable school disruptions and a lot of anxiety around contracting COVID-19. Most students were forced into remote learning for weeks at a time. Kids in Ontario spent more than half of the 2020-2021 academic year out of the classrooms. Most kids and parents managed the isolation, the screen time, the tech issues. But very few thrived.
And now that the vaccination rollout has over 65 per cent Canadians fully inoculated, most Canadian students are returning to in-person learning. But there is still a tangled web of restrictions for parents to sort out and the looming threat of the Delta variant that could send kids home, again.
The Globe and Mail’s education reporter, Caroline Alphonso, is on the show to help parents understand how schools are gearing up to keep kids stay and facilitate as normal of a return to school this fall as possible.
The fraud trial of Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes has started in California. Holmes has been accused of defrauding investors and patients by lying about a groundbreaking technology that could test for a range of diseases from a single drop of blood.
Jason Kirby, a reporter with The Globe’s Report on Business section, has been following the case and tells us Silicon Valley entrepreneurs will no doubt be closely watching to see how the court – and media – regard one of their now-fallen stars, the youngest ever self-made female billionaire.
On Monday it was announced that the last American troops had left Kabul’s airport, ending 20 years of Western military presence in Afghanistan. Canada’s last flight evacuating Canadians and Afghans who had worked with Canada departed last week. But individuals and groups, including The Globe and Mail, continued to try to arrange ways out of the country for those threatened by the Taliban.
Adrian Lee is an editor for Globe Opinion, and our guest host. He first introduces us to two Afghan men who have successfully fled to Ukraine with the help of The Globe. Then, Adrian speaks with Ottawa Bureau Chief Robert Fife about what the government has done — and hasn’t done — to help Afghans trying to flee the Taliban in these final days.
In his new memoir, environmentalist Clayton Thomas-Müller recounts growing up surrounded by love and strength – but also family violence, relentless racism, and poverty. From selling drugs in a gang to organizing environmental campaigns against oil and gas extraction, the stories of Thomas-Müller’s life defy any one category to paint a complex picture of what it is to be a Cree man in Canada.
Guest host and Globe national reporter Willow Fiddler speaks with Thomas-Müller about the connection between fighting climate change and healing in Indigenous communities, and how his book Life in the City of Dirty Water is part of his own path to healing.
As a bonus, we're bringing you an episode of Stress Test, a podcast about personal finance from The Globe and Mail, hosted by Rob Carrick and Roma Luciw.
A lot of people feel uncomfortable negotiating with their boss for a raise and other perks. But if you don’t ask, you won’t get. And it’s definitely a lot easier to save money if you’re making more of it. We hear from a group of friends (who tell each other everything) as they discuss their recent experiences asking for a raise. Plus, Roma talks to Hadiya Roderique, who taught negotiation at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management and also was a lawyer. She shares her tips on how to make your case like an expert.
Despite the pandemic, Canada’s federal election campaign has felt somewhat normal. There have been socially-distant campaign events and speeches full of policy promises. The NDP and Conservatives have released their platforms and while the Liberals haven’t released theirs, they are still making new announcements. But has one of these issues come to define the campaign so far?
Marieke Walsh, a political reporter at The Globe and Mail, joins guest host Laura Stone from the campaign trail to break down what’s been going on so far and explore the big question … what is this federal election actually about?
Should judges take race into account when deciding on punishments for crimes? The Nova Scotia Court of Appeal ruled last week that it should. Judges in that province must now take the effects of marginalization and racism into account when sentencing Black offenders by considering ensuring reports called Impact of Race and Culture Assessments – or it could be grounds for an appeal. Justice Anne Derrick wrote in the ruling that Black and other racialized people are overrepresented in federal prisons. Nearly 10 per cent of Canadian federal prisoners are Black, while Black people make up only 3.5 per cent of the country’s population.
Tanya Walker, a lawyer from Toronto, is on the show to tell us how systemic racism shapes legal outcomes, the importance of rehabilitation, and what this ruling could mean for the future of Canadian law.
Shein may be one of the most successful clothing brands that you’ve never heard of. The fast-fashion giant is where Gen Z shoppers go to find cheap, trendy clothing. Over the course of the pandemic, the brand managed to bring in nearly $10 billion (USD) in sales. But what are the environmental and ethical costs of this quickly produced yet easily disposed form of fashion?
Terry Ngyuen, a reporter for The Goods at Vox, recently wrote a piece called, Shein is the future of fast fashion...is that a good thing?, and is on the show to tell us how Shein got so popular, where it stands alongside competitors and what questions still remain about how it has managed to become so big so quickly.
Canada has an opportunity when it comes to electricity. We’re ahead of the game in some ways. A sizable part of the electrical grid is already decarbonized. And, about 80 per cent of our electricity comes from clean sources like hydroelectricity. But with demand expected to double as we electrify everything in our lives – from electric vehicles to heating homes – Canada’s grid faces some major challenges if we are going to keep up and meet our net-zero climate goals.
The federal election provides us with a moment to have a national conversation about an infrastructure issue that could be as consequential as building the railway was in the 19th century. Columnist Adam Radwanski discusses the hurdles for modernizing and unifying the grid and why all Canadians should care about an admittedly wonky policy topic.
The last time the Taliban ruled Afghanistan, they imposed an extremist interpretation of Shariah law on its people, harboured Osama bin Laden as he planned 9/11, and were ultimately routed from power by the U.S.-led invasion of the country in 2001. Now, they’re back, and giving interviews promising a kinder regime, with amnesty for all Afghans who worked for the government. Meanwhile on Wednesday, civilians were killed when Taliban militants violently dispersed a protest.
Sher Jan Ahmadzai worked in the government of former Afghan president Hamid Karzai, and is now the director of the Center for Afghanistan Studies at the University of Nebraska Omaha.
Today, Professor Ahmadzai tells us who this new Taliban is, how they swept back into power, and why he fears for a “bleak” future for the people of Afghanistan.
After 17 months of lockdowns, masking, social distancing and vaccinations, it looked like we might finally be cresting the worst of the pandemic. But the official word has come from Canada’s top public health officer, Theresa Tam: we’re now in a fourth wave.
Cynthia Carr, an epidemiologist based in Winnipeg, talks about how the combination of the Delta variant, vaccine hesitancy, and schools reopening means this wave will be different.
Read more about the complications the Delta variant will create as kids return to school.
The Taliban’s capture of Kabul has caught NATO governments flat-footed in their efforts to extricate their embassy staff and the Afghan nationals who have been helping them, as well as the troops. While many foreigners have been flown home, a lot of Afghans are stuck. Now, these residents are scared that the Taliban will find them and their families.
Many are wondering if Canada will help them escape while they wait hidden in their homes or in safe houses set up by Canadian veterans. Ottawa reporter Menaka Raman-Wilms has been speaking with people in Kabul as well as the Canadians who are desperately trying to get them out of the country. She explains the context around their private efforts, as well as what the government is pledging it will do.
It’s been almost 1000 days since Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor were detained by the Chinese government. The move was widely seen as retaliation for Canada arresting Chinese citizen Meng Wanzhou on behalf of the U.S. Now, Spavor has received an 11-year sentence for espionage, Kovrig’s sentence is expected any time now, and Meng’s extradition case could continue for years.
The Globe’s new Asia correspondent, James Griffiths, breaks down the politics at play between China, the U.S., Canada and Iran to untangle the threads that link these cases.
Send a message to Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig as they near 1,000 days in detention in China. The Globe and Mail is inviting readers to send letters that we will forward to the Chinese embassy in Ottawa. E-mail audience@globeandmail.com or send hard copies to The Globe and Mail Toronto office with “Attn: Two Michaels” on the envelope: 351 King Street East, Suite 1600. Toronto, ON, M5A 0N1
As a bonus, we're bringing you an episode of Stress Test, a podcast about personal finance from the Globe and Mail, hosted by Rob Carrick and Roma Luciw.
The pandemic ruined many wedding plans. But even before that, a culmination of peer pressure and over-the-top consumerism had pushed the cost of weddings sky-high. It’s made some couples ask: What is a wedding worth? We hear from Jasmine, a glamorous but cost-conscious millennial who got married just as the world first shut down during COVID-19. Plus, Karen Cleveland, co-author of the book called The New Wedding Book: A Guide To Ditching All the Rules, talks with Roma about the need to rethink weddings from a personal finance perspective.
Canada’s last federal election was in the fall of 2019, and the Liberals won a minority government. Now, as some experts say the fourth wave of the pandemic is upon us as case counts rise thanks to the Delta variant, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is rumoured to be preparing to call an election as early as this Sunday, which would mean an election day in late September.
Globe writer at large, John Ibbitson, has been the bureau chief in Ottawa and Washington, D.C for the Globe, and he joins us to explain why he’s expecting an election imminently, why the opposition parties would rather not be campaigning just yet, and how a federal pandemic election might look different— and could even backfire for the Liberals.
Monday’s IPCC report brought together the world’s latest science to tell us what we know about what causes climate change and what exactly it’s doing to our planet. It painted a picture of a world becoming, in some areas more than others, harder for people to live in. Millions of people are already displaced each year because of weather events like hurricanes, flooding, drought and extreme heat, that we now know will become more frequent as climate change progresses. Increasingly, experts have predicted mass, permanent migrations caused by climate change in the coming decades.
Novelist, journalist and former Globe reporter Omar El Akkad joins the show to talk about this emerging group of climate refugees.
The latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) on the latest scientific knowledge about climate change has been released, detailing how human behaviour and particularly greenhouse gas emissions are the main driver of climate change.
Globe science reporter Ivan Semeniuk is back on the show to explain the report’s main findings.
Over the summer, more than 1,200 probable unmarked graves have been located on former residential school sites in Canada, which were mostly run by the Catholic Church of Canada. This has ignited calls for a formal apology from the Church.
Globe reporters Tom Cardoso and Tavia Grant have been investigating the Church’s wealth, and Tom joins us to tell us what we know about the Church’s finances, its legal obligation to residential school survivors, and the broader calls for the church to give reparations, and how that money could be used to help heal survivors and their communities.
Beloved Toronto Raptors point guard, Kyle Lowry, announced he’s leaving the team to play for the Miami Heat. Lowry was a big part of the Raptors’ win of the NBA 2019 Championships and fans are sad to see him go.
Vivek Jacob, a freelance sports writer, tells us what Lowry’s departure means for the future of the Raptors, his influence on the team’s rise in the NBA, and why fans want to see his statue in front of Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena.
Beneath the Straits of Mackinac, the connecting waterway between Lake Michigan and Lake Huron, lies Enbridge Line 5: a pipeline built in 1953 bringing natural gas and crude from the oil sands in Alberta to refineries in Ontario and Quebec. Opponents of the pipeline worry that it could rupture, poisoning the fresh water supply, blocking shipping routes, and crushing tourism. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer ordered it shut down, but Enbridge refused; they’re now in mediation.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Trudeau is lobbying the Biden administration to keep the pipeline open. Having already blocked Keystone XL, it remains unclear whether Biden will favour shutting down an already-operating pipeline. On today’s show, Globe U.S. correspondent Adrian Morrow joins us to talk about what makes this pipeline battle different, why anti-pipeline activists were able to gather such a broad coalition of supporters, and why shutting down Line 5 could mean higher gas prices for Ontario and Quebec.
Working four days a week instead of five has often come up as a way people can reclaim some of their time from their employers. But who exactly would benefit from that, especially in the gig economy? And could there be other ways for all employees to regain some control over their work-life balance?
Armine Yalnizyan, an economist and an Atkinson Fellow on the future of workers, weighs in on the value of the idea of a four-day work week, and how a major shift in demographics on the horizon could present workers with more power when it comes to lobbying for legislative changes regarding how much time we spend at work.
American gymnast Simone Biles withdrew from both the team and individual all-around competitions, a few athletes have passed out from the Tokyo July heat and dozens of people connected to the Olympics have COVID-19, while case counts reach all-time highs in the surrounding neighbourhoods.
On the other hand, Canada’s athletes have made this one of the best Summer Games for our country so far, with some amazing performances from swimmers Maggie Mac Neil, Penny Oleksiak and others. Globe columnist Cathal Kelly joins us from Tokyo to tell us the highs and lows from these Games.
Before there was Youtube and Vevo, there was MTV and MuchMusic. These TV music stations were the curators of cool. And when millennials were teenagers, they flocked to them to watch the hot new video or catch an interview with their favourite musicians. But now, Much (as the channel is now called) no longer airs music video content as artists drop their new singles directly onto their own social feeds and video platforms.
So what’s an old mainstream media brand to do? Join TikTok, of course. And as cultural critic and writer Amil Niazi notes, MuchMusic is relaunching at exactly the right moment: There’s a wave of 90s and early aught nostalgia crashing down on us, at exactly the moment both millennials and Gen Z kids are longing for a simpler time.
African nations have a problem. They can’t get enough COVID-19 vaccine doses. Vaccine hoarding by wealthy nations and an underserved COVAX program – the one designed to make sure the developing world wasn’t left behind in the pandemic – have resulted in a slow vaccination rate for most of the continent. These global factors have also led to a menacing opportunity for the Delta variant to spread amongst an unprotected population.
The Globe and Mail’s Africa Bureau Chief, Geoffrey York, discusses how Canada has and hasn’t contributed to vaccination efforts abroad, what the international community could do to help speed up the vaccine efforts in Africa and why Canadians should care.
The summer is half over, vaccination rates are rising, but we aren’t out of the pandemic woods yet. And since we last explored vaccine passports, the question of whether businesses can legitimately ask for proof of vaccination to enter – whether it’s a restaurant or a sports arena – has only become more fraught.
Restaurateur Jacob Wharton-Shukster tells us what happened when he announced that an indoor seat at his Toronto restaurant Le Phénix would require proof of vaccination. Then, privacy researcher Blake Murdoch of the Health Law Institute at the University of Alberta explains why he thinks provincial governments can and should implement vaccine passport systems that are fair and secure.
To keep their edge after a fantastic showing at the 2016 Rio Olympics, Swimming Canada got serious about their data-mining mission. They tracked all kinds of metrics to really understand their swimmers’ performance. Data analysis can show you how to shave a fraction of a second off a race time and, in some cases, that can mean the difference between a gold and silver medal.
Grant Robertson, a senior writer for The Globe and Mail, talks about what he learned about Swimming Canada’s data project, how it crafted training strategies for some of our medal hopefuls, like Penny Oleksiak, and why data proves you can’t always trust your eyes when it comes to judging the fastest person in the pool.
After the killing of George Floyd and the subsequent swell of Black Lives Matter protests, companies rushed to declare their alliance to the cause of fighting anti-Black racism in the workplace. In Canada, corporate leader Wes Hall designed the BlackNorth Initiative, wherein CEOs pledged to not only promote diversity, but actually hire, retain and promote Black talent. Initially, 209 companies signed on.
The Globe’s Report on Business section did a survey of the original signatories to see how much progress has been made in the first year of their commitment (which has a final target of 2025). Reporter Vanmala Subramaniam discusses the results of the survey and the challenges many companies are having in their efforts to diversify.
A growing number of nurses are leaving hospitals. The relentless workload, the crushing experience of watching so many people get very sick from the novel coronavirus and die, and the increasingly short-staffed nature of many intensive care units has created an untenable situation for many nurses across the country. And this is having an impact on hospitals, with some emergency rooms having to close.
National health reporter Kelly Grant discusses how many nurses are leaving, how this is impacting the communities they serve and what governments are trying to do about it.
As the U.S. continues to pull its troops out of Afghanistan after nearly 20 years of fighting, the Taliban is taking back more and more territory. This has left Afghan nationals who worked for foreign governments feeling more and more unsafe and now they want to leave. A lot of countries have specific programs for current and former employees who want to relocate, but Canada hasn’t unveiled the details of a special program yet.
Parliamentary reporter Janice Dickson has been speaking to drivers, senior officers and others who worked for the Canadian government in Kabul – sometimes for more than a decade – about the severity of their situations and what help they need.
Ontario movie theatres will reopen on July 16th. For some – like in the Greater Toronto Area – it’ll be for the first time in about nine months. And while many theatres across the country reopened earlier, Ontario represents a big chunk of the Canadian box office, which has been hurt badly not only by lockdowns and public health restrictions, but also the rise of streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime and Disney+ offering movies and binge-worthy shows at home.
Film editor Barry Hertz talks about what Ontario movie goers can expect when they return to theatres, why go back to the movies at all if you’ve gotten used to streaming on your couch, and what summer blockbusters he’ll be seeing on the silver screen.
Phone technology has evolved at an incredible pace, from the first cellphone in the 1980s, to the sophisticated computers we call smartphones in our pockets now. But some of the most important calls we make are to 9-1-1 in an emergency. And the system that 9-1-1 centres run hasn’t kept up.
The Globe’s telecom reporter Alexandra Posadzki tells us that there’s a move to introduce “next-generation 9-1-1” Canada-wide through the hundreds of organizations that handle our calls for help. That would allow callers to send photos or text messages, and help authorities better pinpoint where calls on cellphones are coming from.
Events in Haiti have been unfolding quickly following the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse in his Port-au-Prince home on July 7. In the past week there has been news of arrests of mercenaries, a siege in the country’s Taiwanese embassy and the alleged involvement of a doctor in the murder.
But if you look back at Haiti’s history, a lot of the political turmoil is tied into all the money the Caribbean country gets from donor countries, like Canada and the U.S. Jake Johnston, a senior research associate at the Centre for Economic Policy Research in Washington, D.C., discusses how all the strings attached to aid to Haiti can render it more harmful than helpful and how the country’s politics are often more focused on external powers than the people of Haiti.
Can racism cause schizophrenia? It’s an area of mental health research that has been ongoing for decades and over time, researchers are increasingly finding that having a darker skin colour than your neighbours does seem to have an effect. But just how much and how that alters your brain chemistry is difficult to tease apart due to the complexities of schizophrenia as a disease.
Erin Anderssen, who has been covering mental health for The Globe and Mail for years, discusses what she has found on this topic by looking at the research, examining the history of how Western culture has perceived psychosis and talking to doctors.
Lebanon’s financial crisis was only made worse last year when an explosion ripped through the port of its capital city, Beirut, killing more than 200 people. Now, people are left scrambling for basic medicine, gas and other necessities.
The Globe’s senior international correspondent Mark MacKinnon is in Lebanon, and talks about what he has seen in Beirut’s largest hospital, how Lebanon has gotten to the brink of a “social explosion,” according to its prime minister, and why this threatens the very existence of the country.
Domestic vaccine passports offer one way of letting vaccinated people get back to normal life by giving them access to privileges non-vaccinated people wouldn’t have. But civil liberties advocates have been pushing back against the concept since the start of the pandemic, pointing to a number of equality and privacy concerns.
Cara Zwibel is the director of the fundamental freedoms program at the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, which has raised concerns about how vaccine passports might violate our constitutional rights. She’ll explain how, and why she believes that vaccine passports might do more harm than good as our vaccination rates rise and we ease public health restrictions across the country.
The village of Lytton, BC burned to the ground a day after hitting the hottest temperature ever recorded in Canada, forcing residents to evacuate in as little as a few minutes. Investigators now believe the fire was caused by human activity.
On today’s show, Globe environment reporter Kathryn Blaze Baum joins Tamara to share a conversation she’s had with one Lytton resident about the human toll of the heat dome that enveloped Western Canada and is believed to have caused hundreds of heat-related deaths, as well as the science that explains this extreme weather.
Soaring house prices have made it harder to afford a house in Canada than it’s been in three decades, with experts blaming everything from low interest rates to blind bidding to intergenerational wealth transfers.
So how do you cool the housing market? Rachelle Younglai covers real estate for The Globe and Mail, and she’ll explain how we got here, why the measures taken by governments so far haven’t helped, and what else could be done to get prices under control.
Calls to reconsider the fireworks and celebrations of Canada Day have intensified as we approach the national holiday, in light of the announcements from B.C. and Saskatchewan First Nations that they’d located hundreds of unmarked graves where residential schools once stood.
Crystal Fraser is assistant professor of history at the University of Alberta, and is Gwichyà Gwich’in, originally from Inuvik and Dachan Choo Gę̀hnjik in the Northwest Territories. She’ll tell us how she sees Canada, as a historian and an Indigenous person, and how we can reflect on the history of Canada.
New guidelines for people who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 were published by the Public Health Agency of Canada last week, which now applies to over a quarter of people in Canada.
So we asked Globe and Mail health columnist André Picard back on the show to lead us through what those guidelines mean, why they’re different from the provincial guidelines, and how to navigate them as the country re-opens.
A lot of Canadians have pandemic-savings money to burn – and not many places to spend it. With travel, entertainment and even dining still severely limited, many have turned to recreational toys and home improvement projects, and then found out that in-demand items like bicycles and kayaks are sold out.
Economics reporter Matt Lundy breaks down the demand side of the equation, talks about just-in-time production and explains all the different issues that are affecting the entire supply chain, from the cost of raw materials to the issue of getting items off ships. Plus, he offers his best guess at when bike stores will have enough stock again.
China is encouraging people to have up to three children in a bid to reverse the effects of its one-child policy, which has left the country with an aging population in need of workers to support them and the economy.
But as Globe Asia correspondent Nathan Vanderklippe reports following his recent trip to the region, some Muslim Uyghurs of the western Xinjiang province are subject to different family-planning rules, and there have been reports of forced sterilization among other human rights abuses.
For Dr. Vett Lloyd, there really is nothing good about a tick. That’s why she studies them. After getting bit herself and developing Lyme disease, Dr. Lloyd made it her life’s work to understand these parasitic vectors to help others avoid these creatures and the potentially life-altering disease they can pass on.
As we head off into nature this summer, the need for tick prevention is more urgent than ever as tick populations grow thanks to climate change. Dr. Lloyd shares her tips on how to avoid getting bitten, what to do if you do find a tick on you, a loved one or your pet and why there isn’t a vaccine against Lyme disease on the market.
The head of the Public Health Agency of Canada defied an order of the House of Commons on Monday, refusing to provide unredacted documents about the dismissal of two scientists from Canada’s high-security infectious disease laboratory.
Opposition members are hoping the documents will explain why Xiangguo Qiu and her husband, Keding Cheng, were fired from the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg in January.
Bob Fife, Ottawa Bureau Chief, discusses what The Globe and Mail has learned so far about why the scientists were fired, why there’s a need for government transparency in this case and who gets to decide what information the public has access to.
Nearly 20 per cent of people in Canada have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, making almost all of them immune to the virus. But how long will that immunity last? The answer to that question will dictate what the years ahead will look like for us as we fight to put the pandemic behind us.
Globe and Mail science reporter Ivan Semeniuk on what scientists have learned about the way our bodies develop immunity to the novel coronavirus, how long it might last and why we might be getting regular COVID-19 vaccines in the years to come.
The genocide in Rwanda shocked the world in 1994, and since then the country has been praised for its recovery. But the trial of Paul Rusesabagina – the central character in the Hollywood movie Hotel Rwanda – is just the latest example of the Rwandan government cracking down on its dissidents, according to prominent human rights groups.
The Globe’s Africa correspondent, Geoffrey York, has investigated allegations that the Rwandan government was behind the assassination of its dissidents, and explains why controlling the narrative about the genocide is so important to President Paul Kagame – and how many Western countries and people get it wrong.
When Ethan Lou unexpectedly found himself quarantining with his uncle in Beijing, he learned that his uncle was trying to bridge the distance between him and his children living in the United States by sending them near-daily emails of advice.
Lou adapted that writing into an essay, which he reads for us on the show.
Correction: An earlier version of these show notes incorrectly said Ethan Lou and his uncle were quarantining in Wuhan. In fact, they were in Beijing. This version has been corrected.
A defection. Calls for a leader’s resignation. Internal fighting. The Green Party of Canada is in the news for all the wrong reasons lately.
On Friday, former Green MP Jenica Atwin crossed the floor to join the Liberals after a clash with her party over her position on the Israel-Palestine fighting. By Monday, some factions of the Greens were calling on their new leader, Annamie Paul, to step down. On Wednesday, Ms. Paul stood firm and accused both members of her own party’s executive and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of trying to subvert her and the vision she campaigned on.
Political reporter Marieke Walsh joins host Tamara Khandaker to explain why this is all happening, what led up to it and how underneath it all there is a bigger struggle within the party about what it is and what it wants to be.
Six months after former astronaut Julie Payette resigned from the role of Governor General of Canada, Trudeau has yet to find her permanent replacement. Globe political reporter Kristy Kirkup tells us what the job entails, why Julie Payette resigned, and who the government might choose next.
With the cancellation of the Keystone XL pipeline and the increasing pressures of climate change, transitioning Alberta from an oil-based economy is feeling more and more urgent. Hydrogen fuel may end up playing a transformative role for the energy-producing province.
Emma Graney, The Globe’s energy reporter, gives listeners a primer on hydrogen: the different ways it’s made, how it plays into governments’ net-zero-emission goals and why Canada thinks it could become a world leader in this growing energy sector.
As a correspondent based in Beijing, Nathan VanderKlippe prepares to leave his post after eight years and return to Canada. He talks about the changes he has seen and felt while covering China – and Asia – for The Globe and Mail.
He shares stories of being followed in Xinjiang by the Chinese state while covering the treatment of Uyghurs, and talks about the ethical responsibilities journalists face when talking to sources under intense state surveillance.
The Globe and Mail’s European Bureau Chief Eric Reguly is in East Jerusalem, covering a very tense moment in Israel’s history. While last month’s ceasefire has held, the dispute over home ownership in the city’s Sheikh Jarrah and Silwan neighbourhood continues. Some Palestinian families are already being evicted from their homes in favour of Jewish settlers. Protests around these developments have erupted. Conflicts between neighbours have been captured on social media. Police and Israeli officers are stationed in the streets.
Meanwhile, tensions are also high in Israel’s parliament, the Knesset. Eight parties are attempting to form a coalition government that could oust Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and end his 12 years of rule.
Police charged a man on Monday for hitting an entire family with his truck on Sunday night in London, Ontario, alleging that he did it intentionally because of their Muslim faith. Four members of the Afzaal family died, leaving the only survivor and youngest child, a boy named Fayez, seriously hurt in hospital.
An outpouring of grief from the community and across the country followed; a vigil held Tuesday saw leaders from the three major parties speak. But many Muslims say they don’t feel safe now, and not for the first time.
On the show, we’ll hear from two London residents who share their stories about experiencing and witnessing racism in London, and what needs to happen to move the conversation forward on Islamophobia in Canada.
Javeed Sukhera is a child psychiatrist, an associate professor at Western University’s medical school, and the outgoing chair of the London Police Services Board.
Jeff Bennett was the Ontario PC Party candidate for London West in 2014 and wrote about the Islamophobia he witnessed on the campaign trail in a Facebook post that went viral.
On Sunday, Pope Francis prayed for Indigenous families, addressing the announcement that remains of children were found in unmarked gravesites at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School. But despite calls from survivors, some Catholics, and even the Prime Minister to do so, the Pope did not apologize for the Church’s role in running many residential schools.
Tavia Grant is a reporter for The Globe and Mail, and joins us to discuss why survivors have struggled to hold the church accountable.
Three First Nations have deferred the logging of old-growth forest in and around Fairy Creek, B.C. This follows months of blockading by environmental activists to stop logging roads being built by forestry company Teal Jones Group, which brought an injunction against the protesters that led to over 170 arrests by RCMP.
Meanwhile, Premier John Horgan’s NDP government has signalled through an intention paper possible legislation to put more of the province’s logging industry under Indigenous nations’ control.
Justine Hunter is the Globe’s B.C. legislative reporter based in Victoria, and has been covering the tensions around harvesting old-growth forests for decades. She’ll tell us about divisions within the NDP, the changing landscape around Indigenous sovereignty over traditional lands, battling climate change and high lumber prices all converging in the pristine valley of Fairy Creek.
Women have been graduating from university at higher rates than men for decades but are still under-represented in the best-paid jobs, like university deans and full professors.
Reporter Robyn Doolittle shares insights from the new investigation she did with Chen Wang, analyzing salaries of Ontario professors over the last 20 years. She also talks about structural issues that explain why women are getting stuck in the lower ranks of professorships at many Canadian post-secondary institutions.
Tanya Talaga is an Anishinaabe journalist, speaker and columnist for The Globe. After being invited by the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation, Tanya travelled to Kamloops, B.C., to report on the Nation’s announcement that ground-penetrating radar had located 215 unmarked gravesites near the former Kamloops Indian Residential School.
The number for the National Indian Residential School Crisis Line is 1-866-925-4419. British Columbia has a First Nations and Indigenous Crisis Line offered through the KUU-US Crisis Line Society, toll-free at 1-800-588-8717.
Dr. Konia Trouton is a physician in Victoria, B.C., who provides medical assistance in dying, also known as MAID. She describes the process, discusses recent changes to the laws around MAID and how that may change her practice, and why we need to become more comfortable with talking about dying.
You can read her opinion essay on MAID here.
How did a junior oil company from Calgary end up at the heart of a dispute over wildlife preservation in Namibia? Energy reporter Emma Graney talks about the effort by a company called Reconnaissance Energy Africa Ltd. to drill for oil in Namibia’s Okavango Delta area, at a time when governments and investors are looking toward a future without fossil fuel consumption to stop climate change.
The remains of 215 children were found on the grounds of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School in British Columbia. Residential school survivor Phyllis Webstad tells us the significance of this discovery. Plus, Stephanie Scott and Raymond Frogner of the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation explain the history of residential schools in Canada.
The number for the National Indian Residential School Crisis Line is 1-866-925-4419. British Columbia has a First Nations and Indigenous Crisis Line offered through the KUU-US Crisis Line Society, toll-free at 1-800-588-8717.
Two women got COVID-19 while in their third trimester of pregnancy and landed in the ICU, isolated from their newborn babies.
They tell their stories, plus national health reporter Kelly Grant on why COVID-19 hits pregnant people harder and why doctors recommend getting vaccinated if you’re expecting.
Remote learning has allowed for education to continue in the COVID-19 pandemic, but at what cost? Some students are lost and disengaged, parents are exhausted trying to help and many teachers feel frustrated.
Caroline Alphonso, The Globe and Mail’s education reporter, talks about the barriers different kinds of kids face, what educators know about how far behind students are sliding in basic skills like reading, and what schools are doing to try to help.
After the death of George Floyd, American politicians faced huge pressure to institute changes to reform standards of policing and hold officers to account. Adrian Morrow, The Globe and Mail’s U.S. correspondent, discusses what progress has been made a year later and how movement on one specific issue – qualified immunity – has drawn both controversy and commendation.
As warmer months and higher vaccination rates bring hope of a return to normal life for Canadians, the summer job market for young people is still dampened for now by public health restrictions in its most important sectors.
Economics reporter Matt Lundy tells us why young people’s jobs got hit the hardest in the pandemic, and how people starting their working lives during the pandemic may feel the effects for years to come.
For months now, Brampton resident Dr. Amanpreet Brar has been going on different Punjabi-language shows to talk about the COVID-19 pandemic and take audience questions. She is on The Decibel today to talk about her outreach efforts, her former life as a temporary factory worker and why Brampton is one of Canada’s worst coronavirus hot spots.
This episode is part of The Globe and Mail’s L6P project. It is a multi-story examination of Brampton’s L6P neighbourhood, which not only has some of the highest COVID-19 positivity rates in Canada, but is also home to a huge population of essential workers. Read the series, in English, Urdu, Punjabi, Hindi and Gujarati: tgam.ca/L6P
Israel and Hamas have agreed to a mutual ceasefire, ending nearly two weeks of fighting. This came after escalating pressure from U.S. President Joe Biden. American politics expert and Globe contributing columnist David Shribman explains the history and relationship between the two countries.
Mars is a busy place right now. There are two rovers and a helicopter on the surface, along with many orbiters circling around it. Science reporter Ivan Semeniuk talks about the lure of the red planet and how new players in the space race are propelling us closer and closer to getting humans on Mars.
Despite the fourth wave of coronavirus now hitting Japan, the Olympic Games are scheduled to take place in Tokyo at the end of July. Columnist Cathal Kelly tells us why that’s still the plan even in the face of widespread disapproval among Japanese and the threat of COVID-19 infecting the games.
If you were able to work from home for much of the pandemic, you might be looking forward to getting back to the office – or dreading the commute, the bad lighting and the work clothes. So what does corporate Canada think about a shift to remote work and flexible hours – and what might workers be missing out on if they keep the home office?
Zabeen Hirji is an executive adviser on the future of work for the consulting company Deloitte, and she says HR departments across the country are trying to keep the best parts of how we learned to work together, apart.
Ron Siwicki spent two years in prison for failing to look after his bedridden mother. Wency Leung discusses how his family’s tragic story reveals the difficulties of at-home elder care.
The worst fighting in years between Israel and Palestinians broke out this week following a police raid at the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem. Senior international correspondent Mark MacKinnon discusses the forces at play behind the recent violence, and where this conflict is headed.
Alberta has the most active COVID-19 cases per capita, more than any other province in Canada – twice as many as Manitoba, which is in second place. James Keller, The Globe and Mail’s Alberta Bureau Chief, joins Tamara to discuss Alberta’s steep third wave, what is happening inside the province’s hospitals and the political fallout for Premier Jason Kenney.
How did big companies that had a great 2020 overall end up qualifying for millions of taxpayer dollars from the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy program? Capital markets reporter Vanmala Subramaniam discusses the Globe’s latest investigation into how much relief money went to companies that ended up profiting during a pandemic year.
Fewer spontaneous coffees, commuting costs and vacations have left some with a tidy sum in their savings. Personal finance journalists and co-hosts of the Stress Test podcast Rob Carrick and Roma Luciw talk about what to do with new-found savings, the meaning of ‘revenge spending,’ and how to stave off FOMO in a post-vaccine world.
Globe and Mail health columnist André Picard discusses how Canada has fared nearly 14 months into its COVID-19 pandemic, what to do if you have vaccine-hesitant friends or family, and whether the end of this pandemic is in sight.