🦜 The Decibel
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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.
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How the war in Iran exposes the limits of China’s influence
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: March 26, 2026 09:00
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,…
How sweeping cuts could impact Canada’s public sector
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: March 25, 2026 09:00
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…
The trouble with enforcing Canadian food labels
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: March 24, 2026 09:00
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…
The landmark case over rights and freedoms at the Supreme Court
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: March 23, 2026 09:00
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…
How much AI music is in your playlist?
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: March 20, 2026 09:00
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…
What war in Iran means for Canadian oil
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: March 19, 2026 09:00
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…
Why holding government to account in Ontario could get harder
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: March 18, 2026 09:00
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…
Behind schedule and over budget: Why do we keep building LRTs?
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: March 17, 2026 09:00
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…
An analysis of Mark Carney’s first year as Prime Minister
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: March 16, 2026 09:00
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…
Why Israel’s war with Iran is spreading to Lebanon
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: March 13, 2026 09:00
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…
How the towing industry is linked to police corruption
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: March 12, 2026 09:00
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…
Voices from the Iranian diaspora in Canada
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: March 11, 2026 09:00
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…
Tumbler Ridge shooting highlights B.C.’s mental health deserts
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: March 10, 2026 09:00
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…
Skinny, Inc. Part 3: Body image in the age of Ozempic
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: March 9, 2026 09:00
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…
Why a sleep doctor says we should never change our clocks again
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: March 8, 2026 09:00
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…
What Canada needs to learn from Alabama
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: March 6, 2026 10:00
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…
After years of hostility, Carney defrosts relations with India
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: March 5, 2026 10:00
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…
How the war against Iran is choking global energy supply
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: March 4, 2026 10:00
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…
What the U.S.-Israel attacks mean for Iranian leadership
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: March 3, 2026 10:00
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…
Skinny, Inc. Part 2: The big business of Ozempic
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: March 2, 2026 10:00
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…
The argument for AI regulation after Tumbler Ridge
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: February 27, 2026 10:00
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…
Winners and losers after a year of Trump tariffs
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: February 26, 2026 10:00
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.…
Mexico’s uneasy balance of power between cartels and government
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: February 25, 2026 10:00
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…
The payout and relationship that led to crisis at a pension plan
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: February 24, 2026 10:00
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…
Skinny, Inc. Part 1: the Canadian connection to Ozempic
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: February 23, 2026 10:00
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…
Margaret Atwood and Michael Crummey on ‘The Art of the Story’
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: February 22, 2026 10:00
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…
What would a stronger trade relationship with Mexico look like?
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: February 20, 2026 10:00
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…
Carney’s plan to expand Canada’s defence industry
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: February 19, 2026 10:00
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…
What social media for AI bots can tell us about consciousness
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: February 18, 2026 10:00
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…
Why Carney and Ford are talking about a federal election
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: February 17, 2026 10:00
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…
Defying time and biology: the Olympic skater making history
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: February 13, 2026 10:00
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,…
On the ground in Tumbler Ridge, after the mass shooting
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: February 12, 2026 10:00
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…
How police corruption allegations erode trust in justice system
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: February 11, 2026 10:00
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…
Carney shifts gears on EV and climate policies
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: February 10, 2026 10:00
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,…
Ontario pushes to allow retail access to risky investments
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: February 9, 2026 10:00
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…
What’s at stake for Canada at the Milan Cortina Winter Games
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: February 6, 2026 10:00
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…
Voices from inside Alberta’s separatist movement
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: February 5, 2026 10:00
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…
What happened to $10-a-day child care?
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: February 4, 2026 10:00
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…
U.S. and Iran weigh diplomacy as warships head for the Gulf
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: February 3, 2026 10:00
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…
Why road salt causes Canada billions in damage each year
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: February 2, 2026 10:00
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…
Why your grocery bill is still so high
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: January 30, 2026 10:00
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…
Drug decriminalization is over in B.C. What’s next?
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: January 29, 2026 10:00
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…
How Minnesota is fighting ICE on the ground — and in the courts
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: January 28, 2026 10:00
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…
Alleged drug kingpin Ryan Wedding arrested
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: January 27, 2026 10:00
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…
What you need to know as Parliament resumes
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: January 26, 2026 10:00
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…
Happy Enough: Can psychedelics improve your mental health?
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: January 24, 2026 10:00
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…
How the world changed this week at Davos
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: January 23, 2026 10:00
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…
What Carney’s China trade deal means for EVs in Canada
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: January 22, 2026 10:00
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…
Military models invasion of Canada as Trump threatens Greenland
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: January 21, 2026 10:00
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…
What Legault’s resignation means for Quebec
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: January 20, 2026 10:00
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…
Why the flu is so bad this year
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: January 19, 2026 10:00
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…
Happy Enough: Why awe makes us happier
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: January 17, 2026 10:00
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…
International law in the Trump era
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: January 16, 2026 10:00
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…
What Greenland thinks about Trump’s threats of annexation
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: January 15, 2026 10:00
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…
Death toll climbs as Iranians protest against regime
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: January 14, 2026 10:00
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…
Carney’s high-stakes trip to China
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: January 13, 2026 10:00
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…
Why gyms have become so fancy and expensive
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: January 12, 2026 10:00
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…
Chrystia Freeland resigns, takes new role with Ukraine
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: January 9, 2026 10:00
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…
The people pursuing impossible goals
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: January 8, 2026 10:00
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…
Unpacking the U.S. strategy to control the Western hemisphere
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: January 7, 2026 10:00
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…
What the Venezuelan attack means for Canadian oil
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: January 6, 2026 10:00
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…
U.S. attacks Venezuela, captures President Maduro
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: January 5, 2026 10:00
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…
A 2026 forecast for Canadian politics
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: January 2, 2026 10:00
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…
Is AI making us dumb?
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: December 31, 2025 10:00
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.…
To save this baby, doctors had to kill part of her brain
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: December 30, 2025 10:00
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…
A mixtape of you: the summer of the Great Canadian Playlist
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: December 29, 2025 10:00
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…
Bark! The Herald Angels Sing: how people met their pets
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: December 24, 2025 10:00
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…
Why time feels like it’s speeding up – and how to slow it down
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: December 23, 2025 10:00
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…
Why Heated Rivalry has everyone hot and bothered
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: December 22, 2025 10:00
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…
Canadian military officer charged with leaking government secrets
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: December 19, 2025 10:00
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…
The rise of medical tourism
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: December 18, 2025 10:00
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…
Bondi Beach shooting echoes past antisemitic attacks
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: December 17, 2025 10:00
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…
Why your loyalty points don’t go as far as they used to
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: December 16, 2025 10:00
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…
The multibillion-dollar fight over the McCain Foods fortune
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: December 15, 2025 10:00
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…
New crime bill addresses violence against women and court delays
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: December 12, 2025 10:00
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…
Rise in late-stage prostate cancer raises concerns over testing
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: December 11, 2025 10:00
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…
The traveller’s guide to Canadian airline disruptions
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: December 10, 2025 10:00
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,…
How three Canadian businesses have coped with Trump’s tariffs
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: December 9, 2025 10:00
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…
The construction industry’s opioid problem
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: December 8, 2025 10:00
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…
The future of Canada’s military and joining Europe’s defence fund
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: December 5, 2025 10:00
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…
The businessman at the heart of Alberta’s health care controversy
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: December 4, 2025 10:00
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…
The case against cleaning before hosting
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: December 3, 2025 10:00
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…
Why do so many Canadian roads not have cell service?
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: December 2, 2025 10:00
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…
Why a new Ontario law has renters worried about more evictions
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: December 1, 2025 10:00
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…
Carney, Smith agree to pipeline framework, as minister resigns
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: November 28, 2025 10:00
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”…
Why Canada lost consensus on immigration — and how to get it back
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: November 27, 2025 10:00
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…
If AI is a bubble, how will it pop?
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: November 26, 2025 10:00
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…
Alleged drug trafficking, murders and an Olympian-turned-fugitive
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: November 25, 2025 10:00
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,…
The controversial push to expand private health care in Alberta
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: November 24, 2025 10:00
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…
The bureaucracy slowing down access to life-saving drugs
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: November 21, 2025 10:00
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…
Canada courts UAE amid calls to stop its arming of Sudan militia
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: November 20, 2025 10:00
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…
The Epstein scandal and the Canadians who knew him
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: November 19, 2025 10:00
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…
Why beef is so expensive right now
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: November 18, 2025 10:00
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…
Why a B.C. billionaire’s bid for Hudson’s Bay stores failed
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: November 17, 2025 10:00
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,…
What Carney is prioritizing with his new nation-building projects
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: November 14, 2025 10:00
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…
Where is the best place to rent in Canada?
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: November 13, 2025 10:00
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…
Two Conservative MPs are gone. Where does the party go from here?
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: November 12, 2025 10:00
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…
The Indigenous land claim that could override private property rights
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: November 11, 2025 10:00
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…
Carney’s big bet for $500-billion in private investments
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: November 10, 2025 10:00
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 stress of shared calendars in modern parenting
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/
Published: November 7, 2025 10:00
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…
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