Shows / The Decibel
The Decibel
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.
Episodes
- The Decibel
‘Strong borders’ bill grants new powers to tighten immigration
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…
- The Decibel
The Canadian-funded project mapping Ukraine’s missing children
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…
- The Decibel
The Hockey Canada trial and how we talk to young men
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…
The DecibelTo save this baby, doctors had to kill part of her brain
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…
- The Decibel
Trump doubles down on steel, aluminum tariffs
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…
- The Decibel
Unpacking the nationwide push to fast-track major projects
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…
- The Decibel
The legal fight over gender-affirming health care in Alberta
The Canadian Medical Association says that the Alberta government has created a “moral crisis” for doctors in the province. The CMA, alongside three Alberta…
- The Decibel
Former Anonymous hacker worries he helped elect Trump
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…
- The Decibel
Fossil feud: Paleontologists have a bone to pick with new find
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…
- The Decibel
Canada revamps standards around ‘forever chemicals’ in water
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…
- The Decibel
King Charles III opens the 45th Parliament
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…
- The Decibel
How Canadian businesses are getting caught up in U.S. tariffs on China
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…
- The Decibel
Carney’s plan to build Canada out of the housing crisis
Canada is facing tariffs, a possible recession and an ongoing housing crisis. The country needs millions of new, affordable homes, and Prime Minister Mark…
- The Decibel
What’s going on with Canada Post?
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…
- The Decibel
Israel launches new military offensive, Canada voices opposition
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…
- The Decibel
Alberta’s AI push could come with a big energy price tag
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…
- The Decibel
Why the judge in the Hockey Canada trial dismissed a second jury
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…
- The Decibel
How Labrador Inuit are adapting to a warming world
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…
- The Decibel
What Trump’s trade deals could mean for Canada
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…
- The Decibel
Carney’s cabinet: who’s in, who’s out
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…
- The Decibel
The history behind the fragile India-Pakistan ceasefire
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…
- The Decibel
Measles is now spreading across Canada. What’s being done?
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…
- The Decibel
How serious is Alberta’s push for a referendum on separation?
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…
- The Decibel
Testimony underway in Hockey Canada sexual-assault trial
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…
- The Decibel
What the Carney–Trump meeting signals about Canada–U.S. relations
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…
- The Decibel
What’s going on with the detentions at the Canada-U.S. border?
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…
- The Decibel
How kids are getting hooked on gambling through online games
Problem gambling is a real issue in Canada – where reporting shows young people having even higher rates than adults. The increasing monetization of games…
- The Decibel
How a math prodigy-turned-fugitive siphoned millions in crypto
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…
The DecibelCampaign Call: Obstacles ahead for Poilievre, Carney and the NDP
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…
- The Decibel
Eyewitness accounts of the Vancouver festival attack
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…
- The Decibel
Carney wins, Liberals preside over ‘splintered parliament’
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…
- The Decibel
East to West: What matters to rural Canada this election
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…
The DecibelCampaign Call: Unpacking the final days of the election
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…
- The Decibel
What lies ahead for the NDP and Jagmeet Singh
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…
- The Decibel
Tanya Talaga on Pope Francis’s apologies to Indigenous peoples
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…
- The Decibel
The companies betting on Canada despite U.S. tariffs
Recently, U.S. President Donald Trump’s on-again, off-again tariffs have created an uncertain environment for Canadian businesses, and many are considering…
- The Decibel
The strategists inside the Liberal and Conservative war rooms
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…
- The Decibel
The changing face of election interference
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…
- The Decibel
The case for prioritizing rest in the age of burnout
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…
The DecibelCampaign Call: Debate prep and an inside look at polling
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…
- The Decibel
Canada’s fragmented medical records system
The way medical records are handled in Canada is a patchwork of disconnected systems – creating massive headaches for patients and doctors. Patients struggle…
- The Decibel
An interview with Green Party co-leader Jonathan Pedneault
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 DecibelCampaign Call: Western separatism amid a moment of Canadian unity
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…
- The Decibel
Global markets reel from tariff whiplash
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 Decibel
What happened to the ‘carbon tax election’?
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…
- The Decibel
The case for teaching your child it’s okay not to share
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…
- The Decibel
Despite what Trump says, barely any fentanyl comes from Canada
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…
The DecibelCampaign Call: Trump chaos and Conservative infighting
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…
- The Decibel
Making sense of Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs
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…
- The Decibel
What you need to know about U.S. travel as detentions rise
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…
- The Decibel
New foreign interference allegations emerge in election campaign
In the first week of the federal election campaign, several new foreign interference stories have bubbled up. The first involves allegations that CSIS believed…
- The Decibel
Youngest premature twins to survive celebrate a hallmark birthday
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…
- The Decibel
East to West: voices in Atlantic Canada ahead of the election
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…
The DecibelCampaign Call: What it means to be a ‘change’ candidate
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…
- The Decibel
Why Canada’s water security is being threatened by Trump
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…
- The Decibel
Canadians executed in China as tensions grow
Last week, Global Affairs Canada confirmed that China has executed four Canadians since the beginning of the year. The move further escalates already tense…
- The Decibel
What it’s like to be an undocumented migrant in Canada
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…
- The Decibel
The ‘trade war’ election campaign is under way
At midday on Sunday, Prime Minister Mark Carney asked Governor-General Mary Simon to dissolve Parliament and begin an election campaign. Canadians are heading…
- The Decibel
How Prime Minister Mark Carney is preparing for the federal election
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…
- The Decibel
Project 2025 had a tariff plan, but Trump has gone off-script
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…