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
Limited ceasefire brokered in Ukraine-Russia war
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…
- The Decibel
Why Trump is targeting Canada’s dairy protection regime
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 Decibel
Major measles outbreak in Ontario, cases across Canada
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…
- The Decibel
Introducing Happy Enough: lessons from Canada’s happiest people
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…
- The Decibel
Hudson’s Bay, Canada’s oldest retailer, faces financial crisis
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…
- The Decibel
How to protect your money during a trade war
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…
- The Decibel
Pierre Poilievre’s problems with corporate Canada
Throughout his campaign, Pierre Poilievre has taken an antagonistic attitude towards Canada’s business elite – a historically uncharacteristic approach for the…
- The Decibel
The Canadian detained by the Taliban for 77 days
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…
- The Decibel
Mark Carney will be the prime minister – what happens next?
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…
- The Decibel
How Trump’s imperialism is reshaping global alliances
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…
- The Decibel
A carve out in the trade war – is this the first of many?
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…
- The Decibel
What Canada did day one of the trade war
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…
- The Decibel
Trump declares trade war, Canada prepares counter tariffs
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…
- The Decibel
The ‘quiet rebellion’ underway in Iran
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…
- The Decibel
Big Tech hijacked our attention. Chris Hayes wants to win it back
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…
- The Decibel
How scammers deepfake businesses
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…
- The Decibel
Where the Israel-Hamas ceasefire goes from here
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…
- The Decibel
What you need to know about the Ontario election
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…
- The Decibel
How Canadian companies are responding to the ESG backlash
Since returning to office, the Trump administration has taken aim at diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), with major American corporations scrapping their…
- The Decibel
New trade partners for Canada? Easier said than done
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…
- The Decibel
Scaachi Koul and Haley Mlotek are ready to talk about divorce
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…
- The Decibel
Trump warms to Russia, cools support for Ukraine
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…
- The Decibel
The problems with linking weight and health
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…
- The Decibel
Alberta government alleged to have interfered in healthcare deals
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s government is facing scrutiny after serious allegations were in a wrongful dismissal lawsuit launched by Alberta Health…
- The Decibel
Why more young people are getting cancer
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…
- The Decibel
How Trump is waging war through tariffs
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…
- The Decibel
The growing demand for disability accommodations in universities
At universities across Canada, requests for disability accommodations are on the rise. Since the 2013-2014 school year – the number of students requesting…
- The Decibel
The ‘valley of death’ for Canada’s mining companies
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…
- The Decibel
What happens when your bank dumps you
A connection to a bank is an important financial relationship – between chequing and savings accounts, mortgages and loans – they are crucial for paying off…
- The Decibel
Why the Conservative path to victory just got complicated
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…
- The Decibel
‘Buy Canadian’ and the week Canadians got mad at the U.S.
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…
- The Decibel
Your new favourite influencer? She’s AI-generated
Influencer profiles often have recognizable hallmarks: their feeds are highly stylized, filled with aspirational content and product placement. One of the…
- The Decibel
What’s stopping Canada from building better public transit
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…
- The Decibel
Trade war on hold as Trump threats loom
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…
- The Decibel
The U.S.–Canada trade war, explained
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…
- The Decibel
This year’s hottest viral trends: norovirus, flu, COVID and RSV
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…
- The Decibel
Doug Ford’s big election gamble
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…
- The Decibel
Foreign interference inquiry finds ‘problematic’ conduct
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…
- The Decibel
Dispatch from Jerusalem: the ceasefire so far
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 Decibel
The Five Eyes: security, spying and surveillance under Trump
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…
- The Decibel
Canadian retail’s security crackdown on violent theft
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…
- The Decibel
How the L.A. wildfires could increase Canadian insurance rates
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…
- The Decibel
Fallout from the TD Bank money laundering scandal
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…
- The Decibel
Who will be the next Liberal leader?
The Liberal leadership race is on – and its biggest candidates are in. Former deputy prime minister and finance minister Chrystia Freeland, House Leader Karina…
- The Decibel
How Canada is preparing for day one of the second Trump era
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…
- The Decibel
The difficult path ahead for peace in Gaza
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…
- The Decibel
Machines Like Us: This mother says a chatbot led to her son’s death
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…
- The Decibel
What 2025 holds for your personal finances
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 Decibel
The women changing the face of Canadian rodeo
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…
- The Decibel
Will alcohol have cancer warnings like cigarettes?
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…
- The Decibel
The rise and fall of Justin Trudeau
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…
- The Decibel
Rebuilding the Liberals after Trudeau
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…
- The Decibel
Trudeau prorogued parliament: Here’s what it means and what’s next
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…
- The Decibel
The end of the Trudeau era
After three federal election wins and just over nine years in office, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his resignation on Monday. Trudeau had been…
- The Decibel
How many activities are too many for kids?
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…
- The Decibel
Who stole half-a-million dollars worth of cheese?
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…
- The Decibel
Why some are turning to sound baths for relaxation
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…
- The Decibel
Climate change, migration and Menaka’s epic birding day
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…
- The Decibel
Why running is more popular than ever
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 Decibel
Why won’t Justin Trudeau step down?
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…