The Decibel
by The Globe and Mail
Latest episode
Youth-led protests in Europe agitate for change
Youth-led protests in Europe agitate for change
About this podcast
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 newest 50 of 1,407 episodes
- Youth-led protests in Europe agitate for change · 26 minStudent-led protests continue to sweep across cities in Europe – from Paris, to Milan, to Madrid – as demonstrations have grown to encompass anger over the cost of living crisis…
- Stelco standoff: The feud over layoffs at the steel company · 25 minThere’s been a public feud brewing between Industry Minister Mélanie Joly and the CEO of the company that owns Stelco, the Canadian steel company. It began after layoffs were…
- Unpacking the government’s $30-billion plan to end homelessness · 27 minThe latest federal budget had a line item that was intriguing and ambitious: $30-billion in spending over the next decade to put a roof over every Canadian’s head. The plan is a…
- Why Canada’s new instant payment system is about sovereignty · 18 minAfter years of delays, Canada is launching its national instant payment system. The first phase was initiated on Monday as part of a suite of new financial services aimed at both…
- The government’s divisive billion-dollar AI investment · 24 minThe federal government is making a big bet on AI by promising to invest up to $1.6 billion in the Canadian AI company Cohere. This is unprecedented for a private tech company in…
- Key takeaways from the 2026 federal budget · 22 minThe federal government has released the 2026 budget. And this year the focus is on new net spending. It looks to put money toward boosting the housing supply, investing in…
- What the U.S. midterm results mean for Canada · 27 minThe U.S. midterm results have seemingly delivered a new era in American politics. On Tuesday, voters helped the Democratic Party take control of the U.S. House and Senate…
- The conflict over a luxury hotel firm that came to a small Ontario town · 28 minIn the last several years, the village of Elora, Ont. has undergone a renaissance. Its picturesque downtown has welcomed more than 750,000 visitors annually which is up from…
- The white-collar workers finding AI-proof jobs · 22 minAs artificial intelligence seeps into every aspect of our lives, white-collar workers are wondering what that means for job security. And some are pre-emptively making the shift…
- Can GLP-1s do for opioid addiction what they did for weight loss? · 19 minGLP-1 medications revolutionized the way we treat chronic weight management and diabetes by helping to quiet “food noise”. Researchers are now looking into whether these…
- Machines Like Us: Taylor Lorenz on the dark money buying your social feed · 46 minTech and culture journalist Taylor Lorenz has spent more than a decade reporting on online creators. She’s been following the dark money behind these co-ordinated campaigns to…
- ‘Associate member’ idea dropped on eve of Canada-EU summit · 16 minThe European Union has dropped its offer to give Canada the status of ‘associate member.’ This comes after pushback from some member states and reluctance from Canadian…
- Canada has become an election issue in the U.S. midterms · 23 minAmericans will vote for members of the U.S. Congress in the midterm elections on Nov. 3. But in a number of states, this year’s election will have a major factor: Canada. A…
- Scams are on the rise in Canada · 27 minCanadians reported over $700-million lost to scams in 2025, up from $645-million the year before; that figure is recognized to be a massive undercount because most scams go…
- Why Carney is betting on critical minerals · 24 minThe Canadian government has invested billions in critical mineral companies in an effort to boost the sector so it can compete against China. But mining projects always come with…
- David Eby’s B.C. election gamble · 24 minOn Saturday, B.C. voters head to the polls in a snap provincial election. BC NDP Leader David Eby’s rationale for the election, held two years ahead of schedule, was to get a…
- What we know about the deadly fire at CFB Wainwright · 19 minFour people were killed and dozens injured in a fire at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright in Alberta on Saturday. Prime Minister Mark Carney called it one of the worst tragedies…
- Alberta rejects separation. What comes next? · 25 minAlbertans firmly rejected the option to separate from Canada in Monday night’s referendum vote, with 75 per cent of voters opting to keep the province in the country. But will…
- The people filming their chores to train humanoid robots · 25 minHousehold chores can be seen as a drain on your time. But to some AI companies, how you do those chores is valuable data. Apps like Atlas Capture are using videos of people…
- The history of Alberta separatism · 28 minToday is the referendum in Alberta, where Albertans will cast their vote either to remain part of Canada or start the process to hold another referendum to leave (among other…
- Accused accomplice in Tumbler Ridge shooting appears in court · 22 minThis past week, a judge in Washington state heard arguments around whether a woman accused of conspiring with the Tumbler Ridge shooter should be released before her trial. James…
- How your AI search results are being manipulated · 24 minFor many, AI is no longer a curiosity but increasingly built into our daily lives. Whether through intentional use of chatbots or its inclusion in online searches, it’s radically…
- The shrinking neighbourhoods in two of Canada’s biggest cities · 25 minThe populations of Vancouver and Toronto have doubled in the past 50 years, but in certain neighbourhoods of those cities, populations have declined by as much as 40 per cent…
- The volunteers filling the gaps in Canada’s health care · 30 minAmidst the news about Canada’s strained and struggling healthcare system, there is a bright spot. The Globe and Mail published a series recently about volunteers filling in the…
- The other nine questions in the Alberta referendum · 22 minAlbertans will go to the polls to vote in a referendum on October 19. By now, everyone knows about the question on whether Alberta should stay in Canada, or hold another…
- A border town on the front lines of the trade war · 23 minSault Ste. Marie, Ont., is on the front lines of Canada’s trade war with the U.S.. The city lies just a few kilometres away from the U.S., across a river from a city with the…
- Canada’s income tax law has become a ‘Frankenstein’s monster’ · 20 minThe law governing income tax in Canada is as complex as the legislation is thick – it’s over 3,000 pages long. All of this complexity isn’t just a nuisance for taxpayers. It can…
- How some Alberta separatists are courting U.S. support · 26 minA secret meeting with Republican strategists near an airport hanger, and talks of access to Alberta water and royalties from oil. These are some of the revelations from a Globe…
- A splintered political landscape heading into Quebec’s election · 22 minQuebec is facing a fractured political landscape ahead of its election today, with no single party polling higher than 30 per cent in the run-up to the election. And there are…
- Hockey Night in Canada without the NHL · 20 minHockey Night in Canada is considered a Canadian cultural institution. For almost 75 years, it was broadcast on the CBC, accessible to any Canadian who wanted to tune in. But…
- The booze war within the trade war · 23 minIn the trade war between the U.S. and Canada, alcohol has been a bargaining chip on both sides of the border. Early in 2025, Canadian premiers pulled U.S. booze off of Canadian…
- In Her Defence: Police officer preys on vulnerable women · 30 minOfficers at the Regina Police Service begin an internal investigation of one of their colleagues, and turn up a case larger and more complex than they could have imagined. Sgt…
- Havana Syndrome: new allegation of Canadian spying · 14 minThe Globe and Mail has learned that a Canadian diplomat was sharing intelligence with American spies in Havana and Canadians were using satellite equipment brought into Cuba by…
- The new AI moment we’re in · 25 minAfter several reports of AI agents going rogue, calls for regulation of this technology have grown louder. And some of the people advocating for more rules are the leaders of the…
- He preyed on women using a police database. Then they found out · 25 minFor years, Sgt. Robert Semenchuk, a Regina police officer, preyed on hundreds of vulnerable women using information from police databases. He often posed as a contractor named…
- What’s on and off the table at Trump and Xi’s meeting · 22 minChinese President Xi Jinping is in Washington this week for his first official state visit to the U.S. in 11 years. A lot has changed since then – China has become one of the…
- Liberal omnibus bill sparks outcry from unions, environmentalists · 23 minOn Monday, the governing Liberals tabled their first bill of the new session of Parliament. Bill C-39, also called the Building Canada Strong Act, is over 240 pages long and aims…
- Canada’s controversial system of equalization payments, explained · 23 minCanada has had a system of equalization payments for decades, where money collected by federal income taxes gets distributed to provinces worse off financially than others. It…
- A reality check on Canada’s future with the EU · 22 minCanada and the EU are working toward a more integrated partnership. As the relationship with the U.S. becomes increasingly less reliable, Canadians seem to be overwhelmingly in…
- Introducing In Her Defence: Breach of Trust · 40 minWhat happens when one of the “good guys” turns out to be a bad guy? The acclaimed true crime podcast series ‘In Her Defence’ returns with ’In Her Defence: Breach of Trust”. A…
- The Canadian military is preparing for major conflicts · 24 minThe Canadian Armed Forces is undergoing a generational change. From record investment and spending, to its most extensive re-organization in decades – military officials say this…
- Airports, AI data centres and Carney’s ‘supercycle’ of investment · 23 minThe Canada Investment Summit wrapped after two days of deals and announcements meant to spur more capital in the Canadian economy. This includes the federal government leasing…
- The cash-strapped, disorganized fight to keep Alberta in Canada · 26 minAlbertans will head to the polls in just over a month, on Oct. 19, to vote in a referendum. There are 10 questions, but the one that’s garnering the most attention is the…
- The office is back (at least in Canada’s financial hub) · 23 minHeadlines about vacant office buildings and deserted downtowns is old news. The return to office, in downtown Toronto especially, is back on. Vacancy rates have plummeted…
- Carney pitches Canada to the world’s biggest investors · 24 minStarting today, 300 big-money investors are descending upon Toronto to take part in the inaugural Canada Investment Summit. Prime Minister Mark Carney will try to convince them…
- The trade war has created a boom for lobbyists · 21 minPersonal connections have always mattered when it comes to political lobbying, but as the trade war ramps up, and global interests try to influence U.S. policy as set by U.S…
- What the current bond market turmoil says about the economy · 22 minScary bond market headlines – warnings of an impending financial crisis – have been in the news for weeks now thanks to a rise in U.S. Treasury yields. This market is the bedrock…
- The trade war is heating up. So is foreign investment in Canada · 18 minWith Canada’s countertariffs coming into effect on roughly $28-billion worth of U.S. goods on Tuesday, the trade war between Canada and the U.S. is heating up. With neither side…
- Violence against teachers is surging · 27 minA growing and worrying trend is happening in Canadian schools – student violence against teachers is on the rise. Data from school boards across Canada supports this finding…
- Canadian professors on how AI is changing education · 28 minA 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…
