The Decibel

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...

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 ...

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 C...

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 ...

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...

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 ...

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 wh...

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-affilia...

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...

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 a...

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’...

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 ...

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 differe...

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 Cana...