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

February 18, 2025 23 mins

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 2019 in 204 countries, showed early onset cancer grew 79 percent, while deaths also went up by 28 percent in the same time period.

We follow the stories of two cancer survivors along with Kelly Grant, The Globe’s national health reporter. She’ll detail what we know about why ...

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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, he announced incoming universal tariffs on steel and aluminum, along with reciprocal tariffs on a range of foreign imports at ‘different levels’.

But when and why did Trump decide that tariffs would be the centrepiece of his plan in redefining America’s role in the global tra...

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At universities across Canada, requests for disability accommodations are on the rise. Since the 2013-2014 school year – the number of students requesting accommodations – has doubled to 12 per cent. And at Queen’s University in Kingston, about one in four students now access accommodations. This aid is often a lifeline for students but schools are now struggling to keep up with demand.

Joe Friesen is the Globe’s postsecondary repor...

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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 companies are struggling, due to a mix of factors including changes to the local investment landscape, heavy restrictions on money from Chinese investors and, according to some industry insiders, excessive red tape. 

The struggle is particularly acute for mining companies in the mi...

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February 11, 2025 28 mins

A connection to a bank is an important financial relationship – between chequing and savings accounts, mortgages and loans – they are crucial for paying off bills and for long-term planning.

But what happens when your bank dumps you? The practice is known as ‘debanking,’ and Canadian banks are turning to it more often when they suspect a customer is involved in criminal activity.

Erica Alini, the Globe’s personal economics reporter, ...

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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 donations last year, leader Pierre Poilievre looks poised to win the upcoming election.

But with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau resigning, U.S. President Donald Trump threatening tariffs and Liberal leadership candidates gaining some traction, the Conservatives are having to rethink ...

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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 immediate pledge to boycott and ‘buy Canadian’, to political figures threatening to pull U.S. products from shelves, Canadians across the political spectrum decided to assert themselves against the might of the elephant south of the border.

Shannon Proudfoot, feature writer and column...

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Influencer profiles often have recognizable hallmarks: their feeds are highly stylized, filled with aspirational content and product placement. One of the reasons that brands work with influencers is because they can speak to their audience from a place of authenticity. So how does that change when the influencer is not a real person?

Samantha Edwards is the Globe’s online culture reporter. She’s on the show to talk about the rise o...

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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 delays. Is this problem unique to Canada?

Oliver Moore is a journalist with The Globe who has covered transit issues for years. He explains why this phenomenon keeps happening and what public transit agencies can do about it.

Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@...

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February 4, 2025 26 mins

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 international correspondent, Nathan VanderKlippe, joins the show to break down the phone call that led to the 30-day pause, Canada’s increased measures at the border, and what may be the beginning of a troubling trend: Trump threatening tariffs to get whatever he wants.

Questions? Commen...

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February 3, 2025 26 mins

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 imposed on all Canadian goods, beginning February 4. In response, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau levelled tariffs back toward the U.S., warning that “the coming weeks will be difficult for Canadians and they will be difficult for Americans.” The trade war effectively transforms a d...

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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 year, medical professionals are seeing a surge of norovirus cases – also known as ‘winter vomiting disease.’

Alanna Smith is a health reporter with the Globe. Every week, she’s publishing data on respiratory virus season across the country, including links to resources about wher...

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January 30, 2025 23 mins

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 what is behind this early snap election? And will Premier Doug Ford’s political calculations pay off? 

Laura Stone covers Ontario politics for The Globe. She is on the show to explain what Doug Ford has said about why he is calling this early election, what the other party lea...

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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 weighs in on allegations of parliamentarians participating in foreign interference, outlines concerning examples of when foreign states have tried to influence our elections and gives 51 recommendations on what to do about it. 

Steven Chase is the Globe’s senior parliamentary re...

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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 ceasefire, Israel released 90 Palestinian prisoners, and Hamas released three Israeli hostages. On the second weekend, two hundred Palestinian prisoners were released, as were four Israeli hostages. 

But the deal hit a snag on Saturday, when Palestinians were set to return t...

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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 network – one of the world’s most powerful spying operations. As a second Trump administration begins in Washington, Canada and the other Five Eyes countries await to see what will happen. 

Richard Kerbaj is a journalist and author. His new book is called The Secret History of...

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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 self-checkout. But in recent years, retail theft has gotten more serious, and much more organized.

Stores are facing an uptick in targeted, large-scale stealing, with a growing number becoming violent.

Globe retailing reporter, Susan Krashinsky Robertson, explains how much this increase is...

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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. That will likely increase insurance rates, not just in the United States, but also in Canada.

Salman Farooqui writes for the Globe and Mail’s Report on Business. He explains why American disasters could affect Canadians’ insurance premiums, and how Canada’s insurance industry ...

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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 paying a US$3-billion fine, Canada’s second largest bank is now shaking up its senior-most ranks of leadership.

Stefanie Marotta is The Globe and Mail’s banking reporter. She explains what prompted the early departure of TD’s CEO, how this money laundering scandal could affect TD ...

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January 21, 2025 24 mins

The Liberal leadership race is on – and its biggest candidates are in. Former deputy prime minister and finance minister Chrystia Freeland, House Leader Karina Gould and former governor of the Bank of Canada Mark Carney all launched their campaigns this past week.

The shortened leadership race will see the deeply unpopular party select Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s replacement as figures like Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre a...

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