The Decibel

The Globe and Mail

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.

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1,335 episodes
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Episodes1335

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Mar 18, 2025 · 21 min
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 sector’s massive tariffs, which apply to American imports over a certain limit. According to the International Dairy Food Association, the import limits have never been exceeded. It’s part of a system called supply management. It controls the country’s domestic dairy production, and has strict regulations surrounding imports and expor
Mar 17, 2025 · 23 min
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 viruses that can, in some cases, be deadly. While the virus has been effectively eliminated in Canada since 1998, rates of infection and hospitalization in Southern Ontario are growing, along with cases across Canada. But this is a vaccine-preventable disease. So why is it suddenly re-emerging? Today, Kelly Grant, one of the Globe’s health re
Mar 15, 2025 · 31 min
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 Canada’ for a recent Globe and Mail feature. They live across the country, in cities and rural areas. They include toddlers and seniors, men and women, and people who have been through extremely hard times. She speaks with Erin Anderssen, The Globe and Mail’s happiness reporter, about these happy people and checks in with the nominees thems
Mar 14, 2025 · 25 min
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 protection. Court documents showed that last year, the company recorded a loss of nearly $330 million, and that they were within days of not being able to pay their staff. Now, they’re working on a restructuring plan that could include closing half of its 80 stores. Today, Susan Krashinsky Robertson, the Globe’s retailing reporter, is here
Mar 13, 2025 · 21 min
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. In response to the ongoing trade war, the Bank of Canada cut its interest rate to 2.75% as the trade war rattles the economy. Between stock market downturns, increasing fears of a recession, and the volatility of U.S. President Donald Trump’s on-again-off-again tariffs, Canadians are on edge. As economic unpredictability becomes the norm
Mar 12, 2025 · 22 min
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 Conservative party. During a time of economic uncertainty, Canadians are looking for a leader to protect them from a trade war with the U.S. and business leaders are hoping to show a united front with the next Prime Minister. The Globe’s business columnist, Andrew Willis, and Report on Business reporter, James Bradshaw, recently took a l
Mar 11, 2025 · 24 min
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 his most recent trip to Afghanistan, he was detained by Taliban Intelligence and Security Forces. But what happens when the person sent in to rescue needs saving? The Globe’s international affairs reporter, Janice Dickson, sat down with Dave at his home in Doha where he recounted his detainment, where he was taken, and how he survived 77
Mar 10, 2025 · 25 min
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 landslide, capturing nearly 86% of the vote. As Prime Minister Justin Trudeau steps aside, Carney will take his place as the first Canadian prime minister with no political experience. While the Liberals have gained in the polls, Carney will be challenged as soon as he enters office. Parliament is prorogued until March 24—where Carney holds no se
Mar 7, 2025 · 22 min
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 whiplash that’s causing anxiety – since Trump took office, he’s alienated allies, moved closer to traditional rivals, and hinted at a new age of U.S. imperialism. Doug Saunders is the international affairs columnist for the Globe. He joins the Decibel to talk about how the world as we know it has changed since Trump took office in January, an
Mar 6, 2025 · 25 min
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 countries. A slight reprieve was announced later that afternoon – but not necessarily because of that call. And at the center of all of these negotiations is one U.S. official: Howard Lutnick. Nathan VanderKlippe is an international correspondent for The Globe and has been covering the Trump administration. He explains what happened on th
Mar 5, 2025 · 26 min
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 Trudeau hit back with countertariffs on $155 billion worth of American goods. If the trade war continues, inflation will start to rise, jobs will be lost, and economists project a likely recession. And with growing sentiment that Trump’s motivations could go beyond stated security concerns at the Canada-U.S. border, Trudeau is taking a more b
Mar 4, 2025 · 24 min
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 per-cent tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico. In response, the Canadian government said it would retaliate with tariffs of its own. The tariff plan disrupts Canada’s most important economic relationship and would effectively throw the two nations into a trade war. Nojoud Al Mallees is The Globe’s economics reporter. She explains exactly
Mar 3, 2025 · 23 min
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 exerting “maximum economic pressure” on the country to force it to abandon its nuclear weapons program and support for terrorism. Western sanctions have contributed to its 32 per cent inflation rate. And yet, as The Globe’s Africa Bureau Chief Geoffrey York found on a recent — and rare — reporting trip to the country, ordinary Iranians a
Mar 1, 2025 · 30 min
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 read, watch and listen to than ever before – but our brains, it turns out, can only absorb so much. Politicians like Donald Trump have figured out how to exploit this dynamic. If you’re constantly saying outrageous things, it becomes almost impossible to focus on the things that really matter. Trump’s former strategist Steve Bannon called th
Feb 28, 2025 · 19 min
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 scammed any more – businesses are increasingly being targeted by these look-alikes too. While there are positive applications for generative AI, these digital replicas may mean the need for better regulation. Alexandra Posadski is the Globe’s financial and cybersecurity reporter. Alexandra will explain how these scams usually work, how de
Feb 27, 2025 · 24 min
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 deadline for phase one. Hamida Ghafour is The Globe’s Deputy Foreign Editor. She explains what has happened during the last six weeks, how hostage handovers have caused outrage in Israel and what could happen next.
Feb 26, 2025 · 22 min
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 large, overshadowing traditional election issues like health care and affordability. Jeff Gray is The Globe’s Ontario politics reporter. He’s on the show to talk about how tariffs shaped this election, how the parties are approaching the challenges facing Ontario and how Ford’s opponents are dealing with the uphill battle against him.
Feb 25, 2025 · 21 min
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 policies and programs in response. But the backlash goes beyond DEI — corporate climate commitments are under attack, too. The progressive policies being rolled back fall under ESG (environmental, social and governance). ESG factors help businesses evaluate their practices related to sustainability and ethics, and help investors decide who
Feb 24, 2025 · 20 min
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 to help soften the blow if American demand dries up. Chris Wilson-Smith – who writes The Globe’s daily Business Brief newsletter – recently looked into how feasible diversification is and found there are some significant barriers. But not all hope is lost.
Feb 22, 2025 · 28 min
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 co-hosts the podcast Scamfluencers, as well as the Netflix show Follow This. Her second book is called Sucker Punch: Essays, and is a collection of essays about her divorce, among many other life-changing events. Haley Mlotek is a writer, editor, and organizer and has been published in the New York Times Magazine, The New Yorker and many othe