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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1,334 episodes
Updated Friday

Episodes1334

Newest first

May 13 · 19 min
A reality check on hantavirus risk in Canada
This month, the World Health Organization linked a hantavirus outbreak to a cruise ship in the south Atlantic. Since the outbreak, three people have died from the virus and nine people have been confirmed to be infected with it. 10 Canadians who have been exposed to the virus have returned to Canada and are quarantining. To some, there are familiar anxieties about how widespread the outbreak could be, coloured by memories of the COVID pandemic. But health officials have said that hantavirus is d
May 12 · 22 min
Making sense of a stock market that doesn’t make sense right now
From trade wars to the war in Iran, there has been a lot of geopolitical tension in the world. This can sometimes cause jitters on the stock market, but that hasn’t been the case as of late. In fact, the stock market has been thriving, even at a time when Canadians are feeling like there is an affordability crisis. Tim Shufelt is an investment reporter for The Globe. He’s been looking into what’s behind the booming bull market. He’s on the show today to talk about why investors seem so confiden
May 11 · 26 min
Why are drug deaths rising in Edmonton, but falling elsewhere?
Canada has seen a decline in deaths related to drug overdose the past two years. But the reality at the local level is a little more complicated. In some cities, like Edmonton, this rate is increasing. The city saw its deadliest year for drug deaths in 2025. One of the Globe’s health reporters, Alanna Smith was in Alberta to figure out what’s going on. She’s here to share what she learned about why the situation in Edmonton is so bad, and the pushback against harm reduction policies, like safe
May 8 · 24 min
The pressure is on for Canada to meet growing energy demand
The war in Iran has radically changed the way that oil and gas moves around the globe. Since the war began, North American energy exports – such as petroleum and liquefied natural gas – have increased. Now, there is pressure on Canada to meet the increased demand. The Globe’s energy reporter, Emma Graney, is on the show to explain how some Canadian companies are changing course to try to meet that demand, what’s getting in the way for other Canadian companies to do the same and what all this me
May 7 · 23 min
Saudi Arabia’s vision for its future is crumbling
Saudi Arabia has spent a decade pouring billions into investments to modernize their finance, entertainment, sports, technology and tourism industries, to help shift their economy away from oil. Now these efforts, called Vision 2030, are being challenged, in part, by the war in Iran, the missile and drone strikes against Saudi and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Doug Saunders is the Globe’s International affairs columnist. He’s on the show today to explain how Saudi’s vision for its future
May 6 · 23 min
Alberta separatist campaign faces legal hurdles
This week marked an important milestone in the separatist campaign in Alberta. After months of getting people to sign their petitions to trigger a referendum on independence, the separatist leaders submitted their signatures to Elections Alberta for verification. But Elections Alberta cannot count the signatures right now. That’s because of a court injunction that was put in place last month while a judge considers whether the treaty rights of some First Nations have been violated. It’s one of
May 5 · 20 min
What does Canada gain by hosting the new global defence bank?
Canada has spent the last year shoring up defence spending. Now a new multilateral financial institution, the Defence, Security and Resilience Bank, is being established with the promise of offering stable financing to member countries. After months of negotiations, Canada was selected to be the bank’s host country last week. Pippa Norman is the Globe’s innovation reporter, and also covers Canada’s defence industry. She’s going to explain what it means for Canada to host the bank and how this m
May 4 · 27 min
Canadian professors on how AI is changing education
A 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 to determine how much they want to adopt AI or not – and that’s created a wide range of opinions. Today, we hear from five Canadian university professors about how they’re thinking about education and students in the world of AI. We speak with Amanda Perry, professor of literature at Champlain College-Saint Lambert and C
May 1 · 19 min
A food economist’s case against public grocery stores
Food affordability remains a priority for many Canadians. This week, Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government unveiled the spring economic update. It included some already announced measures aimed to make groceries more affordable. But some people are considering others measures to make food cheaper: public grocery stores. Federal NDP leader, Avi Lewis, has been talking about establishing a network of public grocery stores across Canada and municipalities like Toronto, Ottawa and Vancouver are a
April 30 · 24 min
Where your money ends up after a scam
Once scammers successfully steal someone’s money, they need a place to stash it. So they are buying verified Canadian bank accounts in order to launder money. In the last 12 months, a Canadian cybercrime research firm identified 4,337 social media posts offering to purchase accounts. The people who allow scammers to use their accounts are known as “money mules”. Many become implicated in the crime, even if they are recruited without knowing they are being used to launder money. Alexandra Podazk
April 29 · 23 min
Takeaways from the Liberals’ first economic update as a majority
The Liberals’ spring economic update lays out $54-billion in new spending over six years, including $6-billion towards boosting employment in the trades and more money for sports. The update also shows an estimated deficit of $66.9-billion for the 2025-26 fiscal year, an $11.5-billion improvement over what the government had projected in the Nov. 4 budget. Campbell Clark, The Globe’s chief political writer, joins the show to break down what the Carney government’s first piece of fiscal policy a
April 28 · 23 min
The first Canadian effectively cured of HIV
Only 10 HIV patients worldwide are known to have achieved the milestone of being in prolonged remission. Soon, a Toronto patient will be part of the historic achievement, becoming the 11th patient and first Canadian to be effectively cured of HIV. Doctors at the Canadian Conference on HIV/AIDS Research revealed that a patient underwent a stem cell transplant that is creating a natural immunity against the virus. Jennifer Yang, health science reporter for The Globe, delves into the complicated p
April 27 · 22 min
First, the Alberta health scandal. Then the surveillance began
It began with a whistle-blower alleging government interference in Alberta Health Services’ contracting process and its connections to a medical supply company, MHCare Medical. Alberta’s government denies the allegations. But soon, the whistle-blower and others – and a Globe reporter who dug into the case – were subject to a campaign of harassment, threats and surveillance. Who was behind it all? Carrie Tait, a Globe reporter in Alberta, explains what it was like for her to be targeted. And Tu
April 26 · 31 min
INTERSECT/26: John Bolton on Canadian military defence
Globe columnist Andrew Coyne interviews former U.S. ambassador and national security adviser John Bolton at The Globe and Mail’s INTERSECT/26 forum of government officials, industry leaders and policymakers. Coyne and Bolton discuss the spectre of Trump as a threat to Canada’s sovereignty, the tense relationship between the two countries and what Canada needs to do to bolster its defence in a time of potential conflict.
April 24 · 23 min
The Alberta government is accused of gerrymandering
The Alberta government is drawing controversy over electoral politics. They’re being accused of gerrymandering – the practice of redrawing voting districts to boost prospects in elections. Instead of approving a new electoral map provided by a commission, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith voted to appoint a new commission to appoint a panel that will create a new map. Matthew Scace is a reporter from the Globe’s Calgary bureau. He joins us today to break down what this decision will mean for the A
April 23 · 24 min
Drones and the future of Canada’s military industry
Robotics and drones are now leading the charge in modern warfare, reshaping battlefields in Ukraine and on the Strait of Hormuz. The Canadian military, with renewed funding and targets, is focusing on developing drones – and defence companies want to be part of production and investment. Pippa Norman covers the defence industry and Canada’s military strategy for The Globe. She explains why unmanned vehicles are gaining popularity with military and government leaders, how its development is mean
April 22 · 25 min
The next step in Carney’s invest-in-Canada plan
The big sell is on. Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government has promised to raise $500-billion dollars of private investment over the next five years to reposition Canada as an important player in international business. The goal is to capture billions in foreign investments by selling, in Carney’s words, “what the world wants” – energy, critical minerals and an educated workforce. And a government-led summit this year to bring wealthy investors to Canadian soil will be the site of their biggest
April 21 · 19 min
Big changes in Ontario’s education system
Last week, Ontario introduced new legislation proposing sweeping changes to education in the province – from how school boards are managed, to having attendance make up part of final grades for high school students. This is the latest in a string of changes that serve to centralize oversight over Canada’s largest education system. The Globe’s education reporter, Dave McGinn, joins the show to talk about why Ontario says it’s introducing these changes, and what parents and teachers want to see g
April 20 · 26 min
The violent incidents and menacing texts targeting waste giant GFL
For the last year and a half, the talk of construction sites and Bay Street was about a string of violent incidents targeting GFL, the waste management giant, and GIP, its sister construction company. There was suspected arson, vandalism, and executives’ homes were targeted in shootings in both 2024 and this past March. Earlier this month, police made an arrest in connection with the 2024 shootings: Ilan Philosophe, the founder of a competing company, Astro Excavating Inc. The Globe’s Robyn Doo
April 17 · 22 min
Why Canadian movies are having a moment
Earlier this year, a report on domestic box office data for 2025 revealed that Canadian films brought in $13.9 million last year. Compared to $23.5-million in 2024, the report painted a distressing picture. But in the last three months, five homegrown films have been breaking box office records. After a sluggish year, Canadian movies are finally having a moment. Barry Hertz is the Globe’s deputy arts editor and film editor. He joins us today to talk about what filmmakers and distributors are do