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
The trade war has created a boom for lobbyists
Personal 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. President Donald Trump, industry sources told The Globe that those connections at the executive level matter now more than ever.Today, Irene Galea is on the show. She’s a business reporter for The Globe, and she was in Washin
What the current bond market turmoil says about the economy
Scary 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 for much of the global financial system and changes in it can ripple across governments and companies and right into people’s bank accounts.Scott Barlow is a columnist for Globe Investor. He explains the worry about the c
The trade war is heating up. So is foreign investment in Canada
With 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 indicating whether they plan to return to the negotiating table anytime soon, we wanted to look at how Carney’s goal to drum up foreign investment is going.Tim Shufelt is the Globe’s investment reporter. He’s here to talk
Violence against teachers is surging
A 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, with one study finding that the modern-day classroom is a hazardous workplace. But the reasons why violence is more common are complex, and educators, school boards and unions aren’t always in agreement on how to fix it.Dave
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 o
A pediatric emergency physician on the risks of e-scooters
The popularity of e-scooters on Canadian roads has exploded in recent years. But new data from health officials and the Canadian Paediatric Society shows that the risks of e-scooters can lead to hospitalization and death. Has policy and regulation kept up with how readily available the transportation has become?
Dr. Daniel Rosenfield, pediatric emergency physician at SickKids Hospital in Toronto a
What’s behind the implosion of the B.C. Conservatives
It’s been a turbulent time for the official opposition of the British Columbia provincial legislature, the B.C. Conservative party. After seeing a surge in popularity leading up to the 2024 provincial election, they’ve now lost a third of their sitting members. Seven MLAs have left since mid-August alone.
Today, Globe national affairs columnist Gary Mason is on the show. He’ll explain the party’s
How small businesses are handling the trade war
The 50-per-cent tariffs from the U.S. that came into effect on Aug. 22 are hitting a long list of goods — everything from cosmetics and toiletries, to electronics, clothing, and chemicals. For Canadian small businesses selling to the U.S., the levies are having a big impact already; a 50-per-cent tariff means that, for example, a wedding dress that costs $1,000 will now cost $1,500 overnight.
A su
Why people are taking vacations to pick up new skills
The demands of modern life seem to grow every day, leaving little time for people to pursue hobbies. Many Canadians are leaving vacation time unused. In light of this, a growing number of people have started devoting their vacations to intensive workshops, where they can pick up new skills or hone a craft.
Toronto-based audio journalist and frequent Decibel producer Allie Graham recently looked in
Navigating Canada’s fertility industry
A growing number of Canadians are struggling with fertility, and the business helping people make babies is booming. The global fertility services market was valued at more than $21-billion in 2021 and is projected to more than quadruple by 2031. As more hopeful parents turn toward services like in-vitro fertilization – or IVF – and surrogacy to conceive, Globe investigative journalist Kathryn Bla
At its core, the Canada-U.S. trade dispute is about autos
The auto sector is at the heart of trade discussions between Canada and the U.S.
Canada’s auto sector has been hit hard over the past year with tariffs from U.S. President Donald Trump. How the U.S. was planning on dealing with the auto industry was one of the reasons the trade deal between the two countries fell apart over the weekend.
So today, The Globe’s economics reporter, Mark Rendell, expla
Canada hits U.S. with retaliatory tariffs
The Canada-U.S. trade war is in full effect.
On Tuesday, the federal government announced retaliatory tariffs against the United States. U.S. steel, seafood, dishwashers, forks, and all manner of other things are facing tariffs of 15, 25 or even 50 per cent.
Jason Kirby, from The Globe’s Report on Business, tells us how Canada is striking back in this latest front of the trade war.
Questions? Comm
Canadian businesses prepare for long-haul trade war
After trade talks broke down between Ottawa and Washington, U.S. President Donald Trump implemented 50-per-cent tariffs on $28-billion dollars worth of Canadian goods. Over the weekend, Prime Minister Mark Carney vowed to retaliate with dollar-for-dollar countertariffs, which are set to take effect after Labour Day. On Monday, President Trump announced the U.S. would also be doubling its tariffs o
Why Canada’s biggest paid plasma collector has paused operations
Plasma is the golden fluid part of the blood and it’s used to make life-saving medications for people with immune deficiencies. In Canada, plasma donors were historically volunteers, for the most part. While paid donation was legal in some provinces, it wasn’t especially common.
But in 2022, Canadian Blood Services partnered with Grifols, a Spanish company, to expand paid plasma donation. Now, the
Skinny, Inc. Part 3: Body image in the age of Ozempic
The first episode of Skinny Inc. was all about the science behind GLP-1s, and the second episode was about the business, from the pharmaceutical companies who make GLP-1s to the insurance plans that may or may not cover it.
Today, we’re exploring how the so-called “Ozempic era,” affects people’s mental health.
First, business owner Maiyhet Burton tells us how using a GLP-1 has helped her body imag
Carney’s tricky trade balancing act
Canadians braced for new tariffs on Wednesday. Instead, U.S. President Donald Trump said he would hold off on 50 per cent tariffs for three more days because a “good” trade deal was in the works.
The details of the tentative trade deal remain murky. But Prime Minister Mark Carney is insisting that progress is being made and met with his cabinet and Canada’s premiers on Wednesday afternoon.
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Foreign actors target Alberta’s separatist referendum
New research from the University of Regina and the University of Alberta provides evidence that Russian content farms and right-wing U.S. influencers are targeting Alberta’s upcoming referendum. Some foreign actors are trying to foment discord in Canada, while others overtly try to persuade Canadians to join the separatist cause.
Grant Robertson is an investigative reporter with The Globe. He exp
The fate of ship crews stuck in the Strait of Hormuz
More than 6,000 ship workers, including some Canadians, have been stranded in the Persian Gulf — some in the Strait of Hormuz — since the war in Iran began at the end of February. Some workers — also known as seafarers — have been stuck on board without pay, or help from their ships’ owners. With little signs of progress on talks to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the fate of these workers remains un
Ticks are spreading more than just Lyme disease
Canada is in the middle of one of its worst seasons for ticks. The tick population and tick-borne diseases are climbing year-over-year, and it’s not just Lyme disease that experts say we should be concerned about.
Today, the Globe’s health science reporter Jennifer Yang joins the show to discuss the emergent tick-borne disease causing concern in Canada, why our country’s tick problem is only getti
Skinny, Inc. Part 2: The big business of Ozempic
GLP-1 medications to treat diabetes, obesity and several other illnesses have exploded in popularity since Ozempic was approved for use in Canada back in 2018. Ozempic and Wegovy, the GLP-1s which contain semaglutide, are the third-most prescribed drug in Canada and by far the bestselling one.
Chris Hannay, The Globe’s business of health reporter, will explain why the introduction of generic semag
What it’s like to flee the B.C. wildfires
Summerland, B.C., has been devastated by the Bald Range wildfire. More than 20,000 people have evacuated, and by Wednesday, it had burned 178 square kilometres.
The evacuees don’t know when they can return home yet, and many don’t know if their home is standing at all. Today, we bring you conversations with people on the ground about how they fled the fast-moving wildfire, and how they’re coping w
Luluemon’s fight to stay on top of athleisure
For years, the Canadian athletic-wear brand Lululemon both pioneered and dominated the athleisure retail market. It turned workout gear into a status symbol, growing its international operations to 30 countries. But there’s trouble – a public battle with its founder, controversies over its marketing and a cratering stock price have all amounted to serious problems for the once-stalwart brand.
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Canadian banks are going big on AI
Canadian banks are leaning heavily into AI adoption. More than 30 per cent of finance and insurance firms are using AI, compared to just 1.5 per cent of businesses in accommodation and food services. The banks are spending millions, in some cases billions, of dollars on AI programs, like chatbots for customers, for employees, and even for a CEO’s morning briefing.
Today, we’ve got The Globe’s bank
Making Halifax into Canada’s defence city
Steeped in military and naval history, Halifax is increasingly used as the backdrop for announcements of defence investment. The city is poised to benefit from substantial investment thanks to Mark Carney’s commitment to meeting NATO targets. But as more development arrives, is Halifax able to support the demands of an increased strain on its infrastructure and housing supply?
Chris Wilson-Smith w
Skinny, Inc. Part 1: The Canadian connection to Ozempic
Dr. Daniel Drucker’s research helped pave the way for Ozempic, the blockbuster GLP-1 class drug. The endocrinologist has been researching the effects on Ozempic’s active ingredient semaglutide in the body for decades.
Today, he’ll show us around his lab and explain how a stout lizard kept in a freezer helped unlock the science behind a drug taken by more than a million Canadians.
Then, health repo
How Gen Z says ‘oui’: Meet Quebec’s young sovereigntists
With a Quebec provincial election on deck this fall, and the Parti Québécois leading in the polls, there’s a good chance Quebec will hold another referendum on independence. Support for separation is polling at around 30 per cent — far below the majority vote result needed to form an independent country. However, a new generation of sovereigntists is cropping up, one that hadn’t even been born for
Canadian NATO intern accused of spying
A Canadian woman has been arrested and accused of spying for a third country during her internship at NATO’s headquarters in Belgium. The woman had a work history with Canadian government agencies and was once found to have committed fraud when trying to apply for a job with the Canada Border Services Agency.
This case is now raising questions about how the Canadian government vets its candidates,
Inside ‘Davos on the dock,’ the invite-only Muskoka conference
The Dock has been around since 2015. It’s an invite-only conference where tech, business and political leaders gather to talk. This year it was at a billionaire real estate magnate’s cottage estate in Ontario’s Muskoka region. And Prime Minister Mark Carney attended for part of the three-day conference.
Guests are asked not to talk about what happens there, but business reporters Tim Kiladze and S
Who are the people hacking hackers?
Ransomware attacks have become more prominent in recent years, with major breaches of hospitals, like Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children in 2022, and companies like Indigo in 2023. In 2025, damages from ransomware attacks were expected to reach US$57-billion dollars worldwide.
Alongside the rise of ransomware attacks came the emergence of a new kind of industry: ransomware negotiators. They com
Ontario’s failed bid to expand Toronto’s island airport
Billy Bishop Airport, located on the western edge of the Toronto Islands, just south of downtown, has long been the subject of controversy. There was opposition to its expansion when Porter Airlines launched back in 2006, and again in the early 2010s when Porter wanted to allow jet traffic. The latest push to expand Billy Bishop took off in earnest in the spring, when Ontario Premier Doug expropri
What’s up with Canada’s condo market?
The Canadian condo market is crumbling. As prices continue to plummet, thousands of condo units sit empty and unsold in Vancouver and Toronto – two of Canada’s largest real estate markets. While buyers grow increasingly hesitant, both federal and provincial governments are trying different tactics to revive the market, with degrees of success.
The Globe’s real estate reporter, Rachelle Younglai jo
Why chicken is so expensive right now
First, beef prices went sky-high. Now, the price of chicken is getting more expensive — and Canadian chicken production is struggling to keep up with demand. Between a protein craze driving up demand and a supply crunch affecting producers, the wholesale price of chicken has shot up 12 per cent since May, 2025.
Kate Helmore is The Globe’s agriculture and food policy reporter. She joins us to expla
The Odyssey and IMAX’s Canadian roots
When’s the last time going to see a movie was a cultural event? Director Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey has people flocking to theatres for its star-studded cast and action-packed storytelling — but also because of the way it was made. The Odyssey is the first full-length feature shot entirely with IMAX film and getting a ticket to see it in ‘the best format’ has sent some Canadians on odysseys o
How much AI music is in your playlist?
What does it mean to create music? Would you be able to tell if the sounds you were listening to weren’t made or sung by a human? Artists and supporters of the music industry are asking some of these existential questions, as technology in consumer generative AI has grown in leaps and bounds and record companies are settling legal battles with AI companies.
Josh O’Kane, Globe reporter on arts and
Trump’s gamble on a Depression-era tariff law
U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to impose a 50-per-cent tariff on more than 500 Canadian goods effective next month. This is far from the first time the Trump administration has threatened levies on Canada. But this time, the administration has pulled a lever that dates all the way back to the 1930s.
Today, Adrian Morrow, The Globe’s U.S. correspondent based in Washington, walks us through
What Canada can learn from Indigenous fire practices
Nearly 900 wildfires are burning across Canada, and early estimates suggest Ontario is experiencing its worst wildfire season on record. In Northwest Ontario, more than a dozen communities – most of which are First Nations – have been evacuated, with some people taken to places as far away as Niagara Falls. As fire seasons get worse, Indigenous people are disproportionately affected, but their his
Decoding Mark Carney’s strategic narrative about Canada
One of the key jobs of a prime minister is to help build out the story of what is Canada. And while Mark Carney was considered a political neophyte when he became Prime Minister, he’s proven to be adept in using political symbolism to build out his version of what it means to be Canadian at this moment in time.
Shannon Proudfoot, a feature writer for The Globe, pieces together the actions, speeche
The resistance to AI data centres in Canada
There are several development projects underway for AI data centres in Canada, with plans for many, many more. The Canadian government is behind these projects as it tries to encourage Canadians to adopt the technology and increase Canada’s digital sovereignty by housing data within our borders. But there is a lot of opposition to these data centres from the communities where they’d be built, incl
Pitch and Power: How the ’90 World Cup captured England’s heart
Pitch and Power is The Globe and Mail's World Cup podcast.
In the 1980s, Margaret Thatcher’s England was a country under strain, marked by industrial decline, social unrest and sharp political divides. In that climate, English soccer became a national problem rather than a point of pride. Stadiums crumbled, hooliganism spread and tragedy struck at Bradford, Heysel, and Hillsborough. The game felt
Another crucial strait that could strangle the global economy
A lot of attention has been given to the Strait of Hormuz amid Iran’s closure in response to attacks by the U.S. and Israel. But another key strait in the region, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait off the coast of Yemen, has also been threatened with a shutdown, and it’s similarly vital to trade.
Thomas Juneau is a professor at the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Ot
How much forest management matters in wildfires
Evacuation orders are under way in communities in northwestern Ontario, as more than 140 wildfires rage in the region. Meanwhile, smoke from the fires has drifted south, blanketing cities like Toronto in a yellow haze. Fire officials confirm more than 4.7 million acres have burned throughout Canada this year. As wildfires have become a regular occurrence in Canada, questions about what can be done
What Canada gave up to (hopefully) open the Gordie Howe bridge
A new deal between Canada and the U.S. resolves issues around the Gordie Howe International Bridge, which is now set to open on July 27. The bridge – which will become the second bridge connecting Windsor, Ont., and Detroit, Mich., – nearly opened last month, but the ribbon-cutting ceremony was quickly called off after U.S. President Donald Trump refused to open the American side of the bridge. A
The Bishnoi gang and the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar
The 2023 murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, B.C., led to a major diplomatic rift between Canada and India. Mr. Nijjar was a prominent Canadian Sikh separatist. Then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused agents of the Indian government of being involved in the killing. Four people had previously been arrested in connection to Nijjar’s killing. Now, U.S. officials have unsealed an indictment
The reasons Canadians aren’t taking their paid vacation
A lot of Canadians struggle to take their allotted, paid vacation days, according to new research, meaning those days go unused. It’s not just internal pressures making people skip a holiday, it’s coming from higher up – from managers’ attitudes towards vacation all the way up to the state of the economy.
Today, Globe reporter Zosia Bielski explains the reasons why Canadians aren’t taking their pa
Pitch and Power: Italian agony, psychology of the penalty kick
In the heat of USA ’94, Roberto Baggio carried the nation of Italy on his shoulders— and then saw it all slip away from twelve yards. This episode explores one of soccer’s most spellbinding talents and the penalty kick that turned his decorated legacy into a lingering question mark. But this isn’t only about one miss.
Host Eoin O’Callaghan and guests John Foot, Ben Lyttleton and Kevin Kilbane exp
To ban or not to ban: Canadian teens weigh in on social media
Decisions in two landmark trials in the U.S. found social media companies responsible for harms to youth on their platforms, earlier this year. They follow years of growing concern about the dangers that social media poses to young people. And now, those concerns are starting to show up in policy decisions. Back in December, Australia banned those under 16 years old from creating accounts on platf
Why Canada’s banks are doing so much better than the economy
Canada’s Big Six banks are doing very well financially – their stocks are up an average of 62 per cent over the past year. In previous years, five or 10 per cent increases would be considered good for the banks. Financial reporter and columnist Tim Kiladze says this development is “absurd” and “baffling”.
Today, Tim explains why the banks are doing so well. (Spoiler alert: it’s connected to a red-
The new pipeline push in Canada
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has been front and centre of two pipeline proposal announcements in the past week. First, she and Prime Minister Mark Carney announced a new southern route for the proposed West Coast pipeline on Thursday. Just a few days later, on Monday, she and Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced a proposal for a new 3,300-kilometre pipeline that would carry crude oil from Hardist
Why copper theft is on the rise and costing millions
The value of copper has sky-rocketed in the last number of years. The pink orange metal has been in high demand for data centres, telecommunications services and EV charging stations.
But the increased value of copper has led to a rising number of thefts. These incidents have caused internet blackouts, disrupted phone lines, and have cost thousands of dollars in repairs.
Irene Galea is the Globe
The Canadian spy agency you may not have heard of
A recent report from the Communications Security Establishment, Canada’s electronic eavesdropping agency, revealed it conducted cyberattacks to disrupt the online fentanyl supply chain. The report also detailed the agency’s growth; its budget will surpass $2-billion in 2026–27, up from just over $1-billion in 2024–25. The organization is one of the two main spy agencies in Canada and yet it remain
How alcohol sales explain Canada’s internal trade problem
Interprovincial trade within Canada is complicated. Existing barriers mean that many goods, like alcohol, often can’t be sold across provincial and territorial lines. Prime Minister Mark Carney has been pushing for ‘one Canadian economy’ in the wake of attempts to diversify away from the U.S. Opening up interprovincial alcohol sales, especially direct to consumer sales, have been a litmus test for
After 250 years of living next to the U.S., what’s next?
Canada and the U.S. share more than July birthdays. Between them is the world’s longest international land border, more than $3 billion in trade daily and they’re longtime partners in defence and security. The relationship is now being tested like few times in its history by U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats and tariffs. What do past pivotal moments in Canadian-American relations tell us about
A new era of trade uncertainty for Canada, the U.S., and Mexico
With July 1 approaching – the formal review date for the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement – it has become clear that there will be no 16-year extension of the trade treaty. The USMCA governs trade between the three countries, and Canada receives carveouts for U.S. tariffs on USMCA-compliant goods.
Mark Rendell is The Globe’s economics reporter, and joins the show to talk about how Canada got
Why Canada struggles to stop the illegal wildlife trade
Billions of dollars of illegal wildlife parts get trafficked around the world each year. Think elephant tusks, rhino horns, polar bear pelts and even some rare plants, like wild ginseng. One of the countries caught up in these criminal networks is Canada.
Jenn Thornhill Verma looked into how Canada has become such a hub in the illegal wildlife trade and why the organized crime is flying under the
Dating sucks right now, here’s why
Dating can be rough, but it seems to be especially bad right now. According to Statistics Canada, in the 1980s, 68 per cent of Canadians aged 25 to 29 were in a relationship. In 2021, that number was 39 per cent.
The Globe’s healthy living reporter – and unintended Carrie Bradshaw – Graham Isador points to a few reasons why dating sucks right now: app fatigue, distrust of technology, and affordabi
The ‘valley of death’ for Canadian businesses
Canadian businesses don’t have an innovation problem – they have a growth funding problem. Small- and medium-sized businesses often find themselves in what’s known as the ‘valley of death’ – the crucial time when a business is ready to grow, but can’t access the funding they need to get to the next level.
Jameson Berkow reports on capital markets for the Globe. He joins the show to talk about why
Canada’s push for nuclear power
The federal government wants Canada to get back into nuclear energy, pushing to increase nuclear power use and to build and export more Canadian-made nuclear reactors. For the first time in over three decades, a large nuclear reactor is being built in Canada.
But The Globe’s investigative reporter and data journalist Matt McClearn says there’s a reason these projects fell out of favour. There are
Why more LGBTQ+ people are trying to flee the U.S.
On June 20, Rainbow Railroad released a report on the state of global LGBTQ+ persecution. As an advocacy group, Rainbow Railroad helps at-risk LGBTQ+ people get to safety around the world. This past year they received the highest number of requests for support since their operation began. Most of these requests came from the United States. Canada also makes the list of top ten countries for reques
How short-term rentals are fuelling human trafficking in Canada
A court case in Winnipeg has offered a rare glimpse into the mechanics of how human trafficking can work. And it showed that short-rental rentals, like Airbnb and Vrbo, can be used by traffickers while on the move with their victims. But some cities, like Winnipeg, are taking action.
Temur Durrani is a reporter for The Globe based in Winnipeg. He explains the story of a Quebec teenager who survive
Patrick Radden Keefe, in conversation at The Globe
Patrick Radden Keefe, investigative journalist and staff writer at The New Yorker, is best known for his narrative non-fiction true crime stories and deep dives into history. His best selling books include Say Nothing, Empire of Pain, and The Snakehead, as well as the podcast Wind of Change.
Keefe visited The Globe and Mail’s Toronto offices in June 2026 to talk to Globe feature writer Ian Brown
U.S. and Iran sign an initial peace deal – now the challenge begins
The U.S. and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding this week to end the war, and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The 14-paragraph agreement lays out the stipulations for each side – including that all military operations between the U.S., Iran and their allies will stop, that the U.S. will lift all sanctions against Iran, and Iran will allow vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.
But Thomas Juneau
Saskatchewan could hold the key to Canada’s foreign trade goals
Could Saskatchewan be the key to unlocking Canada’s trade potential? While Ottawa works to double non-U.S. exports over the next decade and rebuild important partnerships, politicians and business leaders may learn a lot by looking to the province in the centre of the country. Nearly twenty years ago, Saskatchewan began strategically diversifying their trading partnerships. It was a great success
The fight to make streaming platforms fund Canadian content
Canada’s Online Streaming Act is a thorn in the side of the U.S. administration. The law, passed in 2023, brings streaming platforms like Netflix, Paramount and Disney under Canada’s broadcast regulations, and requires them to support and promote Canadian content. But the implementation of the law has been slow, and the regulator, the CRTC, has been taken to court by U.S. streaming platforms. Now,
Ready to launch: Canada enters the space age
Despite Canada’s contributions to space technology and science, it lags behind other G7 nations in rocket launching capabilities. But that’s now changing – with federal investment and private business teaming up to eventually send spacecraft into orbit. It signals a growing political and economic interest in Canada.
The Globe’s science reporter Ivan Semeniuk attended one of the recent launches in
Seafood supply changing East Coast menus this summer
Summer is peak tourist season for the Atlantic provinces, and many restaurants rely on revenue made during the season to get them through the rest of the year. But this summer, chefs and restaurateurs are facing a challenge: Staples tourists have come to expect, like scallops, haddock, and oysters, will be in short supply.
Dakshana Bascaramurty is The Globe’s food culture reporter. She’ll explain
Introducing Pitch and Power: How Soccer Shapes Everything
Introducing Pitch and Power: How Soccer Shapes Everything, The Globe and Mail’s new soccer podcast for World Cup 2026. Every Thursday, throughout the tournament, host Eoin O’Callaghan will look at eight moments that changed soccer, the moments and stories that extend beyond the field and into politics, culture and the moral climate of their day.
In this episode, the focus is on Johan Cruyff, the D
Pierre Poilievre: An interview, in full
Following The Decibel’s analysis of a one-on-one interview with Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, listeners wrote in and asked for an uncut interview to hear the opposition leader in his own words. This is the one-hour, full-length conversation with Poilievre, recorded on May 15, 2026. The interview has been edited for audio quality.
Original Decibel episode with Poilievre: https://www.theglob
Canada’s first steps towards a social media ban
The government’s new Safe Social Media Act, introduced on Wednesday, will require social media companies to block users below the age of 16 from having accounts on their platforms in a move to address online safety. The ban itself is not imminent – the bill has to pass first – but its introduction begs the question: what does a well regulated internet look like? And is that a balance this governme
The risks and rewards of the IPO hype in Canada
There’s a surge of excitement around a few big companies going public this year – like Apotex and SpaceX both going on stock exchanges this week. These IPOs, or initial public offerings, are generating a ton of buzz – and there’s particular interest in trying to invest in a company before it goes public.
Meera Raman, The Globe’s personal finance reporter, is here today to explain how Canadians are
World Cup 2026: Breakout stars, dark horses and Canada’s chances
The World Cup starts on Thursday, beginning what will be the largest iteration of a hugely popular global event. This time, there are 104 matches with 48 countries competing across 16 cities in Canada, Mexico and the U.S. And the Canadian team will be making its third ever appearance at the World Cup, competing in Group B and playing its initial games in Toronto and Vancouver.
But can this team ad
Is smoking making a comeback?
Smoking cigarettes is cool again. Apparently. Social media and accounts online are raving about the habit, turning it into a trend with images from celebrities and appealing to Gen Z. But this rebirth in popularity runs counter to widespread anti-smoking campaigns warning about the dangers of getting addicted and the health effects of cigarettes. Where did this cultural resurgence for smoking and
Carney’s plan for AI in Canada, explained
The federal government released its plan for AI, and it includes a lot of new money ($2.3 billion, to be precise) towards training, adoption and supporting Canadian businesses and tech companies. There was a lot of anticipation leading up to this strategy’s release, both from those excited about how Canada plans to build and harness the technology, but also from those who are concerned about the p
Patrolling the Arctic with the Canadian military
As Canada builds out its military, there has been an increasing focus on arctic security. But military strategies that work in the southern part of the country do not always work in the North. Gavin John was embedded in a patrol with Canadian rangers as part of Operation Nanook-Nunalivut.
John, who covers national defence for The Globe, shares what it was like to patrol more than 1,000 km in the
The recession question
Canada’s economy has stalled. According to Statistics Canada, Canada’s real GDP contracted 0.1 per cent on an annualized basis in the first quarter of 2026. In the previous quarter, there was a 1-per-cent annualized decline. Two consecutive quarters of decline has sparked debate in Ottawa and on Bay Street about whether the country is in a recession.
Mark Rendell is The Globe’s economics reporter.
How alcohol sales explain Canada’s internal trade problem
Interprovincial trade within Canada is complicated. Existing barriers mean that many goods, like alcohol, often can’t be sold across provincial and territorial lines. Prime Minister Mark Carney has been pushing for ‘one Canadian economy’ in the wake of attempts to diversify away from the U.S. Opening up interprovincial alcohol sales, especially direct to consumer sales, have been a litmus test for
Unpaid and overworked: labour violations in Canadian trucking
The Canadian trucking industry touches almost every aspect of commercial life — most Canadian products on store shelves made at least some part of their journey on the back of a truck. The conditions for drivers who got them there, however, are getting worse.
A Globe investigation by Sara Mojtehedzadeh , an investigative reporter at The Globe, and Mahima Singh, a Globe data editor, looked into t
A crack in Carney’s Liberal caucus over climate
Liberal MP Steven Guilbeault has announced his resignation from Mark Carney’s government, after stepping down from cabinet last fall.. During his time in Canadian parliament Mr. Guilbeault has become a symbol for the Liberal party’s climate conscience. His decision to depart centres on the Prime Minister’s approach to climate policy and it signals the most public disruption in the perceived unity
Uncovering FIFA’s costly World Cup demands on Canadian cities
Vancouver and Toronto are getting ready to host FIFA World Cup matches in June and July, and the demands FIFA makes tend to be costly. Requirements from FIFA go from stadium renovations to branding enforcement, transportation and even tax exemptions. All three levels of government have already spent hundreds of millions of dollars in preparation.
Contracts between FIFA and host cities aren’t u
What’s behind the surge in military enlistment in Canada
Canada has been pushing to increase its defence efforts. Earlier this year, Canada reached their NATO defence spending target of two per cent of GDP. On Wednesday, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced plans to obtain new early warning aircraft technology. And, the Canadian military is seeing an increase in enlistment rates.
Janice Dickson is The Globe’s international affairs reporter. Earlier this
The search for graves at Tk’emlups, five years on
Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation near Kamloops, B.C. was the site of a national reckoning over the legacy of residential schools. On May 27, 2021, the First Nation announced it had discovered 215 probable unmarked graves on the ground of a former residential school, using ground-penetrating radar technology. The number was later revised to around 200 probable graves.
Since that revelation, lea
