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The Decibel

The Decibel

The Globe and Mail 1286 episodes Latest Jun 1, 2026

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

Canada’s first steps towards a social media ban Jun 12, 2026 00:26:33 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 Jun 11, 2026 00:22:42 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 Jun 10, 2026 00:26:21 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? Jun 9, 2026 00:24:13 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 Jun 8, 2026 00:23:18 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 Jun 5, 2026 00:26:30 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 Jun 4, 2026 00:22:05 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 Jun 3, 2026 00:23:04 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 Jun 2, 2026 00:26:09 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 Jun 1, 2026 00:23:54 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 May 29, 2026 00:25:05 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 May 28, 2026 00:18:05 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

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