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The Decibel

Author: The Globe and Mail

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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.
726 Episodes
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There are few more important habits for human health than the hours we spend asleep every night. Research shows sleep – or lack of it – affects everything from our physical and mental health, decision making and ability to fight illness. Despite this, at least one in four Canadians say they’re unhappy with the quality of their sleep.Dr. Rébecca Robillard, neuropsychologist at the University of Ottawa and Co-Chair of the Canadian Sleep Research Consortium, goes deep on the science of sleep and why it’s vital for cognition and brain health.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
Aspen, Colorado is a picturesque mountain town often called a snowy “playground for the rich”. Real estate is also one of the most expensive in the United States, and for the teachers that live there, that means they’ve been priced out. Now, the local high school is trying to solve that problem with student-built tiny homes for their teachers.The Globe’s international correspondent, Nathan VanderKlippe recently spent time in Aspen to find out about this makeshift solution to the affordability crisis, the other cities doing similar projects and what this all says about the effects housing has on our social structures.Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
For most workers in Canada, there’s a chunk of money deducted from each paycheck that goes toward the Canada Pension Plan. It happens whether you want it to or not. That’s because the CPP was set up to force people to save for their retirement. Canadians become eligible to receive a monthly payment when they reach the age of 60. However, many factors determine how much money an individual will get.Brenda Bouw, a reporter for Globe Advisor, explains how CPP works, what determines how much you get and the debate around what’s the right age to claim it.To visit The Globe’s CPP calculator, click here.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
The number of single parents in Canada has been steadily growing since the 1970s. Today, one in five children grow up in single-parent homes. However, the increasing cost of living and lack of sufficient financial support is pushing many of these families towards poverty.Dave McGinn, a reporter for the Globe and Mail, dives into the additional struggles that single parents face and explains how Canada’s policies to help families fall short.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
The federal price on carbon is set to increase on April 1. This tax is being criticized by many provinces including Saskatchewan. At the end of last year, Premier Scott Moe announced that the province will stop collecting a carbon levy on home heating bills. Then, earlier this year, he said that the province wouldn’t pay part of its carbon bill to the Canada Revenue Agency. Ottawa says this is against the law.The Globe and Mail’s Alberta and energy reporter Kelly Cryderman explains why Saskatchewan made that decision and how the political debate on the carbon tax got so fraught.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
Russian President Vladimir Putin is one of the longest serving leaders of the country, on track to surpass the rule of Joseph Stalin. Over the years, Putin has cracked down on opposition, as seen with Alexey Navalny and many others before him, to the extent that there is little opposition left in Russia.Mark MacKinnon, The Globe’s senior international correspondent, has been speaking with members of the Russian opposition movement, both in prison and in exile. Today, he tells us their fates, how they’re making sense of this moment, and what it means for the future of Russia that Putin has such a firm grip on power.Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
The man who murdered the parents of a former NHL goalie was recently granted full parole. In 2022, a ruling by the Supreme Court struck down the punishment of life without parole for multiple murders. This case has raised questions about what rules and parameters are in place for convicted killers and the potential threat they pose to society.The Globe and Mail’s justice writer Sean Fine explains the details of the case, the mechanism of the parole system and what it can mean for future criminal cases.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
Private debt funds are one of the hottest commodities in the world of investing. High rates of return and low management fees made them popular among investors. However, some recent redemption freezes and the allegations against Bridging Finance Inc. have put these funds under scrutiny.The Globe and Mail’s finance reporter and columnist Tim Kiladze, explains what these private debt funds are, how they operate and why some investors are reconsidering their big bets.Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
Canada went through its most destructive wildfire season in 2023. Wildfire services rely on data, forestry photography and mapping as a way to proactively control forest fires. However, a recent study in B.C. has found that the data being used is inaccurate and insufficient.Jen Baron, lead author of the study and PhD candidate at UBC’s Department of Conservation and Forestry, explains the inaccuracies in the data, the problems it creates and the ways it could be improved.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
Millennial women are feeling burnt out.The responsibilities and pressures of family, work and caregiving are piling up, amidst the lingering fallout of the pandemic and the economic crisis. But what makes this generation’s burnout unique to generations before it?The Globe and Mail’s demographics reporter Ann Hui, explains her own experience with burnout, the reasons why millennial women are feeling it more and how it can be made better.Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
After months of escalating violence, Haiti has descended into chaos. Criminal gangs have largely taken control of the country’s capital as they attack civilians and police. Haitian prime minister Ariel Henry has agreed to step down to allow for a transitional government to take over, while a UN-backed security force from Kenya is being called on to restore order.Chalmers Larose, a Haitian political scientist and lecturer at several Canadian post-secondary institutions, joins the show to unpack the security problems facing Haiti, what can be done about them, and whether international effort could help.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
The dangerous effects of the opioid crisis could be distilled in a single afternoon in February: the town of Belleville, Ont., saw 14 overdose cases in just two hours. The scale of the opioid crisis is often associated with big cities; however, the reality in smaller cities is even worse. Despite smaller cities having higher rates of opioid deaths and hospitalizations, they get less attention.The Globe and Mail’s reporter and feature writer, Shannon Proudfoot explains the situation in some small towns in the country and how they are trying to deal with it despite having far fewer resources.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
A new series published by the medical journal, The Lancet says menopause is being “over-medicalized.” It argues that treating aging like an illness does women a disservice. The medical community’s approach to menopause has changed a lot throughout the years including the use of hormone replacement therapy to treat symptoms associated with it.The Globe and Mail’s health reporter Kelly Grant, explains the history of hormone replacement therapy use, the culture shift around our views on menopause and where this all leaves people dealing with its symptoms.Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announced new regulations for renewable power developments that started on March 1st. This comes after the province paused all renewable developments in August. And the rules have some people concerned that it will limit this booming industry in a traditional oil-and-gas powered province.The Globe and Mail’s energy reporter, Emma Graney, explains what exactly the rules cover and how it could create a chill for new wind and solar investments in Alberta.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
A recent legislative commission in Maine has questioned the 2006 Canadian investigation on the spraying of herbicides that took place in a New Brunswick military base. The latest report says the Canadian government downplayed the effects of Agent Orange on military veterans and their families.Lindsay Jones is The Globe’s Atlantic reporter. In this episode, she tells us more about the investigations into the use of Agent Orange in Canada, and the fight for compensation and answers for those exposed to the toxic chemicals.Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com.
In 2015, the Vancouver Art Gallery believed it had made a groundbreaking acquisition. 10 sketches by Group of Seven member J.E.H. MacDonald were unearthed in the mid-1970s and sold off. But experts in the Canadian art world weren’t convinced they were authentic. But it wouldn’t be until late 2023 that the truth was finally revealed to the public.Marsha Lederman is a columnist for the Globe, and has been reporting on this artwork since the Vancouver Art Gallery first announced their acquisition nearly a decade ago. She’s on the show to talk about how the mystery was finally solved, what it means for an art gallery to come clean.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
Measles cases have been popping up all over the world, including in Canada. This highly contagious virus can be devastating – and even deadly – to people who haven’t been vaccinated against it.The Globe and Mail’s health columnist André Picard explains why we’re seeing this sudden rise and what can be done about it.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
Newly released documents reveal two scientists who worked at a high-security infectious disease lab in Winnipeg provided confidential scientific information to China. Both scientists were fired back in 2021, but for years the exact reasons why had been a mystery. The CSIS documents now reveal that one of the scientists was “a realistic and credible threat to Canada’s economic security.”Senior parliamentary reporter, Steven Chase explains who these scientists are and the information they were sharing, foreign interference and why the government took so long to release the documents.Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
The Liberal-NDP supply-and-confidence deal has passed another test. The two parties managed to table a pharmacare bill before the March 1 deadline. But the compromise legislation is a limited program, supplying universal, single-payer coverage to only two classes of drugs.Marieke Walsh, the Globe’s Senior Political Reporter, explains how the program will work and how much it will cost.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
There are increasing shortages in the skilled trades in Canada, and provinces and territories are desperate to get people to fill them – so, they’re turning to young people. There are programs across the country to get high school students engaged in the trades, but Ontario has proposed the most radical solution yet – allowing students to leave high school early.Today, The Globe’s education reporter Caroline Alphonso explains how provinces are trying to encourage young people into the trades, and why we might need to rethink the approach to what happens after high school.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
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Comments (17)

Emma Bailey

The social pressure is the only thing binding these kids to waisting two more years. My father-in-law left high school at grade 10 to work with his father-in-law as a fine carpenter making furniture. By the time he was in his early 20's he had already had a career bought a house taken education to become a mechanic and had his first of 3 boys. He is a wise and kind man who continues to support his family. I'm sure even first generation Canadian children would honour thier parents sacrifice and hard work by practicing a trade. They will have the opportunity to start thier own business and mentor down the road. As well, as my own father did, save money by building thier own home or providing thier skill to thier loved ones saving them money. The trades need a rebranding in hyper educated metropolitan areas because rural areas where a work-life-balance is struck as cultural, know these are the people who always have jobs, build and care for our communities. Respect to our Trades and the T

Mar 1st
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Evan Ferris

a terrorist attack justifies genocide?

Oct 13th
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G DeA

Why is no one talking about reducing our population? Why is it always about more, more, more? Why is no one talking about how increasing populations are going to cause massive fresh water shortages? We get every crappy thing we deserve.

Sep 23rd
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Evan Ferris

lock them up for the max.

Sep 11th
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T. Hu

Never too late to plant a tree

Jul 30th
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G DeA

Fuck housing. What about food supply as farms are sold off or water when we are already experiencing water shortages?

Jul 11th
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Hamid

I requested ATIP for the Citizenship application of my family more than a year ago and never got any response fro IRCC. It’s a totally broken system.

Jun 17th
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Emma Bailey

what about Dimond and leading Architects who were defending the city. Do we really want seamless to 24/7 servailance? Many who have participated in building this city had questions about the true ability of the servailance at this level.

Apr 9th
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T. Hu

Goosebumps!!

Aug 16th
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T. Hu

What is wrong with this podcast's sound? Thr volume goes up and down itself.

Jul 28th
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T. Hu

what's going on with the sound/volume control of this podcast?

May 26th
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David Nording

And when will Canada do the same?

Dec 2nd
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Gordon Bingeman

I really enjoyed this episode, especially hearing from Terry Nguyen. she is very knowledgeable and a great reporter. I didn't understand the clothing names, still a very great show. keep up the good work.

Nov 26th
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Vivian Evans

Many of the same issues are in the RCMP. We have along way to go to make sexual violence disappear from these institutions.

Oct 27th
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Jennifer H

actually the time chamge question was should we keep daylight savings time year round

Oct 24th
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MaPepa

More needs to be done to prevent domestic violence. Early intervention through awareness campaigns and "retraining" workshops at the individual level while promoting a social infrastructure that does not glorify violence and war, male supremacy, and female submissiveness/objectification.

Oct 10th
Reply

Pierre Couture

Great story. It's very concerning how peoples consume without thinking about the overall impact.

Aug 26th
Reply
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