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The Decibel
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... more

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Episodes

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... more

14 Mar 2025 · 25 minutes
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... more

13 Mar 2025 · 21 minutes
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... more

12 Mar 2025 · 22 minutes
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... more

11 Mar 2025 · 24 minutes
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... more

10 Mar 2025 · 25 minutes
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... more

07 Mar 2025 · 22 minutes
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... more

06 Mar 2025 · 25 minutes
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... more

05 Mar 2025 · 26 minutes
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... more

04 Mar 2025 · 24 minutes
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... more

03 Mar 2025 · 23 minutes
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... more

01 Mar 2025 · 30 minutes
How scammers deepfake businesses

Scammers are using generative AI technology to create deepfakes, compelling their targets to send large sums of money. And it... more

28 Feb 2025 · 19 minutes
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,... more

27 Feb 2025 · 24 minutes
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... more

26 Feb 2025 · 22 minutes
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... more

25 Feb 2025 · 21 minutes
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... more

24 Feb 2025 · 20 minutes
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... more

22 Feb 2025 · 28 minutes
Trump warms to Russia, cools support for Ukraine

Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump had a 90-minute phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin about the end of... more

21 Feb 2025 · 21 minutes
The problems with linking weight and health

Body weight often gets conflated with overall health, and the BMI — body mass index — has helped solidify that... more

20 Feb 2025 · 23 minutes
Alberta government alleged to have interfered in healthcare deals

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s government is facing scrutiny after serious allegations were in a wrongful dismissal lawsuit launched by Alberta... more

19 Feb 2025 · 20 minutes
Why more young people are getting cancer

Rates of cancer diagnosis and death are climbing worldwide in people under 50, according to the World Health Organization. A... more

18 Feb 2025 · 23 minutes
How Trump is waging war through tariffs

Less than a month into his second term, U.S. President Donald Trump has already threatened to impose tariffs on half... more

14 Feb 2025 · 24 minutes
The growing demand for disability accommodations in universities

At universities across Canada, requests for disability accommodations are on the rise. Since the 2013-2014 school year – the number... more

13 Feb 2025 · 18 minutes
The ‘valley of death’ for Canada’s mining companies

Canada wants to position itself as a leader in the critical mineral industry, as the world becomes more reliant on... more

12 Feb 2025 · 19 minutes
What happens when your bank dumps you

A connection to a bank is an important financial relationship – between chequing and savings accounts, mortgages and loans –... more

11 Feb 2025 · 28 minutes
Why the Conservative path to victory just got complicated

For more than two years, the federal Conservatives have held a solid lead in the polls, and with the party... more

10 Feb 2025 · 24 minutes
‘Buy Canadian’ and the week Canadians got mad at the U.S.

The U.S. tariff threats against Canada may be on pause, but the reaction from many Canadians shows that the cross-border... more

07 Feb 2025 · 23 minutes
Your new favourite influencer? She’s AI-generated

Influencer profiles often have recognizable hallmarks: their feeds are highly stylized, filled with aspirational content and product placement. One of... more

06 Feb 2025 · 18 minutes
What’s stopping Canada from building better public transit

There’s a fairly long list of public transit projects that have gone off the rails all across Canada. These projects... more

05 Feb 2025 · 21 minutes
Trade war on hold as Trump threats loom

Hours before historic, damaging tariffs were set to be imposed between Canada and the U.S., the two nations stepped back... more

04 Feb 2025 · 26 minutes
The U.S.–Canada trade war, explained

The economies of Canada and the United States are on a collision course. On Saturday, U.S. President Donald Trump signed... more

03 Feb 2025 · 26 minutes
This year’s hottest viral trends: norovirus, flu, COVID and RSV

If it seems like everyone you know is sick right now, that’s because respiratory virus season is in full swing.... more

31 Jan 2025 · 16 minutes
Doug Ford’s big election gamble

Ontario is officially in an election campaign. Voters will go to the polls on February 27 – more than a... more

30 Jan 2025 · 23 minutes
Foreign interference inquiry finds ‘problematic’ conduct

After an 18-month long public inquiry, the final report on foreign interference in Canada has been released. Justice Marie-Josée Hogue’s... more

29 Jan 2025 · 20 minutes
Dispatch from Jerusalem: the ceasefire so far

Phase one of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has been in place for just over a week, but so... more

28 Jan 2025 · 19 minutes
The Five Eyes: security, spying and surveillance under Trump

Donald Trump is not a fan of international coalitions. He is also not a fan of intelligence agencies. And yet,... more

27 Jan 2025 · 22 minutes
Canadian retail’s security crackdown on violent theft

When we think of shoplifting, we often picture teens getting caught at the mall stealing lip gloss, or people bypassing... more

24 Jan 2025 · 21 minutes
How the L.A. wildfires could increase Canadian insurance rates

The wildfires in Los Angeles have caused massive devastation over the past two weeks and may end up being the... more

23 Jan 2025 · 19 minutes
Fallout from the TD Bank money laundering scandal

It’s been over three months since the U.S. Department of Justice announced that TD Bank had pleaded guilty to conspiracy... more

22 Jan 2025 · 16 minutes
Who will be the next Liberal leader?

The Liberal leadership race is on – and its biggest candidates are in. Former deputy prime minister and finance minister... more

21 Jan 2025 · 24 minutes
How Canada is preparing for day one of the second Trump era

For months, Donald Trump has threatened economic pain on Canada, with tariffs of up to 25 per cent on imports.... more

20 Jan 2025 · 24 minutes
The difficult path ahead for peace in Gaza

The mood in Israel and Gaza turned from celebratory to uncertain in the hours after a ceasefire deal was announced.... more

17 Jan 2025 · 26 minutes
Machines Like Us: This mother says a chatbot led to her son’s death

In February, 2024, Megan Garcia’s 14-year-old son Sewell took his own life. As she tried to make sense of what happened,... more

16 Jan 2025 · 49 minutes
What 2025 holds for your personal finances

If you kicked off 2025 making personal finance resolutions, it can be hard to know where to start. That question... more

15 Jan 2025 · 22 minutes
The women changing the face of Canadian rodeo

Cowgirls love the rodeo just as much as cowboys, but for the better part of the past century, there’s only... more

14 Jan 2025 · 24 minutes
Will alcohol have cancer warnings like cigarettes?

Dry January – when people decide to consume no alcohol – is a common new year resolution for many. But... more

13 Jan 2025 · 22 minutes
The rise and fall of Justin Trudeau

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s resignation earlier this week came after months of people calling for him to step down. How... more

10 Jan 2025 · 29 minutes
Rebuilding the Liberals after Trudeau

Beyond picking a new leader, the federal Liberals also need to repair their reputation with voters – while continuing to... more

09 Jan 2025 · 22 minutes
Trudeau prorogued parliament: Here’s what it means and what’s next

When Trudeau announced his plan to resign on Monday morning, he also shut down Parliament until March 24, giving the... more

08 Jan 2025 · 22 minutes
The end of the Trudeau era

After three federal election wins and just over nine years in office, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his resignation on... more

07 Jan 2025 · 24 minutes
How many activities are too many for kids?

When it comes to enrolling your kids in extracurricular activities, how many is too many? Is there such a thing... more

06 Jan 2025 · 20 minutes
Who stole half-a-million dollars worth of cheese?

Neal’s Yard Dairy, a cheese distributor in England, has been an essential part of the artisanal cheddar revival in the... more

03 Jan 2025 · 17 minutes
Why some are turning to sound baths for relaxation

Life is noisy and stressful for a lot of people. And so sound baths – where a practitioner creates harmonies... more

02 Jan 2025 · 21 minutes
Climate change, migration and Menaka’s epic birding day

Point Pelee National Park juts out into Lake Erie like a finger, as every spring thousands of birds touch down... more

31 Dec 2024 · 29 minutes
Why running is more popular than ever

Distance running, once a relatively niche sport, has exploded in popularity. The trend has been ongoing for at least a... more

30 Dec 2024 · 25 minutes
Why won’t Justin Trudeau step down?

Justin Trudeau’s poll numbers have been bad for a while. The Liberals have lost two crucial by-elections and are trailing... more

27 Dec 2024 · 26 minutes
Finding family through the act of baking

Food and family are often front and centre during the holidays. These two ingredients also help make up our identities... more

24 Dec 2024 · 19 minutes
What’s the holiday season without a little tradition?

Ranging from childhood phone calls, to serenading strangers, to feasting on the darkest day of the year, we explore how... more

23 Dec 2024 · 22 minutes
The real town behind Hallmark’s Christmas movies

At this time of year, there’s nothing better than settling in with a good Christmas movie. When it comes to... more

20 Dec 2024 · 30 minutes
What’s next for Trudeau and the Liberals after a chaotic 2024

As new details around the feud between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his former deputy prime minister Chrystia Freeland emerge,... more

19 Dec 2024 · 20 minutes
The Decibel
Why some are turning to sound baths for relaxationWhy some are turning to sound baths for relaxationWhy some are turning to sound baths for relaxationWhy some are turning to sound baths for relaxation
The Decibel
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Description

Life is noisy and stressful for a lot of people. And so sound baths – where a practitioner creates harmonies and chords... more