The Decibel

Over the weekend, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Israel was entering the “second stage” of the war with Hamas. Since then, the Israeli Defense Forces knocked out communication for people living in Gaza for two days, intensified their airstrikes, and started a sustained ground incursion by sending tanks and infantry into northern Gaza.The escalation has intensified international calls for a ceasefire. Meanwhile, In Israel, families of those taken hostage by Hamas are calling on the Israeli government to bring back their loved ones.In today’s episode, we bring you voices of those surviving inside the Israel-Hamas war and how things have changed in this new phase of the conflict. You’ll hear from civilians in Gaza, emergency workers, aid officials and people in Israel who are mourning their loved ones or pleading for their safe return.Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Supreme Court has been missing a judge ever since Russell Brown resigned in June over allegations of improper conduct. On Oct. 26, Trudeau announced his nomination to replace Justice Brown – Mary Moreau, the Chief Justice of the Alberta Court of King’s Bench.With this pick – Trudeau’s sixth – the Supreme Court of Canada becomes majority women, for the first time. The Globe’s justice reporter Sean Fine joins us to talk about what Moreau will bring to the court, and why it might have taken so long to fill the seat.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

There have been a lot of challenges for Canada’s biggest book retailer, Indigo. There was a massive cyber attack. The CEO and president left. The board had four directors leave. And now, to turn the page, its founder, Heather Reisman, has returned to be its CEO after her succession plan didn’t work out.Susan Krashinsky Robertson is The Globe’s retailing reporter and she has been closely following all the developments at this company that plays a big part into whether Canadian authors are successful or not.Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Alberta has a controversial idea that is causing a stir with other provinces and the federal government: exiting the Canada Pension Plan. Alberta says if they exit, they’re entitled to more $330-billion of the assets that are collected from every worker and employer in the country outside of Quebec. Ontario’s finance minister says the plan risks “serious harm” for retirees across the country. Deputy Prime Minister and finance minister Chrystia Freeland has agreed to meet with provincial and territorial counterparts to discuss the CPP’s future. Kelly Cryderman is a Globe reporter and columnist based in Calgary and she’s on the show to explain why Alberta wants out, the political ramifications and what it could mean for the rest of Canada. Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Bed bugs are pretty much everywhere. They’re being spotted in major cities like Paris, London and even Toronto now. They’ve been found in 135 countries in the world, according to a recent study, and they can live in mattresses, couches, walls, lightswitches, even books. For a while, we were doing well at keeping the bed bugs in check, but not anymore.Murray Isman, a professor and dean emeritus at UBC’s Faculty of Land and Food Systems, explains how bed bugs became so prevalent, and why they’re so good at sticking around.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Rafah crossing – the sole entry point between Egypt and Gaza – remains a political, diplomatic and humanitarian tinderbox. While Egypt has kept the border firmly closed to Gazan refugees fleeing from the Israel-Hamas war, it has allowed an aid corridor for several dozen trucks delivering food, water and medical supplies. But relief workers say the aid is ‘insufficient’ for people’s needs in Gaza and Israel is not allowing fuel in despite pleas from aid groups.Geoffrey York, foreign correspondent for The Globe, talks about the crisis developing at the border and why it’s been so difficult to get things through and how Egypt’s relationship with Gaza and Israel plays into the situation.Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

French immersion has become a cornerstone in Canadian education. One in 10 Canadian students are now enrolled in the program, as numbers doubled through the 1990s. But it has also inadvertently created a cultural and class divide – with some parents and students feeling like they’re getting left behind.Caroline Alphonso, The Globe’s education reporter, is the parent of two French immersion students and has reported on how the language program is dividing schools, why it exists and how parental power is shaping bilingual education in Canada.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

As Canada tries to figure out its path forward in combating climate change, the question of which level of government is allowed to do what has become a sticking point in the courts. Most recently, the government of Alberta asked the Supreme Court to rule on whether a piece of federal environmental legislation was offside.The court’s decision was a surprise to both sides. So The Globe’s climate change columnist Adam Radwanski will explain what was in the ruling and why it now has some questioning the power of the federal government to lower greenhouse gas emissions.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Could your next favourite foods be created by a robot? While artificial intelligence has long been used in the production and assembly lines of food, some companies are now turning to AI to create new kinds of food, recipes and combinations that the human brain hasn’t conceived of before.Ann Hui, the Globe’s demographics reporter and former food reporter, joins the show to talk about this new frontier of food creation and the vital question of: does it taste good?Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group based in Lebanon, is seen as a serious threat to the Israel-Hamas war. There are fears the group, considered the most powerful non-state actor in the world, could dramatically escalate the conflict if it joins the fight against Israel.Nathan Vanderklippe, international correspondent for the Globe, is on the show to explain Hezbollah’s influence, its ties to Hamas and how Lebanon factors into potentially being swept up in the war.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

With inflation still stubbornly high, it seems like interest rates could remain elevated for quite some time. And the stress of that has some Canadians wondering who gets to make these big economic decisions.Report on Business columnist David Parkinson explains the relationship between the Bank of Canada and the federal government, how interest rates are set and what changes might be worth considering when it comes to changing how Canada’s central bank works.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In Canada, 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. It’s the second leading cause of death from cancer in Canadian women and second most common cancer in the country. Currently, guidelines say that screening should begin at the age of 50, but the task force in charge of these recommendations might lower the age to 40. And that has re-ignited a heated debate. Carly Weeks is the Globe’s health reporter. She’s on the show to explain why there’s advocates for and against this change – why some see it as a way to save more lives and others see it as causing more harm than good. Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Warning: this episode contains descriptions of violenceHundreds of thousands of people have fled south in Gaza after Israel told 1.1 million people living in the northern part of the Gaza Strip to evacuate. Israel is expected to begin a significant ground offensive soon. As of Sunday evening, 150 Canadians are stuck in Gaza, hoping to flee to neighbouring Egypt.Israel has called up more than 360,000 reservists and has amassed tanks and troops at the Gaza border. This comes after Hamas’ surprise deadly attack in areas across Israel on October 7th. Since the conflict began, more than 3,600 have been killed on both sides, many of them civilians.Mark Mackinnon is on the show. He’s the Globe’s Senior International Correspondent and he’s been travelling through the region since the war began.Editor’s note: On this episode of The Decibel, Mark MacKinnon stated that in 2005, Israelis demolished greenhouses in Gaza. A detail omitted from that comment is that half the land occupied by greenhouses remained after Israelis withdrew from the area in the summer of that year. The remaining greenhouses were later damaged and looted by Palestinians.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

When Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, the U.S. was among the first nations to firmly side with Israel, pledging unequivocal support. The U.S. has historically been a staunch supporter of Israel, but this particular conflict has a different dimension due to the fact that some Americans and Canadians are among the hostages Hamas kidnapped.Adrian Morrow is The Globe’s Washington correspondent and he explains the geopolitical strategy of the Biden administration in response to the ongoing war, as the possibility of a military ground offensive into the Gaza Strip by the Israeli army grows.Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In Her Defence, a new podcast series from The Globe and Mail, tells the story of Helen Nasland, in her words for the first time. Through a series of jailhouse interviews with The Globe’s Jana G. Pruden, Naslund speaks about the domestic violence she suffered and what led to a fateful night – that led to the murder of her husband. Naslund’s story and harsh sentencing captured the attention and outrage of tens of thousands of Canadians, asking what is fair punishment when a victim becomes the accused. This series dives into her fight for freedom and how the justice and legal systems deal with women who kill their abusers.If you’re experiencing intimate partner violence, you can find resources and your nearest shelterat sheltersafe.ca.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The RCMP has begun an investigation into allegations of misconduct made by two tech entrepreneurs. Their warnings to senior officials and experiences have cast a new light on alleged improper contracting practices and close ties between public services and private consultants.Bill Curry, the Globe’s Deputy Ottawa Bureau Chief, joins the show to break down the allegations that throw into question the accountability of the federal government’s multi-billion dollar practice of outsourcing and where taxpayer money is ending up.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Warning: This episode contains descriptions of violenceOn Saturday, Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist group, launched one of the largest and deadliest attacks on Israel in decades. Militants stormed past borders on the Gaza Strip, killed civilians in nearby towns and took an unknown number of Israeli hostages. In retaliation, Israel formally declared war on Hamas and sent airstrikes into Gaza. In a single weekend, 900 are dead in Israel and close to 700 in Gaza have been killed.Emily Rose, Reuters correspondent in Jerusalem, joins the show to break down the attacks as they unfolded, Israel’s response and where the war could be headed next.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

For over a decade now, the rescue pups of PAW Patrol have been an obsession for toddlers around the world. And now, the box office is responding too — last week, its second feature film had the largest opening for a Canadian movie in more than a decade. This kids franchise is a big business. And it’s Canadian.Barry Hertz is the Globe’s deputy Arts editor and Film editor. And he is on the show to talk about the recent success of PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie and how a Canadian toy company struck gold with this brand.Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The trial of Lieutenant-General Steven Whelan began in late September. Only a week later, it was over, with the case before a court martial dropped. Two charges of misconduct were brought against Whelan under the National Defence Act in December 2021.Whelan’s case highlights the long reckoning against some of Canada’s top military officials, who have been accused of improper conduct and sexual assault. The Globe’s senior political reporter Marieke Walsh joins the show to talk about the case and why questions over the military’s culture continue with every new trial.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In less than a decade, Mohammed Majidpour has racked up more than 30 offences in Vancouver. His crimes include theft, robbery, dangerous driving and numerous violent attacks on strangers. Recently, he pleaded guilty to his 11th assault on a stranger and, after spending almost a year in a pre-trial detention centre, was sentenced to a single day in prison. This is the 14th time he’s received a single-day prison sentence.Mike Hager is a reporter in The Globe’s B.C. bureau in Vancouver. He’s on the show to tell us how common Mohammed’s situation is in B.C. and why critics say it’s a symptom of deeper problems in the province’s corrections system.Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Over the past few years, the Buddhist organization Bliss and Wisdom has been buying up several parcels of land in PEI. So much so, residents have begun to question how their acquisitions are legal in a province with strict rules around how much land individuals and organizations can own. Meanwhile, the monks insist they haven’t broken any rules.Investigative reporter Greg Mercer explains how some legislative loopholes have created a conflict in the eastern part of the province.Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

When Russia invaded Ukraine back in February 2022, millions of Ukrainians fled the country. Many went to the neighbouring country of Poland, which welcomed hundreds of thousands of refugees. But now, things are changing, in part because of a contentious election in Poland. Thousands of Ukrainians are now leaving Poland, and setting up their lives somewhere else.Today, The Globe’s European Correspondent Paul Waldie tells us why tensions between Poland and Ukraine are growing and why support for Ukrainians fleeing the war is waning.Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A capsule from the NASA spacecraft, Osiris-REx recently landed in a Utah desert after spending seven years in space. Inside the capsule is a sample from a more than 4 billion year-old asteroid named, Bennu. And it could answer some of the biggest questions about our existence.The Globe’s Science Reporter, Ivan Semeniuk is on the show to tell us about why this mission is so important and what this asteroid might tell us about how our solar system was formed and what exactly makes earth habitable.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Saint Lucia is known for its natural beauty, but the most iconic part of the island is along its southwest shore. Twin volcanic peaks – called the Pitons – rise up out of the ocean. The UNESCO World Heritage site is featured on postcards, literature, and even the Saint Lucian flag.They are also the site of a controversy involving a Dollarama executive who is trying to expand his luxury home on the mountainside. Investigative reporter Tavia Grant explains how this Canada-based businessman’s development exposed a lack of protections for this iconic site.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The federal government has been facing intense pressure to reduce the cost of food, as food inflation remains much higher than overall inflation. Some measures have been brought in, but many experts question whether they’ll actually be effective.Michael Von Massow, a food economist and professor at the University of Guelph, joins us to talk about why food prices are still so high, what role the government has, and why this is such a difficult problem to solve.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A recent report from Canada’s federal housing agency, CMHC says we need 3.45 million new homes built by 2030 in order to reduce skyrocketing housing costs. Supply has long been an issue especially in the expensive markets of Toronto and Vancouver. But, is it possible for Canada to ramp up construction so drastically and what happens if we don’t?The Globe’s Real Estate Reporter, Rachelle Younglai, is on the show today for a reality check on what can fix Canada’s housing crisis.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Canada’s judicial system is a bit of a mess right now. Cases are piling up. Staff aren’t showing up to work. And there aren’t enough judges. Even the Supreme Court of Canada has an unfilled vacancy currently.Sean Fine is The Globe’s justice writer and he explains what factors are contributing to the various delays in courts and how if they aren’t dealt with soon, some people may never face justice.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Follow In Her Defence wherever you get your podcasts. The first two episodes drop Tuesday, October 10th.Everyone knew bad things were happening on the Naslund farm. Then, in the fall of 2017, Miles Naslund’s body was found welded into a box at the bottom of a pond near his family’s property in Alberta, Canada. His wife and son were charged with first-degree murder.The Globe and Mail’s newest podcast In Her Defence brings you Helen Naslund’s story in her own words for the first time. Through a series of jailhouse interviews with reporter Jana G. Pruden, Helen speaks about the domestic violence she suffered, and what led to that fateful night on the farm. Meanwhile, Helen’s friends come to terms with the abuse they suspected had been going on for decades, and the reality that Helen could spend the rest of her life in prison.Tens of thousands of Canadians joined the outcry over Helen’s harsh sentence, asking what is fair punishment when a victim becomes the accused. Now they’ll hear firsthand about Helen’s life, her long fight for freedom, and the way the justice and legal systems deal with women who kill their abusers. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Canada’s relationship with India has been rocky for years, but it’s at a particular low point right now after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused agents of the Indian government this week of killing Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in B.C.Today, the Globe’s Asia correspondent James Griffiths joins us from New Delhi, India to discuss how this news is playing out there, why the relationship with Canada – and Trudeau in particular – has struggled, and the power India has in this moment.Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ever since Ontario Premier Doug Ford said he would open up parcels of land in the environmentally protected Greenbelt, there’s been drama. From revelations of developers having ties to the Ford government, to probes from Ontario’s auditor-general and integrity commissioner, to resignations including one from Ford’s cabinet.With all the twists and turns of this story, we wanted to answer questions listeners have about what’s going on with this land. Today on the show, The Globe’s Ontario provincial politics reporter, Jeff Gray joins us to answer your burning Greenbelt questions.Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar left Canada’s Sikh community with a lot of questions. On Monday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau gave them a possible answer: he alleged that the Indian government was involved in Mr. Nijjar’s death. India was quick to deny any involvement.Ottawa Bureau Chief Robert Fife discovered this information before the official announcement on Monday. And he is on the show to explain the allegations and how they fit into Canada’s complex relations with India.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

There have been nine coups in seven African countries over the past three years – some analysts have called it a coup contagion, the Secretary-General of the UN called it a coup epidemic. Each country has its own circumstances, but there are common factors linking them.Geoff York, The Globe’s Africa Bureau Chief, joins us to explain why so many countries are facing coups, what it means for the people of those countries, and what role other countries like Russia, China and the US have in what’s going on.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Parliament is back for the fall session and it returns with a surprising shift in the political dynamic. Conservative Leader, Pierre Poilievre is riding high in several polls. And the Liberals are busy making housing announcements to show they are working on the affordability crisis facing so many Canadians today. Meanwhile, the NDP will be looking to push their agenda forward on dental care pharmacare this fall.The Globe’s Deputy Ottawa Bureau Chief Bill Curry joins us on the show. He’ll tell us what’s ahead for the leaders and their parties and three things to pay attention to during the coming session.Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hundreds of people are sick and dozens are in the hospital in Calgary, after one of Canada’s worst outbreaks of E.Coli in kids ever. Some cases have left children hospitalized, leaving parents scared, frustrated and angry.Dave McGinn has been following the outbreak for The Globe. Today, he’ll tell us what warning signs might have been missed from the kitchen suspected to be at the centre of the outbreak, and how this fits into concerns around childcare in Canada more broadly.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Enbridge Inc. has become North America’s largest natural gas utility after acquiring three U.S. utilities for US$9.4-billiondollars. It’s a big bet on the role that natural gas is going to play in the future as governments try to transition the economy off of fossil fuels.Emma Graney is The Globe and Mail’s energy reporter. She has been covering the deal and explains how this fits into the wider picture of the energy industry in Canada, as well as our emission reduction targets.Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The COVID-19 fall surge is upon us. But this year it’s different. Cases are rising again in Canada, reversing a trend from when cases were decreasing for most of 2023. And once again, there are new variants circulating.The Globe’s National Health Reporter Kelly Grant explains why we’re seeing a rise, what the Canadian government and public health experts say we should do about it, including when new boosters are available this fall.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Most people in Canada haven’t been able to view or post news content on Facebook or Instagram for over a month now. That’s because Meta – the company that owns both platforms – is protesting a new law that aims to get big tech companies to pay for news content appearing on its feeds.But this move isn’t without precedent. In 2021, Meta also blocked news in Australia because of similar legislation. The Australian government came to an agreement with the company – but not without some big concessions.James Meese is a senior lecturer at Melbourne’s RMIT University who researches media law and policy. He’s on the show to tell us what happened in Australia, how the legislation is working two years later and what Canada can learn from Australia’s experience.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Tamara Lich and Chris Barber were at the forefront of the convoy protest that rolled into Ottawa on Jan. 29, 2022. As leaders, they encouraged supporters blocking the downtown to both ‘hold the line’ and protest peacefully. On Feb. 17, 2022, they were arrested. Now they are standing trial for their actions.Kristy Kirkup is a parliamentary reporter for the Globe and she went to the first week of their trial. She explains why this trial is expected to uncover new details about the convoy protest and catches us up on what happened in the opening days.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In 2012, nine out of 10 students at Kitchener’s Conestoga College were domestic. Today, they have more international students than any institution across the country … almost as many as the University of Toronto and the University of British Columbia combined. This year, Canada is on track to bring in 900,000 international students.Globe postsecondary reporter Joe Friesen joins us to discuss how Canada’s international student population has grown so quickly, and why institutions have grown to depend on them – especially in Ontario.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This year’s wildfire season has broken all kinds of records – including on emissions. Canada’s wildfires have doubled previous records for greenhouse gas emissions – and they’ve caused more emissions than all of Canada’s industries combined.Dr. Werner Kurz, a senior research scientist with the Canadian Forest Service, explains how these wildfires are changing Canada’s forests, what it means for Canada’s emissions and how we can lessen the damage from wildfire seasons in the future.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It’s back-to-school week for young people across the country. And despite bringing back full in-class learning three years since the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, students continue to experience and report mental-health issues.Dr. Deinera Exner-Cortens is an associate professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Calgary. She is going to talk to us about how we can be better at a policy level and in schools to help kids needing more mental-health support.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Small business owners are, on average, older than the Canadian population. That means that in the next ten years 75% of them are retiring, according to estimates from the federal government.So what happens to their businesses? Chris Hannay covers small business for the Globe and he joins us to discuss how these retirements could lead to a wave of consolidation of enterprise in Canada.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Collagen supplements are marketed as a holy grail anti-aging product. Bovine collagen is made from cattle hides, and a new investigation from the Bureau of Investigative Journalism traced the supply chain of some collagen companies all the way to deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon.Elisângela Mendonça is a London-based Brazilian journalist with the Bureau of Investigative Journalism. Her reporting pulls back the curtain on the dark side of the booming collagen industry.This episode originally aired on March 27, 2023.Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford has a clear housing goal. He wants to build 1.5 million new homes in 10 years. To accomplish this, his government has been looking at selling off the land under its possession, such as the Greenbelt, which has been engulfed in scandal.Now his government is looking at the lands owned by school boards across the province. Globe and Mail reporter Karen Howlett explains what the plan is and how the Ford government intends to execute it.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Moammar Gadhafi, former Libyan dictator, has had billions sitting in Canadian bank accounts for almost 12 years after his death. This has caused further investigations and questions in terms of what this means for the Canadian banking sector.Rita Trichur is The Globe’s Senior Business Writer and Columnist joins us to discuss Gadhafi, his family, and all of his money sitting in Canadian banks.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On Monday, Montreal police said the Old Montreal fire that killed seven people in March 2023 is now being treated as a criminal investigation. Alongside police looking into persons of interest in the case, the Globe’s Montreal-based reporter Frédérik-Xavier Duhamel reported on the many safety violations in the burned-out building that Montreal and Quebec officials had known about for more than a decade. He uncovered a moratorium on enforcing evacuation route violations that had been in place since 2018, which were quietly lifted in the days after the fire.His investigations are trying to answer: how did this happen and who is ultimately responsible for the deaths of seven victims and the safety of Montrealers?Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Tibet used to be a prominent focus of international attention, but that isn’t the case anymore as less and less information comes out of the region. But things are still very difficult for Tibetans as China cracks down. The Dalai Lama – who is the spiritual leader of Tibet – is 88, and there are concerns about what will happen for Tibet and its people when he eventually dies.Today, The Globe’s James Griffiths tells us about the situation in Tibet and those who have fled, and how Tibetans are thinking about the future of their community.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

There are a lot of serious storms these days, and those storms are causing more and more damage, as residents of California are seeing this week in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Hilary.The storms we are seeing in Canada are changing – but not how you might expect. David Sills, a severe storms specialist and executive director of the Northern Tornadoes Project at Western University, explains what changes he’s seeing in storms, how prepared we are to handle the damage from them, and the connection one of these storms has to a producer here at The Decibel.This episode originally aired on September 14, 2022.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Back in July, a former RCMP officer was charged with conducting foreign interference on behalf of China. We now know more about what the RCMP is accusing this officer of doing. And it involves a real estate tycoon, a “hired gun”, and a campaign called Operation Fox Hunt.Steven Chase, senior parliamentary reporter for the Globe, explains.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Canada needs a lot of housing – and the Liberal government is making this a priority at their cabinet retreat this week. But there are concerns that if we keep building new homes using current materials and practices, it could lead to a spike in our greenhouse gas emissions.Luigi Ferrara is the chair and CEO of the Brookfield Sustainability Institute, which looked into this issue. Today, he tells us why current building practices cause high emissions, and how homes could be built differently – and retrofitted – to become more sustainable.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.