The Decibel

We’re heading into the third school year of the pandemic. For 18 months now, students and their parents have had to deal with unpredictable school disruptions and a lot of anxiety around contracting COVID-19. Most students were forced into remote learning for weeks at a time. Kids in Ontario spent more than half of the 2020-2021 academic year out of the classrooms. Most kids and parents managed the isolation, the screen time, the tech issues. But very few thrived.And now that the vaccination rollout has over 65 per cent Canadians fully inoculated, most Canadian students are returning to in-person learning. But there is still a tangled web of restrictions for parents to sort out and the looming threat of the Delta variant that could send kids home, again.The Globe and Mail’s education reporter, Caroline Alphonso, is on the show to help parents understand how schools are gearing up to keep kids stay and facilitate as normal of a return to school this fall as possible. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The fraud trial of Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes has started in California. Holmes has been accused of defrauding investors and patients by lying about a groundbreaking technology that could test for a range of diseases from a single drop of blood.Jason Kirby, a reporter with The Globe’s Report on Business section, has been following the case and tells us Silicon Valley entrepreneurs will no doubt be closely watching to see how the court – and media – regard one of their now-fallen stars, the youngest ever self-made female billionaire. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On Monday it was announced that the last American troops had left Kabul’s airport, ending 20 years of Western military presence in Afghanistan. Canada’s last flight evacuating Canadians and Afghans who had worked with Canada departed last week. But individuals and groups, including The Globe and Mail, continued to try to arrange ways out of the country for those threatened by the Taliban.Adrian Lee is an editor for Globe Opinion, and our guest host. He first introduces us to two Afghan men who have successfully fled to Ukraine with the help of The Globe. Then, Adrian speaks with Ottawa Bureau Chief Robert Fife about what the government has done — and hasn’t done — to help Afghans trying to flee the Taliban in these final days. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In his new memoir, environmentalist Clayton Thomas-Müller recounts growing up surrounded by love and strength – but also family violence, relentless racism, and poverty. From selling drugs in a gang to organizing environmental campaigns against oil and gas extraction, the stories of Thomas-Müller’s life defy any one category to paint a complex picture of what it is to be a Cree man in Canada.Guest host and Globe national reporter Willow Fiddler speaks with Thomas-Müller about the connection between fighting climate change and healing in Indigenous communities, and how his book Life in the City of Dirty Water is part of his own path to healing. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

As a bonus, we're bringing you an episode of Stress Test, a podcast about personal finance from The Globe and Mail, hosted by Rob Carrick and Roma Luciw.A lot of people feel uncomfortable negotiating with their boss for a raise and other perks. But if you don’t ask, you won’t get. And it’s definitely a lot easier to save money if you’re making more of it. We hear from a group of friends (who tell each other everything) as they discuss their recent experiences asking for a raise. Plus, Roma talks to Hadiya Roderique, who taught negotiation at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management and also was a lawyer. She shares her tips on how to make your case like an expert. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Despite the pandemic, Canada’s federal election campaign has felt somewhat normal. There have been socially-distant campaign events and speeches full of policy promises. The NDP and Conservatives have released their platforms and while the Liberals haven’t released theirs, they are still making new announcements. But has one of these issues come to define the campaign so far?Marieke Walsh, a political reporter at The Globe and Mail, joins guest host Laura Stone from the campaign trail to break down what’s been going on so far and explore the big question … what is this federal election actually about? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Should judges take race into account when deciding on punishments for crimes? The Nova Scotia Court of Appeal ruled last week that it should. Judges in that province must now take the effects of marginalization and racism into account when sentencing Black offenders by considering ensuring reports called Impact of Race and Culture Assessments – or it could be grounds for an appeal. Justice Anne Derrick wrote in the ruling that Black and other racialized people are overrepresented in federal prisons. Nearly 10 per cent of Canadian federal prisoners are Black, while Black people make up only 3.5 per cent of the country’s population.Tanya Walker, a lawyer from Toronto, is on the show to tell us how systemic racism shapes legal outcomes, the importance of rehabilitation, and what this ruling could mean for the future of Canadian law. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Shein may be one of the most successful clothing brands that you’ve never heard of. The fast-fashion giant is where Gen Z shoppers go to find cheap, trendy clothing. Over the course of the pandemic, the brand managed to bring in nearly $10 billion (USD) in sales. But what are the environmental and ethical costs of this quickly produced yet easily disposed form of fashion?Terry Ngyuen, a reporter for The Goods at Vox, recently wrote a piece called, Shein is the future of fast fashion...is that a good thing?, and is on the show to tell us how Shein got so popular, where it stands alongside competitors and what questions still remain about how it has managed to become so big so quickly. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Canada has an opportunity when it comes to electricity. We’re ahead of the game in some ways. A sizable part of the electrical grid is already decarbonized. And, about 80 per cent of our electricity comes from clean sources like hydroelectricity. But with demand expected to double as we electrify everything in our lives – from electric vehicles to heating homes – Canada’s grid faces some major challenges if we are going to keep up and meet our net-zero climate goals.The federal election provides us with a moment to have a national conversation about an infrastructure issue that could be as consequential as building the railway was in the 19th century. Columnist Adam Radwanski discusses the hurdles for modernizing and unifying the grid and why all Canadians should care about an admittedly wonky policy topic. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The last time the Taliban ruled Afghanistan, they imposed an extremist interpretation of Shariah law on its people, harboured Osama bin Laden as he planned 9/11, and were ultimately routed from power by the U.S.-led invasion of the country in 2001. Now, they’re back, and giving interviews promising a kinder regime, with amnesty for all Afghans who worked for the government. Meanwhile on Wednesday, civilians were killed when Taliban militants violently dispersed a protest.Sher Jan Ahmadzai worked in the government of former Afghan president Hamid Karzai, and is now the director of the Center for Afghanistan Studies at the University of Nebraska Omaha.Today, Professor Ahmadzai tells us who this new Taliban is, how they swept back into power, and why he fears for a “bleak” future for the people of Afghanistan. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

After 17 months of lockdowns, masking, social distancing and vaccinations, it looked like we might finally be cresting the worst of the pandemic. But the official word has come from Canada’s top public health officer, Theresa Tam: we’re now in a fourth wave.Cynthia Carr, an epidemiologist based in Winnipeg, talks about how the combination of the Delta variant, vaccine hesitancy, and schools reopening means this wave will be different.Read more about the complications the Delta variant will create as kids return to school. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Taliban’s capture of Kabul has caught NATO governments flat-footed in their efforts to extricate their embassy staff and the Afghan nationals who have been helping them, as well as the troops. While many foreigners have been flown home, a lot of Afghans are stuck. Now, these residents are scared that the Taliban will find them and their families.Many are wondering if Canada will help them escape while they wait hidden in their homes or in safe houses set up by Canadian veterans. Ottawa reporter Menaka Raman-Wilms has been speaking with people in Kabul as well as the Canadians who are desperately trying to get them out of the country. She explains the context around their private efforts, as well as what the government is pledging it will do. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It’s been almost 1000 days since Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor were detained by the Chinese government. The move was widely seen as retaliation for Canada arresting Chinese citizen Meng Wanzhou on behalf of the U.S. Now, Spavor has received an 11-year sentence for espionage, Kovrig’s sentence is expected any time now, and Meng’s extradition case could continue for years.The Globe’s new Asia correspondent, James Griffiths, breaks down the politics at play between China, the U.S., Canada and Iran to untangle the threads that link these cases.Send a message to Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig as they near 1,000 days in detention in China. The Globe and Mail is inviting readers to send letters that we will forward to the Chinese embassy in Ottawa. E-mail [email protected] or send hard copies to The Globe and Mail Toronto office with “Attn: Two Michaels” on the envelope: 351 King Street East, Suite 1600. Toronto, ON, M5A 0N1 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

As a bonus, we're bringing you an episode of Stress Test, a podcast about personal finance from the Globe and Mail, hosted by Rob Carrick and Roma Luciw. The pandemic ruined many wedding plans. But even before that, a culmination of peer pressure and over-the-top consumerism had pushed the cost of weddings sky-high. It’s made some couples ask: What is a wedding worth? We hear from Jasmine, a glamorous but cost-conscious millennial who got married just as the world first shut down during COVID-19. Plus, Karen Cleveland, co-author of the book called The New Wedding Book: A Guide To Ditching All the Rules, talks with Roma about the need to rethink weddings from a personal finance perspective. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Canada’s last federal election was in the fall of 2019, and the Liberals won a minority government. Now, as some experts say the fourth wave of the pandemic is upon us as case counts rise thanks to the Delta variant, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is rumoured to be preparing to call an election as early as this Sunday, which would mean an election day in late September.Globe writer at large, John Ibbitson, has been the bureau chief in Ottawa and Washington, D.C for the Globe, and he joins us to explain why he’s expecting an election imminently, why the opposition parties would rather not be campaigning just yet, and how a federal pandemic election might look different— and could even backfire for the Liberals. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Monday’s IPCC report brought together the world’s latest science to tell us what we know about what causes climate change and what exactly it’s doing to our planet. It painted a picture of a world becoming, in some areas more than others, harder for people to live in. Millions of people are already displaced each year because of weather events like hurricanes, flooding, drought and extreme heat, that we now know will become more frequent as climate change progresses. Increasingly, experts have predicted mass, permanent migrations caused by climate change in the coming decades.Novelist, journalist and former Globe reporter Omar El Akkad joins the show to talk about this emerging group of climate refugees. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) on the latest scientific knowledge about climate change has been released, detailing how human behaviour and particularly greenhouse gas emissions are the main driver of climate change.Globe science reporter Ivan Semeniuk is back on the show to explain the report’s main findings. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Over the summer, more than 1,200 probable unmarked graves have been located on former residential school sites in Canada, which were mostly run by the Catholic Church of Canada. This has ignited calls for a formal apology from the Church.Globe reporters Tom Cardoso and Tavia Grant have been investigating the Church’s wealth, and Tom joins us to tell us what we know about the Church’s finances, its legal obligation to residential school survivors, and the broader calls for the church to give reparations, and how that money could be used to help heal survivors and their communities. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Beloved Toronto Raptors point guard, Kyle Lowry, announced he’s leaving the team to play for the Miami Heat. Lowry was a big part of the Raptors’ win of the NBA 2019 Championships and fans are sad to see him go.Vivek Jacob, a freelance sports writer, tells us what Lowry’s departure means for the future of the Raptors, his influence on the team’s rise in the NBA, and why fans want to see his statue in front of Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Beneath the Straits of Mackinac, the connecting waterway between Lake Michigan and Lake Huron, lies Enbridge Line 5: a pipeline built in 1953 bringing natural gas and crude from the oil sands in Alberta to refineries in Ontario and Quebec. Opponents of the pipeline worry that it could rupture, poisoning the fresh water supply, blocking shipping routes, and crushing tourism. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer ordered it shut down, but Enbridge refused; they’re now in mediation.Meanwhile, Prime Minister Trudeau is lobbying the Biden administration to keep the pipeline open. Having already blocked Keystone XL, it remains unclear whether Biden will favour shutting down an already-operating pipeline. On today’s show, Globe U.S. correspondent Adrian Morrow joins us to talk about what makes this pipeline battle different, why anti-pipeline activists were able to gather such a broad coalition of supporters, and why shutting down Line 5 could mean higher gas prices for Ontario and Quebec. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Working four days a week instead of five has often come up as a way people can reclaim some of their time from their employers. But who exactly would benefit from that, especially in the gig economy? And could there be other ways for all employees to regain some control over their work-life balance?Armine Yalnizyan, an economist and an Atkinson Fellow on the future of workers, weighs in on the value of the idea of a four-day work week, and how a major shift in demographics on the horizon could present workers with more power when it comes to lobbying for legislative changes regarding how much time we spend at work. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

American gymnast Simone Biles withdrew from both the team and individual all-around competitions, a few athletes have passed out from the Tokyo July heat and dozens of people connected to the Olympics have COVID-19, while case counts reach all-time highs in the surrounding neighbourhoods.On the other hand, Canada’s athletes have made this one of the best Summer Games for our country so far, with some amazing performances from swimmers Maggie Mac Neil, Penny Oleksiak and others. Globe columnist Cathal Kelly joins us from Tokyo to tell us the highs and lows from these Games. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Before there was Youtube and Vevo, there was MTV and MuchMusic. These TV music stations were the curators of cool. And when millennials were teenagers, they flocked to them to watch the hot new video or catch an interview with their favourite musicians. But now, Much (as the channel is now called) no longer airs music video content as artists drop their new singles directly onto their own social feeds and video platforms.So what’s an old mainstream media brand to do? Join TikTok, of course. And as cultural critic and writer Amil Niazi notes, MuchMusic is relaunching at exactly the right moment: There’s a wave of 90s and early aught nostalgia crashing down on us, at exactly the moment both millennials and Gen Z kids are longing for a simpler time. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

African nations have a problem. They can’t get enough COVID-19 vaccine doses. Vaccine hoarding by wealthy nations and an underserved COVAX program – the one designed to make sure the developing world wasn’t left behind in the pandemic – have resulted in a slow vaccination rate for most of the continent. These global factors have also led to a menacing opportunity for the Delta variant to spread amongst an unprotected population.The Globe and Mail’s Africa Bureau Chief, Geoffrey York, discusses how Canada has and hasn’t contributed to vaccination efforts abroad, what the international community could do to help speed up the vaccine efforts in Africa and why Canadians should care. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The summer is half over, vaccination rates are rising, but we aren’t out of the pandemic woods yet. And since we last explored vaccine passports, the question of whether businesses can legitimately ask for proof of vaccination to enter – whether it’s a restaurant or a sports arena – has only become more fraught.Restaurateur Jacob Wharton-Shukster tells us what happened when he announced that an indoor seat at his Toronto restaurant Le Phénix would require proof of vaccination. Then, privacy researcher Blake Murdoch of the Health Law Institute at the University of Alberta explains why he thinks provincial governments can and should implement vaccine passport systems that are fair and secure. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

To keep their edge after a fantastic showing at the 2016 Rio Olympics, Swimming Canada got serious about their data-mining mission. They tracked all kinds of metrics to really understand their swimmers’ performance. Data analysis can show you how to shave a fraction of a second off a race time and, in some cases, that can mean the difference between a gold and silver medal.Grant Robertson, a senior writer for The Globe and Mail, talks about what he learned about Swimming Canada’s data project, how it crafted training strategies for some of our medal hopefuls, like Penny Oleksiak, and why data proves you can’t always trust your eyes when it comes to judging the fastest person in the pool. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

After the killing of George Floyd and the subsequent swell of Black Lives Matter protests, companies rushed to declare their alliance to the cause of fighting anti-Black racism in the workplace. In Canada, corporate leader Wes Hall designed the BlackNorth Initiative, wherein CEOs pledged to not only promote diversity, but actually hire, retain and promote Black talent. Initially, 209 companies signed on.The Globe’s Report on Business section did a survey of the original signatories to see how much progress has been made in the first year of their commitment (which has a final target of 2025). Reporter Vanmala Subramaniam discusses the results of the survey and the challenges many companies are having in their efforts to diversify. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A growing number of nurses are leaving hospitals. The relentless workload, the crushing experience of watching so many people get very sick from the novel coronavirus and die, and the increasingly short-staffed nature of many intensive care units has created an untenable situation for many nurses across the country. And this is having an impact on hospitals, with some emergency rooms having to close.National health reporter Kelly Grant discusses how many nurses are leaving, how this is impacting the communities they serve and what governments are trying to do about it. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

As the U.S. continues to pull its troops out of Afghanistan after nearly 20 years of fighting, the Taliban is taking back more and more territory. This has left Afghan nationals who worked for foreign governments feeling more and more unsafe and now they want to leave. A lot of countries have specific programs for current and former employees who want to relocate, but Canada hasn’t unveiled the details of a special program yet.Parliamentary reporter Janice Dickson has been speaking to drivers, senior officers and others who worked for the Canadian government in Kabul – sometimes for more than a decade – about the severity of their situations and what help they need. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ontario movie theatres will reopen on July 16th. For some – like in the Greater Toronto Area – it’ll be for the first time in about nine months. And while many theatres across the country reopened earlier, Ontario represents a big chunk of the Canadian box office, which has been hurt badly not only by lockdowns and public health restrictions, but also the rise of streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime and Disney+ offering movies and binge-worthy shows at home.Film editor Barry Hertz talks about what Ontario movie goers can expect when they return to theatres, why go back to the movies at all if you’ve gotten used to streaming on your couch, and what summer blockbusters he’ll be seeing on the silver screen. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Phone technology has evolved at an incredible pace, from the first cellphone in the 1980s, to the sophisticated computers we call smartphones in our pockets now. But some of the most important calls we make are to 9-1-1 in an emergency. And the system that 9-1-1 centres run hasn’t kept up.The Globe’s telecom reporter Alexandra Posadzki tells us that there’s a move to introduce “next-generation 9-1-1” Canada-wide through the hundreds of organizations that handle our calls for help. That would allow callers to send photos or text messages, and help authorities better pinpoint where calls on cellphones are coming from. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Events in Haiti have been unfolding quickly following the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse in his Port-au-Prince home on July 7. In the past week there has been news of arrests of mercenaries, a siege in the country’s Taiwanese embassy and the alleged involvement of a doctor in the murder.But if you look back at Haiti’s history, a lot of the political turmoil is tied into all the money the Caribbean country gets from donor countries, like Canada and the U.S. Jake Johnston, a senior research associate at the Centre for Economic Policy Research in Washington, D.C., discusses how all the strings attached to aid to Haiti can render it more harmful than helpful and how the country’s politics are often more focused on external powers than the people of Haiti. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Can racism cause schizophrenia? It’s an area of mental health research that has been ongoing for decades and over time, researchers are increasingly finding that having a darker skin colour than your neighbours does seem to have an effect. But just how much and how that alters your brain chemistry is difficult to tease apart due to the complexities of schizophrenia as a disease.Erin Anderssen, who has been covering mental health for The Globe and Mail for years, discusses what she has found on this topic by looking at the research, examining the history of how Western culture has perceived psychosis and talking to doctors. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Lebanon’s financial crisis was only made worse last year when an explosion ripped through the port of its capital city, Beirut, killing more than 200 people. Now, people are left scrambling for basic medicine, gas and other necessities.The Globe’s senior international correspondent Mark MacKinnon is in Lebanon, and talks about what he has seen in Beirut’s largest hospital, how Lebanon has gotten to the brink of a “social explosion,” according to its prime minister, and why this threatens the very existence of the country. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Domestic vaccine passports offer one way of letting vaccinated people get back to normal life by giving them access to privileges non-vaccinated people wouldn’t have. But civil liberties advocates have been pushing back against the concept since the start of the pandemic, pointing to a number of equality and privacy concerns.Cara Zwibel is the director of the fundamental freedoms program at the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, which has raised concerns about how vaccine passports might violate our constitutional rights. She’ll explain how, and why she believes that vaccine passports might do more harm than good as our vaccination rates rise and we ease public health restrictions across the country. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The village of Lytton, BC burned to the ground a day after hitting the hottest temperature ever recorded in Canada, forcing residents to evacuate in as little as a few minutes. Investigators now believe the fire was caused by human activity.On today’s show, Globe environment reporter Kathryn Blaze Baum joins Tamara to share a conversation she’s had with one Lytton resident about the human toll of the heat dome that enveloped Western Canada and is believed to have caused hundreds of heat-related deaths, as well as the science that explains this extreme weather. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Soaring house prices have made it harder to afford a house in Canada than it’s been in three decades, with experts blaming everything from low interest rates to blind bidding to intergenerational wealth transfers.So how do you cool the housing market? Rachelle Younglai covers real estate for The Globe and Mail, and she’ll explain how we got here, why the measures taken by governments so far haven’t helped, and what else could be done to get prices under control. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Calls to reconsider the fireworks and celebrations of Canada Day have intensified as we approach the national holiday, in light of the announcements from B.C. and Saskatchewan First Nations that they’d located hundreds of unmarked graves where residential schools once stood.Crystal Fraser is assistant professor of history at the University of Alberta, and is Gwichyà Gwich’in, originally from Inuvik and Dachan Choo Gę̀hnjik in the Northwest Territories. She’ll tell us how she sees Canada, as a historian and an Indigenous person, and how we can reflect on the history of Canada. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

New guidelines for people who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 were published by the Public Health Agency of Canada last week, which now applies to over a quarter of people in Canada.So we asked Globe and Mail health columnist André Picard back on the show to lead us through what those guidelines mean, why they’re different from the provincial guidelines, and how to navigate them as the country re-opens. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A lot of Canadians have pandemic-savings money to burn – and not many places to spend it. With travel, entertainment and even dining still severely limited, many have turned to recreational toys and home improvement projects, and then found out that in-demand items like bicycles and kayaks are sold out.Economics reporter Matt Lundy breaks down the demand side of the equation, talks about just-in-time production and explains all the different issues that are affecting the entire supply chain, from the cost of raw materials to the issue of getting items off ships. Plus, he offers his best guess at when bike stores will have enough stock again. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

China is encouraging people to have up to three children in a bid to reverse the effects of its one-child policy, which has left the country with an aging population in need of workers to support them and the economy.But as Globe Asia correspondent Nathan Vanderklippe reports following his recent trip to the region, some Muslim Uyghurs of the western Xinjiang province are subject to different family-planning rules, and there have been reports of forced sterilization among other human rights abuses. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

For Dr. Vett Lloyd, there really is nothing good about a tick. That’s why she studies them. After getting bit herself and developing Lyme disease, Dr. Lloyd made it her life’s work to understand these parasitic vectors to help others avoid these creatures and the potentially life-altering disease they can pass on.As we head off into nature this summer, the need for tick prevention is more urgent than ever as tick populations grow thanks to climate change. Dr. Lloyd shares her tips on how to avoid getting bitten, what to do if you do find a tick on you, a loved one or your pet and why there isn’t a vaccine against Lyme disease on the market. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The head of the Public Health Agency of Canada defied an order of the House of Commons on Monday, refusing to provide unredacted documents about the dismissal of two scientists from Canada’s high-security infectious disease laboratory.Opposition members are hoping the documents will explain why Xiangguo Qiu and her husband, Keding Cheng, were fired from the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg in January.Bob Fife, Ottawa Bureau Chief, discusses what The Globe and Mail has learned so far about why the scientists were fired, why there’s a need for government transparency in this case and who gets to decide what information the public has access to. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Nearly 20 per cent of people in Canada have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, making almost all of them immune to the virus. But how long will that immunity last? The answer to that question will dictate what the years ahead will look like for us as we fight to put the pandemic behind us.Globe and Mail science reporter Ivan Semeniuk on what scientists have learned about the way our bodies develop immunity to the novel coronavirus, how long it might last and why we might be getting regular COVID-19 vaccines in the years to come. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The genocide in Rwanda shocked the world in 1994, and since then the country has been praised for its recovery. But the trial of Paul Rusesabagina – the central character in the Hollywood movie Hotel Rwanda – is just the latest example of the Rwandan government cracking down on its dissidents, according to prominent human rights groups.The Globe’s Africa correspondent, Geoffrey York, has investigated allegations that the Rwandan government was behind the assassination of its dissidents, and explains why controlling the narrative about the genocide is so important to President Paul Kagame – and how many Western countries and people get it wrong. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

When Ethan Lou unexpectedly found himself quarantining with his uncle in Beijing, he learned that his uncle was trying to bridge the distance between him and his children living in the United States by sending them near-daily emails of advice.Lou adapted that writing into an essay, which he reads for us on the show.Correction: An earlier version of these show notes incorrectly said Ethan Lou and his uncle were quarantining in Wuhan. In fact, they were in Beijing. This version has been corrected. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A defection. Calls for a leader’s resignation. Internal fighting. The Green Party of Canada is in the news for all the wrong reasons lately.On Friday, former Green MP Jenica Atwin crossed the floor to join the Liberals after a clash with her party over her position on the Israel-Palestine fighting. By Monday, some factions of the Greens were calling on their new leader, Annamie Paul, to step down. On Wednesday, Ms. Paul stood firm and accused both members of her own party’s executive and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of trying to subvert her and the vision she campaigned on.Political reporter Marieke Walsh joins host Tamara Khandaker to explain why this is all happening, what led up to it and how underneath it all there is a bigger struggle within the party about what it is and what it wants to be. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Six months after former astronaut Julie Payette resigned from the role of Governor General of Canada, Trudeau has yet to find her permanent replacement. Globe political reporter Kristy Kirkup tells us what the job entails, why Julie Payette resigned, and who the government might choose next. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

With the cancellation of the Keystone XL pipeline and the increasing pressures of climate change, transitioning Alberta from an oil-based economy is feeling more and more urgent. Hydrogen fuel may end up playing a transformative role for the energy-producing province.Emma Graney, The Globe’s energy reporter, gives listeners a primer on hydrogen: the different ways it’s made, how it plays into governments’ net-zero-emission goals and why Canada thinks it could become a world leader in this growing energy sector. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

As a correspondent based in Beijing, Nathan VanderKlippe prepares to leave his post after eight years and return to Canada. He talks about the changes he has seen and felt while covering China – and Asia – for The Globe and Mail.He shares stories of being followed in Xinjiang by the Chinese state while covering the treatment of Uyghurs, and talks about the ethical responsibilities journalists face when talking to sources under intense state surveillance. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.