The Decibel

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,...

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 inaccu...

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 fe...

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 politi...

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. T...

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 , expl...

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 r...

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 investigatio...

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...

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 Hosted by Si...

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 pa...

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...

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 repo...

On Monday, Calgary-based discount airline Lynx Air, which launched a mere two years ago, ceased operations . For customers, that means they’re likely not getting refunds and will have to find alternate and possibly more expensive tickets to their destinations. This is a familiar story in Canada. Discount airlines have come and gone with only a few years of operation under their belt. The Globe’s t...

Exclusive deals struck between insurance companies and pharmacies are increasingly drawing scrutiny from patients, pharmacists and cabinet ministers. The arrangements, known as preferred pharmacy networks (PPNs), are meant to deal with rising prices of pharmaceutical drugs. But detractors say these plans mean less transparency, competition and consumer choice . The Globe’s retailing reporter Susan...

For the first time ever, a spacecraft built by a private company has landed on the moon. The robotic lander, named Odysseus , touched down in the south polar region on Thursday. But not before a nerve-wracking communications blackout and an off-kilter landing that have scientists racing against time. What is Odysseus’ purpose? What could this mean for future space projects like NASA’s Artemis miss...

Since the murder of a Muslim family by a self-described white nationalist in London, Ont. in 2021, debate has raged over whether this crime was an act of terrorism under Canadian law. Last week’s Ontario Superior Court ruling has settled the matter: Nathaniel Veltman’s targeted attacks on the Afzaal family is a ‘textbook’ example of terrorism . Globe reporter Colin Freeze has been covering the cas...

Two years ago, Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine . Now, with Russia on the front foot , many towns that have been safe for months are being thrust back onto the frontlines, like Kharkiv in northeastern Ukraine. Today, The Globe’s senior international correspondent Mark MacKinnon, who’s in Kharkiv, tells us about the frontlines of the war two years on, how the soldiers are doing ,...

The latest poll numbers are looking grim for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Liberals. According to an Abacus poll in February, the Trudeau-led Liberals are polling at 24 per cent and the PM himself is deeply unpopular among voters of all ages. More than a year out from the next election, is the incumbent government already doomed? John Ibbitson , The Globe’s Writer-At-Large, explains the fa...

As health care across Canada struggles with staffing shortages, a Globe investigation has found that provincial use of private nursing agencies has recently skyrocketed – in some cases costing hundreds of millions of dollars. The Globe’s Kelly Grant and Tu Thanh Ha have been investigating these private agencies – and one agency in particular – for months. Today, they tell us how these agencies wor...

Canada’s first federal housing advocate released her first-ever formal review last week : Housing is a human right and that the federal government is failing people who are unhoused and violating a 2019 law by not providing adequate housing. That has led directly to a poverty and encampment crisis affecting cities and towns across Canada , leaving thousands of people struggling to survive. Marie-J...

Worried about total economic collapse because of government mismanagement? Bow Valley Credit Union might be for you. The Alberta credit union is leaning hard into anti-government, anti-regulation rhetoric. And it’s buying up precious metals like gold in a bid to shore up its depositors’ investments. They’re proud of the fact that they’ve run afoul of regulators, using their distrust of authority a...

Back in the fall of 2021, Canadian news headlines were dominated by the story of the Rogers family battling for control of Rogers Communications Inc. It was a very dramatic , and very public, power struggle that was frequently compared to the TV show Succession . The fallout from that saga is still playing out today . Alexandra Posadzki has been breaking news on this story since it started. She re...

The Israel-Hamas war has led to a growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. In January, Canada launched a temporary program for Canadians to bring their family members here from Gaza. Janice Dickson is the Globe’s international affairs reporter. She’s here to talk about what makes bringing people out of Gaza so challenging, and the frustration Canadians are feeling in trying to bring their loved ones h...

Life has gotten expensive in a number of ways – from groceries to housing. And so too, have the costs of taking care of furry family members . More than half of Canadian households have a cat or dog and skyrocketing costs have meant some people are finding it hard to keep up with the bills. The Globe’s personal finance reporter, Erica Alini , and independent business reporter, Chris Hannay , looke...