The Decibel

After a little more than two days, U.S. President Donald Trump paused the 25 per cent tariffs on Canada and Mexico until April 2. It’s not just the tariff whiplash that’s causing anxiety – since Trump took office, he’s alienated allies, moved closer to traditional rivals, and hinted at a new age of U.S. imperialism. Doug Saunders is the international affairs columnist for the Globe. He joins the D...

On Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke on the phone for nearly an hour about the trade war between the two countries. A slight reprieve was announced later that afternoon – but not necessarily because of that call. And at the center of all of these negotiations is one U.S. official: Howard Lutnick . Nathan VanderKlippe is an international corresp...

U.S. President Donald Trump‘s 25 per cent tariffs are now in effect on Canadian goods entering the U.S., with 10 per cent on energy. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau hit back with countertariffs on $155 billion worth of American goods. If the trade war continues, inflation will start to rise, jobs will be lost, and economists project a likely recession. And with growing sentiment that Trump’s motivat...

On Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump vowed to follow through on his economic threat against North American neighbours – his government plans to impose 25 per-cent tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico. In response, the Canadian government said it would retaliate with tariffs of its own. The tariff plan disrupts Canada’s most important economic relationship and would effectively throw the two n...

The Islamic Republic of Iran is as isolated from the western world as ever. It has no diplomatic relations with Canada, President Trump recently recommitted to exerting “maximum economic pressure” on the country to force it to abandon its nuclear weapons program and support for terrorism. Western sanctions have contributed to its 32 per cent inflation rate. And yet, as The Globe’s Africa Bureau Ch...

Presenting Machines Like Us, a Globe and Mail podcast on technology and people. We are living in a world of perpetual distraction. There are more things to read, watch and listen to than ever before – but our brains, it turns out, can only absorb so much. Politicians like Donald Trump have figured out how to exploit this dynamic. If you’re constantly saying outrageous things, it becomes almost imp...

Scammers are using generative AI technology to create deepfakes, compelling their targets to send large sums of money. And it is not just individuals getting scammed any more – businesses are increasingly being targeted by these look-alikes too. While there are positive applications for generative AI, these digital replicas may mean the need for better regulation. Alexandra Posadski is the Globe’s...

March 1 marks the official end of the first phase of the ceasefire in Gaza. Phase two remains in doubt, unless all parties can start negotiations or extend the deadline for phase one. Hamida Ghafour is The Globe’s Deputy Foreign Editor. She explains what has happened during the last six weeks, how hostage handovers have caused outrage in Israel and what could happen next . Enter this Decibel surve...

This Thursday, Ontario voters head to the polls for a provincial election that Premier Doug Ford called more than a year early . The threat of tariffs looms large, overshadowing traditional election issues like health care and affordability . Jeff Gray is The Globe’s Ontario politics reporter. He’s on the show to talk about how tariffs shaped this election , how the parties are approaching the cha...

Since returning to office, the Trump administration has taken aim at diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), with major American corporations scrapping their policies and programs in response. But the backlash goes beyond DEI — corporate climate commitments are under attack, too. The progressive policies being rolled back fall under ESG (environmental, social and governance). ESG factors help busi...

As the new deadline for U.S. tariffs approaches, Canadian businesses are trying to suss out whether it’s possible for them to diversify their trading partners to help soften the blow if American demand dries up. Chris Wilson-Smith – who writes The Globe’s daily Business Brief newsletter – recently looked into how feasible diversification is and found there are some significant barriers. But not al...

In this special weekend edition of The Decibel, two Canadian authors discuss their new memoirs on divorce.  Scaachi Koul is a senior writer at Slate, and co-hosts the podcast Scamfluencers , as well as the Netflix show Follow This . Her second book is called Sucker Punch: Essays , and is a collection of essays about her divorce, among many other life-changing events. Haley Mlotek is a writer, edit...

Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump had a 90-minute phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin about the end of the war in Ukraine. That call ended three years of U.S. isolation of Russia – former President Joe Biden hadn’t spoken to Putin since before Russia invaded Ukraine – and caught Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Zelensky by surprise. Days later, U.S. and Russian officials met in...

Body weight often gets conflated with overall health, and the BMI — body mass index — has helped solidify that belief. But in recent years, the measurement has come under increased criticism . Some doctors have started using a new measurement of health called the body roundness index , or BRI. But does BRI address the issues so many have with the BMI? And how do these measurements that tie weight...

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s government is facing scrutiny after serious allegations were in a wrongful dismissal lawsuit launched by Alberta Health Services’ former CEO, Athana Mentzelopoulos. The lawsuit alleges that government officials interfered with the health system on behalf of private firms. It also claims that Mentzelopoulos was fired because of “an internal investigation,” she was l...

Rates of cancer diagnosis and death are climbing worldwide in people under 50 , according to the World Health Organization. A report, with data between 1990 and 2019 in 204 countries, showed early onset cancer grew 79 percent, while deaths also went up by 28 percent in the same time period. We follow the stories of two cancer survivors along with Kelly Grant , The Globe’s national health reporter....

Less than a month into his second term, U.S. President Donald Trump has already threatened to impose tariffs on half a dozen allies and adversaries. This week, he announced incoming universal tariffs on steel and aluminum , along with reciprocal tariffs on a range of foreign imports at ‘different levels’. But when and why did Trump decide that tariffs would be the centrepiece of his plan in redefi...

At universities across Canada, requests for disability accommodations are on the rise. Since the 2013-2014 school year – the number of students requesting accommodations – has doubled to 12 per cent. And at Queen’s University in Kingston, about one in four students now access accommodations. This aid is often a lifeline for students but schools are now struggling to keep up with demand . Joe Fries...

Canada wants to position itself as a leader in the critical mineral industry, as the world becomes more reliant on renewable energy. But its young mining companies are struggling , due to a mix of factors including changes to the local investment landscape, heavy restrictions on money from Chinese investors and, according to some industry insiders , excessive red tape.  The struggle is particularl...

A connection to a bank is an important financial relationship – between chequing and savings accounts, mortgages and loans – they are crucial for paying off bills and for long-term planning. But what happens when your bank dumps you? The practice is known as ‘debanking,’ and Canadian banks are turning to it more often when they suspect a customer is involved in criminal activity. Erica Alini , the...

For more than two years, the federal Conservatives have held a solid lead in the polls, and with the party bringing in a record-setting $41.7 million in donations last year, leader Pierre Poilievre looks poised to win the upcoming election. But with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau resigning, U.S. President Donald Trump threatening tariffs and Liberal leadership candidates gaining some traction , the...

The U.S. tariff threats against Canada may be on pause, but the reaction from many Canadians shows that the cross-border chaos struck a nerve. From an immediate pledge to boycott and ‘buy Canadian’ , to political figures threatening to pull U.S. products from shelves, Canadians across the political spectrum decided to assert themselves against the might of the elephant south of the border. Shannon...

Influencer profiles often have recognizable hallmarks: their feeds are highly stylized, filled with aspirational content and product placement. One of the reasons that brands work with influencers is because they can speak to their audience from a place of authenticity. So how does that change when the influencer is not a real person? Samantha Edwards is the Globe’s online culture reporter. She’s...

There’s a fairly long list of public transit projects that have gone off the rails all across Canada. These projects often end up over budget and face multiple delays. Is this problem unique to Canada? Oliver Moore is a journalist with The Globe who has covered transit issues for years. He explains why this phenomenon keeps happening and what public transit agencies can do about it. Questions? Com...

Hours before historic, damaging tariffs were set to be imposed between Canada and the U.S., the two nations stepped back from the brink. The Globe’s international correspondent, Nathan VanderKlippe , joins the show to break down the phone call that led to the 30-day pause, Canada’s increased measures at the border, and what may be the beginning of a troubling trend: Trump threatening tariffs to ge...