The Decibel

The economies of Canada and the United States are on a collision course. On Saturday, U.S. President Donald Trump signed off on 25 per cent tariffs to be imposed on all Canadian goods, beginning February 4. In response, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau levelled tariffs back toward the U.S., warning that “the coming weeks will be difficult for Canadians and they will be difficult for Americans.” The t...

If it seems like everyone you know is sick right now, that’s because respiratory virus season is in full swing. On top of influenza, COVID-19 and RSV, this year, medical professionals are seeing a surge of norovirus cases – also known as ‘winter vomiting disease.’ Alanna Smith is a health reporter with the Globe. Every week, she’s publishing data on respiratory virus season across the country, inc...

Ontario is officially in an election campaign . Voters will go to the polls on February 27 – more than a year before they were supposed to cast their votes. So what is behind this early snap election? And will Premier Doug Ford’s political calculations pay off?  Laura Stone covers Ontario politics for The Globe. She is on the show to explain what Doug Ford has said about why he is calling this ear...

After an 18-month long public inquiry, the final report on foreign interference in Canada has been released. Justice Marie-Josée Hogue’s seven-volume report weighs in on allegations of parliamentarians participating in foreign interference, outlines concerning examples of when foreign states have tried to influence our elections and gives 51 recommendations on what to do about it.  Steven Chase is...

Phase one of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has been in place for just over a week, but so far, it has been incredibly fragile. In the first days of the ceasefire , Israel released 90 Palestinian prisoners, and Hamas released three Israeli hostages. On the second weekend, two hundred Palestinian prisoners were released, as were four Israeli hostages.  But the deal hit a snag on Saturday, w...

Donald Trump is not a fan of international coalitions. He is also not a fan of intelligence agencies. And yet, the U.S. is the biggest member of the Five Eyes network – one of the world’s most powerful spying operations. As a second Trump administration begins in Washington, Canada and the other Five Eyes countries await to see what will happen.  Richard Kerbaj is a journalist and author. His new...

When we think of shoplifting, we often picture teens getting caught at the mall stealing lip gloss, or people bypassing the scanner at the grocery self-checkout. But in recent years, retail theft has gotten more serious, and much more organized. Stores are facing an uptick in targeted, large-scale stealing, with a growing number becoming violent. Globe retailing reporter, Susan Krashinsky Robertso...

The wildfires in Los Angeles have caused massive devastation over the past two weeks and may end up being the most expensive natural disaster in U.S. history. That will likely increase insurance rates, not just in the United States, but also in Canada . Salman Farooqui writes for the Globe and Mail’s Report on Business. He explains why American disasters could affect Canadians’ insurance premiums,...

It’s been over three months since the U.S. Department of Justice announced that TD Bank had pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering . After paying a US$3-billion fine, Canada’s second largest bank is now shaking up its senior-most ranks of leadership. Stefanie Marotta is The Globe and Mail’s banking reporter. She explains what prompted the early departure of TD’s CEO , how this mon...

The Liberal leadership race is on – and its biggest candidates are in. Former deputy prime minister and finance minister Chrystia Freeland , House Leader Karina Gould and former governor of the Bank of Canada Mark Carney all launched their campaigns this past week. The shortened leadership race will see the deeply unpopular party select Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s replacement as figures like C...

For months, Donald Trump has threatened economic pain on Canada, with tariffs of up to 25 per cent on imports. This could begin as early as today, when he’s inaugurated as U.S. president. Canada has said that nothing is off the table when it comes to its response — whether that’s dollar-for-dollar tariffs or blocking oil exports . But with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announcing he will resign an...

The mood in Israel and Gaza turned from celebratory to uncertain in the hours after a ceasefire deal was announced . The day after the deal was made public, Israel continued air strikes in Gaza and then delayed a vote on the deal . But by the end of Thursday, it looked like the process may be back on track. Thomas Juneau is a professor of public and international affairs at the University of Ottaw...

In February, 2024, Megan Garcia’s 14-year-old son Sewell took his own life. As she tried to make sense of what happened, Megan discovered that Sewell had fallen in love with a chatbot on Character. AI – an app where you can talk to chatbots designed to sound like historical figures or fictional characters. Now Megan is suing Character. AI , alleging that Sewell developed a “harmful dependency” on...

If you kicked off 2025 making personal finance resolutions, it can be hard to know where to start. That question is made more difficult when factoring in all the uncertainty around how the tariffs that incoming U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to enact will affect our economy . Rob Carrick is the Globe’s personal finance columnist and co-host of Stress Test , the Globe’s personal finance...

Cowgirls love the rodeo just as much as cowboys, but for the better part of the past century, there’s only been one event for women — until now. Breakaway roping , dubbed the fastest event in rodeo, has swept competitions across North America, and is corralling more space for cowgirls in the process.  The Globe’s Jana Pruden was at the 50th Canadian Finals Rodeo this fall, where the second-ever wo...

Dry January – when people decide to consume no alcohol – is a common new year resolution for many. But this month, the U.S. Surgeon General gave the public another reason to take stock of their drinking habits. They recommended that warning labels of cancer risks should be placed on alcohol containers, akin to the labelling on cigarette packaging.  Dr. Adam Sherk , senior scientist and Special Pol...

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s resignation earlier this week came after months of people calling for him to step down . How he will be remembered will largely depend on what comes next – how the Liberal party moves forward, what the next government does, and how Trudeau himself writes his next chapter. Campbell Clark is the Globe’s chief political writer. Today, he joins The Decibel for a look ba...

Beyond picking a new leader , the federal Liberals also need to repair their reputation with voters – while continuing to run the government as Donald Trump ratchets up his pressure on Canada . And they have about 75 days to do all this. Shannon Proudfoot is an Ottawa-based feature writer for The Globe and Mail. She’s on the show to talk about the existential questions the party is grappling with...

When Trudeau announced his plan to resign on Monday morning, he also shut down Parliament until March 24, giving the Liberal Party time to select a new leader. A confidence vote will follow shortly after the House returns, almost certainly triggering a spring election. Bill Curry is the Globe’s Deputy Ottawa Bureau Chief. He’s on the show to talk about how the government proceeds from here – what...

After three federal election wins and just over nine years in office, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his resignation on Monday. Trudeau had been facing mounting pressure within his party to step down, after many months of polls showing dwindling public support for the Liberal party and several key by-election losses. Now, the Liberal Party has to choose a new leader while Parliament is pr...

When it comes to enrolling your kids in extracurricular activities, how many is too many? Is there such a thing as over-scheduling your kids? Parenting experts say ‘yes,’ and that doing so can have long-term negative effects on your children . Amberly McAteer is a contributing columnist for The Globe and Mail who recently looked into what the research says about programming activities for your kid...

Neal’s Yard Dairy, a cheese distributor in England, has been an essential part of the artisanal cheddar revival in the United Kingdom. In October 2024, they announced that 22 tonnes of artisanal cheddar — about 300,000 pounds worth, or around CAD$541,000 — had been stolen from them. Paul Waldie is the Globe’s Europe correspondent, based in London. Today, he’s on the show to talk about how this sca...

Life is noisy and stressful for a lot of people. And so sound baths – where a practitioner creates harmonies and chords with singing crystal bowls – are growing in popularity. Many people say that this provides them with a deep sense of relaxation. But what does the science say? Today on the show, Menaka tries a sound bath to see what it’s like. Later, Dave McGinn explains the hype around this wel...

Point Pelee National Park juts out into Lake Erie like a finger, as every spring thousands of birds touch down on it. It’s a key stop along their migratory routes from the southern U.S., Central and South America to northern Canada. But climate change has been shifting the conditions of migration, making it harder for some birds and ultimately affecting bird populations, which are already in steep...

Distance running, once a relatively niche sport, has exploded in popularity . The trend has been ongoing for at least a decade, but 2024′s running season may be the biggest one yet. Marathon race organizers are expecting record participation in races this year, both in Canada and in cities around the world. Today, Ben Kaplan , general manager of iRun Magazine , Allison Hill , co-founder of Hill Ru...