The Decibel

On Wednesday, Kristian Firth became the first person in over a century held in contempt of Parliament and ordered to answer MP questions . It all has to do with the ArriveCan app, which his company, GC Strategies, was awarded millions of dollars to help develop. An Auditor-General’s report estimates the app cost taxpayers $59.5 million and most of the work was outsourced to companies like GC strat...

With nearly one billion eligible voters, India is the world’s biggest democracy . Beginning April 19, with voting staggered over six weeks , they will decide their leader for the next five years. Narendra Modi aims to consolidate power with his third term as prime minister, as a coalition opposition looks to unseat him. Sanjay Ruparelia is an associate professor at Toronto Metropolitan University...

The 2024 Canadian federal budget has been unveiled, with a particular focus on affordability and housing this year. But the 430 page plan covers a wide gamut of other spending details – from defence , tax hikes , generational fairness and much more. Making sense of it all can be overwhelming. We’ll cover all the key points of this year’s budget and explain how it will affect your wallet and financ...

There are an estimated 650,000 cases of dementia in Canada right now. The last 20 years of research into the treatment of Alzheimer’s have been, as one expert put it, “agonizing.” But a new drug was approved in the United States and is being tested in Canada to see if it can delay or slow the progression of Alzheimer’s symptoms. And it’s giving researchers and patients some hope that a breakthroug...

The Globe and Mail’s City Space podcast takes on the big issues, questions and stories of urban living. What makes a city function? Why was it built that way? How will it change in a tech-powered society?  This episode takes a look at the unhoused and encampment crisis in many cities and towns in Canada. In Halifax, the homeless population has tripled in the last three years. Emergency shelters ar...

After a spate of news stories and immense public pressure , the government of Canada established the Public Inquiry into Foreign Interference to examine allegations that foreign countries like China and Russia interfered in our elections. The inquiry has heard from many high-ranking officials, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, about interference in the 2019 and 2021 elections. Robert Fife ,...

Long wait times and the never ending battle to connect with a healthcare professional is a reality most people know all too well. Especially for the 6.5 million Canadian residents who do not have a family doctor. It’s a problem that has existed for years because it isn’t easy to solve. Dr. Jane Philpott is the Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at Queen’s University. She is a family doctor, th...

Vietnam is having a moment on the world stage. Last month, Canada sent the largest ever “Team Canada” delegation of business leaders and government officials in a push to strengthen the bond with the country. And Canada isn’t alone – the U.S., Australia and China are all looking to do the same. The Globe’s Asia correspondent, James Griffiths was recently in Vietnam and he’s on the show to explain...

Where does your seafood come from? And who, along the supply chain, handled it? An investigation from the non-profit investigative journalism organization, Outlaw Ocean Project, reveals a network of North Korean labourers at Chinese seafood plants – a violation of United Nations sanctions – supplying certain Canadian seafood companies. The workers detail a pattern of hyper-surveillance, poor pay a...

In the last few years, there has been an increase in research around using psychedelic drugs, like LSD and magic mushrooms, as treatments for mental health conditions. And recently, two Canadian companies working in the sphere have gotten a special designation from a big U.S. regulator that could fast-track the development and review of their drugs. Sean Silcoff is a journalist with The Globe’s Re...

The deaths of seven World Central Kitchen humanitarian aid workers in Gaza has shone a light on the dangerous conditions facing people delivering essential supplies to Gazans. Some aid organizations have either suspended or modified deliveries in order to protect worker safety. It comes at a time when food and other supplies are desperately needed in Gaza . The UN says that a famine is looming for...

Educators across Canada are worried about the use of cellphones – and in particular social media – in classrooms, saying it’s disrupting class and causing mental health issues. Four school boards in Ontario are suing the companies behind Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat for billions of dollars, joining a long list of U.S. school districts doing the same. Philip Mai , senior researcher and...

Since 2017, Canada has worked to attract the best artificial intelligence research talent in the world. But it hasn’t been investing in the infrastructure that those researchers need to push the limits of AI and the questions it can potentially solve. There are now calls for the government to invest more into building out more powerful supercomputers. Report on Business journalist Joe Castaldo exp...

Buying and owning a home in Canada is an endless source of frustration. Many have been priced out, while competition is high as a lack of housing stock runs up against a rapidly growing population . While more homes are needed to alleviate the stress, getting shovels into the ground isn’t as simple as it sounds. The Globe’s Jason Kirby, Matt Lundy and Mark Rendell recently broke down the reasons b...

On April 8, the moon will block out the sun giving many Canadians a chance to witness a total solar eclipse . Cities and towns falling in the path of totality are getting ready for this special day and are expected to experience a big number of visitors . The Globe and Mail’s science reporter Ivan Semeniuk explains the science behind eclipses, what makes the upcoming total eclipse special for Cana...

There are few more important habits for human health than the hours we spend asleep every night. Research shows sleep – or lack of it – affects everything from our physical and mental health, decision making and ability to fight illness. Despite this, at least one in four Canadians say they’re unhappy with the quality of their sleep. Dr. Rébecca Robillard , neuropsychologist at the University of O...

Aspen, Colorado is a picturesque mountain town often called a snowy “playground for the rich”. Real estate is also one of the most expensive in the United States, and for the teachers that live there, that means they’ve been priced out. Now, the local high school is trying to solve that problem with student-built tiny homes for their teachers . The Globe’s international correspondent, Nathan Vande...

For most workers in Canada, there’s a chunk of money deducted from each paycheck that goes toward the Canada Pension Plan. It happens whether you want it to or not. That’s because the CPP was set up to force people to save for their retirement. Canadians become eligible to receive a monthly payment when they reach the age of 60 . However, many factors determine how much money an individual will ge...

The number of single parents in Canada has been steadily growing since the 1970s. Today, one in five children grow up in single-parent homes. However, the increasing cost of living and lack of sufficient financial support is pushing many of these families towards poverty. Dave McGinn, a reporter for the Globe and Mail, dives into the additional struggles that single parents face and explains how C...

The federal price on carbon is set to increase on April 1. This tax is being criticized by many provinces including Saskatchewan. At the end of last year, Premier Scott Moe announced that the province will stop collecting a carbon levy on home heating bills. Then, earlier this year, he said that the province wouldn’t pay part of its carbon bill to the Canada Revenue Agency . Ottawa says this is ag...

Russian President Vladimir Putin is one of the longest serving leaders of the country, on track to surpass the rule of Joseph Stalin. Over the years, Putin has cracked down on opposition, as seen with Alexey Navalny and many others before him, to the extent that there is little opposition left in Russia. Mark MacKinnon , The Globe’s senior international correspondent, has been speaking with member...

The man who murdered the parents of a former NHL goalie was recently granted full parole . In 2022, a ruling by the Supreme Court struck down the punishment of life without parole for multiple murders . This case has raised questions about what rules and parameters are in place for convicted killers and the potential threat they pose to society. The Globe and Mail’s justice writer Sean Fine explai...

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...