The Decibel

00:24:07

A reality check on Alberta separatism

The Decibel ·

2026/05/26

Political tensions are rising in Alberta. Last week, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announced the province will hold a referendum on whether to hold a subsequent referendum on secession from Canada. Division and debate has been stirred up between federalists and separatists. And those who want to leave argue that Alberta will be better off, more economically successful and have full control over its natural resources. The Globe’s editorial board did a reality check on some of the arguments for

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00:22:37

Deaths raise concerns over selling plasma in Canada

The Decibel ·

2026/05/25

Getting paid for plasma – the yellow-gold liquid part of blood – in Canada is still pretty new. It’s full of protein and antibodies and can be used to make medicine for immunodefficient people. But following the deaths of two plasma donors, the practice is facing criticism and concerns are being raised about its safety. Chris Hannay is a business of healthcare reporter for The Globe. He’s on the show today to discuss how plasma collection works in Canada, what he’s learned from his experience

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00:30:11

An interview with Pierre Poilievre

The Decibel ·

2026/05/22

Pierre Poilievre, the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, sat down with The Globe’s editorial board for an interview last week. They asked him about a range of issues, from the current state of the Conservative Party to the Alberta separatism movement and tariff-free trade.Patrick Brethour is the editorials editor at The Globe, and he’s on the show to discuss what they learned in this exclusive interview. Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com Hosted by

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00:23:05

The growing concern over stray drone strikes in Europe

The Decibel ·

2026/05/21

Drones have become a part of everyday life for many Ukrainians. Now, they’re showing up in the airspace of Baltic countries. On Wednesday, people in Lithuania’s capital, Vilnius, were instructed to take shelter when drone activity was detected near the border with Belarus. The day before, a NATO jet shot down a Ukrainian drone over southern Estonia. This followed an incident earlier this month when two drones hit an empty oil facility in Latvia.It’s still not clear exactly how these drones are

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00:25:51

A week without ultraprocessed foods

The Decibel ·

2026/05/20

Finding the time to cook can be a challenge. The solution for many Canadians looks like using convenient pre-prepared foods. Ultraprocessed foods (UPFs) are branded, commercial foods made from cheap ingredients and contain little to no whole foods. But despite their convenience, foods like these are usually known for being bad for your health.So is it possible to go without UPFs? Kelly Grant, one of the Globe’s health reporters, decided to find out. She and her family underwent a week-long

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00:22:52

A big step forward for B.C. mothers subjected to...

The Decibel ·

2026/05/19

“Birth alerts” were a controversial practice in several Canadian provinces that allowed hospitals and child-welfare agencies to flag pregnant patients they deemed to be high-risk without their knowledge or consent. They were in place until as recently as 2023 in Quebec. Last week, a proposed settlement worth $66-million was reached in a class action lawsuit over British Columbia’s use of birth alerts. Across the country, several other class actions are underway. Andrea Woo is a staff reporter for

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00:24:26

Trump in China: Iran war, Taiwan and trade tensions

The Decibel ·

2026/05/15

U.S. President Donald Trump’s visit to China to meet President Xi Jinping this week is full of jeopardy. From tense talks over trade and tariffs, the role of each superpower in the war in Iran, and the future of Taiwan – each leader has been full of praise, while also talking past each other on the thorniest issues. Will any substantial deals get done? And where does this leave the U.S.-China relationship?James Griffiths, The Globe’s Asia correspondent joins the show to discuss the recent history

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00:23:17

The big business of romance novels

The Decibel ·

2026/05/14

Once relegated to paperback stands in grocery stores, the business of romance novels is hot right now – especially in Canada. In a moment when book sales in other genres appear to be relatively flat or declining, what is it about romance novels that’s making readers fall in love?Deborah Aarts is a freelance business journalist. She’s on the show today to discuss what’s driving this “swoon boom,” how Canada became such a hotbed for romance readers and writers, and what it is about this moment that

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00:19:39

A reality check on hantavirus risk in Canada

The Decibel ·

2026/05/13

This month, the World Health Organization linked a hantavirus outbreak to a cruise ship in the south Atlantic. Since the outbreak, three people have died from the virus and nine people have been confirmed to be infected with it. 10 Canadians who have been exposed to the virus have returned to Canada and are quarantining.To some, there are familiar anxieties about how widespread the outbreak could be, coloured by memories of the COVID pandemic. But health officials have said that hantavirus is

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00:22:53

Making sense of a stock market that doesn’t make...

The Decibel ·

2026/05/12

From trade wars to the war in Iran, there has been a lot of geopolitical tension in the world. This can sometimes cause jitters on the stock market, but that hasn’t been the case as of late. In fact, the stock market has been thriving, even at a time when Canadians are feeling like there is an affordability crisis. Tim Shufelt is an investment reporter for The Globe. He’s been looking into what’s behind the booming bull market. He’s on the show today to talk about why investors seem so confident

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00:26:02

Why are drug deaths rising in Edmonton, but falling...

The Decibel ·

2026/05/11

Canada has seen a decline in deaths related to drug overdose the past two years. But the reality at the local level is a little more complicated. In some cities, like Edmonton, this rate is increasing. The city saw its deadliest year for drug deaths in 2025.One of the Globe’s health reporters, Alanna Smith was in Alberta to figure out what’s going on. She’s here to share what she learned about why the situation in Edmonton is so bad, and the pushback against harm reduction policies, like safe

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00:24:35

The pressure is on for Canada to meet growing energy...

The Decibel ·

2026/05/08

The war in Iran has radically changed the way that oil and gas moves around the globe. Since the war began, North American energy exports – such as petroleum and liquefied natural gas – have increased. Now, there is pressure on Canada to meet the increased demand. The Globe’s energy reporter, Emma Graney, is on the show to explain how some Canadian companies are changing course to try to meet that demand, what’s getting in the way for other Canadian companies to do the same and what all this means

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00:23:33

Saudi Arabia’s vision for its future is crumbling

The Decibel ·

2026/05/07

Saudi Arabia has spent a decade pouring billions into investments to modernize their finance, entertainment, sports, technology and tourism industries, to help shift their economy away from oil. Now these efforts, called Vision 2030, are being challenged, in part, by the war in Iran, the missile and drone strikes against Saudi and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.Doug Saunders is the Globe’s International affairs columnist. He’s on the show today to explain how Saudi’s vision for its future and

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00:23:50

Alberta separatist campaign faces legal hurdles

The Decibel ·

2026/05/06

This week marked an important milestone in the separatist campaign in Alberta. After months of getting people to sign their petitions to trigger a referendum on independence, the separatist leaders submitted their signatures to Elections Alberta for verification. But Elections Alberta cannot count the signatures right now.That’s because of a court injunction that was put in place last month while a judge considers whether the treaty rights of some First Nations have been violated. It’s one of many

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00:20:31

What does Canada gain by hosting the new global...

The Decibel ·

2026/05/05

Canada has spent the last year shoring up defence spending. Now a new multilateral financial institution, the Defence, Security and Resilience Bank, is being established with the promise of offering stable financing to member countries. After months of negotiations, Canada was selected to be the bank’s host country last week. Pippa Norman is the Globe’s innovation reporter, and also covers Canada’s defence industry. She’s going to explain what it means for Canada to host the bank and how this move

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00:27:31

Canadian professors on how AI is changing education

The Decibel ·

2026/05/04

A big issue hangs over university students and professors, and that’s artificial intelligence. There are some rules and guidelines, but professors are largely left on their own to determine how much they want to adopt AI or not – and that’s created a wide range of opinions. Today, we hear from five Canadian university professors about how they’re thinking about education and students in the world of AI. We speak with Amanda Perry, professor of literature at Champlain College-Saint Lambert and

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00:19:43

A food economist’s case against public grocery stores

The Decibel ·

2026/05/01

Food affordability remains a priority for many Canadians. This week, Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government unveiled the spring economic update. It included some already announced measures aimed to make groceries more affordable. But some people are considering others measures to make food cheaper: public grocery stores. Federal NDP leader, Avi Lewis, has been talking about establishing a network of public grocery stores across Canada and municipalities like Toronto, Ottawa and Vancouver are also

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00:24:02

Where your money ends up after a scam

The Decibel ·

2026/04/30

Once scammers successfully steal someone’s money, they need a place to stash it. So they are buying verified Canadian bank accounts in order to launder money. In the last 12 months, a Canadian cybercrime research firm identified 4,337 social media posts offering to purchase accounts.The people who allow scammers to use their accounts are known as “money mules”. Many become implicated in the crime, even if they are recruited without knowing they are being used to launder money. Alexandra Podazki is

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00:23:26

Takeaways from the Liberals’ first economic update as...

The Decibel ·

2026/04/29

The Liberals’ spring economic update lays out $54-billion in new spending over six years, including $6-billion towards boosting employment in the trades and more money for sports. The update also shows an estimated deficit of $66.9-billion for the 2025-26 fiscal year, an $11.5-billion improvement over what the government had projected in the Nov. 4 budget.Campbell Clark, The Globe’s chief political writer, joins the show to break down what the Carney government’s first piece of fiscal policy as a

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00:23:59

The first Canadian effectively cured of HIV

The Decibel ·

2026/04/28

Only 10 HIV patients worldwide are known to have achieved the milestone of being in prolonged remission. Soon, a Toronto patient will be part of the historic achievement, becoming the 11th patient and first Canadian to be effectively cured of HIV. Doctors at the Canadian Conference on HIV/AIDS Research revealed that a patient underwent a stem cell transplant that is creating a natural immunity against the virus. Jennifer Yang, health science reporter for The Globe, delves into the complicated

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