The Decibel

4.3 (37)
DAILY NEWS
UPDATED DAILY

Context is everything. Join us Monday to Friday for a Canadian daily news podcast from The Globe and Mail. Explore a story shaping our world, in conversation with reporters, experts, and the people at the centre of the news.

1D AGO

The crop caught in the crosshairs of the Canada-China trade war

This week, Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand is visiting China as part of an effort to improve relations amid a trade war between Canada and China. It began last year, when Ottawa imposed a 100-per-cent tariff on Chinese-made electric vehicles. China responded by launching an anti-dumping probe into Canada’s canola imports, and later issued its own 100-per-cent tariff on Canadian canola oil, meal, and peas, followed by a 78.5-per-cent tariff on Canadian canola seed. Kate Helmore is the Globe’s agriculture and food policy reporter. She’s on the show to explain what’s going on with the trade war between Canada and China, and how tensions with the U.S. are contributing to an unstable situation for one of Canada’s most important crops. Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

22 min
2D AGO

A dispatch from Gaza as the fragile ceasefire takes hold

The ceasefire in Gaza that U.S. President Donald Trump helped broker has been in place since Friday. But already, both Israel and Hamas have accused each other of violating the agreement. Tensions flared over a slower-than-expected return of deceased hostages, and Hamas has, so far, refused to disarm and cede power in Gaza. Despite the disagreements, humanitarian aid trucks began entering Gaza on Wednesday, and Israel is set to open Gaza’s Rafah border crossing with Egypt this week. But as cracks in this deal emerge, where does this ceasefire go from here? Today, Globe freelance journalist Hasan Jaber joins us from Gaza. He’ll describe the mood in the region, as thousands of Palestinians return and Hamas fighters remerge. Then, The Globe’s senior international correspondent Mark MacKinnon will discuss the state of this deal, and whether this ceasefire can hold. Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

24 min
3D AGO

What it’s like for migrant workers on Canadian farms

Canada’s agriculture industry is big business, contributing $32-billion to Canada’s GDP in 2024 and employing an estimated 223,000 people. What garners less attention is how heavily dependent the agriculture industry is on migrant labourers, with about 80,000 workers in the sector. The job is often gruelling and typically pays around minimum wage, but that money tends to go a lot farther in the workers’ home countries. Jason Kirby, a business reporter for The Globe and Mail, revisits his roots in an Ontario farming community and digs into the influence of foreign labour in Canada’s farms. He talks about why Canadian farmers have become so reliant on migrant labour, and what keeps foreign agricultural workers coming back year after year. Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

24 min
4D AGO

The fight over the notwithstanding clause

A legal battle is underway over the notwithstanding clause, which allows governments to override “[certain] rights of Canadians” that are protected by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. It’s a tool provincial governments have invoked often in recent years. But the federal government is bringing the dispute to the Supreme Court, asking it to consider new limits on the clause. Divisions over that legal review are breaking out, with five conservative premiers calling on Ottawa to back off. Globe columnist Andrew Coyne joins us to talk about the roots of this battle. He argues that there’s a deeper fight going on – that is not about the notwithstanding clause but rather, longstanding grievances with the Charter itself. Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

23 min
5D AGO

Machines Like Us: Geoffrey Hinton on AI’s future

Geoffrey Hinton, “the godfather of AI”, pioneered much of the network research that would become the backbone of modern AI. But it’s in the last several years that he has reached mainstream renown. Since 2023, Hinton has been on a campaign to convince governments, corporations and citizens that artificial intelligence – his life’s work – could be what spells the end of human civilization. Machines Like Us host Taylor Owen interviews Hinton on the advancements made in AI in recent years and asks: if we keep going down this path, what will become of us? Subscribe to The Globe and Mail’s ‘Machines Like Us’ podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

1h 10m
OCT 10

How a new pipeline could test Canadian unity

A new pipeline pitch is stirring up an old fight. On Oct. 1, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announced the province would be drawing up a proposal for a new oil pipeline to the B.C. coast by May. In the last week, B.C. Premier David Eby has voiced criticisms of the project and opposed Smith’s coinciding efforts to repeal laws affecting access to the coast. In recent days, the disagreement has escalated. Today, The Globe’s B.C. politics reporter, Justine Hunter, joins the show. She’ll share what we know about the pipeline Smith is proposing, why it’s stirring up familiar tensions between the provinces, and whether the project can survive Eby’s opposition. Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

24 min
OCT 9

How seriously is corporate Canada taking DEI these days?

Five years ago, hundreds of Canadian companies publicly pledged to address anti-Black racism. They signed the BlackNorth Initiative, which has since become the most high-profile DEI effort in corporate Canada. Many of the commitments came with a 2025 deadline. The Globe and Mail surveyed the signatories to find out how they’ve fared. Vanmala Subramaniam is the Future of Work reporter for The Globe. She explains the results that show that the enthusiasm employers once had for diversity projects has waned considerably. Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

23 min
OCT 8

Key takeaways from Carney’s second meeting with Trump

Five months after his first appearance in the Oval Office, Prime Minister Mark Carney made his second trip down to Washington. And while he said little during the 30-minute press conference, talks between the countries carried on throughout the day and into the night. Doug Saunders, The Globe’s international affairs columnist, assesses Carney’s second performance at the White House and explains why he thinks Carney might be stalling on making a trade deal. Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

25 min

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Menaka Raman-Wilms

Host
Dave McGinn

Guest

4.3

out of 5

37 Ratings

Great Canadian Perspective

Jan 12

SamsunRo

Great balance of Canadian issues and Canadian views on global issues.
Huge fan

01/26/2022

NizkR

High quality stories with a Canadian perspective.
Finally! A Canadian perspective

10/15/2021

Danoftheforest

An outstanding podcast on both domestic issues and global affairs. Tamara Khandaker is an excellent host, and the level of analysis is second to none.
A considered perspective

06/06/2021

EmmaMollyMay

I’m a midwife in the US who has cared for many COVID+ patients this pandemic. I have to say that your episode on pregnant people in the ICU with COVID is one of the only times I’ve heard the voices of parents really highlighted in this pandemic. So many families have welcomed newborns after quarantine. It can be painful and scary and unnatural, even for asymptomatic parents. I appreciate the fact that you not only made parents feel safe enough to share concerns about bonding but that you also centered those concerns. Thank you for that.

Context is everything. Join us Monday to Friday for a Canadian daily news podcast from The Globe and Mail. Explore a story shaping our world, in conversation with reporters, experts, and the people at the centre of the news.