The Decibel The Globe and Mail
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- News
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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.
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How sleep affects our brains
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 Ottawa and Co-Chair of the Canadian Sleep Research Consortium, goes deep on the science of sleep and why it’s vital for cognition and brain health. -
Amid a housing crisis, students build tiny homes for teachers
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 VanderKlippe recently spent time in Aspen to find out about this makeshift solution to the affordability crisis, the other cities doing similar projects and what this all says about the effects housing has on our social structures. -
What you need to know about your CPP money
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 get.
Brenda Bouw, a reporter for Globe Advisor, explains how CPP works, what determines how much you get and the debate around what’s the right age to claim it. -
Why single parents are struggling in Canada
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 Canada’s policies to help families fall short. -
The political fight over the carbon tax
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 against the law.
The Globe and Mail’s Alberta and energy reporter Kelly Cryderman explains why Saskatchewan made that decision and how the political debate on the carbon tax got so fraught. -
Who’s left to oppose Vladimir Putin?
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 members of the Russian opposition movement, both in prison and in exile. Today, he tells us their fates, how they’re making sense of this moment, and what it means for the future of Russia that Putin has such a firm grip on power.
Customer Reviews
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High quality stories with a Canadian perspective.
Finally! A Canadian perspective
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
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.