
Advertise on podcast: The Decibel
Rating
4.3from
This podcast has
1391 episodes
Language
EnglishPublisher
The Globe and MailExplicit
No
Date created
2021/04/29
Latest episode
2026/10/22
Average duration
24 min.
Release period
2 days
Description
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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What we know about the deadly fire at CFB Wainwright
2026/10/22
Four people were killed and dozens injured in a fire at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright in Alberta on Saturday. Prime Minister Mark Carney called it one of the worst tragedies for the Armed Forces on Canadian soil in peacetime.
Today, Globe feature writer Jana G. Pruden is on the show. She was in Wainwright this week and she’ll tell us what we know, and what’s still unknown, about the tragedy.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected]
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Alberta rejects separation. What comes next?
2026/10/21
Albertans firmly rejected the option to separate from Canada in Monday night’s referendum vote, with 75 per cent of voters opting to keep the province in the country. But will that mark the end of the separatist movement in Alberta? And what does it mean for Premier Danielle Smith and her future?
Tyler Dawson is a Globe columnist and Opinion editor based in Edmonton. He is also the author of the book The Republic of Alberta: An Idea That Won’t Go Away. He explains the political consequences of the results of the separation question as well as the other nine questions that Albertans voted on.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at [email protected]
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The people filming their chores to train humanoid robots
2026/10/20
Household chores can be seen as a drain on your time. But to some AI companies, how you do those chores is valuable data. Apps like Atlas Capture are using videos of people sweeping or cleaning a toilet to train humanoid robots. Who are the people doing this work for AI companies? And is the pay (usually around US$3 per hour) worth their time?
Joe Castaldo is The Globe’s AI and tech reporter and he tried out the technology firsthand. He’s on the show to tell us what this work looks like, what the people doing this labour think about it and what it means for humanity when we teach robots to do chores.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected]
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The history of Alberta separatism
2026/10/19
Today is the referendum in Alberta, where Albertans will cast their vote either to remain part of Canada or start the process to hold another referendum to leave (among other ballot questions). But this issue stretches far beyond the past few years – it goes back to before Alberta was a province of Canada.
Today, we’re going through the history of the Alberta separatist movement with Tyler Dawson. He’s an opinion editor for The Globe based in Edmonton, and the author of The Republic of Alberta: An idea that won’t go away.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected]
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Accused accomplice in Tumbler Ridge shooting appears in court
2026/10/16
This past week, a judge in Washington state heard arguments around whether a woman accused of conspiring with the Tumbler Ridge shooter should be released before her trial. James Cody Bryant – who identifies as a woman and uses she/her pronouns – was arrested by U.S. authorities at the beginning of the month.
Jesse Winter is a reporter and photographer with The Globe. He went to report on Ms. Bryant’s pretrial hearing in person. He explains the specific allegations against her, what the judge ruled regarding whether to keep her in custody and gives an update on the other legal proceedings surrounding the fallout from one of Canada’s worst mass shootings.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected]
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How your AI search results are being manipulated
2026/10/15
For many, AI is no longer a curiosity but increasingly built into our daily lives. Whether through intentional use of chatbots or its inclusion in online searches, it’s radically changing the way we receive information. Products, brands, services are all being tailor-made for you, through the use of AI.
But what if these recommendations are being manipulated behind the scenes?
Today, we have Nick Koudas joining us on the show. Dr. Koudas is a Professor of Computer Science at the University of Toronto.
He’ll tell us how the way you are marketed products is changing, whether you’re aware of it or not and what that means for both consumers and businesses alike.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected]
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
The shrinking neighbourhoods in two of Canada’s biggest cities
2026/10/14
The populations of Vancouver and Toronto have doubled in the past 50 years, but in certain neighbourhoods of those cities, populations have declined by as much as 40 per cent.
The Globe’s architecture critic Alex Bozikovic explains why neighbourhoods have lost so many residents, what that means for the areas, and how it might present a solution to the housing crises.This episode’s headline has been updated to clarify that the cities discussed are two of Canada’s biggest, not the biggest, as previously published.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected]
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The volunteers filling the gaps in Canada’s health care
2026/10/13
Amidst the news about Canada’s strained and struggling healthcare system, there is a bright spot. The Globe and Mail published a series recently about volunteers filling in the gaps, called Care Between the Lines – about the volunteers who take a patient-first approach in a system that can often be isolating.
Today, we’re bringing you a few of those stories of the volunteers getting rural Canadians to medical appointments, helping families in a pediatric hospital and getting seniors out for a bike ride.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at [email protected]
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
The other nine questions in the Alberta referendum
2026/10/09
Albertans will go to the polls to vote in a referendum on October 19. By now, everyone knows about the question on whether Alberta should stay in Canada, or hold another referendum on whether to separate. But there are, in fact, nine other proposals Albertans are being asked to vote on.
Matthew Scace is a staff reporter for The Globe based in Calgary. He’s on the show to explain what else Albertans are being asked to vote on, and what those results could mean for Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s government.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected]
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A border town on the front lines of the trade war
2026/10/08
Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., is on the front lines of Canada’s trade war with the U.S.. The city lies just a few kilometres away from the U.S., across a river from a city with the same name in Michigan. Its core economic industry is steel, which has been hit with U.S. President Donald Trump’s 50 per cent tariffs.
The Globe and Mail’s staff reporter, Patrick White, recently went to ‘The Soo’ to see how the residents are faring after layoff notices and previous years of economic hardship.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at [email protected]
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Canada’s income tax law has become a ‘Frankenstein’s monster’
2026/10/07
The law governing income tax in Canada is as complex as the legislation is thick – it’s over 3,000 pages long. All of this complexity isn’t just a nuisance for taxpayers. It can cost people and businesses money if they are unaware of deductions or exemptions, or if they have to hire help to make sure they are compliant.
Chris Wilson-Smith looked into how the Income Tax Act became a Frankenstein’s monster, as one tax expert put it. Chris is on the show to explain why politicians keep adding to the income tax code but can’t seem to simplify it.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected]
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How some Alberta separatists are courting U.S. support
2026/10/06
A secret meeting with Republican strategists near an airport hanger, and talks of access to Alberta water and royalties from oil. These are some of the revelations from a Globe investigation looking into some separatists courting American support in their pursuit of independence.
Carrie Tait, a reporter in the Globe’s Calgary bureau, Globe investigative Grant Robertson and Globe international correspondent, Nathan VanderKlippe are behind the investigation. Carrie and Grant are on the show to explain what they’ve learned.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected]
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A splintered political landscape heading into Quebec’s election
2026/10/05
Quebec is facing a fractured political landscape ahead of its election today, with no single party polling higher than 30 per cent in the run-up to the election. And there are important issues hanging over the campaign, from separatism to spending issues to U.S. President Donald Trump.
Today, The Globe and Mail’s Quebec correspondent, Maura Forrest, explains why the province’s parties have failed to inspire voters and how a party with less than 30 per cent support might end up forming a majority government.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected]
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Hockey Night in Canada without the NHL
2026/10/02
Hockey Night in Canada is considered a Canadian cultural institution. For almost 75 years, it was broadcast on the CBC, accessible to any Canadian who wanted to tune in. But earlier this year, CBC and Sportsnet, which owns the rights to air NHL games in Canada, ended their partnership.
Now, the CBC is trying to rebuild a new version of the show without the NHL, and people are left wondering what is lost for Canadians when only people who can afford a Sportsnet subscription can access Saturday night NHL games.
Simon Houpt covers sports media and the business of sport for The Globe. He is on the show to explain the big business of broadcasting NHL games in Canada, and what this means for Canadian identity.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected]
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The booze war within the trade war
2026/10/01
In the trade war between the U.S. and Canada, alcohol has been a bargaining chip on both sides of the border. Early in 2025, Canadian premiers pulled U.S. booze off of Canadian shelves. Then, last month, the Trump administration slapped a 50-per-cent duty on hundreds of Canadian goods including beer, wine, cider and most spirits. Notably, the U.S. cited the provincial shelf bans as justification for their tariffs. And now, the U.S. has implemented an outright ban on that same list of alcohol products.
Jennifer Robson, an associate professor of political management at Carleton University, will explain why booze has become a focal point amid continuing trade tensions.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected]
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Podcast reviews
Read The Decibel podcast reviews
SamsunRo 2025/01/12
Great Canadian Perspective
Great balance of Canadian issues and Canadian views on global issues.
NizkR 2022/01/26
Huge fan
High quality stories with a Canadian perspective.
Danoftheforest 2021/10/15
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.
EmmaMollyMay 2021/06/06
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...
Antostler 2021/05/19
Loved Episode 7 on Working from Home
I’ve been enjoying the new Decibel podcast and was delighted to hear Zabeen Hirji share so many great insights to help firms manage their team member...
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