The Decibel

The U.S. and Israel are continuing attacks on Iran for the fourth day. Iran’s leadership has been devastated, hundreds have been killed and retaliatory attacks have been launched against Israel and neighbouring nations. U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly called on Iranians to topple the theocratic government that has held power for 47 years. Thomas Juneau, professor at the University of Ottawa’s Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, joins The Decibel to discuss why this is an existential war for the Islamic Republic, what calculations the U.S. and Israel are making and how this could be the beginning of a larger and longer war. 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.

You can listen to the first episode of this three-part series here. GLP-1 medications to treat diabetes, obesity and several other illnesses have exploded in popularity since Ozempic was approved for use in Canada back in 2018. Ozempic and Wegovy, the GLP-1s which contain semaglutide, are the third-most prescribed drug in Canada, and by far the best-selling one. Chris Hannay, The Globe’s business of health reporter, will explain why the introduction of generic semaglutide will mean lower prices and more options for Canadians. And we’ll explore access to these drugs with The Globe’s health reporter Kelly Grant on who gets their GLP-1 covered by their insurance – and who doesn’t. Plus, Globe audio producer Kasia Mychajlowycz leads us on a journey to understand just how the virtual pharmacies advertised all over her social media feed are vetting people who want Ozempic prescriptions. The next episode and final episode of Skinny, Inc. is next Monday, March 9. You can contact the National Eating Disorders Information Centre at their toll-free hotline at 1-866-NEDIC-20 or visit their website. 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.

Months before the mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, B.C., earlier this month, the shooter was banned from OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, for violating its usage policy. The Wall Street Journal, which first reported this, said that the interactions with ChatGPT were describing scenarios involving gun violence. That has furthered calls for the Canadian government to regulate AI companies and their products – but there are challenges. Taylor Owen is an associate professor at McGill and founding director of McGill’s Centre for Media, Technology and Democracy. He’s also host of The Globe and Mail podcast Machines Like Us. He’ll tell us what responsibility companies have to report concerning or violent content, and what the government is up against in trying to regulate AI. 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.

On Tuesday night, U.S. President Donald Trump touted his tariff regime, after a Supreme Court decision that severely limited his ability to impose tariffs. Now countries trading with the U.S. are left with even more uncertainty about what will come next. Jason Kirby is a staff reporter for The Globe’s Report on Business. He explains what the court ruling means for Canada, what other tariffs could be coming our way soon and who have been the winners and losers in the trade war over the last year. 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.

On Tuesday, Canadian airlines began to resume operations in Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara. They had been suspended days earlier after the Mexican army killed El Mencho, the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, leading to a wave of violence across Jalisco and elsewhere in Mexico. Residents of Puerto Vallarta, the popular tourist destination, and Guadalajara, Mexico’s second-largest city, were told to shelter in place. Many Canadian tourists found themselves stranded. David Agren is a freelance journalist covering Latin America. He joins The Decibel to talk about how cartels operate in Mexico, how the government has dealt with them in the past, and how pressure from the Trump administration is ramping up the stakes for the Mexican government to crack down on cartels. 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.

It began with three executives from the CAAT Pension Plan raising concerns over a $1.6-million vacation payout and a relationship between the CEO and an employee. That has now led to a ‘full-blown crisis over governance,’ with nearly all of the senior leadership team changed or gone, including the long-standing CEO who’s on administrative leave. The Globe’s institutional investing reporter James Bradshaw has been covering the turmoil at CAAT. Today, he explains how these issues led to such turbulence and why it’s so important to have steady leadership at one of Canada’s big pension plans. 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.

Dr. Daniel Drucker’s research helped pave the way for Ozempic, the blockbuster GLP-1 class drug. The endocrinologist has been researching the effects on Ozempic’s active ingredient semaglutide in the body for decades.Today he’ll show us around his lab and explain how a stout lizard kept in a freezer helped unlock the science behind a drug taken by more than a million Canadians.  Then, health reporter Kelly Grant tells us about rising obesity rates in Canada, and we’ll hear from a doctor who prescribes GLP-1s— and a patient who takes them.  This is part of a three-part series. The next episode is next Monday, March 2nd.  You can contact the National Eating Disorders Information Centre at their toll-free hotline at 1-866-NEDIC-20 or visit their website. 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.

A conversation between two acclaimed Canadian authors – Margaret Atwood and Michael Crummey on ‘The Art of the Story’. A live discussion about writing, reading, what makes Canadian authors unique and the publishing landscape. Atwood is one of Canada’s most celebrated writers, recently published Book of Lives: A Memoir of Sorts. Crummey is the author of numerous short stories, poetry and novels, his most recent work being The Adversary. This recording was from a live event at The Globe and Mail headquarters in Toronto on Dec.1, 2025, as part of celebrations for The Globe 100, an annual list of the most notable reads. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week, Minister for Canada-U.S. Trade Dominic LeBlanc, led a trade delegation to Mexico. He was joined by government and industry officials, as well as leaders of around 250 Canadian businesses. It’s the largest Canadian trade delegation to Mexico in recent memory, and it’s set against the backdrop of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s goal of diversifying Canadian trading partners. Mark Rendell, the Globe’s economics reporter, joins the show to talk about the opportunities for growth in Mexico, and how the two countries are preparing for discussions around the renegotiation of USMCA later this year. 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.

As part of its plan to remake the Canadian Armed Forces, the federal government earmarked $6.6-billion over five years in the fall budget for its Defence Industrial Strategy. The document was finally released this week, and it details the blueprint for bolstering Canada’s defence industry.Pippa Norman is The Globe’s innovation reporter, and she covers the business side of defence. She’ll explain why this document is important, the key takeaways, and what the plan means for broader conversations about protecting Canada’s sovereignty.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.

Much has been made about a new social media platform called Moltbook, where AI agents are posting and appear to be interacting with each other. Some see their posts – especially those about humans – as worrisome. Others are wondering if this is evidence that we’re inching closer to a world where an artificial intelligence system attains consciousness.Dr. Karina Vold is an assistant professor of philosophy at the University of Toronto. She studies the philosophy of cognitive science, and also researches technology, AI and ethics. She discusses the problems with anthropomorphizing AI and the difference between sentience and consciousness.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.

The Globe exclusively reported that Prime Minister Mark Carney and Ontario Premier Doug Ford discussed the possibility of a snap federal election this spring. The next federal election is scheduled for no later than 2029, though historically, minority governments usually last around two years. But just how realistic is this speculation of another election?Laura Stone, who broke the story, and Shannon Proudfoot, a feature writer and columnist based in Ottawa, join host Sherrill Sutherland for a political roundtable about whether Canadians will head to the polls this spring.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.

Canadian figure skater Deanna Stellato-Dudek will make history this weekend at the age of 42, as the oldest female figure skater to compete in the Olympics in nearly 100 years. She’s had a remarkable journey to get to the Milan Cortina Winter Games, including 16 years away from the ice.Today, Globe reporter (and passionate figure skater) Robyn Doolittle tells us the story of how Stellato-Dudek got to these Olympic Games, what it takes to become an elite athlete in your 40s, and how athletes are pushing the time limits of their careers.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.

Tuesday’s deadly mass shooting in the community of Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, marks the second deadliest school shooting in Canadian history. Nine people are dead, including the shooter, and at least 25 others are injured.Many details are still unknown, but today, we’re talking about the aftermath of the tragedy. Globe reporters Matthew Scace and Alanna Smith give us the view from Tumbler Ridge, and you’ll hear from community members about how they’re making sense of what has happened in their town.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.

This week, Ontario’s Inspector-General announced it is launching a provincewide review of corruption among police services in the wake of the arrests of seven Toronto police officers and a retired constable. The allegations – including corruption, leaking of information to organized crime members, accepting bribes and drug trafficking – have rocked civic institutions and are proving to be a threat to public trust in policing.Mike Hager, reporter for The Globe, details the allegations against the officers and why cases of police corruption are difficult to investigate. Later, The Globe’s justice reporter David Ebner joins the show to explain why the investigation of the accused officers may put other criminal trials in the justice system at risk.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.

The federal government recently announced that it is scrapping the zero emissions vehicle mandate – brought in by the Trudeau government in 2022. Zero emissions vehicles such as EVs were supposed to make up 20 per cent of all new car sales this year, increasing to 100 per cent by 2035. This is the latest Trudeau-era climate policy that Prime Minister Mark Carney has rolled back or outright abandoned.Today, we speak with Adam Radwanski, The Globe’s policy columnist and feature writer. He’ll explain why the electric vehicle mandate was scrapped, what Carney has brought in instead, and what his strategy is towards climate change more broadly.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.

Ontario’s securities watchdog is facing pressure from the Ontario government to open up access to high-risk investments, called private asset funds, to regular, retail investors, according to exclusive reporting by The Globe and Mail. Industry experts warn that this unusual move could lead to investors’ money being locked up for years in long-term real estate or infrastructure projects that have extremely complex fee structures.Report on Business reporters Clare O’Hara and Jameson Berkow explain how this new proposal from the Ontario Securities Commission came about and what might be driving the Ford government to change the rules.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.

The 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Games begin on Friday. The Olympics are always a time to rally behind your country, but this year cheering on Team Canada takes on a different meaning. At a time when Canada is asserting itself as a “middle power,” how will that translate on the podium?Cathal Kelly is a Globe and Mail columnist who writes about sports. Today, he joins the show to prime Olympics superfans and casual watchers alike for what you need to know about the Milan Cortina Winter Games, where Canada is likely to excel, and how politics could shape the narrative of these Winter Olympics.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.

Canvassers are currently collecting signatures for a petition in Alberta that could trigger a referendum on whether Albertans want to remain a part of Canada. The volunteers are with a group called Stay Free Alberta, whose leaders are Mitch Sylvestre and Jeffrey Rath.Matthew Scace is a staff reporter for The Globe and Mail based in Calgary. He has been reporting on the separatist movement in Alberta and shares interviews he conducted with the leaders, and some supporters, on how they feel about recent U.S. comments about their movement and why they’ve given up on Canada.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.

The federal government’s Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care program was meant to bring child care fees down to $10 per day and create 284,000 new daycare spaces by the end of March this year. A recent report found the program is expected to miss that goal by 90,000 spaces – and many places haven’t reached the initial $10 a day goal. But this program has made a huge difference for families.Today, we’re doing a daycare check in with the Globe’s education reporter Dave McGinn. He’ll walk us through what’s worked with the program, what hasn’t, and when we might expect more affordable child care in Canada.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.