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© 2021 The Globe and Mail
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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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Plant-based meat has been touted as a way of having our steak and eating it too. The industry had grand plans to remake the way we eat, cut down greenhouse gas emissions in meat and dairy production and address animal welfare concerns. Companies like Beyond Meat and Impossible had a meteoric rise in the late 2010s, with influencers, celebrities and investors backing the companies.But now, it appears the hype over plant-based meat is over. Sales have dropped off and stock prices are worth less than a tenth of its peak.Vox staff writer and journalist Kenny Torrella tells us why the noise around plant-based meat’s potential – and its flop – doesn’t tell the whole story.This episode originally aired on January 4, 2024.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
A serial killer in Winnipeg has been convicted in the murders of four Indigenous women – Morgan Harris, Rebecca Contois, Marcedes Myran and an unidentified woman Indigenous elders have named Buffalo Woman. The case and decision garnered significant national attention, due to the graphic nature of the crimes and the families of the women fighting to have a search conducted for the missing remains of the women in city landfills.The Globe and Mail’s national reporter in Manitoba, Temur Durrani, joins the podcast to talk about the trial, the women at the centre of the case and the continued push for answers and justice for the victims.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
1In under two days, the narrative around Kamala Harris has completely shifted. It went from questioning her ability to replace Joe Biden, to a nearly complete coalescing around her presidential candidacy after Biden bowed out.Globe columnist Doug Saunders believes that she is the right presidential candidate for the Democrats as they mount their third campaign against Donald Trump. He explains why her strengths – and even her perceived weaknesses – are suited for the moment.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
The Globe and Mail’s Cathal Kelly has high hopes for the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris. He thinks that 2012 was the last great Olympics and right now, with so much conflict and division, the world really needs a global event to rally around.He explains what the Olympics offer beyond the highest competition for amateur athletes, as well as, what Canada has to do to have a successful Games and which Canadians may end up becoming cultural heroes.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
After weeks of pressure, speculation and open questions from political leaders about his age and health, U.S. President Joe Biden has dropped his re-election campaign ahead of the 2024 election. Biden’s decision now clears the way for a younger candidate to pursue the Democratic Party’s nomination, to run against Donald Trump.Globe contributor and Pulitzer Prize-winning writer David Shribman joins the podcast to explain this historic moment in American politics, and the crucial days ahead for the Democrats, as they seek to rally behind a new presidential candidate.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
In late Februrary, Calgary-based discount airline Lynx Air, which launched a mere two years prior, ceased operations. For customers, that meant they’re likely weren't getting refunds and would have to find alternate and possibly more expensive tickets to their destinations.This is a familiar story in Canada. Discount airlines have come and gone with only a few years of operation under their belt. The Globe’s transportation reporter, Eric Atkins is on the show to explain why discount airlines keep failing in Canada and what that means for flyers looking for a deal.This episode originally aired on February 29, 2024.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
When a large drinking water pipe burst in Calgary last month, city residents were subject to water usage restrictions that lasted for weeks. Living in big cities, people tend to take it for granted that they can turn on a tap and clean, drinkable water will come out. But losing that ability calls into question how reliable our drinking water infrastructure really is.Globe reporters Tu Thanh Ha and Oliver Moore investigated the state of drinking water systems in Canada’s 10 biggest cities. Oliver joins the show to talk about what they found, and why cities have such a hard time keeping such an essential service in a state of good repair.Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
Paul Krusky is an unassuming tech nerd whose company, EncroChat, was once just one of the world’s many encrypted phone services. Now, he is in a French prison as police accuse him of building a digital den for Europe’s drug dealers.Globe reporters Joe Castaldo and Alexandra Posadzki explain how EncroChat wound up at the centre of thousands of criminal arrests in Europe and what we know about Paul Krusky’s past and the charges against him.Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
The attempted assassination of Donald Trump in Pennsylvania on Saturday has thrown an already tense election campaign into further chaos. Despite being injured in the shooting, Trump vowed to maintain his schedule at this week’s Republican National Convention, where the former president has named his running mate.The Globe’s U.S. correspondent Adrian Morrow joins the podcast from the convention to talk about the fallout from the historic attack on Trump and what lies ahead for Republicans this week at the convention.Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
The problems with Canada’s housing market have spread beyond major cities like Toronto and Vancouver to smaller communities across the country. Vacancy is low, houses are prohibitively expensive for many Canadians, and even rental prices have spiked an average of nearly 9% over the past year. How did it get this bad, and why is it so hard to fix?We zoom in on five examples that demonstrate how and why the market isn’t working. Reporters Matt Lundy, Jason Kirby, Frances Bula and Shane Dingman join us.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
Where does your seafood come from? And who, along the supply chain, handled it? An investigation from the non-profit investigative journalism organization, Outlaw Ocean Project, reveals a network of North Korean labourers at Chinese seafood plants – a violation of United Nations sanctions – supplying certain Canadian seafood companies. The workers detail a pattern of hyper-surveillance, poor pay and sexual assault by their employers.Ian Urbina, executive editor of The Outlaw Ocean Project, joins The Decibel to discuss the findings of the investigation, the working conditions inside the processing plants and how products made from forced labour are ending up on Canadian store shelves.VIDEO: Investigation reveals North Korean forced labour in Chinese seafood plantsThis episode originally aired on April 9, 2024.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
This year’s NATO summit comes at a critical moment. Pledges of support for Ukraine drum up questions about why Canada and other NATO members are lagging in their commitment to meet the 2 per cent defence spending threshold. Both Trudeau and Biden are looking to show strength after a rocky start to the summer.Adrian Morrow is the Globe and Mail’s U.S. correspondent. He’s on the show to talk about the significance of this year’s NATO summit, and what’s at stake for Canada’s position on the world stage.Clarification: An earlier version of this episode contained an inaccurate comparison of Canadian and U.S. military expenditures. It has been updated with the correct information.Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
The Myanmar civil war has been raging on for over three years now. Over 50,000 people have been killed, including 8,000 civilians, as the military junta that took over fights a multitude of militias. Recently, an important area along the Thai-Myanmar border changed hands.The Globe’s Asia Correspondent, James Griffiths, traveled there and explains how resistance forces have gained so much ground, what happens now that the military junta doesn’t control the border and how China is involved.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
Dating apps have gained popularity over the past decade as singles strive to meet new people in a digital age. But frustration is setting in for many who feel that the apps are becoming less of a way to connect and more of a game that ends in heartbreak. Not only that, but the apps can get pricey. Now, people are searching for more meaningful – and in-person – connections. That online dating fatigue is leading to more singles mixers and speed dating events in many cities.Globe audience editor, Samantha Edwards, breaks down the collective shift in attitudes toward online dating and reflects on the conversations she had with singles about their experiences with finding love on and off the apps.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
On June 7, the 91-year-old Canadian business magnate Frank Stronach was arrested and charged with sexual assault. On June 26, more charges were brought against him. He’s facing 13 criminal charges from 10 complainants.News of the charges stirred memories for Vancouver – and New York-based writer Jane Boon. In 1986, when she was a 19-year-old student that had a scholarship from Magna, she had an encounter with Mr. Stronach. While she is not one of the complainants, Boon has been wrestling with the meaning of that night ever since.Today on the show, the Globe’s transportation reporter Eric Atkins tells us about Frank Stronach and the criminal charges he’s facing. Then, Jane Boon talks about her experiences with him, and how she reflects on that night, more than three decades later.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
There’s a conversation happening amongst parents that is drumming up a lot of controversy. It’s around the idea of gentle parenting, which is a catch-all term that generally refers to parents who try to stay calm, place a lot of importance on their child’s emotions and show a lot of physical affection.Dr. Alice Davidson is a professor of developmental psychology at Rollins College, and is one of the few academics to have actually studied gentle parenting. She shares what she has found out.This episode originally aired on January 9, 2024.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
Last week, the federal government ended a 32-year ban on commercial cod fishing off the coasts of Newfoundland and Labrador. It reverses a policy decision that devastated the province and led to one of the biggest mass layoffs in Canadian history. While the reversal may seem like a reason to celebrate, some people in the industry are criticizing the news.Dr. George Rose, a fisheries scientist at UBC’s Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, has been studying the Northern cod population since the 1980s. Though he’s optimistic about the eventual return of the industry, he warns how this decision could undo decades of work.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
Since October 7th, antisemitic incidents in Canada have been on the rise. Toronto Police Deputy Chief Robert Johnson said that nearly half of all hate crimes so far in 2024 have been antisemitic. In a single week in May, a girls’ school in Toronto was shot at, bullets were found outside a Montreal Jewish school inside a synagogue, and a Vancouver synagogue was set on fire. While no one was hurt, it left Canadian Jews feeling unsettled. And over the Canada Day weekend, two synagogues in Toronto were vandalized.Ellin Bessner is an investigative journalist who hosts the Canadian Jewish News’ daily podcast, The CJN Daily. She’s on the show to talk about how Jewish Canadians have been affected by this rise in antisemitism.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
A year after the death of prominent Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, questions remain about who he really was. His murder sparked international tension between the Canadian and Indian governments and this past spring the RCMP charged four Indian nationals with his murder. To those who knew him, Nijjar was a community leader and family man but the Indian government has called him a murderous terrorist.Globe reporters Nancy Macdonald and Greg Mercer spent months speaking with members of Nijjar’s Surrey B.C. community as well as those who knew him in India. They join the show to discuss what they found about Nijjar’s enigmatic life.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
Justin Trudeau and the Liberals appear to be in big trouble. Following a stunning loss in the Toronto-St. Paul’s by-election to the Conservatives – a riding they’ve held handily for the last 30 years – the federal government is at risk of losing big in the next federal election, currently set for October 2025. As the Liberals grapple with where to go from here, Prime Minister Trudeau also faces questions about whether he’s still the best leader for the party.John Ibbitson is a reporter and columnist in The Globe’s Ottawa bureau and has been covering federal politics for decades. He joins the show to discuss the Liberal’s potential summer strategy, how it compares to the Conservative’s approach and any signs of Trudeau’s resignation.Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
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it's not antisemitism, it's anti Israeli colonial genocide.
The social pressure is the only thing binding these kids to waisting two more years. My father-in-law left high school at grade 10 to work with his father-in-law as a fine carpenter making furniture. By the time he was in his early 20's he had already had a career bought a house taken education to become a mechanic and had his first of 3 boys. He is a wise and kind man who continues to support his family. I'm sure even first generation Canadian children would honour thier parents sacrifice and hard work by practicing a trade. They will have the opportunity to start thier own business and mentor down the road. As well, as my own father did, save money by building thier own home or providing thier skill to thier loved ones saving them money. The trades need a rebranding in hyper educated metropolitan areas because rural areas where a work-life-balance is struck as cultural, know these are the people who always have jobs, build and care for our communities. Respect to our Trades and the T
a terrorist attack justifies genocide?
Why is no one talking about reducing our population? Why is it always about more, more, more? Why is no one talking about how increasing populations are going to cause massive fresh water shortages? We get every crappy thing we deserve.
lock them up for the max.
Never too late to plant a tree
Fuck housing. What about food supply as farms are sold off or water when we are already experiencing water shortages?
I requested ATIP for the Citizenship application of my family more than a year ago and never got any response fro IRCC. It’s a totally broken system.
what about Dimond and leading Architects who were defending the city. Do we really want seamless to 24/7 servailance? Many who have participated in building this city had questions about the true ability of the servailance at this level.
Goosebumps!!
What is wrong with this podcast's sound? Thr volume goes up and down itself.
what's going on with the sound/volume control of this podcast?
And when will Canada do the same?
I really enjoyed this episode, especially hearing from Terry Nguyen. she is very knowledgeable and a great reporter. I didn't understand the clothing names, still a very great show. keep up the good work.
Many of the same issues are in the RCMP. We have along way to go to make sexual violence disappear from these institutions.
actually the time chamge question was should we keep daylight savings time year round
More needs to be done to prevent domestic violence. Early intervention through awareness campaigns and "retraining" workshops at the individual level while promoting a social infrastructure that does not glorify violence and war, male supremacy, and female submissiveness/objectification.
Great story. It's very concerning how peoples consume without thinking about the overall impact.