Sage Morin’s life changed on May 19, 2013. A tragedy altered her family forever, and Sage was left to pick up the pieces, all while navigating her own deep grief and a complicated legal system.

More than a decade later, the trauma of her loss has become a badge of resilience and healing. Sage’s transformation is literal: She enters a wrestling ring, donning the character of a proud Cree fighter, inspiring a new generation of Indigenous youth.

Jana G. Pruden, feature writer for The Globe, tells the story of Sage and her rebirth into The Matriarch.

Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

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This year is off to a bad start for wildfires. To date, more than 40,000 people have had to evacuate their homes, and both Manitoba and Saskatchewan declared provincial states of emergency. Even people in communities thousands of miles from the fires have faced hazardous smoke.

Temur Durrani has been covering this year’s wildfires for The Globe. He joins us to talk about how wildfires in the summer have become the new normal and why fire chiefs are pushing for a more centralized approach to handling them.

Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

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Maryam Fatima was born with a condition called hemimegalencephaly, a rare birth defect where one side of the brain is abnormally large. She suffered from severe seizures from the moment she was born. They became so bad that they stopped Maryam from feeding, sleeping and breathing. Her life was at risk.

That’s when a team at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto decided to attempt a first-in-Canada procedure to save Maryam’s life.

Health Science reporter Jennifer Yang interviewed some of the medical professionals who performed the procedure, as well as Maryam’s mother, Muzna Nafees. She tells the story of how Maryam’s life was saved.

Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

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Hours before historic, damaging tariffs were set to be imposed between Canada and the U.S., the two nations stepped back from the brink.

The Globe’s international correspondent, Nathan VanderKlippe, joins the show to break down the phone call that led to the 30-day pause, Canada’s increased measures at the border, and what may be the beginning of a troubling trend: Trump threatening tariffs to get whatever he wants.

Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

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The economies of Canada and the United States are on a collision course. On Saturday, U.S. President Donald Trump signed off on 25 per cent tariffs to be imposed on all Canadian goods, beginning February 4. In response, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau levelled tariffs back toward the U.S., warning that “the coming weeks will be difficult for Canadians and they will be difficult for Americans.” The trade war effectively transforms a decades-long economic partnership, with serious implications for millions of workers.

Jason Kirby is reporter for The Globe and Mail and Report on Business section. He breaks down the details of the tariffs, what it will mean for major industries and why this fight will likely send Canada into a recession.

Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

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If it seems like everyone you know is sick right now, that’s because respiratory virus season is in full swing. On top of influenza, COVID-19 and RSV, this year, medical professionals are seeing a surge of norovirus cases – also known as ‘winter vomiting disease.’

Alanna Smith is a health reporter with the Globe. Every week, she’s publishing data on respiratory virus season across the country, including links to resources about where you can get vaccinated. Today, she’s on the show to talk about what the spread of illnesses looks like in Canada, how hospitals are affected, how to best prevent illness, and what you need to know about avian flu.

Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

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Ontario is officially in an election campaign. Voters will go to the polls on February 27 – more than a year before they were supposed to cast their votes. So what is behind this early snap election? And will Premier Doug Ford’s political calculations pay off? 

Laura Stone covers Ontario politics for The Globe. She is on the show to explain what Doug Ford has said about why he is calling this early election, what the other party leaders think is actually behind his decision and political insiders are talking about the 1990 election in Ontario. 

Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

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After an 18-month long public inquiry, the final report on foreign interference in Canada has been released. Justice Marie-Josée Hogue’s seven-volume report weighs in on allegations of parliamentarians participating in foreign interference, outlines concerning examples of when foreign states have tried to influence our elections and gives 51 recommendations on what to do about it. 

Steven Chase is the Globe’s senior parliamentary reporter. His reporting over the years with colleague Robert Fife uncovered allegations of foreign interference before the inquiry even started. Today on the show, he breaks down the key findings of the public inquiry and what the report says should be done to counter further attempts to interfere with Canadian democracy. 

Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

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Phase one of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has been in place for just over a week, but so far, it has been incredibly fragile. In the first days of the ceasefire, Israel released 90 Palestinian prisoners, and Hamas released three Israeli hostages. On the second weekend, two hundred Palestinian prisoners were released, as were four Israeli hostages. 

But the deal hit a snag on Saturday, when Palestinians were set to return to northern Gaza. When Hamas did not release Arbel Yehoud, one of the hostages Israel was expecting, Israel kept the corridor closed. On Monday morning, Qatar announced Hamas will return Yehoud this week, along with two other hostages, and Palestinians began returning to northern Gaza. 

Janice Dickson is the Globe’s international affairs reporter, and she’s been reporting from Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Ramallah over the last week. She’s on the show to talk about how the ceasefire has been playing out for people on the ground, and what’s been happening in the West Bank in the meantime.

Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

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Donald Trump is not a fan of international coalitions. He is also not a fan of intelligence agencies. And yet, the U.S. is the biggest member of the Five Eyes network – one of the world’s most powerful spying operations. As a second Trump administration begins in Washington, Canada and the other Five Eyes countries await to see what will happen. 

Richard Kerbaj is a journalist and author. His new book is called The Secret History of the Five Eyes: The Untold Story of The International Spy Network. He explains Canada’s role in the Five Eyes, how the alliance has evolved over the years and whether it can withstand another Trump presidency. 

Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

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When we think of shoplifting, we often picture teens getting caught at the mall stealing lip gloss, or people bypassing the scanner at the grocery self-checkout. But in recent years, retail theft has gotten more serious, and much more organized.

Stores are facing an uptick in targeted, large-scale stealing, with a growing number becoming violent.

Globe retailing reporter, Susan Krashinsky Robertson, explains how much this increase is costing Canadian businesses, what police and retailers are doing about it, and why some people have complicated feelings around this kind of crime. 

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The wildfires in Los Angeles have caused massive devastation over the past two weeks and may end up being the most expensive natural disaster in U.S. history. That will likely increase insurance rates, not just in the United States, but also in Canada.

Salman Farooqui writes for the Globe and Mail’s Report on Business. He explains why American disasters could affect Canadians’ insurance premiums, and how Canada’s insurance industry is adapting to record levels of extreme weather damage.

You can find the Impact Centre for Climate Adaptation’s resources on reducing risks to your home from climate change events: https://www.intactcentreclimateadaptation.ca/

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It’s been over three months since the U.S. Department of Justice announced that TD Bank had pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering. After paying a US$3-billion fine, Canada’s second largest bank is now shaking up its senior-most ranks of leadership.

Stefanie Marotta is The Globe and Mail’s banking reporter. She explains what prompted the early departure of TD’s CEO, how this money laundering scandal could affect TD customers and what the ripple effects might be for the entire Canadian banking industry.

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On Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump signed a new executive order that raised tariffs on steel and aluminum from 25 per cent to 50 per cent. One Canadian steel producer said this means that their American business is now ‘unviable’.

Jason Kirby is a staff reporter for The Globe’s Report on Business section. He explains why these higher steel and aluminum tariffs could mean higher prices on nearly everything, and what may have contributed to Trump’s escalation. 

Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

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The Liberal leadership race is on – and its biggest candidates are in. Former deputy prime minister and finance minister Chrystia Freeland, House Leader Karina Gould and former governor of the Bank of Canada Mark Carney all launched their campaigns this past week.

The shortened leadership race will see the deeply unpopular party select Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s replacement as figures like Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and U.S. President Donald Trump loom large.

The Globe’s senior reporter Stephanie Levitz joins us from Ottawa. She’ll take us through the top contenders, the challenges ahead for the candidates and the choice the Liberal Party has to make ahead of a federal election – a leader who can rebuild, or one who can go toe-to-toe with Poilievre?

Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

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For months, Donald Trump has threatened economic pain on Canada, with tariffs of up to 25 per cent on imports. This could begin as early as today, when he’s inaugurated as U.S. president. Canada has said that nothing is off the table when it comes to its response — whether that’s dollar-for-dollar tariffs or blocking oil exports. But with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announcing he will resign and a Liberal leadership campaign underway, premiers have been stepping forward to take a more prominent role in the ‘Team Canada’ approach.

By day, Jeff Gray covers Ontario politics for the Globe, but in his free time, he coaches House League hockey – so he understands how delicate team dynamics can be. He’s on the show today to talk about how premiers have been filling the leadership vacuum, and how they are dealing with conflicting interests in an attempt to show a united front against Trump.

Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

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The mood in Israel and Gaza turned from celebratory to uncertain in the hours after a ceasefire deal was announced. The day after the deal was made public, Israel continued air strikes in Gaza and then delayed a vote on the deal. But by the end of Thursday, it looked like the process may be back on track.

Thomas Juneau is a professor of public and international affairs at the University of Ottawa. He explains what we know about the deal so far, and how the most difficult part of this ceasefire has yet to happen.

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In February, 2024, Megan Garcia’s 14-year-old son Sewell took his own life.

As she tried to make sense of what happened, Megan discovered that Sewell had fallen in love with a chatbot on Character.AI – an app where you can talk to chatbots designed to sound like historical figures or fictional characters. Now Megan is suing Character.AI, alleging that Sewell developed a “harmful dependency” on the chatbot that, coupled with a lack of safeguards, ultimately led to her son’s death.

They’ve also named Google in the suit, alleging that the technology that underlies Character.AI was developed while the founders were working at Google. ‘Machines Like Us’ reached out to Character.AI and Google about this story. Google did not respond to request for comment and a spokesperson for Character .AI said “we do not comment on pending litigation.”

Host Taylor Owen spoke to Megan Garcia and her lawyer, Meetali Jain, to talk about her son and how chatbots are becoming a part of our lives – and the lives of children.

If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, support is available 24-7 by calling or texting 988, Canada’s national suicide prevention helpline.

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If you kicked off 2025 making personal finance resolutions, it can be hard to know where to start. That question is made more difficult when factoring in all the uncertainty around how the tariffs that incoming U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to enact will affect our economy.

Rob Carrick is the Globe’s personal finance columnist and co-host of Stress Test, the Globe’s personal finance podcast for Gen Z and millennials. He’s on the show to talk about what to expect from the year ahead in personal finance, whether you’re looking to get on top of your investments, establish an emergency fund, or dip your toe into the housing market.

Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

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Cowgirls love the rodeo just as much as cowboys, but for the better part of the past century, there’s only been one event for women — until now. Breakaway roping, dubbed the fastest event in rodeo, has swept competitions across North America, and is corralling more space for cowgirls in the process. 

The Globe’s Jana Pruden was at the 50th Canadian Finals Rodeo this fall, where the second-ever women’s event was showcased at the country’s biggest rodeo for the first time. She speaks with Canadian breakaway ropers and gives us a sense of the history of women in rodeo, and just how hard they’ve worked to rope and ride alongside the cowboys. 

Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

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Dry January – when people decide to consume no alcohol – is a common new year resolution for many. But this month, the U.S. Surgeon General gave the public another reason to take stock of their drinking habits. They recommended that warning labels of cancer risks should be placed on alcohol containers, akin to the labelling on cigarette packaging. 

Dr. Adam Sherk, senior scientist and Special Policy Advisor at the Canadian Centre in Substance Use and Addiction joins the podcast to explain the push for warnings on alcohol and what the latest science tells us about the definitive links between alcohol and a number of cancers.

Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s resignation earlier this week came after months of people calling for him to step down. How he will be remembered will largely depend on what comes next – how the Liberal party moves forward, what the next government does, and how Trudeau himself writes his next chapter.

Campbell Clark is the Globe’s chief political writer. Today, he joins The Decibel for a look back at Trudeau’s career from the very beginning: the rise to the top, the long fall from grace, and what may come to define his legacy.

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Beyond picking a new leader, the federal Liberals also need to repair their reputation with voters – while continuing to run the government as Donald Trump ratchets up his pressure on Canada. And they have about 75 days to do all this.

Shannon Proudfoot is an Ottawa-based feature writer for The Globe and Mail. She’s on the show to talk about the existential questions the party is grappling with at this moment, and how it compares to past times when the party has found itself in the political wilderness.

Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

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When Trudeau announced his plan to resign on Monday morning, he also shut down Parliament until March 24, giving the Liberal Party time to select a new leader. A confidence vote will follow shortly after the House returns, almost certainly triggering a spring election.

Bill Curry is the Globe’s Deputy Ottawa Bureau Chief. He’s on the show to talk about how the government proceeds from here – what happens to the bills that haven’t been passed yet, like proposed changes to the capital gains tax, what we can expect when the House returns, and what all of the political upheaval means for how Canada deals with the incoming Trump administration.

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This week, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced Ottawa’s plans to fast-track infrastructure projects. The effort aims to bolster the Canadian economy, as our trade war with the U.S. stretches on. Provinces are also in a rush to expedite project approvals and reviews — the controversial Bill 5 is currently working its way through the Ontario legislature, and B.C. just narrowly passed Bill 15.

Some Indigenous nations and leaders, along with conservation groups and civil liberty associations, oppose the fast-track efforts gaining momentum across Canada. And even as governments affirm their duty to consult, Indigenous leaders warn road and rail blockades may be coming.

The Globe’s Jeff Gray has been reporting on Premier Doug Ford’s Bill 5. He’ll explain the wave of fast-track legislation we’re seeing across Canada, and how the effort to speed development up may actually slow things down.

Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

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After three federal election wins and just over nine years in office, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his resignation on Monday. Trudeau had been facing mounting pressure within his party to step down, after many months of polls showing dwindling public support for the Liberal party and several key by-election losses.

Now, the Liberal Party has to choose a new leader while Parliament is prorogued.

The Globe’s senior political reporter Marieke Walsh joins The Decibel to explain what led to Trudeau’s exit and what comes next as political uncertainty now looms over Canada.

Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

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When it comes to enrolling your kids in extracurricular activities, how many is too many? Is there such a thing as over-scheduling your kids? Parenting experts say ‘yes,’ and that doing so can have long-term negative effects on your children.

Amberly McAteer is a contributing columnist for The Globe and Mail who recently looked into what the research says about programming activities for your kids, how long we’ve been ignoring expert advice, and what it means for their well-being.

Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

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Neal’s Yard Dairy, a cheese distributor in England, has been an essential part of the artisanal cheddar revival in the United Kingdom. In October 2024, they announced that 22 tonnes of artisanal cheddar — about 300,000 pounds worth, or around CAD$541,000 — had been stolen from them.

Paul Waldie is the Globe’s Europe correspondent, based in London. Today, he’s on the show to talk about how this scam unfolded… and why someone might go after cheddar cheese, of all things.

Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

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Life is noisy and stressful for a lot of people. And so sound baths – where a practitioner creates harmonies and chords with singing crystal bowls – are growing in popularity. Many people say that this provides them with a deep sense of relaxation. But what does the science say?

Today on the show, Menaka tries a sound bath to see what it’s like. Later, Dave McGinn explains the hype around this wellness trend. And then, music therapy professor Dr. Heidi Ahonen from Wilfrid Laurier University explains what we know about the therapeutic benefits of sound.

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Point Pelee National Park juts out into Lake Erie like a finger, as every spring thousands of birds touch down on it. It’s a key stop along their migratory routes from the southern U.S., Central and South America to northern Canada.

But climate change has been shifting the conditions of migration, making it harder for some birds and ultimately affecting bird populations, which are already in steep decline. Decibel host Menaka Raman-Wilms, producer Rachel Levy-McLaughlin and Globe and Mail columnist Marcus Gee headed to Point Pelee to see spring migration up close.

A special thanks to Matt Fuirst and Birds Canada, and, as well as, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, who provided some sounds from their Macaulay Library in this episode.

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Distance running, once a relatively niche sport, has exploded in popularity. The trend has been ongoing for at least a decade, but 2024′s running season may be the biggest one yet. Marathon race organizers are expecting record participation in races this year, both in Canada and in cities around the world.

Today, Ben Kaplan, general manager of iRun Magazine, Allison Hill, co-founder of Hill Run Club, and members of The Decibel’s own running club explain how the sport has grown more inclusive and diverse, drawing in a whole new generation of runners.

This episode originally aired on May 1, 2024.

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Justin Trudeau’s poll numbers have been bad for a while. The Liberals have lost two crucial by-elections and are trailing behind the Conservatives in seat projections. They just lost the support of the NDP. The shine seems to have completely come off the nine-year-old government. And yet, Trudeau remains defiant. Why?

The Globe’s Shannon Proudfoot set out to determine why, in the face of increasingly long odds, some politicians can’t seem to read the writing piling up on the wall. She spoke to former Ontario premier Kathleen Wynne and a pollster on the disastrous 1993 Progressive Conservative campaign to find answers.

This episode originally aired on October 4, 2024.

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Food and family are often front and centre during the holidays. These two ingredients also help make up our identities and cultures.

So today, The Decibel is sharing stories of finding family through the act of baking.

This episode originally aired on December 22, 2023.

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Ranging from childhood phone calls, to serenading strangers, to feasting on the darkest day of the year, we explore how traditions help connect us and celebrate the season.

To end the year, we wanted to take a break from the endless cycle of bad news and share with you a series of stories about holiday traditions.

This episode orginally aired on December 23, 2022.

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At this time of year, there’s nothing better than settling in with a good Christmas movie. When it comes to the made-for-TV variety – usually made by Hallmark, or, Netflix – they tend to follow a formula: girl from the big city ends up in a small town, connects with a local guy, they encounter a series of surmountable obstacles, and eventually, end up together – with a heavy sprinkle of holiday magic. 

A lot of these movies are filmed in and around Almonte, a town about 40 minutes west of Ottawa. It’s been used so many times that SNL mentioned that they’re all “filmed in a month in Ottawa” in a 2017 sketch, and the New York Times profiled the town back in 2020. According to the municipality, 24 movies have been shot there since 2015.

The town has a sparkle that shines through in these movies… and our producers wondered whether that sparkle was as bright in real life. In this holiday special episode, The Decibel goes to Almonte to see if the town is as full of Christmas magic as it is on screen.

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The Canadian Medical Association says that the Alberta government has created a “moral crisis” for doctors in the province. The CMA, alongside three Alberta doctors, has filed a constitutional challenge against the Alberta government for legislation limiting access to medical treatment for transgender youth. Bill 26 became law last December, and is part of a suite of laws in Alberta that regulate access to health care, participation in sports and use of pronouns in schools for trans youth. Together, they form the most restrictive gender and sexuality laws in the country.

Alanna Smith is a health reporter for The Globe. She joins the show to explain the law, the rationale of Danielle Smith’s government, and why the applicants have filed their challenge.

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As new details around the feud between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his former deputy prime minister Chrystia Freeland emerge, the Liberal caucus gathered on Tuesday to awkwardly celebrate the holidays. The fete came after the final two days of the fall sitting of Parliament where a lot happened.

John Ibbitson is a columnist and reporter based in Ottawa for The Globe. He goes through what we’ve learned since Monday about Freeland’s resignation, everything you missed about the Fall Economic Statement and where the Liberals could go in 2025.

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In July, there was a recall on two specific brands of plant-based milks, Silk and Great Value, after a listeria outbreak that led to at least 20 illnesses and three deaths. Public health officials determined the same strain of listeria had been making people sick for almost a year. When Globe reporters began looking into what happened, they found a surprising fact: the facility that the bacteria was traced to had not been inspected for listeria in years. So how did this happen?

They also learned that in 2019 the Canadian Food Inspection Agency introduced a new system that relies on an algorithm to prioritize sites for inspectors to visit. Investigative reporters Grant Robertson and Kathryn Blaze Baum talk about why this new system of tracking was created, and what went wrong.

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On Monday morning, Chrystia Freeland announced she was stepping down as finance minister. This came after reports of increasing tensions between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau over the GST break and $250 cheques. She posted her letter on X just after 9 a.m., on the day when she was supposed to deliver the fall economic statement.

Later, after a day of speculation and confusion, the Liberals tabled the fall economic update, and MP Dominic LeBlanc was sworn in as finance minister to replace Freeland. The day ended with a Liberal caucus meeting, where Trudeau’s leadership was put into question.

Globe and Mail senior political reporter Marieke Walsh is on the show to walk us through a chaotic day on Parliament Hill and tell us what this could all mean for the Liberal government.

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Immigration policy indirectly shapes a lot of aspects of Canadian life: the economy, the housing market, the labour force. And in 2024, the federal government made a major policy change by cutting immigration targets. In doing so, it acknowledged that the balance they had previously struck was not quite right.

So The Globe and Mail’s Editorial Board studied the issue and looked at ways Canada can improve the system and restore the balance. Editorials Editor Patrick Brethour explains.

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After 13 years of civil war, the now-former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad fled the country, as his dictatorship unravelled in less than two weeks. Many Syrians celebrated as the rebel group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, laid claim to the capital city of Damascus this week. But the future of the country remains uncertain as different factions inside the country – and global superpowers outside of it – consider what comes next.

Mark MacKinnon, The Globe’s Senior International Correspondent, explains how the al-Assad regime fell apart suddenly and how the influence of Iran, Israel, Turkey, the U.S. and Russia are all in competition in a volatile region.

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For 180 years, The Globe and Mail has covered the biggest issues and events in Canada. To commemorate its history, editor John Ibbitson and more than two dozen Globe and Mail journalists dug into the archives to answer the question: “how did the Globe’s coverage intersect with Canada and influence its story?”. The answer to that question can be found in the new book, ‘A Nation’s Paper: The Globe and Mail in the Life of Canada.

Menaka Raman-Wilms hosted a panel discussion in front of a live audience with Ibbitson and Globe reporters Ann Hui and Kelly Grant about the essays they wrote, the times the Globe was ahead of the curve and the instances where the paper got it wrong.

Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

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Librela, a new drug to treat arthritis pain in dogs, was approved for use in Canada in 2021. In some cases, it was described to owners as a “miracle drug”, with no side effects other than potential soreness and swelling at the injection site. Some owners describe their dogs seeming happier and more comfortable. But others have reported adverse reactions, including lethargy, disorientation, vomiting, and even death. Zoetis, Librela’s parent company, says Librela is safe and was rigorously tested. 

Susan Krashinsky Robertson is a business reporter for the Globe. She spoke to eight people whose pets’ health declined after taking Librela. She’s on the show to talk about the promise of Librela, and what she heard from pet owners and veterinarians about the drug.

Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at  thedecibel@globeandmail.com

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This week, the Ontario government will be tabling new legislation that promises to give police more powers to arrest people who refuse to leave their homeless encampments. And to avoid potential legal challenges, Premier Doug Ford is threatening to use the notwithstanding clause if he has to.

Jeff Gray covers Ontario politics and he explains what prompted this response from the Ford government and the consequences of the province potentially using the notwithstanding clause in this way.

Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

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In November, Canada’s first case of avian flu in a human was confirmed – a teenager in British Columbia, who remains in critical care and on a ventilator. Dozens of cases have been reported in the U.S. too, as it appears transmission from infected animals to people has increased. Some scientists and public health officials have warned that this virus has potential to be the source of the next pandemic.

André Picard, the Globe’s health columnist, joins the show to talk about the hard-won lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic and why we should be paying attention to what comes next with avian flu.

Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

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Martial law. Impeachment. A treason investigation. All of this has happened within a matter of hours in South Korea.

The Globe and Mail’s Asia Correspondent James Griffiths is in Seoul covering it. He explains what led to all this political tumult and who South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is – the person at the centre of it all.

Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

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More than 20 years ago, a group of internet users created the online forum 4chan – a mixture of memes, pranks, disinformation and hate speech. Soon, a hacker group on the forum calling themselves Anonymous gained notoriety for their online pranks and disruption. But now, a former member of that hacker group says they regret the role they may have played in driving today’s divisive political environment and wants to make amends.

Alexandra Posadzki is the Globe’s financial and cybercrime reporter. She’ll talk about an interview she had with the hacker, who now faces criminal charges, and how memes on a toxic online forum bloomed into real-world consequences.

Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

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A November Abacus Data poll found that 38 per cent of millennial voters are planning on voting for the Conservatives, compared with 22 per cent for the Liberals, in the next federal election. This is a major shift from when millennials clinched Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s first majority win in 2015.

Globe and Mail reporter Dave McGinn dug into the polling data and spoke with millennials who have soured on the Liberals to understand exactly what changed.

Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

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More than 55,000 members from the Canadian Union of Postal Workers remain on strike and at an impasse with Canada Post, after negotiations broke down. Issues of wage increases and usage of gig workers are at the heart of the dispute and the two sides remain far apart. But in recent strikes involving public sector workers, that didn’t seem to matter — not when the federal government can intervene and send them back to work.

As postal workers enter the third week of striking, will the federal government soon step in? And what does this strike say about the labour movement right now and unions’ right to strike in Canada?

Vanmala Subramaniam, The Globe’s Future of Work reporter, is on the show to talk about the latest on the Canada Post strike, how it fits with other essential services taking work action and how governments intervene in work stoppages.

Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

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An investigation by The Globe and Mail found that spying was an ingrained part of the celebrated women’s national team rocked by scandal at the Paris Olympics. But the revelation of a spying program uncovered many other problems inside the Canada Soccer organization.

Globe reporters Nancy Macdonald and Greg Mercer explain what their investigation found, how the scandal has affected players and what Canada Soccer is doing to address allegations.

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