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by The Globe and Mail
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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- Today22 min
Key takeaways from the 2026 federal budget
The federal government has released the 2026 budget. And this year the focus is on new net spending. It looks to put money toward boosting the housing supply, investing in Canadian businesses and bulking up the cultural sector. How do those ambitions balance against fiscal constraints and a deficit?Matt Lundy, The Globe’s economics editor, breaks down the big takeaways from the budget and explains what story the Carney government is telling to Canadians.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.
- Yesterday27 min
What the U.S. midterm results mean for Canada
The U.S. midterm results have seemingly delivered a new era in American politics. On Tuesday, voters helped the Democratic Party take control of the U.S. House and Senate, flipping traditional Republican strongholds and sending a strong message to President Donald Trump. But what does this political shift mean for Canada? Does this impact the trade war? Will this reset U.S.-Canada relations in the next two years?Doug Saunders, The Globe’s international affairs columnist, joins the show to talk about the ripple effects of the midterms, what it will mean for Carney-Trump relations, and reflects on the power of the U.S. Congress versus presidential powers.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.
- 2 days ago27 min
The conflict over a luxury hotel firm that came to a small Ontario town
In the last several years, the village of Elora, Ont. has undergone a renaissance. Its picturesque downtown has welcomed more than 750,000 visitors annually which is up from 500,000 visitors just a few years prior. A number of Elora’s 19th century buildings have undergone restoration. Many of Elora’s recent real estate developments have been led by Kat Florence, a hotel company that has bought up historic properties and is now one of the village’s largest landlords.But not everyone in Elora is happy. Some residents have criticized Kat Florence and say the company wields too much power in the village. Kat Florence has pushed back issuing defamation lawsuits and cease-and-desist letters against its loudest critics.Greg Mercer, investigative journalist with the Globe, reported from Elora. He’s on the show to explain the tensions between residents and developers over a core question: who gets to decide how a community grows and changes?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.
- 3 days ago22 min
The white-collar workers finding AI-proof jobs
As artificial intelligence seeps into every aspect of our lives, white-collar workers are wondering what that means for job security. And some are pre-emptively making the shift to work that they see as AI-proof in fields like skilled trades.And while there’s not a lot of clear evidence that AI is actively eliminating white-collar jobs, there are trends in the job market to pay attention to. The Globe’s future of work reporter, Vanmala Subramaniam, tells us about the people switching careers and what white-collar workers should be thinking about in this moment.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.
- 4 days ago19 min
Can GLP-1s do for opioid addiction what they did for weight loss?
GLP-1 medications revolutionized the way we treat chronic weight management and diabetes by helping to quiet “food noise”. Researchers are now looking into whether these medications can also be used to dampen “drug noise” and help treat people with substance use disorders.Alanna Smith is a health reporter for The Globe and she’s been looking into what’s going on with the research around GLP-1s being used to tread opioid addiction. She’s on the show to talk about the excitement and the reluctance on this potential treatment.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.
- 1 weeks ago45 min
Machines Like Us: Taylor Lorenz on the dark money buying your social feed
In early August, OpenAI hosted dozens of lifestyle creators at an upstate New York resort for a weekend they called Summer Club. There was beekeeping. There were farm-to-table dinners. And in between, there were sessions on how to use ChatGPT. The ensuing backlash was swift, especially against the female influencers.This episode of Machines Like Us delves into the money pouring into AI marketing that goes far beyond a luxury brand trip. Tech billionaires and super PACs are spending millions to quietly flood your social media feeds. Some have paid influencers for undisclosed deals pushing AI-positive and anti-China messaging. Others have gone so far as to fund radical anti-AI meme accounts that threaten their own CEOs – all to make their critics look unhinged.Tech and culture journalist Taylor Lorenz has spent more than a decade reporting on online creators. She’s been following the dark money behind these co-ordinated campaigns to buy up digital influence and shift the public debate around AI. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
- 1 weeks ago16 min
‘Associate member’ idea dropped on eve of Canada-EU summit
The European Union has dropped its offer to give Canada the status of ‘associate member.’ This comes after pushback from some member states and reluctance from Canadian politicians to use the term. But both sides insist they are not abandoning their new efforts at forging a closer partnership.Today, EU and Canadian officials are meeting in Montreal to try to hammer out details around strengthening ties in trade, security and finances. Steven Chase is in Montreal to cover this summit and explains how both governments are trying to build an alliance that makes them less dependent on the U.S.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.
- 1 weeks ago23 min
Canada has become an election issue in the U.S. midterms
Americans will vote for members of the U.S. Congress in the midterm elections on Nov. 3. But in a number of states, this year’s election will have a major factor: Canada. A combination of President Donald Trump’s tariffs on a range of industries, to threats of annexation and a loss of revenue from tourism – has made Canada and its relations with the U.S. prime voting issues.Nathan VanderKlippe, international correspondent for The Globe, has been covering the U.S. midterms in the lead-up to voting day. He’ll explain why Canada matters in some key races and how the midterms are being seen by observers as a referendum on Trump 2.0Questions? 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.
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About The Decibel
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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