The Decibel

Having social media accounts hacked is stressful. Usually, companies have formal channels for users to regain access. But for Meta platforms like Facebook and Instagram, some users say the social media giant isn't responding.Now, a new kind of broker has sprung up, helping people locked out of their accounts connect with a Meta employee or contractor who can expedite their request … for the right price. In 2022, Meta fired or disciplined employees or contractors who had allegedly abused the internal account recovery system for bribes. Kathryn Blaze Baum, an investigative reporter at The Globe and Mail, and Alexandra Posadzki, The Globe's cybercrimes reporter, found that three years later, this is still happening.Today, Kathryn is on the show to talk about how this back-door process works, how Meta is cracking down on it, and where this leaves users who have had their accounts compromised.This episode originally aired June 13, 2025.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

Problem gambling is a real issue in Canada – where reporting shows young people having even higher rates than adults. The increasing monetization of games, especially online, often uses similar mechanics to gambling, despite it being illegal for youth to gamble in Canada. And some experts say these apps and games are reinforcing feelings of risk and reward.Dr. Loredana Marchica is a pediatric psychologist at the Montreal Children's Hospital and at Pathways Psychology Clinic. Her research focuses on gambling among young people. She'll tell us how the line between gaming and gambling is becoming blurred – and how to tell it's become a problem.This episode originally aired May 5, 2025.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

The way medical records are handled in Canada is a patchwork of disconnected systems – creating massive headaches for patients and doctors. Patients struggle to access their own data, and practitioners have to waste time compensating for inefficiencies. But governments, companies and health care professionals are searching for ways to make all these systems talk to each other.Chris Hannay is a staff reporter at The Globe who covers the business of healthcare. He'll explain how Canada's medical record system ended up like this and what Canada could gain from adopting an interconnected system.This episode originally aired April 15, 2025.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

Bill C-2, also known as the Strong Borders Act, is one of the first pieces of legislation by Prime Minister Mark Carney's government. The 140-page bill proposes a series of enhanced powers for law enforcement and major changes to how the government processes some asylum claims and immigration applications.Sara Mojtehedzadeh is an investigative reporter at The Globe who writes about immigration and refugees. She explains the details of the bill and why the government believes the changes are necessary.This episode originally aired June 11, 2025.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

In 2021, mine workers in Morocco made a huge discovery. They found a fossil that scientists believed to be a new species of mosasaur – a large swimming reptile that lived in the same era as the Tyrannosaurus Rex. However, many scientists, including a group in Alberta, are now questioning whether the fossil is real or fake.Ivan Semeniuk is The Globe's science reporter. He's on the show today to explain what we know about this fossil, the feud that it's provoked between paleontologists and when we might uncover the truth.This episode originally aired May 30, 2025.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

When the U.S. first imposed sweeping tariffs on Canada, setting off a trade war, businesses and consumers braced for high inflation. But nearly half a year later, prices for consumer goods have not risen as much as expected. So what happened?Consumer affairs reporter Mariya Postelnyak talks about why prices haven't gone up as much as predicted and why that could soon change.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

A national strike by Air Canada flight attendants ended on Tuesday morning, three days after it began. One of the key issues that Air Canada and the Canadian Union of Public Employees were fighting over was "ground pay," the amount flight attendants are paid for their work before takeoff and after landing.Jason Kirby is a business reporter for The Globe and Mail. He's on the show to talk about what we know about the deal so far, and what impact this strike could have on future labour disputes.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

Since Wikipedia was founded nearly 25 years ago as a free, online encyclopedia, it has consistently ranked as one of the top 10 most visited websites globally. In an era when so much of the internet is full of misinformation, polarization, and social media platforms designed to keep you doomscrolling for hours, you could argue that Wikipedia – free of ads, and maintained by volunteer editors – is one of the last good places online.Samantha Edwards is the Globe's online culture reporter. She's on the show to talk about what motivates these editors to volunteer, how AI is threatening the site's future, and why going down a Wikipedia rabbit hole might actually be good for you.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

A Globe and Mail investigation has revealed the extent to which Canadians have been caught up in U.S. President Trump's immigration crackdown. Analysis of data, obtained through a federal lawsuit, shows nearly 150 Canadians have been detained by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) since the beginning of this year. These Canadians range from 2 years old to 77 years old. Kathryn Blaze Baum, an investigative reporter for The Globe, joins The Decibel to break down the exclusive reporting, explains what the Canadian government says it's willing to do and whether advocates think that's enough. Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

For decades, scientific research at the Great Lakes has meant close partnership between Canada and the U.S., but President Trump's latest job cuts may be changing that. In March, the U.S. agencies overseeing the health and conditions of oceans, lakes and rivers became the latest target of the Trump administration's federal job-cutting spree.Patrick White reports on water issues for The Globe. Today, he explains how the partnership around the Great Lakes is changing, why there are new negotiations about water sharing, and why these conversations about freshwater are not just issues of environmental concern – but also of national security.This episode originally aired March 27, 2025.Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

In late July, French President Emmanuel Macron said France would recognize a Palestinian state at the United Nations General Assembly in September. The U.K. then said it, too, would recognize a Palestinian state if Israel did not agree to a ceasefire. Canada and then Australia soon committed to recognizing Palestine.Dr. Mira Sucharov is a professor of political science at Carleton University in Ottawa. Much of her work focuses on Israeli-Palestinian relations. Today, she joins us to talk about why we're seeing this change in policy after 22 months of war in Gaza, what this shift means for people on the ground, and what solution she sees could realistically bring peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

The conversation around sleep is shifting. Hustle culture views sleep as a waste of time. But in a culture increasingly focused on health and wellness, sleep is seen as something to be optimized and even perfected. Sleep hygiene trends are taking over social media, but experts warn that fixating on rigid routines and products may do more harm than good.Dr. Rebecca Robillard is a neuropsychologist at the University of Ottawa and co-chair of the Canadian Sleep Research Consortium. Rebecca writes for The Globe's The Sleep Whisperer, a short series of columns offering advice and insights on sleep health. She's on the show to talk about the science behind insomnia, explain sleep hygiene trends and the treatments proven to work, and remind sleep perfectionists why keeping a simple bedtime routine is best.For more information on insomnia in adults and treatments, read here.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

Popeyes Chicken is one of the most well-known fast food franchises in North America. But its reputation could be tested by a lawsuit alleging that some of the chain's franchise owners purchased meat from an unauthorized seller. The accusations from a former chicken supplier – which Popeyes' parent company refutes – include “unsafe” and “rotten” meat, according to the statement of claim.Susan Krashinsky Robertson, The Globe's retail business reporter, breaks down the allegations, recounts the corporate surveillance and explains what it could mean for the chicken you're eating.Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

An Afghan family fleeing the Taliban and attempting to join relatives in Canada have been held in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention for months. Their lawyers say they're stuck in a “legal trap.” Due to the sweeping immigration crackdown and migrant detentions in the U.S., people trying to claim asylum in Canada face a very different reality than they would have a year ago.Sara Mojtahedzadeh is a reporter on the Globe's investigative team, with a focus on immigration issues. She'll talk about how this family ended up in this situation, how others are affected by changes to U.S. immigration policy, and the policy changes experts are calling for in Canada.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

At 18 years old, Andean Medjedovic was a math prodigy, finishing his master's degree in mathematics at the University of Waterloo before most young Canadians can legally drink. Medjedovic was involved in cryptocurrency trading – and according to the U.S. Department of Justice – engaged in “cryptocurrency hacking schemes” that allegedly netted him US$65-million in digital tokens. Now, he's on the lam.Alexandra Posadzki, The Globe's financial and cybercrime reporter, is on the show to talk about how Medjedovic allegedly pulled off the trades, the cases against him, and how the controversial philosophy of “Code is Law” in the world of decentralized finance plays into his story.This episode originally aired May 2, 2025.Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com 

Canada failed to secure a trade deal with the U.S. by the Aug. 1 deadline. In response, U.S. President Donald Trump raised tariffs on certain Canadian goods to 35 per cent. And while other trading partners announced agreements with Trump, Ottawa enters its sixth month of negotiations. But recently, both Prime Minister Mark Carney and Trump have doubted whether a deal can be made without some tariffs in place – or if a deal's coming at all.Today, Globe columnist Tony Keller joins the show. He'll share what we know about the negotiations, what Trump wants, where Carney's “elbows up” mentality has gone, and as more countries accept deals with blanket tariff rates, whether avoiding a deal could be Canada's best strategy.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

Parents seem to be turning to ChatGPT for advice more and more – but what do robots have to offer when it comes to such a core human relationship? What guardrails are necessary when trusting artificial intelligence with shaping the development of our children?Contributing columnist Amberly McAteer weighs in after ChatGPT's advice actually got one of her daughters to stop stealing from the other.Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

The Hockey Canada case captivated the country — raising complex questions about consent, hockey culture and even how sports organizations handle accusations of assault. In late July, all five of the accused members of Canada's 2018 world junior hockey team were found not guilty of sexual assault. After the verdict, a lawyer for one of the players, Megan Savard, said her client, Carter Hart, would have been open to a restorative justice process instead of a trial.Some legal experts say restorative justice is an alternative to the court process that could offer healing for victims and offenders. Jennifer Llewellyn, law professor and chair in restorative justice at Dalhousie's Schulich School of Law, joins The Decibel today. She'll explain how restorative justice works and its potential to address issues like the ones raised by the Hockey Canada case.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

Canadians are not particularly good at resting. According to Statistics Canada data collected between July 2022 and July 2023, people over the age of 15 spent an average of 17 minutes a day resting, relaxing, or lying down, and an average of 18 minutes a day on relaxing pursuits known as “active leisure” (think: birdwatching, camping, or going to an art gallery). That's translating into stress – more than a fifth of employed Canadians said their stress levels were high or very high. On top of all that, Expedia's 2024 Vacation Deprivation Report found that 45 per cent of Canadians left vacation days on the table in 2023.Zosia Bielski is the Globe and Mail's time use reporter. Today, she's on the show to challenge the idea that down time needs to be earned, and to talk about some of the different approaches people are taking to prioritize rest in their lives.This episode originally aired April 17, 2025.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

More than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed while seeking aid since May. And more than 150 deaths have been attributed to malnutrition, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.Israel denies there is any starvation.But recently, there has been mounting pressure from humanitarian groups and governments, including Canada. On Wednesday evening, Prime Minister Carney announced that Canada intends to recognize Palestinian statehood at the UN General Assembly in September.Hasan Jaber is a journalist living in Gaza who has worked with Globe and Mail correspondents for more than two decades. He tells The Decibel about his reporting in Gaza, as well as his own struggle to find food and water from his home at Bureij Refugee Camp in the Gaza Strip.Plus, International Affairs reporter Janice Dickson explains the world's reaction to rising concerns about hunger in Gaza, as well as Israel's response.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

Scams are becoming more common and more sophisticated. As quickly as safeguards are developed to protect people, scammers are finding workarounds. And if you do fall victim to a scam, does your bank owe you anything?Alexandra Posadzki joins The Decibel to discuss what current regulations say about who is liable for losses from a scam, the risks for consumers and whether the current system reflects who is actually party to a scam.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

What's in a name? For the past century, people have clamoured to categorize people by their age and the life events they've gone through – but how and why did we get so preoccupied with generations?The Globe's Generations Reporter Ann Hui joins the show to break down where the names came from and how they play out online and in popular culture.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

Travel to the U.S. has plummeted ever since U.S. President Donald Trump started talking about annexing Canada and imposing tariffs on us. Politicians on this side of the border are embracing the moment, encouraging people to take trips closer to home. So how is it all working out for Canadian tourism?The Globe's Jason Kirby, who writes for the Report on Business, joins us to talk about what this summer looks like for Canada's travel sector.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

On Thursday, five members of Canada's 2018 world junior hockey team were found not guilty of sexually assaulting a woman in a hotel room after a Hockey Canada gala. The men — Michael McLeod, Carter Hart, Alex Formenton, Dillon Dubé and Cal Foote — were acquitted of all charges by Justice Maria Carroccia. The Hockey Canada case has captivated the country — raising complex questions about consent, hockey culture and even how sports organizations handle accusations of assault. Globe reporter Robyn Doolittle has been covering the story since it first became public in 2022. She was in the courtroom for the verdict and joins The Decibel from London, Ontario, to explain how the judge arrived at her conclusion. Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

The population of undocumented migrants living and working in Canada is substantial. And while most of them initially entered the country legally, on visas or work permits, many migrants feel that it is worth it to stay in Canada after their status expires, even if they are not legally allowed to work or live in Canada and risk being deported.Globe journalist Sarah Efron and freelance photographer Yader Guzman spent months meeting people from Canada's undocumented migrant community. Today, Sarah and Yader share what they learned about why people choose to stay despite the often dismal conditions they face in employment, health and housing, and how the federal government is responding.This episode originally aired March 25, 2025.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

Earlier this month, U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to impose 35-per-cent tariffs on imports from Canada starting on Aug. 1. And when it comes to trade negotiations, Canadian dairy – and the supply management system that oversees the industry – is treated like a “sacred cow.”Trump has repeatedly aired frustrations over U.S. dairy farmers' limited access to Canada's market. Despite this, Ottawa has continued to make efforts to protect the industry from trade negotiations – even while Prime Minister Mark Carney makes other concessions.The Globe's agriculture and food policy reporter, Kate Helmore, joins the show to explain how supply management works, why it makes negotiating trade deals around dairy so challenging, and just how much political sway the dairy industry has.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

Ottawa's pledge to spend $150-billion annually on defence-related priorities by 2035 is creating big opportunities for the private sector. Several Canadian companies are preparing to compete for lucrative contracts as Canada aligns its defence spending with NATO allies.  Pippa Norman, who covers innovation for The Globe, explains the state of Canada's defence sector, what industry leaders hope Prime Minister Mark Carney will change, and what this government's focus on military spending could mean for the country's economy and reputation as a peacekeeping nation. Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

A new report has found that 19 of Ontario's 24 publicly-funded colleges have cut more than 8,000 jobs since January 2024, when the new limits on international students came into effect. It's the fullest picture yet of the consequences of the government's changing immigration policy. Joe Friesen covers post-secondary education in Canada. He explains the details of the report, the reputational damage this sector has suffered and how colleges became so reliant on international student fees.  Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

A connection to a bank is an important financial relationship – between chequing and savings accounts, mortgages and loans, they are crucial for paying off bills and long-term planning.But what happens when your bank dumps you? The practice is known as ‘debanking,' and Canadian banks are turning to it more often when they suspect a customer is involved in criminal activity.Erica Alini, The Globe's personal economics reporter, explains why debanking is becoming more common and what can happen to someone who's been ousted by their financial institution.This episode originally aired February 11, 2025.Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

Canadians have been spending a lot of time thinking about identity and their relationship to Canada. As U.S. President Donald Trump's trade war drags on, taking an ‘Elbows Up' approach isn't just about economics – it's also cultural. Many of the songs and albums that make up the soundtrack to your life are written and performed by Canadian artists – and they've helped shape what this country sounds like. Today, deputy arts editor Rebecca Tucker and reporter Josh O'Kane are here to talk about how they put together a list of 101 essential Canadian albums, and how the music we listen to reflects us as a country. We also called up Tamara Lindeman from The Weather Station, Joel Plaskett, and Torquil Campbell from Stars, all of whom were featured on that list, to tell us about the Canadian album that has inspired their work.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

In May, a Canadian man, 49-year-old Johnny Noviello, was arrested by U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at a probation office in Florida. He came to the U.S. legally in 1988, and had been a permanent resident. Later, on June 23, he died while in ICE custody. Noviello was one of dozens of Canadians currently in immigration-related detention in the United States, as the Trump adminstration has ramped up deportations. Janice Dickson, an international affairs reporter for the Globe, went to Florida to find out what happened to Noviello in the weeks before his death. She'll tell us what she heard from Noviello's loved ones, and how his death highlights the lack of transparency in the Trump administration's push to remove migrants.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

On July 8, Quebec RCMP arrested four men connected to the Canadian Armed Forces. They are accused of trying to create an extremist militia and planning to forcibly take a plot of land north of Quebec City. Two of the four men are active members of the military, three have been charged with terrorism facilitation. The case adds to the growing concerns of extremism in Canada's military, just weeks after Ottawa committed to the biggest increase in military spending since the Second World War.Today, Globe staff reporter Colin Freeze joins the show. He will share what we know about the men charged, their significant connections to the Armed Forces and how this case could impact how terrorism is legally defined in Canada. Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

The problem of ticks, and the diseases they carry are well known. But as the climate becomes warmer, ticks are no longer exclusively found in densely wooded areas. The arachnids are spreading and bringing Lyme disease with them to more communities.The Globe's health and science reporter Jennifer Yang spoke to residents of Nova Scotia's South Shore, which has some of the densest tick populations in the country, to see what the future could look like for the rest of us. She shares their shocking stories, as well as some of the latest efforts to fight the spread of Lyme disease.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

Influencer profiles often have recognizable hallmarks: their feeds are highly stylized, filled with aspirational content and product placement. One of the reasons that brands work with influencers is because they can speak to their audience from a place of authenticity. So how does that change when the influencer is not a real person?Samantha Edwards is the Globe's online culture reporter. She's on the show to talk about the rise of virtual influencers created using artificial intelligence, and how that could change the way we interact with other users – real and AI-generated – online.This episode originally aired February 6, 2025.Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

The 113th Calgary Stampede is in full swing. But the 10-day festival wouldn't be complete without the biggest names in Canadian politics and business walking the grounds in cowboy cosplay.Politicians are flipping pancakes, corporate parties are packed, and with Prime Minister Mark Carney pledging to make Canada an energy superpower, oil patch optimism is on full display. But tensions between Alberta' and Ottawa persist, despite Carney announcing this week that a new Canadian oil pipeline proposal is highly likely.Emma Graney is the Globe's energy reporter based in Calgary. She'll tell us about all the politicking on the grounds, the energy deals getting made, and how separatist sentiment is playing out at this year's Stampede.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

The threat and realities of climate change are real and visceral – punishing heat waves, families displaced, towns destroyed by wildfires, dangerous smoke hanging over communities and flash floods that can be deadly and unpredictable. But how do you talk to kids to prepare them for the reality, without overwhelming or scaring them?Amberly McAteer is a contributing columnist for The Globe, who often writes about parenting. She joins the show to talk about the challenging conversations we're having with children and how climate change anxiety is influencing the way parents approach these talks.Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

On June 1, Hudson's Bay – the iconic department store brand whose operation predates the founding of Canada – sold its last striped blanket. Struggling under $1.1 billion in debt, the company was granted court protection from its creditors in the spring. Since then, it's cleared the shelves in liquidation sales, sold its brand identity and laid off more than 8300 people.Now, the courts are selling off what's left, including the leases to nearly 100 massive store locations left sitting empty. B.C. billionaire Ruby Liu is set on buying 28 of those leases – but nearly every landlord involved is trying to stop her.The Globe's retailing reporter, Susan Krashinsky Robertson has been reporting on the collapse of Canada's oldest retailer. She'll tell us all about who Ruby Liu is, what she plans to do with all of these stores and why she's facing such dramatic opposition.Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

Ever since the pandemic, emergency-room closures have become more common in Canada, especially in rural communities. This can leave people in dangerous situations that can require them to drive an hour or more to access emergency medical care. When time is of the essence, emergency-room closures can be deadly.Because there's no centralized data on how common closures are across Canada, it's challenging to parse out how bad the problem is. As part of The Globe's Secret Canada series, health reporter Kelly Grant, investigative reporter Tu Thanh Ha and data editor Yang Sun analyzed data on emergency room closures across Canada. Kelly and Ha are on the show to talk about how widespread these closures really are, what it means for people living in those communities and what kinds of solutions are possible.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

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.This episode originally aired January 14, 2025.Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

Prime Minister Mark Carney set a deadline of July 21 to reach an economic and security deal with the United States after last month's G7 summit. But negotiations were derailed last week when U.S. President Donald Trump called off talks, blaming Canada's digital services tax, which was set to come into effect on June 30. Two days later, Carney rescinded that tax, and talks were back on.Adrian Morrow is the Globe's U.S. correspondent, based in Washington. He's on the show to talk about the risk Carney took by giving up on the digital services tax so quickly, whether this is really in line with his ‘Elbows Up' campaign, and what Trump seems to want from negotiations.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

School is out for summer but this year some educators are wondering how much their students really learned. A KPMG survey found that over half of Canadians over 18 years-old now use generative AI to complete their school work. Professors and students are concerned that growing reliance on tools like ChatGPT and Gemini could be weakening critical thinking skills. And now, recent research is giving us further insight into that potential connection.The Globe's Joe Castaldo reports on AI and tech. He'll tell us what teachers and students say about how generative AI is impacting education and what recent studies tell us about its affect on our collective critical thinking skills. Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation has said it is no longer possible to return Canada to 2004 levels of housing affordability. We cannot build enough new housing supply to hit that target. So it's changing its benchmark.Rachelle Younglai covers housing and real estate for The Globe. She explains the CMHC's new approach to affordability, what they say needs to happen to improve the cost of housing and what it means for home prices and rents.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com