The Decibel

The Israel-Hamas war is continuing in Gaza, but tension extends to another Palestinian territory, the West Bank. Five hundred Palestinians have been killed by Israeli settlers or security forces, according to local authorities, and at least nine Israelis have been killed, according to the United Nations. The West Bank is also home to farmland where olive, fig and lemon trees grow. Since Oct. 7, Israeli settlements have expanded and...

When the federal government released their 2024 budget last week, they changed the capital gains tax for the first time in a quarter-century. The tax is set to bring in $19.3-billion dollars, and the government says it’ll only impact the wealthiest of Canadians. But many are disputing that.

Salmaan Farooqui, a personal finance reporter with the Globe’s Report on Business, is on the show to tell us about the basics of capital gains a...

On Wednesday, Kristian Firth became the first person in over a century held in contempt of Parliament and ordered to answer MP questions. It all has to do with the ArriveCan app, which his company, GC Strategies, was awarded millions of dollars to help develop.

An Auditor-General’s report estimates the app cost taxpayers $59.5 million and most of the work was outsourced to companies like GC strategies. Why the app cost so much and w...

With nearly one billion eligible voters, India is the world’s biggest democracy. Beginning April 19, with voting staggered over six weeks, they will decide their leader for the next five years. Narendra Modi aims to consolidate power with his third term as prime minister, as a coalition opposition looks to unseat him.

Sanjay Ruparelia is an associate professor at Toronto Metropolitan University and Jarislowsky Democracy Chair explai...

The 2024 Canadian federal budget has been unveiled, with a particular focus on affordability and housing this year. But the 430 page plan covers a wide gamut of other spending details – from defence, tax hikes, generational fairness and much more. Making sense of it all can be overwhelming.

We’ll cover all the key points of this year’s budget and explain how it will affect your wallet and financial prospects. A team of Globe and Mai...

There are an estimated 650,000 cases of dementia in Canada right now. The last 20 years of research into the treatment of Alzheimer’s have been, as one expert put it, “agonizing.” But a new drug was approved in the United States and is being tested in Canada to see if it can delay or slow the progression of Alzheimer’s symptoms. And it’s giving researchers and patients some hope that a breakthrough could be on the way.

Kelly Grant, ...

The Globe and Mail’s City Space podcast takes on the big issues, questions and stories of urban living. What makes a city function? Why was it built that way? How will it change in a tech-powered society? 

This episode takes a look at the unhoused and encampment crisis in many cities and towns in Canada. In Halifax, the homeless population has tripled in the last three years. Emergency shelters aren’t enough, and building new housin...

After a spate of news stories and immense public pressure, the government of Canada established the Public Inquiry into Foreign Interference to examine allegations that foreign countries like China and Russia interfered in our elections. The inquiry has heard from many high-ranking officials, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, about interference in the 2019 and 2021 elections.

Robert Fife, The Globe’s Ottawa bureau chief, is o...

Long wait times and the never ending battle to connect with a healthcare professional is a reality most people know all too well. Especially for the 6.5 million Canadian residents who do not have a family doctor. It’s a problem that has existed for years because it isn’t easy to solve.

Dr. Jane Philpott is the Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at Queen’s University. She is a family doctor, the former Minister of Health and rece...

Vietnam is having a moment on the world stage. Last month, Canada sent the largest ever “Team Canada” delegation of business leaders and government officials in a push to strengthen the bond with the country. And Canada isn’t alone – the U.S., Australia and China are all looking to do the same.

The Globe’s Asia correspondent, James Griffiths was recently in Vietnam and he’s on the show to explain why the southeast Asian country is s...

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 employer...

In the last few years, there has been an increase in research around using psychedelic drugs, like LSD and magic mushrooms, as treatments for mental health conditions. And recently, two Canadian companies working in the sphere have gotten a special designation from a big U.S. regulator that could fast-track the development and review of their drugs.

Sean Silcoff is a journalist with The Globe’s Report on Business. He has been lookin...

The deaths of seven World Central Kitchen humanitarian aid workers in Gaza has shone a light on the dangerous conditions facing people delivering essential supplies to Gazans. Some aid organizations have either suspended or modified deliveries in order to protect worker safety. It comes at a time when food and other supplies are desperately needed in Gaza. The UN says that a famine is looming for people living there. Simply put, ge...

Educators across Canada are worried about the use of cellphones – and in particular social media – in classrooms, saying it’s disrupting class and causing mental health issues. Four school boards in Ontario are suing the companies behind Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat for billions of dollars, joining a long list of U.S. school districts doing the same.

Philip Mai, senior researcher and co-director of the Social Media Lab a...

Since 2017, Canada has worked to attract the best artificial intelligence research talent in the world. But it hasn’t been investing in the infrastructure that those researchers need to push the limits of AI and the questions it can potentially solve. There are now calls for the government to invest more into building out more powerful supercomputers.

Report on Business journalist Joe Castaldo explains why the issue of growing compu...

Buying and owning a home in Canada is an endless source of frustration. Many have been priced out, while competition is high as a lack of housing stock runs up against a rapidly growing population. While more homes are needed to alleviate the stress, getting shovels into the ground isn’t as simple as it sounds.

The Globe’s Jason Kirby, Matt Lundy and Mark Rendell recently broke down the reasons behind why most Canadians can’t afford...

On April 8, the moon will block out the sun giving many Canadians a chance to witness a total solar eclipse. Cities and towns falling in the path of totality are getting ready for this special day and are expected to experience a big number of visitors.

The Globe and Mail’s science reporter Ivan Semeniuk explains the science behind eclipses, what makes the upcoming total eclipse special for Canadians and what are the ways to view it...

There are few more important habits for human health than the hours we spend asleep every night. Research shows sleep – or lack of it – affects everything from our physical and mental health, decision making and ability to fight illness. Despite this, at least one in four Canadians say they’re unhappy with the quality of their sleep.

Dr. Rébecca Robillard, neuropsychologist at the University of Ottawa and Co-Chair of the Canadian Sl...

Aspen, Colorado is a picturesque mountain town often called a snowy “playground for the rich”. Real estate is also one of the most expensive in the United States, and for the teachers that live there, that means they’ve been priced out. Now, the local high school is trying to solve that problem with student-built tiny homes for their teachers.

The Globe’s international correspondent, Nathan VanderKlippe recently spent time in Aspen ...