The Decibel

Europe’s far-right is moving into the mainstream

29 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Last week, a far-right party and its controversial leader in the Netherlands won a surprising election victory. This comes on the heels of several oth...

The historic rise of rental costs in Canada

28 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) numbers revealed what BMO’s chief economist calls the “new villain” of inflation: rent. While inflation is...

How an Ontario city is taking a new approach to homelessness

27 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

As the number of people experiencing homelessness grows in cities across Canada, so too have encampments – groups of people living in tents in parks...

The Canadian scientist at the centre of the OpenAI drama

24 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In the span of a week, OpenAI went from being Silicon Valley’s dominant artificial intelligence company, to teetering on the brink of collapse, to a...

Gaza’s underground tunnels

23 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Israel and Hamas are negotiating a four-day ceasefire which could see the release of up to 50 prisoners being held in Gaza as well as Palestinians cur...

What’s behind the shakeup of Alberta’s health care system

22 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Alberta government has been announcing several changes coming to the province’s health care – including dismantling the health authority, and ...

A new twist in the two Michaels saga

21 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig – known as the two Michaels – were both detained by Chinese authorities on December 10, 2018. That was the start...

The newest nicotine product to spark old fears

20 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Health Canada recently approved the sale of Zonnic, a nicotine pouch that you pop into your mouth. Even though its maker – Imperial Tobacco Canada –...

After 144 years, bringing home remains from a residential school

17 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Pennsylvania was the first government-run residential school in North America. Earlier this fall, the remains...

The life-or-death limbo of the Afghans who helped Canada

16 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Many Afghans waiting to be resettled in Canada have taken refuge in Pakistan since fleeing their homes when the Taliban took control in 2021. That can...

Qatar’s behind-the-scenes role in the Israel-Hamas war

15 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Israel-Hamas war is now in its sixth week and fighting is intensifying inside Gaza. On Tuesday, Palestinians trapped inside Gaza’s biggest hospi...

How climate change clues are frozen in glaciers

14 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

There is a glacier that sits a kilometer below the highest peak within B.C.’s border, called Combatant Col. Scientists have been working on its icy ...

Quebec targets out-of-province students with big tuition hikes

13 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The reality of Quebec’s law to protect the French language is setting in, especially for the province’s three English language universities. Out-o...

Canada’s broken information laws keep history in the dark

10 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It can be incredibly frustrating trying to get access to historical records in Canada. There are often lengthy delays and confusing inconsistency. Tha...

What students think about the parents’ rights movement

09 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A movement which first gained traction in Republican States in the U.S. is taking root in Canada. “Parents’ rights” is the idea that parents sho...

Canada’s billion-dollar wine industry is changing. Here’s why

08 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Weather in Canada is becoming more erratic thanks to climate change – we’re seeing cold snaps, severe thunder and hail storms, and wildfires. That...

Why the ‘lottery’ of Canadian immigration undermines the system

07 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Canadian immigration minister Marc Miller announced the intentions of the government in its new set of targets: while the number of permanent resident...

The battle over the future of the Banff arts centre

06 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

There has been turmoil at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, and it recently came to the public’s attention when the Alberta government dismi...

A ‘balance of terror’: The geopolitics of the Israel-Hamas war

03 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Israeli tanks and troops that entered Gaza on Friday are now focusing on encircling Gaza City – the population hub of the northern part of the strip...

Premiers attack Trudeau after carbon tax carve-out

02 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Last week, Justin Trudeau announced an exemption for the carbon price on home-heating oil. The majority of homes that use home-heating oil are in Atla...

Voices inside Gaza and Israel, in the ‘second stage’ of war

01 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Over the weekend, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Israel was entering the “second stage” of the war with Hamas. Since the...

Who is Canada’s new Supreme Court justice?

31 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Supreme Court has been missing a judge ever since Russell Brown resigned in June over allegations of improper conduct. On Oct. 26, Trudeau announc...

Indigo turns to a familiar face after a turbulent year

30 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

There have been a lot of challenges for Canada’s biggest book retailer, Indigo. There was a massive cyber attack. The CEO and president left. The bo...

The drama over Alberta’s plan to exit the Canada Pension Plan

27 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Alberta has a controversial idea that is causing a stir with other provinces and the federal government: exiting the Canada Pension Plan. Alberta say...

Bed bugs are everywhere, here’s why

26 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Bed bugs are pretty much everywhere. They’re being spotted in major cities like Paris, London and even Toronto now. They’ve been found in 135 coun...

The Rafah border crossing’s significance for Gaza

25 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Rafah crossing – the sole entry point between Egypt and Gaza – remains a political, diplomatic and humanitarian tinderbox. While Egypt has kep...

The class and cultural divides from French immersion

24 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

French immersion has become a cornerstone in Canadian education. One in 10 Canadian students are now enrolled in the program, as numbers doubled throu...

Supreme Court sides with Alberta on federal environmental law

23 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

As Canada tries to figure out its path forward in combating climate change, the question of which level of government is allowed to do what has become...

How AI influences the food we’re eating

20 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Could your next favourite foods be created by a robot? While artificial intelligence has long been used in the production and assembly lines of food, ...

The threat of Hezbollah joining the Israel-Hamas war

19 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group based in Lebanon, is seen as a serious threat to the Israel-Hamas war. There are fears the group, considered...

High interest rates and The Bank of Canada, explained

18 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

With inflation still stubbornly high, it seems like interest rates could remain elevated for quite some time. And the stress of that has some Canadian...

The controversy over lowering the age of breast cancer screening

17 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In Canada, 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. It’s the second leading cause of death from cancer in Canadian women...

Inside the Israel-Gaza war zone

16 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Warning: this episode contains descriptions of violenceHundreds of thousands of people have fled south in Gaza after Israel told 1.1 million people li...

The influence of the U.S. on the Israel-Hamas war

13 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, the U.S. was among the first nations to firmly side with Israel, pledging unequivocal support. The U.S. has hist...

The Decibel presents: In Her Defence

12 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In Her Defence, a new podcast series from The Globe and Mail, tells the story of Helen Nasland, in her words for the first time. Through a series of j...

The problems with how government contracts get outsourced

11 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The RCMP has begun an investigation into allegations of misconduct made by two tech entrepreneurs. Their warnings to senior officials and experiences ...

War erupts between Israel and Hamas

10 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Warning: This episode contains descriptions of violenceOn Saturday, Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist group, launched one of the largest and deadliest a...

How Canadian-made PAW Patrol took over kids’ entertainment

06 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

For over a decade now, the rescue pups of PAW Patrol have been an obsession for toddlers around the world. And now, the box office is responding too —...

A dropped case and the slow reckoning of the Canadian military

05 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The trial of Lieutenant-General Steven Whelan began in late September. Only a week later, it was over, with the case before a court martial dropped. T...

Catch and release: the revolving door of violent repeat offenders

04 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In less than a decade, Mohammed Majidpour has racked up more than 30 offences in Vancouver. His crimes include theft, robbery, dangerous driving and n...

How a group of Buddhist monks bought up a chunk of PEI

03 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Over the past few years, the Buddhist organization Bliss and Wisdom has been buying up several parcels of land in PEI. So much so, residents have begu...

Ukrainian refugees fled to Poland. Now thousands are leaving

02 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When Russia invaded Ukraine back in February 2022, millions of Ukrainians fled the country. Many went to the neighbouring country of Poland, which wel...

Can a 4 billion year-old asteroid reveal the origins of life?

29 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A capsule from the NASA spacecraft, Osiris-REx recently landed in a Utah desert after spending seven years in space. Inside the capsule is a sample fr...

A Dollarama executive, a luxury home and a World Heritage site

28 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Saint Lucia is known for its natural beauty, but the most iconic part of the island is along its southwest shore. Twin volcanic peaks – called the P...

Why it’s so hard to bring food prices down

27 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The federal government has been facing intense pressure to reduce the cost of food, as food inflation remains much higher than overall inflation. Some...

Will 3.45 million new homes solve Canada’s housing crisis?

26 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A recent report from Canada’s federal housing agency, CMHC says we need 3.45 million new homes built by 2030 in order to reduce skyrocketing housing...

What’s behind the delays in Canada’s courts?

25 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Canada’s judicial system is a bit of a mess right now. Cases are piling up. Staff aren’t showing up to work. And there aren’t enough judges. Eve...

Introducing: In Her Defence, a new true crime podcast

22 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Follow In Her Defence wherever you get your podcasts. The first two episodes drop Tuesday, October 10th.Everyone knew bad things were happening on the...

The view from India after allegations of killing in Canada

22 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Canada’s relationship with India has been rocky for years, but it’s at a particular low point right now after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accuse...

Your Ontario Greenbelt questions, answered

21 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Ever since Ontario Premier Doug Ford said he would open up parcels of land in the environmentally protected Greenbelt, there’s been drama. From reve...

Trudeau accuses India of involvement in Canadian’s murder

20 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar left Canada’s Sikh community with a lot of questions. On Monday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau gave them a possib...

Coup contagion – why Africa’s had nine coups in three years

19 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

There have been nine coups in seven African countries over the past three years – some analysts have called it a coup contagion, the Secretary-Gener...

A Trudeau-Poilievre showdown as Parliament resumes

18 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Parliament is back for the fall session and it returns with a surprising shift in the political dynamic. Conservative Leader, Pierre Poilievre is ridi...

Lessons from the massive daycare E.Coli outbreak in Calgary

15 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Hundreds of people are sick and dozens are in the hospital in Calgary, after one of Canada’s worst outbreaks of E.Coli in kids ever. Some cases have...

A multi-billion dollar bet on natural gas

14 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Enbridge Inc. has become North America’s largest natural gas utility after acquiring three U.S. utilities for US$9.4-billiondollars. It’s a big be...

What you need to know about COVID this fall

13 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The COVID-19 fall surge is upon us. But this year it’s different. Cases are rising again in Canada, reversing a trend from when cases were decreasin...

Australia resolved its news standoff with Meta. Could Canada?

12 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Most people in Canada haven’t been able to view or post news content on Facebook or Instagram for over a month now. That’s because Meta – the co...

The first criminal trial for ‘Freedom Convoy’ leaders

11 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tamara Lich and Chris Barber were at the forefront of the convoy protest that rolled into Ottawa on Jan. 29, 2022. As leaders, they encouraged support...

How international students became big business for schools

08 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In 2012, nine out of 10 students at Kitchener’s Conestoga College were domestic. Today, they have more international students than any institution a...

Canada’s wildfires dwarf emissions from all other industries

07 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This year’s wildfire season has broken all kinds of records – including on emissions. Canada’s wildfires have doubled previous records for green...

What are schools doing to help youth mental health?

06 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It’s back-to-school week for young people across the country. And despite bringing back full in-class learning three years since the peak of the COV...

Are small, family-run businesses dying in Canada?

05 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Small business owners are, on average, older than the Canadian population. That means that in the next ten years 75% of them are retiring, according t...

The dark side of collagen

01 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Collagen supplements are marketed as a holy grail anti-aging product. Bovine collagen is made from cattle hides, and a new investigation from the Bure...

Ford government targets school lands to build housing

31 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Ontario Premier Doug Ford has a clear housing goal. He wants to build 1.5 million new homes in 10 years. To accomplish this, his government has been l...

How a former Libyan dictator’s money ended up in Canada

30 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Moammar Gadhafi, former Libyan dictator, has had billions sitting in Canadian bank accounts for almost 12 years after his death. This has caused furth...

New details emerge about Montreal’s deadliest fire in decades

29 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On Monday, Montreal police said the Old Montreal fire that killed seven people in March 2023 is now being treated as a criminal investigation. Alongsi...

What happens for Tibet when the Dalai Lama dies

28 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tibet used to be a prominent focus of international attention, but that isn’t the case anymore as less and less information comes out of the region....

Why storms are more destructive now

25 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

There are a lot of serious storms these days, and those storms are causing more and more damage, as residents of California are seeing this week in th...

An ex-RCMP officer, a real estate tycoon and Operation Fox Hunt

24 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Back in July, a former RCMP officer was charged with conducting foreign interference on behalf of China. We now know more about what the RCMP is accus...

The problem with building more housing

23 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Canada needs a lot of housing – and the Liberal government is making this a priority at their cabinet retreat this week. But there are concerns that...

What it’s like to escape from wildfires

22 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

As wildfires rage on across the country, more than 50,000 people have been forced out of their homes in Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories and W...

Where’s that recession? Why it’s still too early to celebrate

21 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Fears of a recession have been looming since the worst days of the pandemic. And as inflation continues its slow but steady ascent, central banks arou...

Connie Walker’s latest investigation: Her own family's history

18 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Journalist Connie Walker has been reporting on Indigenous stories for most of her career. From missing and murdered women to the Truth and Reconciliat...

A reality check on the fertility promises of egg-freezing

17 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Elective egg freezing is on the rise in Canada. Fertility clinics pitch it as a kind of insurance policy: put your eggs in the bank now, and you can c...

Dispatch calls reveal chaos of deadly floods in Nova Scotia

16 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In the early hours of July 22, chaos was erupting in Nova Scotia. Rain was pouring down, causing intense flooding. People were panicked about whether ...

The unknown health impacts of cannabis smoke

15 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It has been five years since the legalization of cannabis in Canada but we still know very little about health impacts from cannabis smoke. Almost no ...

Ford accused of playing favourites in Greenbelt plans

14 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On Wednesday, Ontario’s Auditor-General, Bonnie Lysyk released an investigative report into the province’s decision to open up 3,000 hectares of i...

Why we need parasites

11 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

You’re never far from a parasite, no matter where you are. They’re responsible for illnesses like malaria that cause death around much of the worl...

The hunt for dark matter, two kilometres under Sudbury

10 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

No one really knows what dark matter is. We just think it exists. And we believe it makes up 85 per cent of all mass in the universe. So how do you so...

The evolutionary advantage of curly hair

09 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Curly hair often gets a bad reputation for being too high maintenance but research has shown that it plays an important role in our evolutions – and...

How we search for planets that could host life

08 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The James Webb Space Telescope has been getting some of the most detailed information and images from space since it launched a year and a half ago. A...

How two Canadian women were switched at birth

04 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In September 1969, two baby girls were born in a tiny hospital in rural Newfoundland, a few hours apart. A simple accident led to both of their lives ...

What we get wrong about bears

03 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Western preconceived notions about bears being deadly have led to dire consequences for bears. But the relationship and safety around bears is differe...

Sex abuse allegations at the Calgary Stampede

02 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

An ongoing class-action lawsuit against the Calgary Stampede alleges that for decades the organization did not properly protect children from a sexual...

Why ticks – and Lyme disease – are spreading further north

01 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Ticks are awful. They can give you Lyme disease, brain swelling, and can make you allergic to red meat. And as the world warms, they’re steadily cre...

B.C. might become a haven for movie studios using AI

31 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The ongoing actors and writers strikes in the U.S. are having huge implications for film production – including here in Canada, as productions slow ...

Why we can’t air condition our way out of extreme heat

28 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The past three weeks on Earth have been the hottest since records began, and the effects of global warming are becoming increasingly deadly as tempera...

What Trudeau’s summer shakeup says about the Liberals’ health

27 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On Wednesday, the Trudeau government unveiled a major cabinet shakeup. The reset comes at a time when the Liberals are facing criticisms over poor com...

‘Sound of Freedom’ becomes a controversial blockbuster hit

26 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

While conversations about movies are being dominated by ‘Barbie’ and ‘Openheimer’, another movie currently sitting in third place has become a...

How government infighting led to a refugee crisis in Toronto

25 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Dozens of asylum seekers have been sleeping on the streets of Downtown Toronto for weeks as a political stand-off between governments took place. Whil...

The people most impacted by wildfire smoke

24 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Cities across Canada have been dealing with the impacts of wildfire smoke this year – the smoggy skies and health effects. And while we’ve been se...

Inside Canada Soccer’s equal pay fight

21 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Canada’s national women’s soccer team is protesting unequal treatment by the sport’s governing body. The players say Canada Soccer is not transp...

Ozempic's effect on the body positivity movement

20 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Ozempic and other medications for type-2 diabetes have shown to be effective treatments for obesity. But this discovery has led to many people, who do...

Why is it so important to get inflation down to two per cent?

19 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We’re all familiar with the cycle now: Inflation is too high, so central banks keep raising interest rates. The hope is to get inflation back down t...

Behind the rise of car thefts in Canada

18 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Car thefts have surged in Canada, with some provinces seeing increases of 50 per cent in a year. And Canada has become particularly popular for this t...

Why NATO is back to Cold War strength

17 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

At the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, Turkey agreed to support Sweden’s bid to join the alliance. This paves the way for Sweden to become the 32...

City Space: Why are ER wait times so bad in Canadian cities?

14 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Burning hours in an ER waiting room has long been a fact of Canada’s public health care system, but that wait time is starting to spike. Now, in Ont...

When AI decides your pay

13 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

App-based ride-share and food delivery companies rely on algorithms that dictate speed, behaviour and the wage of gig workers resulting in different p...

The surge of young people dying from opioids

12 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The opioid epidemic is taking young lives – the number of 15-24 year olds dying from opioid overdoses tripled between 2014 and 2021 in Ontario. And ...

Canada’s multi-billion dollar bet on the electric vehicle market

11 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

After months of negotiations, automaker Stellantis and battery maker LG Energy Solution have reached a deal with the federal and Ontario provincial go...