Beef prices are currently around 23 per cent above their five-year average. And there’s no relief in sight.

Kate Helmore is The Globe’s agriculture and food policy reporter. She explains what’s going on in the beef industry to cause these sky-high prices.

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In May, a B.C. billionaire named Weihong (Ruby) Liu made a $69.1-million deal to acquire 28 leases of former Hudson’s Bay stores. Her company, Central Walk, owned malls where three of those stores were located, so those leases went unopposed; however, landlords of the other 25 stores were skeptical of her ability to operate her proposed stores. She had cash, real estate experience, and a vision — but no experience running a major retailer.

Susan Krashinsky Robertson is the Globe’s retailing reporter. She’s been covering the fallout from the demise of Canada’s oldest retailer. Today, she’s on the show to talk about what she learned about Ruby Liu over the course of the hearings, and why her bid to take over 25 more stores ultimately failed.

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

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Prime Minister Mark Carney has unveiled the next set of projects the federal government plans to prioritize in a bid to jumpstart Canada’s economy. The announcement focused on energy and mining, with six projects across the country ranging from liquefied natural gas to critical minerals. But many questions remain about how these projects will work and what disputes they will cause.

Adam Radwanski, feature writer and policy columnist for The Globe joins The Decibel to talk about Carney’s strategy, how the newly-created Major Projects Office fits in and whether this plan meets the moment.

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

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Where in Canada is it best to rent right now? The Globe analyzed cities from coast to coast to coast, comparing cities’ median incomes with their average rental prices, to find out which places are the most renter-friendly.

The Globe’s personal finance reporter Salmaan Farooqui joins The Decibel to break down where and why rents are trending downward, why it’s a good time to take advantage of the rental market and what advice realtors have for renters.

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

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On the day the budget was tabled, Chris d’Entremont, the lone Conservative MP from Nova Scotia, crossed the floor to the Liberals. Two days later, Matt Jeneroux, a Conservative MP from Alberta, announced he would be leaving politics altogether. His name had also been circulated as a potential defector to the Liberals. These moves overshadowed news of Carney’s first budget — and d’Entremont’s move gives him one more crucial seat ahead of next week’s confidence vote, which could trigger an election. Poilievre’s opposition benches, however, appear increasingly shaky.

Campbell Clark is the Globe’s chief political writer. He’s on the show to talk about what these moves mean for Poilievre and the Conservatives, why people cross the floor to begin with, and what past defections can teach us about the moment the Conservatives are facing now.

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

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A precedent-setting ruling involving Aboriginal title at the B.C. Supreme Court has caused widespread uncertainty and tension in the province. In August, Justice Barbara Young decided that Cowichan First Nation had title to roughly 800 acres in the city of Richmond — including private property. The ruling has raised questions over both residential and commercial property rights, as well as governance of the region.

Today, B.C. politics reporter Justine Hunter joins the show. She’ll explain the case, the divisive response, and the impact it could have on Indigenous land claims across the province... and the country.

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

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A big part of the federal budget rests on the assumption that its measures will spur the private sector to invest in Canada…a lot. It’s projecting a half-trillion worth of investment. But at a time when Canada is suffering from sluggish productivity and the impact of U.S. tariffs, how realistic is it to expect businesses to invest?

James Bradshaw covers institutional investing for The Globe and Mail. He explains how the government is trying to spur 500-billion dollars in investments from the private sector, and how something called a ‘productivity super deduction’ is meant to fix an issue that has long plagued the country.

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

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Parents are increasingly relying on elaborate calendar systems to keep track of their families’ activities – from a shared calendar or paper planner to high-end devices that can create a calendar for you by scraping data from your emails. Some parents say it helps them better involve their teen children in scheduling their lives; for others, they feel themselves becoming beholden to their calendars – a draconian digital personal assistant.

Zosia Bielski is The Globe’s time use reporter. She joins us to talk about how families are using technology to try to ease the mental load, and what these ever-evolving calendar systems reveal to us about how we value our time.

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

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